Volume 24 * Issue 28 * April 11, 2019
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

Click the images below to learn more:

PTO Events and Programs

Parish Connections


Volunteer Opportunities




SerraDIPITY Archives

A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT TRUDELL
Educational Costs and Re-enrollment for 2019-2020 School Year
In case you missed Monday's Constant Contact email from me regarding 2019-2020 Educational Costs for Preschool through Grade Eight, CLICK HERE to watch the video. As I mentioned in the video, the Educational Costs have only increased by 3% next year. To view the Educational Costs for Preschool  CLICK HERE and for TK-Grade Eight  CLICK HERE . Look for an email regarding re-enrollment from SchoolMint around 4:00 p.m. today. 
Holy Week Events 2019
Next week we begin the most solemn and joyful events of our Catholic faith during Holy Week. We pray you are able to participate in one of the many celebrations occurring at our four parishes. We encourage you to visit the church websites (which can be found on our website under  Spiritual Life ) for specific dates and times
 
On campus, our 7th-grade students will present the Living Stations of the Cross. Thank you to our teaching staff Mr. Catey, Mrs. Sifers, Ms. Armenta, Mrs. Baine & Mrs. Valdez who are all instrumental in coordinating this year's production. The Living Stations of the Cross will be held on Thursday, April 18 at 10:30 a.m. in the Student Activity Center, and students TK - Grade 8, will attend. Those students are required to wear formal uniform on this day. 

To ease the parking situation, parking will be available on the inner road of the campus and in the neighborhood after 9:00 a.m. Please DO NOT park in the Memorial Health Care parking lot.

"Christ Jesus, your love is made visible through the mystery of your death and resurrection. Make us one in you. Transform us into people of mercy who reach out to embrace you in the suffering ones in our midst. We ask this, as a people reconciled to God through the blood of your cross." Amen. 
SerraServes ~ One Meal Event
THIS Saturday, April 13!  Please HELP!
  • Thank you to everyone who has donated. We are so close to our goal and we need your help. 
  • SerraServes is THIS SATURDAY, April 13, from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. We will meet in the Chapel for prayer with Mrs. Trudell at 8:30 a.m., and then move to the SAC. Won't you help us meet our goal and feed hungry children worldwide? For many of these children, these meals will be the only nourishment they will have for the entire day. Please join us as we partner with Kids Around the World for this community-building event. Together, we will set out to serve others - one meal at a time!
  • DONATE NOW to be a part of our SerraServes ~ One Meal Event. Once you have made your donation, the Signup Genius for volunteering will be sent to you via the Confirmation/Thank You page.
  • You do NOT need to volunteer if you would prefer to only make a donation! Join us as we come together to help those in need during this Lenten Season.
Food For Friends - Peanut Butter & Jelly Drive
Friday, April 12

We would like to extend a prayer of gratitude to our community for supporting this outreach program at St. Serra in conjunction with the food banks associated with our parishes. Your monthly contributions continue to feed hungry men, women, and children in our communities.

Tomorrow, Friday April 12 will be our monthly food drive to support St Kilian parish. We will be collecting  Peanut Butter and Jelly, as these items are always in need. Thank you to our  Scouts for again helping with the collection. Thank you also for using a grocery bag from home. Food drives strengthen our community by giving us an opportunity to live the Gospel teachings of Jesus, " Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40
HeartRun 2019   
"Happy Hearts are Worth the Effort"                              
  • Thank you St. Serra Bears for going above and beyond this year to raise funds for SJSC and The American Heart Association! We had such a fun day with you and enjoyed watching you run. Your "Effort" definitely made for "Happy Hearts"!
  • Thank you again to our wonderful Event Chairs, Mrs. Gina Christiansen and Mrs. Michele Polana, our t-shirt organizer, Mrs. Cynthia Mellow, DJ extraordinaire, Mrs. Patty Loessberg, and PTO VP - HeartRun, Mrs. Teacia Andrew.
Congratulations to our raffle incentive winners! They will receive tickets to a Clippers game this fall and stand alongside the players on the court during the National Anthem.

Luke P. - Top Fundraising Student with $500!
Logan & Riley R. - 2nd Top Fundraising Students with $300 each!
Henry M.
George C.
Asher S.
Donovan R.
Ava S.
Cole B.
Ashley B.
Taylor P.
REMINDER: Operation Rice Bowl

The last day for Operation Rice Bowl collections will be tomorrow, Friday April 12 . Students can fill up their Rice Bowl with cash or coins and bring them in to help those in need.  

Checkout  crsricebowl.org for videos, recipes, and prayers to keep your family motivated throughout Lent. Thank you for your time and generosity!

2020 WCEA/WASC Accreditation Parent Survey
Your Input Will Make a Difference!

REMINDER: Surveys should be completed by next Thursday, April 18. If at least 75% of the parent surveys are returned,  all students will receive a week of non-uniform dress starting June 3-7 .  We are currently at 44% - let's keep that number climbing! The survey link is below, in case you missed the Constant Contact. We sincerely thank you for your valuable input.

For us JOY is Jesus, whom we share with others, through the light that YOU shine. God gives us so many gifts...He gave us His Son, Jesus...GOD GIVES US GREAT JOY!



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

Mrs. Angeline Trudell
President
PRINCIPALS' CORNER
Mrs. Carol Reiss, Principal Preschool - Grade 4
Mrs. Alison Daley, Principal Grades 5 - 8
ACADEMIC PLACEMENT FOR THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR
St. Junipero Serra Catholic School is preparing for academic placement for English Language Arts (ELA) and Math for the 2019-2020 school year. The educational team is continuously shaping the learning environment to consistently promote high achievement of all students. Please see the  Academic Placement Procedure and Policies .
 
Upcoming dates to note:
  • May 24, 2019 - Last day for STAR Testing
  • May 31, 2019 - 3rd trimester average on this date will be used in the rubric
  • June 21, 2019 -  Small Group ELA and Math Recommendation Letters emailed (grades 2-8)
  • August 16, 2019 - ELA and Math Placement Letters mailed (grades 2-8)
ST. SERRA SUMMER SCHOOL - CLASSES ARE FILLING UP!
SCRIP REBATE PROGRAM -  REDUCE YOUR EDUCATIONAL COSTS!
 
Parent Testimonials
"Thank you so much for your help with signing up for the shopwithscrip program.  When I first read about the Scrip program, I didn't think I would use it much, except for gifts because I am terrible about gift cards. However, the shopwithscrip program is right up my ally as with 4 boys I mainly shop online. It's so easy! With MyScripWallet on my phone I check it before I purchase anything and usually an online card is available to purchase and use almost instantly.  In just a couple of weeks, I've earned over $70 in rebates. Thank you!"
 
 Hear from some of our parents.  The program really does work!

Spotlight - NEW Local Vendor:
We are delighted to welcome Santa Margarita Auto Group Ford/Toyota to our family of Rebate Program local vendors, offering $50 and $100 cards at 10% rebate, available through our weekly order form. You can redeem the cards at both Ford and Toyota service stations, and as a unique feature, you may also redeem $500 maximum towards the purchase of a new Ford or Toyota! Please inquire at the Rebate Program Office for special instructions.

Curbside service - new and improved!  If you have difficulty getting to us, we will come to you. We are offering curbside service every morning from 8:00-8:30 a.m. Call the Rebate Program Office to place your order when you arrive, and we will deliver it to your car.

Important Dates:
Monday, April 15, 8:30 a.m. - last weekly order before Easter.
FINAL REMINDER - Tuesday, April 30 - deadline to submit your Ralphs Rebates for quarter ending February 28, 2019.

For questions on any of the above, or to place a Scrip Order, contact Mrs. Tina Maroutian, Rebate Program Coordinator at tmaroutian@serraschool.org .
ANNUAL FUND
THANK YOU to all who responded to our Annual Fund 2nd Appeal! Your generosity is greatly appreciated! We hope you had the opportunity to watch the SmartLabs video that was emailed to you this week and hear how the SmartLabs make learning come alive for the students! St. Serra students are truly blessed to be able to use different skills for learning, but we need your help to purchase additional kits, so every child has the opportunity to succeed. If you have not already donated, please consider donating today.

We are getting closer to the end of the year and the ice cream social with Mrs. Trudell! Help your child's class reach the highest participation percentage to enjoy this special sweet treat. As of today the results are:
8th Grade - 37%
7th Grade - 36%
6th Grade - 34%
5th Grade - 41%
4th Grade - 49%
3rd Grade - 45%
2nd Grade - 45%
1st Grade - 40%
Kindergarten - 41%
TK - 30%
PreSchool 4 - 25%
Preschool 3 - 40%
CELEBRATION BOOK CLUB
The Celebration Book  Club is the library's main funding for new books. Celebrate your student's birthday, special accomplishment, First Communion, favorite holiday, or dedicate a book in honor of your child's teacher. If you would like to participate in CBC, simply fill out the form online by  CLICKING HERE.   Students may choose their new book from the selection online.
YEARBOOK 2019 COUNTDOWN IS ON - ONLY 4 WEEKS LEFT!
HURRY! Order your yearbooks HERE!

The excitement of yearbook distribution day is only a couple months away! Online ordering will close around mid-May after the yearbooks are shipped. All pre-order online sales guarantee a yearbook for your Serra Bear on distribution day. A limited number of yearbooks will be available for sale after all pre-orders are distributed, on a first come, first served basis. Don't wait until it's too late! 

Not sure if you ordered your yearbooks yet? Check your e-mail for your confirmation from Jostens. All orders received from Jostens can also be found by student name in the Parents Only section of our website. Q uestions, please contact Mrs. Cindy Kennedy at  ckennedy@serraschool.org .

MOTHER SON PIRATE ADVENTURE

It was wonderful seeing all of our St. Serra Pirates (both the moms and the boys) this past Sunday celebrating our Mother Son Pirates Dinner Adventure event. Our St. Serra community did not disappoint...bringing lots of fun, energy, and support to our first-ever Pirates event.
 
CLICK HERE   to view pictures from the memorable day.

The PTO, along with PTO VP Parent/Child Events Mrs. Shannon Johnson, would like to thank our amazing Event Chairs, Mrs. Diana Gabriel and Mrs. Monique Martinho. In addition, we'd like to offer our sincere gratitude to Mrs. Jill Orrantia, Mrs. Meredith Kappel, Mr. Manny Martinho, Mr. Jeff Johnson, Mrs. Sandra Rahnama, and our other parent volunteers for all their time and dedication to help make this such a fun event.  We are Serra Strong!
HEALTH ROOM NOTICE  
VISION & HEARING SCREENING RESULTS
 
This year's vision and hearing screening results for kindergarten, 1st, 3rd and 7th grade will be sent home with the oldest child in the family today, Thursday, April 11. Please take the time to read the results and follow up with any recommendations written on the form. If your child was referred to a physician please make an appointment as soon as possible. If your child did not pass the vision and/or hearing test, the results were sent to your home address. If you have any questions regarding your child's screening results, contact Ms. Feline Bayles at Southern California Sensory Screening (949) 257-7843 or email her at mail@socalsensory.com.
 
Scoliosis Results:
The results for the scoliosis screening for the 7th-grade girls and the 8th-grade boys are being sent home this week with the oldest child in the family. If there are recommendations on the screening form please follow up with your doctor.
THE IMAGINATION MACHINE
We are happy to announce that once again The Imagination Machine will be here for our TK though fourth grade students. This popular assembly will literally bring our students' own creative stories to life as presented by professional actors with music, props, and costumes. The selected authors will receive a Certificate of Writing Achievement at the end of the show. We hope you can join us tomorrow morning, Friday April 12, at 8:30 a.m. in the Student Activity Center.   
BOX TOPS - SEE IT! CLIP IT!
  • Our final Box Tops collection deadline is May 17, 2019. Keep those Box Tops coming and help us earn extra cash for our school. Thank you for everyone's efforts this year so far!
  • For every five Box Tops a student has turned in since February 9, that student's name will be entered in our final drawing. Send Box Tops in a baggie or envelope (label with your child's full name and homeroom)
UNIFORMS & SPIRIT STORE

SerraStrong 25th Anniversary Uniform Shirts
  • In the re-enrollment link for the 2019-2020 Education Cost, a 25th anniversary "SerraStrong 25" Spirit Uniform Shirt will be included for every student. The color of the shirts for each grade level will remain the same as the current year. The logo will reflect our 25th Anniversary!
SerraStrong Uniform Shirts - Current Year Logo
  • Currently, we have limited quantities available of SerraStrong shirts from the current school year for sale in our Serra Spirit Store. If you would like to have an extra shirt for next year, be sure to purchase the color for your student's upcoming grade level
  • Note: The SerraStrong Shirts with this year's logo may also be worn next year, as long as the shirt color matches your child's grade-level color. 
PE Uniforms
  • Are your children in need of new PE uniforms? An order will be placed before Easter Break, on Monday, April 15. Items are expected to be delivered to your child's homeroom, when the shipment is received in May
  • Shop ONLINE HERE:
    • SerraStrong shirts
    • PE Uniforms
    • NEW Serra Spirit Packs!
    • ADULT Spirit Wear
    • Serra Bears
    • Hats, Water bottles, Stadium Chairs, and more!
Volunteers needed!
FINDING GRACE ~ St. Serra Lenten Retreat 2019
THANK YOU!
  • WOW! THANK YOU to ALL our parents who were able to join us at our "Finding Grace" Lenten Retreat. The Stories of Grace our speakers shared were truly an inspirational message from God.
  • PTO would like to thank our incredible speakers: SJSC President - Mrs. Angeline Trudell, SJSC Teachers - Mrs. Maureen Tilton and Mr. David Bohmfalk, and Principal of Santa Margarita Catholic High School - Mr. Raymond Dunne. Your stories of grace inspired us to be better parents, spiritual leaders and to always find God in our stories. Thank you!
  • PTO would also like to thank the following individuals who helped make our retreat a beautiful success:
    • PTO President, Mrs. Shannon O'Connor for your gift of leadership and support
    • PTO Parliamentarian - Mrs. Dana Maas for your amazing guidance, support, help and love
    • PTO Communications - Mrs. Mary Broomfield for your organization, kindness and grace
    • PTO Volunteers - Mrs. Cristen Lebsack for getting the word out to our parishes
VOLUNTEERS - THANK YOU!
  • Being National Volunteer Week, we want to sincerely thank YOU, our SJSC Volunteers, for all of your time, talent and treasurer over this 2018-2019 school year. While the majority of volunteer events have wrapped up, please take a moment to RECORD all of your hours this week!
  • A *NEW* special tradition is coming to SJCS on the evening of June 6, and we want YOU to be there! Those who record 100+ hours will enjoy a prayer service, reception and celebrate the St. Junipero Serra Outstanding Service and Christian Leadership Awardees
     
  • If you record your hours by April 14, you will be recognized online and receive your invitation early. Thank you again for all you do for our SJSC community!
SCOUTING INFORMATION NIGHT
Save the date - Thursday, May 9

St. Serra Cub Scout Pack 818 and American Heritage Girls Troop 818 will host a Scouting Information Night on Thursday, May 9, at 6:00 p.m. in the Student Activity Center.
 
Come learn about the Cub Scout program for boys going into grades K-5 in the Fall and the American Heritage Girl program for girls going into grades K-8 in the Fall.  Scouting is a fun, hands-on learning and achievement program. Activities focus on topics such as hiking, nature, science, citizenship, first aid, sports, leadership, teamwork, and more!
 
If you are interested in joining or learning more about the adventures of scouting, please mark your calendars for this information session. This evening is geared toward parents, however, interested scouts are welcome.  Pizza will be provided.  For questions about Cub Scouts, contact Mr. Jonathan Broomfield at broomfieldfamily4@gmail.com. For questions about American Heritage Girls, contact Mrs.  Geri Freeman at gerianne.freeman@gmail.com.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS OF INTEREST
San Francisco Solano Fish Fry
San   Francisco   Solano  is hosting a fish fry every Friday during Lent! Join us for our last Fish Fry of Lent tomorrow, April 12 for a delicious fish fry dinner from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Dinner is $10 (adult) and $6 (ages 12 and under). 

Stations of the Cross are led by a new ministry every week and begin at 7:00 p.m. Bring your friends and family and enjoy a night of food and prayer with the community.  
San Francisco Solano Vacation Bible School
Life is Wild - God is Good

San Francisco Solano Church is once again offering VBS to children in TK - 8th grade, June 24-28. Registration opens on April 1.   CLICK HERE for the flyer. 
Holy Trinity Middle School Youth Ministry Events



Click the images for more information

Santa Margarita Catholic High School Football Camp for Grades 5-8
Saturday, April 27 l 1:00- 4:00 p.m.
SMCHS Football Field -  Cost: $75

Players will learn proper techniques about the fundamentals of football.
Specific drills will focus on offensive and defensive skills to improve players' confidence of the game. S
pecial guest coaches Jordan Simmons (Seattle Seahawks) and Travis Kirschke (Former player - Detroit Lion, San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburg Steelers) will be a ssisting SMCHS Defensive Line Coach Max Onyegbule and Offensive Line Coach Tim Holt.

REGISTER HERE
Questions? Email  sportscamps@smhs.org   or call 949-766-6000, ext. 1130

Mater Dei Admissions
CLICK HERE for a flyer with information and dates from Mater Dei Admissions.