Volume 23 * Issue 24 * March 8,  2018
In This Issue





Stronger together... we lift each other up. We are SERRASTRONG! 
And let us consider how to lift up one another, to love and good works
- Hebrews 10:24




A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT TRUDELL
MARK YOU CALENDAR - Tuesday March 20
SJSC FAMILIES SHARING WITH FAMILIES! 

Please join us for a Family Italian Dinner - an opportunity to share, reflect and plan for the future on Tuesday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Activity Center. 
  • Dinner hosted by Mrs. Trudell
  • Daycare will be available
  • 2018 - 2019 schedule of tuition and educational costs will be announced

Your attendance WILL make a difference in our future - SerraSTRONG yesterday, today and tomorrow! Look for a special Paperless Post invitation coming soon. 


3RD ANNUAL FAMILY STEAM NIGHT 2018
Tuesday, March 13, 2018, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Student Activity Center

I would like to thank Mrs. Reiss, Mrs. Tipton and all of our teachers and students who worked so hard over the past several months planning our Family STEAM Night event. All of the STEAM activity stations were created by St. Junipero Serra teachers and students.    

This year's STEAM Night theme is "Sports". There will be many fun and engaging sports-related STEAM activities, such as catapult, archery, marshmallow sling shot, hot wheels acceleration and more!   We are looking forward to a night full of energy and excitement! A night where our St. Junipero Serra Catholic community can engage in hands-on activities and experience how the STEAM disciplines apply to different aspects of Sports. 

I hope to see all of our families at STEAM Night on Tuesday, March 13.
SERRASERVES 2018
OneMeal Mission

Please join us in this special Lenten event. A time for us as a community to show love and mercy with our time and treasure! 

PTO is proud to announce our first St. Serra Community Event - SerraServes - on Saturday, March 24, at 9:00 a.m.  
  • The OneMeal mission is to meet the needs of starving children by empowering our community to serve. All St. Serra families are welcome to volunteer, as we join together and pack meals, assembly line style, in a unifying and fun, high-energy event.
  • During this Lenten Season, let us come together and practice our Corporal Acts of Mercy by donating to this great cause.
  • Those who have donated will be able to sign up first, to volunteer for the meal packaging event, before the signup will be available to the entire school. Space is limited, so please DONATE NOW.
  • Questions? Contact SerraServes Chair Lindsay Hakimi at getmercedesbenz@yahoo.com.
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL GRANDPARENTS & SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY

What a beautiful day last Friday was - even the weather cooperated!

I pray that those grandparents and special friends that attended truly enjoyed their time here visiting our campus, spending time with your students and learning about the beautiful miracle of our Chapel that will soon house the Blessed Sacrament and be available for prayer beginning in the Fall.  All family photos that were taken will be sent home in next month's Family Envelope on April 12. 
    
My most sincere gratitude goes out to all who participated and volunteered, especially those students who enriched our prayer service in music, song, and prayer and who served as guides around campus for our guests.      
FOOD FOR FRIENDS - TOMORROW, FRIDAY, MARCH 9
Thank You for your Lenten Almsgiving

Pope Francis said, "Lent is a privileged time for prayer". He quoted St. Augustine, who described fasting and almsgiving as "the two wings of prayer," because they are signs of humility and charity.  We would like to extend a prayer of gratitude to our community for supporting our monthly Food For Friends program at St. Junipero Serra in conjunction with the food banks associated with our parishes. Your almsgiving contributions continue to feed hungry men, women, and children in our communities.   Tomorrow,  Friday, March 9  will be our final Lenten collection. There will be no bag sent home with your child so we thank you for providing one.  Let's all be like  the Good Samaritan, who bent down to his brother in need and took care of him!

Not sure what to donate? Non-perishable canned goods or dry foods are welcome.
  • Canned meats, fish, soup, fruits, and vegetables
  • Pasta
  • Hot & Cold cereal
  • Macaroni & Cheese
  • Beans
  • Rice
  • Peanut butter
Please contact Louise Valdez lvaldez@serraschool.org with any questions:

We have been gifted with this "glass full" of life from God.  Some days we find it so full, making it easy to be grateful. Other days the challenges make it appear that the glass is half empty. It is at these times that we need to grateful for the many blessings over the years that have filled our "glass".


God is Good All the Time...
All the Time God is Good.

Mrs. Angeline Trudell
President
PRINCIPALS' CORNER
Mrs. Carol Reiss, Principal Preschool - Grade 2
Mrs. Julie Tipton, Principal Grades 3 - 8

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR ACADEMIC DECATHLON!

We are so proud of the commitment, diligence, and hard work demonstrated by our 2017-2018 SJSC Academic Junior High Decathlon team!  A total of 17 schools from the Diocese of Orange participated in this year's Diocese of Orange Junior High Academic Decathlon held at Santa Margarita Catholic High School last Saturday, March 3, 2018.  

The team finished in 3rd place overall, 2nd place in the Logic competition, 1st place in both math and english, 2nd place in literature, 3rd in religion and social studies, and 4th in science. 

Team members included:
  • Joseph A. - Individual Math - First Place; Team Event Super Quiz Social Studies and Co-Captain Logic
  • Anne B. - Individual Literature - Second Place
  • Katie C. - Individual Science - Fourth Place
  • Diego D. - Member at Large
  • Carolyn G. - Individual English - First Place; Team Event Super Quiz Fine Arts and Co-Captain Logic
  • Abbey K. - Individual Fine Arts
  • Keller M. - Individual Current Events
  • Ray S. - Individual Social Studies - Third Place
  • Audrey S. -  Member at Large
  • Sydnee W. - Individual Religion - Third Place; Team Event Super Quiz Fine Arts, and Super Quiz Captain
Thank you to Mrs. Barb Franz and all of the staff and parent coaches for going above and beyond by dedicating your time and talent to these incredible student decathletes.

REMINDER: Trimester 2 ends tomorrow, March 9

EXTENDED CARE NEWS
 
There will be NO  afternoon Extended Care on Holy  Thursday, March 29. This is a minimum day and the last day before Easter break. Please plan accordingly. Extended Care will be open their normal hours the morning of  Thursday, March 29.   

HEALTH SCREENINGS - MARCH 20-22

Our annual vision and hearing screenings will be held on Tuesday, March 20,  Wednesday, March 21 and Thursday, March 22. The health screening is conducted by Southern California Sensory Screening. The grades being tested are Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd and 7th. If your child wears glasses, please remind them to bring them to the screening. If your child is absent on the day of his/her screening, the makeup day will be on  Thursday, March 22

Scoliosis Screening for 7th and 8th Grade Students:
All 7th-grade girls and 8th-grade boys will be screened for Scoliosis on  Thursday March 22. The Scoliosis screening is also conducted by Southern California Sensory Screening. 
 
All screening results will be sent home in the Monthly Envelope within a couple of weeks of the screening. Please call the Health Room if you have any questions (949) 546-8705.

TUITION ASSISTANCE 2018-2019

It is a part of our mission and vision to provide a Catholic Education within the boundaries of our four parishes for all those who desire to be a part of St. Junipero Serra Catholic School. St. Serra is so grateful for the sacrifices our many families make to send their children to our Catholic School. We are also very appreciative of the significant number of benefactors who contribute to our  Tuition   Assistance   program on a regular basis. We want all current families to be able to remain at SJSC should financial issues present themselves, therefore we will once again offer  tuition  assistance  to those who qualify through our blind, third-party process. 

Please note that it is important to your application process that you remain an active parishioner at your parish.
 
Once again this year, we will be working with FACTS, our online administrator for managing our  tuition  assistance application process.  Please  CLICK HERE   for more information and to access our Online Tuition Assistance Application. 
 
Deadline for submission is Friday, March 16, 2018.
 
Please contact Shannon Smith in the Advancement Office at ext.139 or via email at   ssmith@serraschool.org should you have any questions.

MOTHER SON ULTIMATE FUN COSMIC BOWLING
White/neon attire and accessories encouraged!
  • We look forward to a fun day of glow bowling with our St. Serra Moms and their boys this Sunday, March 11! Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour Saturday night - Spring forward!
  • Opportunity Drawings! Raffle tickets for lots of fun prizes, including a $550 Great Wolf Lodge package, 4 Angels tickets in the Trout Farm, Hover Board, 55" VIZIO TV, a Race Drone, and much more will be available for purchase that day! Credit Cards and Cash accepted at the bowling alley; $10 for 12 tickets.
  • Parent Volunteers Still Needed! CLICK HERE to sign up for volunteer opportunities available before or at the Cosmic Bowling Event.
  • Questions? Contact Event Chairs Diana Gabriel and Monique Martinho at mother-son@serraschool.org. Forest Lanes Bowling is located at 22771 Centre Drive, Lake Forest. 
23rd ANNUAL ANCHOR BALL
Underwriting and Sponsorship Opportunities

We encourage your Family or Business to support the 23 rd Annual Anchor Ball and receive recognition within our St. Serra Community by becoming an  UNDERWRITER   OR  SPONSOR .
  • Anchor Ball Underwriter, opportunities start at $50.
  • Anchor Ball Sponsorship or Advertisement in the Evening Printed Program, opportunities start at $175.
  • Consider a credit card payment and DONATE NOW.
PTO HAPPENINGS

Volunteer Hours Deadline Approaching
The 2017-18 Service Hour Commitment deadline is April 30. PTO Events are in need of your time and talent. Please visit the PTO VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES webpage for current contacts and information .

PARTNERS IN PRAYERS

We have witnessed the strength of prayer when we come together as a community. Let us continue this powerful bond with prayers for our St. Serra families. Please email Anastacia Escoboza-Henry at partnersinprayer@serraschool.org with a prayer request or to be added to the Partners in Prayers email list. Questions? Visit our OUTREACH MINISTRIES webpage.

OPERATION RICE BOWL
Operation Rice Bowl is currently taking place during the season of Lent.  Students can fill up their Rice Bowl with cash or coin and bring them in to help those in need.  Check out  crsricebowl.org  for videos, recipes, and prayers to keep your family motivated throughout Lent.  The last day for collections will be  March 26 Thank you for your time and generosity!
SCRIP NEWS

Weekly Orders before Easter Break:
Monday, March 12, 8:30 a.m.
Monday, March 19, 8:30 a.m. - LAST WEEKLY ORDER BEFORE EASTER BREAK
Monday, March 26 - NO WEEKLY ORDER
Monday, April 2 - NO WEEKLY ORDER - EASTER BREAK
Weekly orders will resume on Monday, April 9, 2018, due by 8:30 a.m.

Did you know? We have hundreds of vendors available for our parents. Not all of them fit on our weekly order form but you may add them in. Please visit https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/Login , and click on SHOP to view all vendors and denominations available. You can also place orders directly from this site but YOU WILL NEED TO ESTABLISH A PRESTOPAY ACCOUNT FIRST. Please contact the Scrip Office for more details.
 
Support Anchor Ball and earn rebates!  Thank you to the many families who have purchased scrip in support of Anchor Ball. CLICK HERE to access the special Anchor Ball Order Form, which is also available at the Scrip Office. You may choose from this wish list or select any item on the scrip daily or weekly forms. For more information, or to place an order, please contact tmaroutian@serraschool.org.

For questions on any of the above or to place a Scrip Order, contact Tina Maroutian, Scrip Coordinator at  tmaroutian@serraschool.org.  
STUDENT STORE UPDATES

We've got SJSC Spirit! How About You?
  • SHOP ONLINE for upcoming occasions. Great gift ideas for Easter, Holy Communion, Mother & Father's Day, Sports Games, CA Sunshine, and more.
  • SJSC LOGO items and more: license plate frames, stadium chairs, teddy bears, car decals, rosaries, hairbands, sketch books...we've got it for you.
  • Don't miss the SPIRIT PACKS available for limited time: Save 20-25%!
CELEBRATION BOOK CLUB
Celebrate your student's birthday, special accomplishment, First Communion, favorite holiday, or dedicate a book in honor of your child's teacher. The Celebration Book  Club is the library's main funding for new books. If you would like to participate in the CBC simply fill out the form either online or in the library and include a $20 donation towards your child's book of choice. Your child may choose their new book from the selection cart or get ideas from the library's wish list. 
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS OF INTEREST
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH
Upcoming Parish-wide Events

Middle School Retreat:  All 6-8th graders are invited to attend Holy Trinity's annual Jr. High Retreat, June 18 & 19 at the Santiago Retreat Center. There will be faith-filled talks, worship, games, fun, and more! CLICK HERE for more information. 

Women's Retreat: The Women's Ministry of Holy Trinity Catholic Church invites you to a day of faith, friendship, food and our special guest, Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator and writer Becky Eldredge, presenting "Making Room for God in the Busyness".  CLICK HERE for more information and to register.
 
Family Mission Trip: This summer Holy Trinity will be going on a week-long Family Mission Trip to Ensenada, Mexico from June 23 - 29, 2018 . They will be partnering with  Praying Pelican Missions  to offer families the opportunity to serve together in relational ministry. This trip is open to all parishioners 6th grade and up with an accompanying adult. A deposit of $100 by Sunday, March 4, 2018 is needed to secure your place. Space will be limited. First come, first served! CLICK HERE for more information.

Lenten Dinner and Concert: Please join Holy Trinity Church on March 21, 2018 from 6:00 to 8:15 p.m. for their Annual Lenten Dinner & Concert. Singer, songwriter and recording artist Josh Blakesley will perform a concert after the dinner. All parishioners are invited to attend! This is a Lenten evening for the whole family (childcare will be provided). For more information or CLICK HERE.
SAN FRANCISCO SOLANO PARISH
Youth Faith Formation Programs: San Francisco Solano parish offers faith formation opportunities for children and teens from kindergarten through high school.  CLICK HERE  for more information.  

Solano Saints: Ages 3-5, every Sunday during 8:30 & 10:15 a.m. Masses. Children will learn songs, hear Bible stories, and create a gospel-based craft each week. CLICK HERE for more information. 

The Journey: A Lenten Reflection. February 27, 2018 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. CLICK HERE for more information. 

CHRIST CATHEDRAL DRAMA SERIES PRESENTS THE PASSION
Join us for this Lenten Christ Cathedral drama series production, March 16 - 18, 2018In the Passion According to Luke, the inspiring Easter story is brought to life in a beautiful, deeply moving and dramatic portrayal of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This production draws audiences into a deep understanding of the immensity of God's love for His children. The Passion opens with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and carries us through the Last Supper, the Agony in the Garden, onto the Cross, and the glorious Resurrection.

Tickets are available  online  or by calling 714-282-3045.