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Guidance Parent Night will be held Wednesday, January 16th, and is designed specifically for freshman, sophomore, and junior parents.

Course Scheduling Night – Freshman Parents - Parents receive an overview of the course scheduling process and learn how to prepare for sophomore year. 

Location: Dining Hall
Date & Time: January 16th, 6:00 -7:00 p.m.

Course Scheduling Night – Sophomore Parents - This evening will cover academic and college requirements, the scheduling process, and those things that every sophomore parent should know for the coming junior year.

Location: Theatre
Date & Time: January 16th, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

College Planning Night - Junior Parents - This presentation will cover college admission requirements, standardized testing, college options, the cost of college, and the application process and timelines.

Location: Dining Hall
Date & Time: January 16th, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

• Dance Concert- Parent opportunities for ushering and cookie donations (Jan 24, 25) and helping clean-up after Dance Concert (Jan 25)
• One Act Shows in theatre-Parent opportunities for ushering and cookie donations (Jan 30-31)
• Taking down the stage set-Parent Opportunity (Jan 26)
• Loading in large set pieces onto the stage for the play-Parent Opportunity (Feb 23)
• Taking down the set from the play-Parent Opportunity (Mar 31)
• Parent Volunteers Needed for Costume Alternations for the spring play. We need parent volunteers to help with costume alterations for the spring play. Please contact Cheryl Watson at cwatson@stfrancishs.org or Elizabeth Danielson at edanielson@stfrancishs.org if you want to help sew in January or February for the March show. Work can be done at home. 

Click HERE to sign up.

PG&E has informed us that on Friday, January 18, 2019, they will be doing some work on the natural gas pipeline and other PG&E-owned natural gas infrastructure near our school. For your information, they will be using some heavy machinery and doing excavation work that may interfere with the daily traffic flow. The work will be conducted from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., barring any weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances.  We will make every effort to notify you in advance of any cancellation or a change in schedule.  Due to the effect this will have on our regular drop-off/pick-up traffic flow, we will be opening the 58th Street entrance (the gate leading into the Armory cell phone lot) during morning drop-off. In the afternoon, we will be opening the M St. and 58th St. gates to allow our students to exit the parking lot so as not to congest the pick-up line.

Registration for K-75, (open to Juniors), is now open. All juniors interested in attending K-75 will have to sign up for Kairos 75 using the Pre-Reservation form. By signing up, your daughter will be given first preference behind the students of the Class of 2019.  Spaces will be granted first to those who have attended Junior Retreat by the end February. Sign up HERE. For more information, contact Stephen Tholcke at Stholcke@stfrancishs.org. 

The February meeting is changed to Tuesday, February 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the library. 

Attention Troubies

Parents can now access the Early Dismissal Pass form for spring semester. Students are eligible for an EDP for a free block(s) at the END of the school day only (no morning passes). Students are not allowed to leave campus with an EDP if they have community lunch, class, liturgy, Mass, assembly, or other designated school event later in the day. There are no in and out privileges; the EDP is only to leave campus. Students needing to return to campus must do so after 3:00 p.m.

Click HERE for the link to the Early Dismissal Pass for the spring semester.  If you are requesting a pass for the first time or updating for the spring semester, all pass information must be submitted by January 7, 2019 in order to leave campus for early dismissal.  If you have any questions, email Mrs. Cost at ccost@stfrancishs.org.

Parents: Please keep your contact information current (address/phone/email)

If your or your spouse need to update your contact information (home or business), please click HERE.

Registration for St. Francis’ Summer Programs are only available online and opens at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 12, 2019. High school level courses are offered in academic subjects for female and male students in grades 9-12. Courses are offered in 3 week sessions. Year-long courses require attendance of both sessions.

High School Summer Sessions are:

June 10- 28 2019 (Session 1)  &  July 1-19 2019 (Session 2) 

NEW this Summer: Camp Troubie Jr.:

• For Rising 1st-4th Grade Girls
• Session is July 8-July 12, 2019
• Time: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Cost TBD

Click HERE for more information about summer school at St. Francis.

Join us this spring for the Paris In Bloom Gala & Auction: Tickets & Sponsorship are now open.

Our premier event, Revelry Gala & Auction, is scheduled for Saturday, March 9th, 2019. Our guests will stroll through cobbled passages, quintessential Parisian streets, and tree-lined avenues, as the campus is transformed into Paris in Bloom! Come celebrate with us for an evening that brings the school community together and offers a robust silent auction, live student entertainment, delicious food and drinks and a rousing live auction. Stick around after all the excitement for libations and dancing at our soirée post-fête.  Book your travel arrangements HERE. 

Please contact Mari Parisi, Special Events Associate, at 916-737-5015 mparisi@stfrancishs.org, or view and complete your sponsor pledge at www.stfrancishs.org/sponsor. 

Soccer Ties Christian Brothers to Retain Holy Cup

St. Francis and Christian Brothers battled to a 0-0 tie in the annual Holy Cup match up between the schools at Hughes Stadium on December 6. Read the complete release here.

Tennis Coach, Kristi Spector, Named Coach of the Year

St. Francis tennis coach, Kristi Spector, was named the Delta League Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season after leading the team to the best finish in school history for the second consecutive season.  Read the complete release here.

Join us for our Solos and Ensembles Recital on December 11, 7:00 p.m. in the Orchestra Room.

Admission is free.

If your daughter needs a peer tutor or a study-buddy for finals, please remind her to use the CSF (California Scholarship Federation) Tutor List that was emailed to her at the beginning of the school year.  There are many CSF Tutors ready and willing to help! If you have any questions, please contact Naomi Lee at nlee@stfrancishs.org or Debbie Austin at daustin@stfrancishs.org in our Guidance Department.

We are very lucky to have the dogs and their handlers from Lend a Heart coming again during our fall finals this year.  They will be stationed in the Rec Room during most of the finals. Please take the opportunity to stop by and enjoy their company.  Paws up! We look forward to seeing our students on the 17th.

Your daughter received an email from her counselor regarding accessing her PSAT scores on-line.  It also has several links where she can get information about her test results, how to interpret those, and ways in which she can access on-line test preparation. She should plan on clicking the “download report” button, and downloading and printing out the pdf of her full report (it’s 4 pages). It is easier to read than the on-line version and has a lot of valuable information, including a detailed report on the actual test questions, the answer to each question, whether or not the student answered the question correctly, the level of difficulty, etc.  Your daughter can see her counselor with any questions.   

In conjunction with Revelry and back by popular demand, we will hold a raffle with the grand prize being $10,000 or a year’s tuition! Tickets are $5 each.

All tickets submitted will be eligible for the grand prize drawing at Revelry on Saturday, March 9, 2019. We accept cash or checks made payable to St. Francis High School. Tickets will be available for pickup in the Front Office or Advancement Department (St. Clare Bldg). Winners need not be present to win. For questions regarding the raffle, please contact Mari Parisi at mparisi@stfrancishs.org.

We invite you to partner with us at this year’s Revelry Gala and Auction and at our annual Crab Feed!  Sponsorship comprises more than one-third of the total earnings. It is through the generosity of our sponsors that we will ensure the success of our two special events.  Sponsor benefits include special seating at one or both events, VIP parking or complementary Uber/Lyft transportation, name or business recognition, an invitation to our Sponsors’ Cocktail Reception, and more.  Our goal is to get all sponsorship pledges in by the end of the year, even if you are planning to pay in 2019.  We greatly appreciate and anticipate your support.  Please contact Mari Parisi, Special Events Associate, at 916-737-5015, or email: mparisi@stfrancishs.org, or view and complete your sponsor pledge at www.stfrancishs.org/sponsor.

We will have a Big Sister Prep Meeting on November 28th, at 8:00 a.m., for all our Big Sister.

Invite your neighbors to our Regional Dessert Receptions!

We are holding an Admissions Regional Dessert Reception to reach out to public school families who may have questions about attending a private high school. Please invite current public school families who may be interested in learning more about St. Francis High School in an informal setting! The receptions are hosted by current St. Francis families whose daughters attended public schools before coming to St. Francis, and there will be St. Francis students there who can answer questions as well.

12/04/18
7:00 – 8:15 p.m.
Arden/Sacramento:  Cathay Way, Sacramento 95864
RSVP Here

There is a Big Sister/Little Sister Event next week on Wednesday, December 5th in the gym at 8:00 a.m.  We will be giving our Freshman Troubies a little help as they head into finals. In addition to giving them some doughnut holes, we will have a surprise or two!

Dear St. Francis Families,

Due to continued poor air quality in the Sacramento region, we will be closing school on Friday, November 16.  Please check your emails and our website for further information and updates over the weekend.

We continue to pray for all those affected by these terrible fires.  

Sincerely,
Theresa Rodgers
President

If you would like to be considered for a Cal Grant or Middle Class Scholarship (available at UC and CSU), please complete and submit the Cal Grant GPA Information Release Form to Guidance as soon as possible (the form was emailed to your daughter; you MUST include a valid Social Security Number).  We are already uploading Cal Grant GPA’s to the California Student Aid Commission, and will continue through the March 2 final deadline; however, it is most beneficial to submit the Cal Grant GPA at the same time as the FAFSA so you will know whether or not you have qualified for a Cal Grant earlier in the process.  Note:  Your FAFSA MUST include at least one California college or university in order to be eligible for a Cal Grant.

The Math Department, along with Administration, is offering a Parent Math Night on December 6th from 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the CLC. This presentation will discuss the school’s transition to the Integrated Math program for the 2019-2020 school year, as well as address questions regarding how the school will support students currently in traditional math courses. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Help us celebrate the inaugural St. Francis Hall of Fame inductees on November 17, 2018 at 6 p.m. Registration for the dinner is $45 for adults. There is a No Host Bar. Discounts are available for children and St. Francis staff. Hope you can help make this a special night for some special Troubies and their coaches. Purchase tickets HERE.

Each year, sophomores, who are interested, are invited to order a class ring through Josten’s. On Sunday, February 24, 2019, these rings, or other personal sentimental rings or jewelry the sophomore student selects, will be blessed and presented at the Sophomore Family Mass (SFHS Gym). This class Mass is a sign of unity for the Class of 2021. All the sophomores and their families are invited to this special event. The Parents’ Guild will host a reception after the Mass, and the Class Historian will present a short video montage chronicling the life of the Simbas here at SFHS.  

Our Chaplain, Fr. Arnold, is on vacation for a month. He will return to us at the end of November.

As a community of faith, we remember and honor those who have gone before us. We give thanks to God for their presence in our lives, and the memories and life lessons they have given us.

We invited our Troubies to share with us the names and pictures of their loved ones who have died so that we may place their picture at the All Saints Day Mass. Please have your daughter submit these no later than October 29, 2018, at 8:00 a.m. through the link HERE. (Students can only submit pictures using their St. Francis email account) 

Announcements and Keepsakes

If you missed the initial order for announcements and keepsakes through Jostens this week, there is still time to place your orders online or by mail. Please go to Jostens.com. Graduation gown, cap, and tassel orders have already been prepared for all students. Families do not need to order those items. 

Senior Portrait Deadline Saturday, November 17th, 2018

The deadline for seniors to be photographed by Prestige Portraits, Lifetouch, is November 17th, 2018. Please contact their studio at 916-535-7799 to make an appointment. A black drape, provided by the studio, is worn for the photograph which will be used in the yearbook and for the graduation ceremony.

We just received notification from our vendor that the long sleeve white polo’s will not arrive until the end of November.  We will post on social media when they arrive.

The new and very popular tie-dye shirts are back in stock!  Stop by the Troubie Store on Tuesdays between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Run to Feed the Hungry is the largest Thanksgiving Day Race in the country.  St. Francis is helping to make it great by having a team, SFHS Troubies.  The Run to Feed the Hungry benefits the Sacramento Food Bank to ensure that everyone can get food when they need it. This year, invite your friends, family members, and of course your fellow Troubies to join our team.  Benefits to joining the SFHS Troubies Team: parking for the race at SF, a special location with coffee and donuts before the race for all Teams, and packet pick up at St. Francis the week before the race. Race registration for teams closes November 5th. Sign up now, and join us this Thanksgiving! Want to sleep in or plan to travel that week, sign up as a virtual runner. Remember, students can wear their Run to Feed the Hungry shirts on Fridays with their skirts. This year all team members get a special headband with their race shirt. Just follow the link below. During registration, make sure you join a team, follow the prompts, and click on SFHS Troubies. Register HERE.

Ministry Coordinators invite all Troubies to join them in prayer.  Please share the following information with your daughter. There are a number of different styles of prayer.

• On Mondays at lunch, we offer Lectio Divina style reflection. On those days, there will be Gospel readings in the Chapel.
• On Tuesdays at 7:20 a.m., Troubies are welcome to start their day with a few minutes of quiet, contemplative prayer in the Chapel.
• Next week on Thursday the 25th & Friday the 26th, we will have Adoration available for all students and staff. This is an opportunity for our Troubies to disconnect from the stresses of school and sports, and focus on the quiet with the chance to sit with our Savior, Jesus Christ. Adoration will be available throughout the entire day, including during lunch.

We are excited to announce that we have implemented an attendance alert system.  Our new system will alert parents with phone call, text, and email when a student is marked absent for class.  Parents will be instructed to call our attendance line at (916)737-5050 with an attendance update. 

The attendance line will capture the phone number the parent is calling from as well as the voice message.  This system will enable us to communicate quickly with parents regarding attendance issues.

Come on down to Serra Café, and enjoy our Harvest meal, which we will be serving on Thursday, October 18, 2018, for one of the October promotions offered by Epicurean Group. There will be Free-Range Maple Roasted Chicken, and Acorn Squash with Herb Butter Carrots available. Next week, Epicurean Group will be introducing Boba Tea after school. Don’t forget our famous Troubie Taco Tuesday!

On Wednesday, October 17, 2018, Dean, Cynthia Cost, in conjunction with the Wellness Counselors will host a Safety Assembly for the students.  In the assembly, we will be viewing, discussing, and practicing “RUN – HIDE – FIGHT – Surviving an Active Assailant” protocols.  In addition, Wellness Counselors will be discussing personal boundaries and grooming.  The students will be shown a video discussing the topic. This video is utilized in the Diocesan training of our teachers, staff, coaches, and volunteers.

Below are links to references for your review and discussion with your daughter.

Run Hide Fight – Quick Reference PDF

Grooming Behaviors – PDF

We believe these are very important and necessary topics of discussion.   However, we understand that it may be tough for some students.  If you daughter cannot participate, she must remain in the front office during the training.  Please contact the Dean of Students, Cynthia Cost, at CCost@stfrancishs.org if you wish to have her opt out of the training. Thank you.

Our school phone system will be down Monday October 15 between 9 AM   to  11:30 AM for maintenance.  

-Thank you for your understanding

St. Francis High School Math Department is excited to announce that we are transitioning to Integrated Math in the 2019-2020 school year! A summary of these changes is attached HERE. Please join us in November for our Parent Math Night, as we explain these changes, and how they will benefit our students.  

We are so excited for St. Francis’ 7th Annual Day of Giving – Thankful Thursday!  Get ready to hear from so many grateful groups of people over email to let you know why this day is so important! Next week on October 11, 2018, our community of students, parents, alumnae, grandparents, past parents, and countless others will come together for a day of unprecedented giving to support St. Francis Catholic High School. Last year, we had more than 1,500 donors and raised nearly $210,000 to support our students.  We are counting on you to help us reach our goals. Your support is critical to the success of Thankful Thursday. We couldn’t change so many students’ lives without you!  

All money raised on Thankful Thursday supports the tuition assistance needs of our students. Your gift will go even further thanks to a very generous matching donor! For more information, visit our webpage HERE.

Please join us for Mass on Thankful Thursday at 7:00 a.m. in the Chapel!

Feel free to contact MaryAnne Kelly at mkelly@stfrancishs.org or 916-737-5033 with any questions.

Join us on Wednesday, October 3rd from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., in the St. Francis Dining Hall, for a presentation on Financial Aid for college.  Our speaker will discuss ways to save, plan, and pay for college. 

Click HERE to learn more about our Parents’ Guild as well as the Parents’ Guild representatives.  Each class welcome letter is below.

• Class of 2019 Welcome Letter HERE.
• Class of 2020 Welcome Letter HERE.
• Class of 2021 Welcome Letter HERE.
• Class of 2022 Welcome Letter HERE.

We will be having a Big Sister/ Little Sister Gathering on Thursday, September 27 at 8:00 a.m. Thank you for continuing to support and encourage our Big Sister/Little Sister events, as they are created to foster sisterhood and inclusion among our Troubies.

It’s that time of the year again when we host our Open House for prospective families. This year, Open House will be on Sunday, October 14th, and we are in need of your help. We have volunteer shifts starting on Friday, October 12th in the afternoon, Saturday, October 13th in the morning, and various shifts on Sunday, October 14th. If you can spare the time on any of these days, we would love to have your help. Thank you in advance for volunteering for Open House.

• Click HERE to sign into MVP.
• Click HERE for Parent Volunteer Opportunities.

This year, we launched a new Grandparents’ Club, and we are off to a great start!  Our next Grandparents’ Club Meeting is Tuesday, September 25th at 9:30 a.m. in the Dining Hall.  All grandparents of our students and alumnae are welcome! Visit HERE to sign up, and learn more about upcoming Grandparents’ Club events. For more information, please contact Ann Gregory at agregory@stfrancishs.org or call 916-737-5016.

Remain on campus after the meeting to have lunch with your granddaughter.  Information regarding the Meet a Parent/Grandparent for lunch is below.

We are hosting our annual Open House on Sunday, October 14th, and will be welcoming more than 1,000 guests to campus that day. We are looking for two parents to act as Volunteer Co-Chairs, overseeing our parent volunteers, assisting with setting up, and running the event. Co-chairs will need to come to campus for one hour on either Friday, October 12th or Saturday, October 13th and for approximately eight hours on Sunday, October 14th (credit for double hours). It’s a fun way to meet new families and earn a lot of parent hours! If interested, please email the Director of Admissions, Lisa Wilkins, at lwilkins@stfrancishs.org.

Parents, thank you for your patience while we resolved the issues transitioning from our previous Student Information System (SIS) to our new PowerSchool platform.  Yesterday afternoon, you should have received an email from PowerSchool Learning. In that communication, you were provided with instructions on how to create your parent account for PowerSchool Learning.  Follow the specific instructions, and you should have access to your daughter’s assignments, schedule, and grades.  

If you need assistance with this process, please contact the school at support@stfrancishs.org.

Hey Senior Parents!  Do you need some support and advice as you help your daughter navigate the college application season?  We are here for you!  You are invited to join us for Coffee with the Counselors. It is an opportunity for an informal conversation and Q & A about anything you want help with.  Coffee and donuts will be served.  If possible, please bring your own coffee cup.

You won’t want to miss this opportunity to have lunch with your daughter or granddaughter on the school campus.  It is a great way to meet up and have time to visit in the school setting.  You may even be able to include one or more of your daughter or granddaughter’s friends who may not have anyone coming.

Parents and Grandparents can sign in by the front entrance, and bring lunch or purchase food in the dining hall to eat with your daughter or granddaughter on campus.

For security purposes, we are no longer able to accept fax orders that contain credit card information on them. You may mail in an order form with a personal check or have your daughter drop it off in the front office, with attention: Troubie Store.  NO CASH, please!  Remember, orders are only filled on Tuesdays when the store is open, and will be available for pickup by your daughter at 3:00 p.m. in the front office.

The Big Sisters are hosting their Little Sisters at a gathering in the gym on September 5 at 8:00 a.m. This event will allow the Little Sisters time to continue to form the bonds of sisterhood plus find out valuable information about Club Rush.  There will also be a special little gift and donut holes for all who attend.

Parent Driving Safety

Thank you for your assistance this week with the traffic flow.  We will be closing the 58th Street and M Street entrances effective 8/31/18.

The driveway/frontage road into the cell phone lot is ONE WAY ONLY.  Please do not attempt to drive or reverse backwards down the driveway/frontage road, so we may avoid any accidents.

Dropping off/picking up your student directly on Elvas Avenue can be very dangerous.  Please use the drop off/pick up zones provided. Those extra few minutes in line may save your child’s life.

M street parent volunteers

We are looking for parents to work the M Street door from 7:15 to 8:15 a.m. or 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. for parent hours.  If you are interested in working one or more shifts on one or more days, please contact CCost@stfrancishs.org.  

Labeling Personal Items

It may not be cool to label your daughter’s items (jackets, blazers, hydro flasks, books etc..) but she will have a much better chance of having her items returned to her if her name is on her items.

Meet a Parent/Grandparent for Lunch, 11:15-11:55 a.m. (for last names A-L) is September 25th and Meet a Parent/Grandparent for Lunch,11:45-12:35 p.m. (for last names M-Z) is September 27th. Parents or Grandparents can sign in by the front entrance and bring lunch or buy in the dining hall to eat with you on campus these days.

Father/Daughter Spirit Day is Friday, September 28th (it is a no class day) at the Sac State Ropes Course from 4:00-7:00 p.m. including dinner.  This event is a great way for fathers and daughters to spend time together, have some fun, and meet other great families of the SF community.  Registration is available online through the retreat registration link HERE. Cost is $80 a pair, and there are limited number of spots. It fills up quickly so get those forms in. We promise you will not be disappointed.

Students may remain on campus after school if they are involved in sports or a supervised co-curricular activity.  All other students need to make alternative arrangements as campus closes at 4:30.  Thank you for your assistance.  

According to Pope Francis, “The annual World Day of prayer for the Care of Creation offers to individual believers and to the community a precious opportunity to renew our personal participation in this vocation as custodians of creation, raising to God our thanks for the marvelous works that He has entrusted to our care, invoking his help for the protection of creation and his mercy for the sins committed against the world in which we live.” Join in this day of prayer in one or more of the ways suggested on the website resource page HERE.

The first Dads’ Club meeting of the school year will take place on Thursday, August 30th, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., in the Dining Hall. Social time and dinner will begin at 6:00 p.m. At this first meeting, we will give an overview of the Dads’ Club and our plan for 2018-2019. It will be a fun opportunity to meet new dads and learn about club initiatives. Please check us out on the St. Francis website by clicking HERE or contact us via email at dadsclub@stfrancishs.org should you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you!