Welcome to the fortieth edition of 
Panther Press, 
a biweekly electronic newsletter sent to families and friends of 
San Joaquin Memorial High School
Our semester is in full swing and we're happy to be celebrating events like Holy Bowl, Hall of Fame and Homecoming! This issue includes information about upcoming events and more!
Campus Improvements, One Project at a Time
Thanks to generous donors, several campus improvements were made this summer that students are now enjoying during the first semester of the
school year!
Campus Paint
The campus got a refresh with new paint, shown above. The classroom arcades have gotten a fresh coat of white paint with brown trim, bringing a fresh and vibrant look to the campus.
Academic Center
Maintenance staff were hard at work in the Diener Academic Center (shown above) this summer. The Center was renovated and got new paint inside and out.

The goal was to transform the Academic Center into a state-of-the-art learning space where students can come together to create, invent and learn.

The center is a space for student learning and collaboration. Comfortable and open, with ample space, the renovation will better serve the learning needs of all of Memorial's students.
Did You Know? The End of the Six Week Grading/Progress Report Period is this Friday, September 24! Get Your Grades in Order or Get the Help You Need at our Academic Center!
Counseling Updates
San Joaquin Memorial - Class of 2025
College Planning for Freshman Parents
Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 6:00 P.M.
in the SJM Cafeteria

Please join the SJM Counselors to discuss:
*College Preparedness
*Academic Requirements
*College Admissions Requirements
*Naviance Student
*All School Testing Day
*and more...
College and School Counseling Department Update for Fall 2022
 
Who is my counselor? Counselors are assigned alphabetically by last name.

Juniors & Seniors
A – F: Ms. Debbie Arceo ([email protected])
G – N : Mrs. Kylie Gomez ([email protected])
O – Z : Mrs. Lisa Cameron ([email protected])

Freshmen & Sophomores
A – G : Ms. Debbie Arceo ([email protected])
H – R : Mrs. Kylie Gomez ([email protected])
S – Z : Mrs. Lisa Cameron ([email protected])


2021-2022 Parent Nights – Save the Date!
Please plan on joining SJM Counselors for an informational college planning meeting. Meetings will be held in the SJM Cafeteria at 6:00 P.M. on the following nights:
Freshman Parent Meeting – September 29, 2021
Sophomore Parent Meeting – December 1, 2021
Junior Parent Meeting – January 19, 2022
Senior Parent Meeting – October 6, 2021

What is the new Student Information System (grade program) at SJM? 

To get access to your student’s grades, attendance records and more, set up your Parent PowerSchool Account. You will need an access ID and access password for each of your students. For assistance, contact [email protected].  

We believe that regular monitoring of progress is key to academic success. If you have questions about your child’s academic status in a class, do not hesitate to reach out to your student’s teacher directly. The best way to connect is email.

Class College Planning Meetings 
Reminder: our next mandatory class college planning meetings are: 
9th Grade – October 7
10th Grade – October 21
11th Grade – October 26
12th Grade – October 5
Meetings are held during office hours (1:55-2:45). Please plan accordingly.
All-School Test Day – October 13, 2021
SJM’s All-School Test Day is back on this year!  
What is it? A day dedicated to college admissions test practice.
PSAT/NMSQT (Practice SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) for 11th grade 
PreACT (Practice ACT) – for 9th & 10th grade.
When: October 13, 2021 at 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
Where: San Joaquin Memorial High School

All 9th – 11th graders are scheduled to take these practice college admissions tests. This is the only day they will be offered (no make-up available).
Seniors will have the day off to tour colleges and work on college applications.

SAT/ACT Update for the Class of 2022
For the Class of 2022, most colleges are test blind or test optional. That means students can (and should) apply without test scores if they are unable to test. If students can take the SAT or ACT safely, and a college they are applying to accepts/requires it, we recommend testing by December. If a high score is earned, it could be considered as added benefit (similar to an award) on some college applications.

SAT Test Dates for the Class of 2022 - November 6 and December 4
Register online at: collegeboard.org

ACT Test Dates for the Class of 2022 – October 23 and December 11
Register online at: actstudent.org

SAT/ACT Test Prep
San Joaquin Memorial offers free test prep through Albert.io. Contact your counselor for assistance logging in.
CollegeBoard.org has free test prep online for PSAT, SAT, & AP exams.

What should college-bound seniors be doing now?
Join the “Counseling – Senior 2022” Google Classroom (join code: l5e5gkc).
Meet with their counselor (link to Counselor’s calendar in the Google Classroom).
Log into Naviance and update “Colleges I’m Applying To” list.
Sign up for college visits in Naviance and participate in college tours (virtual/in-person).
Begin college applications (see links to applications in Naviance).
Search for scholarships (see “Paying for College” and Scholarship Search in Naviance).

What about juniors?
All juniors have a College Planning Assignment in the Counseling – Junior 2023 Google Classroom due in mid-October. This is a great opportunity for parents to collaborate with their juniors as they move forward in college planning! The Counseling – Junior 2023 join code is: rrdl2u7.
Picture Retakes Coming September 24
Memorial Events
Hail Hail Alma Mater: Memorial Celebrates 2021 Hall of Fame Induction Class
Prayer at the Fountain
Memorial challenged Garces to a Dance Off as Part of Holy Bowl weekend!
Students have been busy so far this semester with Holy Bowl, rallies and more! Here are a few videos recapping recent events from Memorial Religion Instructor Luis Medina!
Senior Ring Blessing Ceremony
Holy Bowl Rally
Club Fair
Hall of Fame Honors
On Friday, September 17, Memorial honored the Hall of Fame induction class with a luncheon and recognition at that night's football game. The class this year included: Anthony Fiorentino, Class of 1956; Dave Mineau, Class of 1965; Demetra Vincent Walker, Class of 1987; Shad Williams Class of 1989; Brook Lopez, Class of 2006, and Robin Lopez, Class of 2006. Dan Whitehurst, Class of 1965, was honored with the Distinguished Alumni award. Bart Sciacqua, former Memorial Softball Coach, was honored with the Memorial Service Award.

Jersey Retirement
In addition to the Hall of Fame Induction, Memorial separately honored three players with the retirement of their jerseys: Brook Lopez '06, Robin Lopez '06, and Quincy Pondexter '06. Brook, who recently won the NBA Championship with the Milkwaukee Bucks, surprised Memorial by bringing the NBA Championship Trophy to Friday Night's Football Game.
Thank you to everyone who supported our St. Patrick's Gratitude Golf Tournament on September 20!
The event raised $51,985! Thank you for supporting Memorial!
Support Our School. Volunteer!
Looking for a way to get involved at SJM? Volunteer! Parent volunteers are always needed and appreciated!

Events
Volunteer and get a chance to help make our annual Auction a success or help with our Holy Bowl events! Interested in volunteering? Contact Shirley Boujikian at [email protected] or Ext. 124/475-5831 or check out the opportunities below.


Join the Parent Guild
San Joaquin Memorial High School Parent Guild is a group of dynamic individuals whose mission is to provide educational, spiritual and charitable support to the SJMHS community. SJM Guild is unique in that all our fundraising profits are used to benefit the entire school through campus needs and beautification, financial aid, scholarships, bereavement donations, and school event sponsorships. We welcome parents, grandparents, alumni and friends to be a part of the SJMHS Parent Guild

Meetings: 2nd Tuesday of the Month, alternating between Noon & 6:00 pm in Holy Cross Hall.

Annual Dues: $30.00, payable to SJM Guild and returned with your Membership Form, Venmo Payment @SanJoaquin-Memorial
Support Athletics! Join the SJM Boosters Club!

The San Joaquin Memorial High School Boosters Club provides fund-raising support to the school’s athletic programs and the hundreds of student-athletes who compete for the Panthers. Boosters members take pride raising money for our student-athletes through fun-filled, casual fundraisers – Holy Bowling in the fall; Crab Feed in February – concession sales and memberships. Funding for facility improvement projects and general athletics operations not covered under each program’s operational budget are the club’s main focus.

Meetings are at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of each month in the SJM Cafeteria (unless otherwise noted). Attendance at meetings is encouraged but not required.

There are $100 (two cards) and $50 (single card) memberships available. Cards provide admittance to all home Panther athletic events (excluding playoffs) for the 2020-2021 school year.

For more information, email Membership at [email protected] .

Please fill out this form and return with your check, payable to SJM Boosters Club. Send to: SJM Boosters Club Membership, 1406 N. Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93703 Venmo Payment to @SanJoaquin-Memorial
Important Links
Save the Date for our 44th Annual Auction on November 13, 2021! Get ready for a night of fun and celebration!
Panther Den Hours
Panther Den is open Monday thru Thursday 9am to 1pm for back to school clothing.
Want access to the latest pictures of student activities, sports and more? Or the latest updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or check out our website!

Job Opportunity

DiCicco's Italian Restaurant on 7038 N West Ave, Fresno, CA 93711

Need a job? DiCicco's is hiring!

Phone: (559) 436-1650

  • Receptionist
  • Clean Dishes, Tables, etc.
  • Delivery Driver (includes tips)
  • Customer Service 
Connect With Us

The best way to stay connected to Memorial is to watch your email for our Panther Press newsletter for parents and students. Keep up with the latest important news and learn more about the school!


Browse all past issues online at https://sjmhs.org/panther-press
Alumni Contact Update

Panther Alums, even though your time here at Memorial has passed, this is still your home! Please stay connected with us so that you can be part of our exciting engagement opportunities such as our sporting event tailgates, alumni mixers and so much more! To stay connected please fill out this form.

San Joaquin Memorial High School | sjmhs.org