Welcome Back to Winter Semester at Serra |
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We hope you had a peaceful and safe Christmas break. We are preparing for another engaging and safe semester at Serra. Our teachers returned for three days of professional development and classroom preparations on Monday and are anxiously awaiting distance learning to begin tomorrow for all students.
As we prepare for a new semester, we ask all our parents and students to familiarize themselves with our new winter schedule, which was announced on December 18. This schedule brings Blue and Gold cohorts to campus alternating on a weekly basis five class days a week with classes ending no later than 12:30 p.m. Please note our new bell schedule as well.
Upper division parents received a survey on Monday with the decision to opt-out of hybrid on-campus instruction. Lower division parents will receive this survey in mid-January prior to the lower division cohorts returning to campus.
We will continue to use the online tool, Ruvna, to complete health screening before students arrive on campus. Parents and students will receive a text and an email on the morning that students are expected to be on campus from Ruvna. This message will include a link to a survey that must be completed before the student arrives at school. Once the survey is completed, students will receive an electronic “entrance ticket” on their smartphone that will be scanned by the supervisor at their campus entrance that morning.
For more information on our on-campus safety protocols, please visit the reopening page on our website.
Again, we look forward to partnering with you all as we enter this exciting spring semester.
Sincerely,
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Charlie McGrath
Principal
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During the month of December, we showcased Padre family-owned businesses. We had an overwhelming response to this effort and have decided to continue to showcase these businesses.
We hope this year, you'll shop local and patronize these Padre businesses!
Thank you for your community support and remember to shop small, shop local, shop Padre!
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Common Ground Speaker Series has announced its Winter/ Spring 2021 calendar with many thought-provoking topics such as financial literacy, COVID stress and the future of distance learning.
A new topic will be discussed with experts each month.
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New Christian Service Requirements Announced |
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Serra began the school year requiring all students to complete 10 hours of service, but with a relaxed policy on how those hours could be served. There was no FIAT, or direct interaction requirement, and we encouraged virtual service opportunities. We want to commend those students who have been creative in their ways of safely serving the community, either virtually or in-person.
Last spring we made the decision to waive the Christian Service requirement as we felt that was the most prudent and safe decision for our students and local community. We recognize that many of the populations where our students volunteer are vulnerable and could face more serious consequences if they are exposed to COVID-19. Because of this, we want to protect these individuals and our Serra community, as much as possible.
With the rising number of COVID cases in the county and in an effort to do our part to keep ourselves and our neighbors healthy, specifically those whose health is most vulnerable, we are again waiving the Christian Service requirement for all students this academic year.
What this means:
- Students are still encouraged to serve the community in whatever way families and students are most comfortable
- Students are encouraged to be creative and virtually serve the local community
- If you have already done service and have not yet submitted it on X2Vol, please do so as soon as possible
- Students will receive a P (Pass) for their Christian Service grade
- All hours submitted on x2Vol will continue to be verified and approved
- Verified and approved service hours will still apply toward the Christian Service Awards
Many agencies are still in need of donations, non-perishable food, or other supplies and would appreciate extra financial or material assistance, if you are able. You might consider tutoring younger students or playing an instrument on Zoom for those living in retirement or care facilities. Other virtual and in-person service opportunities can be found at teensvolunteer.org You could also take this opportunity to contact your government representatives about an issue that you deeply care about. There are many ways to continue to serve our community even if direct in-person service is discouraged.
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Update on Serra Athletics and Conditioning for 2021
We are currently waiting for the California Department of Public Health to reassess and possibly change the youth sports guidelines that were published in December.
There is a chance that Season 1 sports could possibly begin on January 16 and competition could begin on January 25. All of this could change and if and when it does, Serra Athletics will be notified immediately. The state and section offices continue to work with local and state health officials on trying to get sports back safely for all California students.
Athletic conditioning for Season 1 sports (football, cross country and water polo) will begin on Monday, January 11 and program coaches will communicate days and times for practices with athletes.
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Thank You For All the Adopt A Family Christmas Drive!
Thank you for your generous support of the Adopt A Family Christmas Drive -- it was an overwhelming success. The Redwood City Catholic Worker House was so grateful to receive such an abundance of gifts and contributions. Thanks to the leadership of several students, all the food collected was donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Locker at St. Matthew’s.
This year we adopted 18 families from Redwood City Catholic Worker House.
Here is a breakdown of the donations:
Total gift card donations = $8,685
Total monetary donations = $1,200
Estimate of gifts = $3,000
Non-perishable food donations = six bins
Overall contributions reached more than $12,000!
Thank you for all of your generous contributions!
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Mark your Calendar for
Serra's 17th Annual Fund A Dream
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Each year since 2005, the Fund a Dream Scholarship Benefit has raised more than $5 million in tuition assistance for numerous qualified young men who dream of becoming a Serra Padre.
Fund A Dream is a dynamic event that unites Serra’s alumni, current and past parents, and friends of Serra to celebrate the school’s proud history and exciting future. We hope you'll help us keep the dream alive on Saturday, February 27, 2021, as our community comes together to virtually honor this longstanding tradition.
You will receive more information about this exciting event in the coming weeks.
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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 very safe and happy New Year!
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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