SerraDIPITY

Volume 22 · Issue 31 · May 11, 2017

 

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In This Issue
Message from Our President
Principal's Corner
Laptop Bootcamp
Anchor Ball
Calling All Lanyards
iPad Sales
Annual Fund
Box Tops
Yearbook Deadline
Scrip News
Scripsence
Recording Service Hours
Extended Care News
Pops for Purpose
Community Programs of Interest
Summer Programs in the Community
Living Our Faith

 

 Prayer Partners &

Prayer Requests

 

Please CLICK HERE  for more information about Outreach Ministries.

Parish Connections Update
CLICK HERE to view this month's Parish events.
  
  
Weekly Rosary
Please join us for  our weekly, Friday morning Rosary.   CLICK HERE for more information.
  
  
Volunteer
    Opportunities    

Please  CLICK HERE  to view the many volunteer opportunities that are available here at St. Junipero Serra Catholic School
  
A Message From Our President
We often find it difficult to be patient and trust in God's plan for us.  Prayer is our strength to be patient, connecting us with God through the teachings of His son Jesus, helping us to trust in Him.  As hard as this may be, it is such a great reminder that "GOD'S GOT THIS"....patience and trust....difficult virtues but always worth the wait as God never let's us down.
Congratulations 2017-18 Student Council Members!
We are very excited to introduce our 2017-2018 Student Council Members! Congratulations to our new members and to all of the students who worked hard campaigning for Office. They all did an amazing job and are great examples of SJSC leadership! 

President - D. Maas
Vice President - A. Tungate
Secretary - C. Hayden
Treasurer - L. Morgan
Technology Officer - Z. Evinger
Religion Officer - M. Schuster
Communications Officer - O. Orellana
Sports Officer - K. Rice
Library Officer - C. Bacily
Spirit Officer - L. Moussa
 
Class Representatives:  A. Relvas, A. Stuart, E. Diaz, C. Percival, J. Wiemann, K. Hedge, S. Belnap, O. West, B. McMahon and N. Ponzio
Save the Date - Marian Mass
Our beautiful Marian Mass, where we celebrate our annual May Crowning of our Blessed Virgin Mary and welcome our second-grade First Holy Communion recipients, will be held on Friday, May 26. Please look for details in next Thursday's SerraDIPITY.
REMINDER: Tomorrow is Our Last Food For Friends Drive!
Tomorrow will be  our final  " Food for Friends" food drive for this school year. Thank you again to our SJSC  community for supporting this outreach program. Your last contribution will continue to feed hungry men, women, and children in our communities while we are away this summer. 

In a continued effort to streamline this program, we will be providing you with a "food flyer" only in today's Weekly Envelope. We are hopeful you will use a grocery bag from home.

Please contact Louise Valdez [email protected] with any questions
God is Good... All the Time,

Angeline Trudell
President     



 
 


"Be brave, take heart, all who put their HOPE in the Lord." - Psalm 31:24

Principal's Corner 
Mrs. Carol Reiss, Principal, Preschool - Grade 2 & Mrs. Julie Tipton, Principal, Grades 3-8

Important Communication from the Diocese of Orange
Please see this IMPORTANT communication from the Diocese of Orange regarding the Netflix series  13 Reasons Why With the issues of teenage (and younger) suicide on the rise, this series is of serious caution.  CLICK HERE to read the letter from the Diocese.

Renaissance STAR Testing
The Renaissance STAR testing windows for the 2016-2017 school year are:
  • September 6 - September 16
  • January 9 - January 20
  • May 15 - May 26 (Kindergarten)
  • May 22 - June 2  (Grades 1-8)
Please read more about STAR™ Assessments in the Parent's Guide to STAR™ Assessments.  CLICK HERE

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
  • Please CLICK HERE to view the STAR testing schedule. Grades K-4 will take the STAR assessments in the Mac Lab. Grades 5-8 will take the Reading STAR assessment during their ELA class and the Math STAR assessment during their math class. 
  • The Spring assessment schedule takes into account  the Marian Mass on May 26, Memorial Day on Monday, May 29, and scheduled field trips.
  • Please be sure to review your child's January scores between January 20and May 15.
  • Kindergarten will take the STAR Early Literacy and Math assessments during this window beginning May 15 through May 26, with make-ups occurring the week of May 29, if needed. 
  • If your child will be absent on the scheduled day, please notify his/her teacher by email so that your child can be scheduled for a make-up session.
HELPFUL TEST TAKING NOTES
  • Make sure your children have eaten well on test days. Studies suggest that good nutrition is related to improved attention and concentration.
  • Help your children by encouraging a good night's rest.
  • Ensure that your children make it to school on time so that they do not miss any instructions and are allowed ample time to settle in and relax before the test begins. 
  • Please do not schedule dental or doctor appointments on testing days.
  • Although it is important to let students know the tests should be taken seriously, it is also important not to increase any test-taking anxiety.


End of the Year Parent Surveys from the Principals

Thank you for taking the time to complete a survey below for each of your children that will attend St. Junipero Serra next year. It is an important part of our process for improving student learning and establishing homeroom lists. St. Junipero Serra Catholic School devotes a great deal of love and time developing homeroom lists that reflect the unique gifts of each student. Former and future educators evaluate placement based on these parent surveys, individual learning and social needs, and administration, faculty, and staff professional contributions. Once established, moving even one student can disrupt the delicate balance and St. Junipero Serra will not be making any further homeroom changes after homerooms are finalized.

The surveys will CLOSE at  3:00 p.m. on  Friday, May 26.  

Homeroom lists will be posted at  www.serraschool.org on Frid ay, August 11.  

Please use the following links:

Laptop Bootcamp Sign-ups Begin Next Week

Save the Dates! This summer we are bringing an exciting Laptop Bootcamp to students entering Grades Three to Eight in 2017-2018.

A link to the sign-ups will be published next week in SerraDIPITY . Registration in Bootcamp sessions will be first-come, first-serve, with a limit of 25 students per session. Bootcamps will be held on the St. Serra campus.

Bootcamps will be held at the following dates and times:
Thursday, August 3   (8:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 3:00 p.m.)
Monday, August 7   (10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m.)
Wednesday, August 9   (10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m.)
Thursday, August 10   (10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m.)
Friday, August 11   (10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m.)
Monday August 14  (9:00 a.m.)

If your family will not be available to attend any of the dates listed above, please email [email protected] immediately so that we can work with you to schedule your family on another date.

Important information regarding Bootcamps:
  • Students must attend the Bootcamp in order to check-out their laptop
  • One parent must accompany students at the Bootcamp
  • "Family" sessions have been scheduled to allow one parent to attend with multiple students from their family
  • Each Bootcamp session will last 2-1/2 hours
  • Morning, afternoon, and evening sessions will be offered
  • Registration is required for Bootcamp; walk-ins will not be accepted
  • Laptops are required when school begins
Battle of the Books (BOB) Club
The SJSC Library would like to invite incoming fourth & fifth grade students for the 2017-18 school year to participate in our first annual Battle of the Books (BOB) Book Club, Competition Team and Summer Reading Program. Students will be able to earn medals for READING!!! You will find all participation requirements and the list of books by  CLICKING HERE.
22nd Annual Anchor Ball
Rooted in Faith

Saturday, May 20, 2017
Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa
900 Newport Center Dr. Newport Beach, CA
"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." - Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Reservations Deadline Extended Until Tomorrow!
Tomorrow is the last chance to purchase tickets to this year's Anchor Ball.  Join us for an incredible evening out with friends and fellow St. Serra parents in support of our school community.  Don't miss out on the Celebration of the Year!  RESERVATIONS are accepted until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 12.

Pre-purchase Tickets for Anchor Ball Opportunities, Even If You Are Not Attending
The deadline to pre-purchase a ticket for the LIGHT OF CHOICE RAFFLE , OPPORTUNITY DRAWING and a "Moms & Margaritas" BUY-IN PARTY for St. Serra moms is   Tuesday, May 16.  You do not need to attend Anchor Ball to participate in any of these opportunities!  You could win a reserved parking space in the St. Serra Lot or a service hour waiver for next year, a stay at a Fairmont Hotel anywhere in the country, a Smartbalance Wheel/hoverboard, and more.

Thank You to Our Generous Supporters
We are grateful to the parents, administrators, teachers and staff who have so generously supported our 22nd Annual Anchor Ball with donations, sponsorships and more.  The success of Anchor Ball depends on the participation of our entire St. Serra community - we couldn't do it without you!  VIEW THE LIST of this year's Anchor Ball Underwriters, Sponsors, Business Donors, St. Serra Family and Staff Donors and Angel Fund Donors.

Anchor Ball guests...please be on the lookout next week for an e-mail with all of the exciting details about the Anchor Ball evening to come!

Questions?  Check out the Anchor Ball HOMEPAGE or  FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE to view the latest news and updates.
Calling All Lanyards
Do you ever leave campus and realize that you have forgotten to return your lanyard to the School Office? It seems our inventory has been depleted over the school year,so we are accepting the return of any "stray" lanyards back to the School Office, no questions asked! Thank you.
iPad Sales End This Sunday, May 14
 
Sales of iPads from the 1:1 program end May 14. This is your last chance to purchase the iPad which has been issued to students and staff.

Any iPads which are not purchased by the close of sales on  May 14  will be returned to the leasing company without exception.
  • All iPads will be sold in "as is" condition
  • iPads will not include Apple Care+ or any other warranties
  • Cases issued with the iPad will be included in the purchase
  • iPads will be wiped and removed from the school's management system before being sent home with the student by the last day of school (June 14). Instructions for preparing the iPad for removal from the school's management system will be sent to families and staff purchasing their device
  • Faculty, Staff, and Students will be purchasing the iPad that was issued to them and is currently in their possession
  • The model is the iPad Air 1 and devices are two to three years old 
The cost to purchase iPads is $213 per device.
 
Please CLICK HERE to purchase the iPad issued by the school. Only payment by credit card will be accepted.
 
Special Note: A limited number of extra iPads will be available for purchase beyond those issued to students and/or faculty and staff. Families may request one (1) additional iPad.
  • Faculty, staff, and families interested in purchasing an additional iPad must register on the RandomPicker website to enter a drawing for the available iPads
  • CLICK HERE to register
  • Terms and Conditions for the drawing are available on the RandomPicker website.
Please email  [email protected] if you have any questions.
2016-2017 Annual Fund
Our students are blessed by the many resources the Annual Fund has afforded them. The Promethean Boards are the perfect example of the elevated level of learning they experience daily as a result of the Annual Fund. We would like to provide even more of these programs...won't you please consider making that happen?

So far this year, 81% of St. Serra faculty and staff have donated. What an inspiration they are each and every year
. We have only received 31% parent participation to date.  Please consider joining those who have already  given by making YOUR contribution today. 
 
Please  CLICK HERE   to donate now!
Calling All Box Top Clippers!
Next Friday is our FINAL Collection Date
 
Our final BOX TOPS collection due date of Friday, May 19 is just around the corner, so turn in your Box Tops to your homeroom before it's too late!  In order to get credit for your submissions, please place them in a Ziploc bag clearly marked with your full name and homeroom. A total of $275 in Visa gift card prizes will be awarded to the winners of our May 26 drawings!  
Questions? Contact Kelly Smith Parker, Box Tops Chair, at [email protected]  
Order Now! Online Yearbook Orders Close This Monday, May 15!
 
A limited number of yearbooks will be available for sale after the shipment arrives and they sell out quickly, so please order your student's yearbook today! We cannot guarantee there will be yearbooks left for purchase. 

NOTE: There are still approximately 30 eighth-grade students who have not had a yearbook purchased for them. Please ensure that your student will receive their yearbook with their class on distribution day by ordering online by May 15. 
 
CLICK HERE to purchase your yearbooks online.

CLICK HERE to view a list of student yearbook orders for 2017 in the Parents Only section of our website.    
 
Questions? Please contact Cindy Kennedy at [email protected]
Scrip News

SCRIP YEAR 2017-2018 May 1, 2017 - April 30, 2018:
Scrip is the easiest and most effective fundraiser at St. Serra, benefiting both families and our great school.  Participation keeps tuition costs down for all families. In addition, when your family exceeds the $275.00 Family Participation Fee (FPF), you will be giving back to our school while lowering your tuition for the next school year!
Sign Up for Online Programs and Place Orders in the Scip Office.
You will now be able to sign up for both of our online programs at the Scrip Office, and place orders online.  Our online programs are an effective tool in earning rebates over the summer. Contact Tina Maroutian, Scrip Coordinator, for details. 
 9 Month Earning Template
For suggestions on how to easily meet and exceed your $275 FPF, please Click Here or go to the Scrip Program Page on the St. Serra website.  Scroll down to the bottom and click on "How To Meet Your $275 FPF".


 

Scripsense is one of our two online programs which can help you maximize your rebate earnings, especially during the summer months, as it is available online only.  It offers e-cards, online shopping, and Hanna's Restaurant rebates through their Local Merchant program.  To sign up and for any further details, please contact Tina Maroutian, Scrip Coordinator at [email protected]

Please note the following:
  1. Hanna's Restaurant -  Rebates can be earned either by purchasing physical cards from school OR through the Scripsense Mobile Wallet. The Mobile Wallet allows you to dine at the restaurant and settle your account with the payment method of your choice, and have the staff scan your receipt.  Gift cards cannot be used with this feature.
  2. Scripsense has 2 campaigns: Financial Participation Fee and Chapel.  They are exclusive. 
  3.  Rebates for purchases made through Scripsense in the month of April will apply to the following Scrip Year.
For questions, contact Tina Maroutian, Scrip Coordinator at
Get Away this Summer!
Spring is here and summer is around the corner.  If you book flights with American Airlines, take care of parking with Park 'N Fly, and look for the perfect vacation spot with Extended Stay America, you can earn up to 10% in rebates! Wherever you wish to go, don't forget to shop with scripsense to support the chapel. You earn with every purchase!  Safe travels! 

Login and shop now at  https://www.scripsense.com or contact Cindy Carpino with questions at   [email protected].  
Recording of 2016-2017 Service Hours and May 2017 Invoice Schedule
 
We apologize to those families who were unable to access the Service Hours Parent Portal on Sunday, April 30. We experienced some program difficulties that disabled the ability for families to login. Please note that the Service Hours Parent Portal is currently closed in preparation for our end of year tallying and invoicing (5/1/16 to 4/30/17).
  
Families who missed or were unable to record their hours by April 30 will have one final opportunity to provide and return a written tally (to include: hours, description and date of volunteer hours) along with their final 2016-2017 Service Hours invoice. 

Please DO NOT e-mail your missing hours to the Business Office.
 
For questions regarding your Recording of Service Hours, please contact Vera Nitinthorn in the Business Office at  [email protected]  or ext. 183.  

Extended Care News
There will be NO afternoon Extended Care on the last day of school, June 14 for TK - grade 7. This is an adjusted minimum day where the students are dismissed at the conclusion of our end-of-the-year Mass (approximately 10:30-10:45 a.m.). Please plan accordingly! Extended Care will be open during their normal hours the morning of Wednesday, June 14 
Pops for A Purpose
A fundraiser for the Chapel! Otter  pops will be on sale every Wednesday at lunch for .50 cents each. Come and grab a cool treat while helping to support the Chapel.  Treasurer Jack Graham, and the entire Student Council, thanks you for your support.
Community Programs of Interest

Catholic Priest and Contemporary Christian Musician 
Fr. Kevin McGoldrick Comes to Christ Cathedral
Join us for a dynamic and inspiring Christian contemporary concert by the Catholic priest that is taking the Christian pop-charts by storm on  May 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Freed Theater at Christ Cathedral.
 
Fr. Kevin has been a Catholic priest for over 10 years and a musician for over 30. When he became a priest, he knew it meant that he'd probably have to give up music. But the Lord had other plans, and over the past five years he's entered a new phase in his musical journey. Following a successful IndieGoGo campaign, Fr Kevin's debut album "Square Peg, Round Hole" is a bluesy and joyful work of art with 10 amazing songs that bring the true, the good and the beautiful right into your ears.
 
To purchase tickets visit -  https://thesingingpriest.eventbrite.com, or for information call 714-282-3045
Summer 2017 Programs in the Community

San Franciso Solano VBS 2017 
J uly 10-14, 2017
Vacation Bible School

Who: Kindergarten - 8th Grade
Where: San Francisco Solano Church
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

CLICK HERE to register today! Contact Marjorie Kollen [email protected] or (949) 589-1709 for more information.

JSerra High School
Lion Engage - Designed for students in grades 6-8, Lion Engage is a great summer opportunity to dive into experiential learning. CLICK HERE for more information about the Lion Engage summer program.

Youth Sports Programs -  JSerra offers a number of sport camps for prospective students throughout the summer. CLICK HERE to learn more about the summer sport programs offered. 

Mater Dei High School 
SummerCamps - Sign up for Youth and High School Camps at Materdei.org/camps

Summer School - Incoming Freshmen can sign up today! materdei.org/summerschool 

Mater Dei High School, 1202 West Edinger Ave., Santa Ana, 92707
  Materdei.org/admissions  Admissions: (714) 754-1175