Hello parents,
The school year is off to a great start. We had a beautiful prayer service and blessing of the classrooms on the first day of school.
It’s been amazing to see all of the students back on campus. I have loved spending time with them, reconnecting with returning students and getting to know the new ones. I love holding their hands as we walk to class, I love their warm hugs as they greet me in the morning and I love comforting them and wiping away their tears on those days when they still miss you so much they can’t hold it in. The love that makes MDJDA so special is incredibly palpable at every corner. Students love and support one another. The teachers care deeply for their students and their success.There is so much love present on this campus every single day and I am so grateful to be a witness of this love. On love, Pope Francis said, “Love is the only light which can constantly illuminate a world grown dim.” That is what your children do, through their love, they illuminate the world. Thank you for sharing your children with us. Thank you for making them such amazing little people who bring so much light into this world.
Blessings,
Leticia Oseguera
Principal
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IMPORTANT DATES
- September 11: Family Reading Night
- September 16-20: Spirit Week
- September 19: Minimum Day - Teacher Professional Development
- September 20: Peace One Day Prayer Service
- September 25: Emergency Drill with MDCHS
- September 26: No Mass (All Priests attend SD Convocation)
- September 27: Virtue Awards for September
- October 1: School Picture Day
- October 4: No School
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Dear Parents,
Our students have started the year running. As I walk into classrooms and speak to teachers, it is evident that they are all excited and ready to learn. Our teachers have been working hard to ensure they are providing the students with many opportunities to develop knowledge. As W.B. Yeats wrote, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire”. Let’s continue to allow that fire to burn within each and every one of our students.
Sincerely,
Cristina Torres
Vice Principal
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Join us for our Second Annual Family Reading Night on Wednesday, September 11th from 6:00-7:00pm. Feel free to BYOP & WYOP (Bring your Own Pillow & Wear Your Own Pajamas!), and enjoy reading a fun book with your family in the new teepee, the cozy new reading chair or reading corner! We’ll have refreshments, music, and prizes. It’s sure to be a fun night for all!
*Every student who attends will receive a raffle ticket*
Prizes include Barnes & Noble gift cards & other fun gifts!
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PARENT HANDBOOK
The 2019-20 Parent and Student Handbook is up on our website. We kindly ask that you read through the handbook. Please sign and return the acknowledgement form by Friday, September 13. We have worked with Mater Dei Catholic High School to update certain areas to ensure consistency.
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JV Flag Football (grades 4-6) has made its way to MDJDA. We are excited about our growing sports program which will begin the 2019-2020 season with Flag Football in late September. Be on the lookout for more information about the upcoming sports or contact Coach Smith via email at
rsmith@mdjda.org. Some of the other sports coming this year include soccer, basketball and volleyball.
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CYT, Robotics, Choir and Ballet Folklorico are all on their way. Choir and Ballet Folklorico held successful auditions in August. Robotics is still taking registrations. Some new activities will be coming in October.
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As you know, all families are required to complete 25 volunteer service hours. We have plenty of volunteer opportunities and we would love to see all of you share your gifts and talents with MDJDA in some way. Please click below in order to see our current volunteer opportunities and let us know how you would like to contribute.
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In order for a parent/guardian to volunteer in any capacity, that parent must be cleared by the Diocese. Regular volunteers and field trip/sports events drivers must complete a background check through the Diocese which has to be renewed every five years. In addition, volunteers must watch the videos on “safe environment” through the Diocese, show proof of TB test, and a statement of good health in compliance with California laws. Not until all of these requirements have been met can a parent begin to volunteer. In addition, volunteers must follow all school guidelines and directions provided by school staff. No photos of students may be taken by volunteers without prior approval from the principal.
To check if you have met all the requirements, or to get started with the clearance process please contact Mrs. Figueroa via email,
kfigueroa@mdjda.org. We hope to see you all soon in and around campus.
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The week of September 16-20, the entire Mater Dei campus will be celebrating its spirit week. This is an entire week of free dress days to create school spirit and support our unity as one school. Dressing up is completely optional. Students that don’t wish to participate should be in their normal school uniform. We will provide you with the daily themes by the end of this week.
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW STAFF!
In addition to the new faculty and staff we have introduced you to in our previous newsletters, we have two more amazing individuals joining our team this year.
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Mayela Adame is one of our new instructional aides. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Choreography and Dance from the CAL-ARTS California Institute of the Arts. As an educator, she has been an instructional assistant at San Diego State University and some private institutions as well. Mayela has been working with children of all ages. One of her priorities is to understand children’s needs, as well as the school’s assessments, culture and curriculum in order to serve and support the development of excellence that is taking place at MDJDA. Being bilingual in English and Spanish has been an asset that has helped her to connect better with families and students.
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Julia Serrato is one of our new instructional aides. She was born and raised in San Diego not even 10 minutes away from campus. After high school she left to Riverside, California to study at the University of California Riverside. Four years later she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Education. She has most recently worked as a tutor and specializes in students K through 6th and hopes to grow in her field through her experiences at MDJDA. Julia is excited to utilize her creativity and motivation to work hard and contribute to the ecosystem here at Mater Dei Juan Diego Academy.
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BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE
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MDJDA will be partnering with OpenMinds, a state licensed extended enrichment program, for the before and after school care program this year. OpenMinds will be able to accommodate our increased enrollment and offer a wide variety of activities for our students. The current program offered by MDJDA will end on September 20 and Open Minds will take over starting September 23. It is not a requirement to use OpenMinds. In order to use the OpenMinds service, you must enroll directly with them prior to September 23. OpenMinds will hold an informational session on September 4 at 5:00 pm in Lima 4.
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LUNCH MENU
Please remember to place your order for the following week by emailing
schoollunch@mdjda.org
by Sunday at 6:00pm. New families who would like to use the cafeteria service have to create an account with Aramark, our food partner. Once your account has been set up and you have established a payment method, you will then look over the menu and email Aramark at
schoollunch@mdjda.org.
For step by step directions on how to create your account, please visit this website:
https://mdjda.org/parents/school-lunch/
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VIRTUE OF THE MONTH: REVERENCE
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Hello Juan Diego Parents & Students,
I’m John Rodinec, Security Director for the Juan Diego Academy and Mater Dei High School Campus. It is my honor and privilege to be here with my team of PS 121 Security Officers, working on the overall security of our campus. I retired from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department in 2012 and entered the private security industry in 2013. My law enforcement career spanned 31 years within the County of San Diego. You can find me on campus Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, and I’m available at the drop off or pick up of your students, so please come by and meet me if you haven’t already. I hope to bring you all a campus safety or security tip each month in this newsletter. For now, I will leave you with a reminder that if you see something odd or out of place, please don’t hesitate to contact me, one of my PS 121 Security Officers or a Campus Staff Member.
Thanks and stay safe!
John Rodinec
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Mater Dei has partnered with PS121 for our campus security.
PS121 officially started working with us over the summer and you may have noticed the additional guards around campus this fall. You may have also noticed the new security desk at the main office equipped with Raptor Tech. Raptor Tech is the leading visitor management system. It screens all visitors using the Department of Justice database.
The first time you visit the campus during the school day you will have to show your ID upon check-in at the security desk, please plan accordingly. We are excited for these added security measures that help ensure the safety and security of our students.
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Save the date, Mater Dei’s Giving Tuesday will take place on November 19. This will be our major fundraising effort this semester. We are excited to share more information soon.
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