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2020 - 2021
School Year
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Dec 21 - Jan 3
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Christmas Break
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Jan 18
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No School -
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Feb 15
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No School -
Presidents' Day
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Mar 15
| Spring Conferences | |
Apr
2-9
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Easter Break
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May 31
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No School - Memorial Day
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Last Day of School Preschool/PreK
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Jun 18
| Last Day of School K-7 |
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December 2, 2020
Dear St. Francis of Assisi School Parents and Guardians,
"Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." -Luke 6:38
Have you ever left your house without your cell phone? Have you driven all the way to work and realized it's sitting at home? How much anxiety do these questions bring up for you? The reason is that we have come to rely on our phones as our connection to our families, our work, and our world. We are truly dependent on these devices to keep us connected. Do we feel the same way about Jesus? Do we take him with us wherever we go? Do we believe that we can't leave home without him?
Happy first week of Advent! I feel our world needs this season in our Church now more than ever. The theme for the first week is hope. Mary carried hope inside her as she anxiously awaited the birth of her son Jesus. Wherever Mary travelled, Jesus was present. I imagine the scene where she visited Elizabeth and the infant inside her womb lept because he recognized the gift of our Lord and Savior, even unborn. We too can carry Jesus with us wherever we go. If we recognize that Jesus is with us - at home, at work, and in the world - what impact can we have each and every day? Not only do we bring God's grace, but what a gift to be light to the world, even in small ways every day.
Next week, we will read a story that has always moved me entitled, The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. In the story, the tree gives everything it can out of love for a young boy. It is a sacrificial love offered unconditionally. We have a tree on campus that will be designated our SFA Giving Tree. Each student will receive a gift tag and will be encouraged to think about how they can share their gifts and talents during Advent. They will write down what their gift will be for Jesus this Christmas and can place it on the giving tree. How beautiful will it be to see the abundance of gifts for our Savior's birth!
May God bless you and your family richly as you generously share the love of Christ with others!
Jeannette Lambert Principal
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Holiday & Travel Safety Recommendations
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SEEDs - Building Resiliency in Youth
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Teaching our children to be resilient is a key component of social and emotional wellness. Being resilient and having a growth mindset means our children won't give up easily, are flexible, and can recover quickly from setbacks. With this important goal in mind, below are a few ideas to help foster resiliency in our children.
-Fight the urge to over-parent. When we swoop in and save our children from simple discomforts, we can unintentionally hinder their ability to become more resilient. Although it can be uncomfortable to see our child struggle, the only way to build resilience is to face adversity. Allowing our child to experience some disappointments while they are young, better prepares them for future obstacles they may encounter.
-The power of "YET". When you hear your child say "I can't do ____", add the word yet at the end. It is very unlikely that a child will master a new activity on his or her first try, but with some continued practice they will improve and possibly have success. Reflecting on past situations your child thought they couldn't do something (remember when you were younger and couldn't read/ride a bike/tie a shoe etc, but you learned how?) is also helpful.
-Normalize making mistakes. If you tend towards perfectionism, be mindful of allowing your child to make mistakes. Teaching our children that mistakes are valuable and part of the learning process helps grow their resilience muscle. Also, don't be afraid to show yourself struggling with a task and making mistakes as well!
To learn more on this topic, please join us for the Zoom presentation in two weeks (Dec 14 & Dec 15) on "Building Resiliency in Youth"
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SEEDs Parent Workshop in Partnership with CHOC
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In partnership with Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), St. Francis Counselor, Kelli McCarty, will be hosting two Mental Health Education workshops for St. Francis parents this month. Co-hosted by Scott Ryan, LMFT, a Mental Health Therapist in CHOC's Children's Intensive Outpatient Program, the hour long Zoom presentations will focus on "Building Resiliency in Youth."
Building Resiliency in Youth will focus on good mood hygiene, building strong relationships, and improving communications skills for youth and families. Parents will be provided actionable steps to help children take on challenges, bounce back from difficulties, feel confident, and promote wellness.
The program will be broken into two (Zoom) talks:
Preschool through 3rd Grade
December 14th - 6:00 - 7:00pm
4th Grade through 8th Grade
December 15th - 6:00 - 7:00pm
Zoom links will be provided to St. Francis parents via email.
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Pick up Poinsettias - Friday, December 4th
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 Thank you for your support of our Eighth Grade class poinsettia fundraiser.
If you purchased poinsettias, they will be available for pick up this Friday, December 4th from 12:00 - 2:00pm or 3:15 - 4:15pm. Please do not plan to collect poinsettias during carline pick up, as this will cause delays and confusion in the parking lot. Again, thank you for your support! |
Teacher & Staff Monthly Recognition
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 On behalf of our SFA Community, in an effort to support our hard working SFA teachers and staff during this challenging year, we are launching a "Recognition of the Month" program. Classes are coupled together for a designated month to do something special for all of our teachers and staff who have gone above and beyond the call of duty this year. Room Parents have been given the details and will be reaching out to you to either solicit participation or inform you of what is being done. If you are interested in helping, please contact your Room Parent.
Thank you to the 6th and 7th grades parents who lovingly expressed their gratitude and shared Thanksgiving treats with all the staff and faculty. 4th and 5th grades are up next in December.
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Yearbook - Photos Needed!
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 We are proud to announce that this year the St. Francis yearbook will be designed by students! We would love your support with this project.
Given the unusual structure of learning in 2020 (in-person, hybrid, and virtual) we do not have the opportunity to capture as many images during regular school hours. In addition, with many events and activities moving to an online format, we are at a disadvantage when it comes to visual representations of those programs. From time to time we will announce a specific photo theme and ask for submissions from the community.
Please send all yearbook photo submissions to [email protected]. |
Spirit Wear Sales - November 20th - December 4th
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LAST CALL FOR SPIRIT WEAR! SFA Spirit Wear is available for sale November 20 - December 4! Take advantage of this opportunity to purchase those SFA sweatshirts or a SFA hydro flask to fill with a warm drink for cold mornings in our Outdoor Classrooms. SFA branded items also make great Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers. The link will remain open until December 4th so we can deliver orders before Christmas Break.
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Did you know that students who purchase yearbooks are 800% happier than their non-yearbook-toting counterparts? Unverified...but true! The 2020-2021 SFA yearbook will contain pages of memories that will make you smile. Order your yearbook and become 800% happier today!
The cost for a 2020-2021 yearbook was included in class fees for 8th Grade students. It is not necessary to purchase a yearbook for students in the class of 2021!
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Turn Off Heaters in Morning Carline
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As the temperature has dropped, we have noticed an increase in students registering high in temperature during morning drop off. This increase is primarily due to the toasty interiors of your cars. Please be sure to turn off your car heaters as you wait on Eastside Circle to avoid having to park and have your child's temperature retaken. Thank you!
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Shared Responsibility Reminder
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As a reminder, St. Francis requests that families screen their students for symptoms of COVID-19 at home before arriving at school each and every day. Anyone with a fever of 100.4° F or greater within the past 24 hours must stay home as well as fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, new loss of taste or smell, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, fatigue, diarrhea, congestion or runny nose, nausea and vomiting. In addition, anyone with recent close contacts within the past 14 days with known or suspected COVID-19 positive cases must stay at home. Personal illness, quarantine, COVID-19 illness, and symptom-related absences will be excused.
This shared responsibility is critical to our ability to keep our school open for hybrid learning. In support of this partnership, the school will send out regular reminders to families periodically. Please report your student's illness with details of all symptoms to their school Covid Coordinator. A school staff member will follow up on all students that are at home with COVID-19 symptoms.
Lastly, it is important to note that a student who is sent home, stays home, or has been exposed to COVID-19 and is at home in quarantine, will be able to access live classroom instruction from home if they are healthy enough to participate. Thank you in advance for your commitment to this shared responsibility. |
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Extended Care Registration
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Families that plan to utilize our after school Extended Care Program must complete their registration prior to the first day they attend Extended Care. The 2020-2021 Registration Form can be downloaded here or from the Extended Care page at sfayl.org.
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| 6th Grade Families - Immunization Requirement |
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TDap immunization is needed before your child enters 7th grade. Once this requirement has been met, please be sure to forward documentation to the SFA office. We will need this information prior to the start of the 2021 - 2022 school year.
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| Outdoor Classrooms - Bring Your Sweatshirts & Water Bottles |
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As the weather begins to cool down in the mornings it would be beneficial to have students wear sweatshirts to school, especially those students learning in our Outdoor Classrooms. Please make sure your child's sweatshirt is clearly labeled with his or her name on the tag. When temperatures are very low, students are also allowed to bring a blanket to stay warm in our outdoor classrooms!
We have also noticed many students coming to the front office to request water after lunch. Please be sure to pack a refillable water bottle for your student as we are running low on disposable water bottles. Thank you!
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| Virtual Santa's Secret Shop November 30 - December 4! |
Click here to begin shopping!
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| $5 Candy Cane Leis - Theater Fundraiser |
Spread some holiday cheer by purchasing a Candy Cane Lei for a friend this month.
Your purchase supports our fledgling Theater Department at SFA! Leis will be available for $5.00 each during the week of December 14th - 18th. Students that wish to purchase a lei can bring $5.00 to the front office. Thank you for your support!
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| SFA Face Mask Buddies for Sale! |
The St. Francis of Assisi Scrip Program is a major fundraiser used to reduce tuition costs for families at SFA. The scrip program provides families the ability to purchase retailer gift cards through various providers. Those retailers then rebate a percentage back to the school to pass on to each buyer.
The SFA Scrip Program will run on a yearly basis from April 1 through March 31 and will operate weekly throughout the school year with minor deadline and delivery changes due to holidays and vacations. Participants must check the school newsletter for updated order and pick up schedules.
Please download and return the attached Scrip delivery form.
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Great news! Shop With Scrip has a new feature and families can have orders shipped directly to their home.
Watch this brief video to learn more about the Shop With Scrip.
If you have any questions regarding the scrip program please contact Michelle at [email protected].
Thank you for supporting our school by using the scrip program.
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AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support our school every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School. Simply click here to begin shopping through AmazonSmile.
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| Mater Dei High School - Early Admissions |
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