Dear MCS Community,

The impact of last weekend’s tragedy is profound and the heartbreak, felt across the community, families, friends and schools, runs deep. God’s Word clearly tells us that we are to carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), love each other deeply (1 Peter 4:8), devote ourselves to praying for each other, meet one another’s needs (Acts 2) and, if someone falls, we are to help them up (Ecclesiastes 4:10). We want to be a community of believers that actively lives out these callings. It is with this heart that we invite the entire MCS community to participate in Koinonia Color Day next Friday, February 7th.

The Greek word, koinonia, can be translated as community. However, it is more than a word. It is an intention to be in communion or fellowship with one another in a manner that jointly meets a need and unifies the body of Christ. Our Koinonia Color Day will reflect this unified heart to demonstrate love and prayerful support to families and schools directly impacted by loss. We are hopeful that the entire MCS community will participate in the following ways:

• Support with Color Dress: As a grade level, wear the colors of the schools in our community who have experienced the loss of students, parents, and staff. The entire school will assemble for a picture at 8:10am which will be sent with a loving message to our brothers and sisters at these schools.
  • TK-1st: Red for St. Margaret’s Episcopal School
  • 2nd – 3rd: Blue for Ensign Intermediate
  • 4th – 5th: Gold/Yellow for Harbor Day School
  • Middle School: Orange for Orange Coast College

• Support with Prayer: By far, this is the most important thing we can do! Following our school wide picture, all students will return to class and be led in a time of community prayer by their teachers. In addition, all parents are invited to attend Parents in Prayer starting at 8:30am in the ASP room to pray together. How beautiful it will be to have our entire community praying, at the same time, for our brothers and sisters.

• Support with Generosity: Students are encouraged to bring in a cash donation of their choosing on this day. Teachers will collect funds which will be donated by MCS to the MambaOnThree Fund created by Vanessa Bryant to honor and support loved ones of the seven other victims of the tragedy.

Let’s be a community that carries burdens, loves deeply, and prays faithfully. Let’s be a community that stands with the hurting, responds willingly to meet needs, and humbly lifts one another up. Let’s be koinonia! Please join us so that we, the entire MCS community, Reflect the Son to those who desperately need to experience God’s comfort and the nearness of Jesus.

In Him,

Heather Harrison
Interim Head of School

Dear Middle School Parents,

We are looking forward to our Middle School Grandparents and Special Friends Day event on Tuesday, February 11th. If you are new to MCS, this is a wonderful opportunity for the grandparents, or an important person in your child’s life, to come to our campus for a snapshot of our middle school.

Our guests are invited to view the exhibits, shop at our student vendor booth, and enjoy light refreshments in the gym at 10:30 followed by a special program at 11:00 in our Argyros Center for Worship and Performing Arts. Following the program, students with guests in attendance will be released from class to join them for the pre-ordered lunch.

To preserve important instructional time, we respectfully request that students remain on campus for the entire day. In order to provide quality time together, we are offering an opportunity for our guests to stay on campus to eat lunch with their student. This lunch will be provided by TK Burgers and ordered by middle school parents for their student’s guests. It is offered on a pre-order basis.

• Grandparents and Special Friends have been instructed on the invitation to contact you (the parent) about purchasing and coordinating lunch. The TK-Burgers online order link (for parents) is as follows: http://marinerscs.org/tot-feb2020
• February 11th TK Burgers Lunch orders must be placed no later than 02/08. Late orders will not be accepted. Please note: TK Burgers orders will not be accepted for elementary students as this event is exclusively for our middle school students and their guests.
• Grandparents and Special Friends are asked to RSVP to the event at this link. This link will be included on the invitation you send to them but you may want to remind them.

The invitation can be printed so that you may hand-deliver or email it to the grandparents or special friends in your family who may want to join us. Click here to download the invitation. You may also pick up a copy in the MCS lobby. Be sure to pre-order the number of lunches needed for your child and guest(s) no later than 02/08.

The RSVP does not include the lunch order which is to be submitted by parents separately. If you have questions about the event, please contact Mrs. Celek, Community Connector, at scelek@marinerscs.org.

We look forward to this event and the opportunity to meet the important people in your child’s life.

Sincerely,

Heather Harrison, Interim Head of School and Middle School Principal

Tuesday, February 25 | 6:30pm in the Argyros Center for Worship and Performing Arts 

We see it everywhere: at parks, restaurants, in our homes and cars – kids connected to handheld devices and disconnected from the world around them. Our common sense says this cannot be healthy, yet we struggle to know how much is too much and set practical limits. The news tells us that teen stress, depression and mental illness are at an all-time high. Have you wondered if there is a connection?

Mariners Christian School is proud to present author and expert, Tom Kersting, for a night of learning How to Parent in the Age of Technology. Armed with the latest scientific research, Tom will present tips and tactics on how to help our children disconnect in order to reconnect with relationships and the world around them.

Come join us for a night of education and training in:

• The connection between technology use and mental health, backed by the most current scientific data
• Strategies for creating a balance with technology in our lives
• Ways to develop social-emotional health in our children
• Our role as parents to understand the impact of technology and better support our children.

This is too important of a topic to miss! This event is open to all MCS parents and friends of the MCS community. 

DOWNLOAD THE FLYER

About Tom Kersting

Tom Kersting is the author of Disconnected: How to Reconnect Our Digitally Distracted Kids.  He is a psychotherapist, school counselor, and a nationally renowned authority in mental health, parenting, and wellness.  He has 20 years of experience as a private practice therapist and school counselor and 12 years as a parent. Tom is a regular contributor to Fox News and has hosted advice shows for Food Network, A&E, National Geographic Channel and Oprah’s Wellness Network.

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