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

Dear SMA Community,

First, an update on my mother. She is doing much better, and we have moved her into a memory care unit, where she will receive 24/7 care. Her sister and brother-in-law live about a mile away, so family is very close and visits frequently. My Mom is in Amarillo because it is her hometown where she grew up and lived before meeting my Dad. Thank you for your prayers!

In the Catholic tradition, October is the month of the Rosary (click the hyperlink for information and resources), and we have various activities planned for students. Specifically, we will gather as a school community in the church next Wednesday morning for a Living Rosary, during which all will participate actively in this special prayer.

Another reminder that Friday, October 11th, is a school holiday because our teachers will be attending an all-day professional development session hosted by the Office for Schools (Diocese of San Diego). Please plan accordingly since school will not be in session.

Additionally, there is no school on Monday, October 14th, as we observe Indigenous People’s Day (aka Columbus Day; click the hyperlink for details). School shall resume on Tuesday, October 15th.

For students who were absent on our school picture day last month, please note that our make-up school picture day is on Thursday, October 17th, so please ensure your student is at school that morning.

Also, our first Middle School Dance is on Friday, October 18th, at 5 pm. Details to follow.

Finally, our annual STEAM Night is on Thursday, October 24th (5:30 – 7:00 pm). 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 10/9/24

Dear SMA Community,

THANK YOU to all who attended our Family Fun Night last Friday night! Indeed it was a very fun night with our children running and playing and dancing. The pie-throwing event was especially “tasteful” and fun–I somehow managed to be the “target” of a winner from second grade with a pie pan overflowing with whip cream! Mmm, so good! This pie raffle raised over $500 for our Student Council, so we appreciate your support. Further, a big THANK YOU to our PTO Co-Presidents, Melanie Rivera and Juliana Anthony, for spearheading and coordinating this event. Perhaps next year we get the Dads Club to BBQ for us!?

Tomorrow, our eighth graders will be visiting Our Lady of Peace Academy (the girls) and Saint Augustine High School (the boys). Their day will begin earlier than normal as they are scheduled to meet at SMA around 7:30 am and depart by 7:45 am. Thank you to the parents who will be driving and chaperoning for this high school “shadow day”.

Calling all dads to come to the next meeting of the SMA Dads Club: Thursday night (5:30 pm) at Hennessey’s Tavern in La Jolla! Good food and fellowship will be served and enjoyed by all!

On Friday, we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Asissi with our annual Blessing of the Animals on the junior yard (8 am). Bring your pets for a special blessing from Fr. Pat.  If you cannot bring your pet on Friday morning, Fr. Pat will be blessing animals for the parish on Saturday morning at 10 am in front of the church.

Also, since Friday is the First Friday of the month, we invite and encourage all moms to join the Moms’ Rosary Group for an hour of morning prayer from 8 to 9 in the chapel at the Mary Star of the Sea parish center/office (contact Diana Anderson for details).

Please remember that next Tuesday is our next Spirit Wear Day and pizza will be served for hot lunch. Also, it looks like students in grades TK through 3 will be on a field trip to Oma’s Pumpkin Patch that morning, but they will be back to enjoy their pizza (and the fourth graders have a field trip to Mission San Luis Rey, but they will not be back for pizza).

Additionally, a reminder that Friday, October 11th, is a school holiday because our teachers will be attending an all-day professional development session hosted by the Office for Schools (Diocese of San Diego). Please plan accordingly since school will not be in session.

Finally, I will be absent from school next Monday through Wednesday as I need to be with my mother in Amarillo, Texas. She is not in good health, yet she is in good spirits. I ask that you keep her in your prayers (her name is Linda).

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

With blessings and gratitude,

Jamie Brandt

Principal

Mensaje del Director 10/2/2024

Dear SMA Community,

FAMILY FUN NIGHT is this Friday night, September 27th (6-9 pm)! Please plan to join the fellowship and fun on our junior yard. Pizza will be served, so please reserve your meal TODAY by clicking here. Also, the SMA Student Council will be selling raffle tickets for a chance to throw a pie at your homeroom teacher (and possibly even the principal?). You will have an opportunity to meet our cheerleading team and to dance the night away at our DJ Dance Party!! Parents, please note that you will need to supervise your own kids as our teachers are present for the fun also and are not “on duty” for childcare responsibilities. Additionally, be sure to bring cash for the raffle (and I believe the cheerleaders will be selling spirit hair bows).

Today we are celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month by hosting our annual Taco Fest. Senora Pina superbly coordinated this “muy deliciosa” lunch for our students and staff in the Parish Hall. Moreover, for the last couple of weeks, she was working with the students in their Spanish classes, teaching them about hispanic artists and engaging them with cultural craft projects, which were then used to decorate the walls in the hall. Muchas gracias, Senora Pina! And a sincere appreciation for the many parent volunteers who were helping out during this special lunch, as well as for those parents who donated food items! Muchas gracias!

Tomorrow is $1 Denim Day! Students may wear denim (jeans) tomorrow if they bring in $1. These dollars will be collected and donated to the Missionary Childhood Association (click hyperlink for information).

So we completed our first cycle of Star testing in math and reading. You will receive a Star report this Friday that shows the results for your student(s).

The season of Fall has begun, and we begin a new month next week (can you believe it’s October already?). Middle school families will receive a progress report for Trimester 1 for their student on Wednesday (to be reviewed, signed, and returned on Friday). On Thursday, our 8th grade girls will visit Our Lady of Peace Academy and our 8th grade boys will visit St. Augustine High School. On Friday, we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Asissi with our annual Blessing of the Animals on the junior yard (8 am). Finally, I invite all moms to join the Moms’ Rosary Group for an hour of morning prayer from 8 to 9 on Friday.

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

With blessings and gratitude,

Jamie Brandt

Principal

Mensaje del Director 9/25/24

Dear SMA Community,

FAMILY FUN NIGHT is quickly approaching! Please plan to join our school community on Friday, September 27th (6-9 pm) on the junior yard for a “festival of fun for the whole fam!” Get ready to dance the night away at our DJ Dance Party! SMA Student Council will be selling raffle tickets for a chance to throw a pie at your homeroom teacher (and possibly even the principal?). Please reserve your spot TODAY by clicking here! (Information also below in this newsletter.)

Last night, we had our first School Advisory Board meeting for this new school year. The SMA Board is advisory in nature and purpose. There are eight members of the SMA Board, most of whom are current or past parents (see this newsletter for a list of the members). Their responsibility is to assist and advise both the Pastor and the Principal in matters of operational policy for the school. This includes establishing a long-range strategic plan, developing advancement and marketing strategies for the school, advising on the school budget to reflect the needs of the school, and overall supporting the mission and Catholic identity of the school. The SMA Board meets monthly, and I will keep you apprised of our meeting topics and discussions as we move forward.

On Friday, our 6th, 7th and 8th graders will gather in the Parish Hall for a spiritual retreat following drop-off. The theme is “God’s Team.” Mrs. Moreau (7th Homeroom) is serving as the Retreat Coordinator with Fr. Pat and the middle school teaching team assisting with the discussions, reflections and activities. The retreat will close with the school Mass.

Looking forward to next week, we have our next Spirit Wear and Pizza Hot Lunch on Tuesday, and our Taco Fest for the students on Wednesday (part of our recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month; coordinated by our TK-3 Spanish Teacher, Señora Pina).

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

With blessings and gratitude,

Jamie Brandt

Principal

Mensaje del Director