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Join our class of 2018
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A Great Way to Prepare for Finals: Study Day on Saturday, December 14
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St. Francis High School
Salesian College Preparatory
2400 East Lake Ave.
Watsonville, CA 95076
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Finals Exam Schedule
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Reminders/Guidelines for Finals LINK |
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On behalf of the entire St. Francis High School community, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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Dear Families and Friends of St. Francis High School,
It is with great pleasure that I share a few thoughts and make some reflections on the holy season that we have now begun as we also begin a new liturgical year.
Many see this time of year which we call Advent as simply another way to begin the Christmas season. Actually it is more than that. We should look at it as a temperature gauge to check on our Christian response to our world. The First Sunday of Advent introduces us to the prophet Isaiah's challenging thoughts on changing the world --- Imagine a child putting his/her hand over or into a snake's lair! A lamb lying down with a lion! Turning swords into plows and spears into farm implements or no more wars - these seem to be pretty sensational for our world today, almost unbelievable; but, all things are possible with God! In fact, it was this view of the world as it could be that Don Bosco himself held - a new world, a world of peace and above all - a world of justice.
Remember the "Advent Calendar" with all of the little windows that one could open to reveal something special or magical about Christmas - well, it is this idea as a Salesian school and as members of the Salesian Family that we need to embrace - that each day (window of opportunity) has to be for us a way of improving ourselves, our lives, and our relationship with God. It is in this way that we begin to effect change in our world.
May this Advent be for you a source of richness and profound inspiration as we make Jesus more present to our waiting world.
Sincerely, Don Bosco and Mary, Help of Christians,
Fr. Marc Rougeau, sdb - Director
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 Dear Friends and Families of St. Francis High School,
I want to wish you a joyous holiday season as we move from Thanksgiving into Christmas. For us, it is a time of high energy and anxiety as we finished the first rounds of college applications, early college acceptances, Open House, and Early Commitment interviews, and now we are preparing for semester exams. It is a time to focus on the coming of our Lord and it is also a time of compassion as we try and assist people within our community and our world through various charitable works - Grind Out Hunger, Share Your Holiday, and Team Effy. I wanted to paraphrase Fr. Bill Saunders insights into the meaning of Advent since many of us get sucked into the stresses and anxieties of cleaning house, shopping on Black Friday, and preparing for holiday travel.
In last Sunday's readings and gospel, we heard about being present and awake because we do not know when our Lord will be coming. This is one way that we can "stay awake" together. Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning 'coming.' Our faith stresses the two-fold meaning of advent. 'When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for His second coming' (No. 524). On one hand, we reflect back and are encouraged to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's first coming into this world; on the other hand, we recall in the Creed that our Lord will come again to judge the living and the dead and that we must be ready to meet Him.
A good, pious way to help us in our Advent preparation has been the use of the Advent Wreath - interestingly, a tradition borrowed from the German Lutherans in the early 1500s. The wreath is a circle, which has no beginning or end. It helps us call to mind how our lives, here and now, participate in the eternity of God's plan of salvation. The wreath is made of fresh plant material, because Christ came to give us new life through His passion, His death, and His resurrection. Three candles are purple and one is pink - symbolizing penance, preparation, and sacrifice; the pink candle symbolizes the third Sunday of Advent. The light of a candle represents Christ, who entered this world to scatter the darkness of evil and show us the way of righteousness. The progression of lighting candles shows our increasing readiness to meet our Lord.
If you don't already have one, I suggest that your family gets an Advent Wreath. Like Dr. Denise Pope suggested, share a meal together daily and light it at dinnertime. Like our Pope suggests, pray and eat together. This tradition will help each family keep its focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Thank you for being a part of our Salesian family at St. Francis. May God bless you and protect you this joyous holiday season!
GO SHARKS!
Patrick Lee
President-Principal
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 Athletic News: Stay up to date by visiting our Department of Athletics site |
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 Is your student looking for a great way to prepare for finals? The CSF/NHS Club has the solution. Again this semester we will be offering an on-campus "Study Day." "Study Day" will be held on Saturday, December 14th, from 9 AM to 12 PM. This event provides students with an opportunity to get together and study for their semester exams. We will provide light refreshments and special prize drawings (students must be present to win) throughout the day. So mark your calendar for "Study Day" on Saturday, December 14th. |
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Alumni Basketball Game 2013
St. Francis women's basketball survived a nailbiter to come out on top of the Alumni team in the first St. Francis Alumni basketball game held on November 27th. The gym was packed to watch a strong group of graduates lace up their shoes one more time. The Sharks used the game as a learning experience and were victorious, 35-34.
Following the women's game, the St. Francis men's team took to the court to face a team of strong former players in the first men's alumni basketball game. The Sharks weren't intimidated by the size or experience of the alumni, however, and took care of business, topping the alumni, 52-41.
These games will become an annual tradition in the Shark Tank, so we hope to see you either playing or cheering next year!
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Surf Team Congratulations to our surfing team! The Santa Cruz Mountain Team (of which many St. Francis students are part) had a recent contest at Manresa Beach, and our team did a great job defeating the Live Oak/Carmel team 62 to 57. Special highlights included Paul Colosi who made it to the finals in bodyboard and placed 4th; Luke Colosi made it to the semifinal in longboard and missed the final by one place; and Shelby Robinett made it to the semifinal in both short board and longboard. |
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Ecology Club
Recently, the Ecology Club worked with Watsonville Wetlands Watch to plant 800 native plants in the slough and took a hike through the slough system. Students who attended included Hailey Robinett, RJ Zuniga, Jose Garcia, Sabrina Bargetto, Natalie Deraiche, Cati Bianchi, Sam Magno, Tina Arthur, Katarina Baeza, Anthony Alvarez, Cassie Nunez, Ashlind Martinez, and Michael Suarez.
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Homestay Sharks
For the Spring Semester of the 2013-2014 school year, St. Francis High School will admit students from China to our school. This new program is part of our Salesian mission and part of our strategic vision to grow the school. We have partnered with 3W International to market our great school to qualified and motivated students in Asia, with the goal to expand with the company to South American and eastern European markets over the next 6 years. Unlike other private schools who board on campus, we will work in partnership with a firm that organizes the homestay component for these new international students. We anticipate as many as 5 Chinese students in grades 9-11 this spring, and we will expand that number each year until we reach our goal of 10-15% of our total student population being international students from Asia, South America, and eastern Europe. All of our international students will need homestay families, but for this spring (Our spring semester starts January 8, 2014) we are anticipating as many as 5.
Before we open up the homestay opportunity to the local parishes and greater community, we want to give our St. Francis High School families priority to express interest in this meaningful program. For your consideration, host families will receive $1,000.00 per month for the 10 months the international student lives with them. In return, host families will provide meals, transportation to and from school and events, a bedroom for each student, and a wireless internet connection. In addition, host families will be required to complete a safe environment training program and a background screening. Medical insurance, uniforms and other campus expenses are covered through the tuition and fees paid by the individual family in China.
If this program is of interest to you and you wish to receive more information and details on logistics, please fill out this form, and we will add your family to the interest list.
1. Family name
2. Students' names and grades in Spring of 2014 (if applicable)
3. City of residence
4. Languages spoken in your home
5. Experience with international student or exchange programs
Please understand that this is not a commitment on your part at this time but an interest in your family to engage in a discussion about this wonderful opportunity. Thank you for your support of St. Francis High School, for your support of this critically important program, and for your continued prayers for all of our students' success.
Yours in Christ,
Patrick Lee
President and Principal
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From the Admissions Office:
Applications for Admissions for the 2014-2015 are available online. Application for Admissions
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Fill out application and parent/guardian statement
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Mail in $75 Application fee to the main office
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If you have not yet applied but would like to take the HSPT, please contact the Admissions Office: admissions@stfrancishigh.net and mail in your testing fee of $50.
Admissions dates to remember:
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Applicant Exams: January 11 and 18, 2014
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Regular Admissions Deadline: January 31, 2014
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Student/Family Interviews: February 8, 2014
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Revisiting Denise Pope
by Kirsten Brockschmidt, Assistant Principal of Academics
Denise Pope started a conversation in the St. Francis community with her September visit. You may remember that she came to our campus as a guest speaker with a message, and a mission, to challenge our definition of success.
This message might at first seem odd heralded by the definition of modern success: a PhD, Stanford senior lecturer, author, professional speaker, wife, mother of three. However, upon further reflection, it becomes clear this message can only be delivered by someone who has achieved the traditional notion of success.
Denise Pope does not want schools to lessen rigor, but to increase balance in student life. She does not encourage students to set their goals lower for college choice, but to find a goal that is a unique fit for them as people. In other words, she would like students to challenge success in a way that benefits quality of life and personal happiness.
Through the influence of Denise Pope, the faculty has created a map of course rigor and homework expectations, which will be used to counsel students about their future class choices. Is the student in a club? Does the student play sports? All of these factors must be considered when committing to a course of study that carries a specific expectation of time available to be invested in schoolwork. Additionally, teachers have begun a community calendar to keep watch over the time students are actually expected to invest in activities and special preparations for tests or projects. It is a central calendar where teachers can share their expectations with one another to better understand our students' day-to-day reality.
As Denise Pope says, "...we should be striving to be healthy - mentally and physically and spiritually. We need to slow down, re-focus, and set better examples." Success is the natural result of a balanced body, mind, and spirit.
You can revisit these teachings at challengesuccess.org |
We are thankful for sophomores!
On Tuesday, November 26, the class of 2015 came together to make the last day before Thanksgiving break an amazing and festive day. Students participated in various planning groups to assist in the events of the day. One group worked with Ms. Alonzo to help decorate the BAC for the day's liturgy; another group met with the Animas Liturgy Committee to assist in serving various roles in that liturgy; a third group planned, filmed, edited and shared a video at the end of mass featuring students and staff reflecting on the things that inspire them to be thankful. Finally, a group met to plan a menu and coordinated a feast for the day.
The families of the sophomore class took it upon themselves to provide this feast to the student body, which included six turkeys and many crock pots bubbling over with gravy, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. The feast also began with bowls of salad and ended with pies, cookies, and kool aid. Dozens students and staff members enjoyed the feast, which was offered free of charge. The only request was for students and staff to make a donation to Grind Out Hunger.
Over three hundred dollars was collected in response to this request. Congratulations and a big thank you to the sophomores! Your generous spirit brought a joyful spirit to the day and inspired our campus to eat, drink and be generous in return.
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"Do good while you still have time." -St. John Bosco
Sincerely,
Newsletter Team
St. Francis CCC High School
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