Blueletter: August 7th, St. Sixtus II and Companions

Last year we boasted a record-sized graduating class and were named one of the top Catholic High Schools in the country!  How do we top last year?  How about aiming to retain our honor AND expanding the school to more children and families - that is how!

It has been an exciting summer here (and while on vacation) managing the expansion of the school to now include grades kindergarten through third.  We will be renting space from a quaint church in Santa Paula for the Lower School (K-3) grades.  We welcome Mrs. Jessie Van Hecke who will bring an adapted Montesorri program to the K-1 rooms, and Miss Angieska (Agnes) Stawiecki, (pronounced Stah-vyeh-tskee) who holds a Masters in Education, who will be teaching a classical curriculum to grades 2-3.

The upper school also celebrates some unique and great news - 100% of the faculty is returning.  This brings further stability to our already remarkably stable staff. Dr. Andrew Seeley also rejoins us this year for the Junior and Senior Moral Theology class.  As we face our mid-term WASC visit in the Spring, we have the opportunity to reflect on how far we have come in the last three years.  As we will all find, it has been a time of profound growth.  We look forward to the new challenges ahead.

A few changes to be aware of this year:

  • Lower School - grades K-3 - will be held at 121 Davis Street in Santa Paula and will run from 8:45 AM until 2:00 PM.  This allows families to drop children off at Wells Road before taking the younger ones to school, and, picking up the little ones before picking up the older students in the afternoon.  Parents are volunteering to create a schedule for shuttling.  (Contact the office for more info.)
  • In order to continue the progress we have made in enhancing our Math program, we will be extending all math periods by 10 minutes daily.  This will amount to nearly an hour more of Math per week (grades 4-12).  We are also upgrading our math texts for grades 4-6.  Consequently, the dismissal times will be 2:28 PM and 3:11 PM.
  • High School: Due to the many students who are in club sports and other activities, and in order to accommodate the academic program within our tight schedule, we have increased the mid-day recess time for more daily exercise and moved PE to an elective during 7th period.  Grades 4-8 will still have regularly scheduled PE classes.
  • While paying off our mortgage is of prime importance, I will be introducing new friends to the school who will help us build our much needed classroom addition.  Thanks to several parents who have spent the last year planning and crunching numbers, a real possibility has arisen to build a two story permanent structure behind the current classroom building.  This will add five classrooms, allowing us to bring the Lower School home to our campus and to house the overflow classes currently being held in the assembly hall.
  • Finally, if you have not seen it, take a look at our new web site, designed by alumna Ciriana (Hildebrandt) and her husband, Juan Orozco.  Very nice!  Now, let’s ALL get signed up for the SAA Yahoo Groups so we can keep info flowing to your email.

We welcome all the great new and returning families for our best year yet, as we prepare for our 15th Anniversary Year next Fall.

Note:  This August packet contains lot of information along with specific reminders of paperwork and financial requests that might still be needed from you.  Please go through the entire contents CAREFULLY!

Aug. 23rd - FATHER/SON WORK DAY! We have some big jobs to do this summer, in addition to our regular cleaning.  We need lots of dad’s and high school boys to help, especially with painting and a light building projects.  We’ll get started at 8:30 A.M. and work until ??? with a BBQ at 1:00 P.M.  Please come early, come for a few hours and stay for lunch, or plan to stay the whole day.  Thanks!!!

Aug 17h - FAMILY PICNIC.  4:00 - 7:00 PM Our Annual St. Augustine Feast Day Picnic is set for Sunday, August 17th from 4:00 - 7:00 PM at the “usual” park on the corner of Henderson and Petit in Ventura.  Once again, I will provide the BBQ and meat.  Please bring drinks and a side dish or dessert to share!  Come meet old friends and welcome new families and teachers.

Aug. 27th -  FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! 8:25 AM.

Sept 3rd - BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT 7:15 PM in the school hall.  EVERONE should be here for this meeting - one of only two required meetings during the whole year.

PRAYERS - We continue to keep all our friends and family in our prayers.  We pray especially for all those friends and family members who died this summer - may they enjoy the eternal peace of Christ:  Mr. Fox’s grandfather, Miss Borchard’s mother (Mary), Miss Robert’s father (Richard), Mr. Morris’ mother and Mr. Loughman’s father.  We also pray for Miss Roberts, who broke her ankle.  We pray for Hannah Tulberg and Sister Leonella.  We pray for the Goodrich family.  And we pray for Brothers Ryan and Thaddeus of the Canons Regular who make solemn professions and head to Rome for seminary studies.  For the soul of my friend, Rollin Lasseter, who passed away.   We keep all the grieving in our prayers and, for the souls of all the Faithful departed, we pray to the Lord.

God bless,

Michael J. Van Hecke