Congratulations to this week's Heroes Chelsea Dogterom and San Brookes! We hope you enjoy your up-close parking spot.
A Note to Chelsea Dogterom, Digital Learning Coach:
"Chelsea is a Super-Star! She jumped right in to elementary tech successfully supporting fall MAP Testing and getting tech classes running! Way to get the year started!"
"Chelsea stepped up and helped me set up for the Elementary ASB elections. Due to her help, it went off without a hitch! Thank You, Amanda"
"You have been an amazing blessing to our MCS family. You have gone above and beyond to serve the teachers by reaching out to get to know our needs. Thank you for all you do. Love the 5th Grade Team"
A Note to Sam Brookes, PE Teacher:
"Sam goes above and beyond her job description every day. She, along with Mac, perfectly excectuted another Turkey Bowl with exceptional organization and detail making it a memorable day for every student involved. She pours her heart into her students and her job always seeking ways to improve her programs. She also took on the monstrous task of the school yearbook for the second time, devoting her time and talents to documenting this year in memory for our students. She is an amazing role-model of Christ-like character for our students! She is also such a positive contributor on this campus and is willing to jump in and help in any way she can. She can be relied upon for anything and everything! She raises the bar of our MCS middle school team!"
Sibling Applications Due Now! Applications Open to New Families!
REMINDER: Now is the time to complete your sibling applications. We are receiving numerous new family applications and we need to know about current siblings (2018-19 students) so we can give you priority! Thanks for taking the time to complete the application today!
If you have not yet had the opportunity to read the letter from our Admissions Director Ashlee Cowell,
click here. If you have questions, please email or call Ashlee Cowell at
[email protected].
Look what happened on #Giving Tuesday!
11.28.17 was a special day at MCS (and for not-for-profit organizations all around the world)!
This week 33 additional families joined in with their hearts and treasures to support the 2017 Annual Fund, bringing our family participation to over 31%! We are TRULY "THANKFULL" for each and every gift of love that ensures MCS provides the highest level of excellence in every program area, all for the benefit of our students.
Have you heard from Mr. Moore?
Our faithful Head of School Mr. Moore has been hard at work personally sharing with our amazing parents pertinent information regarding the importance of MCS's Annual Fund. As we pray for God to continue leading and providing for our school, he wants every MCS family to feel fully informed as they make decisions regarding year-end giving!
The Annual Fund is the
single most important financial support to that mission in three critical ways:
1. TUITION GAP:
Annual tuition covers 95% of educational costs at MCS; the 5% gap is accomplished through giving. Donations not only provide for our current exemplary programs but also enable MCS to "Go Above and Beyond" with vital improvements without burdening families with excessive tuition increases. The MCS reputation is to go above and beyond!
2. STRENGTHEN MCS POSITION:
With strong parent participation, our school's position with Foundation partners is strengthened dramatically. MCS actively pursues grant requests, and
these donors respond more favorably to organizations that demonstrate regular community financial support
3.INDEPENDENT SCHOOL BENCHMARK: According to NAIS statistics, private schools routinely see 80%+ Annual Fund participation. MCS's 2016 parent participation was just over 40%, which gives us room to grow to reach the standard benchmark for private schools.
As you consider which organizations to support in December, we humbly ask that you consider a gift to the MCS Annual Fund - every amount makes a difference and opens the door to an exciting future at MCS!
"Troy, our family has been enrolled at MCS for a few years now, and we had no idea how significant this initiative is for MCS. We are beyond thrilled with the educational experience of our children - yet we have missed this opportunity to give back and help MCS achieve its goals! Thank you for taking the time to further educate MCS Dads at the Bowling Event. I am honored to contribute to this year's Annual Fund. You can count on us going forward!" -Anonymous Parent
Upcoming Events & Activities
Parents in Prayer Meets Weekly on Monday | 8:15AM
Sibling Applications for 2018-2019 Now Open
MCS Annual Fund Campaign | Now through December 31
Under The Tree Shopping Spree | December 2
MCS Book Fair | December 4-6
All-School Christmas Toy Drive | December 4 - 11
TK-3rd Grade Christmas Program | December 7th, 6:30PM
4th-5th Grade Christmas Celebration | December 12th, 6:30PM
6th-8th Grade Christmas Concert | December 14th, 6:30PM
We've had a great first day and are looking forward to seeing all of you at the Christmas Boutique in the morning, Saturday (12/2) from 9AM-12PM. Enjoy some baked goods and coffee from The Rye Truckwhile shopping. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to get a head start on your Christmas shopping.
The red carpet is out "just for you" and the atmosphere is lovely! Join us and bring a friend!
Boutique Vendors
31Bits
Ani Michelle
Bali Bliss Jewelry
Bardot Clothing
Blanca Floral
Brenda Kristine
Glitter for Breakfast
High Risk Hope
Jade Succulents
LuluRoe
Mom Yvonnes Mother Trucker Co
Paisley & Eloise
PTF MCS Spirit Wear (2016 Merchandise Fire Sale)
Purposeful Planners
Rodan & Fields with Kristen Chandler
SnuggBuds Headsets
Social Monograms
Sofital Wooden Signs
The Tamale Lady
The Wonderseed
The Rye Truck
Timree Art Studio
TK Burger
Toss Designs
Whimsea Designs
Zens Tea
Stop by the MCS Book Fair December 4th, 5th, & 6th
The Book Fair will be held next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in the Learning Commons:
MCS Parents are invited to shop during the following hours:
Monday (12/4) from 8:30AM - 3:30PM
Tuesday (12/5) from 10:30AM - 3:30PM
Wednesday (12/6) from 7:30AM - 3:30PM
All proceeds from the Book Fair will go towards MCS curriculum material and classroom libraries.
"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." Sir Richard Steele
Toy Drive December 4th - 11th
We are continuing our partnership with Project Giving Light in December and helping local families in need by hosting a Christmas Gift Drive! MCS families are invited to participate by providing an unwrapped toy or gift card [suggested value is $10-20] for children ages 5-15 years old.
There will be drop locations conveniently located outside of the gym (kiddos can drop their gifts after walking through morning carpool), outside of the front of the lobby, and in the middle school homeroom classes.
We will be collecting from 12/4-12/11. December 11th is also the Middle School Share 2 Wear day and the Share 2 Wear item will be a gift. See details regarding Share to Wear in the middle school section below.
We are delighted to be able to bless Project Giving Light in their ministry to local families in need during the Christmas season.
Shopping suggestions:
TK-5th Grade: purchase for any gender or age 5-15
6th Grade: age 5-8/same gender as student purchasing
7th Grade: age 9-11/ same gender as student purchasing
8th Grade: age 12-15/same gender as student purchasing
Looking for some shopping inspiration? Project Giving Light has provided a "starter list" of gift ideas:
Anything skateboard related Vans and Adidas brand anything Sports equipment Cool socks Sweatshirts, T-shirts Art stuff Craft stuff
Play makeup Dolls Play jewelry Gift cards Emoji stuff Card games Minion stuff
Pokémon stuff Baseball style hats Remote control cars Lalaloopsy toys Shopkins toys Board games Spinner toys
MCS Families and Friends of MCS are invited to celebrate the birth of Jesus at our upcoming
Christmas Concerts.
Lost and Found
If your student is missing a sweatshirt, lunchbox, water bottle, hair bow, cleats, etc., please check the elementary and/or middle school lost and found. All items not claimed will be donated on Friday, December 22, before Christmas break. Thank you!
...and the winner for the 2017 Turkey Bowl is BLACK! Congratulations!
-click for photo gallery-
Thank you to Mrs. Unkrich for taking these awesome photos for all to enjoy!
Ahead of the Goal of Introducing Students to Hour of Code
Many of you have heard about the Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) Hour of Code which is celebrated December 4th - 10th this year. In years past, MCS has joined in the initiative to introduce all students to computer science through various activities.
This year, MCS is ahead of the goal of introducing students to one hour of code!
Sharee Pfaff, through our Maker Education program, has already introduced all of our elementary students to coding and has more than exceeded the CSEdWeek goal of one hour of programming per student. Students are learning to program the Wonder Workshop Dash and Dot robots and are being introduced to significant computer science concepts in the process. Our middle school students have opportunities to learn programming through after school programs and electives. We are excited for the ideas and plans we have for expanding programming opportunities for MCS students!
MCS Stories
Our Newly Remodeled Kitchen is Being Put to Good Use!
During our recent pancake breakfast, our ASB students baptized the kitchen with batter, bacon, and joy banter! (pictured above).
Last week, Mr. Rahm's students were able to fry up some taco meat, mix together some avocados and spices to make guacamole and prepare fresh salsa for a great taco snack! Middle School looks forward to creating more delicious meals in both the Culinary Arts Elective and Lunch Club.
Thank you to the many families who contributed towards the remodel!
Men of Mariners Bowling Event! Congratulations TEAL!
TEAL knocks down the victory in a head to head showdown of skill. What a great event! Looking forward to next year! Thank you to everyone who came out in support of our Teal and Black competition!
A JoyFULL Harvest Ladies Luncheon
Thank you to the ladies who came out for our November Ladies Luncheon. It was a great time of fun and fellowship. Our special guest speakers Mrs. Gatchell (MCS kindergarten teacher) and Mrs. Vance (MCS alumni parent/teacher and founder of Art+Soul Collective) shared a word of encouragement from God's Word. There were moments of spontaneous sharing from the heart and community building among MCS moms, grandmothers, teachers, and friends...the perfect way to move into the holiday season. We are "ThankFULL" for you!
-click for photo gallery-
Announcement
We are pleased to announce that Mariners Christian School has become part of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce!
"The Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce provides professional development, networking opportunities, and support services for professionals interested in advancing their careers and growing their businesses."
Irvine Chamber of Commerce Website
Family CommUNITY Connection Newsletter
This year, our newsletters will align with our service focus for the month. We hope that these newsletters will not only provide your families with the logistical details of the service opportunities being offered, but also with a resource that will allow you to dive a bit deeper into conversation (around your tables, in the car, etc.) about the area of focus. It will also provide an introduction to the organization we are partnering with in this area.
In this month's newsletter you will see that our monthly focus for both November & December is on "local families in need" and we are thrilled to partner with Project Giving Light, a local organization determined to bring light to homeless children's dark world. We will be partnering with Project Giving Light by hosting a Fall Food Drive in November and a Christmas Toy Drive in December.
The 2017-18 Difference Maker service initiatives are absolutely optional. We recognize many of our families are actively involved in serving in this capacity within their local churches. We hope that your family will be blessed to partner with us, and look forward to unveiling the other incredible opportunities the Lord has begun to prepare for us over the upcoming months.
As always, God says it better than we can, so I will leave you with this encouragement from Isaiah 58:10:
"Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as the noonday sun."
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions.
This list is provided to you by our Parent Teacher Fellowship.
Spirit Rock - Celebrating the MCS Family
Happy Birthday Michael, Sage, and Dawson! We love seeing your creativity and seeing families working together. Priceless.
May you-all enjoy a blessed Holiday Season. Thanks for sharing your special moments with us. Looks like we have a serious baseball player in the group Sage!
Please email a photo of your special rock design and person to [email protected] so that we can feature them weekly.
Thank you to our Parent Teacher Fellowship for providing this opportunity to celebrate milestones in the lives of the MCS Family. If you have not yet had the chance to sign up to paint the rock, please view the calendar and sign up at this
link. There are a few spots left.
An Invitation from Broken Lance Eagle Tribe
Broken Lance Eagle Tribe invites MCS Elementary Boys to a special upcoming event on Friday (12/15) at the Discovery Cube.
If you have questions, please contact MCS Dad Nick Trautman (Chief Wave Rider)
[email protected] or Tim Broussard (Running Fox)
[email protected] 949.261.7700, ext. 245 for details.
Middle School E-Newsletter
JoyFULL
"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 16:11 ESV
E-Newsletter: 12.01.17
Middle School
Middle School Chapel
The students were welcomed back from Thanksgiving Break by a team of middle school staff who led them into a beautiful time of worship. Thanks to each staff member who shared their talents to help usher us into His presence Monday morning.
Stevy York joined us as our guest speaker this week, and reminded us that God has so much for us if we are willing to sit and receive.
He doesn't ask us to bring anything to the table or give anything in return for His free gift of grace, but instead it says in Psalm 23, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." The gift of grace is free, if we are willing to take it.
Thank you to our awesome Middle School Faculty for ushering us into His presence on Monday. You are the best and we appreciate you!
MCS Students Compete at Lego League Robotics Competition
On Sunday, November 12, 7th graders Andrew Sutherland and Justin Kim competed in the Lego League Robotics Competition.
Starting in August, these amazing students spent hours developing their robot and a research project then demonstrated their robot programming in three competition-style, fast-paced scrimmages. This competition was a continuation of the programming learning and robot construction knowledge they garnered over the past 3 years as part of the MCS robotics team.
In this first competition, they were awesome!
Congratulations and great job Andrew and Justin!
Turkey Bowl 2017
...and the winner for the 2017 Turkey Bowl is BLACK! Congratulations!
-click for photo gallery-
Thank you to Mrs. Unkrich for taking these awesome photos for all to enjoy!
Fall Sports Awards Tuesday, December 5th, 12:15-1:00PM
This Tuesday, December 5th, from 12:15-1:00 p.m., we will be celebrating our Boys Flag Football and Girls Basketball teams at our Fall Sports Awards Luncheon. The program will start in the auditorium and then break out to classrooms for team awards. Parents are welcome to attend. Pizza will be served for the athletes.
We're so proud of each and every one of our athletes and it is an honor to have the opportunity to recognize their character as a person and their contribution to the team. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.
Middle School Tacky Christmas Attire Day & Share 2 Wear
Monday, December 11th
Our December 11th Share 2 Wear combines two things that are near and dear to our hearts...helping local families in need and Christmas!!!
For our Share 2 Wear this month, MCS will host a week-long Toy Drive for local families though Project Giving Light.
All gifts will go to children who (without our donations) may not otherwise receive Christmas gifts.
The Drive will culminate with our Wrap N' Pray Chapel on Monday (12/11), in which we will wrap each gift that has been donated throughout the week and pray over the children who will receive them.In order to make this happen, the final day to Share an item is Monday (12/11) for the Wrap N' Pray chapel, so our Wear Day will also take place that Monday (12/11)!
Students are invited to bring toys/gift cards in throughout the week.
However, in order to participate in the Tacky Christmas attire, the students must bring in an item morning to Chapel on Monday (12/11).
We want to fully embrace the Christmas cheer by wearing tacky Christmas sweaters, tacky Christmas accessories, and all things red and green!
Please remember that in order to participate in the 12/11 dress day, students must bring an item for the Toy Drive that morning.
All-School Toy Drive December 4th-11th
We are continuing our partnership with Project Giving Light in December and helping local families in need by hosting a Christmas Gift Drive! MCS families are invited to participate by providing an unwrapped toy or gift card [suggested value is $10-20] for children ages 5-15 years old.
There will be drop locations conveniently located outside of the gym (kiddos can drop their gifts after walking through morning carpool), outside of the front of the lobby, and in the middle school homeroom classes.
We will be collecting from 12/4-12/11. December 11th is also the Middle School Share 2 Wear day and the Share 2 Wear item will be a gift.
[PLEASE SEE DETAILS REGARDING THE 12/11 MIDDLE SCHOOL WEAR 2 SHARE DAY ABOVE.]
We are delighted to be able to bless Project Giving Light in their ministry to local families in need during the Christmas season.
Shopping suggestions:
TK-5th Grade: purchase for any gender or age 5-15
6th Grade: age 5-8/same gender as student purchasing
7th Grade: age 9-11/ same gender as student purchasing
8th Grade: age 12-15/same gender as student purchasing
Looking for some shopping inspiration? Project Giving Light has provided a "starter list" of gift ideas:
Anything skateboard related Vans and Adidas brand anything Sports equipment Cool socks Sweatshirts, T-shirts Art stuff Craft stuff
Play makeup Dolls Play jewelry Gift cards Emoji stuff Card games Minion stuff
Pokémon stuff Baseball style hats Remote control cars Lalaloopsy toys Shopkins toys Board games Spinner toys
The FVSC Snack Bar will be available (food items ranging from $1-$5)
Parents may drop off any time after 4:00 pm and pick-up is promptly at 6:00 pm
MCS Staff will chaperone
Light refreshments provided
Must bring socks for rented skates, or students may bring their own skates
No need to RSVP, students just show up!
HSPT Private School Entrance Exam Review Sessions
We are offering four review sessions to help our MCS students prepare for private school entrance exams, specifically the High School Placement Test (HSPT) and the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). Math and English will be reviewed in each session. All four sessions will be different, so we recommend you attend all four. Students are encouraged to purchase the HSPT or ISEE test books available at Barnes and Nobel or online. Any version of the HSPT or ISEE test book is fine. This book is recommended, not required.
Students may attend any or all of the following sessions:
Wednesday, December 6th (3:00-4:30pm)
Wednesday, December 13th (3:00-4:30pm)
Wednesday, December 20th (3:00-4:30pm)
Wednesday, January 10th (3:00-4:30pm)
Location: Meet in Mrs. Thurston's room at the start of each session
The sessions are long, but are designed to allow review of both Math and English. We will also provide a short snack break. These sessions should provide a good stretching of our students' "test endurance." Generally, entrance exam testing periods are three to fours hours in length. Most middle school students are not used to sitting and testing for so long!
All four sessions are included in the $40 fee. Your FACTS account will be billed after the first session you attend.
Please RSVP to [email protected] if your child will be attending any sessions.
***Please let us know if you'd like to donate snack items for these review sessions. It would be much appreciated by the hungry students.
JSerra Catholic HS Are you ready to start applying to high schools? Be sure to register for the High School Placement Test Review on Dec.2nd from 9:00-12:00 with JSerra Catholic High School. JSerra Catholic HS offers the High School Placement Test on Jan.20th and Feb.3rd from 7:30-12:00. Dr. Courtney Harkins will give a talk during each testing session entitled, "My Teen is in High School- Now What?" and campus tours will be available. Be sure to check out JSerra Catholic's Open House on January 21st from 2:00-4:00. It's not too late to sign up for a shadow day! Shadow days are offered weekly and we tailor the experience to fit your students' interests. Come visit us to learn more about the exciting opportunities available at JSerra Catholic High School!
https://www.jserra.org/admissions/visit-jserra. We hope to see you there.
Crean Lutheran High School Admissions has begun: Click on this link for details.
Crean Lutheran High School presents "The Joy of Christmas" Tuesday (12/12) at 7PM. Enjoy a pre-event Christmas Boutique and pre-show at 6:00PM.
Click here for all the details.
Orange Lutheran High School Prospective Student Open House: Wednesday, November 8, 2017 from 6:00-9:00PM. Fo
r details about OLu Admissions, click here.
Crean Lutheran High School Admissions has begun:
Click on this link for details.
Corona Del Mar High School Prospective Parent Night: Monday, December 4th. This is an informational meeting for any parents who are considering trasitioining their student to CdMHS for 2018-2019. For more details, please contact Julie Bentwood at
[email protected] or visit their website at:
http://cdm.nmusd.us/.
300 Fischer Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone 714.437.1700 · Fax 714.437.7976
Copyright 2017, Mariners Christian School. All rights reserved.
We've had a great first day and are looking forward to seeing all of you at the Christmas Boutique in the morning, Saturday (12/2) from 9AM-12PM. Enjoy some baked goods and coffee from 
We are continuing our partnership with Project Giving Light in December and helping local families in need by hosting a Christmas Gift Drive! MCS families are invited to participate by providing an unwrapped toy or gift card [suggested value is $10-20] for children ages 5-15 years old.
We are pleased to announce that Mariners Christian School has become part of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce!
This year, our newsletters will align with our service focus for the month. We hope that these newsletters will not only provide your families with the logistical details of the service opportunities being offered, but also with a resource that will allow you to dive a bit deeper into conversation (around your tables, in the car, etc.) about the area of focus. It will also provide an introduction to the organization we are partnering with in this area.
Robin Walker 1/1
Happy Birthday Michael, Sage, and Dawson! We love seeing your creativity and seeing families working together. Priceless.
Thank you to our Parent Teacher Fellowship for providing this opportunity to celebrate milestones in the lives of the MCS Family. If you have not yet had the chance to sign up to paint the rock, please view the calendar and sign up at this
The students were welcomed back from Thanksgiving Break by a team of middle school staff who led them into a beautiful time of worship. Thanks to each staff member who shared their talents to help usher us into His presence Monday morning. 
We are offering four review sessions to help our MCS students prepare for private school entrance exams, specifically the High School Placement Test (HSPT) and the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). Math and English will be reviewed in each session. All four sessions will be different, so we recommend you attend all four. Students are encouraged to purchase the HSPT or ISEE test books available at Barnes and Nobel or online. Any version of the HSPT or ISEE test book is fine. This book is recommended, not required.
The sessions are long, but are designed to allow review of both Math and English. We will also provide a short snack break. These sessions should provide a good stretching of our students' "test endurance." Generally, entrance exam testing periods are three to fours hours in length. Most middle school students are not used to sitting and testing for so long!
