Parent Newsletter Archives
Parent Newsletter: July 7, 2023
Back-to-School Edition
We hope you are enjoying your summer with family and friends. While it is still July, the start of the 2023-24 school year will be here before we know it and we want you to be prepared. Our back-to-school parent newsletter is filled with helpful information and quick links to forms and other resources. There’s a lot of information, so take your time reviewing. All of this information lives on our website so you can easily refer back to it at your convenience.
Enjoy the remaining weeks of summer and we look forward to welcoming you back to campus in a few weeks.
Important Dates:
- August 2 & 3: Chromebook Pickup
- August 10: Transfer Student Welcome & Orientation
- August 10: Student ID Photo Day (for Sophs, Jrs, & Srs)
- August 11: Freshman Orientation
- August 14: First day of fall semester
- August 16: Senior Parent College Night
- August 18-19: Freshman Overnight Retreat & Family Prayer Service
- August 24: Back-to-School Night
Principal’s Newsletter 6/2/23
Dear St. Francis Families,
In just one week we welcome nearly 200 new members of the Class of 2027 to campus for their first official school event as St. Francis Troubadours! Many of our newest Troubies are wrapping up 8th grade graduation ceremonies and celebrations. The festivities they get to experience will continue into next week when we welcome them and their families to campus the evening of June 9th for dinner, games, and fun at our annual Freshman Fiesta. Don’t forget to follow us on social media to witness
As the official summer break started for our faculty members on June 1st, our staff has been busy preparing campus for our sold out summer camps and classes for Troubies and future Troubies of all ages! Although we appreciate the calm of campus as we get ready for our summer programs, we are reminded that the life of our school is students and we don’t feel complete without them here.
Please keep your eyes open for our summer editions of the Principal’s Newsletter on July 7th and 21st which will contain helpful and sometimes time sensitive information to ensure a smooth start to the school year in August. Enjoy your summer and your dear daughters!
In the spirit of Pax et Bonum,
Dr. Fadia Desmond
President
Principal’s Newsletter 5/19/23
Dear St. Francis Families,
Last night at Memorial Auditorium marked an ending and a beginning. We ended the school year saying a heartfelt goodbye to our Class of 2023 graduates, yet also set our sights on significant beginnings for our newest Juniors and Seniors. We gathered over 30 members of the Classes of 2024 and 2025 to finalize their enrollment in Psychology 300, a lower division college course taught by an American River College Professor, right here on our St. Francis campus this Fall. Our newest Juniors are Seniors are also set to begin their first “real world” work experience with summer internships at Backcourt Marketing, Hensel Phelps Construction, Dr. Greg Heise, Dr. Caron Houston, Mark III Construction, Sacramento SPCA, Something Sweet Dough, and Urgent Care Now Clinics. We are blessed to partner with these companies, agencies and businesses, many of which are alumnae and alumnae parent sponsored.
The other exciting beginning for our students is in the world of Athletics with today’s announcement that this fall will be our first season offering girls flag football as a CIF sanctioned sport. With a long and successful history of girls’ flag football within the Parochial Athletic League (PAL) the enthusiasm around forming an SFHS team will be felt across all grade levels.
As hard as it was to send-off our graduates into the world last night, we sent them with abundant blessings and look forward to the blessings coming our way into summer and the upcoming school year.
In the spirit of Pax et Bonum,
Dr. Fadia Desmond
President
Principal’s Newsletter 5/12/23
Dear St. Francis Families,
This week was a little emotional for some of our students. With few seniors on campus, and the first week of final exams done, the realization that the school year is almost over is definitely affecting our students and staff alike. There are some tears of joy and some tears of sadness, as we prepare to say goodbye to our graduating class of 2023! We are less than a week away from Baccalaureate Mass and the Commencement Ceremony at Memorial Auditorium. These beautiful and holy traditions in the life of a St. Francis Troubadour mark important milestones that our girls and their families will remember for many years to come. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful students, parents, and extended school community.
With final exams concluding on Monday, May 15, I ask that you continue to keep our Troubies in your prayers, that they do their best on these assessments and finish the 2022-2023 school year strong!
Also, as a reminder, there are no sanctioned Senior pranks allowed. We are concerned with student safety and any damage that may result from students trying to access our campus after hours. It would be terrible to have students get injured or be liable for any physical damage to our facilities. Any student caught on campus after hours runs the risk of being unable to walk across the stage at Memorial Auditorium. Please advise your daughters to make good choices.
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!
St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us!
In the spirit of Pax et Bonum (peace and goodness),
Elias Mendoza
Principal
Principal’s Newsletter 5/5/23
Dear St. Francis Families,
Last night we celebrated the Tinkerbells’ ascent into leadership as the new leaders of our school at the Junior Family Mass and Commissioning Ceremony. These new leaders did not waste any time stepping into leadership roles because this afternoon they stepped up and welcomed the Seniors to the Farewell Mass. The Honor Guard escorted the Maries into the gym to celebrate and give thanks for their four years of shared sisterhood and leadership.
In addition to honoring the Maries at the Farewell Mass, we said goodbye to their Mascot “Marie” and their class colors of pink and white. We had a couple of additional goodbyes to say as well. Our school year theme of “Woven Together by the Love of God” and the prayer that was written to accompany the theme was recognized and retired making room for Campus Ministry to create next year’s theme. Each year we create a new theme and prayer based on two of our Catholic Social Justice Principles. We are not done saluting the Class of 2023 yet. Next week the Seniors process into the gym carrying symbols of their four-year journey here at St. Francis and close out the year with the Baccalaureate Liturgy. This is sure to be a memorable Mass and a great way to end the four-year journey of the Maries.
In the spirit of Pax et Bonum,
Stephen Tholcke
Director of Campus Ministry
Principal’s Newsletter 4/28/23
Dear St. Francis Families,
As we prepare for Junior Prom and Senior Ball parties this weekend, I would like to ask that you have a frank conversation with your daughters about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. I know this topic can be a bit taboo, but I’d rather know our students will be safe because you took the time to have this conversation with them. Unfortunately, over my two decades of experience, I’ve come to realize that many parents are unaware of the choice/s their daughters are making with regards to these substances. At this time of year, we are asking for your assistance in reminding your daughters about saying “No” to any controlled substance. This is not only for their safety today, but to protect them from repercussions that may affect their health and safety, as well as any inappropriate social media postings that may surface in the future.
Let us pray that with all of us working together as a team in support of our Troubies, all of our children will be safe during this prom, ball, and graduation season.
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!
St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us!
In the spirit of Pax et Bonum (peace and goodness),
Elias Mendoza
Principal