St. David of Wales Catholic School

GOOD NEWS BEARS

Week of January 20, Vol 2, Issue 22

St. David School Mission Statement

It is the mission of St. David of Wales Catholic School to consistently provide a safe environment for academic and spiritual growth. Rooted in Catholic beliefs and values our school prioritizes academic achievement and builds moral and social responsibility. We cultivate global citizens in a culturally diverse community, while promoting Catholic values and respect for all of God’s creations.

Dear St. David Families,

This week, as we reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., let us focus on his commitment to education as a foundation for justice and equality. Dr. King once wrote, "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education."

At St. David of Wales, these words resonate deeply with our mission to provide a safe environment for both academic and spiritual growth. Rooted in Catholic beliefs, we strive to build moral and social responsibility in our students. Dr. King's vision reminds us that education is not just about academic success but also about forming individuals who will contribute to society with compassion and integrity.

Our school community has the privilege and responsibility to guide our students to become independent thinkers, compassionate leaders, and global citizens, as outlined in our Schoolwide Learning Expectations (BEARS). In doing so, we honor the spirit of Dr. King's work by nurturing hearts and minds prepared to create a more just and loving world.

As we continue to journey together this year, let us remember that our work as a school and as a village is to empower our students to live lives of purpose and faith, inspired by Christ's teachings and the example of leaders like Dr. King.

Thank you for your continued partnership in this mission. Together, we are truly Bear Strong: Together We Achieve.

Yours in faith,

Mr. Swanson & Ms. Medrano

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 21

CYO Track & Field

Team Meeting at Rose Mello Hall

5:30 pm

January 21

5 Kind & Clever Ways to MOTIVATE children

Parent Workshop (Zoom)

7pm

January 22

Minimum Day (K-8)

Minimum Day Dismissal for K-8 Professional Development Day

12:00 N

January 22

Jr. High Science Fair Rose Mello Hall

6 pm

Jan 26-Feb 1

Catholic Schools Week

We celebrate what makes St. David wonderful!

January 27

Celebrate VOCATIONS

Career Day presentations

Feb 1

Open House

Come see what the school has been up to and bring a friend!

3 - 5 pm

CSW Mass

We celebrate Catholic schools with Mass

5 pm

NOTES FROM THE OFFICE

Payments

If sending payments with your student, please place the check or cash in a marked envelope with the student's name and what it is for. They may give it to their teacher in the morning, and the office will collect the payments that way.

Help for our Los Angeles Area Brothers and Sisters

A message of support from the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Oakland:

We have all seen the pictures. The relentless fires in Los Angeles are beyond devastating.

Corpus Christi Church and school were destroyed in Pacific Palisades, thousands of families have lost everything, and hundreds of thousands remain displaced and/or without power while the fires rage on.

Join us in praying for those suffering and the firefighters and first responders working tirelessly to serve their communities.

How you can help

Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Catholic Charities USA

Career Day Sign-Ups

A Note from PTG:

Dear St. David of Wales Families,

Happy New Year! We are excited to kick off January with several engaging activities for our school community.

Parent Workshop: On Tuesday, January 21st, 7–8:30 pm, we present an interactive virtual workshop, “5 Kind & Clever Ways to MOTIVATE Children,” led by parent educator Vanessa Callaghan, MEd. Register to receive the Zoom link and learn practical tools to support your children’s motivation.
Catholic Schools Week- Career Day: We are looking for individuals to present at Career Day! If you (or someone you know) is interested, please complete the form to the left. Participating families may receive volunteer hours.

Blessings,

Your PTG Team

ptg@stdavidschool.org

Click here for Volunteer Opportunities!

St. David of Wales School presents a virtual workshop experience with Vanessa Callaghan, MEd.

Parents and Caregivers: You really don't have to figure out how to motivate your kids alone!

Join fellow St. David of Wales School parents along with parent educator and coach Vanessa Callaghan, MEd., as we connect, exchange ideas & learn tools and strategies that we can all use right away to boost our kids’ motivation.

Experience how to...

WIN your child's cooperation.
SUPPORT more focus & engagement in school and family life.
TAKE ACTION to build more trust and mutual respect.
USE ALTERNATIVES to punishments and rewards.

This highly interactive workshop is designed to give you new, effective strategies that REALLY work and KIDS LOVE!

What is it? A highly interactive MOTIVATION WORKSHOP presented by St. David of Wales School, “5 Kind & Clever Ways to MOTIVATE children...with less rewards and punishments."

Who is it for? St. David of Wales School Parents and Caregivers

When is it? Tuesday, January 21st, 7-8:30pm PST

Where is it? We will meet in a virtual Zoom room. Be sure to register so that Vanessa’s team can send you the Zoom link.

New Title I Teacher

Ms. Ryan comes to us with over 30 years of teaching experience, mainly in special education. She loves to support struggling students, both academically and emotionally. She worked in public schools at all grade levels from Los Angeles to Sonoma County. She spent her last 11 years as an Academic Support teacher at Salesian. Ms. Ryan is very happy to be here at St David to help students and assist teachers.

Ms. Ryan officially begins her role as our Title I Teacher on February 4th.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

We warmly invite all families to join us for the special Catholic Schools Week Mass at St. David of Wales Catholic School! Students who attend Mass in uniform may receive a free dress pass.

On Monday, January 27th, we celebrate VOCATIONS. If you or a friend would like to participate in this year's St. David Career Day, please complete the form found below.

Career Day Sign-Ups

Wear your jeans on January 24th with a $5.00 donation!

Students can wear jeans with any St. David top (polo, sports jersey, t-shirt, etc.)

Donations will help fund the Catholic Schools Week activities such as:

lunch and breakfast for the teachers to show our appreciation
popcorn and drinks for the students for movie afternoon for Student Appreciation
hospitality for Open House

Hot Lunch at St. David - Som-thing Special Catering

Dear Family, Staff, and Students of St. David,

My name is Som S. Zaragoza, chef and owner of Som-thing Special Catering. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and my team: Dana Knight and Stephon Saengsourith. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve meals at St. David.

Currently, all our meals are prepared fresh daily in the commercial kitchen at Salesian College Preparatory, where we also serve the students and staff. Additionally, I have partnered with Meal Manage, an online meal ordering portal, for easy menu browsing and pre-ordering.

This is my third year catering at Salesian and my fourth month at St. David, and I am excited to continue growing and serving both our students and the wider community.

If you have any questions, concerns, or need assistance with setting up a Meal Manage account, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at hotlunch@stdavidschool.org or text or call me at 510-672-6108.

Thank you once again, and I wish everyone a blessed and prosperous 2025!

Warm regards,

Som S. Zaragoza

Chef & Owner, Som-thing Special Catering

2025 Lunch Pricing:

Meals (drinks not included) ……………………. $ 7.00

Drink options:

8 oz water………………………………………………. $ 1.25

Juice box ………………………………………………… $ 1.50

Milk-Whole ……………………………………………. $ 1.75

Milk- Chocolate ……………………………………… $ 1.75

Daily Offerings:

Fresh baked chocolate chip cookie ………… $ 0.85

Fresh fruit cup ……………………………………….. $ 4.00

Yogurt…………………………………………………….. $ 2.50

Mini Sandwich Box ………………………………… $ 5.00

(2 turkey & cheddar sandwich on hawaiian roll with goldfish crackers)

Mini Fruit & Cheese Box ………………………… $ 5.00

(seasonal fruit, cheese & crackers)

Mini Hummus Box ………………………………….. $ 5.00

(hummus, carrots & pita)

CYO SPRING SPORTS - SIGN UP

Get Ready for Spring Sports! 🌟🏀🏃‍♀️

Spring is just around the corner, and it’s time to gear up for another exciting sports season!

Whether your child is ready to shoot hoops in Girls Basketball or race to the finish in Track, we’ve got something for everyone.

Don’t wait—submit your interest today using the link below. We’re accepting responses until February 1st. Let’s make this season unforgettable—Go Bears! 🐻💪

Submit Interest Here!

School Store Opening

We’re excited to announce that our SchoolStore Fundraiser officially began on January 13!

This is a simple and impactful way for our school to raise funds while giving families an opportunity to support our mission.

Stay tuned for more details and instructions on how to participate. Thank you for your continued support of our school community!

SchoolStore Kickoff Video

Diocesan E-Sport Invitational

The Diocese of Oakland is looking to start an E-Sport league. Please register if your student is interested in competing. This is for 6th-8th grades.

Winton Arts Film Festival at Carondelet

Short film submissions for the 2025 Winton Arts Film Festival open on December 2nd!

Organized by students from Carondelet and De La Salle High Schools, this festival showcases student films from across Contra Costa County at Carondelet High School.

This is your chance to gain recognition, compete for awards, and connect with industry pros and peers. Best of all, submissions are FREE!

Key Dates:

Submissions Open: December 2, 2024
Submissions Close: January 28, 2025
Film Festival: March 7, 2025 (6:30-8:30pm)

Get all the details on our website. If you have any questions, please reach out to Amy Way at away@carondeleths.org. Create and submit your film today!

Sign-Up Form

Girls’ Basketball Skills Development Clinic at Salesian

Salesian College Preparatory is hosting its Red & Black Girls’ Basketball Skills Development Clinic for grades 4–8 on Saturday, February 1, 2025.

Check-In: 8:45 AM
Clinic: 9:00–11:00 AM
Location: Salesian College Prep Gym, 2851 Salesian Ave., Richmond

For more information, contact Coach Stephen Pezzola at spezzola@spezzola.com. Don’t miss this opportunity to build your skills and have fun!

3-MINUTE RETREAT- We are the Church

Take a moment this week to reflect on how we, as members of the Church, are called to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world. This 3-minute retreat invites us to consider the beauty of our shared mission and the ways we can serve one another in faith and love. Through prayer and reflection, let us remember that together, we embody the living Church, united in Christ's teachings.

3-Minute Retreat

ST. DAVID CATHOLIC SCHOOL

871 Sonoma Street

Richmond, CA 94805

www.stdavidschool.org

Share This Email