Welcome Transfer Students! 

This welcome and registration page was created for all transfer students. It includes information such as what you need to do before school starts, important dates, required physical forms and graduation requirements.

Serra uses PCR Educator, a web-based school information management system that manages student data and securely shares academic records with students, teachers and parents. Families will receive an email from Keith Strange with directions on how to create an account in PCR by mid June. If you do not receive this email by June 15, please contact us. 

Near the end of June, all families will receive an electronic summer mailing that includes information about logistics, policies and procedures (student handbook), medical info, carpooling, orientation, photos, Madres' Club and Fathers' Club.

All new families will begin receiving our weekly summer bulletin. This is a great source of information to keep you abreast of key information and connected to our community.

Carpool information comes out with the summer mailing. All families will receive a survey requesting interest in carpool formation. We encourage you to complete the carpool interest form. Serra will then group families in the same area and send out the lists in late July.

Students may wear collared shirts (polos), Serra t-shirts, or dress shirts. Students can wear jeans (no tears or holes), khaki pants or shorts, and sneakers or dress shoes. No athletic shorts, athletic pants (sweats) or open-toe shoes/slippers are allowed. Serra sweatshirts or sweatshirts with a small logo (no larger than a fist) are also allowed.

Certain masses will be designated as “dress up” where students are required to wear dress shirts, ties, slacks, and dress shoes.

All students must be clean shaven, hair must be neat and at the collar. Students are not allowed to wear “man buns”, bleach or highlight hair, color hair or have long hair. When unsure, contact the school.

Occasionally we get questions about hair and religious beliefs. When in doubt, encourage students to contact the school for clarity.

Every incoming student must submit a medical form that documents a physical exam within the last year.  These are due on July 31 and can be submitted to via email to the admissions office. 

If your son is considering participating in any sport at Serra, create an account and upload the physical to the athletics clearance website. Families who upload their physical form are not required to email the physical form. Information about the physicals (due dates and where to submit them) is provide above.

We understand Shelter In Place has prevented non-urgent doctor visits and we may need to be flexible.  Contact the admissions office if you are unable to schedule an appointment with your pediatrician by July 31.

Yes, we will make sure that your son is partnered with a Big Brother who can be a point of contact for him. Your son will meet his Big Brother during orientation on August 15.

Along with your son’s Big Brother, we will pair your family with one of our Parent Ambassadors. Ambassadors will reach out to you during the summer to initiate an informal meeting, along with other transfer student families. They will be a resource for you throughout the year and we encourage you to reach out whenever you have a question.

Serra parents contribute annually to the Padre Fund to ensure the school can meet its top priorities for the year. You will hear more about the Padre Fund in the fall and our goal of 100 percent parent participation, regardless of the amount. The Padre Fund is a source of pride for the parent community and we look forward to having everyone participate.

Unfortunately, we don't have a program like this yet - but that could be a great initiative for 2020-2021!

We are also disappointed about this delay and are working with our online vendor to see if we can decrease the turnaround time.  In the meantime, we encourage students to order their Serra gear as soon as possible.  We know they aren't as much fun, but collared shirts/polo shirts are also acceptable if students don't have Serra t-shirts.

While we appreciate that you are receiving communication from different constituents right now, you will see a slow down in communication in the coming weeks. You will receive emails regarding technology orientation in June, course schedules and orientation in the beginning of August, and a weekly Wednesday Serra “Summer Bulletin” to keep you abreast on the happenings of Serra. You may see additional departmental communications as it relates to COVID-19 or the beginning of the school year.   

Dates will be announced and sign ups open beginning in June. Look for an email around June 15 with instructions about how to log in to PCR (the parent/student portal).  Once you are in PCR, you will be able to sign up for a tech orientation and access your summer math assignments.

Near the end of June, students will receive, via email, a list of the courses they are registered for.  This list of courses can be used to order books but does not include the class schedule.

In early August, students will receive via email their class schedule. The class schedule gives the days and times for class meetings as well as the teachers for those classes.

Books can be ordered online through MBS direct beginning in July. Books should not be ordered until you receive your class list (end of June). MBS direct often has used books available for sale (if a physical book is required) but they sometimes go quickly so if you are interested in used books, order early.

Some courses use online textbooks, some use physical textbooks and some use a combination or let students decide. Each teacher makes independent decisions about what material best supports his/her class.

Serra is a ‘Bring Your Own Device’ school. While Serra doesn’t dictate the device a student uses, we do require that it meets minimum system requirements. Requirements can be found here.

Summer homework is an important way for students to retain the skills and knowledge developed over the school year and help with the smooth transition into a new school.  Students should expect to be evaluated on their summer work at the beginning of the school year.  

Math: Aall students will have math homework over the summer (regardless of what level math they are placed in).  Math homework will be available by logging on to PCR (after June 15).

English: all students are expected to read over the summer. Please check Summer Reading online. It will also be available through PCR (after June 15).

ARC students do not need specific devices or software that differs from the standard requirements for everyone. The ARC office does have additional tools available for students to borrow to help support their learning plans. For example, this could be a computer in a quiet space to take an exam or recording pens for note taking (student must get teacher's permission to record), silencing headphones, etc.

General questions regarding ARC can be directed to the admissions office. Specific questions related to your son should be directed to Gayle Rosenberg. Please note that all incoming ARC families will be required to attend an ARC meeting at the beginning of the year.

Clubs: Club Day takes place in the fall soon after school starts. This is a great opportunity for students to learn about the wide variety of clubs offered at Serra and to sign up for what interests them. 

Sports: There will be info about how to sign up for fall sports in the summer mailing.  All new families are required to attend an Athlete and Parent Orientation held Tuesday, August 18. Check the school’s calendar in August for time.

Visual and Performing Arts: Auditions for the fall play will be the first week of school.

There will be a mandatory Athlete and Parent orientation on Tuesday, August 18. Students who are interested in playing any sport at Serra should attend this meeting. Please look on the school calendar for the exact time.

We hope to have a decision on fall sports over the summer. 

Students continued to follow an A/B block schedule on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays were reserved for counselor meetings, home room meetings, teacher office hours and student activity periods.

Teachers taught their classes in a virtual setting through Zoom classes. Our teachers were already well versed in using interactive educational tools and technology in their classrooms, so the switch to distance learning was easier than they expected. Teachers engaged the students with tools like EdPuzzle, ScreenCastify, Flipgrid, Kahoot, ClassZone and worked hard to make the classes as interactive as possible.

Students received grades (as opposed to pass/fail). This rewarded the students for the work they were doing and held them accountable. Teachers worked with students one on one if they faced particularly challenging circumstances at home.

Finals this semester were not cumulative and were worth up to 10 percent of semester grade.  (finals are typically 20 percent of the semester grade). Most finals were project-based assessments (papers, essays, videos, other projects). This change allowed teachers more flexibility to focus on the concepts that they thought were important, assess comprehension in different ways and relieve some of the pressure students were feeling while still holding them accountable.

Athletics: All spring coaches have been reaching out to athletes on their teams to keep them engaged and active.  Strength Coach Brian Carson has been holding workout classes open to all students. Mr. Willet has morning stretch breaks.

Club Activities: Clubs have virtual meetings and gatherings when possible. Trivia Club still holding its spring trivia contest, student government election are taking place, and The Serra Friar newspaper transitioned to an online format.

Campus Ministry: Campus Ministry holds weekly prayer services, masses or gatherings often organized by the student Encounter leaders. They have also organized distance service opportunities for students such as letter writing to older, isolated citizens.

Counseling: Counselors have reached out individually to every Serra student and family during the crisis. Additionally, they are holding regular group meetings with each homeroom.

Teachers and students adapted in a number of creative ways.

Music: Classes pivoted from group exercises to solo performances. The music director worked one on one with each student

Art/Ceramics: Initially students were given art supplies to take home with them.  When those supplies ran out (because shelter in place lasted longer than expected), new assignments utilized materials students could find at home.  They also worked on artist and museum projects like the Getty Museum Challenge. Check it out here.

Drama: Classes shifted to monologue practice instead of group scenes. Students also read and critiqued plays. 

Science Labs: Teachers used a number of online activities to simulate labs and create interactive learning. Tools like Nearpod let students manipulate science environments and observe, measure and quantify results.

The ARC conducted individual calls and outreach with each ARC student. They also reached out to teachers as needed to advocate for ARC students in their classes.

Every aspect of school life is being evaluated from small details to logistics to large gatherings. Extensive new cleaning and hygiene practices are being developed for classrooms, administrative offices, common areas, library, and athletic facilities. Cafeteria service and seating is being reconsidered and designed.

Serra is communicating regularly with the San Mateo County Office of Education, San Mateo County Health Officer and the SF Archdiocese to be proactive and fully informed about public health and safety requirements and recommendations.

Serra is developing a range of options for the 2020-21 school year with Plan A representing a full return to school as usual, Plan E representing a complete online distance learning environment and Plans B, C, and D representing various hybrid models. We also understand we may start the year with one model and then either gradually or suddenly need to migrate to another one. Our goal is to be flexible and prepared to offer the most enriching and meaningful college prep education possible regardless of the restrictions on our movement or interactions. 

There is a tremendous amount of work taking place this summer to prepare the school and the community for any one of these plans. Preparation includes new hygiene and safety practices, technology upgrades, professional development and creative thinking.

No decisions have been made yet about fall sports. The athletic director is in regular communication with the Western Catholic Athletic League (WCAL) and other athletic officials. All schools in our league are in the same situation and likely to make the same decisions about fall sports.

Serra is committed to working with families who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are concerned about your ability to pay tuition, please review and complete the new financial assistance form here.

Yes. Before COVID-19, students who were absent from school did not have the opportunity to Zoom in to be part of the class. Given the experience we've had with Zoom teaching so far, teachers will be much more comfortable with that option for ill/sick students. The same could be said for faculty who may have to stay at home because of COVID-19.

We don't know yet. The athletic director is in regular discussions with the league administrators and we do not know yet when decisions will be made. 

The first day of classes will be Tuesday, August 18, 2020 and that date is firm. There will also be some form of orientation on Saturday, August 15. This is a mandatory orientation for all incoming transfer students. Orientation date is subject to change. We will notify you if the date changes.

Yes, transfer students can participate in summer conditioning. This year, there are strict guidelines in order to ensure the health and safety of our athletes. Please contact Justin Ferdinand for information if you would like to participate.

We understand Shelter In Place has prevented non-urgent doctor visits and we may need to be flexible. Contact Admissions if you are unable to schedule an appointment with your pediatrician by July 31.

We are awaiting guidance from our WCAL and CCS organizations. Physical exams are required of all athletes and are in the best interest and health of an athlete to complete every year. Doctors' offices are beginning to schedule appointments. It is recommended that you contact your doctor's office and schedule a physical appointment today. It is not recommended that you wait to schedule the appointment. The deadline for physicals remains the same until further guidance is provided by the WCAL and CCS.