March 2014
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In This Issue
Key Dates
Admissions
SFPA Notice

All are invited to attend Mass on Ash Wednesday,

March 5th, at 1:05 pm at St. Francis High School, in the BAC.
Important News from the Counseling and Guidance Department 
Counseling  
Join our class of 2018

Cabrillo College Honors Program Application Deadline:

Seniors in High School 
- Applications for Fall, 2014
 will be accepted from 
February 1 through 
March 15, 2014.
For more information, 
visit this link LINK
Quick Links
   
 
St. Francis High School
Salesian College Preparatory
2400 East Lake Ave.
Watsonville, CA 95076


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BRAG BUTTON

Reflections from the Director

Dear Families and Friends of St. Francis:

 

Lent is upon us once again! We can say that with an exclamation of joy or we can say that with a sigh. At times, we look upon this season with an eye to looking at the past and the failures that came upon us during this Holy Season.

 

If we look at Lent from the perspective of successes and failures, we certainly do not put ourselves into the spirit that the Church is calling us to - namely a deeper appreciation for all that God has done for us, and a spirit of repentance. We can reduce Lent to a practice that we went through as children in Catholic school: we all got a smudge of black - something to talk about at lunch - and then there were the Lenten penances: giving up candy or TV. As we mature, however, we are challenged to look upon Lent not as a time to simply "give up" things and bad habits, or to solve problems with poor life choices, but rather a chance to enter into the Gospel way of life given to us by Jesus, namely the threefold discipline of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. As one author puts it, "Lent is not about magic solutions to problems. Lent is about coming to know our Father, who sees even our feeblest attempts at conversion. And so we come forward, full of childlike hope to get that smudge of ashes once again."

 

As members of the St. Francis Community, let us make this Lent truly life-changing and well spent. We can begin by praying for one another as did the Christians of old and accompanying one another in these 40 days. May God bless your Lent with all of its successes and failures!

 

In Don Bosco and Mary, Help of Christians,

 

Fr. Marc Rougeau, SDB -- Director

A Lenten Reflection from the Coordinator of Youth Ministry  

St. Francis Friends and Families:

  

I love Lent. Some people think Lent, beginning with ashes on the forehead, continuing cloaked in the color purple, and ending with Holy Thursday (when one of Jesus' best friends betrays him) is not our most uplifting season, but I think this frowning needs some upside downing.  I. Love. Lent. Here's why:

 

1. I love free dirt. And so do you! No weekday mass in the whole year is as well attended as Ash Wednesday. We line up to get an ash cross drawn on our foreheads, ashes made from the palm branches from last year's Palm Sunday celebration. This ugly dirt on our forehead signifies one of the most beautiful truths of our human existence. And so, when people ask about the dirt on your forehead, what do you say? A simple and meaningful answer you might try: Ashes are a sign of our mortality. When we remember that we die, we are challenged to live life to the fullest. This reminder of our mortality gives us a sense of humility, but also reminds us of the powerful gift Jesus gave humanity: bodily death is not the end of the story. And so our mortality is coupled with the amazing hope of eternal life. Jesus said he came that we might have life and have it to the full (John 10:10) and we aim to live life to the fullest, with joy, hope, and care for one another. When we recognize with humility that our life on Earth is short and precious, we are reminded of the amazing gift of eternal life with Christ. I love Ash Wednesday.

  

2. I love being in shape. I loved playing sports growing up and I, well, I still do. One of the things I now recognize, looking back on being a team member, is that the times I bonded with my teammates weren't just after triumphant wins and tragic losses. We really came to know each other through the days of practicing together. After tough practices we went home tired and showed up the next day sore. And in those experiences we came to know ourselves and each other more fully. That's what Lent is about to me - getting spiritually fit. Implicit in those conversations that often begin with "What are you giving up?" is a question that runs much deeper. In those conversations we talk about how we are, moment by moment, becoming more aware of our simple actions and desires. Lent is a forty-day spiritual workout. We are getting fit for the most glorious of feasts and the profound realities revealed in our faith - the Paschal mystery. Jesus suffered, died and rose again. Why is Jesus' story important to us? Because his story is ours. We want our bodies to be fit so we can live a long time. If we really do believe in an eternal spirit, we had better be spiritually fit...and love doing it.

  

3. I love pillars. Yes, pillars. Three of them - fasting, prayer and giving alms - are the ones that hold up the temple of this body and this is how. When we fast, we recognize that we are not servants to our desires. We fast in simple ways that do not damage our bodies, but that remind us of one very simple truth: in the space between a desire and the fulfillment of that desire, we become conscious of our strength as human beings. We pray, consciously recognizing our needs and dedicating part of our day to being present to the Divine. The best advice I have ever received on practicing prayer - "Pray as you can, not as you can't." Saying one Hail Mary or sitting in silence for one minute is better than feeling bad about not saying a whole Rosary or being able to meditate for an hour in silence. Prayers of praise, petition and gratitude are easy to offer throughout the day, all along our way. Let's look for opportunities to pray. We give alms, which means, quite simply, that we share what we have. If it's money, let's not be shy about finding a way to put it to good use. If we have a talent to share or we are outgoing, or popular, or intelligent, let's be creative about how we can share that gift with someone who doesn't have an abundance of that quality.

  

Lent begins this year on Ash Wednesday, March 5, and ends on Holy Thursday, April 17. What do you love about Lent? Tell me what you love about Lent and I'll post some of the best responses on the school's Facebook page throughout our journey. There will be some Easter egg prizes for randomly chosen responses come Holy Week! Email your responses to [email protected] subject: I Love Lent!

 

Peace,

 

John Marheineke, Coordinator of Youth Ministry

Athletic News: Stay up to date by visiting our Department of Athletics site

 

**Site change for women's basketball game on Wednesday, March 5th.**

The women's CCS basketball semifinal location has been moved, because of a broken scoreboard at Santa Teresa.  The semifinal games will now be played at Oak Grove High School. Oak Grove is located at 285 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose, CA 95123. The game time remains the same at 5:30pm.
 
 
The St. Francis Winter Sports banquet will be celebrated on Sunday, March 16th at 6pm in the BAC. 
This event is a celebration of winter athletes from both soccer and basketball, as well as their families. Join us for dinner, awards, and coaches' presentations. We are asking all student-athletes in attendance to please bring a dessert. 

What We Think About Education, Part 2 of 3

by Kirsten Brockschmidt, AP of Academics

 

This month we are continuing the discussion of long held beliefs about education, similar to those that Denise Pope addresses through Challenge Success.

 

Belief 2--Smaller class size is better and an essential component of the best learning environments.

In his book, David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell recognizes that "virtually everywhere in the world, parents and policymakers take it for granted that smaller classes are better classes," and tells the story of a middle school in Connecticut which experiences a boom in attendance followed by a shift in local demographics causing the average twenty five student classroom to contract to fifteen.  Smaller classes means more attention for each student from the teacher which improves student achievement.  This is what we believe.  Gladwell looked at several studies, not just in this Connecticut school, but around the world which all came to the same conclusion that reducing class size did not necessarily improve student achievement.  Instead, there is a range of class size which is optimal.  If you get smaller, or larger, than this optimal range student learning is undermined. Gladwell is not scientific about establishing the optimal range.  He questions teachers about their preferences and fails to arrive at a definitive number, but he does suggest the magic number lies somewhere between eighteen and thirty students.
St. Francis: The Education of a Lifetime
St. Francis: The Education of a Lifetime

Save the Date

The St. Francis Performing Arts Program will be geared to entertain this May. Come see the first on-campus production of "The Robber Bridegroom," a fairy-tale musical set in 1795 Mississippi on May 2nd or May 3rd.  Also, enjoy an evening of good food and excellent entertainment as the Choir and Drama programs put on an outside concert lakeside at our first ever "Concert on the Green" on May 10th.  More details to follow.

Key Calendar Dates for 2014 Academic Year

March 2014

5    Ash Wednesday Mass- all invited to attend (1:05 in BAC)

14  Class of 2018 Acceptance notification (Traditional Applicants) along with tuition assistance and scholarships (Early Commitment and Traditional Applicants)

14  Bishop's Holiday

16  Winter Sports Banquet

22  Mother-Son Event (Neptune's Kingdom Miniature Golf at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk)

27  Battle for the Paddle

28  Student Holiday/Faculty-Staff Inservice

 

April 2014

3  Spring Open House

4  Holiday/Festival Prep

5  St. Francis Spring Festival

12 Father-Daughter Event Neptune's Kingdom Miniature Golf at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

18-27  Holiday/Easter Break

28  Classes resume

May 2014

2-3 Spring Musical - The Robber Bride

10  Spring Choir Fundraiser - Concert on the Green

24  Junior-Senior Prom

26  Holiday/Memorial Day

27-29 Final Exams

29 Knights of Columbus Dinner for the Class of 2014

30  Baccalaureate Mass

31  Graduation

 

July 2014

7-18 Incoming 9th Summer School - Morning Bridge Program and Afternoon Sports Camps

Admissions

Admissions Notifications will be mailed out on March 14, 2014.  The admissions office will contact you if your file is not yet complete.

 

We are still accepting applications for the Fall of 2014.  Please contact Ms. Marie Marheineke in the Admissions office with any questions.  Apply online here LINK

 

Spring Open House

The Admissions Office will be hosting a Spring Open House on Thursday, April 3, 2014, at 6 pm. Come join us to learn more about our academic programs and the many opportunities for music, theater, athletics, leadership, clubs, service projects and art.  All interested families are welcome to attend to learn why St. Francis High School is the Education of a Lifetime!  


Kindly RSVP to [email protected] by March 31, 2014.

Battle for the Paddle is on Thursday, March 27 at 7:00PM!

Don't miss the Battle! Tickets will be going on sale on March 10. At that time, two tickets will be available for each student. Student spirit points (which go towards the overall scoring of Battle for the Paddle) will be awarded based on which class purchases the most tickets per capita. On March 17, all remaining tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis.


St. Francis Parents Association Announces.....Eat Like A Shark! 
Join us for the SFPA Dine Out nights. A portion of the events' sales benefits St. Francis High School. We thank these restaurants for supporting St. Francis High School. 
GO SHARKS! 

March 4, Tuesday. Cassidy's, Watsonville
April 1, Tuesday. Shadowbrook, Capitola
April 29, Tuesday. Carmona's BBQ Deli, Watsonville
May 12, Monday. Yogurtland, Watsonville
May 23, Friday. Red Apple Caf�. Watsonville

Hosting an international student  

Are you interested in the rewarding experience of hosting an international student beginning Fall 2014?  

 

Need more information?  Contact the Admissions Office at [email protected].

 

Ready to move forward?  Applications can be made at http://www.studenthosting.org
"Do good while you still have time." -St. John Bosco

 

Sincerely,

 

Newsletter Team
St. Francis CCC High School