Thunder News Flash – January 25, 2025

Abbotsford Canucks Spirit Raffle Fundraiser 

Important Reminder 

At St. James and St. Ann’s we strive to provide a safe learning environment for all students. Due to some of our pupils suffering with life threatening nut allergies, we would like to remind parents that we are a Nut Free School. An allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock) can occur through ingestion of nut products, cross contamination and breathing nut dust in the air. Since this condition can be life threatening, we are asking all members of the school community for their help in minimizing the risk to these children by:

• Avoiding giving children nuts or nut products in their packed lunches
• Instructing your child not to share food with other classmates

We do have students with serious allergies to other food items.  Teachers have sent an email to classes with special allergy alerts listing specific items which should not be sent to school, such as sesame seeds and oils.  We ask you to please avoid sending these items to school, as it may put a child’s safety at risk.  

Thank you in advance for making the class environment a safe and healthy place for the students. By working together, we can make a difference for our children! 

Children have a natural desire to bring their favourite toys to school. However, doing so is often a distraction to learning, causes conflict or can result in lost or broken toys.

We understand that children want to show their special toys to others, but this can cause many difficulties during the school day.  For example, children want to play with their special toy at recess, but can have difficult sharing that toy.  This can create conflict between peers that children are unable to cope with or resolve amicably.  Toys can become lost or broken, causing great upset.  Other children may feel upset or anxious when someone else has a special toy and they don’t. Bringing toys from home into the school can also cause unhealthy competition amongst the children, eg “My truck is cooler than yours” and can, moreover, be used as a power/control source, eg. “If you don’t let me have it, you can’t come to my birthday party.”  Most importantly, many children have a very difficult time choosing to put the toy away when it is time to learn and the toy become a distraction to that child and others during key instructional times.   Classrooms have lots of items that students can play with at school during appropriate times.  Students are also able to borrow equipment from the gym for outdoor play at recess.  

We therefore request that children do NOT bring toys from home to school, but rather wait for the opportunity for sharing their own special toys when friends visit their home.  If a child brings a toy from home, the child will be asked to put the toy away in their bag. If the child is unable to leave the toy in their bag then the teacher will temporarily confiscate the toy and place it in a cupboard for safekeeping. The child will be given the toy at the end of the day to return home.  

We thank you for your cooperation and understanding!

Basketball Practice and Game Schedule 

Monday, Jan 27. 

• 7:45-8:20am – Gr. 6/7 Boys Practice
• 2:40-4:00pm – Gr. 6/7 Girls Practice 

Tuesday, Jan 28

• 7:45-8:20am – Gr. 4/5 Girls and Boys
• 2:40-4:00pm – Gr. 6/7 Boys Practice 

Wednesday, Jan 29

• 12:15-12:45pm – Parking Lot Hockey (Intermediate Grades)
• 3:00pm – Gr. 4/5 Girls Game @ MEI

Thursday, Jan 30

• 7:45-8:20am – Gr. 6/7 Girls Practice 
• 3:00pm – Gr. 4/5 Boys Game @ SJA
• 3:00pm – Gr. 6/7 Girls and Boys Game @ Dasmesh