August 2026 Parent Newsletter

Welcome back, Lancer Families! As we prepare for the upcoming school year, Campus Ministry invites you to start planning for our annual retreat traditions: Emmaus for Juniors and Kairos for Seniors.

We encourage every junior and senior to participate in the session that best fits their schedule. Please review the key dates and mandatory parent meetings below.

Registration details and sign-ups will be announced shortly after the school year begins. If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to Mr. Reynaga in Campus Ministry at mreynaga@bishopamat.org. 

We look forward to sharing these meaningful experiences with your students!

2026 Extravaganza

Save the date - it’s back! All families are asked to mark their calendars for Saturday, November 21 for the return of the biggest fundraising event of the school year, the 2026 Extravaganza! Taking place on campus in the Student Activity Center, all parents are invited to attend this most exciting Mardi Gras-themed evening of dinner, dancing (to That’s What I Like - the Bruno Mars Tribute Experience), and silent and live auctions. Tickets are $75 each, with table sponsorship opportunities available as well. Freshman families purchase two tickets and earn five (5) regular parent participation hours (a $100 value). More information regarding the ticket purchase platform and auction item opportunities will be forthcoming so stay tuned and plan for an evening of fun, fellowship and fundraising to benefit our school!

New Parent Participation Program Page

We are pleased to introduce the new Parent Participation Program page under the Parents section of the Bishop Amat website. This page was created to give families one convenient place to find everything they need to know about the Parent Participation Program.

Whether you're looking for volunteer opportunities, need a reminder of the annual requirements, or want quick access to important forms and contacts, the Parent Participation Program page is designed to make finding information simple and convenient.

The page includes an overview of the Parent Participation Program, a breakdown of Parent Pledge and volunteer hour requirements, volunteer opportunities organized by department and program, helpful guidelines, frequently asked questions, and quick links to important resources.

We encourage all parents to bookmark the page and refer to it throughout the school year as volunteer opportunities and information are updated. Thank you for supporting Bishop Amat through your time and service. Your involvement helps strengthen our school community and enrich the experience of every Lancer student.

Bingo Sign Up

The Bingo Volunteer Sign-Up link has been updated for the new school year.

Parents who need to complete their required Bingo volunteer hours should use the updated link to view available shifts and sign up. New volunteer opportunities will be added throughout the year so we encourage you to check back regularly when scheduling your hours.

Thank you for your continued support of Bishop Amat through the Parent Participation Program!

FACTS Account Reminders

Thank you to all families who regularly monitor their FACTS account. With student schedules now available for pick-up, parents are reminded that the July installment of tuition and 2026-2027 registration fees must be paid through FACTS in order for student schedules to be released.  

Parents of ninth graders and transfer students will soon note a $420 Chromebook fee assessed to their account, which covers the cost of their student’s Chromebook device and mandatory insurance. This fee will be withdrawn from FACTS accounts on Friday, September 11. 
 

Virtus Training

Any parent who volunteers to help with an activity on campus that involves working with our students is required to be Virtus trained.  If you are interested in potentially helping in this capacity, we will be holding a Virtus training session on Wednesday, August 12 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm in Room 108.  

Uniforms & Dress Code

Parents and students are asked to carefully review the updated Dress and Grooming Guidelines shared with families in the student schedule packets before making any uniform purchases.  These guidelines can also be found in the Lancer Life, as well as our school website.  All parents should ensure that their student owns the required uniform items which meet the established guidelines before the start of the school year.  This includes our formal Mass attire items for all students, as well as our liturgical/assembly attire items for female students only.  

Attendance Office

Parents are asked to review our school’s Attendance Policies and Procedures found in the Lancer Life.  Additionally, parents are reminded that students who are absent must provide a signed parent note to clear an absence as “verified”.  Notes can be emailed to attendance@bishopamat.org or dropped off at the Attendance Office when a student returns to school after an absence.  Any absence for which a parent fails to provide a signed note will be considered “unverified.”  Please be sure to always include your student’s name and ID number on all correspondence with the Attendance Office.

Student Drop Off & Pick Up

School begins at 8:05 am every morning and will conclude at 2:45 pm on regular days and at 12:45 pm on minimum days.  Students can access the campus via the gates on Orange (by the faculty/theater parking lot) and in front of the school.   Students will also exit the campus via these gates.  

In the mornings, parents are reminded that the faculty/theater and student parking lots are strictly OFF-LIMITS before school.  No parents should be driving into either lot in the morning to drop off students.  Students who drive themselves to school are the only vehicles allowed to drive into the student lot located on the westside of campus.  

After school, again, parents are asked to not drive into the student lot to pick up students until after the cones have been removed and the Security Officer allows admittance.  This is for the safety of our students so we appreciate your cooperation with this!

The beginning of the school year can be pretty hectic in the morning for drop-offs.  Please be sure to allow yourselves plenty of time to arrive at school on time.  With an 8:05 a.m. start time, it is highly recommended that you drop your student off well before the start of school to allow time for congestion or delays and still give your student time to go to his/her locker and get to class on time. 

Please note that we do not allow students to wait for their rides in front of the school or on Orange unattended.  If you arrive after 3:15 pm to pick up your student, please have him/her wait for you in the covered lunch area.  We ask that you then drive onto campus to pick him/her up in the back of the campus.  

Lastly, we ask that all drivers who come to our campus be mindful of, and abide by, all of the traffic laws, as well as traffic signs posted around the campus especially with regard to no parking in red zones or no parking on Fairgrove between 7:30  to 8:30 am and 2:00 to 3:00 pm. 

Closed Campus

Parents are advised that we are a closed campus.  Parents wishing to meet with a teacher or staff member should contact the person directly to check their availability and to schedule an appointment beforehand.  All parents needing to access campus offices during the school day will need to check in at the front office, provide a driver’s license and obtain a (limited) visitor’s pass.
  
Additionally, parents are reminded that the school does not accept lunch or food deliveries during the school day.  All attempted deliveries, either by parents or food delivery apps, will be turned away.  Your cooperation with this policy is much appreciated.