We are thrilled to announce a historic performance by our Junior High Academic Decathlon teams ("AcaDeca" ) at this past weekend's Regional Competition. For the fourth consecutive year , SJA is advancing to the National Competition! With 30 students from grades 5–8 participating, our teams demonstrated incredible dedication and school spirit. The Results Our two teams swept the top spots, continuing a 10-year streak of winning the Super Quiz: Gold Team: 1st Place Overall, 1st Place Super Quiz, and 1st Place Logic. Blue Team: 2nd Place Overall and 2nd Place Super Quiz. Individual Gold Medalists: Celine Banzon (Current Events) Terri Bekhit (Religion) Matias Ponce (Social Studies) Anya Larrabure (English) Elsie Peschke (Science) Additional Honors: Evie Malfavon: 2nd Place (Current Events - Blue Team) Maite Larrabure: 3rd Place (Literature - Gold Team) Julianne Chandra: 3rd Place (Fine Art - Gold Team) More Than Just a Competition The goal of AcaDeca is to make learning fun and inspiring. This year’s highlights included a field trip to the zoo to study mammals and a special blessing from Father Michael of St. Elizabeth Seton. "The most rewarding part is seeing our students grow in confidence and leadership. They learn to work as a team while excelling individually." — Sylvia and Zarina Berens What’s Next? As our Gold Team prepares for the National stage—where SJA has placed 2nd for the last three years—we thank our former high school decathletes, all the parent volunteers, and the entire community for their support. Go Crusaders!

With the first week of Lent now in our rearview mirror, the "desert" doesn’t always feel like a spiritual journey; it often just feels like a long, exhausting week. Between the school runs, the sports schedules, and the Lenten sacrifices that seemed much easier to keep early on, we can all feel a bit "under construction." That’s why a huge milestone happening in Barcelona this week, is so perfectly timed for us. The Sagrada Família —a church that has been a "work in progress" for over 140 years—has finally reached its full height. A massive, glowing white cross was just placed atop the Tower of Jesus Christ, making it the tallest church in the world. Why this matters for us: Antoni Gaudí, the architect, knew he would never see the finished product. He spent his life designing "twisting stone branches" and "organic flowers" made of rock, trusting that future generations would finish what he started. As parents, we are in the exact same position. We are building masterpieces every day, but we rarely see the "finished tower" in real-time. The "Slow Build": The new cross is made of 15,000 individual ceramic pieces. Think of those as the tiny, often invisible things you do: the late-night comfort, the math help, the 500th reminder to say "thank you." They don't look like much on their own, but they are the literal stones of your child’s growth and character. Verso l’Alto (To the Heights): Our school theme isn’t about being perfect right now; it’s about the climb. Like the proposed grand staircase at the basilica, our kids (and we!) grow step by patient step. The Beauty in the Unfinished: Gaudí is currently a "Servant of God" on the path to sainthood. He didn’t become holy because he finished the building; he became holy through the mission of building it.  Lifting Our Eyes In these desert-like days between Lent and Easter, when motivation wanes and the finish line feels distant, let the Sagrada Família remind us: greatness is built slowly, joyfully, toward the heavens. It took over a century of "showing up" to reach the sky. Whether it’s a difficult math concept, a struggle in friendship, or a Lenten sacrifice, every small effort is a "porcelain piece" in the larger masterpiece of your child’s life. The heights await—keep climbing!