Thunder News Flash – April 17, 2021

This week there were some important COVID-19 updates shared with schools that we have been asked to pass along to the school community.  The BCCDC COVID-19 School Sector Update can be found by clicking here.  In addition, Dr. Bonnie Henry, our Provincial Health Officer, presented some COVID-19 modelling information at the Thursday update on April 15th.  Please click here to the view slides from her presentation.  Of particular interest are slides 20-27 which show information about schools and school-aged children.

Neat Uniforms, our uniform supplier, has had to adapt and do things very differently this year.  Please click here to read a letter about purchasing uniforms for next school year; click here to see a promotional flyer about a bundling option that they have; and click here to see a poster about our school’s online focus week.  They are working very hard to meet all of your uniform needs under less than ideal circumstances, and we are confident that this will continue in the future.

It has come to my attention that the traffic flow in the Drop Off/Pick Up lanes has been slowing down considerably in the last few weeks.  This seems to be particularly problematic in the mornings, as parents are trying to drop their children off and then head to work.  Please note the following important information about these lanes:

• parents should not be getting out of their vehicles – if your children still require your assistance with their seatbelts or car seats, please practise this with your children, or park your vehicle and walk your children across the parking lot to the sidewalk
• parents should be pulling as far up as possible in either lane, and then stopping their vehicle – if you stop across from the church, or across from the gate to the playground, traffic can back up onto the road behind you
• please say a quick “good-bye” in the car as your child is unbuckling their seatbelt, give a final wave as they exit your vehicle, and then continue on your way – this will certainly speed things up and ease the frustrations of those trying to get to work on time

These are not new procedures, just a friendly reminder of what has been required since September.

If you are having difficulty completing your Parent Participation hours, we have a special project at the school that we need help with.  The cupboards in the kitchen in the Gym could use a really good tidying up – cleaning them out, storing things more efficiently, and sorting things that are broken or no longer used so that they can be recycled.   This job would require one or two people, could be done on Mondays or Wednesdays from 8:30am – 2:00pm, and would require all COVID protocols to be followed including wearing a mask, physical distancing, etc.  If you can help with this special project, please send an email to Mrs. Sask by clicking here.  Your help would be most appreciated.

This week we say a fond farewell to Mrs. White, as her last day at the school will be April 22nd.  Mrs. White has played so many different roles at the school over the years, that I’m sure she has touched the hearts of almost all of the students and families in one way or another.  While we are definitely going to miss her presence at the school, we wish her well as she and her family embark on a brand new adventure!

Zumbathon 2021 is fast approaching.  Our current list of prizes will be announced this week at our 2nd Virtual Pep Rally.  We know that students are excited to get asking and work towards winning some great prizes that will be announced at our next Pep Rally.  Find all the info about Zumbathon by clicking here. 

We encourage all students to ask for pledges in COVID-safe ways:  by phone, video calling and emails, and encourage potential donors to donate online.  Please see the information package for more details.  For your convenience, we emailed out a sample email for you to use.  As well, check out our school Facebook page for a link to donating online that you can share with your family and friends.

We have some great prizes that can be won, which will be announced at the next Pep Rally.  If you would like to donate a prize, please contact Juana Veters by clicking here.  Thank you for your consideration!

DONORS CAN PLEDGE ONLINE USING THEIR CREDIT CARD by clicking here.

Together we can raise $25,000 for outside learning and fun spaces for our school!

The Province of BC has created a new Daily Health Check App for parents to use each morning to assess the health of their child before they head off to school.  This is a fun and interactive way to find out if you should stay home until you feel better, or get further health information by calling 811.  To use the Daily Health Check App on your desktop computer, please click here.  To download the app on your mobile device, please click here.

Parents are asked to complete a Daily Health Check of their children each morning before they come to school.  Please assess your child for the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Chills
• Cough or worsening of chronic cough
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of sense of smell or taste
• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting

If your child has one of those symptoms, excluding fever, they should stay home for 24 hours from when the symptom started.  If the symptom improves, they may return to school when they feel well enough.  If the symptom persists or worsens, seek a health assessment.  If your child has two or more of the symptoms, or they have a fever, you should seek a health assessment for them.