SerraDIPITY

Volume 22 · Issue 35 · June 8, 2017

 

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In This Issue
Message from Our President
Principal's Corner
Extended Care News
BoxTops News
Health Room Reminder
Tree of Remembrance
Business Office Reminders
Yearbook Sales
PTO Happenings
Scripsense
Scrip News
Laptop Bootcamp
Golf Classic
Harvest Festival
STEAM Programs
Music Program
Recording Service Hours
Community Programs of Interest
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
  
Message From Our President
Dear Lord,
We give you thanks for the community that we are and for this past school year. We ask you to please bless our families as we take our vacations; may our precious time together leave us with memories to cherish. Pour out your love on us that we may return renewed and refreshed to continue our journey together. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen

End-of-School Year Mass 
Please join us as we celebrate our End-of-School-Year Mass, next Wednesday, June 14 at 9:30 a.m. in the Muzzy Family Student Activity Center. Our celebrant will be our School Chaplain, Father Jim Dunning. At the conclusion of Mass we will be commissioning all students, grades 1-7, into their next grade level for the new school year. Students must wear their formal uniform.

The students will be dismissed following Mass at approximately 10:30 a.m. As has been previously published, there is NO afternoon Extended Care on this day, only before school Extended Care.

Also, as a reminder, parking is available on the inner road and in the neighborhood, but NOT in the Memorial Health Care parking lot.
Year-End Communication
Although the end of another school year is upon us, I would like to ask you to please watch for three important Constant Contact Emails from me; one regarding staff announcements and another regarding the exciting construction that will be taking place on our campus shortly. Both of these emails will be out before June 28.

The third email will be out on July 31 to help kick off the new school year. This email will contain vital information about our new app that we will be launching that was introduced at my State of the School Celebration meeting in March, more details about our SerraStrong Welcome Back Event, and other important information. 

You will not want to miss these updates.
School Office/Campus Summer Hours
Please note that the School Office/Campus will close at 11:15 a.m. on the last day of school, Wednesday, June 14 due to our staff year-end gathering and will re-open on Thursday, June 15 at 8:00 a.m.

School Office Summer Hours are as follows:
  • Thursday, June 15 and Friday, June 16, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
  • Week of June 19, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
  • Week of June 27, Monday - Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Closed on Friday, June 30
The School Office and entire Campus WILL BE CLOSED beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 29 and will re-open on Monday, July 17 at 8:00 a.m. Please visit the Parent Calendar on our website for summer office hours.
Reflections Newsletter 2017

Please look in today's Weekly Envelope to find the newest edition of our Reflection newsletter.  Highlighted in this edition are some of the many accomplishments that we celebrated throughout the year; including those of some of our St. Serra alumni. 

If you do not have a Weekly Envelope, you may pick up a hard copy of the newsletter at the School Office between now and the last day of school, or you can CLICK HERE to view the newsletter on our website.
Field Day 2017! 
Tuesday, June 13  
Students...are you ready?  Field Day - Fun Olympics is almost here!  Ten Game Stations, including Strata Ball, Big Foot Relay, and Water Balloon Walk!  New games!  Water games!  Fun competitions!

Please have your student wear his/her class color shirt with PE bottoms for Field Day 2017. 

7th Grade - Black
6th Grade - Tie-dye Retreat Shirt
5th Grade - Green
4th Grade - Orange
3rd Grade - White
2nd Grade - Light Blue
1st Grade - Purple

Click Here for a sneak peak of the fun to come!  Students in Grades 1-7 will be the first to participate in this exciting, new event! Questions?  Contact Kathy Bonin, PTO VP Field Day at paulandkathybonin@cox.net.
No Business Day? No Worries....
CLICK HERE for the guide on what you need to know!


SerraStrong Welcome Back Event
Save the Date: Thursday, August 24, 2017.  Join us as we welcome back our St. Serra families and kick-off the 2017-2018 school year.  Reconnect with old friends, welcome new families, visit with staff and faculty, and have some fun!  Festivities begin at 4:00 p.m.  for new families, 4:30 p.m. for returning families and include a blessing, entertainment, a dinner option, a volunteer fair, and more. 

Our SerraStrong Event will include a service project for local shelters. While you are having fun on your travels this summer, we ask that you please grab the extra hotel toiletries and bring them back with you to donate at the event. Thank you! Questions?  Contact Melissa Singleton and Stephanie Angelos, SerraStrong Event Chairs at  serrapto@serraschool.org.
8th Grade Prayer Service

This past Tuesday our St. Serra community came together to honor the graduating class of 2017 at our traditional graduation prayer service. We recognized this year's valedictorian, A. Duffy and salutatorian, A. Laster, along with this year's recipients of the St. Junipero Serra Awards, A. Laster, J. Quinlan, E. Driscoll and B. Baldwin. The Saint Junipero Serra Award is perhaps the most prestigious and coveted award presented at St. Junipero Serra Catholic School because it is an award that is given to four graduates by their peers. The students selected for this award are chosen because they represent, to their classmates, the very finest qualities of a St. Serra student. We also wish to thank Michael Driscoll ('03) for being our guest speaker and for offering words of wisdom to our graduates. A. Duffy will give her Valedictorian speech at the graduation ceremony on Friday night. This year's salutatorian A. Laster gave his speech at the prayer service. CLICK HERE to view a video of his very inspirational speech. 
I wish you all a very exciting and safe summer!
God Bless!

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

Student Learning Assessments (SLAs) for students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 will be available for view on Sycamore on  June 16.

Student Learning Assessments (SLAs) for Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten students will be sent home via U.S. mail on  June 16.

Homeroom placements will be posted on the school website on Friday, August 11. Please remember that teachers and administrators have spent many hours determining the best possible placement for your child.  Please trust that each and every placement was done with the child's best interest at heart.

A letter will be mailed the week of  August 14 to parents of children entering 2nd through 8th Grades indicating your child's English Language Arts and Math class placements.

Thank you for a wonderful school year.  We pray that you have a safe and happy summer.  We look forward to seeing you in late August.

Gratefully,
Mrs. Reiss and Mrs. Tipton
Extended Care News
Preschool Extended Care will be offered before and after school tomorrow, Friday, June 9 as usual.

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 WednesdayJune 14 
And The WINNERS Are...!!
 
What a fantastic year thanks to YOU!  With your collective clipping, we turned in over 19,000 BOX TOPS for the school year!
 
We would like to celebrate the following winners as we wrap up the year.  

Congratulations to:
  • Makayla M. in 1C, student who turned in the most Box Tops for the school year.  She won a $200 Visa gift card (graciously donated by a St. Serra family). 
  • Mrs. Rodini in 1C, teacher who turned in the most Box Tops for the school year.  She won a $50 Cinepolis gift card. 
  • Homeroom 2B. The class that turned in the most Box Tops for the school year.  They won a Pizzookie Party! 
  • Jonathan S. in 6A, who won the $50 Visa Gift Card Drawing.  This included all students that turned in 50 Box Tops or more for the school year. 
  • Michael H. in 6A, who won the $25 Visa Gift Card Drawing.  This included all students that turned in 5 Box Tops or more for the third collection period. 
  • Mrs. Rodini in 1C, who won the $25 Cinepolis Gift Card Drawing.  This included all teachers that turned in 20 or more Box Tops for the third collection period.
Congratulations to our winners and keep the clipping going over summer!  Thank you for supporting the BOX TOPS PROGRAM for our school! Questions?  Contact Kelly Smith Parker, Box Tops Chair at   kspusc@gmail.com.
Health Room Reminder
If you have not already done so, please pick up your child's Health Room medicine before Monday, June 12. Any medicine not picked up by Monday will be disposed of.   If you have any questions regarding your child's medication, please call (949) 546-8705.

Please Note: If your child will be taking medication during the 2017-2018 school year, your doctor will need to fill out a  new  Medication Authorization form, which must be turned into the Health Room with your child's medication at the beginning of the school year. The medication form can be found on the St. Serra website or by CLICKING HERE.
2017 Tree of Remembrance Ornaments
 
Each year St. Serra offers the Memorial Ornament program to our families.  Memorial Ornaments can now be purchased to memorialize your loved ones that have gone home to our Lord. 
 
The ornaments are $30 each and must be ordered by September 15  for participation in the November 2017 Memorial Mass of Remembrance. Please contact Cindy Carpino at ext. 239 with any questions.
 
Purchase ornaments on-line to pay via credit card, or download the pdf order form and send it in to the Advancement Office with your check made payable to Serra Catholic School.
2017-2018 Tuition and 1:1 Program FACTS Schedule Reminder
2017-2018 Tuition and 1:1 Program deductions are scheduled to begin in July 2017 as designated when setting up your FACTS account.
 
Please remember it is your responsibility to update your FACTS account with any changes including bank account information, email address, home address, and or phone number.  
 
For FACTS questions, please contact Dana Hardenburgh at dhardenburgh@serraschool.org or ext.181.

Important Year-End Business Office Reminders
Tuition and Past Due Fees
As noted on your Family Contract and Agreements, all past due accounts must be paid in full in order to finalize your family's 2017-2018 registration. Families with remaining balances will be mailed an end-of-year invoice for ALL outstanding fees. Payment in full must be made on or before  Monday, June 26 . Please remit payment via online or mail to the attention of the Business Office.
 
June Billing for Extended Care
Please note that billings for the June Extended Care usage will be included in your family's end-of-year Business Office invoice.  Please remit payment via mail by 
Monday, June 26 .  
 
For questions, please contact Vera Nitinthorn in the Business Office at vnitinthorn@serraschool.org.
Yearbook Sales
Yearbooks will be on sale in the School Office on the dates below. Yearbooks can be purchased until June 13, while supplies last. The price of the yearbook is $68. Cash or checks only will be accepted. No credit cards. For more information contact Cindy Kennedy, Director of Communications at ckennedy@serraschool.org

Grades 1 through 7 
Friday, June 9, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Monday, June 12, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, June 13, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 
PTO Spotlight
We would like to thank our outgoing PTO President, Mrs. Cristen Lebsack, who did an outstanding job of overseeing our board and so many of the events and activities that took place this school year.  Her leadership has been a blessing to our entire school community.  Please  VIEW  Mrs. Lebsack's President's Letter to read her message for our St. Serra families .
 
Recognition of SJSC Leadership and Volunteers
The St. Junipero Serra Catholic School's Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) would like to thank everyone who has been a part of all the great PTO events, Board and numerous committees this past school year!  We are blessed for your commitment and dedication.  It is because of you that we are Serra Strong!
Thank you to the many parents who served on PTO COMMITTEES this year.
Thank you to the parents who made up our school LEADERSHIP this year.
Thank you to the many parents who contributed and logged 100 or more VOLUNTEER HOURS. Our school community is truly blessed because of all of you!
Announcing...2017-18 Room Parent Teams
The St. Serra PTO is excited to announce that the 2017-18 Room Parent Teams have been formed.  View the list of ROOM PARENT TEAMS who will help support our classroom activities next year. Thank you for sharing your time and talent!
Scripsense
Summer is here...time to relax and have some fun!    Purchase your favorite eGift cards from  scripsense  or shop scripsense  on-line for some new summer clothing.  Every purchase you make through scripsense gives back to the Chapel Fund in your family's name. It's a win-win situation!
 
Also consider using the scripsense  local merchant program at Hanna's.  With Father's Day and graduation celebrations coming up, you can earn a 10% rebate to the Chapel Fund on everything you spend with a quick scan of the scripsense  local merchant app!  
 
For questions or more information about the program and how you can make a difference, contact Cindy Carpino at ccarpino@serraschool.org or x239.  
Scrip News
Thank you to all St. Serra Families who made this scrip year a great success!  Our 2017-2018 Scrip year started on 5/1/2017 and we look forward to welcoming even more families into this great program that benefits both our families and our school. 
 
Physical card sales will continue in the Scrip Office until the last day of school, limited to inventory on hand.
 
Virtual card sales through shopwithscrip.com and scripsense.com will continue uninterrupted throughout the summer.  If you do not have an online account with them already, please contact the Scrip Office to set one up.
 
School will be back in session on August 28, 2017, but we are happy to announce that weekly orders will resume on Monday, July 31, 2017.  Orders should be mailed to SJSC and need to be received by 8:30 a.m. on Mondays.  Families will be notified via email on the following Thursday when the orders are ready for pick up (this is the only option until school opens).

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY:
Looking for volunteer hours for 2017-18?  Join our Scrip Office family and you will have a set schedule in a fun environment and meet other SJSC families.  Please email us at tmaroutian@serraschool.org  if you are interested.
 
For questions, contact Tina Maroutian, Scrip Coordinator at
Laptop Bootcamp Sign-ups Continue
 
Laptop Bootcamp for students entering Grades Three to Eight in 2017-2018 sign-ups continue. Please note that some sessions have hit their capacity and are now closed.  Please  CLICK HERE to sign-up if you have not already done so.
 
Registration in Bootcamp sessions are first-come, first-serve, with a limit of 25 students per session. Bootcamps will be held on the St. Serra campus.

If your family will not be available to attend any of the dates listed above, please email  ipads@serraschool.org  imm ediately so that we can work with you to schedule your family on another date.
Save the Date: St. Serra Annual Golf Classic - Thursday, September 28

"FORE!"  Here comes our 22nd Annual St. Serra Golf Classic!  PTO is pleased to announce that our Golf Classic Event Chair, Mr. Alan Zawistoski and his team, along with PTO VP Golf, Courtnay Flick, are already planning an exciting tournament with several new features.  So get your foursomes together and watch for our reservation invitation via email this summer!
2017 Harvest Festival
SAVE THE DATE
Sunday, October 29, 2017, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
"The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us."  Psalm 67:6

PTO is proud to announce our fabulous 2017 Harvest Festival Event Chairs, Alexis Weddingfeld and Sue Deek-Ahmadi.  These ladies, along with the PTO VP of Harvest Festival, Teacia Andrew, and the HARVEST FESTIVAL TEAM are already busy planning our annual fall festival to be held on Sunday, October 29. The theme is "The Great American Harvest." 
 
We can't wait to welcome you to this fun-filled family day to celebrate our school and our country. It's going to be an amazing day including all-new family competitions and some friendly cook-off fun in addition to our traditional rides and games galore!
 
To help us make this day a success, we encourage you to learn about our upcoming UNDERWRITING OPPORTUNITIES that include beneficial incentives like FRONT OF THE LINE PASSES and RESERVED E-Z UPS!
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) at St. Serra Grows
As we prepare for our new facility, we encourage our students to participate in one or both of these STEAM related programs:

St. Serra's First Annual Robotics Summer Camp
Incoming 5th - 8th grade students are invited to be a part of St. Serra's LEGO Robotics Summer camp hosted by Santa Margarita Catholic High School's award winning Robotics Team.

Powered by the LEGO Mindstorms Education EV3 Base Set and software, students will explore the exciting world of robotics and engineering. Combining the versatility of the LEGO building system and intuitive drag-and-drop programming software, this adventure will have students working in teams, making friends, and creating robots from day one. CLICK HERE for more information. 
Instrumental Music Program Coming to SJSC
We are planning to start an instrumental music program beginning this fall. Paul Effman Music serves several schools throughout the area and is pleased to bring this program to St. Serra. Students in grades 3-8 (for band) and grades 1-8 (for Violin) are eligible to enroll. If this program would be of interest to you and your children, please  CLICK HERE to express your interest and  for additional information
Volunteer Opportunities at Our Parishes

Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Holy Trinity Sunday
Join us as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity and the mid-point of our Church construction, on Sunday, June 11 directly following the 10:30 a.m. Mass. 
  • Games
  • Kids Sports Zone (Sponsored by St. Junipero Serra Catholic School)
  • Petting Zoo
  • Arts & Crafts
  • Pulled Pork and Hot Dogs
Volunteer Opportunities for St. Serra families! Volunteering at this event is sanctioned by SJSC and up to 4 service hours per family can be counted toward your 2017-2018 St. Serra volunteer requirements. Volunteers please s ign up on Sign Up Genius.

Volunteers please check in at the information booth to verify your volunteer assignment. For volunteers working the first shift, please check in and go to your station directly after Mass so that you can be trained at your station. 

Email Steve Silva s.silva.volunteer@gmail.com if you have questions or need more information. 

San Francisco Solano Catholic Church
Fiesta Day Solano 2017 - St. Serra Volunteer Day,  Saturday July 22

St. Serra Families are sponsoring a game booth at San Francisco Solano's Fiesta de Solano 2017. Volunteer Now and receive up to 4 service hours per family towards your 2017-2018 St. Serra volunteer requirements.   

Volunteer on Sign Up Genius and use the access word Catholic. Each shift is 2 hours with 3 volunteer spots per shift. 

Fiesta de Solano is a 3-day community event filled with games, rides, food, live entertainment, Bingo and a Silent Auction! Bring your family for a day of fun and food! 
Friday, July 21, 5:00-10:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 22, 1:00-10:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 23, 1:00-10:00 p.m.

Want to see your name or business on a banner and/or announced at Fiesta? Click Here for the Sponsorship Form. 

To sign up for the Kids Lip-sync or Solano's Got Talent email vanjbmja@gmail.com

Questions? Please contact Jeff or Tami Kosidowski at fiesta.de.solano89@gmail.com
Community Programs of Interest

San Francisco Solano Church Movie Night. YFF Presents Moana - the ocean is calling. Please join us tomorrow, Friday, June 2 at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. CLICK HERE for more information about this fun family event! 

The Parent Project 
10 Week Course Starts Wednesday, August 2
The "Parenting Manual" is here! Come learn the parenting skills that were developed from working with over 500,00 families nationwide.  CLICK HERE for more information.

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 elemre@sfsolano.org or (949) 589-1709 for more information.


JSerra High School
JSerra Catholic High School will be sponsoring its annual Girls Basketball Summer Camp on  July 17 - 19, 2017  from  9-11 AM

JSerra coaches will be conducting the camp, with assistance from current and former players.  All girls from grades 1-8 are eligible to attend. CLICK HERE for more information


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