Dear Parents and Guardians,
It is hard to believe we are nearing the end of the semester! Final exams will be held from December 16 to December 21 and comprise 20 percent of a student’s semester grade in the class. Since this will be our first final exams in two years, we will be conducting a special schedule on December 15 that will focus on preparation for final exams, which includes study time, office hours and wellness activities. This is a regular school day, beginning with homeroom at 8:15 a.m. and ending with a second homeroom at 11:50 a.m. Students will be dismissed at noon.
Attendance will be taken at both homerooms:
Homeroom: 8:15-8:20 a.m.
Office Hours No. 1: 8:20-9:35 a.m.
Wellness/Break 9:35-10:35 a.m.
Office Hours No. 2: 10:35-11:50 a.m.
Homeroom 11:50-noon
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During the office-hour sessions, teachers will be available to assist students in their classrooms. We encourage students to meet with as many teachers as possible between the two different Office Hour sessions. During the Wellness Break, there will be a range of activities including physical activities as well as quiet areas for meditation, prayer and study. We feel that it is important for students to remember to take care of themselves both physically, mentally, and socially during this stressful time of year.
We are excited to close a very successful academic year. We are proud of our Padres for the academic focus and dedication they have shown this semester.
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Serra Padres To Play in State Championship Game on December 11 |
The Serra High School Varsity Football Team will play the Mater Dei Monarchs in the State Championship Game on Saturday, December 11 at 8 p.m. at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.
Our Serra community is invited to purchase game tickets for by using the private link below. Please do not post this link outside the Padre community at this time, as we have a limited number of tickets for purchase and want to ensure our Padre community is able to attend, should they choose. General Admission is $17. Tickets for children, students and seniors 65 and older are $10.
Parking is free for the championship games at Saddleback College. RV’s or other vehicles not fitting in a traditional parking space must use the overflow parking lot dedicated as Lot 10. Please note that Saddleback College restricts tailgating in the parking lots.
Serra will compete in the Open Division against Mater Dei High School, a private, Catholic, school in Santa Ana. The Mater Dei Monarchs football team is rated No. 1 in the country by MaxPreps. This will be an exciting couple of weeks for our community. Go Padres!
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Thank You For Helping Us Meet Our ThanksGIVEday Goal |
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We are so grateful to our dedicated alumni community for coming together to reach our goal of having 600 donors. By meeting this number of donors, we were able to unlock our last challenge -- a $10,000 donation from an alum who hoped to see a total of 600 people contribute to ThanksGIVEday! Along with this generous contribution, we have exceeded our initial goal of $200,000, bringing this year's grand total for ThanksGIVEday to more than $260,000!
We wanted to make sure we expressed our gratitude for the many people that came together to contribute to this effort. All contributions to ThanksGIVEday are directed to the Padre Fund, which makes a difference where it is needed most. We thank our generous community for their continued support of ThanksGIVEday!
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Building Resilience: Preparing Our Teens to Thrive in Uncertain Times |
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Join Common Ground on December 7 at 7 p.m. as it hosts Madeline Levine, Ph.D., who will discuss, Building Resilience: Preparing Our Teens to Thrive in Uncertain Times. This will be moderated by Than Healy.
Teens are coming of age in a highly uncertain world. Relying on the latest research and developments in neuroscience and epigenetics (the intersection of genetics and environment), psychologist Dr. Madeline Levine will discuss solutions parents can use to raise kids who are prepared, enthusiastic, and ready to face an unpredictable future with confidence and resilience.
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021; 7pm-8:15pm, PDT. This will be an online livestream Zoom webinar.
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Students Are Invited to the Winterball Semi-Formal December 17 at Serra |
Serra’s Winterball will be held on Friday, December 17. Students will be able to bring a guest or some individually with friends.
The semi-formal will take place from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Students must arrive by 7:30 p.m. and doors will open for students to leave beginning at 9:30 p.m.
Students should plan on eating before the event as refreshments and light dessert will be available. This is a semi-formal event, therefore Serra students should plan on dress-up day attire.
Every non-Serra student will need a guest pass and will only be permitted to enter as a guest of a Serra student. Guests must be in high school or no older than 20 years of age. Dress code for guests can be found on the guest passes that will be shared later this week in the Padre Week Ahead. Students will be able to purchase tickets electronically through the google form and families will be billed via TADS.
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Time to Begin Financial Aid Applications for January Deadline |
It is that time of year again to start your 2022-2023 financial aid applications, as the TADS portal is now open. The deadline for submission is January 15, 2022. Please submit your applications before the deadline as late applications could hold up or reduce your financial aid award, depending on funds available.
Serra has provided supplemental aid the past two years to support those impacted by the effects of the COVID pandemic. These funds were meant as a bridge to assist families in the short-term, and were not meant to be an ongoing source of financial aid. For the 2022-2023 school year, COVID related financial aid will be reduced, and will be made available in limited circumstances. If you believe that this applies in your case, please complete the supplemental COVID aid application.
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Important Senior Dates -- 2021 - 2022 |
Below you will find major dates for senior families during the upcoming school year. For the most current calendar information, please visit our website at serrahs.com.
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Juniors: Urban Plunge To Take Place in January Through Theology Classes |
Juniors will participate in the Junior Urban Plunge with his Theology Class in early January. The Junior Urban Plunge is a day in which each class goes to St. Anthony’s Foundation in the San Francisco's Tenderloin and learns about homelessness, addiction, food insecurity, and the interrelated struggles that affect the clients.
Serra has been doing this one-day immersion experience for more than 15 years and it is an opportunity for our students to delve into Catholic social teaching and follow Jesus’ example of loving all people, especially those on the margins with the greatest need. Our students participate in providing some of the resources offered through St. Anthony’s and have an experience of dining and talking with the clients of St. Anthony’s.
St. Anthony's requires all volunteers to show proof of vaccination. It is suggested to have the second shot by Christmas in order to be cleared when we return in January.
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Read the Second Edition of Serra's Service Newsletter, Adelante |
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Calling For Donations in Serra's Annual Adopt-a-Family Effort |
Every year during Advent, the Serra community participates in Adopt-A-Family, which supports the Redwood City Catholic Worker House. Catholic Worker House helps a variety of people including troubled teens, families that cannot afford housing, those who are food insecure, experiencing homelessness, and are day laborers.
How you can contribute:
- If your son is in a club, class, or team that is adopting a family, thank you for your specific contributions to support the family’s wishlist.
- Donate gift cards or cash for the Redwood City Catholic Worker to brighten the Christmas of even more clients. There will be collections in each homeroom until the end of the semester.
- Donate canned goods and non-perishable foods, which can be dropped off in the bins outside Campus Ministry. All food will be donated to St. Vincent de Paul.
Thank you in advance for your contributions! The Serra community is incredibly generous and we appreciate anything you are able to contribute to making another family’s Christmas special.
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Sign Up For Upcoming Sophomore, Junior and Senior Retreats in the New Year |
It is time to sign up for retreats!
Seniors have the opportunity to attend Kairos, a four day retreat held at Vallombrosa in Menlo Park. Kairos 29 will take place from January 25 to January 28, 2022. Kairos 30 will be from March 15 to March 18, 2022.
Juniors have the chance to sign up for a new two-night retreat experience at Redwood Glen Camp in Loma Mar. The two options for the junior retreat are January 12 to 14, 2022 and February 23 to 25, 2022.
Sophomores will be able to attend the Sophomore Overnight Retreat at Mission Springs in Scotts Valley on either February 8 to February 9, 2022 or March 29 to March 30, 2022.
All retreats are completely free, and permission forms can be picked up in the Campus Ministry Office. Any questions should be directed to Steven Olujic.
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Advertise Your Business On Serra's Beautiful Campus! |
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Advertise your business with a creative sponsorship opportunity!
Add your company logo and information on a custom-fitted barricade cover that will be placed around Brady Family Stadium and Freitas Field for the entire 2021-2022 athletic season! This includes football, soccer, lacrosse and track & field seasons.
These covers are created with double-sided print and stretchy mesh fabric on perimeter barriers.
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Shop Padre Family Businesses! |
If you would like to add your Padre-family business to our list, email us here.
Thank you for your community support and remember to shop small, shop local and shop Padre!
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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.
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Wishing you a wonderful December!
Aimee Lewis Strain
Director of Marketing and Communications
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Junipero Serra High School | 451 West 20th Avenue | San Mateo, CA 94403 | serrahs.com
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