Principal Newsletter Archives
Principal’s Newsletter 4/16/21
Dear St. Francis Families,
Welcome back, and I hope you all had a blessed Easter!
The week after Easter break can be a bit stressful and intimidating for some of our students, at the realization the semester and academic year is quickly coming to an end. Please encourage and reassure your daughter/s there is still time to meet her goals and finish the year strong. If there are any major stressors, encourage them to speak with their teachers, Guidance, and/or Wellness Counselors, if they need that additional support. We are here to help.
As you look at the calendar, you’ve probably realized the end of this school year is going to look and feel different. There aren’t going to be traditional final exams and same closure as in years past. Again, reassure your daughters that we are making plans for a return to normalcy next fall with in-person instruction 5-days per week. We remain optimistic, based on current information being shared by federal, state, and local public health officials. In the meantime, know that we miss having all of our Troubies on campus.
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 3/26/21
Dear St. Francis Families,
As the Easter Break officially begins this afternoon, I hope all of our Troubies are able to enjoy a restful and relaxing break. I know the next two weeks will most likely fly by. The return to school on Monday, April 12th, will bring some trepidation, as our students realize the end of the academic year is only a few weeks away.
There is also no COVID screening, this Sunday, March 28th, so please enjoy your weekend!
The coming week embraces the holiest days of the year for all Christians: the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Pope John Paul II wrote in 1986, “We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. And we live in the light of his Paschal Mystery – the mystery of his Death and Resurrection. We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!”
So together we pray, no matter how far or close we may be to one another:
Draw us forth, God of all creation.
Draw us forward and away from limited certainty into the immense world of your love.
Give us the capacity to, even for a moment, taste the richness of the feast you give us.
Give us the peace to live with uncertainty, with questions, with doubts.
Help us to experience the resurrection anew with open wonder and an increasing ability to see you in the people of Easter.
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 3/19/21
Dear St. Francis Families,
In recent weeks, we’ve seen an increase of violence directed against Asian and Black Americans, which has left us with a deep sense of sadness. Incidents like these are a stark reminder of the work we still need to do as a country and society at large to honor the dignity of all human persons. We are committed to anti-racism, anti-hate, and anti-violence toward any ethnic group, as these do not reflect the charism and intention of our school community to be instruments of God’s peace in our world.
These events, along with the stress and anxiety created by the COVID-19 pandemic, have left indelible marks on our students, families, and faculty/staff. As a faith-based community, we grieve for the families that have lost loved ones, and send healing prayers to those who have been affected by COVID and racist incidents.
As we prepare to bring more students back to campus next week, I know there can be a mixture of excitement and angst for some students, families, and faculty/staff. But we will be ready to greet those students who’ve been identified to be on-campus four days a week, and those who will continue in their two-day-a-week cohort.
To be considered for returning to campus four days a week, students were prioritized based on the following criteria:
- Those who have actively been on campus at least 50 percent of the time between January 5, 2021 and February 28, 2021.
- Those who were previously identified with health or academic needs.
- Additional priority was given to seniors and freshmen based on available capacity.
- All other students based on available capacity.
- Commitment to weekly COVID screening on Sundays from 1:00-5:30 p.m.
All students on campus will continue to wear masks, physically distance, and use the StopIt Safescreen symptom tracker application, in accordance with our existing COVID safety policies and procedures.
Due to the overwhelming number of applications and the continued restrictions imposed by the Sacramento County Department of Public Health (SCDPH), we were not able to grant all requests at this time. Students that desired to be on campus but were not initially included are on a waitlist and will be moved onto campus as restrictions ease or openings occur. With the CDC adjusting the 6-ft physical distancing guidelines down to 3-ft today, we are anticipating some revisions from our own state and county health offices soon.
I thank you all for your patience and understanding, as we again pivot and adjust to this ever-changing environment. May we continue to work together and model for our young women how we can help each other heal, process, and overcome obstacles in our lives.
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 3/12/21
Dear St. Francis Families,
We are officially into the 4th Quarter and last quarter of the semester. We’re also just two weeks away from Easter Break and when we come back, things will begin to move a lot faster.
Please continue to motivate your daughter/s and plan ahead to submit assignments, make-up assessments, and reach out to their teachers and Guidance Counselors if needed. This year more than ever, we want them to enjoy their Easter break before they return to finish off the semester.
Thank you to all of the parents that completed our Return to 4-Day-A-Week In-Person Instruction Survey earlier this week. We received 811 responses as of Wednesday, March 10th, and we’ll begin to prioritize the students that met the requirement criteria.
Again, in order to be considered for returning to campus four days a week, all families must commit to their daughter being here all four days and to Sunday COVID screening. The survey was not a guarantee that your daughter would automatically be assigned back to campus four days a week.
Your survey information will be taken into consideration by the Administrative team, along with the following minimum requirements:
- Those students who have actively been on campus at least 50% of the time since January 5th, 2021.
- Those students who will commit to attending the four days each week.
- Students previously identified with Health or Academic needs.
- Students who will commit to COVID testing on Sundays.
- Additional priority will be given seniors/freshmen based on available capacity.
Given that COVID numbers are decreasing, and Sacramento County is still waiting to be downgraded from the Purple to Red Tier, we are making preparations to bring more students back to campus as soon as Monday, March 22nd. Additional information will be forthcoming in the coming days as we finalize our plans.
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 3/05/21
Dear St. Francis Families,
This week marks the end of 3rd Quarter and the start of the last quarter of the semester, as well as course registration for the 2021-2022 academic year. The remaining 10-weeks of this semester are going to move pretty quickly, and I ask that you keep an eye on the calendar and subsequent announcements to stay on top of all the end of year events.
Not that I’m counting, but Easter Break is only three weeks away! While it may appear to be too distant, it will be here before we know it. Please continue to motivate your daughter/s to get them to that much needed break. Encourage them to plan ahead, and reach out to their teachers and Guidance counselors if needed. In that way, they can enjoy the break before they return to finish off the semester.
Given that COVID numbers are decreasing and as we await Sacramento County to be downgraded from the Purple to Red Tier, we are making plans to bring more students back to campus, especially those who’ve been attending regularly with their respective Red and Gold Cohort over the last two months. Additional information will be forthcoming in the coming days as we finalize our plans.
On this third Friday of the Lenten Season, I hope your acts of abstinence and fasting bring you closer to our Lord, Jesus Christ.
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 2/26/21
Dear St. Francis Families,
As we close out this week, I want to encourage you to check-in with your daughter/s to see how they’re doing and processing the events of the week. This is an opportune time to sit and discuss as a family how we grapple with difficult issues, when they arise, as well as seek out reconciliation. If your daughter needs support, please have her reach out to our Wellness counselors.
We will be returning to Hybrid Learning next week, and the Red Cohort will be screened this Sunday afternoon as previously scheduled, 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Students that have a negative COVID result will be allowed on campus Monday and Tuesday. The Gold Cohort will be screened on Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Those with a negative COVID result will be allowed on campus Thursday and Friday.
Lastly, we are seeing some students that are in the Red and Gold Cohorts not attending regularly. Our expectation is that students in either cohort attend their corresponding two days. Students who are designated in the Red or Gold Cohort and not participating regularly, will be moved to permanent Distance Learning status to make room for the other students who want to be on campus.
In the coming weeks, as Sacramento County moves into a lower tier, we’ll be exploring the possibility of bringing more students back onto our campus. As I receive more information from the county, I will let you know.
I pray that you and your families have a restful and relaxing weekend.
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