The Lancer 10-13-16

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. No Family envelope will be going home today.

Denim Day Oh my Goodness! Thanks to Student Council’s Special Fundraiser, Denim Day was able to raise a remarkable $897.00! We are proud to let you know that 100% of this money will be used by the Women’s Cancer Programs through the American Cancer Society for research, education, screening and treatment programs for breast cancer. Thank you for your generous spirit! Perhaps our school’s donations will be the money needed to find a cure. You have made a difference!

Jog-A-Thon T-Shirts If you missed the opportunity to purchase the darling Jog-A-Thon T Shirts designed by our students; we have some extras in the school office. They are $20.00 each. Please send your request for a shirt along with the color choice, size, and payment to the school office.

8th ANNUAL SFX GOLF CLASSIC FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 Tee time is just 8 days away! GOOD NEWS! It’s not too late to register to play! We have just 30 spaces available on our player roster. Don’t delay!!! Email Janet Ward jwlikescake@yahoo.com NOW and reserve your spot! Can’t play – no worries You can still support the Golf Classic! DONATE A RAFFLE PRIZE (Wine, champagne, gift certificates, equipment, etc.) SPONSOR A HOLE ($100 gets you a personalized sign) PLEASE FIND IT IN YOUR HEART TO HELP US IN SOME WAY!!! Thank you so much!!! PSA HOURS OPPORTUNITY ! ! ! SFX GOLF CLASSIC Is in need of the following donations: 150 – individual/single serve bags of chips 150 – individual/single serve bags of nuts 150 – granola bars 150 – individual/single serve cookie packages 150 – individual/single serve SNACK ITEMS of your choice PSA HOURS WILL BE GIVEN FOR ALL DONATIONS ! Please drop all donations off at the Kindergarten Classroom You may leave items in the hallway outside the classroom door at morning drop off By TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2015 THANK YOU SO MUCH ! ! !

PSA Hours available for Mass in the Park Dear Parents, We need help transporting supplies between St. Francis Xavier and McCambridge Park this Sunday morning, October 16. If you would like to help and/or receive PSA hours helping transport supplies please contact Rita in the Parish Office at 818-504-4400 or rita.recker@sfxburbank.com. We will meet in front of Holy Cross Hall at 8:00 AM Sunday morning.

There still spots available for our October 29th archery date. If you had signed up earlier please confirm that you are still available to participate. This event will take place in Lower Arroyo Park in Pasadena and is organized by thePasadena Roving Archers. The times are from 12:00 - 2:30pm. This costs $25 per participant and includes all instruction and equipment. This is for both adults and children. If you have any questions or if you are interested please send an email to theprezsfx@gmail.com and let me know who will be participating and for which date. There are only 20 spaces available per class so please let me know as soon as you can.

Bob’s Big Boy Dinner Night was a Success!!! I hope you were able to attend. Families had fun and a delicious meal. We sold $4,075.00 in scrip. We had a profit of $1,630.00 for St. Francis Xavier. Thank you to the teachers for the non-homework day. For many families it was the first time they bought scrip, I hope you continue to be scrip supporters. There are so many other types of scrip to buy from stores, to gas stations, to restaurants, to amazon gift cards… I suggest trying something new every week. You can continue to buy Bob’s Big Boy scrip. At a 40% profit I think you should eat Bob’s Big Boy for breakfast, lunch and dinner year round. Thank you for your support. The whole event was a great success.

Tickets are NOW on sale for our "7th Annual A Night at the Races"! Please join us on November 5 at 6:30 in Holy Cross Hall. Enjoy and evening of Entertainment and Fabulous Fun! Enjoy appetizers, salads, desserts and a FULL cash Bar all while betting on your favorite steed! Free Babysitting available in the bungalow. If you would like ticket please email Nancy at nancy.willard@sfxburbank.com. If you would like to donate and earn PSA Hours please click on the SignUpGenius link below. Thank you for supporting St. Francis Xavier and A Night at the Races.

October 13, 2016 Dear Families and Friends of St. Francis Xavier School, I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the cooler weather! The teachers and students are working hard! We notice only three weeks remain until the close of first trimester of school! The momentum of the school year gathers pace! The Golf Tournament Committee is in dire need of your help! If you want to get some much needed hours, please send in to the school, attention Janet Ward, any and all donations for the tournament raffle. Gift cards, bottles of something or other that golfers are known to ingest, golf swag of any kind or unique gift ideas you might have, please send them our way! You’ll receive an hour of service for each amount of $25 donated. If you offer golf swag items, email with Janet Ward the value of your contribution! Also, if you like to advertise your business or wish well a loved one or a group of golfers for that matter, please consider donating $100 to be a hole sponsor! The Golf Tournament Committee could use a few more hole sponsors to help the fundraiser reach a fine outcome! Of course, we thank you in advance for your attention to these matters and for your continued support! Over the years in my role as principal at SFX, the faculty, staff and I have assisted youngsters with their developmental choices. When students’ choices have caused them duress, we have counseled the children to learn from their errors and make better decisions. Often times, a small consequence has been administered to help make the point. Furthermore, parent cooperation and the expectations in place at home have always helped students improve. But we have reached a critical point in counseling students in the area known as “bullying.” Our advice, counsel and small consequences are seemingly insufficient to remedy the problem to help students improve. In response to this dilemma, the faculty and I, along with Fr. Benny, are creating the St. Francis Xavier School Discipline Board, the rationale and purpose of which will be unveiled in detail next week. What I can share with you now is the bottom line. Whenever bullying behavior is reported, the student or students involved will go before the board and whatever immediate consequence the board decides to dole out will be handled quickly and purposefully. In short, we are a Catholic school where every student can learn and socialize in a hassle-free, friendly, Christian environment. So as not to leave you with a negative impression the faculty, staff and I remain committed to assisting the children with their social dilemmas. This Friday we host a BUSD representative to speak to us about ideas to talk with the students about bullying and how to handle the problems when they are presented. In this way we are proactive to help the children. But if any student decides to eschew the advice, counsel and important information shared with them by us at school, they will be held immediately accountable by the discipline board. I encourage you to begin a conversation at home with your children about the school’s new response to bullying behavior. The problems begin as young as TK and can continue to develop if left unchecked. I’d like to say that our school is a bully-free place of learning. With your help dear parents, and with the leadership and assistance of the faculty and staff, we can make this a reality. STAR Testing Window Two is open for business beginning Monday October 17 and closes Friday October 28. The results of the first window were good! Our school seemingly scores well collectively on standardized tests. But we also use the information to help meet the learning needs of each student. It is our goal to observe each student’s Student Growth Percentile reach the 50th percentile or higher. This particular indicator demonstrates that not only does a child score well within a particular STAR Testing window, but that they are also demonstrating growth between windows! Please discuss with your child, particularly the students in grades TK-5, to take their time when taking a test. Rushing through the test does a disservice to the student’s scores. Encourage them to read all of the details, to use paper and pencil for math problems that need to be demonstrated as opposed to simply a quick, mental approach. These ideas will assist the student to score as best he or she can! Of course, make sure the children are well-rested and that they have something to eat to keep them focused! We appreciate in advance your attention to these testing fidelity ideas! We will send home with the first report card each student’s STAR results from the initial two testing windows. Herein this week’s Lancer are the lists of students comprising CJSF (CA Junior Scholarship Federation) Mock Trial and the Academic Decathlon. Congratulations to our students who comprise these teams! They work very hard and it is a pleasure to observe them strive for excellence! Our CYO program charges through the month of October! Boys Flag Football: The Boys A team suffered a slight, tough setback last weekend, losing their first game, and also the fine Alex Giraldo, who suffered a broken bone during the game. But the team remains positive and has an excellent chance of a playoff berth! The Boys B Team is undefeated at 4-0, victorious in very close games! The word is out across the valley about our fifth and sixth grade boys! Volleyball: The Girls A Volleyball Team sits in first place at 2-1 with matches Thursday 10/13 at home and Friday 10/14 at St. Robert Bellarmine. The chances of a playoff berth are quite favorable. These girls can truly play the game! The Girls B team is currently 2-3, dropping their last two matches in the third game to very good teams. The coaches are doing great work creating competitive experiences for the students, while also addressing developmental skills to help the children improve! Way to go Lancers! Thank you too, Cheer Squad for the support at the games and matches! Best of luck as you prepare for your first Cheer competition! Thank you for your attention to this very lengthy letter! Please help the Golf Tournament Committee with raffle prize donations and hole sponsorships. Please discuss matters of bullying and the discipline board with your children. Come on out and support our Lancer sports teams! These things and more we do for our school and parish because we are a Catholic community. We are the people of God on the hill in Burbank! May God’s blessings shower upon you and your loved ones today and every day! God bless us all! Sincerely, Paul Sullivan, Ed.D. St. Francis Xavier School Principal

I just wanted to send a friendly reminder that if you are going to be joining us on the April camping trip we need to have your deposit by October 14th to ensure we can get you grouped with the rest of the school. Please spread the word and as always, email me if you have any questions. Bill Wickersheim theprezsfx@gmail.com.