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October 17, 2021
Dear St. Serra Catholic Parents,

St. Serra recognizes the importance of our volunteers and the continued need for volunteers at our school. Parents are currently required to have 40 volunteer service hours, and there are many ways to fulfill that requirement. The recent implementation of the State Public Health Office Order of August 11 that requires all staff/volunteers who are on-site at a school campus or at an off-site school event with students present to either show proof of vaccination or provide a negative COVID test has raised many questions from our parents about volunteering.

Anytime that parents are at school and around students in any volunteer capacity, they must be in compliance with the mandate. So how can parents continue to volunteer for Serra if they choose not to comply with the mandate? If you have a meeting on campus, or if you are on campus after school hours working with the PTO to set up for an event, as long as you are not near any students, then you are not will not required to show proof of vaccination or provide a negative COVID test. However, you will still be required to complete the Fingerprinting/Live Scan and online Safe Environment Training.

Since this mandate has been put into place, we have reviewed our policy and made some adjustments for the school year. Please review the Volunteer Policy and feel free to reach out to the school or PTO with any questions or to get clarification. Thank you in advance for your time and the effort you give to our students and school. 


Always Striving,

Tim Tolzda
Sr. Principal
St. Serra will be honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month by going pink! Students are welcome to wear non-uniform dress as long as they are wearing pink this Tuesday, October 19!
Food for Friends Food Drive
Friday, October 22, will be our next "Food for Friends" monthly food drive! Your monthly contribution will continue to feed hungry men, women, and children in our communities throughout the year, which benefits the food banks associated with our parishes, every year.
Red Ribbon Week: October 25-29
St. Serra Student Council is proud to present Red Ribbon Week 2021: "DRUG FREE LOOKS LIKE ME!" Join us in celebrating the choice to live a healthy drug-free life by participating in our daily dress up themes. Monday through Wednesday, students are required to wear uniform bottoms, but they may dress up and accessorize according to the Red Ribbon theme of the day.
St. Serra Will Participate in The Great California ShakeOut 2021 
While COVID-19 has brought many uncertainties and challenges, one thing's for sure: The Great California ShakeOut is still happening this year on Thursday, October 21.
New Altar Servers Invited to Serve at Solano Catholic
Altar Servers need to be
  • At least 10 years old
  • Have received their First Holy Eucharist
  • Go through training before they serve
  • New servers will be scheduled twice a month to give them early practice & gain confidence.
  • More servers are especially needed at the 10:30 & 12:30 masses.
Contact Mrs. Karin Hendrick at KHendrick.SFSservers@solano.org with any questions or to express interest in training. She is happy to schedule a training class for new Solano servers on Sunday afternoons at 1:45 p.m. 
Rebate News
Stock up on Treats and Decorations for Halloween! Purchase and use scrip from Target, Walmart, Michael’s, JoAnn’s and many other retailers for all your Halloween needs. Questions? Please contact the Rebate Program at rebate@serraschool.org.
Student Photos
Proofs from your student's recent photo session will be emailed to the primary email address designated in FACTS. These should be available in approximately two weeks. If your student was absent from school and did not have their photo taken, please contact Simonson Photography at (949)495-2735. They will be happy to schedule a photoshoot at their studio in Laguna Niguel. To make sure your child is included in the class composite, this will need to take place in the next week. Questions? Please reach out to Ellen Burrola aeburrola@serraschool.org
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.
Thank You for Following Our Traffic Guidelines
Last weeks' communication regarding Morning Drop-off and Afternoon Pick-up reminders have been well received. We would like to thank our parents for adhering to these guidelines - we've noticed a much smoother traffic pattern this week!
Homework Club Date Changes
During the week of Monday, October 25, Homework Club will meet four days, Monday-Thursday, due to a minimum day on Friday, October 29. Questions? Please reach out to Ellen Burrola at eburrola@serraschool.org. 
Student Symptom Decision Tree (updated 10/4/21)
Please see the recently updated Student Symptom Decision Tree document last updated on October 4.
Cub Scout Pack 818 Popcorn Fundraiser
Our St. Serra Cub Scouts are currently selling popcorn to raise funds for this year’s activities. If you would like to support our Scouts with a purchase of a sweet or savory treat, or make a donation to the American Heroes Program, see flyer. Help the scouts reach $1,000 in donations for our American Heroes! Orders are due by Wednesday, October 20
Trunk or Treat is October 29!
We are in need of candy donations! As a reminder, all trunk hosts and volunteers must comply with current Diocesan volunteer and heath requirements. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate parent visitors to campus. Click below to donate to your grade level’s trunks.
Spirit Shirt Update
More spirit shirts are on their way! Due to the global supply chain issues and some adjustments made to improve quality, our expected shipment of spirit shirts has been delayed. The next batch of shirts is now expected to arrive the last week in October, and will be ready to deliver to students who did not previously receive a shirt the first week in November. Thank you for your patience.
JSerra Catholic High School
As an innovative leader in education JSerra has become the most selective Catholic High School in Orange County. Last year our Class of 2025 filled up in just four days! As the only Catholic
High School in Southern California to have all our students on campus last year, there has never
been so much enthusiasm for JSerra and our transformational approach to education. Please see the attached Admissions Newsletter for more information.
Mater Dei High School
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!
Santa Margarita Catholic High School
Please mark your calendars for Monday evening, October 18, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for our Open House. Touring the Santa Margarita Catholic High School campus is the BEST way to see our beautiful, 42-acre, state-of-the-art campus. Student ambassadors will provide campus tours, a complimentary food truck will be on-site and you will be able to meet with coaches and teachers to get all of your questions answered in a fun and informative evening. This is a drop-in event, so sign-ups are not necessary.