From the President and Principal

Dear St. Francis Families and Friends,

Happy New Year! Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year where our schoolwide them is – FAITH. FAMILY. SERVICE. This year we look forward to partnering with you for the growth and maturity of our students; together we will help them write their St. Francis story. 

Summer is my favorite time of year, and with the start of the school year comes the impending end of summer. Before you know it, we’ll be turning our clocks back an hour this November and celebrating the holiday season with family and friends. But before fall creeps in, I often reminisce about summer moments through those great summer songs by Bob Seger, Don Henley, Ella Fitzgerald, Will Smith, or even my hometown favorites – the Dove Shack and Warren G. Most of the students won’t know any of these songs but a few students with older souls will recognize one or two of them. Along with this musical nostalgia comes the farewells to last year’s graduates as they transition off to university life. We are supremely confident in their preparation and inspiration to make their mark in the world, thus transforming it with the help of our Catholic, Salesian values. Consequently, I wanted to share a snapshot of 2019 Commencement Speaker, 2015 alumnus Mr. Cooper Scherr’s words:

“Suffice it to say that St. Francis did indeed serve as a home, school, church, and playground for me. I took the Salesian virtues of reason, religion, and loving kindness to heart, and they continue to shape my actions to this day. I will be forever grateful for the education I received here.”

 As Mr. Valdivia and I welcome our students daily, we want to lead off with our commitment to you and your student: St. Francis partners with you and your student to achieve excellence in a safe, welcoming, Salesian family environment.

The opportunities are here, and the support is here. You and your student are invited to fully participate. I know our teachers, coaches, and staff are 100% committed to you and your child. It is our vision that we validate that partnership every day with you and your student.

To that end, one of my goals as President/Principal is to again promote a positive Salesian Climate designed to maximize learning. This is critically important as we welcome students from four counties and multiple countries who may not be Catholic and/or may not have attended a parochial school in the past. With such diversity on campus we want to support student and parent connectedness to our school, engage and motivate students to participate in their learning, and ensure that we support and promote a respectful learning environment. For this reason, I will continue the “Lunch with the President” events. This is your child’s opportunity to speak freely about what makes St. Francs great and what we can improve upon. I will highlight the recurring themes of these conversations in the following month’s Faculty-Staff meetings and the Principal’s Newsletter.

Another goal is to resurrect the quarterly morning gatherings with parents, grandparents, and friends of St. Francis. In the past, these were the coffees with the principal, and now we will call them, “Cafecito.” I will announce these dates on the calendar and use our SFPA Communications Officer, Mrs. Francis Whitney, to alert you. On these days, you are welcome to come and grab a pastry, coffee, tea, or water, and discuss the state of the school. This gives you direct access to school administrators to share your joys and ideas.

A key component of my job beyond culture and Salesian mission is fundraising. We annually do not charge the actual cost to educate every individual student. The difference, or gap, must be made up through fundraising - Annual Fund, Friday Night Bingo, Burgundy & Gray Gala, Golf Tournament, and VISION Capital Campaign. As in the past, this year we are asking all families to support and participate in all of our fundraising efforts. We intentionally limit the number and types of fundraising so that we can focus on those that most positively impact the school’s needs.

Our goal is 100% parent participation to match our Board of Directors and staff participation. And for less than $0.05 cents a day, $20 a year, you can help fill the gap and make a St. Francis education available to all of our students. There is an annual class competition that concludes right before Easter. The class with the greatest % of parents giving will get free dress and a free lunch. Don’t deny your child this coveted prize!

Finally, I must recognize and thank two critically important families – the Nakagawa’s and the Moreno’s. Incoming 12^th grader Dominic worked this summer with incoming 10^th grader Garrett Lee the month of June moving furniture and super-cleaning the school. Kenny always works hard to create a “Disneyland” beautiful campus; however, this summer Mrs. Leslie Anderson-Nakagawa worked weekdays and weekends cleaning, painting, and organizing our entire school. The Moreno’s updated our front sign with new plaster and die-cut metal letters with our updated name. Thank you to both families for your time, talent, and your treasure to make St. Francis special! 

With excitement we are launching head first into academics, choir, music ministry, sports, service, class officers, and youth ministry. This year we can journey with our young people as they write the stories of who they are and who they want to be. Please join us in being fully vested into your student’s life and the lives of all of our students. St. Francis is a great place to call your home!

Yours in Christ,

Mr. Pat Lee
President and Principal