A MESSAGE FROM SR. PRINCIPAL, MR. TOLZDA | |
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Dear St. Serra Parents,
This month we introduce our fourth St. Serra core value, Respect. It seems that, in this day and age, respect for others and/or their property has largely (and sadly) gone by the wayside. I can personally recall a time when authority figures, such as educators, police, doctors, and the President of the United States, were highly respected figures in our society. Today, however, this does not appear to be the norm. And I am not sure why, or what has occurred or has taken place, for so much DISrespect to occur throughout our society. When we turn on the evening news, it has become increasingly common to see businesses and properties getting ransacked, residences and places of business experiencing theft and vandalism, people getting violently attacked and hurt for no reason at all, and just a total disrespect for rules and laws. Additionally, with the rise of social media as a mainstay for digital communication, it has become an escalating trend for people to verbally attack and assault one another because they expressed their opinion, or negatively label somebody for believing in something.
In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, we learn that, when love is lived out, it looks a lot like respect; its opposite, disrespect, then becomes the opposite of love: “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
I know that I am personally challenged to ‘love at all times’ and I would believe that there may be some of you who are challenged as well. Focusing on our core values (Humility, Faith, Kindness, Respect, Hope, Service, Love, and Gratitude) throughout the year will help us ‘love’ our fellow classmates, our parents, our staff, and others, and show Respect for the individual differences and shortcomings that we all have.
Always striving,
Tim Tolzda
Sr. Principal
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*** STAR TESTING ALL WEEK *** | |
MONDAY,
January 16
NO SCHOOL in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
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WEDNESDAY,
January 18
REGULAR FULL-DAY SCHEDULE
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THURSDAY,
January 19
PTO Meeting
8:15 a.m. in the Parent Hub - all parents are welcome to attend
JOIN VIRTUALLY
4th and 8th Grade Mass, 10:30 a.m. in the St. Serra Chapel
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FRIDAY,
January 20
SPIRIT SHIRT DAY - Wear your 2022-23 spirit shirt with uniform bottoms
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SUNDAY, January 22
Seasons Tuition Assistance Luncheon
12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
St. Serra Student Activity Center
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WEEKLY UPDATES BY GRADE LEVEL | |
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The Battleground: Parents Versus Children
Please join us for our next Parent Education Series presentation, featuring speaker Charise Casiano, MS. This informative discussion will focus on parenting styles and what it means to hold our families accountable, and explore positive and constructive boundaries and consequences. Parents may earn two (2) volunteer service hours for attending!
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
6:00 p.m.
Student Activity Center
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Join Us for SERRAbrate Open House!
Join us for our SERRAbrate Catholic Schools Week Open House on Sunday, January 29, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the St. Serra Campus. Current and prospective families are invited to attend this event showcasing the amazing work of our students and staff. This event is an open house format; group tours will be offered for prospective families only. We encourage our St. Serra families to attend Mass at one of our four parishes on this day (students to wear formal uniform). Following Mass, we invite the whole family to join us and "SERRAbrate" our amazing Catholic school!
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STAR Testing in January 2023
The second diocesan STAR testing window for the 2022-2023 school year will continue the week of January 16, 2023. Please read the full article for information regarding re-testing and the testing schedule (including updates).
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St. Serra Spotlight
Get to know our St. Serra Faculty and Staff! This week, our spotlight brings you Mrs. Kim Biasca, Creativity Lab Teacher for the Lower School, and Mrs. Jessica Martignetti, Community Events Coordinator. Click the link below to read more about these two wonderful members of our St. Serra community!
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2023-24 School Year Registration for Current Families
To ensure priority enrollment, all currently enrolled, TK - Grade 7 families are required to complete 2023-2024 Registration (1 per student) in FACTS. This will secure your spot for the 2023-24 school year. This priority enrollment period for our current families is from January 2, 2023 through February 3, 2023. After this period, St. Serra will begin accepting new applicants for any unsecured spots in each grade level. Preschool families...
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Teacher and Staff Appreciation
We are excited to recognize our wonderful teachers and staff during the upcoming Catholic Schools Week, which will take place January 30 to February 3. The theme is "Always Sunny at St. Serra" and our PTO has planned some thoughtful treats throughout the week. We are looking for volunteers to help support in various areas to make this a successful event. Please click the link below to sign-up, and look for more details about this event in upcoming editions of the St. Serra Sunday News.
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2023 Water Awareness Poster Contest
Presented by the Municipal Water District of Orange County, the poster contest is a wonderful opportunity for children and young adults to learn about the importance of water, and express their ideas through art. It is open to all Orange County students, and the grand prize is an iPad Mini. Click the link below for full contest details.
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St. Serra Spring Musical
Make way! Make way! Moana Jr. Auditions are coming to St. Serra!! Students in Grades 1-8 are invited to audition and participate in the Spring Musical. Auditions will take place after school in the Middle School Creativity Lab as follows:
Tuesday, January 24 (Grades 1, 3, 5 and 7)
Wednesday, January 25 (Grades 2, 4, 6 and 8)
Please submit the AUDITION APPLICATION by Friday, January 20. Click the link below for more details and important instructions.
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Chick-fil-A FUNlunch on Friday, January 27
Save the date! Our next ever-popular Chick-fil-A FUNlunch is coming up on Friday, January 27. Online ordering is NOW OPEN! Click the link below to place your order(s) now.
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Rebate (SCRIP) News
Due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. school holiday, physical card orders that will be sent to the school must be ordered by 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 for delivery by Friday, January 20, 2023. This includes any local vendor physical card orders (Hanna’s Handel’s or Tutto Fresco).
Questions? Contact rebate@serraschool.org
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LAST CALL! 2022-23 Yearbook 'Opt-Out' Requests DUE TODAY
ALL families will be automatically billed $55 PER STUDENT through FACTS for 2022-23 yearbook(s). If you would like to opt-out of automatic billing OR change the number of yearbooks you would like to purchase, click the button below.
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Calling for Student Dancers in Grades 3-8!
St. Serra Marketing is looking for students interested in doing light dance choreography for the upcoming Anchor Ball event videos. We will be using students' lunch time to practice choreography for these videos on the following days: January 17, 18, 24, and 26 in the SAC. No dance experience necessary, as long as they are able to listen and follow. If your child is interested, please email Mr. Marc Evangelista (mevangelista@serraschool.org) to confirm their participation by Monday, January 16.
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Chapel Mass for Grades 4 and 8
On Thursday, January 19, Fr. Charles will celebrate Mass with our students in Grades Four and Eight, in our St. Serra Chapel. As always, we are pleased to invite our fourth and eighth grade parents to join us. Mass will start at 10:30 a.m. If you are attending, please enter campus through the School Office. As a reminder, all fourth grade students are to wear their formal uniform on this day.
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It's Here - Seasons 2023! | | |
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Our 10th Anniversary Seasons Luncheon will take place one week from today, on Sunday, January 22. Final preparations are underway for an amazing event! Travel Raffle tickets, Opportunity Raffle tickets, sponsorships and registrations are still available. Click below to find out more!
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Anchor Ball 2023 - "Denim and Diamonds" - Tickets Now on Sale
Join us back at the Serra Ranch for one downright amazing party! Be sure to check out our exclusive VIP opportunity and purchase a grab bag for your Serra Bear filled with amazing coupons and a free dress pass. Click the link below for more information and to register!
Be sure to follow @serraanchorball for all the latest details about the event!
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Tickets on Sale Now for Father Daughter Dance 2023
Saturday, February 4, 2023
6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
St. Serra Student Activity Center
Daughters and dads/father figures...join us for a wonderful night of dancing, exciting OPPORTUNITY RAFFLES, and delicious treats! Registration closes on January 27 at 3:00 p.m., after which walk-up registrations will be accepted at the event for $55 per dad/daughter couple. NOTE: The QR code previously published is not correct - please use the link below to register.
Volunteers are needed! CLICK HERE to view the sign up.
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The Scholastic Book Fair is Almost Here!
The Scholastic Book Fair is coming on January 23 and will run until February 3. There is something for everyone: adventure, sci-fi, best-selling, and even “laugh-out-loud” stories. We also have our popular pencils, pens, pop-its, and more!
Information packets, including class shopping schedules and shopping envelopes, were sent home with all students this past week. Please look for your child's packet in their backpack. Remember to turn in your shopping envelope before Wednesday, January 18.
eWallet is Back! The homeroom with the most participation using the convenient eWallet payment option will win a donut party! For more information and instructions to sign-up for eWallet, CLICK HERE.
Volunteers needed! To volunteer for the Book Fair, please CLICK HERE.
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SAVE THE DATE!
Our next St. Serra Family FUNraiser is on Wednesday, January 25, at Round Table Pizza in RSM.
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Servite High School News
St. Serra families are invited to Servite High School's Athletic Open House on January 17, Admissions Information Night on January 24, and to the Trinitas Arts Conservatory's production of The Importance of Being Earnest. CLICK HERE for more information.
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DIOCESAN AND LOCAL PARISH NEWS | |
National Eucharistic Revival
The Bishops of the United States are calling for a three-year grassroots revival of devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The National Eucharistic Revival aims to be a movement that renews the Church by enkindling a living relationship with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. READ MORE
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