Thunder News Flash – February 12, 2022

With the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, it is even more important to do the following:

• complete a daily health check with your child – click here to see the most up-to-date information regarding this
• monitor your children regularly for symptoms of illness – if they are sick, they should stay home.  Please click here for information about testing for COVID-19
• follow all of the provincial restrictions that are currently in place – please click here for the latest information
• ensure your children are wearing a mask when they enter the school each morning, unless exempt
• seek reputable sources of information about COVID-19, such as the BCCDC, including how to protect yourself, your family and your community, and what to do if you suspect you have the virus by clicking here

While we are happy to announce that schools will once again be able to participate in sports tournaments, the other restrictions which were part of the amended protocols for schools continue to remain in effect.  These will be re-evaluated on a weekly basis by the Public Health Officer, the BCCDC and the Ministry of Education.  To review these changes, please see our Communicable Disease Plan, which can be found by clicking here.

While we all continue to navigate through routines that are disrupted and changes that seem to come up daily, let’s also remember to be kind to each other and offer assistance to those who need help during these challenging times.

As mentioned last week in the News Flash, staff have noticed that things have begun to look a little bit less than “uniform” at our school.  Beginning the week of February 22nd, staff will be conducting uniform checks.  The first time that something is amiss with the uniform, the staff member will just discretely remind the student about the expectations.  The second time a notice will be signed by the staff member and sent home for the parents to sign and return to the school.  The third time for the same concern, the notice will be signed by the staff member and the Principal, and sent home for the parents to sign and return to the school.  Issues regarding your child’s uniform should be addressed as soon as possible.

Just a reminder that students are expected to be at school each day in uniforms that are clean and properly fitting.  Hair should be neat and tidy, and if it is falling across your child’s eyes, which is a safety concern especially for P.E., it is time for a hair cut.  As windows in the classrooms are being left open to increase ventilation, students may wear their school sweater, their Thunderwear hoodie, or a hoodie that is black or navy blue, but this should be plain without a distracting logo.  Please click here to read our Uniform Policy.  

We are excited to let you know that Mrs. Ni Lorcain and her husband are expecting another child – congratulations to her family, and I’m sure their daughter is looking forward to being a wonderful big sister!  Mrs. Ni Lorcain will be away on maternity leave during the 2022-2023 school year.

There have been some issues around the new ordering process for Hot Lunch through MunchaLunch.   Hopefully this information will help:

• you must create an account with MunchaLunch to be able to order Hot Lunch for your child(ren)
• please ensure that you select the correct grade(s) for your child(ren) as this has caused some confusion when Hot Lunch is delivered
• please note that once you go through the ordering process, you MUST click on the “pay now” button for your order to go through
• when you finish your order, you will immediately receive an email with your order summary for the next month, unless you check the box that gives you the option not to receive these reminder emails – if you did not check this box and you do not receive the summary email, something went wrong
• the day before each Tuesday that you ordered Hot Lunch, you will receive a reminder email saying what you have ordered for the next day – if you do not receive this email, and you didn’t ask the system not to email you, please send your child(ren) to school the next day with a lunch as something went wrong

The current order runs from February 8th – March 1st.  When access is available for the next set of Hot Lunch dates, please note that if you are having problems with ordering you should contact the Hot Lunch Coordinator, Gina White, by clicking here. 

The next Work Bee will take place at the school today, Saturday, February 12th from 9:00am – 2:00pm.  This is a great way for parents to accumulate 5 hours towards their Parent Participation commitment.  Please complete a daily health check before coming to the Work Bee, and stay home if you are feeling unwell.  Please also ensure that you are wearing a mask when you arrive at the school, and that you bring gloves for both inside and outside work, as well as any small, cordless gardening tools you are able to bring.  Your work around the school, both inside and outside, is much appreciated.

There are a number of upcoming events at the school to be aware of:

Catholic Schools’ Week – February 13th – 20th – at school we will be focusing on what we love about being in a Catholic school, as both staff and students, but we want to extend this beyond our school’s doors:

• on the weekend of February 12th/13th, we encourage all of our students to wear their school uniform to the Mass they attend.  Whether you attend Mass at one of the parishes in Abbotsford, Aldergrove, Mission, Chilliwack, Langley, or beyond, wear your uniform with pride and let everyone who asks know that you are proud to be a student at St. James & St. Ann’s School

Valentine’s Day – Monday, February 14th:

• this will be a dress down day for students to wear their Valentine’s Day colours (red, white, pink).  As always, the clothes that students wear must be appropriate – no ripped/torn jeans, no inappropriate slogans or graphics on their clothes, no short shorts, and no spaghetti straps
• if students are bringing Valentine’s Day cards to share, they must bring a card for everyone in their class – Teachers will provide their students with a class list to help with this
• while we do not encourage food treats at school, if your child does want to bring a small treat for each student, they should be attached to the Valentine’s Day card.  Treats should be store bought, individually packaged, and nut-free.  Cards will be distributed and collected in a bag, and all treats will be taken home so that parents can determine if the treats are able to be eaten by their child

Jeans Day – Tuesday, February 15th:

• we will be having our annual Jeans Day fundraiser for the RCAV charities.  Each student is required to bring a dollar or two to participate in this special Jeans dress down day.  If you would like more information about the charities that are supported by the RCAV, please click here.  And for information about what the students should not be wearing, please see above

Almost Thunderwear Thursday – Wednesday, February 16th:

• as this is a short week, we will end our time at school celebrating Catholic Schools’ Week by having a special Spirit Day – students are encouraged to wear their Thunderwear to school, and show their Thunder Spirit.  If your child does not have any Thunderwear, parents may contact the Principal by clicking here 

Catholic Educators’ Conference – Thursday, February 17th and Friday, February 18th:

• staff will be at school participating virtually in the Catholic Educators’ Conference, our annual professional development opportunity.  There will be no school for students on February 17th or 18th

Family Day – Monday, February 21st:

• Please note that Monday, February 21st is the Family Day holiday, and there will be no school for students

Pink Shirt Day – Wednesday, February 23rd:

• across the country, students will be wearing pink shirts on Wednesday, February 23rd to focus on an anti-bullying message.  At St. James & St. Ann’s School we believe that every day is an “anti-bullying day”, so we will be focussing on being extra kind to others on February 23rd.  Students are encouraged to replace their school shirt with a shirt that is pink.  If your child does not have a pink shirt, they may still participate by adding something pink to their school uniform – it could be a pink hair band, a pink scarf, a pink ribbon or pink sticker on their shirt, etc.  Please note that this is not a dress down day, but Pink Shirt Day

Annual General Meeting – Wednesday, February 23rd – we are very hopeful that we will once again be able to bring you an in-person Annual General Meeting as follows:

• the meeting will take place in the Gym from 6:00 – 7:00pm
• please wear a mask, practise physical distancing and ensure that you have completed a daily health check
• at the meeting we will:
  • give you a brief summary of this school year, including an update on our school Growth Plan Goals as well as financial information about the year to date
  • have the members of our Regional Education Committee (REC) give you information about the portfolios that they manage and their involvement in the school
  • give you an opportunity as stakeholders in the school to ask questions and have them answered by either the Principal, our Archbishop’s Representative or members of the REC
  • provide you with some preliminary information about next year, including the new tuition rates for 2022-2023
• Re-Registration Packages for our current families will be handed out at the end of the meeting – parents will be emailed the information to sign up online for an appointment to bring the completed package back to the school on Tuesday, March 1st, Thursday, March 3rd or Friday, March 4th
• if the Public Health Orders do not allow an in-person meeting to occur, a virtual AGM will take place and more information will come out about this soon

After beginning her career at St. James & St. Ann’s School in 1992, Mrs. Stobbe will be saying “au revoir” and retiring, with June 30th being her last day at the school.  We wish her nothing but happiness as she begins a new chapter in her life.

We will also be saying a fond farewell to Mrs. Dos Santos, who first worked at St. James & St. Ann’s School as an Educational Assistant from 2001 – 2005, and then again for the past seven years as a Teacher in various roles at the school.  Feeling called to something different, and confident in the plans that God has for her, Mrs. Dos Santos will also be leaving the school as of June 30th.

There are many changes that will be taking place for next school year, and while the unknown can sometimes be a bit disconcerting, it is also an opportunity for the school to embrace new people and new directions as it moves into the future.  At times like this we can take comfort in the words found in Jeremiah 29:11 “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”

Bottle Returns: Just a reminder that we have an account for the school at R & T Depot, 31550 South Fraser Way in Abbotsford.  Simply put your containers in a clear bag, and drop them off at R & T Depot using their “Return-It Express” service.  Go to the kiosk, punch in our school phone number (604-852-1788) and the number of bags you are returning – there is a 6 bag limit per drop off.  The machine will then print your labels, then you put one label on each bag, and place your bags into the Express Kiosk chute.  The deposit monies will then be credited to the school’s account – what a simple fundraiser for the school.  We thank you for your support.

Mabel’s Labels: Create your own Personalized Labels for everything that goes back and forth between home and school, and more!  Just think about all of the items you will soon have to put a label on – what an incredible time saver!  Click here and choose St. James & St. Ann’s School from the list.  Then shop and your labels will ship directly to you, and the shipping is FREE!  St. James & St. Ann’s School earns a percentage from all the sales.