Parents & Students

This is the last official Lion Lowdown of the 2018-2019 school year. Current and incoming families can expect to receive the Lowdown sporadically this summer. The weekly Lowdown will resume when the 2019-2020 school year begins in August. We wish you a safe and happy summer with your loved ones!

PLUGGED IN PODCAST: "IDENTITY FORMATION WRAP UP"
Each quarter the Identity Formation Team speaks to students about the tough topics facing teens today. You can get an insider's scoop on just how those conversations went down by tuning into JSerra's very own podcast for parents, Plugged In! This month, host Pat Reidy and Marriage and Family Therapist Cara Morales debrief about recent classroom conversations they and the IF Team had with students about the Newport Beach scandal, racism, human dignity, the college party scene, and more. Click here to start listening and look forward to another episode coming this summer! (Please note that our podcast feed in iTunes is currently experiencing technical difficulties so if iTunes is your platform of choice, check back in a few days. Thank you!)

JOIN US FOR THE THE CHOIR FAREWELL CONCERT TONIGHT
All are welcome to attend the Choir Farewell Concert at 7:00 p.m. tonight at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach (map). This event is complimentary so bring your friends and enjoy an evening with our talented choir students as they perform some of their favorite pieces of the year. We will be sending off our seniors in their last choral performance, too!

SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD
It's officially time to start thinking of summer assignments! Bookmark the Summer Assignments page on the JSerra web site — it's updated frequently as teachers submit assignments designed to help students hit the ground running when the new school year begins.

TEXTBOOK BUYBACKS AND RENTAL RETURNS TODAY AND TOMORROW
JSerra's textbook provider, Follett Virtual Campus, will be in the Library to buy back textbooks and accept the return of Follett Rental textbooks from JSerra students and families today (11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.) and tomorrow 5/31 (9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.). Typically there are long lines at the beginning of the buyback event so we suggest that you come later in the afternoon today or tomorrow to experience shorter wait times. Questions about buybacks? Contact Library Media Specialist Jeanne Swedo at jswedo@jserra.org. If you have issues with your Follett account or rental textbooks, please contact Follett directly as JSerra does not sell nor rent books.

TEXTBOOK INFO FOR SUMMER AND FALL
JSerra is pleased to announce that we’ve retained Follett Virtual Campus for our school’s online bookstore for the 2019-2020 school year. Book sales have already begun for the Summer term and will begin on Thursday 7/18 for the Fall term. If you order your Fall books from 7/18-7/21, you will receive a special 10% discount (using code TEXT10) on used and rental orders; moreover, your orders placed from 7/18-7/31 will receive free ground shipping. Read on for more information including the textbook list for the Summer term and the value of ordering from Follett!

DEADLINE FOR SCHEDULE CHANGE
Students wanting to make course changes next year must see their counselor ASAP. The deadline to make any course changes is 4:00 p.m. this Thursday 6/6. Students must download the Course Change Request Form, then be sure to list courses he or she would like to drop and/or add with any prerequisites for the new courses, have parent and student signatures, and provide a clear written reason for the course change request. Requests submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

PETITION FOR ADVANCED LEVEL, AP, AND HONORS COURSES
Most placement test results are now available. Some departments have already provided those results to students. If your student has not received an update and would like to know the results of his or her placement test(s), please email your counselor. If your student did not qualify for the class because of grades or did not pass the placement test, he or she still has an opportunity to petition the course by completing this online form. The deadline to submit a petition request is 3:00 p.m. this Thursday 6/6.

COLLEGE APPLICATION BOOTCAMP FOR RISING SENIORS
If your rising senior would like to get a jump start on college applications and have a stress-free fall, then sign up for one of our week-long College Application Bootcamps this summer! Bootcamp participants will work on:

• Essay Review
• Applications and Supplements
• Activities and Resume
• What to put in the "Additional Information" section
• Interviews
• Financial Aid and Scholarships

We are offering two sessions: Monday 6/10 to Friday 6/14, and Monday 7/29 to Friday 8/2. Both sessions begin at 12:30 p.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. Register here and select the "College Application Bootcamp" option. Be sure to register soon as spaces are limited!

LEAD PROGRAM TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR NEW MEMBERS
The LEAD Program is a student leadership organization that promotes and markets the JSerra mission to surrounding communities. LEAD members attend numerous marketing events throughout the school year to inform prospective families about the JSerra experience. Members must exhibit proficiency in leadership and public speaking, and must also have a genuine love and respect for JSerra. If your student is interested in being in LEAD, he or she can apply online. Questions? Contact Mr. Bret Dahlson at bdahlson@jserra.org.

REGISTER FOR LION ENGAGE
As we say goodbye to the Class of '19, we welcome future '24, '25, and '26 students to be a part of our summer program! Lion Engage allows young minds to get a firsthand look at what it's like to be a part of the many courses and programs we offer on campus. Lion Engage is comprised of programs such as Engineering, Business, Law, and Arts paired up with such courses as TV Broadcasting, Marine Biology, and Graphic Design. There is sure to be something for your middle school son or daughter to enjoy! Lion Engage takes place 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. from Monday 7/8 to Friday 7/12, Limited spaces are available for each course so be sure to sign up ASAP. Click here to get started!

SIGN UP FOR SUMMER SPORTS CAMPS
JSerra is offering dozens of high school and youth sports camps this summer. Click here to view the list of camps and schedules. Camps provide student-athletes with opportunities to grow their skills and enjoy the JSerra culture!

SUMMER SERVICE OPPORTUNITY
Orange County Rescue Mission needs JSerra students to volunteer at their summer camps for at-risk children. The camp will involve many field trips, such as to the Getty Center, and they need a 1:1 ratio of chaperones to children. This is a great way to earn numerous service hours! Please encourage your student to gather his or her friends and apply. To apply, please email Su Chang at Su.Chang@rescuemission.org.

STEUBENVILLE SAN DIEGO YOUTH CONFERENCE OPEN FOR REGISTRATION
Sign up your student for a summer retreat conference with Campus Ministry! From Friday 7/26 through Sunday 7/28, we will be taking students to the University of San Diego to join 6,000 other young people from across the southwestern United States for a weekend of growth in faith, including relevant music, inspiring talks, and time of fellowship with friends. The cost is $265, which includes transportation, lodging, food, and admission to the conference. Get more info and register at jserra.org/steubenville.

SHOP AT AMAZON AND SUPPORT JSERRA
Interested in making your dollars stretch on Amazon? Select JSerra as your charity of choice and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to JSerra! Sign into your Amazon account, then click on this link. You will automatically be asked if you want to support JSerra — click yes and start shopping! Be sure to always shop at smile.amazon.com (not amazon.com) to ensure that Amazon will make a donation. Every little bit counts so we appreciate your support!

The calendar is subject to change. For the latest updates, please refer to jserra.org/calendar.

Follow JSerra Athletics on Instagram and Twitter!

TRACK AND FIELD
Senior Peter Herold and junior Anthony Grover competed at the CIF State Meet this past weekend with both making the podium racing against the toughest competition in California. The 1600 went out hard and fast with the talented field racing as a pack through the first three laps. With 300 to go, the leader made a move which Grover answered finishing in 4th place with a season best of 4:10.60. Herold finished one second behind for 6th place on the podium in 4:11.85. Herold followed up with an incredibly hard double — racing the 3200 later that evening. In a lightning fast field, he finished in 8:58 for 4th place and a new JSerra school record despite the fact he was forced to hurdle over a fallen runner in a tightly packed 2 laps into the 8-lap race. It was a phenomenal end to a remarkable season for the Running Lions' dynamic distance duo!

FOOTBALL
Football will be hosting their First Annual Alumni Golf Tournament on Monday 7/8 at Oak Creek Golf Club in Irvine. The tournament is an 18-hole shotgun with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and golf at 8:30 a.m. Thereafter, participants will enjoy a luncheon where the Lions will retire alumnus Dante Pettis' jersey and honor the 2014 #1-in-OC team. Learn more about player registration and sponsorship opportunities!

NLI SIGNING
Congratulations to Boys Basketball's DJ Rodman for signing his Letter of Intent to play basketball and continue his education at Washington State University. We are proud of DJ and all our 34 NLI student-athletes who have worked hard and shown true grit and commitment both athletically and academically to achieve their goals of playing college sports.

ATHLETIC AWARDS
Congratulations to senior Isabella D'Aquila of Girls Soccer for being named Trinity League Athlete of the Year as well as Orange County Athletic Directors Association's Female Athlete of the year. JSerra Athletic Director Chris Ledyard, Assistant Athletic Director/Head Baseball Coach Brett Kay, and Girls Soccer Head Coach Greg Baker were in attendance for the award presentation at the OCADA Awards Dinner on Tuesday. Coach Kay exclaimed, "One of the best this state/nation has seen is Izzy!"

SAILING
If you have an incoming freshman who's interested in sailing, JSerra Sailing is offering a course during Summer School from 6/17-7/3 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. (Monday through Friday) in Dana Point Harbor. For a fee of $1100, students will learn how to sail with the Dana Point Yacht Club and receive five course credits! Questions? Contact Mrs. Wendy Adam at wendym.adam@jserra.org. Register here (select "Freshman" when asked what type of Summer School course you are registering for).