O God of Creation, you have blessed us with the changing of the seasons.

As we welcome the autumn months,

may the earlier setting of the sun

remind us to take time to rest.

May the brilliant colors of the leaves

remind us of the wonder of your creation.

May the steam of our breath in the cool air

remind us that it is you who give us the breath of life.

May the harvest from the fields remind us of the abundance we have been given and bounty we are to share with others.

May the dying of summer's spirit remind us of your great promise that death is temporary and life is eternal.

We praise you for your goodness forever and ever.

- Author Unknown

Dear Bruin Family,

What an exciting and spirited week! Students showed up in PJs, Mix and Matched clothes, House Colors, and Sports Gear. Most importantly, students showed up in school spirit and it made for an exciting week! It was so wonderful seeing our students and families embrace the fun and engage in friendly competition at our Spirit Rally on Thursday. One of my favorite things about the rallies is seeing students gather in their houses (Charity, Faith, Love, and Hope) and work together across grade levels!

We have a lot of fun activities and events ahead of us as we move into October. Being that our newsletter is full of info I will keep my message brief.

I want to wish all families a great weekend and I pray that you find a bit of rest before the months ahead of back to back holidays!

Sincerely,

Mr. Ryan Nearhoff

On Friday, October 4th we will have our Fall Picture Day! We will no longer have mass that day but students must be in mass uniform for the pictures. You can place your picture order online or by sending in the form on picture day. Click the button below to order your pictures online. Our school code is S498.

We are seeing an increase in sick students and have had several children staying home due to illness in recent weeks. Please remind your children to regularly wash their hands and avoid touching their face when possible. Also, we ask that you please follow our school policy regarding illness which states...

Children showing symptoms of illness should be kept home and remain at home for 24 hours after the symptoms (i.e. elevated temperature, vomiting, etc.) disappear.

We thank you for supporting us in keeping our campus a healthy and safe environment for all!

We ask that all parents and guardians who pick up and drop off students at St. Dorothy drive safely on the streets surrounding our school and in our carline. Please follow all traffic rules when on Valley Center and avoid using the middle lane to cut the line at all costs. Additionally, when exiting through the south exit please proceed with caution when turning onto Valley Center remaining mindful of students from the high school and oncoming traffic.

Finally, please remember to drive slowly while on campus at all times! Thank you!

Come out and support our Bruin teams! See below for the Fall Volleyball and Football schedules.

We've updated our mass schedule next week due to picture day. The mass originally scheduled for Friday, 10/04 has been moved to Tuesday, 10/01. This mass will be hosted by our 5th grade class. All families are welcome to attend as usual!

On Wednesday, October 2nd we will have our Sacramental Orientation for all of our second grade families with children preparing to receive the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion in 2025. This is a mandatory meeting for the parents of our students receiving their sacraments. Ideally both parents should be in attendance but we understand if only one parent can attend. Children are welcome to attend if childcare is unavailable but please note the length of the meeting and come prepared with silent activities for your child(ren). The meeting will take place from 5:45pm-8:00pm in the church.

🎫 461 tickets sold!!! I know we can do more for our school, Bruin family! In order to help you do so, I am offering another incentive to help you with those volunteer hours! The required amount of tickets to be sold is 10 but if you sell 25 or more tickets by October 11th, you will receive an hour of service! Mr. Nearhoff has sold 37 tickets to date and most purchases came from a single social media post!

A special shoutout to our top-selling families!

• The Olivas Family - 22 tickets sold
• The Fessler Family - 20 tickets sold
• The Caparas Family - 18 tickets sold
• The Higashida Family - 17 tickets sold
• The Hnatiuk Family - 17 tickets sold
• The Vargas Family - 17 tickets sold

Today is the last day to register so set up your page now if you haven't done so already! Thank you for your support!

We are extremely excited to host our 5th Annual Trunk or Treat at St. Dorothy Catholic School and Church on October 25th from 6:00-8:00pm. We are asking for donations of candy for the event to stock up all of our booths! Please bring your donations to the school office and label them for Trunk or Treat. Thank you!

Our Beats and Brews committee is well underway in planning for this years event taking place on Friday, May 9th at St. Dorothy Catholic School. We are very excited to improve upon the success of last year and raise even more to support the continued success of St. Dorothy and our Endowment Fund. We are seeking sponsorships for the event and encourage you to review the flyer below if you, or someone you know, might be interested. Thank you for your support!

Click on the links below to sign up for regular volunteering opportunities to start completing those parent hours!

Thank you to Mrs. Hnatiuk and all who volunteered to assist with our first Bruins Explore event today! Between the car racing and crafting, plenty of fun was had by all! If you have an idea for a Bruins Explore experience, please sign up below and help us to foster the whole child in their learning experience at St. Dorothy Catholic School.

Our Virtus facilitator, Tina Northcutt, is looking for any parent volunteers who would be interested in facilitating VIRTUS classes for St. Dorothy Catholic Church and School. If you are interested in being trained to lead classes please contact Tina at northcutttina@gmail.com

All time volunteered will count as volunteer service hours for the school!

October is Respect Life Month!

In honor of Respect Life Sunday, October 6th, Life, Justice and Peace Ministry of St. Dorothy will be accepting donations of diapers, new and used baby items after each Sunday Mass to be given to the Foothill Pregnancy Resource Center in Duarte. They will have a table outside of church to collect the items. For more information contact Lisa Thorpe at (626) 327-4955.

On the weekend of October 12/13, the parish will host it's Ministry Fair. After each mass, all of the ministries at St. Dorothy will set up a table to talk about what their ministry does and seek new members to join. As the largest ministry of St. Dorothy Church, the school will be there to promote the wonderful things happening at our school. If any parents would like to volunteer at our table in their St. Dorothy gear to add some parent insights to any visitors we would love to have you! If you are interested, please email Mr. Nearhoff at rnearhoff@stdorothyschool.com Service hours will be granted for your time!

We are blessed to have been given some more resources from our on-campus counseling service, CPLA this week! See below for a resource for parents and one for students.

September 28-29 || STAR safety for parking lots

Consider using the STAR method to keep your children safe in parking lots. The organization Connecting for Kids offers the STAR method to remind children of simple steps when they are in a parking lot. S: STOP as soon as you get out of the car. T: TOUCH a safe space on your car and do not move. A: Pay ATTENTION to the cars around you and the directions an adult gives you. R: Wait for an adult to tell you that you are READY to go! For more tips, visit bagintheback.org.

October 5-6 || Why are personal boundaries important?

Personal boundaries are critical for every relationship and interaction we have in ministry or volunteer work. We set boundaries to protect ourselves and the people with whom we are interacting. As an employee or volunteer in ministry, you have an inherent, perceived power over those you serve. Because of this position of authority and power, the employee and volunteer’s priority should be the best interest of the person to whom they are ministering. To learn more about setting appropriate boundaries, read the VIRTUS® article “Ministerial Boundaries, Power and Authority” at lacatholics.org/did-you-know/.

To educate TK-Eighth grade students in a Catholic environment in which the curriculum emphasizes spiritual, ethical, and social values of the Catholic faith to become responsible and moral citizens within the global community.

Supporting the belief that parents are the primary educators of their children, we as educators at St. Dorothy Catholic School, dedicate ourselves to partner with the parents in preparing children to become contributing members of the community. To achieve this, we provide holistic development in psychological, emotional, social and physical health, with an emphasis on academics, faith, and Christian service.

In collaboration with parents, we champion student achievement through the presentation, practice, and study of Catholic doctrine, a strong academic curriculum, multimedia and multi-cultural experiences, physical education, extracurricular programs, and the dedicated commitment of the teachers and staff.

Email: info@stdorothyschool.com

Website: www.stdorothyschool.com
Location: 215 South Valley Center Avenue, Glendora, CA, USA
Phone: (626) 335-0772