Lancer 9-22-16

Please remember to read this whole email for all upcoming events and information. Do not forget to download the SFX School App to have all information at your fingertips. Included in this app are links to GradeLink, SmartTuition, School Calendar, ChoiceLunch, SignUpGenius, PSA Hours Report, and the SFX Blog which includes the weekly lancer and other important information happening at the school.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE! Please click the Sign Up Genius button below to volunteer for Jog-A-Thon, Night at the Races, Golf Classic, Scrip and more. Remember all Parent Service hours must be completed by Feb. 28, 2017.

LIBRARY HELP NEEDED Looking for someone interested in PSA hours by working in the library at lunch on Thursdays from 12 to 1. Contact Mrs. Porras for more information at tracee.porras@sfxburbank.com.

2017/18 Registration Payment Plan Do you want to pay the registration fee for the 17/18 school year ahead of time? We are offering a 5 pay plan up until September 23rd. Your first payment of $100 per child will be in October 2016 and the last payment of $100 per child will be in February 2017, right in time for March Registration. Please email Nancy at nancy.willard@sfxburbank.com if you are interested.

Jog-A-Thon Due Date J-A-T is fast approaching. Sponsor sheets are due Friday, September 30th. Please do not attach any money at this time. Sponsor sheets with collection information will be returned to the children the week following the Jog-A-Thon.

A Reminder…. Thursday, September 29th is School Picture Day. Please wear formal uniform and bring in your completed order form. Extra forms are in the school office. Thank you!

Lee National Denim Day Student Council is excited to once again sponsor Lee National Denim Day on Friday, October 7, 2016 to help fight against breast cancer. We are proud that 100% of the money raised on Lee National Denim Day will go directly to the American Cancer Society. Since 1996, Lee National Denim Day has helped raise more than $93 million! On Lee National Denim Day each of us can make a difference by supporting this cause. Dr. Sullivan would love to say that he played a role in a program that helped discover the cure for breast cancer. We know you would too! If you would like to participate, please send us a check (no cash, please) made payable to the Lee National Denim Day in the amount of $5.00. Please mark your envelope “Lee Denim Day.” Your donation is tax deductible. You may wear a denim dress, overalls, skirt, skort, culottes, jeans, vest, or blouse. Shorts will also be allowed, however, with a length 3 inches above the knee for girls and knee length for the boys. We are adding some more fun – wear a pink shirt, blouse, or sweatshirt, too! Otherwise, wear any other appropriate shirt or blouse. Thank you for participating in this year’s Lee National Denim Day. You have made a difference!

Dear Families and Friends of St. Francis Xavier School, I hope this message finds you well! I am currently a man without an office as John Chikh, grade eight and Belle Chikh, grade seven are co-Principals for the Day! They were the lucky winners from last year’s Silent Auction at Dinner Dance. I write to you from the computer lab! The student body, faculty and staff celebrated International Peace Day at church with a prayer service on Wednesday 9/ 21. The students decorated and hung peace flags and also planted pinwheels for peace throughout the campus as symbols of much needed peace throughout the world. We reflected on the Beatitudes from Matthew’s gospel, embracing the idea, “Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called [children] of God.” May the peace of our Lord Jesus be with us always as we encounter a world at odds with the idea of peace! Tomorrow, Friday September 23 is a non-pupil day to accommodate the faculty, staff and me to address the first three sections of the school’s self-study. We will prepare the entire document throughout the school year to be ready for the WCEA/WASC Visiting Committee in the 2017-18 school year. Accreditation is what it is all about! This weekend the Boys A and B Flag Football Teams begin play at Brace Canyon Park. The Boys A Team plays at 9:00 A.M. and the Boys B Team at 11:00 A.M. Looking to next week, the Girls B Volleyball Team travels to St. Finbar on Monday 9/26 to compete in their first match. The team plays their first home match on Wednesday 9/28. The Girls A Volleyball Team hosts its first match on Thursday 9/29 at home. Whether home or away, all A and B volleyball matches begin at 3:45 P.M. Come on out to support our fall Lancer sports teams! We appreciate the support of our Lancer Cheer Squad too! The school’s annual Back-to-School/Jog-A-Thon Kick-Off Assembly takes place on Tuesday 9/27 at 2:00 P.M. in Holy Cross Hall. We will officially welcome one another back to school, introduce in a special way all of our new students, and turn our attention to celebrating the JAT Art Contest winners. We’ll also get revved-up for the upcoming St. Francis Xavier School Jog-A-Thon. Thursday 9/29 is Picture Day. We are working with White Photography Studios in North Hollywood this year. Each child will be photographed individually. Picture packages are offered as usual. Different this year is the group photo. We will opt for a class photo on the risers in Holy Cross Hall in lieu of a composite class picture. I look forward to reviewing the results of picture day! Please ensure your child is dressed in formal uniform. At the close of next week, we will officially encounter the half-way mark of the first trimester. Please be sure to log-on to Gradelink to review your child or children’s progress. Our next service in our religion program takes place at Blessing of the Animals on Tuesday October 4 at 2:00 P.M. This is the service where our dear pets are invited to receive a special blessing from Fr. Benny. I’ll share more news about the service in next week’s letter. There is a lot happening at school! And we know you are quite busy too! But together we journey on behalf of one another, keeping in mind the idea of peace to help us celebrate the successes we share, as well as troubleshoot the rough spots. And we know God is for us! This makes it all worthwhile. God bless each of us today and every day. Sincerely, Paul Sullivan, Ed.D. St. Francis Xavier School Principal