Dear Parent/Guardians,
Today we celebrate our Feast Day of the School. St. Oscar Romero is our secondary patron. Yesterday at the Principal Awards, I gave the life and history of St. Oscar Romero to the students and parents. I believe we have chosen a person to look up to as our Patron Saint. St. Romero was the Archbishop of El Salvador and became a martyr when he was killed celebrating Mass on March 24th, 1980. Romero was canonized on October 14th, 2018. He is known as “Saint Oscar Romero.” He stood up for the rights of the repressed in El Salvador during the seventies and, as a result, lost his life. After his death, civil war broke out, which ended in 1992.
A Short History
Romero’s outspoken defense of the poor—who were powerless victims of widespread violence—brought repeated threats to his life. In the face of those threats, Romero declared his readiness to sacrifice his life for the “redemption and resurrection” of El Salvador. His unreserved advocacy for human rights made him a hero to many. He was nominated for the 1979 Nobel Prize for Peace by several U.S. congressmen and 118 members of the British Parliament. The following year Romero was assassinated at the hands of an unknown assailant while saying Mass. The Comisión de la Verdad para–El Salvador (“Truth Commission for El Salvador”), approved by the United Nations, later concluded that a right-wing death squad had carried out Romero’s death. During his funeral, a bomb or bombs went off outside the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador, where tens of thousands of mourners were gathered at what has been considered one of the largest demonstrations in the country’s history. Gunfire then rained down on the panic-stricken crowd, leaving an estimated 27 to 40 people dead and more than 200 wounded from the violence and subsequent stampede.
Students are receiving a prayer card of St. Oscar Romero today.
Congratulations – Respect Life Essay Contest
Many of our students participated in the Respect Life Essay Contest, and our students performed well.
The following students won various prizes:
Third Grade – Grand Prize – Miguel Diaz
Third Grade – First Prize - Aria Cuyugan
Fourth Grade – First Prize – Luke David
Sixth Grade – First Prize – Lavanna Maharjan
A complete list of Honorable Mentions and Winners is attached as a pdf.
Re-Enrollment:
A reminder that you need to complete the re-enrollment process for the new school year 2022-2022. Due to COVID, we have decided to extend the re-enrollment deadline until Friday, April 15th, to give our families additional time and avoid the late fee. If you have any problems with the process, please contact Mrs. Cierra at 650 583 3562 or email at info@ssfallsoulsschool.org. Please contact our school office if you will not be attending in the fall.
4th Lane Closure
During the week, we have had 4th Lane closed due to road works. We have been informed that the closure will continue for another week. If there are changes to the time frame, I will notify everyone.
Free Dress Day – Friday, March 25th
To assist the children and displaced families in Ukraine, our Student Council is organizing a free dress day at the cost of $2.00. All proceeds will be sent to Catholic Relief Services in Ukraine. If you wish to give more, please do so. Thanks for your support for this worthwhile cause.
BINGO
Bingo will resume on Friday, April 1st, in the cafeteria. We will be using the cafeteria until the hall renovations are complete. Please let your friends know about the reopening of BINGO. All proceeds from BINGO go towards the school maintenance and building fund.
Return after Easter Break
After Easter Break, students will return to school with a negative COVID test result. We will be handing out a home test kit to each student before leaving for the Easter Break. We ask that parents conduct the test on Sunday night before students return on Monday. If there is a positive result, please email info@ssfallsoulsschool.org indicating that your child has a positive result. Thanks to everyone for keeping our school safe.
Sunday, April 3rd – School Family Mass
A reminder that on Sunday, April 3rd, we have our family school Mass at 10:30am. It will be great to see everyone at the Mass. Our 8th graders are preparing for this Mass.
Outdoor Education Program
The Outdoor Education program will start on Monday, April 4th, through Friday, April 8th, at YCW at Oxenford. Thanks to Mrs. Allen and Mr. Nicolas for organizing this valuable experience for the 6th and 7th grade students. We wish them all the best during the week.
5th Grade YES Program
The 5th grade students will participate in the YES Program led by the South San Francisco Police Department. It is a five-week program that will cover topics including bullying and decision making. There will be five sessions beginning tomorrow, Friday, March 25th, through May 19th. We are excited to partner with our community members to continue to educate our students about being responsible citizens.
God Bless and Stay Safe,
Vincent Riener
Principal
