Thunder News Flash – January 5, 2019

The beginning of a new calendar year is often a time when people reflect on their lives, and resolve to do better in the coming year.  Here are a list of five wonderful resolutions from Catholic Online, that are resolutions we should make every year:

1. Educate yourself – this can mean going back to school, taking a course to learn more about the Bible, or simply doing some online research to find out about the big issues that the world is facing.
2. Learn to listen – this doesn’t just mean being present when someone is speaking to you, but it means to take the time to actively listen.  Sometimes this takes an awful lot of patience!  We should also not just limit our listening to those around us – don’t forget that God speaks to us every day.
3. Be generous – this means not just with our money, but with our time and our talents as well.  When we are generous we are mirroring Christ’s heart.
4. Read the Bible – reading and understanding the messages in the Bible are an important part of being a Catholic.  The Scriptures are there so that we can learn from them and discern our path in life.
5. Be more like Jesus – this is not always easy, but we are called to follow Christ’s examples, which are found in the Bible.  If you follow the first four resolutions above, this will certainly give us a great start in following this resolution as well.

May 2019 be a year filled with faith, hope and love for everyone!

We will have our next early dismissal day on Wednesday, January 9th, as teachers begin to plan for the remainder of the school year.  Please send your child to school on January 9th with both a snack and lunch, and the students will be dismissed at 12:55pm.  The Thunder Club will be available for parents who are unable to pick up their children at 12:55pm, and will be open until 5:00pm as usual.  If you are planning to use the Thunder Club on January 9th, please make sure that you complete the registration package ahead of time, and you will be charged the morning drop-in rate.  Those parents who typically have their children in the Thunder Club will not be charged any additional fees for this day.

St. James & St. Ann’s School will be hosting an Open House on January 30th from 6:00-8:00pm.  The Open House will begin with a general information session in the gym from 6:00-6:30pm where new families will be able to learn all about the school, the application process, and receive an Application Package.  From 6:30-8:00pm there will be interactive displays and activities throughout the school, as well as guided tours for new families.  While this evening is an opportunity for new families to come and experience what St. James & St. Ann’s School has to offer, we would also like to invite existing school families to come and see all the amazing things that are happening at our school.  We know this will be an exciting evening!

We are nearing the end of the year and each school family should be well on their way to accumulating at least 10 of their 20 Parent Participation hours by the end of January (not including their fundraiser commitment).  Please remember, it is up to each family to log these hours on the Parent Participation portal as soon as they are done.  No hours recorded = no hours credited = Parent Participation cheques cashed January 31st.  If you do not know your login information, please email Mrs. Dlugan by clicking here.  

The Education Committee would like to remind all school families that Parent Participation task group and fundraiser helpers must be at least 16 years of age to be able to earn hours for the purposes of Parent Participation.  Children who are under the age of 16 are not eligible to earn hours for Parent Participation.

If you have any questions, please contact Erika by clicking here as soon as possible.

Are your children considering making some extra money by babysitting?  Help set them up for success by registering them in the Red Cross Babysitting Course which will be held at our school on Mondays from 2:45 – 4:00pm on February 4th, 11th, and 25th and March 4th.  This course is available for students who are a minimum of 10 years of age by the start of the program, and we must have a minimum of 16 students registered for the program to go ahead.  The program teaches the basics of babysitting, rights and responsibilities, getting along with participants, holding, diapering, feeding, bedtime, toys and activities, accident prevention and handling emergencies.  The cost of the program is $60/student.  If you are interested in having your child participate in this program, please pick up a Registration Form at the school office no later than January 21st.  The program will be taught by Coleen Melsted, an instructor from the Red Cross, and Mrs. Filiatrault will be the teacher sponsor for the program.  

The school will be hosting Community Coffee on Tuesday, January 8th at 8:30am in the school Library.  This is a wonderful opportunity for community members from both the school and the parish to join together for some coffee, treats and great conversation.  Bring your toddlers as well as there will be toys and colouring pages set out for those children who are not yet in school.  We hope to see you there!

Just a reminder that Basketball practices begin the week of January 7th for boys and girls in Grades 5 – 7.  Please check the calendar on the school’s website for practice times for the first two weeks of January.

St. James & St. Ann’s School will be hosting a Parent Support Meeting entitled “Sexuality and Your Child” for all parents whose children are in Grades 4 – 7 on Wednesday, February 13th.  The meeting will begin with prayer and a brief opening session in the gym at 6:45pm, and then sessions with content specific to each one of the intermediate grades will take place in the classrooms.  This is a mandatory meeting for parents only; however, we will be providing free babysitting for toddlers to school-aged children.  Please watch for more information to be sent home to families in the intermediate grades in the next few weeks.

Come and get a great start to this new year by praying the rosary with us for our school community at 8:30am every Thursday morning.  Please note that we meet each week in the school Library.  Small children and babies are welcome.

Here are a list of some of the important events that are occurring in January:

• Early Dismissal Day – January 9th at 12:55pm
• Little Cub Classic for Grade 7 students – January 11th
• Workbee – January 12th
• No school – January 21st
• Open House – January 30th, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
• Thunderwear Thursday – January 31st

Please see the calendar on the school’s website for a complete listing of important events that are taking place in January.

This has been a particularly difficult Christmas break for my family.  My husband, Martin, had major surgery at St. Paul’s Hospital on December 6th, his recovery took quite a bit longer than expected, and he was finally released on December 19th.  Unfortunately he was then admitted to Surrey Memorial Hospital on December 23rd where he remains, and will be for at least another week, fighting an infection and a blood clot in his arm.  The doctors are taking a very cautious approach and want him to remain in hospital until they are certain he is healthy enough to go home, which we very much appreciate.

Further, my father, Jerry Dusik, was admitted to Kelowna General Hospital on December 27th and it was discovered that he had a minor heart attack.  Additional tests showed that he was in congestive heart failure and had a blood clot in his heart.  At 88 years of age, and in failing health, there was not much that could be done other than to make him comfortable, and he passed away on January 2nd.  His funeral will take place on Wednesday, January 9th in Kelowna, and as such I will be away from the school from Tuesday, January 8th to Friday, January 11th.  In my absence Mrs. Dos Santos will be the Teacher in Charge.

Please keep my family in your prayers as this has been a very challenging time.