Dear SMA Community,

Happy new year, happy Epiphany, and welcome back to school as we begin 2025!

In the life of the Church, we are still in the Christmas season, though stores and many homes have pretty much sold out of, taken down or put away their Christmas merchandise and decorations. This past Sunday, we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany, which recalls the visit of the three wise men/kings/magi to the infant Jesus in Bethlehem.This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. After this Sunday, January 8th, we enter the liturgical Season of Ordinary Time (during which the liturgical color is green).

Speaking of Epiphany, the school continues this week to honor the visit of the three wise men to the infant Jesus. Msgr. Mark and I will be visiting each classroom to bless and dedicate the space for the new year–part of a long-standing Catholic tradition in which homes are blessed by writing the letters C, M and B and the numbers of the new year on either side of the three letters above the main door: “20+C+M+B+25”. The letters represent the three wise men: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar; the “+” represents the cross of Jesus.

Additionally, the theme of our school Mass this Friday is the Epiphany, during which the TK students will be the living Nativity scene and the K and 1st grade students will participate as readers (our 8th graders will provide the music). Please join us!

For the next 6-8 weeks, we have 12 Korean exchange students joining our school. They are spread out in almost every grade. SMA partners with Columbus Junior, a foreign exchange student program for students from South Korea. These students and their parents come to our country for a short period of academic and cultural opportunity–typically when their schools are on a break. This is a great opportunity for our students to interact and make friends with children from a different country. For a list of the Korean students who are with us, please see this newsletter.

We also begin a new season of sports: soccer and basketball. Each week, we will highlight the achievements of our student athletes. THANK YOU to the parent volunteers (and our own Mr. Christiansen) who are coaching the teams. Please see this newsletter for further information, including a link to the website for the weekly game schedule.

Looking forward to next week, please note that we will administer the second cycle of our Star Math and Reading assessments on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, immediately following our schoolwide morning prayer and announcements. We have made it a priority to designate a quiet testing period that supports all students and ensures they are focused and do their best. In this regard, please ensure your student is at school on time (and well rested) on Tuesday, January 14th, and Thursday, January 16th.

Finally, remember that there is a four-day holiday weekend beginning Friday, January 17th, to commemorate the Martin Luther King, Jr., federal holiday on Monday, January 20th (Friday is a professional development day for SMA teachers). (There will be Cub Care after school on Thursday, January 16th.)

Thank you sincerely for your continued support and partnership.

With blessings and hope,

Mr. James Brandt

Principal

Mensaje del Director

Dear SMA Community,

Happy Advent! In this third week of the Advent season, the theme is joy. “Joy is a very real and deep happiness that is rooted in faith and trust. In this third week of Advent, we pause and reflect on the first half of the season, as well as look ahead to the last weeks. The joy that we have and will experience during this season magnifies as we continue to prepare for the coming of Christ, who is full of joy” (University of San Diego Advent Reflections).

Tonight we gather as a school community to celebrate the sights and sounds of Christmas at our annual Christmas Pageant. I look forward to hearing our students sing songs that give witness to this very special time of the year. I hope all y’all are able to be with us!

A reminder that tomorrow (Thursday, December 19th) is a minimum day (12:30 pm dismissal), and there will be NO CUB CARE after school. The school office will close at 1:00 pm so that all faculty and staff may attend a special Christmas luncheon (hosted by Fr. Pat) and begin their Christmas break. School is closed on Friday, December 20th, and will resume on Monday, January 6, 2025.

As we approach the joyful celebration of Christmas and prepare to break for vacation, I want to take a moment to reflect on the blessings of this season and express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for being part of the Stella Maris Academy community.

Christmas is a time to rejoice in the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, whose light shines brightly in our world, bringing hope, peace, and love. Throughout this Advent season, our students have beautifully embraced the spirit of giving and reflection, preparing their hearts to welcome the Christ Child. From prayerful moments during Mass and service projects to joyful celebrations and classroom activities, the love of Christ is evident in all we do.

As we pause for Christmas break, I encourage you to cherish the time with your loved ones. May your homes be filled with the warmth of family, the joy of togetherness, and the peace that only Christ can bring.

On behalf of the faculty and staff, I wish you a blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with health, happiness, and God’s abundant grace. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday, January 6th, to continue growing together in faith, knowledge, and love.

May the light of the Star of Bethlehem guide you, and may the peace of the Holy Family dwell in your hearts always.

Merry Christmas and God bless you!

With blessings and gratitude,

Mr. James Brandt

Principal

Mensaje del Director

Dear SMA Community,

Happy Advent! In this second week of the Advent season, the theme is peace. During Mass, we hear the celebrant (priest) echo the words of Jesus, “Peace be with you.” “Simple, but transformative words during a time of stress and anxiety. We are invited during the week to welcome peace in our lives. It is when we accept a spirit of peace that we are transformed and able to embrace Jesus, the Prince of Peace” (University of San Diego Advent Reflections).

We did it! Stella Maris Academy’s float for last weekend’s La Jolla Christmas Parade achieved the “Best Overall” award for the FOURTH year in a row! THANK YOU to the extremely dedicated and talented core of parents who made this achievement possible: Jeanne and Ben Liem, Karla Onstott, Francie and Vic Moss, and many other parents! A special THANK YOU to Stephen Pierce for the trailer! (See a couple of photos below and many more in this newsletter.)

For those of you (like many of us who are counting), there are FIVE more days of school before we break for Christmas vacation! Very exciting, yet there is A LOT happening between now and then.

Today in the life of the Church, we honor our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary under her title as Our Lady of Guadalupe. There was a large celebration today in the parish, and tomorrow the school will celebrate both Mary and Joseph with our annual “La Posadas”. Though our festivity will be scaled back somewhat with Sra. Pina on leave, nonetheless we hope you come join in the fun on the junior yard and in the Parish Hall from 1:00 to 3:00 pm on Friday, December 13th.

We have our monthly School Family Mass this Sunday, December 15th, at 9 am. Please plan to join us for the Third Sunday of Advent. (Additionally, the parish is hosting an Advent Penance Service at 4 pm on Sunday.)

On Wednesday, December 18th, SMA students will entertain our school families in our annual Christmas Pageant (6:00 pm in the church). You will enjoy the wonderful sights and sounds of the Advent and Christmas season from the faces and voices of our awesome students!

Finally, a reminder that Thursday, December 19th, is a minimum day (12:30 pm dismissal), and there will be NO CUB CARE after school. The school office will close at 1:00 pm so that all faculty and staff may attend a special Christmas luncheon (hosted by Fr. Pat) and begin their Christmas break. School is closed on Friday, December 20th, and will resume on Monday, January 6, 2025.

Thank you for entrusting Stella Maris Academy with your children’s education.

With blessings and gratitude,

Jamie Brandt

Principal

Mensaje de la Director

Dear SMA Community,

Happy Advent! In the life of the Church, we have transitioned from the Season of Ordinary Time into the Season of Advent. Moreover, in this first week of Advent, we are also in a new Church year, which began on Sunday, December 2nd. I spoke a bit about this in my “Welcome back” email to the school community that same day, so please go back and read it if you missed it.

Concomitant with our focus on Advent, we may find ourselves caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations and all of what that means (e.g., decorating, shopping, party planning/attending, etc.). Hence, I encourage each of us to take intermittent breaks amidst these “distractions” to pause and reflect on the truly special meaning of this season.

This morning, our students in grades 3-8 attended an Advent Penance Service in the church. Fr. Pat spoke briefly about the importance of Advent, and then he, Fr. Mark and Fr. Clement were available to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation (“Confession”) for the students. Those who are not Catholic (or those who have not received their Sacrament of Baptism/First Holy Communion) were invited to receive a blessing in lieu of confession and absolution.

Two of our students, Mac and Harper Belmonte (members of our Junior High Academic Decathlon team), spearheaded and organized a giving campaign in which students were asked to donate their gently used sports equipment. There was a box outside of every classroom during the week before Thanksgiving break, and each one was either full or close to full–in fact, 2nd, 5th and 6th grades collected the most items! Mac and Harper delivered these items to a local organization for children in need.

We do have another giving campaign happening now in 3rd grade: as part of their class service project, the students have organized a canned dog food drive to benefit “Frosted Faces”, a wonderful non-profit organization dedicated to helping senior dogs find their forever homes and receive essential care. See this newsletter for more information.

THE BIG AND MOST IMPORTANT EVENT forthcoming is this Sunday, December 8th: the La Jolla Christmas Parade! A committee of parents (including our previous principal, Mrs. Moss and her husband, Vic) have been working on our Christmas float since before the first day of school! I am very excited about our entry for this parade, as well as the special opportunity to showcase our school. We hope ALL SCHOOL FAMILIES AND STUDENTS will join us for the parade on Sunday. WE STILL NEED PARENT VOLUNTEERS FOR THE DAY OF THE EVENT–contact Karla Onstott! Please see this newsletter for all of the details (and call the school office with any questions).

Finally, in the life of the Church, we honor the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother Mary on Monday, December 9th. This is a holy day of obligation for Catholic Christians, so we will have a school Mass that morning at 10:30 am. We welcome and encourage parents to join us for this special Mass. All students shall wear their Mass uniforms to school on Monday, December 9th.

Thank you for entrusting Stella Maris Academy with your children’s education.

With blessings and gratitude,

Jamie Brandt

Principal

Mensaje del Director 12/5/24

Dear SMA Community,

What a fun morning we had at the La Jolla Recreation Center! The school community assembled there for “The Drumstick Dash!” Students ran multiple laps around the grass field and asphalt courts–several students tallied into the high 20s! There were many parents and others from the SMA community on hand to assist and cheer on our runners. I hear we have surpassed our goal of $15K, so THANK YOU to everyone who supported our Drumstick Dash fundraiser!

For the remainder of the week, we have minimum days (12:30 pm dismissal) with Parent/Teacher Conferences in the afternoons. Thank you, parents, for making time to meet with your child’s teachers. This is a very important part of our partnership with you as we commit ourselves to meeting the learning needs of every student.

A reminder that there is NO CUB CARE on Friday, November 22nd. ALL students must be picked up upon dismissal at 12:30 pm. The school office will close at 1 pm in observance of our Thanksgiving break. School will resume on Monday, December 2nd.

Finally, I want to wish every SMA family and staff member a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING! This is a special time for families and friends to gather and celebrate their love and appreciation for one another. For me, Thanksgiving is a bit more special than Christmas because there is less focus on gift-giving and a greater focus on just being with one another. I pray that God will bless you and your family with peace, joy, and love.

Enjoy this Thanksgiving break, and THANK YOU for entrusting Stella Maris Academy with your children’s education.

With blessings and gratitude,

Jamie Brandt

Principal

Mensaje del Director

Dear SMA Community,

THANK YOU to all who contributed a photo or other memorabilia for our Veterans Day Memorial Display last week! We enjoyed a special schoolwide Veterans assembly last Friday morning following drop-off, during which our guest speaker, Commander Zach Scheetz, spoke with our students about his career in the US Navy and the nature of service. THANK YOU, CDR Scheetz, for your service! Many parents joined us at the assembly as well, and we are continually grateful for your support.

For those families who did share an item for the display, all items are available for pick-up from Mrs. Bailey in the school office.

This Friday marks the end of our first grading period. We are sending home report cards for Trimester 1 tomorrow so that you will have them for review prior to our Parent/Teacher Conferences (PTCs) next week.

Speaking of PTCs, you should have had an opportunity to sign up for a meeting time with your child’s teacher. This is a great opportunity to meet with your teacher and review the learning progress of your child.

With PTCs as the primary focus next week, please remember that Monday, November 18th, is the only full day of school; Tuesday through Friday next week are minimum days (12:30 pm dismissal), and Cub Care will be open each day next week EXCEPT FRIDAY, November 22nd. On Friday, our school will close after dismissal to observe our Thanksgiving break.

Finally, we have our first school fundraising event happening next week: The Turkey Trot!!! This will take place on Wednesday, November 20th, beginning at 8:30 am at the La Jolla Recreation Center. We have T-shirts available for purchase for all students in the school office, with ALL PROCEEDS from the sale going directly to the school (we were blessed by a benefactor who covered the cost of the T-shirts for us). Please see this newsletter for more information, and we hope everyone will join us for this very fun event!

Thank you for entrusting Stella Maris Academy with your children’s education.

With blessings and gratitude,

Jamie Brandt

Mensaje del Director 11/14/2024

Dear SMA Community,

I hope, like me, you exercised your right to vote this past Tuesday in the presidential election. It was a historic one, yet I feel our country remains in great need of peace and healing. Regardless of how each of us may feel about the outcome, we should be confident and assured that our school community stands united in our mission and values.

Our Catholic Christian faith calls us to be instruments of peace, seeking understanding and compassion even in moments of uncertainty or division. As a school family, we continue to pray for our leaders, our country, and each other. Our role as educators and parents is to model hope, empathy, and respect, teaching our children to be thoughtful, loving, and resilient individuals.

On Wednesday morning, I spoke directly to all students on the senior yard after morning prayer and announcements. I spoke specifically about respect, referring to the respect pledge we make every morning as school begins. In that pledge, we acknowledge that each of us is different; each of us has our personal likes and dislikes. We are taught to respect these differences, acknowledging that each of us is a child of God and recognizing Jesus Christ in our classmates and in our staff. Further, there are conversations regarding personal preferences (such as those involving politics) that should be had at home around the dining room table, yet would not be appropriate at school given the high level of emotion and sensitivity they entail. I challenged each student to mean the words they say in our respect pledge every morning–to not let these words fall flat and become meaningless. I ended this short conversation with all of us standing up, raising our right hand, and reciting the respect pledge together in a deliberate manner, focusing on what we were saying.

So let us move forward together, rooted in faith and confident in God’s guidance. May we continue to work together to sustain a school community where all feel safe, respected, and empowered to make a positive difference in our world.

Tomorrow (Friday, November 8th), we will honor our military veterans (both living and deceased) during our Veterans Day Assembly and Prayer Service, which begins at 8:15 am in the Parish Hall. Students may wear red/white/blue or military-themed add-ons to their Mass uniform in honor of our veterans. Please plan to join us on Friday morning!

Of note, there is a Veterans Memorial Display in the Hall honoring veterans from our school families. This display will be viewable by all after our Veterans Day Assembly, and it will remain in place through next Wednesday, November 13th (just come to the school office for access to the Parish Hall during the school day).

A reminder for all families that Monday, November 11th (Veterans Day), is a school holiday. Additionally, there is NO CUB CARE after school on Friday, November 8th. Please plan accordingly.

Thank you for entrusting Stella Maris Academy with your children’s education.

With blessings and gratitude,

Jamie Brandt

Principal

Mensaje del Director

Dear SMA Community,

Yesterday and today, we celebrated Dia de los Muertos with the students in the Parish Hall. Muchas gracias to Senora Pina for all of her hard work in this cultural activity, which included fresh-baked (and delicious) pan (bread), arts and craft activities, and ofrendas! See this newsletter for photos.

Tomorrow is Halloween, so please remember that students do not wear costumes to school on Halloween. In lieu of costumes, students may wear Halloween-themed/colored add-ons and/or they may wear a Halloween-themed/colored t-shirt under their uniform polo.

On Friday (All Saints Day!), I invite you to join us for our school Mass at 11:15 am. Prior to Mass, the school community will gather in the Parish Hall to begin our annual Saints Procession at 10:30 am. Many of our students will be dressed in their saints costumes!

Of note, there will be a Vigil Mass for All Saints Day (a Holy Day of Obligation) at 6 pm on Thursday, October 31st, at Mary, Star of the Sea Church. Also, there is a special Vespers Service in the church on Friday evening, November 1st (see this newsletter for details, or go to the parish website).

Please remember to send in your photos or memorabilia for our first annual Veterans Memorial display that will be set up in the Star Center (our little gym). We are asking for photos or memorabilia of military veterans (living or deceased; separated, retired or on active duty). Please drop off your items as soon as possible as we will be erecting the display next week. See this newsletter for further details.

Finally, a reminder that Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday, November 3rd. This means that we all need to retard (set back) our clocks by 1 hour before going to bed Saturday night!

Thank you for entrusting Stella Maris Academy with your children’s education.

With blessings and gratitude,

Jamie Brandt

Principal

Mensaje del Director 10/30/2024

Dear SMA Community,

First of all, I ask for your prayers for Vic Moss, husband of our retired principal, Francie Moss. He has been experiencing heart complications, but is receiving the expert medical attention he needs. Vic and Francie have been very active with the committee working on our Christmas float entry for this year’s Christmas parade in La Jolla. Please join me in offering up our prayers for his continued healing and good health.

In honor of our Month of the Holy Rosary and our focus on the dignity of life and the promotion of peace throughout the world, the student body gathered in Mary, Star of the Sea Church this morning for our Living Rosary prayer. Fr. Pat and many parents joined us as well. It was good for all of us to come together united in this special prayer.

Please join us TOMORROW night for our annual STEAM Night: Thursday, October 24th (5:30 – 7:00 pm) in the Parish Hall. This is going to be a “spook-tacular” event! Students should bring their “pumpkin racer” for entry in the competition; pizza will be served for those who had reserved slices in advance. All of our teaching staff will be on hand and working the various STEAM stations to engage and excite our students.

Looking ahead, we enter the final week of October next week, which means Halloween and All Saints Day! Please remember that students do not wear costumes to school on Halloween, but they may wear orange and black add-ons. Of note, La Jolla Village is hosting its annual Creepy Candy Crawl (formerly known as “Pillage the Village”) after school on Thursday, October 31st.

Additionally, there will be a Vigil Mass for All Saints Day (a Holy Day of Obligation) at 6 pm on Thursday, October 31st, at Mary, Star of the Sea Church. As a school community, we will host our annual Saints Assembly and Procession on Friday, November 1st, at 10:30 am in the Parish Hall, during which many of our students are in their saints costumes. The procession concludes with our Friday school Mass at 11:15 am.

Finally, please note that we have officially kicked off our active campaign for this year’s Gala Fundraiser–An Evening of Enchantment–to be held at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla on February 8, 2025! All details, including donor and sponsorship opportunities, can be found in our Gala Newsletter (see the link below in this school newsletter).

Thank you for entrusting Stella Maris Academy with your children’s education.

With blessings and gratitude,

Jamie Brandt

Principal

Mensaje del Director

Dear SMA Community,

I hope y’all enjoyed this past holiday weekend. Indeed for the staff and me, it was a welcomed break, especially as we gear up for the last half of October–many events and activities before us!

I mentioned in last week’s newsletter that this is the Month of the Holy Rosary. Our school-wide Living Rosary prayer was moved from this morning to next Wednesday morning (9:30 in the church). You are invited to join us!

TOMORROW (Thursday, October 17th) is our school picture make-up day. For those students who missed this opportunity last month, they should plan to have their picture taken tomorrow. These students will need to be in their Mass dress uniform (at least the top half). This is the final opportunity for school pictures!

Our first Student-of-the-Month Assembly is this Friday, October 18th (8:05 am), during which we will recognize a student from each grade who exemplified the virtue of “respect” during the month of September. Also on Friday, our Student Council will host the first Middle School Dance (5-7 pm in the Hall).

This Sunday, October 20th, marks our next School Family Mass (9 am). Please plan to join us for our Eucharistic liturgy. Students who attend the Mass in uniform will be eligible for free dress on Monday (they should look for me at the front of the church–near the altar–after Mass to receive their “free dress pass”).

Finally, our annual STEAM Night is on Thursday, October 24th (5:30 – 7:00 pm). This is going to be a “spook-tacular” event! See this newsletter for a flier with details.

Thank you for entrusting Stella Maris Academy with your children’s education.

With blessings and gratitude,

Jamie Brandt

Principal
Mensaje del director 10/16/24