Thunder News Flash – November 13, 2021

Remembrance Day was a time for us to focus on the brave men and women who fought for the freedoms that we now enjoy.  The soldiers were courageous in the face of battle, and many lost their lives during wars that took place on foreign lands.  There were many people during Jesus’ time on Earth who displayed incredible courage, and one of those people was John the Baptist.  The story of John the Baptist can be found in the Gospel passages of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  John the Baptist attracted large crowds of followers, but after baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River, John told the people to follow Jesus, calling him the “Lamb of God”.  John the Baptist’s popularity grew so much that King Herod became alarmed and had John imprisoned.  While in prison, John the Baptist spoke to Herod several times, and was eventually ordered beheaded for condemning Herod’s marriage.  Even during his darkest days, John the Baptist remained faithful to the truth, and as such is an important part of the mosaic that is Jesus’ life.

With the U.S./Canada border opening up, and the Christmas Break coming soon, many of you may be considering international travel.  It is important for parents to be aware of the fact that even if they are fully vaccinated, their unvaccinated children are restricted from attending school for 14 days following the international travel, including travel to the U.S., even just for the day.  Unvaccinated children under the age of 12 who are accompanied by someone who qualifies for the fully vaccinated traveler exemption are not required to quarantine; however, these students must follow strict restrictions.

For 14 days after their return, the children must:

• not attend school, camp or daycare
• not attend large or crowded settings, indoors or outdoors, such as an amusement park or sporting event
• not take buses, subways, trains or other crowded transportation
• not attend a setting where they may have contact with vulnerable people (e.g. long term care facility)
• stay in a place that allows the child to avoid all contact with any person that has an underlying medical condition that makes the person susceptible to complications related to COVID-19; has a compromised immune system from a medical condition or treatments; OR is 65 years of age or older
• limit contact with others – remain with their fully vaccinated parent or guardian, as much as possible
• wear a mask and physically distance when in contact with non-household members

There is no allowance for unvaccinated children to return to school within 14 days following international travel, regardless of who they travel with or if they receive a negative PCR test result.  For more information, click here.

Please note that Thursday, November 18th we will be having our Parent/Teacher Interviews, which will be held virtually this year, and there will be no school for the students.  The sign up link for these interviews was sent home last week by email.  Friday, November 19th is a Professional Day for the staff as we learn more about Truth and Reconciliation, and there will be no school for students.

The students are busy learning their songs for our Christmas presentation, The Road to Bethlehem, and next week the Grade 6 and 7 students will be auditioning for the role of one of the narrators.  If you haven’t yet returned your permission form for your children to participate in this wonderful event, it isn’t too late.  Please return it as soon as possible, and indicate if you are able to help by lending us a tent or propane heater, or by helping with set up or take down of our stations.  Working together, we will once again anticipate the birth of Jesus in a very memorable way!

Are you a member of St. Joseph’s Parish?  The Regional Education Committee (REC) is looking for one more member to represent St. Joseph’s Parish at our monthly meetings,  Please contact Tasha for more information by clicking here. 

Our current fundraiser, ShopFunds Gift Cards, is underway.  This is a wonderful way to support St. James & St. Ann’s School while shopping AND with no extra cost to you! 

• You pay face value for the gift cards!
• Many different participating retailers:  grocery stores, entertainment options, gas stations and so many more!
• For each gift card purchased, retailers offer a 3-10% kickback to our school.
• Many ways you can use gift cards: purchase them to use at your favourite grocery store, purchase them for the retailers you plan to buy Christmas gifts from or use them as your gifts!

More information, including an online order link, click here, and list of participating merchants was emailed home earlier this week.  Please complete the order form with method of payment (Direct Debit or Cheque payable to St. James & St. Ann’s School) by 3pm Monday, November 22.  Gift Cards will be ready at the school sometime between November 29 and December 3.

Thank you for your support with this opportunity to raise money for our school!

Please complete a Daily Health Check with your child each day before they come to school.  The easiest way to do this is to go to the BC K-12 Health Check website by clicking here.  Please also remember that adults and children in Kindergarten – Grade 7 are required to wear masks in indoor spaces.  These proactive steps will help us all remain safe and healthy.