Give Your Children The Gift Of Music

Posted September 5, 2019

Stella Maris Academy’s student bandleader, Mr. Andrew Elstob of Paul Effman Music, was here yesterday to introduce children to the many instruments that are available for lessons. The flute, trumpet, alto saxophone, clarinet, trombone, tuba, bells, drums and piano are all available for lessons for grades 3-8 in the Star Center; violins are offered to grades 1-8. If you have any questions about your child’s participation in band, please contact Paul Effman Music directly at info@pemusic.com or 516-921-4543. Sign-up forms are due next Wednesday, September 11^th.

Parents may know that the benefits of music education extend well beyond childhood, lasting a lifetime. Music education is shown to have a multitude of benefits. It helps sharpen attentiveness, abstract reasoning and creativity. Children who are musically trained have stronger every day listening skills. Music engages both sides of the brain and challenges children to simultaneously concentrate on multiple tasks. Music and math are highly intertwined. Music also helps children develop coordination and motor skills as well as self-discipline and self-esteem. Students that participate in music programs consistently score higher in English and mathematics than their peers.

“I know that the most joy in my life has come to me from my violin. If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”
Albert Einstein

Stella Maris Academy Celebrates the First Day of School with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony!

Posted August 21, 2019

This morning at 7.30am a large group of parents, students, parishioners and members of the press gathered outside of the Stella Maris Academy administrative offices for our ribbon cutting ceremony.

Father Patrick Mulcahy, the Parish Pastor, greeted the crowd and blessed the new reception and offices, prior the ribbon cutting by Mrs. Francie Moss, Principal and Mrs. Patricia Lowell, former Principal and Mr. David West, who provided the construction services during the summer to the front office reception area and the new principal’s office.

After the ribbon cutting, the students went to their classrooms and parents and guests entered the school office to see the new office spaces, as well as the newly donated statues of Jesus with Children, Our Lady of Guadalupe and a beautiful double- heart cross that were all generously donated by parishioners of Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church. Everyone enjoy coffee and refreshments that were hosted by the Parent Teacher Organization in the Star Center.

The PTO also had several sign-up sheets for this year’s school programs and special events. To volunteer this year with the PTO, please contact Tania Ronchi, PTO President, at 858-333-9386 or taniahynesronchi@me.com.

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY AT STELLA MARIS ACADEMY

Posted August 16, 2019

NEWS RELEASE

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY AT STELLA MARIS ACADEMY

Stella Maris Academy, the Parochial School of Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church, will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony at 7.45am on Wednesday, August 21, 2019 to mark the remodeling of the school’s administration offices and reception area. The event will take place on the lawn in front of the school’s offices at 7654 Herschel Avenue, prior to the start of classes on the first day of school and the start of the new school year.

During the ceremony Father Patrick Mulcahy, the parish pastor will bless the new offices and reception. The Principal, Mrs. Franice Moss and honored guests will take part in the ribbon cutting.

Following the ceremony, guests will be able to view the new offices and reception area, enjoy coffee and treats in the adjacent Star Center, which will be hosted by the Stella Maris Academy’s Parent Teacher Organization. Parents will also be able to turn in school registration forms and purchase used uniforms in the Star Center. Tours of the campus will also be available.

Following the July 1^st appointment of the principal, Mrs. Francie Moss and the pastor, Father Patrick Mulcahy, the school has had several refurbishments including new ramps in the junior school yard to facilitate wheelchair users.

Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church, founded in 1909, is named in honor of the Blessed Virgin. In 1937, the current church was built and designed in the Spanish Colonial revival architecture by Carleton Monroe Winslow (1876-1946), the renowned architect. Mary, Star of the Sea Church welcomes up to 800 worshippers per weekend and has an overall membership of nearly 1,000 families.

Stella Maris Academy is a National Blue Ribbon Award-winning transitional-kindergarten through 8^th grade Catholic school located in the heart of the Village of La Jolla. For over 70 years Stella Maris has provided academic excellence and the finest in Catholic school education by dedicated staff in a nurturing environment. The Western Catholic Education Association and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges accredit Stella Maris Academy.

Contact: Jennifer Ledfors, Director of Advancement, Stella Maris Academy

T: 858-454-2461

E: jledfors@stellamarisacademy.org

Our New School Year Begins Soon!

Posted August 2, 2019

We hope you have had a wonderful summer! School starts in just 19 short days. All summer long we have been working hard in the school office and around the campus to make your 2019-2020 school year the best ever!

If you have not yet had the chance to turn in your Back-to-School Paperwork, don’t hesitate to drop by the office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Clariza at (858) 454-2461.

We can’t wait to see all of your smiling faces on Wednesday, August 21st for the first day of classes!

Vote for SMA in La Jolla Light’s Best of La Jolla

Posted July 2, 2019

We hope you are having a wonderful summer! We wanted to make sure you were aware that Stella Maris Academy is in the Best of La Jolla Light 2019 Reader’s Poll.

When you have a moment, please place your vote for SMA (via the clickable link below). You can vote once a day – every day – until August 5th. Stella Maris Academy is in the Private School area of the poll. Thanks so much!

VOTE NOW!!

SMA Recycling

Posted June 11, 2019

Thank you for supporting our CRV bottle and can recycling program that benefits the Missions. During the 3rd trimester of the 2018-2019 school year, we raised $165. For the entire school year, we realized $689. For the entire history of the program, dating back to 2005, we have given $15,747 to the Missions.

Mr. Erickson will be coming to SMA every week or so over the summer. If you would like to help our program, please leave your bagged recycling on the inside of the black double gate beneath the “Stella Maris Academy” arch in the Senior Yard. Again, thank you for helping us to live the part of our Mission Statement that addresses taking care of the earth and the poor.

Summer Work

Posted June 10, 2019

Want to come back to school in the fall and attend our ice cream social? What about having the math department serve you pancakes? If either of these options interest you, please take a moment and check out the information below.

Every summer our students are asked to read and complete math assignments (grades 4-8) to help prevent the summer slide. Below you will find the links needed for these assignments.

Middle School Reading (6-8) – We are asking all students to read at least three books over the summer and be ready to give a Book Talk (directions attached) when they return to school.

Mrs. Marcelino’s Ice Cream Social Summer Reading Log – Students in kindergarten through third grade are asked to read and record 10 picture books or 3-4 beginning chapter books. Students entering fourth through eighth grade are asked to read three chapter books.

Summer ALEKS assignments (4th-8th) – Students in fourth through eighth grade are asked to complete 8 ALEKS assignments over the summer with a score of 90% or higher. If students score lower, they can use the Quick Retake option to simply redo the problems they missed. Assignments can be found in the upper left-hand corner of ALEKS by clicking on the three lines and selecting “Assignments”. It is strongly suggested that students complete the 8 ALEKS topics before working on their personal pie if they are close to finishing their pie so as to not lose their work on the assignments.

Thank you! We hope you have a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, August 21st.

Meet and Greet – Monday, June 3rd

Posted June 2, 2019

Our new Principal, Mrs. Francie Moss, and our new Pastor, Father Pat Mulcahy, will be on campus this coming Monday, June 3^rd, from 3.15pm until 4pm for an informal Meet & Greet in the Junior Yard. You are warmly invited to stop by to say “hello” and to get to know them. They are both very much looking forward to their new appointments at Stella Maris Academy and becoming a part of the community!

NEW PASTOR AND NEW PRINCIPAL BEGIN THIS SUMMER

Posted May 30, 2019

Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church and Stella Maris Academy will welcome a new pastor and principal on July 1, with the appointments of Father Patrick J. Mulcahy and Mrs. Francie Moss.

Fr. Pat was born in San Antonio, Texas to an Air Force family. He grew up in Germany and Spain, and is fluent in Spanish. Upon return to the U.S. and California, he earned a B.S. in Economics from UC San Diego. Soon after, he felt a call to priesthood and received a Master of Divinity Degree from St. John Seminary, in Camarillo, and was ordained for the Diocese of San Diego in 1995. He has served in many diverse parish settings and is currently Pastor of St. Joseph Cathedral in Downtown San Diego. Fr. Pat’s many passions beyond his ministry include travel and sports and the opportunity to meet new people and new cultures.

Mrs. Francie Moss, a native San Diegan, is currently the principal at Holy Trinity Catholic School. Mrs. Moss graduated from San Diego State University with a Liberal Arts degree and teaching credentials; later, she received a degree in Education Administration from National University. Her 36-year teaching career has been dedicated to Catholic Schools in the Diocese of San Diego. Fifteen years ago, Mrs. Moss transitioned from teaching into education administration as the principal at St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic School in Oceanside, where she worked along side Pastor Fr. Pat Mulcahy.

Fr. Pat and Mrs. Moss have toured the Stella Maris Academy campus and Mary, Star of the Sea church, met the students and staff, and are equally delighted on their new appointments.

Both the out-going pastor and principal will be retiring at the end of June. Mrs. Patricia Lowell, has been with Stella Maris Academy since 1993, first as a teacher, and then as the principal for the past 13 years. Pastor, Father James Rafferty, has been the Mary, Star of the Sea pastor since July 1, 2008 and has been in the priesthood for 47 years.

On Friday, June 7, Fr. Mulcahy will be returning to Stella Maris Academy to concelebrate with Fr. Jim at our Last Day of School Mass. Fr. Pat will also be the homilist at that Mass that day.

Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church, founded in 1909, is named in honor of the Blessed Virgin. In 1937, the current church was built and designed in the Spanish Colonial revival architecture by Carleton Monroe Winslow (1876-1946), the renowned architect. Mary, Star of the Sea Church welcomes up to 800 worshippers per weekend and has an overall membership of nearly 1,000 families.

Stella Maris Academy is a National Blue Ribbon Award-winning transitional kindergarten through 8th grade Catholic school located in the heart of the Village of La Jolla. For over 70 years Stella Maris has provided academic excellence and the finest in Catholic school education by dedicated staff in a nurturing environment. Stella Maris Academy is accredited by the Western Catholic Education Association and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.