NEWS AND EVENTS
Proud of our Padres' Resilience During First Quarter of Distance Learning
Dear Parents,

We wish the take the time to highlight the resilience and dedication that our Padres have shown as they complete their first grading period of our academic year. Every one of your sons continues to reinforce the culture and climate of Serra High School, where we lean into it.

Nothing is normal about the pandemic. What is normal is the lived example each of our Padres has shown every day. Over the past weeks, each of our Padres continues to make the best of the situation. Whether it is the limited events we have been able to offer in person at school, or the school spirit-building activities that happen on Padre Core Days-- one thing rings true, and that is that we are in this together. We are so proud of each of our Padres and wanted to send a note home to acknowledge the strong young men that we are proud to have as our students.

Sincerely,
Charlie McGrath, Principal
From Chaos to Calm: Building Teen Resilience and Agency: Common Ground Event Oct. 8

Parenting teens is not easy, even in ideal circumstances. But parenting with imposed social distancing when adolescents thrive on face-to-face interactions creates unprecedented challenges.

Dr. Laura Kastner identifies resilience and personal agency as key strengths that can help both parents and teens in these complex times. With warmth and calm reassurance, Dr. Kastner will provide parents with action-oriented and effective strategies for encouraging coping, problem-solving, and optimism in our teens today.

This virtual event takes place at 7 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. on October 8.
St. Junipero Serra Scholars to be Honored During Virtual Reception

Serra will honor 43 new St. Junipero Serra Scholars at an awards ceremony at 7 p.m. on October 1. Congratulations to these talented freshmen, who have achieved so much before completing their first grading period at Serra!

Each year, Serra identifies a select group of incoming freshmen whose academic and co-curricular achievements truly stand out. These exceptional young Padres are acknowledged as St. Junípero Serra Scholars.

St. Junípero Serra Scholars receive a $6,000 scholarship, renewable each year they attend Serra and meet the criteria established for the program. Students are identified by Serra’s Admissions Committee to receive this honor. Serra is proud to welcome a new cohort of St. Junípero Serra Scholars each year.
Virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences Will Take Place on October 8
Parents, please mark your calendars for Thursday, October 8 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences. This is an optional event for parents, and although all parents are welcome to attend, we especially want to encourage parents to attend if their sons are experiencing difficulty in their classes.
Parents will need to sign up beforehand. Please look for an email on Saturday, October 3 for instructions to sign up through the PCR Parent Portal.
Zoph Library Blog This Week: What Are Your Teachers Reading, Part II

This week, Zoph Library continues its two-part post on reading for fun with "What We're Reading (and Listening to) Now: Part II," featuring compelling takes from three of today's most popular authors, plus more recommendations from Serra's faculty and staff.
You might be surprised and you might be inspired by what your teacher are reading! 
Admissions Season is Upon Us: Tell Your Friends About Our Virtual Admissions Events!

Serra admissions season is upon us! We encourage all of our current parents and students to help us get the word out about some of the virtual events created specifically for prospective families.

Families can register for these Serra events after creating a profile on the Ravenna Hub. This will allow prospective students and families to view Serra through the viewpoints of students, teachers, parents, coaches, and staff.

We hope to showcase why so many young men have chosen Serra for their high school education through our Wednesday Webinar series, our Padre for a Day program, Community Connections talk and Admissions Chat. 
Mothers' Club to Host Virtual Bingo on October 7
We hope to see all registered moms at Virtual Bingo on October 7. We will hold a brief announcement period and then begin the game via Zoom. The link will be sent via email. 





October Teach-In for Justice

The Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice is an annual gathering for members of the Ignatian family (Jesuit institutions and larger church) to come together in the context of social justice and solidarity to learn, reflect, pray, network, and advocate together. It is a place where people are empowered, re-energized, inspired, challenged, and supported by a community that sees faith and justice integrally linked.

Join the Serra contingency of students and faculty and engage in deep, focused discussion on Migration, Ecological and Racial Justice on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24-25. Take action on Monday, Oct. 26 as you practice advocacy with your local representatives.

The registration deadline is Oct. 1. The $50 registration fee will be processed through TADS.  This fulfills the Christian Service requirement.

Please contact Mary Dowden, Campus Ministry Service Immersion Coordinator, for more information or register using the button below.
Mother-Son Prayer Day to be Virtually held on October 24

Did you know that this past week we celebrated National Son Day? Did you know we were celebrating that before you checked social media? Do you wish there was a way that you could spend some time with your son focusing on how you can mutually build each other up and remind you both of times that bring a smile to your face? Do you wish there was a way you can share with your son some little slice of the many prayers you have said for him? 

That’s what we hope this “Mother/Son Prayer Day” will do for you! A Saturday morning to spend with your son, in prayer, in remembering good and funny times together, and the chance to share these stories with your son. Join us for this virtual prayer time that will give you one-on-one time with your son with guiding questions and prompts for getting your son to share some of his love for you. This Mother/Son Prayer Day will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 24. An email with a digital invitation will follow. Please contact Father Michael Liliedahl with any questions.
Freshman On-Campus Retreat Scheduled for October 14, October 15
In lieu of our annual Freshman Day of Service, we would like to share with you our plans for an upcoming Freshman Retreat Experience, which will allow you to be on campus with your cohort. Our Campus Ministry team, along with our senior Encounter leaders, have prepared the Camino de Padres. This freshman retreat will take place on Wednesday, October 14 for the Blue Cohort from 9 a.m. to noon and on Thursday, October 15 for the Gold Cohort from 9 a.m. to noon. 

The pillars of this retreat day will be welcoming you to campus, building community, hearing the faith journey of our student leaders, embracing the Serra school prayer, learning about the value of service and the Christian Service requirement, and celebrating Mass together. 

Obviously, there will be a lot of health and safety protocols in place in order to have the cohorts on campus for this retreat. We will be sending out more information about that next week. Also note, while this retreat is mandatory, you may opt out of the in-person retreat and participate virtually at the same time. 
Download our free Serra App TODAY!
Select your mobile app store below and download directly to your device. Or, search for the app on your phone. Once you download the app, you can log in with your last name and email address.
If you have any questions or difficulties logging in, please contact Michelle Wilkinson.
Wishing you a safe and healthy week! 

Director of Marketing and Communication