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Volume 23 * Issue 11 * November 9, 2017
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Stronger together... we lift each other up. We are
SERRASTRONG!
And let us consider how to lift up one another, to love and good works
- Hebrews 10:24
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A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT TRUDELL
"Patience & Promise" Fall Reconciliation Service
Monday, November 13, 2017 Grades 3-8
On Monday we will celebrate our first Reconciliation Service as we prepare our hearts for the upcoming Advent season. We are honored to have 15 priests celebrate this sacrament with your children. We would like to thank the following priests for committing their time: Fr. Jim Dunning, Fr. Angelos Sebastian, Fr. Tuan Pham, Fr. Thomas Naval, Fr. Stephen Lesniewski, Fr. Ted Olson, Fr. Duy Le, Fr. Damien Giap, Msgr. John Campbell, Fr. John Block, Fr. Jack Sewell, Msg. Wilbur Davis, Fr. Dang Chin, Fr. Rudy Preciado and Fr. Eamon O'Gorman.
We turn to God through repentance asking Him for Patience as we await the Promise of our Savior this Christmas. Our Catholic Church recommends we receive the sacrament of Reconciliation during this upcoming holy season. Advent, in the liturgical year, is known as a penitential season of waiting. Confession is a natural step to cleanse ourselves from sin and start anew with a renewed focus on Christ as we await the celebration of His birth. This will be a formal uniform day for Grades 3-8.
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Thanksgiving Food For Friends - Tomorrow,
Friday, November 10
If you give some of your own food to [feed] those who are hungry and to satisfy [the needs of] those who are humble, then your light will rise in the dark, and your darkness will become as bright as the noonday sun.
Isaiah 58:10
Our monthly Food For Friends drive will be tomorrow Friday, Nov. 10. Thank you in advance for your generous donations for our Thanksgiving food collection. Your donations will provide a welcomed warm Thanksgiving meal to many in our community.
Most importantly your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
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The Adopt-A-Family Advent Program Is Here!
 Gifts and Gift Cards Due by Friday, December 8
Our SJSC PTO and I are thrilled to announce that Event Chair, Mrs. Carol Lawson, along with PTO VP Outreach Ministries, Mrs. Kathy Bonin, will again coordinate St. Serra's
2017 ADOPT-A-FAMILY ADVENT PROGRAM
!
Over the years, our St. Serra community has generously supported the Adopt-A-Family Advent Program through Catholic Charities of Orange County. This holiday season, we can provide a better Christmas for 40 families. The requests this year are very simple, with many families simply asking for grocery gift cards. Any amount is appreciated.
As Pope Francis said, "Be attentive to the needs of the poor, the suffering, the lonely, for whoever has chosen to love Jesus cannot but love his neighbor." Please consider participating in this optional Outreach program.
Questions? Contact Carol Lawson at
[email protected]
. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
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2018-2019 Early Admissions Meet and Greet for Prospective New Families
We will be hosting an Early Admission Meet and Greet for prospective new families on Tuesday, November 14, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please share this information with any family you know who may be interested in enrollment for the 2018-2019 school year.
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Student Formal Uniform Days added to Calendar
As we will be having a special guest from the Diocese (Mrs. Sally Todd, Interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools) visiting our campus on both
Friday, November 17
and again on
Monday, December 11
, we have added Formal Uniform as the required dress on both of these days for students in TK - Grade 8. The only exception to this is students who have P.E. on these days and 8th-grade students who will follow the directive given to them regarding dress for their retreat on November 17.
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There are many who need our prayers right now. This thought gives us confidence that our one prayer will always find its way to God.
God is Good All the Time...All the Time God is Good.
Mrs. Angeline Trudell
President
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 SCRIP NEWS
Purchase Scrip with your credit card:
Spread the Holiday cheer and earn FPF rebates! For a limited time, and for orders totaling $1,000 or more only, you can use your credit card to purchase your scrip. CLICK HERE for a list of available vendors, ordering instructions and delivery schedule.
Thanksgiving Schedule:
WEEKLY
Monday, November 13, 8:30 am (Last weekly order before Thanksgiving Break)
NO ORDERS ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20
due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.
**
shopwithscrip.com Prestopay physical card
order. The delivery schedule for the physical cards ordered directly on shopwithscrip.com via Prestopay is similar to our weekly orders. Therefore, any physical cards ordered after the cut off of 7:30 a.m. on Monday, November 13 will be processed and delivered after the Thanksgiving Break. Virtual and Reloadable cards will continue through the break.
DAILY
Wednesday, November 15 (Last daily order before Thanksgiving Break).
Daily Sales,
7:40-8:30 a.m. will continue through Friday, November 17, but limited to quantity on hand.
Vendor Update:
SPECIAL DENOMINATIONS
now available via weekly order ONLY. Please feel free to add them to the green weekly order sheet.
$5 - Barnes & Noble, Panera, Starbucks
$10 - Albertsons, Amazon, Applebee's, CVS, Olive Garden, The Home Depot, IHOP, Outback, Red Lobster, Regal, Target, Walmart
For questions on any of the above or to place a Scrip Order, contact Tina Maroutian, Scrip Coordinator at
[email protected]
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GIVING TUESDAY - COMING SOON!
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 SEASONS TUITION ASSISTANCE LUNCHEON TICKETS SELLING FAST!
The event is already 55% sold after just 1 week.
To reserve a seat, please make your reservation
HERE. Keep in mind, this event is open to anyone - inside and outside of the St. Serra community. Grab a friend, pick whatever table theme you like and join us on Sunday, January 28, 2018 to help raise money for Catholic school students in need! Early Bird pricing ends on November 30 at 3:00 p.m.
Unable to attend? Support the event by helping to underwrite the event. There are
levels of underwriting available beginning at $100.
Your support of this event will help change a child's life!
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EARLYBIRD PRICING FOR YEARBOOK DEDICATION ADS
ENDING SOON!
Have you created and purchased your 2018 Dedication Ad yet?
EARLY BIRD
pricing ends soon! Submit your ad by
Sunday, November 26, 2017 to take advantage of the lower pricing.
Please contact Cindy Kennedy, Communications Director if you have any questions at
[email protected].
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REMINDER: BOY SCOUTS & AMERICAN HERITAGE GIRL YEARBOOK PHOTOS
Thursday, November 16
If your child is a Boy Scout, Webelo, Cub Scout, Cub Scout Wolf, and Tiger Scout, or an American Heritage Girl Explorer, Pioneer, Tender Heart and Pathfinder, their group photos will be taken for the yearbook next Thursday, November 16.
Middle School Scouts and AHG's photos will be taken in the afternoon during their 8th period. All other student's photos will be taken between 8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Please have your student come to school wearing their Boy Scout or AHG uniform, or students may bring their Boy Scout or AHG uniform to change into prior to their scheduled photo. Students may also wear their Boy Scout or AHG uniform the remainder of the school day if they choose to do so.
If you are interested in volunteering to help out with the morning photo shoot, please contact Cindy Kennedy at [email protected].
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ANNUAL FUND APPEAL
Help Support the Student Creation Center As We Prepare For It's Grand Opening in the Fall!
The 2017-2018 Annual Fund Appeal is off to a great start, raising $52,062 in our first few weeks - $25,000 of which came from our fabulous faculty and staff! We NEED YOUR help toward our goal of
100% participation.
If you have not already done so, please watch this
VIDEO entitled
"Our Students Are worth It." It will explain the Annual Fund, how our students benefit from it and what it will support this year.
Thank you in advance for your generosity. Your participation and support is greatly appreciated!
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WINTER SPORTS PARENT MEETING
** NEW DATE** - Wednesday, November 15
Parents, please mark your calendars for this mandatory meeting to be held in the SAC on Wednesday, November 15 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Please contact Brock Gozbak, Athletic Director at
[email protected] for additional information.
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IN-N-OUT NEWS
There will be NO In-N-Out lunches during the month of December
. Please plan accordingly. CLICK HERE to view the November orders in the Parents Only section of our website. You will need your passkey to access this section of the website.
Monthly Ordering for January and Annual Ordering (Jan-May) will open up on Thursday, November 16 and close on Friday, December 15 at 3:00 p.m. Look for the links in next week's SerraDIPITY.
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EXTENDED CARE NEWS
There is NO AFTERNOON Preschool or TK - Grade 8 Extended Care on
Friday, December 15
. This is a minimum day and the last day of school before Christmas Break. Extended Care will be open the morning of
December 15
. Please plan accordingly!
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2017 Harvest Festival Review
Feedback Welcome!
Please take a minute to fill out the 2017 Harvest Festival
Survey
. We would love to get your feedback on the event! It will take 5 minutes or less and your opinions are important for the planning of future events. The survey will be open until Friday, November 24.
CLICK HERE to view photos from the 2017 Harvest Festival and Rally.
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SANTA'S SECRET CHRISTMAS SHOP
-
New this year! P
review the
GIFT ITEM LIST
to help you and your students plan their shopping trip and budget.
- Santa's Secret Christmas Shop envelopes for participating students are due to your Homeroom Teachers by Friday, November 17.
- The Class Shopping Schedule is located in the PARENTS ONLY PASSWORD-PROTECTED section of the St. Serra website.
- Santa's Helpers Needed! If you are interested in helping your child's classroom shop, please contact your Room Parent.
- Questions? Contact SSCS Event Chairs, Joan Baird and Heather Boyajian, at [email protected] or visit the SSCS WEBPAGE.
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A MOMENT IN TIME FOR MOMS
Thank You!
What an amazing journey we have taken on this adventure of a new book study for St. Serra, "Am I Messing Up My Kids?". Our first session ended this past Tuesday, November 7. CLICK HERE to read an article in the Diocese of Orange Connect newsletter about our first session.
SPECIAL THANK YOU'S TO: Dana Maas, for your leadership, wisdom and grace; all our AMAZING MOMS who joined us in fellowship, sharing your stories and breaking bread together (and who are NOT messing up their kids!!); our amazing and beautiful speakers, Lori Kilander, Kris Peters, Dana Maas, Robin Emanuel and Patty Hamilton; Fr. Angelos Sebastian, Pastor and Susan Armstrong at St. Kilian Church for opening up their arms and facility to us; and Mrs. Trudell and Mrs. Dubeau for believing in us!
New book and session will begin on Tuesday, February 27, following our Lenten Retreat on Thursday, February 22. Mark your calendars and plan to join us!
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS - 1:1 PROGRAM UPDATES
Parent Notifications on iPad Help Desk Visits
Beginning next week, parents will receive an email notification each time that their student visits the
Help
Desk. The email will include a PDF which outlines the reason for the visit and how the issue was resolved.
These emails are provided to
help
keep parents apprised of any problems that their students are having with their device.
Laptop Pen Loops
During our Laptop Bootcamp this summer, a number of students did not receive a pen loop to hold their ActivPen to the laptop. While it has taken longer than anticipated to receive these items from HP, we now have received enough to provide them to the students who did not originally receive one during Bootcamp.
Pen loops will be distributed to the students through their homeroom classes on Monday, November 13.
At this time, additional pen loops are not available from St. Serra but can be purchased on the web from retailers such as Target, Container Store, and Amazon.
Broken Pen Tips
We have had a number of tips breaking from the HP ActivPens. If the tips should break, please have your student bring their pen to the Help Desk in the PEB for a replacement. Please do not try to fix the tip on your own by gluing the tip back on. This will void the warranty and will require the purchase of a new pen ($61). At this time, there is no charge for the replacement.
Please remind your students that they should not be swinging the pens by the tether, or carrying the laptop by the pen, as these are not acceptable uses of the equipment.
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STUDENT STORE NEW LOGO ITEMS
SHOP our online Student Store now for the holidays!!!
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ST. SERRA VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Season of 'Thanks' and 'Giving'
It is the time of year for giving thanks and helping others. Discover ways that St. Serra welcomes your time and talent by visiting our
PTO VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
webpage. Upcoming opportunities include Santa's Secret Christmas Shop;
view the
SIGNUP GENIUS
for all available opportunities.
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PARENT ROSARY - COME JOIN US
"And Coming To Her, He Said, "Hail, Full Of Grace, The Lord Is With You." -Luke 1:28
Please join us as we pray for our children and our community at our weekly Parent Rosary. We meet on Fridays at the Blessed Virgin Mary statue in the middle school courtyard at 7:50 a.m. (or 8:30 a.m. on school Mass days). Please contact Veronica Thompson at
[email protected]
with any questions or to be added to the Parent Rosary e-mail list.
For more information, please visit our
OUTREACH MINISTRIES
webpage.
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LIBRARY REMINDER
The Library will be closed during Santa's Secret Christmas Shop from November 13 through December 8. Books needing to be returned can be placed in the book return bin located in front of the Library. New book check-outs will not be allowed during this time. eBooks will still be available through the Destiny Discover app on the student's iPads and laptops. CLICK HERE for help logging into Destiny Discover. If a student needs a book renewed, please have them email Mrs. Ella Bummer at [email protected]. The Library will reopen from December 11 through the 15 and close again for the Christmas break. Please check the Library Schedule by CLICKING HERE.
Celebration Book Club
The season of giving is here!
The Celebration Book Club is the library's main funding for new books.
Celebrate your student's birthday, special accomplishment, First Communion, favorite holiday, or
dedicate a book in honor of your child's teacher. If you would like to participate in the CBC simply fill out the form online. Students may choose their new book from the selection.
CLICK HERE for more information.
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COMMUNITY PROGRAMS OF INTEREST
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JSerra High School Pride Receptions For Prospective Families
Sixth, seventh and eighth-grade
families are invited to attend a personal reception with current
JSerra
families, students, faculty and administration. Come and meet the heart of Lion Nation and get answers to your questions in a casual relaxed environment.
JSerra Catholic High School Pride Reception
At the home of: Tony & Renee Guinane
Tuesday, November 14, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Hosted by the Griffith, Guinane, Hendrick & Manning Families
JSerra Athletic Open House
JSerra Catholic High School is having an Athletic Open House this
Sunday, November 12, from
2:00-4:00 p.m. in the Athletic Pavilion. All coaches will be present, there will be campus tours available, and you'll have the opportunity to speak with some of the student athletes.
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City of Rancho Santa Margarita
Art Contest ~ New Year's Eve Event
The City of Rancho Santa Margarita is enthusiastically preparing for their "Celebrating Family & Friends" New Year's Eve event, which will take place on Sunday, December 31 from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Central Park. One of the highlights of the event is the Children's Art Contest - which will be displayed in the Bell Tower Community Center.
CLICK HERE for more information on both the Art Contest guidelines and the New Year's Eve event. Flyers are also available in the School Office.
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