Thunder News Flash – June 5, 2021

The recent discovery of the bodies of 215 Indigenous children buried at the Kamloops Residential School has led to much sadness and deep hurt for our Indigenous communities.  As adults it is hard to comprehend how this could have happened, and so we can only imagine how confusing this must be for children.  At a time like this we can draw on our faith and take some comfort in the fact that we can pray for all those affected by this tragedy.  We can also find some peace in the words of our local Catholic leaders, Archbishop Miller (click here) and Deacon Henk Luyten (click here). 

These challenging yet inspiring words were written by Jo Chrona in her blog post:  “Instead of turning away, I ask people to enter into discomfort with the understanding that it will help in the learning that needs to happen.  This is not “just history”.  This is now.  I know that the current generations are not responsible for the actions of the past, but we ARE responsible for our actions now.  Turning away, not engaging, contributes to the trauma.  It implies that what happened, and what continues to happen, is not important enough for a collective response that begins with our personal actions.  It diminishes us all.  It is important to take responsibility for our own learning.  By learning more and deepening understanding, we can increase our ability to understand what next steps we can take in moving from awareness to action.  Commit to continual learning to widen the scope of what you know or to deepen your understanding.  Learn something.  Reflect on it.  Share it.  Ask yourself, “what can I learn next?”.  In all, avoid the “Yes, but’s…”.  Read, listen, reflect, act – repeat.”

On Monday, June 7th and Tuesday, June 8th we will have our Toonie Sale of used uniform pieces from 1:30 – 3:00pm in front of the school.  Please note the following COVID protocols will be put in place:

• please park your vehicle on the north side of the Parent Parking Lot, closest to Gardner Ave.
• please use the hand sanitizer before and after participating in this sale
• all items will be organized by size and placed on tables in front of the school
• please wear a mask, and maintain physical distance from other parents who are also at the sale
• please come with plenty of toonies, as change will not be provided

Please note the following events will be taking place in the first half of June:

• Wednesday, June 9th – early dismissal at 12:55pm for our monthly staff meeting
• Monday, June 14th – no school as our staff gathers for Planning Day to begin to get ready for next school year
• Friday, June 18th – Sports Day – please note that a snack and lunch will be provided by the school, and dismissal is at 12:15pm – more details will be coming home soon

You and your family are invited to join Advocate Life & Education Services in the VIRTUAL Walk for Life!  It’s simple, grab a pledge form by clicking here and help your kids ask friends and family to walk and/or give to this worthy cause!  All funds raised go towards helping young teens and families facing unplanned pregnancy, educating local schools on important life topics, and advocating for the marginalized.  They’ve set the date for June 5th, but because it’s virtual, you can walk wherever, whenever!  Lean more by clicking here, or by clicking here to view their postcard for the event.

We are happy to let you know that this summer the Fraser Valley Regional Library will be holding their Summer Reading Club 2021.  This is a wonderful way to have your child keep up with their reading, and have some fun.  For more information and to register, please click here.

You may have heard that the 2021 Census is underway.  It has been a challenging year for families, and the census might seem like another thing on your busy to-do list.  However, you are encouraged to complete your census, if you haven’t already done so.  Census data helps governments at all levels plan for schools, transportation, community centres, libraries and recreational activities.  Data from the 2021 Census will be even more crucial, because it will help to evaluate the impact of the pandemic and to better plan for the future.  You can quickly and easily complete your census questionnaire by clicking here, using the access code you received in the mail.  If you need assistance, or would like to have a paper (or alternate format) questionnaire, please call the Census Help Line at 1-855-340-2021.  Thank you for doing your part to help plan for a better future for all Canadians.

The internet has become intertwined with our youth’s lives, and as adults we need help to understand how to keep children protected while online.  The Abbotsford Place Department PATHWAYS and The White Hatter are offering five FREE Social Media Safety & Digital Literacy Webinars for Parents, Caregivers and Educators.  These webinars take place one evening a week starting on June 10th, at 7:00pm.  For more information or to register for these free webinars, please click here.  

As the school year draws to a close, many parents are looking for ways to top up their Parent Participation hours, especially this year.  Here are some opportunities to do just that:

• the next Work Bee is taking place on Saturday, June 12th.  Even if you are not scheduled to attend, and not part of the Work Bee group, there is always lots of work to be done.  Extra hands can be used to help with the many outdoor tasks that are required at this time of year.  No need to contact anyone, just bring your gloves and come and lend a hand
• we will be providing apples for the snack on Sports Day, generously donated by the Mah family.  We need someone to wash the apples and bag them with the right number for each grade.  This can be done in the kitchen in the Gym on Wednesday, June 16th during the school day.  If you are healthy and able to help with this, please email Mrs. Sask directly by clicking here.  Please note a mask must be worn for this task
• we need water balloons to be blown up and filled for Sports Day.  This can also be done in the kitchen in the Gym on Thursday, June 17th during the school day.  If you are healthy and able to help with this, please email Mrs. Sask directly by clicking here.  Please note a mask must be worn for this task

As we get closer to the end of the school year, we anticipate that there will be a few more tasks requiring some assistance.  Please watch future editions of the Thunder News Flash for information, and thank you in advance for your help.

Our Zumbathon Prize Rally will be held on Wednesday, June 9.  Students will receive a bag of all the prize raffle tickets they earned and their teacher will take them to the gym to put the raffle tickets into the Raffle Prize Draws of the student’s choice(s).  Mrs Sask will draw the winners later that day, which will be broadcast live to all the classes.  As well, the Top Primary Student, Top Intermediate Student and the winner of the Nintendo Switch Lite will be drawn.

We are so fortunate to have so many prizes to be won.  Please review the prizes with your children by clicking here ahead of Wednesday.

Thank you to Agrifair, Abbotsford Bandits, Cabela’s, Canadian Tire, Castle Fun Park, Columbia Business Systems, Dairy Queen, Fresh Co., Gearbots, London Drugs, Mucho Burrito, Panago, Purdy’s, St. Ann’s Parish, Splitz Gymnastics, Superstore, The Chow Family, The Dos Santos Family, The Laflamme Family, The Legaspi Family, The Steinbichler Family, Mrs. Sask and many more anonymous families for donating some awesome prizes and items for our event!

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.