Thunder News Flash – April 3-7

If you have children in Grades 4 – 7, you should have received an envelope on Thursday with information about our mandatory parent evening called “Sexuality and Your Child”, which is taking place on Wednesday, April 5th, from 6:45 – 8:45pm. The speakers will be from Signal Hill and the Archdiocese, and they will be sharing information about how to discuss many crucial topics with your child as they get older and get curious as they approach the teen years. We will start our presentation in the gym at 6:45pm with prayer, introductions of our speakers, and then you will be sent off to the different grade-level presentations which are occurring in the classrooms.  When the presentations finish you will have the opportunity to come back to the gym and borrow great resources to use at home with your child for two weeks. This will be the last year these presentations will be offered, as the Archdiocese and our Superintendent’s Office will be changing the format significantly for next year – you will definitely want to attend on April 5th.

Track and Field practices are now occurring on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and we look forward to a very successful season.  Please watch the school calendar for any updates or changes, and for permission slips to be coming home as we get closer to our meets.

St. Ann’s Parish will be hosting an event called “Raising Children in a Digital World” on April 8th from 7:00 – 9:00pm.  The speaker is Deborah MacNamara from the Neufeld Institute, and she comes highly recommended by Sr. John Mary Sullivan from the RCAV.  Admission will be by donation and they will be offering childcare for children 3 years of age and older.  Please click here to reserve your spot(s).  For more information, please see the posters at the school on the parent board.

St. Ann’s Parish invites all parents and caregivers to join them for “The Parenting Teenagers Course” (produced by ALPHA).  Enjoy dinner and a first-class parenting video-and-discussion program to build our parenting skills.  This course is for anyone involved with children aged 11-18.  Those with younger children are also welcome.  A preview of the course can be viewed online by clicking here.  Topics include:

• Keeping The End in Mind
• Meeting Our Teenagers’ Needs
• Setting Boundaries
• Developing Emotional Health
• Helping Them Make Good Choices

Dates:  April 21st & 28th, May 5th, 12th & 26th

Time:  6:30 – 9:00pm

Cost:  $20 per person (This fee includes all five sessions)

To register click here.  To email for more information click here, or call 604-683-0281 ext. 50221.

Our next Work Bee will be taking place at the school on Saturday, April 8th from 9:00am – 2:00pm.  If you are signed up for this day we will be happy to see you on Saturday, but even if you are not signed up but you would like to earn 5 hours of Parent Participation time, please come.  We are hopeful that the weather will allow some much needed outside work, so please bring with you any small gardening tools that you have and gardening gloves.  We look forward to seeing you on April 8th!

The BC Council for Exceptional Children is putting on a Spring workshop called “Managing Big Feelings For All Ages” on Friday, April 7th, with speaker Michelle Srdanovic.  The workshop begins with registration at 6:30pm, and then the presentation is from 7:00 – 9:00pm at the Holiday Inn at 711 West Broadway in Vancouver.  This presentation will introduce the concept of emotional regulation as well as offer strategies for parents who wish to more easily support their child’s transition from “melt-down” to “cool-down”.  In a nutshell they will discuss ways to support our children to better manage their big feelings while at the very same time, we try to manage our own feelings in response.  This workshop is for both parents and educators and the fee is $25 for one ticket, or $40 for two tickets.  For more information, please see the poster on the parent board at the school, and to register and pay online click here.