Thunder News Flash – January 2, 2021

Happy New Year to everyone!  I’m sure many of us are glad to see 2020 behind us, although the challenges we faced last year are certainly still upon us.  But somehow with the calendar changing over to 2021, it brings us so many new possibilities and the hope that things will get better soon.  

Many of us were certainly on pins and needles, wondering if the Christmas break would be extended for another week or two.  Unless something changes dramatically over the next few days, school will re-open as scheduled on Monday, January 4th.  As you know, in an effort to be prepared, Teachers sent work home with the students just in case the break was extended – we would ask you to send this work back to school on January 4th. 

Being at home for the last two weeks has been wonderful, but we certainly don’t have to be quite as vigilant with hand washing, sanitizing and social distancing when we are at home in our family bubble.  Therefore, we will be spending some time in the classrooms on Monday reviewing the health and safety protocols with the students to ease them back into these very important routines.  It would be very helpful if you could spend a bit of time on this last weekend of the Christmas break reinforcing these rules as well with your children, as we want to make this transition back to school as smooth as possible for everyone.

Do you know any new families who would like to apply to join our school community for the 2021-2022 school year?  If so, please let them know that we will be hosting a Virtual Open House on Wednesday, January 20th.  This will be a Zoom meeting that will take place starting at 6:30pm, and go until approximately 7:30pm.  This meeting will include a virtual tour of the school, some student testimonials, information about the application process, as well as a Q & A session.  Any interested parents should email the school office in January at office@stjameselementary.ca, or by clicking here, so that they can receive the link to the Zoom meeting.

Don’t forget about Mabel’s Labels, our new fundraiser for St. James & St. Ann’s School, which is ongoing throughout the year.  Maybe you have purchased some new uniform pieces, or maybe some new outerwear for your child recently.  Putting a label in these items will ensure they are returned to your child if they are left outside or lost within the school.  To order these labels, just go to their website at https://mabelslabels.ca/en_CA/fundraising/support/ or by clicking 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 commission on every order.  Please support our school as every fundraising dollar we raise helps out.

Just a reminder that our next early dismissal day for our monthly staff meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 6th.  Please send your child to school with a snack and lunch, and they will be dismissed at 12:55pm.  If you are unable to pick up your children at that time, the Thunder Club is a very affordable option.

Our next Work Bee will take place at the school on Saturday, January 9th from 9:00am – 2:00pm.  If you are able to, please bring gloves for inside or outside work, and small cordless gardening tools.  Also, just a reminder that parents should not bring children to the Work Bee, and family members must be at least 16 years of age for the hours to count towards Parent Participation.  We appreciate all your hard work!

During this time of pandemic, the escalating level of anxiety in our children begs for an explanation as well as a solution.  Dr. Gordon Neufeld sheds light on this age-old problem, providing tools for parents, caregivers and teachers to be able to navigate and support children during this alarming time.

Join us for a Dr. Neufeld video course followed by Q & A with Kevin Bredeman, an authorized Neufeld Institute Course Facilitator.

This will be offered online:  Wednesdays from January 6th to 27th from 7:30pm – 9:00pm.  Pre-registration and a fee of $10 is required.  For more information and registration, click here.  

This course is hosted by the Ministries and Outreach Office at the Archdiocese of Vancouver.

We have been very fortunate so far that we haven’t had any concerns about the possibility of transmission of COVID-19 in our school.  This is due in large part to the fact that parents have been very diligent about not sending their children to school when they are sick, as well as picking up their children very quickly if they have begun to feel sick while at school.  We appreciate your attention to this very crucial part of our Health & Safety Plan, and continue to remind you that 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.