Reminder: Click "read entire message" or "read more" to view the full newsletter. |
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Dear St. Serra Parents,
There are many reasons why parents choose to send their children to St. Serra Catholic School. One of the reasons is our academic program and reputation. I would put our teachers up against anybody when it comes to delivering academic excellence!
I am proud to announce that our school has just received word that St. Serra eighth-grade student Dotty L.'s essay placed first in the middle school prose category in this year's Chapman University Holocaust Art and Writing Contest! Our second submission, written by Sophia A., finished as one of five finalists. This is an amazing accomplishment. Each year, the contest draws entries from all over the world. This year, students from 220 schools in 32 states and 12 countries competed in the contest.
Dotty is St. Serra's 5th first-place winner in the last 7 years! Additionally, St. Serra has had 1 second-place winner, 6 additional middle school prose finalists, and 2 middle school art finalists in that time. (So, out of 14 prose entries over the last 7 years, 12 have finished as finalists or winners. Of the 7 art entries over that last 7 years, 2 have finished as finalists.)
This record of recognition in the contest speaks not only to the outstanding writing curriculum at St. Serra, but, more importantly, to the character of our students and the Catholic values that are the foundation of all instruction here at St. Serra. To see an example of how those values are internalized and reflected by our students, you have only to view the Holocaust Art and Writing contest virtual awards ceremony and listen to Dotty read her winning essay, which focuses on the inherent promise of each person.
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Also, we would like to recognize our Academic Decathlon Team who worked very hard and spent countless hours over the past several months preparing for the Diocese of Orange Junior High Decathlon, which was held last Saturday, March 6. We are so proud of them for their dedication and commitment.
Our team placed second in the Super Quiz and third overall, and individually our students placed:
- Math: Bryson B. - 1st Place
- Social Studies: Hayden S. - 2nd Place
- Literature: Paul P. - 3rd Place
A special thank you to our coaches Mr. Loungarikis, Ms. Pantano, Mr. Bohmfalk, Mr. Catey, Mrs. Peterson, Mrs. Taylor and all the parents for their commitment and long hours as well. It really does take a TEAM!
St. Serra will continue to provide your children with a great educational experience as our teachers are using best practices in education and professional development opportunities to improve their craft.
Always Striving,
Tim Tolzda
Sr. Principal
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Daylight Savings Time Begins Today – Spring Forward!
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Remember to set your clocks forward by one hour today, Sunday, March 14, 2021.
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Monday,
March 15
• Yearbook Photos for SerraVision Crew & Yearbook Squad Students, After SerraVision Broadcast (Attire: Formal Uniform, Location: PEB Stairs)
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Tuesday,
March 16
• Yearbook Photos for ALL Parish Altar Server Students, After SerraVision Broadcast (Attire: Formal Uniform, Location: PEB Stairs)
• Moment in Time for Moms
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Wednesday, March 17
• St. Patrick's Day (Attire: Green Non-Uniform Dress Day in honor of St. Patrick's Day)
• Yearbook Photos for ALL Student Council, During Lunch (Attire: Student Council Polo Shirt)
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2021-2022 Educational Costs |
Please note the following Educational Costs for the 2021-22 school year: |
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Yearbook Photos for Student Groups This Week |
Photos of the following groups will take place this week for the 2020-2021 Yearbook. Students should wear formal uniform for these photos and may change after their photo is taken:
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SerraVision Crew & Yearbook Squad: Monday, March 15 (After SerraVision)
- Meet Mrs. Sifers at the PEB stairs after SerraVision
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Parish Altar Servers: Tuesday, March 16 (After SerraVision)
- Meet Mrs. Sifers at the PEB stairs after SerraVision
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Student Council: Tuesday, March 16 (Lunch)
- Students will walk with Ms. Hubert to the Chapel stairs for a photo at the beginning of lunch. Please wear your new Student Council Polo shirts for the photo.
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Knights of Columbus Youth Poster Contest Due March 26 |
Every year, the Knights of Columbus at St. Kilian Parish sponsor a youth art contest open to all Catholic elementary students. This year's theme is to demonstrate an understanding of one of the mysteries of the Rosary. The contest is open to all students in grades 1-8. There is a first-place prize of $150 and a second-place prize of $50 to be awarded in each of two categories: first-fourth grade and fifth-eighth grade. All entries must be turned in to the Council website by March 26, 2021. Please see the attached document for detailed information and an official entry form. |
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Rebate News: Tips to Maximize Your March Rebates |
Easter is Coming! There are 3 more weekly orders available for physical gift cards. All online orders are due by 7:30 a.m. each Monday (March 15, March 22 and March 29). Please contact rebate@serraschool.org with questions. |
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Important Calendar Dates for the Upcoming School Year 2021-2022 |
For your planning purposes, we would like to provide you with these few key dates for the upcoming school year. Click below to read more. |
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Announcing 7th & 8th Grade Intramural Basketball |
The Student Council is helping to coordinate the Intramural Basketball program that will take place on Thursdays in the gym during lunch. Coach Gozbak will set up the brackets and oversee the actual games. The first game will take place Thursday, March 18.
Any students who are interested should create a team roster, including 10 players (5 subs), and a team name. The Student Council will collect the rosters on Monday, March 15. They will have a booth set up during lunch, located at the buddy benches, and will also be available to answer any questions that students might have.
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Updated COVID-19 Protocol & Student Symptom Decision Tree |
The CDC and the Orange County Health Care Agency continually review and adjust their suggested practices and protocols based on emerging information about COVID-19. This memo is to announce some important changes regarding St. Serra’s COVID-19 protocols based on CDC and OCHCA guidance. Effective January 1, 2021, St. Serra has updated the return-to-school policy when a student
is exposed to COVID-19.
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COVID-19 Health & Safety Reminders |
Anytime that a face shield is worn, it must be with a face mask under the shield for all staff and students in all grades. It is important that we practice social distancing throughout our school and maintain good hygiene by washing hands on a consistent basis. Finally, if your child is feeling ill and displaying any COVID-19 related symptoms, please keep them home and contact your family medical professional regarding the situation. We appreciate your continued support which will help St. Serra stay open for in-person learning.
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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 CBC, simply fill out the form online. Students may choose their new book from the selection. |
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Support St. Serra through AmazonSmile! |
AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon.com that will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchase back to St. Serra. It has all the same products, prices and shopping features as Amazon.com, but you will be helping our school community at the same time! Woo hoo!
Here’s how it works:
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Sign on to AmazonSmile by clicking this link and choose Serra Catholic Elementary School as your charitable foundation.
- Bookmark this page (smile.amazon.com) so it’s easy to use for all your future shopping trips.
- Share the link with your family and friends!
Thank you for your support!
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Welcome Mrs. Allison Hibbs! |
St. Serra is pleased to welcome Mrs. Allison Hibbs as our new Advancement Coordinator. Allison's fundraising experience includes positions at Cornell University in New York, The Winsor School in Boston, Massachusetts and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in Orange County. After graduating from Santa Margarita Catholic High School, she earned her Bachelors Degree at the University of Southern California and her Masters Degree from California State University, Long Beach.
Allison and her husband, Charles, have three children attending St. Serra in 1st grade, TK and Preschool 3's.
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A men's wedding band was found along the traffic route on campus and was turned into the front office. If this is your ring, please call the school office to claim it. Thank you! |
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Good Times “Fore” a Great Cause!
Thursday, May 20, 2021
Arroyo Trabuco Golf Course
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Registration is almost full for the 2021 Golf Classic! |
DON'T MISS OUT ON EARLY BIRD PRICING, now through March 31!
Don’t delay, register now for the St. Serra Golf Classic! The event is filling up fast! Take advantage of early bird rates and secure your spot. Additional details about the event can be found on the EVENT HOMEPAGE including VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES.
This event couldn’t happen without the generous support of our sponsors, auction donors and on-course food and beverage vendors! Additional SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES are still available.
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Seasons Tuition Assistance Luncheon 2021
Sunday, April 25, 2021
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Announcing Season's Tuition Assistance Luncheon Raffle Prizes |
The 8th Annual Seasons Tuition Assistance Luncheon is officially SOLD OUT! If you didn't get a chance to buy a ticket to attend, there are still great opportunities to help support this lovely event and worthy cause, such as underwriting, contributing to Fund-a-Need, and purchasing Travel Raffle and Opportunity Basket Raffle tickets. There are some amazing incentives for participation in raffle ticket sales - CLICK HERE to learn more!
Please consider joining the “Seasons” team! Have questions? Please contact our event chairs, Elizabeth Yanni and Candice Stuart, at:
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"Made with Love" Lenten Retreat: Register Now! |
Please join us for fellowship, prayer and reflection at our "Made with Love" Lenten Retreat, to be held on Friday, March 26, 2021, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. at Hanna's Restaurant in Rancho Santa Margarita. |
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March Family FUNraiser is here! |
Join us on Saturday March, 27, at Aloha Stacks in Mission Viejo from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location: Aloha Stacks, 27762 Santa Margarita Parkway, Mission Viejo, CA.
Indoor/outdoor dining and carry out available. Support St. Serra and a St. Serra family-owned business!
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Coffee Social with the Principals for Preschool - Grade 4 Parents |
Mrs. Radzai, Mrs. Reiss and Mr. Tolzda have enjoyed meeting with a number of new families on campus during our "Coffee Socials with the Principals." It's been a great opportunity to hear about the vision for St. Serra and to receive parents' feedback firsthand.
Now, we'd like to open the socials to all families to continue to grow together and build a school community of which we are all proud. All families with students in preschool through 4th grade (middle school invitation will follow for April) are invited to join us in the Chapel Courtyard at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays in March.
Sign up below to secure a spot! Space is limited due to social distancing guidelines, so be sure to check your schedule when signing up to ensure your availability. We look forward to hearing about your personal experiences and talking through your questions in an effort to provide the best experience for our St. Serra Bears!
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Looking to get involved for 2021-2022 school year! |
The 2021-2022 PTO Board is looking for parent volunteers. Open positions include (but are not limited to) VP of Communications, VP of Parent/Child Events, VP of Anchor Ball and multiple Event Chair positions. This is a great way to get involved, meet other parents and satisfy your family volunteer hour requirement for 2021-2022 school year.
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