This week our community suffered the loss a young Bruin alumni as a result of a tragic car accident. This student was a graduate of the class of 2009 and her loss will leave a huge hole in the hearts of the many who knew her. We lift her up in prayer today and all of our departed Bruin alumni.

All powerful God, whose mercy is never withheld,

look kindly on all who have departed this life

and number them among your saints for evermore.

It is our certain faith that your Son,

who died on the cross, was raised from the dead,

the first fruits of all who have fallen asleep.

Grant that all who have gone to their rest in Christ

may share in the joy of his Resurrection.

We particularly remember Melissa Martin and all of our departed Bruin alumni.

The Lord bless them and keep them.

The Lord make his face shine upon them and be gracious to them.

The Lord lift up his countenance upon them and give them peace.

Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace.

Amen.

To my Bruin Family,

This Friday marks the end of our thirteenth week in school and the end of the 1st Trimester. I myself am using this time to pause and reflect on the academic, social, and spiritual growth of our students as well as how we've grown as a school community. While I am impressed at what has thus transpired, I recognize that we as a community must consistently seek to grow. This year I've received emails and had conversations with parents in which they expressed their satisfaction with our academics, community events, extra-curricular activities, and more. I've also received emails and been in meetings with parents who've expressed concern over a particular area that they feel needs improvement. I want to be clear that I gladly welcome any and all feedback as we work together to provide a safe and secure environment for our students in which we can champion student achievement.

As we draw nearer to the Thanksgiving holiday and as I sit here admittedly listening to Christmas music as I type this note, I want to extend my sentiments of gratitude to this wonderful community for entrusting me with the responsibility of caring for and nurturing your children in their educational journey. You have my continued commitment as we head into the next trimester and for the months and years to come.

Have a blessed weekend!

Mr. Ryan Nearhoff

The JUMP Retreat is specific to 2nd grade students and families in preparation of their sacraments but all are welcome to attend.

Thank you to all families who participated in the See's Candy Fundraiser! Thanks to your efforts we brought in over $5,500 in profit! Our individual and class winners will be announced shortly.

On Saturday, November 23rd from 1:00-3:00pm, our PTO will host a special Mother/Special Person and Son event at St. Dorothy. Join us as we transform our field into a laser tag arena and let the games begin. Click the link below to purchase your tickets! The deadline to purchase your tickets is Monday, November 18th.

Our 1st trimester ends today. We have seen great growth across our student body academically, socially, and spiritually and we are looking forward to seeing the continued growth of our students as the year progresses. Parents, we will be closing Gradelink until the teachers conclude their grades on Wednesday, 11/20. You will still receive all communication as usual. Report cards will be going home on Friday, 11/22.

1st Trimester Academic Awards will be presented after mass on Friday, 12/6. Academic Awards are presented to students in grades 3-8, except for the Citizenship Award which will go to two students in each grade level. See below for our criteria for academic awards...

• Scholastic Award 4.0 Grade Point Average in all Academic Subjects plus an “O” in all Satellite Subjects, “O” in Behavior, and an “O” in Work Habits
• The Bruin Gold Award 4.0 Grade Point Average in Core Academic Subjects
• First Honors 3.5– 3.9 Grade Point Average in Core Academic Subjects
• Second Honors 3.0 – 3.4 Grade Point Average in Core Academic Subjects
• Citizenship Award (All Grades) Awarded to two students each trimester who exhibit consistently excellent work habits and behavior and fully exemplify the Schoolwide Learning Expectations.

Next Friday we are excited to offer a Junior Boot Camp as part of our Bruins Explore program. Learn basic military skills, from one of our very own veterans, Marlon Espiritu! Learn how to march, fold clothes, salute... and more! Please turn in your form by 11/19. Thank you!

We are excited to partner yet again with Our Lady of the Angels to make some holiday magic for several families in the LA area! See below for further details and each family's shopping list.

We are hosting our next Parish Blood Drive on Tuesday, November 26th. Take a moment before the Thanksgiving holiday to make a difference for someone in need! For this drive, every donor gets a pair of Friends socks!

Just a reminder that we will have a Wear Red Day fundraiser to benefit Red Cross on Tuesday, Nov. 19th as we ramp up to our approaching Blood Drive on the 26th. See the flier below for details.

Please see the message below from Ms. Ruiz and our Student Council regarding an upcoming service project...

Dear Parents,

As we approach the holiday season, we are reminded of the importance of service and giving back to our community. We are excited to announce that the St. Dorothy’s Student Council is hosting a volunteering opportunity at Shepherd's Pantry in Irwindale on Monday, November 25th, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This project is open to both students and parents, and we hope to come together as a Catholic school community to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

If you and/or your child are interested in volunteering, please register using this Event Link.

We look forward to coming together as a community for a day of service, and we are grateful for your support in helping those in need.

Thank you for your consideration and for instilling the spirit of service in our Bruins.

Warm regards,

The Student Council and Ms. Ruiz

We are seeking contributions for the St. Dorothy Catholic School Family Recipes Cookbook as part of a spring fundraiser. My own parents are still holding on to the 1989 edition from my grade school and still use those tried and true recipes. See the flier below for details on submitting recipes. Thank you!

Congratulations to our Week #1 and 2 Football Mania Winners and thank you to the ticket seller families!!!

• $25 - Aaron Giron (ticket sold by the Long Family - Grade K)
• $25 - Yvonne Ribbons (ticket sold by the Grant Family - Grades 1/6)
• $25 - Jason Lin (ticket sold by the Flores Family - Grade 2)
• $25 - Rolo/Lily Iglesias (ticket sold by Nikolas and Noah Mojica)
• $25 - Gregory Moore (ticket sold by Gemma and Grant Moore)
• $25 - Tim DeWeese (ticket sold by Aiden Vargas)
• $50 - Scott Schoenick (ticket sold by Piper Nearhoff)

Click below for the November menu!

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!

November 16-17 || Strive to manifest trauma-informed sensitivity

What are some practical ways we can interact with others that are trauma-informed? We can be mindful of what we talk about and how, recognizing that certain topics can trigger a trauma memory. We can also take those topics seriously, refusing to participate in jokes or disrespectful comments. Another thing to consider is how we touch others, even casually or in a friendly manner — we can never know how a well-intentioned hug or pat could be taken by someone who has suffered abuse or trauma. For more tips, read the VIRTUS® article “Being Trauma Informed” on lacatholics.org/did-you-know/.

November 23-24 || Child pornography and artificial intelligence, part 1

Many child abusers maintain a “collection” of pornographic materials, including images, either real or fake, of their victims or intended victims. Abusers will often manipulate these images for their own purposes — for example, cropping or editing a photo or a video in a suggestive manner, or adding other elements to create a preferred image. While this is not new behavior, it has become increasingly more dangerous with the introduction of artificial intelligence. For more information, read the VIRTUS® article “Artificial Intelligence – Deepfakes and Child Abusers” on 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