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SJDL Summer News

Week of June 30 - July 4

Loving God,
As we experience the days of summer,
we thank You for the gift of rest, renewal, and recreation.
Bless this season with joy, safety, and peace.

May our hearts remain open to Your presence—
in the warmth of the sun, the beauty of nature,
and the laughter of family and friends.
Help us to use this time to grow closer to You
through reflection, prayer, and acts of kindness.

Protect all who travel,
bless those who work throughout the summer,
and watch over those in need of comfort and care.

In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.

Dear Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac School Families,

As we approach the Fourth of July, we take this opportunity to reflect with gratitude on the gift of our nation and the freedoms we enjoy. Independence Day is more than fireworks and festivities—it is a time to honor the values of faith, courage, and sacrifice that have shaped our country from its founding.

Let us continue to teach our children to be faithful citizens who uphold what is good, true, and just. As a Catholic school community, we are reminded that true freedom is found in living according to God's will and serving others with love and integrity.

May your celebration be joyful and safe, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

Happy Fourth of July!
In Christ,
Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic School

Summer Fun Fact

Every summer, blue whales—the largest animals on Earth—migrate right off the Southern California coast! From June to September, you can spot these gentle giants on whale watching tours in places like Newport Beach and Santa Barbara.

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.

We invite you to journey through Scripture with The Bible in a Year podcast, hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz and brought to you by Ascension Press. In just 20–25 minutes a day, you’ll hear the entire Bible read and explained in the context of God’s loving plan for humanity.

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.

There's an idea about how children learn to read that's held sway in schools for more than a generation — even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago.

Is AI Productivity Worth Our Humanity?

Tech leaders promise that AI automation will usher in an age of unprecedented abundance: cheap goods, universal high income, and freedom from the drudgery of work. But even if AI delivers material prosperity, will that prosperity be shared? And what happens to human dignity if our labor and contributions become obsolete?

Building Character, Shaping Futures: Character and AI

As technology continues to evolve—especially with the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI)—our children are growing up in a world full of incredible opportunities, but also new and complex challenges. While AI can assist with learning and streamline tasks, it cannot replace the heart of who we are: our values, our relationships, and our character.

At Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic School, we are deeply committed to nurturing not only our students’ intellect, but also their character—helping them grow into thoughtful, ethical, faith-filled individuals who know right from wrong and choose what is good and true.

AI can generate answers, but:

  • It cannot teach a child to love.
  • It cannot help a child grow in honesty, humility, or responsibility.
  • It cannot build a moral compass rooted in faith.

This is why character formation remains central to everything we do, and why we must now be more intentional than ever in working together as educators and parents. We must be united in this mission.

How You Can Help:

  • Model virtue at home: Children learn character by watching us. Show them what it looks like to act with integrity, speak with kindness, and serve with generosity.
  • Reinforce responsible tech use: Help your child understand that AI is a tool—not a replacement for effort, learning, or personal growth.
  • Talk about truth and purpose: Encourage conversations about what really matters—faith, courage, honesty, sacrifice, and living a life that reflects the values of Christ.
  • Partner with us: Stay engaged with school initiatives on character and virtue development. Your reinforcement at home strengthens the lessons learned at school.

AI may shape the future of work, but only human character will shape the future of our world. That’s why, together, we must continue to raise children who are not only capable, but compassionate; not only informed, but wise; not only successful, but faithful.

Thank you for walking with us in this sacred calling. We are blessed to partner with you in guiding your children to become who God created them to be.

How Social Media Hacks Our Brains

ur evolved biology serves us brilliantly in many ways but also includes vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Persuasive technology—technology that shapes attitudes and behavior—pushes many of these buttons, leveraging our vulnerabilities to generate engagement and, ultimately, corporate revenue.

Our brains are more porous than we tend to believe. We shape our environment and, for better or worse, our environment shapes our brains. When we engage persuasive technology repeatedly, it begins to train us: our thoughts, feelings, motivations and attention start to replicate what the technology is designed to produce. This training creates a kind of neural momentum that makes us more likely to persist in those behaviors, even when they’re not good for us. 

Social media presents a special case of persuasive technology where psychological levers are poked and prodded again and again, often without our conscious awareness. We don’t click randomly: many designs deliberately leverage our deepest vulnerabilities by promoting compulsive behavior that compromises our autonomy and well-being. Here are some of the most prominent examples:

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

2025-2026 School Year

Athletics logo

Lancer Athletics Announcements 

Beginning of Year Lancer Athletics 

Upcoming Lancer Athletic Events

Please note that not all events are listed. Click on the Calendar below for all upcoming events.

If you are interested in becoming a Lancer Athletics Sponsor providing addtional uniforms, warm-ups, etc. for our teams, please email Mr. McKee ([email protected]) for information on how you and/or your company can help.

Home & School Association

HSA Logo

The Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Home and School Association is an organization of parents who have chosen to participate more fully in the service of Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac School by organizing fundraising activities, and by providing funds that directly benefit the students, faculty, the general plant, and equipment. The Home & School Association is instrumental in achieving the undertakings of the school with the support of our friends, parents and the local community.

Coming Home & School Sponsored Events

FlipGive

Online Shopping and Fundraising In One Convinient Place

This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.