Heavenly Father,

We turn to You in this time of great trial, as the wildfires rage across Los Angeles. Protect those in danger, comfort those who have lost their homes, and welcome into Your eternal embrace the souls of those who have perished.

Lord, we pray for the firefighters and first responders. Grant them strength, courage, and safety as they battle the flames. May Your guiding hand lead them to protect lives and property.

Holy Spirit, inspire us to be instruments of Your peace and love, supporting our brothers and sisters in need with our prayers, resources, and compassion.

Mother Mary, Queen of Angels, intercede for us in this hour of need. Bring hope to the hopeless and healing to the afflicted.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

AMEN.

Dear Bruin Families,

This week we experienced a cancelled school day and have dealt with poor air quality and entire school days indoors, but it doesn’t compare to the damage and heartache experienced by the thousands of families who lost their homes or their lives as a result of the fires. Catholic schools and churches just like ours have sustained serious damage or been completely burned to the ground. We, as a school and church community, will continue to lift up the victims and responders in prayer and seek opportunities in which we can assist those in need.

As we draw nearer and nearer to Catholic Schools Week, events like this remind us of the power of community and how these classrooms, halls, and buildings, and the memories that fill them mean so much to the people that teach, learn, and grow in them. May we all look at our homes and school and all of their imperfections this weekend with gratitude for the shelter they provide and the for the walls that contain our most cherished memories.

Have a blessed weekend!

Sincerely,

Mr. Ryan Nearhoff

Our community of Glendora was very fortunate this week to escape much of the devastation we are seeing across the greater LA area. While many of us were without power and breathing in polluted air, our homes are still intact and unscathed. I know many of you are assisting your loved ones who have lost property or were evacuated and I hope that we, as a school community, can continue to pull together to assist those in need. We've started a collection for the LA Archdiocese that will benefit churches and schools affected by the fires. The link to donate is below. I've also included links to other charities and organizations where we can lend a helping hand. Thank you for your efforts!

We will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week from Jan. 26th-Jan. 31st. Each day will be themed and we will participate in special activities to celebrate our school and Catholic education. Please see below for a list of special dress up days to join in the fun. We apologize that these dress up days were not on the initial calendar. These dress up themes are suggested to add to the fun but are not required. Students will be permitted to wear free dress on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday whether or not their outfit matches the theme. We do require that all students follow our non-uniform dress guidelines. Thank you!

Monday (Celebrating our Nation) - Wear Patriotic Clothing (Red, White, and Blue)

Tuesday (Celebrating Faculty, Staff, and Volunteers) - Dress like your favorite staff member

Wednesday (Celebrating Vocations) - Mass Uniform

Thursday (Celebrating Students) - Free Dress in House Colors

Friday (Celebrating Community) - Dress like a Champion (Athletic wear, super heroes, or your favorite athlete)

We are seeking to build our online database of Bruin Alumni. If you are still in contact with or know any Bruin alums, please send them this link and encourage them to join our database. We will be having special opportunities for alumni at this year's Beats and Brews and want to invite back as many as we can.

Our St. Dorothy Apparel store has reopened so that you can stock up on your SD swag. Make sure to check out our newly featured, warm winter fleeces! Shop now and until January 19th!

The 6th Grade Catalina Trip will take place from March 7th-9th, 2025. There are 17 available slots this year and will be offered on a first come, first served basis. We will be hosting an information session for any families interested in registering their child for this year’s trip on Wednesday, January 15th @ 6pm in the 6th Grade classroom. Please contact Mr. Nearhoff if you have any questions.

We are excited to welcome back the team of educators at EPIC Programs for some more STEM-based, after school programming in the new year. They will be offering two different courses and will be joining us during lunch on January 8th to provide a demo for the students. The classes begin on Thursday, January 16th and Friday, January 17th. Class times are from 3:15-4:15pm on Thursdays and 1:15-2:15pm on Fridays. The cost for the full 6 week program is $150. The classes being offered are...

Rocket Racers 🚀 (Thursdays, 3:15-4:15pm for 6 weeks - ALL GRADE LEVELS)

• Rocket Racers is a class that focuses on aerodynamics to build 5 different types of rockets that students are able to launch. Students are taught to construct their rockets after lessons on force, lift, balance, engine design, drag, and more!

Reaction Time 🧪 (Fridays, 1:15-2:15pm for 6 weeks - ALL GRADE LEVELS)

• Using the scientific method approach, students will learn how to control enzymatic reactions, build polymers, and experiment with Non-Newtonian fluids. This curriculum focuses on the chemical elements involved in each experiment.

Congratulations to our Week #10 Football Mania Winners and thank you to the ticket seller families!!

• $25 - Andrew Martinez (ticket sold by the Martinez Family - Grade K)
• $25 - Heather Kerr (ticket sold by the Kerr Family - Grades 1, 2)
• $25 - Scott Schoenick (ticket sold by the Nearhoff Family - Grade 2)

Click below for the January menu.

We bid farewell to Ms. Victoria Sandoval at the end of December as she moves on to her next assignment after staying on extra to serve at St. Dorothy for the first half of the school year. We are excited to welcome Ghadir Saad to our Bruin family next week. See below for her bio.

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

January 11-12 || The REPORT Act protects minors online

A bipartisan bill passed last year is helping internet platforms protect children from abuse and enticement in their online interactions. The REPORT Act, passed in May 2024, requires U.S.-based online platforms to report child sex trafficking and online enticement to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). To assist with this, NCMEC has issued guidelines intended to help online platforms play a crucial role in protecting children by recognizing key signs and indicators of child sexual exploitation. For more information, visit https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2024/first-line-of-defense-guidelines-to-help-online-platforms-detect-sexually-exploited-kids.

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