All News
Thankful for You!
On this National Philanthropy Day, we want to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who supported our recent Day of Giving—Thankful Thursday. Thanks to your generosity and commitment, we raised nearly $80,000, which will continue to provide tuition assistance to our students. With matching gifts and late donations, this amount will continue to grow.
Communication from St. Francis
As a reminder, St. Francis uses emails, phone calls, and text messages to share important updates and information. If you have not opted into receiving text message alerts you can easily do so by texting Y to 67587.
Fall Learning Support Workshop Series
Mrs. Katie Dickson, our Learning Support Specialist, is hosting a series of workshops where students will explore ways in which they can overcome barriers to learning and reach their academic goals. Students can expect to gain insight into how they learn and ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their study habits. Information and registration information is available in the links below:
Study Skills Workshop (9-12 Grades): November 6th at Lunch. (RSVP deadline was 11/4, but students can still sign up and attend)
Workload Management (9-12 Grades): November 14 at Lunch
Preparing for Final Exams (9-12 Grades): November 20 at Lunch
PSAT Scores and Testing Resources
PSAT Scores are available! Students can log into their CollegeBoard accounts to view them. If they have any trouble seeing their score reports, have them see their counselor. Once students have their score reports, they can go here to read about scores and watch a video on understanding the PSAT score:
Additionally, here is an 17-page document from the College Board about understanding the PSAT score details:
Small Group & Individual Meetings
We have completed our Freshman Minnie Mouse Club meetings (small group meetings). We enjoyed getting to know all of the Minnies!
We continue to meet individually with students of all grade levels. We review the importance of extracurricular activities, their assigned Naviance tasks, how to manage stress, academic resources on campus, and encourage them to begin exploring colleges.
Winter Sports Start Monday Nov. 4th
Our two winter sports (basketball and soccer) start their tryout process on Monday, November 4th:
Basketball: Tryouts for all three teams (Varsity and two JV teams) take place on campus in the main gym and the armory gym. Please refer to coaches emails about time and location for your daughter.
Soccer: Tryouts for all three teams (Varsity and two JV teams) takes place at Cristo Rey High School’s soccer field and St. Francis’ grass field. Please refer to coaches emails about time and location for your daughter.
Thankful Thursday is next week!
Thankful Thursday is an important day for our St. Francis community focused on supporting tuition assistance for students and families. We encourage everyone to contribute in a way that is meaningful to them. Your daughters are also encouraged to contribute from their own resources.
Join us for a day of rooted in gratitude on November 7th! If you’re interested in offering a challenge or matching gift, please reach out to MaryAnne Kelly at 916-737-5033.
Dads: don’t miss the special auction benefiting Thankful Thursday at your November 7th Dad’s Club meeting.
Safety Reminder
To ensure the safety and well-being of all our students, we ask for your cooperation with the following guidelines. Many of our students have severe, life-threatening allergies to various substances. Therefore, we kindly request that latex balloons and animals, especially dogs, not be brought to campus. Your understanding and support in creating a safe environment for all students is greatly appreciated.
Stay Warm and Stay in Uniform
Important Jacket and Uniform Guidelines
As the weather cools down and colder days are just around the corner, now is the perfect time to ensure you’re prepared. Students, please make sure to purchase your official SFHS jacket from the Troubie Store on Tuesdays between 10:00am and 1:00pm. Additional uniform items can be conveniently purchased online at Global Schoolwear.
Please note: if a clothing item is not listed here, it is not part of the approved uniform. Full uniform rules can be found in the Student-Parent Handbook.
Graduation Announcement Orders
Graduation is just around the corner and there is still time to order graduation announcements. If you are interested in ordering, please see Josten’s information: Graduation Announcements.
Important Message from the President’s Office
Dear St. Francis Families,
Almost 30 years ago I moved to Sacramento to begin my career in education. For the last 10 years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to work in Catholic education, which has been a transformative experience that has allowed me to fully integrate my Catholic faith with my professional life. This unexpected gift has enriched my career and life in ways I could never have anticipated.
Names of Remembrance
In 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 invite you to share with us the names of
your loved ones who have died so that we may include them in our
prayers and pray for them during the month of November.
Submissions are due Saturday, October 27th, at 12:00pm.
St. Francis High School Announces Newest Members of Marketing and Communications Team
St. Francis High School is thrilled to welcome two distinguished professionals to the Marketing and Communications team, Michelle McCauley, Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications and Shavara Johnson, Digital Media Strategist. These new additions to our team will work alongside our longstanding Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications and proud alumna of St. Francis Class of 1996, Leigh Hiers, who has been an integral part of our community. Michelle and Shavara bring fresh perspectives to the department and embrace the mission and values of St.
AP Parents
All students enrolled in AP classes are required to take the AP Exams. St. Francis registers students for their appropriate AP exams and students who complete the AP test are excused from final exams in relevant courses.
AP Reminders:
Exciting News: St. Francis Ranks #1
St. Francis is proud to announce it has been nationally recognized as one of the Best Schools in America by Niche, the country’s leading college and school search platform. Niche has ranked St. Francis as the #1 Catholic High School in the Sacramento Area for 2025!
This prestigious ranking reflects our exceptional performance across numerous factors analyzed by Niche including academic performance, extracurricular activity opportunities, data from sources like the U.S. Department of Education and user input from current parents, students, faculty & staff, and alumnae.
Thank you for making St. Francis High School worthy of this national recognition!
Revolution Prep Webinars
Our partners at Revolution Prep are offering several free webinars in October. See attached flyer for more information.
- October 8 - From Traditional to Transformative: The Future Landscape of College Majors
- October 15 - Navigating the Ongoing Evolution of Admissions Testing
- October 29 - The Future of Applying to College: Impacts of Technology
Financial Aid for College – FAFSA & CSS Profile
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is typically available on October 1, however, due to major changes last year in the FAFSA, it will not be available until December 1.
Any family that would like to get a jumpstart on the FAFSA can start by obtaining FSA ID’s for the student and parent. The FSA ID will be required to complete the FAFSA. FSA ID’s can be created here: Log In | Federal Student Aid
How to Skip Income-related Questions on UC and CSU Applications; Fee Waivers for College Applications
Both the University of California and the California State University applications have questions that ask students to enter family income and family size. These questions are for the sole purpose of determining if a student is eligible for a fee waiver for the application; they are not questions related to financial aid, nor are they an application for financial aid. The income question is NOT REQUIRED for the UC application, so that question can be skipped if you are not hoping for an application fee waiver.
Quarter Grades
The first quarter of the 2024-2025 school year ends on Friday, October 18. Teachers will submit grades to our Registrar and quarter report cards will be available for downloading from PowerSchool on October 29.
An official transcript only includes semester grades, not quarter grades. Quarter grades can, however, be used for CIF eligibility purposes.
PSAT/NMSQT Important Mandatory Dates for Juniors
October 3 & October 8
Juniors are required to attend a mandatory PSAT Pre-Administration session this Friday, October 3 from 8:00 - 9:00am in the Armory. This session is crucial as each Chromebook must be checked for compatibility with the digital test, students will answer registration questions, and students will have a chance to take a test preview.
Advertising Opportunities in our Arts Programs
If your business is looking for a great opportunity to increase awareness for your business or service, the St. Francis Arts program may be just the place for you. With 20+ performances spanning seven main stage performances, three outreach performances, five physical programs, and two digital playbills, this is a great opportunity to get your message in front of more than 2,500 potential viewers.
Experienced in Writing and Research?
This is a great opportunity for someone with experience in grant writing and research to help St. Francis obtain additional funding to support opportunities for our students and school through grant research and proposals. If you have these skills or want more information, please contact MaryAnne Kelly or call (916) 737-5033.
Information from the Wellness Center
As you may know, September is Suicide Prevention Month and October is Mental Health Awareness Month. In addition October 10th is World Mental Health Day which aims to raise awareness to improve mental health care. This link has a lot of information and resources related to youth mental health concerns.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival Trip
April 22-24 during Easter Break
The English and Performing Arts Departments are thrilled to offer a Spring Break trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in beautiful Ashland, Oregon. Sign-ups are happening now! If your student is interested in attending or if you are interested in being a chaperone driver, please contact Mrs. Roberts as soon as possible. For more information, please click here.