SJDL Summer News

Week of July 21 - July 25

Lord,
Make me Your instrument this week.
Open my heart to see where I am needed.
Give me hands ready to help,
words that bring peace,
and a spirit eager to serve.
In Jesus' name. Amen.

Coming Soon: A Sneak Peek at 2025–2026!

We’re excited to give you a preview of what’s ahead for the 2025–2026 school year at SJDL! In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more details about new initiatives and programs that reflect our commitment to academic excellence, character formation, and partnership with families. Here’s a glimpse of what’s coming:

• A new Pick-Up Policy to enhance school culture and community
• A focused effort to combat the growing influence of AI, social media, and online gaming on children's developing minds
• Continued prioritization of school safety at every level
• A renewed emphasis on Parent Partnership through character-building and service opportunities
• Launch of our Middle School Mock Trial Club – where students can build confidence, think critically, and lead with integrity

Stay tuned for more details in our upcoming newsletters!

Summer Fun Fact

Southern California is home to the only native palm tree in the western U.S.—the California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera). You can still find it growing wild in desert oases like Palm Springs and Anza-Borrego, where it’s been thriving since the Ice Age!

2025-2026 Registration Open for Returning Students

GENERAL SCHOOL CALENDAR

Mark Your Calendars - Important Dates

• Monday, July 21 - Library Center Open for AR Summer Testing
  • 9am - Noon
  • 4pm - 7pm
• Wednesday, August 13, 6:00 pm - NEW FAMILIES Information Meeting
• Wednesday, August 20 - OPENING DAY of the 2025-2026 School Year
• Wednesday, September 3 - Elementary (K-4) Back to School Night
• Wednesday, September 10 - Middle School (5-8) Back to School Night

Summer Walk/Hike Podcasts

Throughout the summer, we’ll be sharing a curated library of podcasts that we believe are timely, relevant, and meaningful. Our goal is to support parents with thoughtful, faith-informed content that addresses the current influences shaping the lives of children and families today. Each episode will aim to strengthen your understanding of the cultural challenges, namely division and doubt, we face while grounding our response in Catholic moral values and a unified vision of truth, faith, and formation.

Fr. Mike brings clarity, reflection, and pastoral insight, helping listeners make sense of salvation history and how it connects to our daily lives. Whether you’re new to Scripture or have read the Bible before, this podcast offers a powerful way to deepen your faith, grow in understanding, and build a solid spiritual foundation for you and your family.

As we face a culture filled with noise and confusion, The Bible in a Year invites us back to the voice of truth—God’s Word. We encourage you to listen, reflect, and allow Scripture to shape your heart and home this summer.

Introducing The Rosary in a Year

Quiet Pages, Lasting Lessons: The Gift of Summer Reading

Summer is a season of sunshine, rest, and renewal—and it’s also a perfect time to nurture a habit of purposeful reading. While it may be tempting to let screens fill the long days, we invite families to take a different path: one that engages the imagination, strengthens the mind, and forms the soul.

Reading during the summer months helps children hold on to what they’ve learned, build vocabulary, and deepen their love for learning. But even more, it offers a quiet space for reflection and growth in virtue. The stories we read shape our hearts—inviting children to see the world through the lens of faith, hope, and love.

Choose books that speak to your child’s stage of life and stir something deeper—stories that reflect truth, goodness, and beauty. These can include fiction filled with courage and friendship, biographies of saints and holy heroes, or Scripture stories that help children see God at work in the world around them. Create daily moments for reading together: in the morning light, after lunch, or before bedtime. Let books become part of the rhythm of summer life. Keep them accessible—on coffee tables, in backpacks, in cars—so they’re more likely to be picked up and enjoyed.

Reading aloud isn’t just for younger children. Even older students benefit from hearing good stories and discussing what they mean. Ask about the choices characters made, the lessons learned, or how the story reflects something God calls us to. Encourage children to journal about what they’ve read, draw a favorite scene, or name a virtue they noticed in the story.

Library visits, book swaps with friends, or a family reading challenge can add excitement and motivation. Ultimately, the goal is simple: to help children grow not just in knowledge, but in wisdom and character. Summer reading, when guided by purpose and faith, becomes more than an academic activity—it becomes a spiritual and formative journey.

Building Character in Children Through Catholic Values

At the heart of Catholic education is the call to serve — just as Jesus came not to be served, but to serve others (Mark 10:45). Teaching our children the value of service is more than encouraging volunteer work; it’s about forming compassionate, generous hearts that are attentive to the needs of others.

Service shapes character. When children step outside themselves to help a classmate, care for a sibling, or contribute to their community, they begin to understand what it means to live like Christ. These moments, big and small, help build humility, gratitude, and empathy.

At school, we model service through classroom responsibilities, acts of kindness, and outreach projects. But the seeds of servant leadership are also planted at home. When children witness their parents serving others, showing patience, or giving without expecting anything in return, they learn that love is action.

Let’s continue working together to help our children grow into disciples who serve joyfully—because service isn’t just something we do; it’s who we are, rooted in the Gospel and lived out through daily choices.

2025-2026 Interactive Online Platform Policy

To protect the healthy development of students, beginning Wednesday, August 20, 2025, Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic School will prohibit the use of any interactive online platform that allows communication,  engagement reward or motivation feedback loops for all enrolled students. Children are not equipped to navigate the risks these platforms pose, including addiction, harmful content, and social pressure. Rooted in our Catholic mission, this policy fosters virtue, authentic relationships, and spiritual growth by removing digital distractions that conflict with our values. It is a formative measure intended to support students' dignity, integrity, and overall well-being.

Read the Full Policy and Report of Findings

Home & School Association

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