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October 10, 2021
Dear St. Serra Catholic Parents,

St. Serra has Parent-Teacher conferences scheduled for the week of Oct. 13,14, and 15. This is a great opportunity for you to meet your child's teachers and ask about how your child is doing academically and socially at school. This is also an opportunity to build strong, healthy partnerships with your child’s teachers, which can make a difference during your child’s time at St. Serra. 

There are many questions that you may want to be prepared to ask your child’s teachers. Please remember that conferences run on a tight schedule, so you should plan to focus on the points most important to you. Some topics you might want to discuss include:

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Your child’s academic performance is likely one of your top priorities as a parent, so you may want to ask what your child excels at, what he or she can improve, and how you can help. If you believe your child is struggling academically or needs more of a challenge, you may want to address your concerns during the conference. 

SOCIAL PERFORMANCE AND EMOTIONAL STATE
You may want to ask how your child appears to feel during lessons and activities to better understand his or her emotional development. You may also want to discuss issues at home or with other students that may be affecting your child. 

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
Being familiar with the daily schedule and the kinds of assessments and activities your child takes part in while at school is important in identifying whether he or she is comfortable in the classroom.
 
CURRICULUM
Take this opportunity to learn more about what your child is learning and why. 

COMMUNICATION
Identify the best way to communicate with your child’s teachers to ensure that you build a partnership with your child’s teachers and stay informed of your child’s performance. 

QUESTIONS AFTER THE CONFERENCE
Communicating with your child’s teachers during these conferences can help you find the best strategies to support your child and the teachers’ efforts. Here at St. Serra we value the strong partnerships we build with our students’ parents and caregivers because we are dedicated to giving all of our students the education they deserve.


Always Striving,

Tim Tolzda
Sr. Principal
MONDAY,
OCTOBER 11

Student Picture Day for Preschool (MWF & M-F), TK & Make-Ups (Attire: Formal Uniform)

School Mass, 10:30 a.m., (Formal Uniform for Students Grades 1-8) Join Virtually - See instructions
TUESDAY,
OCTOBER 12

Student Picture Day for Preschool (T/TH), Kindergarten & Make-Ups (Attire: Formal Uniform)

PTO Moment in Time for Moms Book Study, Meeting #2, 9-11 a.m. (Register Here)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13

Minimum Day Dismissal (Preschool-Grade 2 at 11:30 a.m. & Grades 3-8 at 12:10 p.m.)

Parent Teacher Conferences, 2:00-6:40 p.m.
THURSDAY,
OCTOBER 14

Minimum Day Dismissal (Preschool-Grade 2 at 11:30 a.m. & Grades 3-8 at 12:10 p.m.)

No Tiny Trebles Today due to Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences, 2:00-6:40 p.m.

FRIDAY,
OCTOBER 15

No School for Students

No Extended Care for Students

Parent Teacher Conferences, 7:30-10:50 a.m.

Spotlight: Students Celebrate Facilities Team for National Custodians Day
Our Advanced Plus students in Grades 2-4 made appreciation notes and cards for our facilities team in honor of National Custodian Day on October 2, 2021. The facilities team, led by Mr. Jesse Lopez, is comprised of 5 staff members who work tirelessly throughout the year to keep our school in the best shape for our students. 
Parent-Teacher Conference Schedule & Directions for Sign-up
Scheduled Conference Times (Times/Days may vary by teacher)
  • Wednesday, October 13: 2:00 - 6:40 p.m.
  • Thursday, October 14: 2:00 - 6:40 p.m.
  • Friday, October 15: 7:30 - 10:50 a.m.
You are invited to sign up for a conference with any or all of your child's teachers. All conferences will take place on campus.
Extended Care Changes This Week
Extended Care will be open until 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 13 and Thursday, October 14 during Parent-Teacher conferences. If your conference is scheduled after 5:30 p.m., please make alternate arrangements for childcare. ONLY students in grades 3-8 will be attending the conference with their parent(s). School is not in session on Friday, October 15, and there is no Extended Care offered on this day.  
Homework Club Date Changes
Due to parent-teacher conferences next week, Homework Club will meet on Monday, October 11 and Tuesday, October 12 only. During the week of October 25, Homework Club will meet four days, Monday-Thursday, due to a minimum day on Friday. Questions? Please reach out to Ellen Burrola at eburrola@serraschool.org. 
Campus Ministry for Grades 7 & 8 (Updated 10/10/21)
All 7th & 8th grade students interested in Servant Leadership are invited to attend our first Campus Ministry meeting which has been moved to October 21 during lunch! We will discuss our goals for the year, and some of the outreach projects we hope to be involved in.
Yearbook Squad: Attention 8th Graders! (Updated 10/10/21)
If you submitted an application, our first meeting has been moved to Thursday, October 21 after school from 2:40-3:30 p.m.
Jersey Mike's "FUNlunch" is on Friday, October 22. ORDER NOW!
Our first St. Serra "FUNlunch" is approaching, and ordering is OPEN now through Thursday, October 14. We've partnered with our local Jersey Mike’s location in Rancho Santa Margarita to bring you 3 Sandwich Combo Meal options. NOTE: There is NO Choicelunch service on Friday, October 22. If you do not order Jersey Mike's, please be sure to pack a lunch that day.
Rebate News
After a successful conference, don’t forget to celebrate your Serra Bear’s accomplishments. Purchase and use scrip for a special meal or treat. Questions? Please contact the Rebate Program at rebate@serraschool.org.
Did you volunteer for Concert on the Green or another volunteer opportunity?
Please follow the steps below to log any completed volunteer hours from April 1, 2021 to present. Remember: each family is required to complete and log a minimum of 40 volunteer hours for the 2021-22 school year. Questions? Please contact Dana Hardenburgh at dhardenburgh@serraschool.org.
Laptop
Connecting Your Student Chromebook to a Home Printer
Follow these steps:
  1. At the bottom right, click on the time.
  2. Select Settings .
  3. At the bottom, select Advanced.
  4. Under "Printing," select Printers.
  5. Under "Available printers to save," next to your printer, select Save.
  6. Check that your printer appears at the top, under "Saved printers."
TK & Kindergarten Service Project
In honor of St. Francis of Assisi’s Feast Day on October 4, the TK and Kindergarten classes are coordinating an all-school outreach project for the animals at the Modjeska Canyon Animal Shelter. Everyone is invited to participate this month by contributing items for the animals.
Celebration Book Club
St. Serra Families can help support the School Library by dedicating a book in honor of your St. Serra Student!
Student Symptom Decision Tree (updated 10/4/21)
Please see the recently updated Student Symptom Decision Tree document last updated on October 4.
Food at School Safety Reminder
Please be sure that items being packed for snack or lunch are cut at home. Please do not pack metal or plastic knives in snack or lunch containers. This will help ensure the safety of all.
Substitute Teachers Needed
We have a need for Substitute Teachers in all grades and in all subjects.
Choicelunch: Starting October 4, No Late Ordering/Cancellation after 9 a.m. Day Before Service
Full customization of A La Carte sides is now available until 9 a.m. the day before. The full menu is available for ordering until noon, 3-days in advance. After that, late ordering is available until 9 a.m. the day before with a limited menu and availability on a first-come, first-served basis. Cancellations are available for full credit until 9 a.m. the day before. See table on the left.
Trunk or Treat is October 29!
We're excited for the return of our Trunk or Treat event! We're looking for volunteers to host trunks (2 per grade). Note, all trunk hosts and volunteers must comply with current Diocesan volunteer requirements and certifications.
Items Needed for Golf Classic!
The Golf team is seeking auction items for the online auction. Click here for auction items sign up. In addition, the PTO is looking for baskets (buckets or tins) that can be utilized as we assemble auction and raffle baskets for the upcoming events, please drop them at the Front Office.
Mater Dei has its Information Night coming up on Wednesday, October 13, with tours starting at 6 p.m.? Would you mind forwarding the attached graphic to your 8th grade families in your next communication home? The graphic is also embedded below. To register, families can go to www.materdei.org/admissions. Thank you so much, and please let me know if you have any questions!
St. Junipero Serra Catholic School - www.serraschool.org