July 23, 2012 Dear Parents: On behalf of the ... - Sts. Simon & Jude

July 23, 2012
Dear Parents:
On behalf of the faculty and staff, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to
Sts. Simon & Jude for the 2012-2013 school year! Beginnings are always exciting. They
offer new hope, new possibilities, new energy, and quite often, new people to join us for
the journey. A very special welcome is extended to all of our new families, as well as to
our new Pastor, Fr. Daniel Barica, and Fr. Rusty Shaughnessy, the Associate Pastor. As
we begin planning for another school year, we do so with a profound sense of faith, an
appreciation of who we are as a vibrant Catholic community, and the requisite need for
mutual support and collaboration.
Catholic education at SSJ has a rich tradition built upon the extraordinary dedication of
many generations. Through the years, we have been continuously blessed with teachers
and staff members who are deeply committed to the ministry of Catholic education. Their
job descriptions can never be completely written simply because they include whatever
tasks need to be accomplished on any given day. We have also been richly blessed with
parents who are wholly supportive of our endeavors. We recognize the parents’ role in
the educational process as highly integral; accordingly, we encourage our parents to be
meaningfully engaged as we strive to nurture the educational and developmental needs
of our students. And finally, we are also blessed with students who are willing to work
hard to achieve whatever will make them wiser, braver, more caring and loving, more
generous and more faith-filled. As educators, we have the extraordinary privilege to be
the catalyst for students full of promise to become the individuals they were meant to be.
It truly is an honor to be part of your child’s educational journey. We acknowledge this
sacred trust, and the many multifaceted responsibilities that accompany it. Education
today is not always an easy task, but each and every day we derive our energy from a
vision that is grounded in history, shaped by a strong Franciscan identity, guided by
shared leadership and inspired by hope and faith in God. Thank you for gifting us with
this special opportunity as we look forward to another fabulous year!
NEW FAMILY ORIENTATION MEETING
On behalf of the SSJ community, I’d like to extend a special welcome to all of our new
families! We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to a special “New Parent
Orientation Night” to be held on Tuesday, August 21, at 6:30 P.M. in Colman Hall. This
evening is set aside with you in mind to explain SSJ’s most important policies and
procedures. We will cover topics such as school uniform policies, daily procedures,
service hours and fundraising opportunities. We invite you to bring any questions you
may have regarding these or any other topics not listed here. We will also introduce you
to members of the administration, school staff, the Parent-Faculty Association and the
School Advisory Council. We hope you take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.
This is also a great time to meet other families new to SSJ! Refreshments will be served.
Mark your calendar today!

SSJ FACULTY CHANGES
After many years of dedicated service, Mrs. Raia DalPoggetto, Mrs. Andree Oscoff
and Mrs. Deborah Andrews have retired from Sts. Simon & Jude School. For several
decades, countless students have benefited from their caring, insight and expertise.
There has been love shared for the legions of students who have passed through their
classroom doors, love for the colleagues who worked by their side, and love for this
community and the ministry that is Catholic education. We wish them an abundance of
happiness, good health and peace in the years to come.
Our best wishes are also extended to Mr. Mark Purcell, who has accepted a full-time
position as Pastoral Associate for Liturgy and Sacraments with Sts. Simon & Jude
Parish. Although we will miss having Mr. Purcell as part of our school staff, it is
comforting to know that we will continue to benefit from his musical expertise during our
school liturgies and special school events.
We extend a warm welcome to Ms. Janelle Gullotti, Ms. Teresa Sorenson and Mrs.
Karen Castelblanco as they join the SSJ faculty! All of these teachers look forward to
sharing their unique talents and gifts in the classroom, and uniting with us in the
commitment to uphold the highest academic standards and spiritual formation of our
students. We appreciate your support of them as they begin their tenure at SSJ!
AUGUST OFFICE HOURS
Beginning Monday, August 13, the school offices will be open daily from 9:00 A.M. until
3:00 P.M. Our office personnel and accounting staff will be available to assist you in
person or by phone with any concerns or questions that you might have.
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
The class lists indicating your child’s room assignment will be posted on the school
website beginning Friday, August 24. Please note that the class lists will no longer
be posted outside the school building as it has been in previous years.
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
The first day of school is Tuesday, August 28. Please bring your children to school no
later than 7:45 A.M. so that we may begin our year together in prayer. School will
dismiss at 12:00 noon for all students on that Tuesday. Stay Care (our extended care
program) will be open for any students needing after-school care.
PARENT COFFEE SOCIAL
On Tuesday morning, August 28, the PFA Hospitality Committee will host a coffee social
at 8:00 A.M. in Colman Hall. All of our parents are welcome to attend. Coffee, juice and
pastry will be served. This is the perfect time for our new families to meet the “veteran”
families of our school community, and for everyone to become reacquainted after the
long summer months. We hope to see you there!
SCHOOL-FAMILY COMMUNICATION
All school communication will be sent to parents via the weekly eNewsletter at whatever
e-mail addresses you have provided us. Periodically, we may find it necessary to send
information to you using the family envelope. Any time the envelope is sent home,
please remove and carefully read all the contents, respond to any items that require your
attention, sign the envelope, and return it to school with your child the next day.

ANNUAL SCHOOL SUPPLY SALE
School supply packs are scheduled to arrive in mid-August. If you ordered school
supplies for your children, please note that they will be delivered directly to the
classrooms for distribution on or before the first day of school.
SCHOOL UNIFORMS
ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN COMPLETE UNIFORM ON TUESDAY,
AUGUST 28. Our school uniform company is Vicki Marsha. The company is located at
5292 Production Drive in Huntington Beach.
PE UNIFORMS
All students in grades 1 through 8 are required to wear PE uniforms for physical
education classes. The PE uniforms are not available for purchase through Vicki
Marsha, but are sold in the school office. Please note that PE uniforms will be available
for sale on August 28, during the parent social in Colman Hall.
MEDICATION FORM
If your child will need to take any type of medication during school hours, please have
your doctor complete the attached “request for medication” form and return it to our health
office. OUR SCHOOL NURSE CANNOT AND WILL NOT DISPENSE MEDICATION OF
ANY KIND WITHOUT A PHYSICIAN’S SIGNATURE.
7 TH GRADE IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS
State law now requires three (3) doses of Hepatitis B (given over a period of six months)
and two (2) doses of MMR for entry into the 7 th grade. A tetanus booster is strongly
recommended if more than five years have passed since the last DTP. All students
entering 7 th grade MUST HAVE COMPLETED three (3) doses of Hepatitis B and a
second measles or MMR shot before the first day of school. Please bring your child’s
immunization record to the health room when you have completed these requirements.
TUITION PAYMENTS
Parents are reminded that tuition payment booklets were sent home before school
ended in June. The first tuition payment of the new school year was due July 15 th .
Please call the school accounting office at 714-962-1642 if you have any questions
regarding your tuition account.
FALL SPORTS AT SSJ
The following is a schedule of tryout dates/times for fall sports at SSJ. If you have an
interested athlete in your family, please make plans to have him/her attend these
sessions.
Girls’ Volleyball:
Flag Football:
A team – Wednesday, August 29 th from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
B team – Wednesday, August 29 th from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
A and B teams – Tuesday, September 4 th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Enjoy the remainder of your summer, and know that you are always in our prayers.
With faith, pride and spirit,
Crystal A. Smith, Principal