Dear Parents, Guardians and Students,
It is so nice to be back on campus. We are adhering to strict health and safety protocols to ensure safety for our community. As we move through January, we have a lot of exciting things on the horizon.
Among the excitement is that it's college admissions season and Serra students have already seen a host of early acceptances for 2022. The Class of 2022 has received early acceptances to Baylor, DePaul, Fordham, Rice, Santa Clara, University of Notre Dame, University of San Francisco, University of Denver, University of Indiana, University of Miami, University of Alabama, University of Arizona, Oregon State, University of Oregon, Wesleyan University, Hamilton College, Colorado School of the Mines, University of Tennessee, Colorado State University and CSU's.
Early action/early decision period typically runs through the end of January, but the bulk of acceptances will come to students in the months of February, March and April.
Congratulations to our Class of 2022 Padres for all of their hard work and dedication to their pursuit of a college education.
And there's so much more to come this semester!
Sincerely,
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Charlie McGrath
Principal
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Virus Geeks Testing Remains on Campus Tuesdays and Fridays
Please remember that Virus Geeks is on site Tuesdays and Fridays for COVID testing.
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Serra Global Speaker Series To Discuss Autonomous Vehicles |
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The Serra Global Speaker Series continues with Carey Nachenberg, an adjunct professor at UCLA and former member of the Lyft Level 5 team designing and building self-driving vehicles.
Carey will talk about the fascinating complexity of the science and business of autonomous vehicles, providing an overview of the various, complementary technologies that can allow the car to do the driving.
Carey is also a published author; his first novel, a techno-thriller, The Florentine Deception. Carey earned his BS and MS in Computer Science from UCLA in '95.
The program will take place Wednesday, January 19, from 7-8 p.m. It is free for the Serra community, but one must register in advance.
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Obtaining Athletic Clearance Following Positive COVID Case |
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There have been questions from parents about COVID medical clearance requirements for COVID-positive student-athletes.
Here are the guidelines for what the doctor's notes should include:
- Any student athletes that tests positive for COVID must be cleared by a medical doctor to return to sports
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A doctor's note must be presented to administration or athletic training staff stating that, (Athlete full name) is fully cleared to return to unrestricted athletic participation or (Athlete full name) is cleared to begin a gradual return to play protocol. These notes must be stamped/signed by a medical doctor. No exceptions.
- Some doctors may require an individual who tested positive for COVID to go through a gradual return to play protocol. Depending on the severity of an athlete's symptoms, the athletic training staff has authority to require athletes to complete the gradual return to play as well.
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Until a proper doctor note has been provided to the athletic training staff or administration, COVID-positive athletes may not participate in games or practices.
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Attention Senior Parents: Yearbook Recognition Ads On Sale Now! |
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It's that time of year when family members can purchase a yearbook recognition ad!
This a wonderful opportunity for parents to recognize your son for for his successes and milestones. These personal ads are a lovely way to honor your son in the yearbook.
All recognition ads must be submitted no later than February 1, 2022. Go to www.jostensadservice.com to create your full color ad today.
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Emotional Intelligence: Unlocking the Power of Emotions |
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Common Ground is featuring Marc Brackett, PhD, moderated by Scott Erickson, PhD, Phillips Brooks School HOS, to discuss Emotional Intelligence: Unlocking the Power of Emotions on
Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. -8:15 p.m.
Tapping into our emotions and naming them can help us make better decisions, build stronger relationships, perform better academically and professionally, and improve our health. In this talk, Dr. Brackett will discuss how giving our children and ourselves permission to feel our feelings and name them can increase our ability to regulate tough emotions and be our best selves in addressing day to day stressors.
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Parent Scheduling Information Night To Be Held on January 31 |
Parents, gain a better understanding of how students are scheduled into classes for the 2022-2023 school year by attending this optional scheduling information night on January 31. Attendees will see presentations by Mrs. Lee and Mr. Strange. We will review the options that students will have for required and elective course offerings, and review the Scheduling Information page of the PCR Parent Portal where various resources are posted.
This event will take place over Zoom, starting at 7 p.m. Freshmen, Sophomore, and Junior parents will all have separate Zoom meetings that will be focus on the issues most relevant to those student groups. This is an event for parents; students will receive a separate presentation at school that week. Although it is not a required event, parents are responsible for understanding how to submit scheduling requests through PCR, understanding the course prerequisites, and meeting all deadlines. Further information, including Zoom links, will be sent out to parents on the day of the event by email.
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Serra High School Begins WCEA Accreditation Process |
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Reserve Your Spot on the Close Up Trip |
Experience history as it happens! During our six-day Election Week program beginning on November 6-11, students will meet new friends from across the country and experience the suspense of a presidential election in Washington, DC! As the upcoming election promises to shape politics and policy for the next several years, students will take part in activities, seminars, and visits to Washington’s most historic sites to help them understand what roles they, as citizens, can play in our democracy. Close Up’s
Election Week program provides students with the opportunity to meet face-to-face with their
Congressional delegation on Capitol Hill and with Washington insiders who play a key role in the
American political system.
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Time to Begin Financial Aid Applications for January Deadline |
It is that time of year again to start your 2022-2023 financial aid applications, as the TADS portal is now open. The deadline for submission is January 15, 2022. Please submit your applications before the deadline as late applications could hold up or reduce your financial aid award, depending on funds available.
Serra has provided supplemental aid the past two years to support those impacted by the effects of the COVID pandemic. These funds were meant as a bridge to assist families in the short-term, and were not meant to be an ongoing source of financial aid. For the 2022-2023 school year, COVID related financial aid will be reduced, and will be made available in limited circumstances. If you believe that this applies in your case, please complete the supplemental COVID aid application.
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Adopt-a-Family Raises Spirits |
Serra is proud to announce that it raised more than $17,000 during its Adopt-a-Family Christmas Drive. The Adopt-a-Family program helps the community to match compassionate donors with low-income and struggling families and individuals during Christmas.
The Serra community came together and collected a total of $10,000 in gift cards, nearly $5,000 in monetary donations, gifts in-kind of about $2,500 and three bins of non-perishable food items. In total, 20 families from Redwood City Catholic Worker House were given gifts for the holidays.
According to Serra’s Christian Service Coordinator Meave Ward, the collection drive was an enormous success.
“Thank you for your awesome support of the Adopt A Family Christmas Drive, it was an overwhelming success,” Ward said. “The Redwood City Catholic Worker House was so grateful to receive such an abundance of gifts and contributions.”
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Blessing of the Rings January 20 |
All students who have ordered class rings have been invited along with their parents to our annual Blessing of the Rings. This year we are also including students who purchased rings last year. All those students' rings will be blessed by Father Nick Case on 1/20 as part of our morning mass in the auditorium. This blessing is part of our faith and tradition to bless the symbols that have meaning in our life. Class rings are an important symbol for some students since they represent their success and achievements at Serra. They are blessed as a reminder that God is always with them. |
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Shop Padre Family Businesses! |
If you would like to add your Padre-family business to our list, email us here.
Thank you for your community support and remember to shop small, shop local and shop Padre!
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Download our free Serra App TODAY!
Select your mobile app store below and download directly to your device. Or, search for the app on your phone. Once you download the app, you can log in with your last name and email address.
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Wishing you all a healthy and fantastic week!
Aimee Lewis Strain
Director of Marketing and Communications
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Junipero Serra High School | 451 West 20th Avenue | San Mateo, CA 94403 | serrahs.com
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