Lancer 8/25/16

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!

Do not forget to download the SFX school app from the Apple & Google stores. Our app has lots of useful information including the school calendar, GradeLink, SmartTuition, ChoiceLunch, SignUpGenius, Blogger and more.

Stunning Opening Day at St. Francis Xavier The summer months at St. Francis Xavier School, while quieter inside the school halls, were not without their own noise and busyness on the outside. Thanks to our parents and parishioners, several projects were completed. These include some general maintenance items and some spectacular new play equipment. Mrs. Rita Recker was quite busy coordinating the installation of new play equipment and shade tarps on the lower playground. Mrs. Recker’s efforts were co-powered by Mrs. Nancy Willard, Mr. Tracey Hodges, and Alberto who were always willing to check on a project or help along the way. This included tree trimming and building up the block wall against the hill. The end result looks amazing, polished off with a beautiful backdrop mural painted by SFX alumni Annaliese Laue! Other improvements made on campus were a completely new asphalt upper level parking lot. The lower parking lot was slurry coated and new parking lines, game lines, and special parking needs were painted. The grotto area was wired for nighttime lighting by Mr. Danny Rodriguez, an alumni parent. The image of Mary under these lights is breathtaking. When you get a chance come by at night and say a prayer. You will be quite moved. Bravo, Alberto! A heartfelt thanks to Alberto Linares for being flexible over the summer months to accommodate the various summer school programs and the many projects while still maintaining a high caliber cleaning routine. Alberto, you are remarkable! What an awesome fresh look our campus was given over the summer months! That little glow of light and sparkle you see at night on the hillside is not a fancy home or the Brace Park baseball fields. It is the little school on the hill, St. Francis Xavier School! Thank you to our gems, Mrs. Recker, parents, parishioners, and Alberto, whose reflections make us shine!

8TH ANNUAL SFX GOLF CLASSIC Mark your calendars and save the date! The 8th Annual Golf Classic Tournament will be held on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 at DeBell Golf Club. Players of all skill levels are welcome and encouraged to come out and play a round!!! We have set two goals for this year's tournament. Goal one is to achieve a sell-out of 144 players. Our second goal is to have a record number of lady golfers. Ladies grab a friend or two or five and join us for a great day of fun from start to finish! Please look for your Brochure/Entry Form in the September 1 Family Envelope for all the tournament details and sponsorship opportunities.

Welcome to a New School Year! As we hold our arms open wide to welcome all of you “Back to School,” we especially welcome the following new students and their parents to our St. Francis Xavier School Family: Jaimie Anne Alviar, TK, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Alviar; Antoinette Brady, TK, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Brady; Nathan Dawood, TK, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jamal Dawood; Nevaeh Dimaguila, TK, and her parents Mr. and Mrs. Michael Dimaguila; Grace Gesek-Teamer, TK, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jason Gesek-Teamer; Isabella Hammer, 1st Grade, and Madelyn Hammer, 3rd Grade, and their Mom, Ms. Karla Hammer; Sebastian Herbozo, K, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joaquin Herbozo; Dakota Jackson, K, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Jackson; Quinn Johnson, TK, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Drew Johnson; Arthur Kharazyan, TK, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vahan Kharazyan; Hunter Loffredo, K, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mario Loffredo; William McKenna, TK, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William McKenna; Janetta Meliksetova, TK, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Grigori Meliksetova; Wesley Rowe, K, and his Mom, Ms. Loena Rodgers; Elle Ocampo, TK, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Christian Ocampo; Jacob Pamilar, TK, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ian Pamilar; Bella Sahagun, TK, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Julian Sahagun; Emma Shilling, K, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Shilling; Renee Shin, TK, and her parents Mr. and Mrs. Paul Shin; Mark Tadros, 7th Grade, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fawzy Tadros; Jillian Tecson, TK, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Tecson; Julie Topchian, 4th Grade, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kazar Topchian; Isabella-Sophia Valente, K, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Valente. And, and a very special WELCOME to the following students who have a sibling or siblings presently attending St. Francis Xavier School! Gabriella Bowman Samuel Cullinan Rachel Haddad Oliver Ligon Mason Procanik We are thrilled that St. Francis Xavier School is their school of choice. May this year be filled with abundant hospitality, nurturing growth, and God’s good graces for these new students, their families, and all returning students and families!

Looking for ways to get PSA hours? Mrs. Porras is looking for parent help in the Computer Lab for TK on Tuesdays at 2:10 p.m. and Kindergarten on Thursdays at 2 p.m. If you are interested please contact her at tracee.porras@sfxburbank.com. All classroom volunteers must be Virtus trained and fingerprinted.

If you are using the ASC please bring Kleenex and Clorox wipes to be used in the classroom. If you would like to register for After School Care, please fill out the following form and email it to nancy.willard@sfxburbank.com. AFTER SCHOOL CARE FORM

Dear Families and Friends of St. Francis Xavier School, Welcome back to school! Yeah! The children are happy and excited to return to school and see friends, teachers and staff! I’m sure you’re happy to have the children return to the dependable routines of the school week. I hope and trust summer was a great time! Kudos to all of us for helping the school fundraise! The fruits of our labor are evident in the new jungle gym on the playground. Also, a lovely mural was painted by Anneliese Laue, alumnus of SFX, younger sister of Mrs. Echavarri and older sister of Anne Marie Laue in fifth grade! I think everyone agrees that the parking lots look great and the new play area is beautiful. We will continue to do our best to support the PTO Board and the fundraisers for the school to build much needed capital to ensure the upkeep of the grounds of St. Francis Xavier. It’s always great to see our fundraising dollars in action! We’ll be privy to the goings-on of this year’s fundraising agenda at the upcoming Back-To-School Night on Thursday September 1 at 7:00 P.M. in Holy Cross Hall. Make sure to attend this meeting and all three of the PTO General Meetings because the class with the highest parent attendance by percentage receives a free-dress day the following Monday! Not only that, but you’ll be very well informed about school! Following the PTO Board update and my message, the teachers will host two 15 minute back-to-school meetings in their classrooms. TK and Kindergarten will host in the lower building in their rooms, and the junior high teachers will meet collectively in Holy Cross Hall. All other grade levels will be in their rooms in the upper building. Please know in advance that Back-To-School Night is a time for the teachers to introduce themselves and explain their goals for the school year. Additionally, you’ll learn about communication protocols, grading and a host of other details. Just know in advance that this night is not about “conferencing.” With the limited time to address so many things about the school year, conferences are not possible. We thank you in advance for your understanding. If your schedule permits, please join us for the opening, Back-To-School Mass on Thursday September 1 at 2:00 P.M. in the church. We look forward to seeing you at all of the services scheduled for the school year. If you join us, please sit in the back rows of the pews to make room for the classes to sit in front. TK and Kindergarten will not join us until both Mrs. Echavarri and Mrs. Wargo prepare their classes for the routines of church. Safety on the parking lots is of daily, vital interest for everyone. We had an okay start to the year, with a few minor reminders for various families. To reiterate key ideas, know the lane you want to use before you enter the school. If you are dropping off and leaving, use the right lane where the students on safety patrol are lined up to assist you. Once your child has safely exited the car and your doors have been closed, proceed directly to the exit. If you choose the left lane, remember the following details! AVOID CHURCH PARKING STALLS. The stalls immediately facing the church are for parish daily Mass attendees. You may park there if you are attending Mass, otherwise avoid the parking in front of the church. Opposite this area, facing the new jungle gym, is the park, walk, return and go area. You are free to walk your child(ren) to the crossing area, but you must return immediately and exit the yard. Finally, if you wish to visit with friends, drive past the flag pole and park facing either the upper or lower buildings. You are free to visit for a few minutes before leaving the parking lot. Please do your best to park as close to the cones or lines as possible to make as much room for cars parked behind you. Many cars are parking too far from the top of the stall. Pull up as far as you can. Don’t drive through the cones and remain committed to your choice of lane. If you park on the lower lot, do your best to U-turn at the bungalow. Some people are U-turning too soon. I realize you might be early at pick-up, and there may not be any cars to stop you from an earlier turn, but please be in the habit of U-turning at the bungalow. I know these details are many, but we must remain vigilant to the safety needs of our campus. Leave your phones alone and please keep your speed at FIVE miles per hour! The teachers have hit the ground running. The students are always ready to show them how much they care! You, my dear parents, are back in the routine of bringing your most precious cargo to school once again. And guiding all of these goings-on is the Holy Spirit! We are reminded at St. Francis Xavier School daily that God loves each one of us, that we are a reflection of God’s wondrous beauty and that we are conduits of God’s immense love for the world and one another. We are blessed. It’s good to be back! Sincerely, Paul Sullivan, Ed.D. St. Francis Xavier School Principal