Principal Newsletter Archives
Principal’s Newsletter 1/21/22
Dear St. Francis Families,
The past three weeks of January have been a little busy. Our students have adjusted to the rhythm and pace of 2nd semester, all while dealing with the unexpected impact of the COVID surge. I’d like to commend our students, faculty, and staff for adjusting to unforeseen changes and moving forward with in-person instruction.
Now that we’re starting to see a decline in COVID positive cases, I’m optimistic we’ll be able to settle into a “normal” routine, similar to what we experienced in the fall semester.
As a reminder, we will ONLY be testing the following groups this Sunday, January 23, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. – Noon:
- Students and Faculty/Staff who tested positive during our school-wide screening on Monday, January 17th
- Students and Faculty/Staff who tested positive January 18 – 21, 2022
- Basketball student-athletes and coaches (per CIF requirement)
No other students will be tested beyond the identified groups.
Please continue to report any COVID positive or exposure cases to Dean Cost immediately.
I appreciate your diligence, as we continue to deal with the effects of the Omicron variant. If you have any questions please reach out to Dean Cost at Ccost@stfrancishs.org or myself directly.
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 1/14/22
Dear St. Francis Families,
I know the first two weeks of the school year have been challenging, in part due to the challenges posed by the Omicron variant, and simply adjusting to being back in school after Christmas break. My hope is that as the COVID surge begins to decrease, we’ll return to a sense of normalcy as we experienced earlier in the fall semester.
As the pace of this semester picks-up, things are going to move quite rapidly. It’s important that we remind students to plan ahead, stay on target, and not procrastinate. I also recommend your Troubie utilize the various support systems we have in place at St. Francis, such as asking teachers for assistance, signing up for tutoring, working with Guidance and/or Wellness counselors to decrease some of the inherent anxiety that happens around this time of the school year.
Looking ahead to the remaining months of the semester, AP informational meetings, and course registration presentations have already begun. Our seniors are slowly starting to realize their time at St. Francis is quickly coming to an end, and anxiously looking ahead to new experiences and adventures. Providing some mental mile-markers are important for students to keep things in perspective, but remind them to live in the present moment and not think about all of the things they have to accomplish in the next four months.
I also realize the past 22-months have not been easy and we still continue to pivot to an ever-changing landscape. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you for choosing St. Francis and, more importantly, for supporting Catholic education and allowing us to be your educational partners.
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 1/07/22
Dear St. Francis Families,
It was a pleasure to welcome our students back to campus for the second semester this week. Unfortunately, some of the positive return-to-school was marred by the current surge in COVID cases across the Sacramento region, along with the highly contagious nature of this new omicron variant. St. Francis has made some modifications to currently scheduled school activities for the month of January, but we are still committed to in-person instruction and community building events.
- Holy Hoops, Saturday, January 8, 2022 has been cancelled
- Kairos 85, January 11-14, 2022 has been postponed
- Sophomore Retreat, January 20-2, 20221 has been postponed
- SWAP Day, Friday, January 28, 2022 has been cancelled
- Crab Feed, has been rescheduled to Saturday, February 26, 2022
- Revelry, has been rescheduled to Saturday, May 7, 2022
In consultation with medical experts and in response to State and County health guidelines, this surge may be short-lived, and our modifications will hopefully be temporary. At this time, we have no plans to stop in-person instruction.
I would also like to remind you that keeping your daughter/s home when they are symptomatic is critical. Your vigilance in following this requirement is the best way to keep our students, faculty, and staff safe, along with minimizing impact on school operations. This new COVID variant mirrors the common cold/flu, and if your student comes to school with illness symptoms, they will be sent home until it can be confirmed they do not have COVID.
Students staying home for isolation/quarantine or just for good social hygiene habits are encouraged to contact their classroom teachers and monitor Schoology for assignments or information. We are not offering a distance learning option at this time, as not all class activities translate well to doing from home or watching remotely. Regardless, our teachers will support your daughters when they return to school and get them caught up and back on track.
I remain confident in the resiliency of our students and school community, as we continue to deal with this pandemic. My main priority remains the health and safety of all students, faculty, and staff, as well as preserving in-person instruction.
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 12/17/21
Dear St. Francis Families,
Can you believe we are halfway through the 2021-2022 academic year? The past few months have flown by, and we are now all ready for a much needed break. Since this will be the last Principal’s Newsletter of 2021, I would like to congratulate the Class of 2025 for successfully completing their first high school final exams! I know the whole process of taking final exams can be a little intimidating, but all of our Troubies showed their mettle and rose to the occasion. Well done!
As we begin the Christmas break, I would like to remind you that St. Francis will be closed from the afternoon of Friday, December 17th through Monday, January 3rd, in observance of the Christmas Holiday. Tuesday, January 4th is a faculty/staff workday, and school will be back in session on Wednesday, January 5th.
On behalf of the St. Francis faculty and staff, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
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 12/10/21
Dear St. Francis Families,
As this week comes to a close, I would like to acknowledge the hard work, dedication and sacrifice our Troubies have made throughout this fall semester. I know returning to full in-person instruction took some acclimation for some students. I am optimistic our Troubies’ efforts and hardwork will be rewarded in the upcoming week of final exams.
Please encourage your daughter(s) to study wisely over the weekend, and to get adequate rest on Sunday night.
Lord, I know you are with me and love me.
Give me peace of mind as I prepare for this time of study.
Help me to focus on my books and notes.
Keep me from all distractions so that I will make the best use of this time that is available to me.
Give me insight that I might understand what I am studying, and help me to remember it when the time comes.
Above all, I thank you for the ability to be able to study and for the many gifts and talents you have given me.
Help me always to use them in such a way that they honor you and do justice to myself. Amen.
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 12/03/21
Dear St. Francis Families,
Welcome back, and I hope you had a peaceful and bountiful Thanksgiving break with friends and family.
It’s hard to believe it’s December and final exams are only a week away! During this time of the semester, it’s only natural for our Troubies to be nervous and perhaps a little anxious about the upcoming exams. Please encourage your daughter to plan ahead, study in a quiet, dedicated place, avoid digital device distractions, eat and hydrate appropriately, and most importantly, get adequate rest before finals week. Remind her that memorizing or cramming all of the material at once usually doesn’t bring about the best results or learning. Finding balance is key, and students should reward learning with purposeful breaks to recharge.
Also with finals looming, there may be an uptick in students feeling the need to resort to unwise study methods that do not meet our Academic Honesty standards. My recommendation is that students use the resources available to them (i.e. teachers, tutors, parents, study guides, peer study sessions, etc.). This is the perfect time to strategize a study plan prior to final exams.
Know that we care about the physical and mental well-being of our students, and we want them to be successful!
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