SerraDIPITY

Volume 22 · Issue 27 · April 4, 2017

 

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In This Issue
Groundbreaking Ceremony
STEAM Night 2017
Aladdin Jr. Spring Musical
Holy Week Events
Principal's Corner
In-N-Out Ordering
Hear Run 2017
Extended Care Reminder
Student Council Elections
Recording Service Hours
PTO Happenings
Anchor Ball
Scripsense
Yearbook Deadline
Scrip News
Annual Fund
Used Uniform Update
Snack Bar Volunteers Needed
Community Programs of Interst
Living Our Faith

 

 Prayer Partners &

Prayer Requests

 

Please CLICK HERE  for more information about Outreach Ministries.

Parish Connections Update
CLICK HERE to view this month's Parish events.
  
  
Weekly Rosary
Please join us for  our weekly, Friday morning Rosary.   CLICK HERE for more information.
  
  
Volunteer
    Opportunities    

Please  CLICK HERE  to view the many volunteer opportunities that are available here at St. Junipero Serra Catholic School
  
A Message From Our President

During the Lenten Season, we reflect on our blessings and feel in our heart how our love for God grows. Lent reminds us of challenges that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us. This is also the time our faith can grow stronger knowing God is with us in every challenge. 
Have Faith and Hope today in any challenge that you face,I know I will try.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
The groundbreaking of our Chapel, a true blessing this week, was experienced by so many, especially our students. The future of St. Junipero Serra Catholic School is blessed with God's great love. CLICK HERE to see photos from this beautiful and historic day. 
Chapel Seed Packet Gift: All  students received commemorative chapel seed packets from their teachers this week. We still have some of the seed packets available. Please pick up one from the School Office if you wish to plant more with your children. Watch your flowers grow... as our St. Serra Chapel grows to welcome Jesus. 
  STEAM Night 2017 - Human Senses

Over 600 people graced St. Serra's campus and made SJSC's second Family STEAM Night full of energy and excitement. Students and parents engaged in hands-on activities and experienced how the STEAM disciplines apply to different aspects of the Human Senses. SMCHS's Robotics Team shared their robots and skills and challenged guests to control the robots to perform different tasks. The evening was buzzing with conversations from all the different stations. Preschool through adult - there was something for everyone! 
 
The success of this evening is due to the support from our educational leaders, STEM teachers, volunteers, students, parents, alumni, and St. Serra faculty and staff who helped make Family STEAM Night happen. A special thank you to SJSC parents Linda Shepard & Kathryn Monaghan who were pivotal with the organization of all the planning behind the activity stations and set up. 
 
Congratulations to the 3D Printer Design Challenge Winners: 
5th Grade - Skye B.
6th Grade - Nick Z.
7th Grade - Jennifer Q.
8th Grade - Shane B.
Best of Show - Jack C.  

Honorable Mentions: Zach E., Olivia W., Tyler C., Dean F., and David M.
 
The drawing for the Family STEAM Night raffle prizes will be announced next week on SerraVision.
 
Family STEAM Night will be even bigger and better next year with the theme of: Sports.  
 
SJSC Spring Musical, Aladdin Jr. -  A Great Success!  
Our wonderful and talented students from grades one through eight took the stage last weekend for three performances of Disney's Aladdin Jr. Family, friends and SJSC staff enjoyed watching students work together to dance, sing, and act their way into a whole new world! The show was a huge hit, due in large part to the hard work and talent of Music Teacher/Director  Mrs. Janess Sifers, staff members, and parent volunteers. CLICK HERE to view photos from this amazing show! 
Deadline This Monday for 2017-2018 Re-enrollment/Registration 
The deadline for your re-enrollment/registration submission is Monday, April 10, 2017.  In order to secure your spot with St. Junipero Serra Catholic School and avoid a $75 late fee, your registration must be completed by this date. If you were unable to attend one of the State of the School Celebration meetings, your yellow registration card will be sent home in today's Weekly Envelope. To complete your registration properly, you should have the yellow registration card, as well as the email(s) that were sent out on Friday, March 24.

Please contact Admissions if you have a student who you do not plan on re-enrolling for the 2017-2018 school year. Mrs. Merchant can be reached at (949) 888-1990 ext. 123 or smerchant@serraschool.org.
Holy Week Events 2017
Next week we begin the most solemn and joyful events of our Catholic faith during Holy Week. We pray you are able to participate in one of the many celebrations occurring at our four parishes. We encourage you to visit the church websites (which can be found on our website under Spiritual Life) for specific dates and times. 
 
On campus, our 7th-grade students will present the Living  Stations of the  Cross. Mr. Catey, Mrs. Sifers, Mrs. Armenta and Mrs. Baine were all instrumental in coordinating this year's production. It will be held on  Thursday, April 13 at 10:30 a.m. in the SAC. Students, TK - Grade 8, are required to wear formal uniform. To ease the parking situation, parking will be available on the inner road of the campus along with neighborhood parking as well. Please DO NOT park in the Memorial Health Care parking lot.
School Office Closed
In observance of our Stations of the Cross, the School Office will be closed on Thursday, April 13 from 10:30 a.m. until the conclusion of the performance. During this time, students are unable to be taken out of school or checked into school as tardy, and items will not be able to be dropped off at the School Office. Phone calls will be answered by our voice mail messaging system. All business will resume when the Stations of the Cross are over up until 1:00 p.m. when the School Office closes for Easter break. Please plan accordingly.

There will be no SerraDIPITY or Weekly Envelope on Holy Thursday next week.
Lenten Service Project 2017 is coming to a close!
Catholic Relief Service (CRS) Rice Bowl 
 
During the Lenten Season at St. Junipero Serra Catholic, our students participate in this annual service project for the Catholic Relief Services  Rice  Bowl collection. Thank you so very much for having your children fill up their Rice Bowls and practicing their Lenten Alms-giving.  Your generosity in feeding the world will not go unnoticed, and your contribution in the form of this small cardboard box will change the lives of many!

If you haven't turned in your Rice Bowl or you need one, please check with our School Office or your child's homeroom teacher. We will accept contributions through  Monday April 10. On behalf of all those who will not go to bed hungry, thank you and may God bless you.

Food For Friends - Tomorrow,  Friday, April 7
It's that time of the month again to feed those in need within our own community. Friday, April 7 will be our last Lenten food collection benefiting the parish of San Francisco Solano.  Our Catholic faith inspires us to be merciful to others and to be motivated by love.     Hopefully, we are striving to reflect God's unconditional love and, during these final days of Lent, practicing this sacrificial love that embraces all, especially those in need. Our prayer at St. Serra is that through God's grace, and with your support, we can continue to feed the hungry and bring hope to the hopeless.

Thank you for using your own recycled bag this month and following the suggested donations found in the Weekly Envelope.
S AVE THE DATE: New Life Mass -  Wednesday, April 26

Please join us for  Mass at  9:30 a.m. in the Student Activity Center celebrated by Father Thomas Naval of Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church as we continue our Easter celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior. Let us live out our school theme this year from Psalm 31:24 "Be brave, take heart, all who put your HOPE in the Resurrected Lord"
 
This is a formal uniform day for ALL students. Once again we will be having a collection at the entrance to  Mass for the Missionary Childhood Association, so please encourage your children to do an extra chore around the house so they are able to bring in some change to donate to those in need.
 
Plan to arrive earlier and join other parents as they pray the Rosary before  Mass, beginning at  8:45 a.m. in Extended Care. Everyone is welcome!
 
For your convenience, we do have parking in the neighborhood on this  Mass day, but NO PARKING in the Memorial Health Care parking lot.

God is Good... All the Time,

Angeline Trudell
President     



 
 


"Be brave, take heart, all who put their HOPE in the Lord." - Psalm 31:24

Principal's Corner
Mrs. Carol Reiss, Principal, Preschool - Grade 2 & Mrs. Julie Tipton, Principal, Grades 3-8

Academic Placement Policies and Procedures
St. Junipero Serra Catholic School  is preparing for academic placement for English Language Arts (ELA) and Math for the 2017-2018 school year. The educational team is  continuously shaping the learning environment to consistently promote high achievement of all students . Please see the attached Academic Placement Procedure and Policies.
 Upcoming dates to note:
  • June 2, 2017 Last day for STAR Testing
     
  • June 2, 2017 - 3rd trimester average on this date will be used in the rubric for 3rd trimester grades for placement purposes
     
  • August 11, 2017 - ELA and Math Placement Letters mailed (grade 2-8)
April In N Out®  Ordering Closes Monday!

In-N-Out® lunch will be served on 
Thursday, April 27 only. Please note this is the ONLY date for the month of April due to Easter Break. Ordering for April closes this Monday, April 10 at 3:00 p.m. 

CLICK HERE to visit our In-n-Out page and place your order. 
"GET FIRED UP" for the HeartRun!"
Tomorrow,  Friday, April 7
                                  
HeartRun is Here! St. Junipero Serra Bears wear a  RED  t-shirt with your PE shorts  tomorrow, Friday, April 7 , for a school-wide RED OUT , and run with us in support of the American Heart Association! 

There is no rain in the forecast, so the HeartRun will take place on the field!
 
HeartRun Parent Volunteers, please use our St. Serra shuttle from 8:00 a.m - 11:25 a.m. ( see schedule below).  Designated "St. Serra" parking spaces are available at the off campus parking, located at 22931 Arroyo Vista   (corner of Arroyo Vista and Empresa).
 
Leaves Off Campus Lot                            Leaves St. Serra Campus
8:00 a.m.                                                 8:20 a.m.
8:40 a.m.                                                 9:00 a.m.
9:20 a.m.                                                 9:40 a.m.
10:00 a.m.                                               10:20 a.m.
10:40 a.m.                                               11:00 a.m.
11:20 a.m.                                               11:25 a.m.
 
Did you forget to donate? It's not too late! DONATIONS will be accepted until tomorrow, Friday, April 7th, at 1:00 p.m.; however, the incentive deadline has passed so t-shirts and Super Pup keychains will not be available for last minute donations. A $10 donation from each SJSC family would make such a difference!
 
HeartRun is a PTO sponsored event aimed at raising student awareness about the importance of staying active and promoting good heart health for a good life. HeartRun is one of our school's most beloved events. It's a great joy to watch students run for a good cause!
Extended Care News
 
There will be NO afternoon Extended Care on Holy  Thursday, April 13. This is a minimum day and the last day before Easter break. Please plan accordingly! Extended Care will be open normal hours the morning of  Thursday, April 13 
Student Council Elections
Current 6th & 7th Grade Students

The Student Council elections for 2017-2018 have begun! We are looking forward to yet another great year for our student leaders. CLICK HERE for all of the necessary information and dates for April, 2017. Please review all materials and let Mr. Catey (wcatey@serraschool.org) know if you have any questions. 
Recording of Service Hours Deadline  

The deadline for recording all Service Hours for 2016-2017 (5/1/16 to 4/30/17) is Sunday, April 30, 2017 

Families who do not record and/or fulfill their required hours will be invoiced in May for any unfulfilled hours at the rate of $15 per hour, per unperformed hour. 
All family service hours must be recorded online.  CLICK HERE to enter your updated hours, or click on the Record Service Hours quicklink on the St. Serra homepage. Please note that you will need your Service Hours Parent Portal login credentials which were sent home through the Weekly Envelope on December 8, 2016.
   
A special Thank You to all of our wonderful parent volunteers who help support our educational programs, school-wide fundraisers and activities. St. Junipero Serra is blessed to have such dedicated volunteers who further support our students' educational environment. 

For questions regarding your Login Credentials or Recording of Service Hours, please contact Vera Nitinthorn in the Business Office at vnitinthorn@serraschool.org.
PTO Happenings 
April and May At-A-Glance

Our final All-parent PTO Meeting and Year-end Celebration of YOU - our PTO volunteers, Room Parents, GLA's and committees, will be held May 3  at 9:30 a.m. in the SAC. Save the date and join us for more exciting new announcements!

Questions? Email me anytime at: serrapto@serraschool.org .

Lenten Blessings,
Cristen Lebsack, PTO President 2016-2017

April 2017
  • TOMORROW, 4/7 HEART RUN (Campus)
  • TOMORROW, 4/7: Last day to nominate a dedicated volunteer to receive the ST. JUNIPERO SERRA AWARD (due by 3:00 p.m.)
  • TOMORROW, 4/7: PTO BOARD NOMINATIONS  close (at 3:00 p.m.)
  • 4/26: Mass & Parent Social in SJSC Courtyard (Hosted by 5 th grade)
  • Date TBD:  PTO ELECTIONS  (online). Watch for details, coming soon after nominations close on 4/7.

May 2017
  • 5/1 - 5/5:   Teacher Appreciation Week (Campus)
  • 5/2: PTO Staff Treat Day - K, 1 st , 4 th (Faculty Lounge)
  • 5/3: **ALL-PARENT** PTO General Meeting & Year-End Celebration (SAC) 9:30a.m.
  • 5/19: Final collection day for BOX TOPS
  • 5/20: ANCHOR BALL 2017 (Newport Beach Marriott)
  • 5/26: Marian Mass & Social in SJSC Courtyard (hosted by 3 rd grade)

OPEN CASTING CALL!
Are you looking for ways to get involved at St. Serra?  Do you love organizing events? Perhaps you are interested in exploring new volunteer avenues?   THE SJSC PTO NEEDS YOU!! We welcome any and all interested parties to attend our May All-parent Meeting. Our Board will be on hand to chat with anyone who is interested in learning more about the opportunities available with our different events throughout the year. Can't come?  Then we encourage you to reach out to our PTO President Elect Dana Mass ( dana@maasfamily.com ). She can easily direct you to the appropriate person and we will get you involved!  

Deadline for 2016-2017 Volunteer Opportunities is Fast Approaching!
St. Serra's annual 60-hour Volunteer Hour Commitment must be completed and input by our parents by April 30 . Not quite there? Don't worry! You still have time to make your hours. Check out our current  VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES  to find contacts for SJSC's ongoing events.

Don't Stop Logging!
As a reminder, even after you hit 60 hours please keep logging your hours! We want to recognize our St. Serra community members who reach 100 hours or more!

Did you know? National Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 23  - 29.  We are so blessed to have families who share their gifts of time and talent each and every year. On behalf of St. Serra's PTO Board,  THANK YOU for all you do for our SJSC Community!
22nd Annual Anchor Ball
Rooted in Faith

Saturday, May 20, 2017
Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa
900 Newport Center Dr. Newport Beach, CA
"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." - Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Anchor Ball RESERVATIONS are open!  A wonderful evening of fun, friends and community in support of our St. Serra students is just around the corner!  Please check your inbox for your Paperless Post invitation.   The reservations deadline is Friday, May 5 , but early reservations are strongly encouraged .  This event sells out quickly! Our Live Auction Preview is now available! 

Pre-purchase tickets now...  Join the fun!  Tickets for this year's Opportunity Drawing and our New Light of Choice Raffle are now available.  Plus, you do not have to attend Anchor Ball to participate!  Be on the look out for fliers in today's Weekly Envelope.  Visit the ANCHOR BALL HOMEPAGE
for more details.
 
Questions? Check out the ANCHOR BALL  HOMEPAGE or  FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE  to view the latest news and updates.
Scripsense
Spring is in the Air and Easter is Around the Corner

Visit scripsense for all your Easter basket needs and help us build the Chapel .  Simply u se scripsense to shop on-line or purchase eGiftCards and raise money for the Chapel at the same time without ANY cost to you!  Just added... Nordstrom egift card, earn 3% for the Chapel when purchasing one.  

Another great Easter idea is Hanna's for brunch or dinner!  Treat your family and use the Scripsense Local Merchant Program featuring Hanna's Prime Steakhouse.  St. Serra Scripsense Program participants can now earn 10% of everything they spend at Hanna's which goes directly to the Chapel Fund in your family's name .  Chapel naming opportunities will begin at $1000.  
Yearbooks Are Selling Quickly - Don't Delay!
 
If you haven't yet placed your yearbook orders, now is the time! A limited number of yearbooks will be available for sale after the shipment arrives and those will only be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot not be reserved. The surplus yearbooks do sell out quickly, so please order your student's yearbook now to guarantee them a yearbook that will be delivered to their homeroom on the day of pre-order distribution. 
 
Follow the instructions below or you may CLICK HERE to purchase your yearbooks online.
 
To place your yearbook order(s): 
  • Go to www.jostensyearbooks.com
  • Click on "BUY YOUR YEARBOOK"
  • Enter "St. Junipero Serra Catholic School - RSM" from the drop-down menu
  • Click on "Yearbook"
  • Add Recipient's Name (Student's Name) Student's Last Name, Grade, Homeroom, Recipient's E-mail (would be your own and not the student's e-mail address)
Note: to place multiple yearbook orders, you will have to click on the "Continue Shopping" button to add additional forms to complete for each student's yearbook order you would like to place.
 
Questions? Please contact Cindy Kennedy at ckennedy@serraschool.org
Scrip News 

Easter and End of Scrip Year Weekly Orders:
Please see below for important dates and deadlines.
 
Monday, April 10 - No WEEKLY order
Tuesday, April 11  - Last DAILY before Easter
Monday, April 17 - No WEEKLY order - Easter Break
Monday, April 24 -   Last WEEKLY order before End of Scrip Year. 
Last Prestopay Physical Card order Eligible for 2016-17
Thursday, April 27 - Last DAILY eligible for 2016-2017
Friday, April 28 -     Last AM Sales eligible for 2016-2017

A copy of the April Scrip Sales Calendar is posted on the St. Serra website for your convenience at s erraschool.org>parents>scrip program.  Click on Important Easter and end of Scrip Year Schedule at the bottom of the page or CLICK HERE

Ralph's Rebate Reporting 
Ralph's rebates for Quarter ending February 28, 2017 are now due. All rebate information for quarter ending February 28, 2017 must be obtained in email format from Ralph's by emailing  community.programs@ralphs.com, and forwarding via email to the Scrip Coordinator at  tmaroutian@serraschool.org by April 28. 
No exceptions will be made for late reports due to restrictions from Ralph's and end of Scrip year 2016-17.
 
For questions, contact Tina Maroutian, Scrip Coordinator at
2016-2017 Annual Fund ~
Last Chance to Join the Founder's Circle!
 
A huge thank you to all who have graciously donated to this year's Annual Fund!  To date we have raised over $98,000.  Not only will this money be used to fund the  Hydration Stations already on campus, but will help to update the middle school classrooms with new and exciting furniture and technology and is funding the new PreK curriculum for our 4-year old Preschool classes. 
 
If you have not already donated, and would like to do so, please Click Here , or make a check payable to Serra Catholic School, attention Advancement Office.  You may also call in your credit card to Cindy Carpino at ext. 239, should you wish.
Used Uniform Update
True Grits Uniforms last call SALE

True Grits Used Uniforms will be available for $5 each beginning May 3 !

Special sale dates added:
  1. Kick Off "Used Uniform Sale" Wednesday, May 3 , 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon (before and after the 'All-parent PTO Meeting')
  2. Saturday, May 6,   9:00 to 11:00 a.m. 
  3. Daily, May 8 -May 12 , 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and Tuesday, May 9 , 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
Reminder: Effective May 29 , the 2015-16 school uniforms will no longer be sold in our Used Uniform store. We are no longer accepting True Grits Used Uniforms; only Dennis Uniforms will be accepted. (This was announced in the Feb 23 Serradipity). Students are allowed to wear the 2015-16 school uniform until June 2018.

Questions? Contact Catherine Tirado, Student Store Coordinator at ctirado@serraschool.org.
Snack Bar Regular Volunteers Needed
If you would like to earn your lunch duty hours AND be inside,
consider becoming a regular in the Snack Bar! If you have already
earned your lunch duty hours, these hours can count for your regular
service hours. It's great fun to see the children every day and
complete some of your service hours!  We are looking for parents
who can commit to once a week, perhaps every other week, and work
alongside our snack bar coordinator, Patti Brown. Please contact Patti at  pbrown@serraschool.org . Thank you for helping to serve our students!
Imaginology - A STEAM Community Program 

Full STEAM ahead! Imaginology is a great opportunity to continue on with the hands-on educational experience of our SJSC STEAM Night. Offered by the OC Fair and Event Center, Imaginology is a free non-profit event where kids and families can explore the educational fields of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) and discover the unlimited career possibilities. Imaginology will be held at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on April 21-23, 2017. CLICK HERE for more information.
Summer 2017 Programs in the Community

San Franciso Solano VBS 2017 
J uly 10-14, 2017
Vacation Bible School

Who: Kindergarten - 8th Grade
Where: San Francisco Solano Church
Time: 9:30a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

CLICK HERE to register today! Contact Marjorie Kollen elemre@sfsolano.org or (949) 589-1709 for more information.

JSerra High School
Lion Engage - Designed for students in grades 6-8, Lion Engage is a great summer opportunity to dive into experiential learning. CLICK HERE for more information about the Lion Engage summer program.

Youth Sports Programs -  JSerra offers a number of sport camps for prospective students throughout the summer. CLICK HERE to learn more about the summer sport programs offered. 

Mater Dei High School 
SummerCamps - Sign up for Youth and High School Camps at Materdei.org/camps

Summer School - Incoming Freshmen can sign up today! materdei.org/summerschool 

Mater Dei High School, 1202 West Edinger Ave., Santa Ana, 92707
Materdei.org/shadowprogram  Admissions: (714) 754-1175