All News

Wondering what the Booster Club is all about, and how you can get involved? Now is the time! We are accepting nominations for our three Board seats (President, Vice President, and Secretary) for the 2019-20 year. Please join us for our next meeting on Tuesday, March 12 from 5:45-6:45 p.m. in the old faculty lounge (next to the old cafe). The Booster Club is a FREE, FUN, and FULFILLING way to strengthen our Troubie community, and boost the spirit of our school through athletics. For more information, contact Karen Perkins at (916) 212-0549 or email boosters@stfrancishs.org. We look forward to seeing you on March 12!

The entire St. Francis campus is being transformed before our eyes in anticipation of tomorrow evening’s Paris in Bloom!  It takes an army and we are so grateful for our chairs, committee leads and the myriad volunteers that have been here morning til night. Many parts of the evening can be enjoyed by all, including:

All silent auction bidding will be entirely online through Gesture mobile bidding. Bidding is open now and will close at 7:30 pm on Saturday, March 9. You can start bidding now here 

Commemorate your love of a favorite Troubie, Alumna or Staffulty member by purchasing a new SF Love Lock! This engraved heart lock will live forever more in St. Francis’ Canticle Garden. These can be purchased here.

The Spirit of San Damiano Award will be presented to two exceptional women: alumna Marion Slakey ’48 and St. Francis’ first president, Marion Bishop.

The capstone of the event is our Fund-a-Vision. The entire community is encouraged to participate in this giving opportunity to empower the next generation of smart leaders, creative thinkers and global citizens. Every gift has a direct impact on our students, empowering them with the tools they need to become the leaders and givers of tomorrow. 

Contact Mari Parisi, Special Events Associate, at 916-737-5015 mparisi@stfrancishs.org, if you have any questions. 

It’s finally here! The Campus Ministry Leadership application is now OPEN (Christian Service Leadership, Big Sister Leadership, and Retreat Team Leadership for the 2019-2020 School year)!

If your daughter is interested, please have her submit the application by February 25th at 11:59 p.m.

Before your daughter applies, be aware that she MUST be able to attend an interview sometime from March 25th- April 5th. This is a requirement to be considered for a position. Also, she may apply for multiple positions, BUT she is only allowed to accept one. For any other questions you may have, please come by or email Campus Ministry. We are so excited to read your daughters’ applications! Link can be found HERE.

Some of you are having trouble with the extension (150) for the attendance line when you call into the main line for the school.  

Certain cell phones do not have a “pure” tone to activate our system, so the dial tones do not correctly route the call.

Please use the direct number, which is (916) 737-5050, in order to circumvent this problem. Remember to call before 8:00 a.m. regarding your daughter’s attendance. 

Parents, if you are interested in your daughter/s attending a retreat with other high school youth from the Diocese of Sacramento, Reno, Santa Rosa, Stockton, and the Bay Area, please click HERE for additional information. 

Echoes of Worth begins Friday, March 29th at 5:30 p.m. The retreat concludes on Sunday, March 31st at 1:30 p.m.  

We found a piece of women’s jewelry that was left behind at the Crab Feed on Saturday, February 2nd.  Please contact MaryAnne Kelly at mkelly@stfrancishs.org for details.

Grandparents – please join us Wednesday, February 27 at 9:00 a.m for our next Grandparents’ Club Meeting. Come early at 8:30a for coffee/tea and donuts!  Immediately following the meeting, all are invited to a no-host lunch at OBO Italian Table, 3145 Folsom Boulevard. 

For more information, click HERE or email us at GPClub@stfrancishs.org.

2019 Dates – all Meetings will begin at 9:00 a.m.

• Wednesday, February 27
• Tuesday, April 4

Please pray for comfort for Mary Ellen Davis, grandmother of Abigail Palko. Mary Ellen is currently on hospice care.

The February Dads’ Club meeting will be held on Thursday, February 21st, in the Dining Hall. Social time and dinner will begin at 6:00 p.m., and the meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Should you have any questions about this meeting, or Dads’ Club in general, please feel free to contact us at dadsclub@stfrancishs.org. We look forward to seeing you on the 21st!

Attention senior parents: Please follow THIS LINK for details about the SFHS Safe and Sober Grad Night 2019. By following the link, you will find the schedule of events, payment information, and required forms. 

The schedule has changed for February 27th.  It is now a Schedule 3 Late. There will not be a Wellness Assembly that day.

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.

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. 

2019–2020 School Year Financial Aid Application Process Deadline is December 21, 2018

St. Francis Catholic High School provides Financial Aid for families who qualify based on a demonstrated financial need. Financial aid enables St. Francis to assist students who could not otherwise afford to attend. Although total financial need always exceeds our resources, St. Francis helps as many families as possible.  Read more HERE about the process.

Upcoming Costs to be Aware of – Please Budget for the Following:

• AP Exam fees will be due in February 2019 for those students taking AP courses. The fee this year will be $94 per exam. Additional information will be sent out in January 2019.
• Re-enrollment for the 2019 – 2020 school year will take place in March 2019. The registration will be due at that time, along with the graduation fee for Seniors.

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

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

The High School Placement Test (HSPT) for the St. Francis Class of 2023 takes place on Saturday, January 12, 2019. Our visiting 8th grade student test takers are given a short break during the HSPT to have a healthy snack. Parent volunteer hours can be earned by providing snacks.

Items needed include individually wrapped granola bars (no nuts), fruit roll-ups or fruit snacks, individual bags of crackers (Goldfish, Wheat Thins, Cheese-Its, etc.) and bottled water. Parents will earn one volunteer hour per $5 spent. Healthy snack items need to be delivered Monday, December 17th or Tuesday, December 18th, between the hours of 8:30 am and 2:30 pm. in the front office.

Please click HERE to sign up to donate snacks for the HSPT, and thank you for your support of future Troubies!

Thank you for all the families that signed up for Mother/Daughter Retreat. The retreat is now FULL. We look forward to seeing everyone on retreat in March. If you would like to be added to the wait list, please contact Mrs. Murray at mmurray@stfrancishs.org. If you have not paid your fees in full please, please click HERE to complete your payment. 

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.

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

Admission is free.

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.

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.

St. Francis Catholic High School is looking for qualified applicants for the positions of Registrar and Technical Director.  Please see the full job descriptions and application process on our Careers page, linked HERE.

The November Dads’ Club meeting that was postponed due to the air quality issues last week has been rescheduled for Thursday, November 29th, in the Rec Room. Social time and dinner will begin at 6:00 p.m., and the meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Our guest speaker will be Chyrissee Lee, SFHS Wellness Counselor, who will have a very compelling conversation with us about our daughters’ wellness. This is a great opportunity for dads to learn about how we may best serve and support our daughters. Should you have any questions about this meeting or Dads’ Club in general, please feel free to contact us at dadsclub@stfrancishs.org. We look forward to seeing you on the 29th!

Dear Families,

School will be open on Monday, November 19.  However, all outdoor activities are canceled.  If you are concerned about air quality and your daughter’s health, please be sure to call the attendance office to excuse her:  916-737-5050.

Should air quality conditions worsen dramatically overnight, we will assess in the morning and communicate any changes to you.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this unprecedented situation.  Please continue to pray for all those affected by these tragic fires.

Sincerely, 
Theresa Rodgers
President

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! 

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) 

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.

St. Francis’ new SELFe event featuring Rachel Hollis is in desperate need of volunteers next week!  There are shifts available beginning Monday all the way through Sunday evening, October 28th. Weekend shifts offer double and triple hours. This is a great opportunity to be part of the excitement surrounding this new event.  View opportunities here:  MyVolunteerPage.com or contact Mari Parisi at mparisi@stfrancishs.org or call 916-737-5105.

• November 3rd, 2018
• 7:30 – 10:30 p.m.
• Purchase tickets HERE
• Cost: Single $25, Couple $35

Please refer to the Handbook for Dress Code guidelines.

ALL students must bring a current student ID.

Please contact Mrs. McGreevy (cmcgreevy@stfrancishs.org) if financial aid is required.

This weeks promotion in Serra Café will be “World Pasta Day” on Tuesday, October 23rd; and we will be serving Free Range Chicken Scampi with Fettuccine Noodles, Roasted Garlic Sweet Potatoes & Le Boulanger Herb Focaccia Garlic Bread. We will be hosting “Whats Hot - Whats Not” on Wednesday, October 24th, in the cafe after school from 3:00-3:30 p.m. Please come down and share your thoughts. Receive a treat after giving Epicurean Group some feed back on what you like and do not like. Don’t forget our famous Troubie Taco Tuesday!

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.

The 2022 Class Representatives would like to help you prepare your daughter for Homecoming Spirit Week.  Please click on the link HERE for the information. 

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.

On Monday , October 1st, we will have our  next Sophomore Retreat. If you have a daughter going on retreat, please be sure to drop her off before 7:30 a.m., or if she has the first block free, drop her off after schools starts. This will allow for a safe drop off when getting all the bags and items out of the car. Thank you for your help.