Thunder News Flash – November 28-December 2

Just a reminder that there will be no school for the students on Monday, November 28th.  This is a Professional Development Day for the staff, and they will be hard at work reviewing how to infuse their teaching and the students’ learning with the Principles of Catholic Education.

The new Hot Lunch order forms went home with the students last week, and they are due on Friday, December 2nd with payment by 2:30pm.  Unfortunately we are unable to accept any late order forms.

Last week at our assembly the students heard the story “The Perfect Gift” and we learned that a perfect gift is something that comes from the heart.  We also reviewed what we are really waiting for during the season of Advent, and the true reason for the celebration of Christmas – the birth of Jesus.  Once again we focused on our “Give without getting” philosophy and the students learned that for about the price of one piece of electronics such as the latest gaming console, an entire village in a third world country could be provided with a water system to give them clean water. Through Chalice the cost of a water system for a village is $600.  The students were further challenged to consider giving some of the money they may receive as a gift this Christmas as a donation to Chalice.  With 225 students in the school, if each student were to donate even $5 of their Christmas money we could raise almost enough to provide two villages with clean water.  If each student donated $10 we would have almost enough to buy four villages systems to provide clean water.  What an amazing opportunity for our students to have such an incredible impact on the world!

Are you beginning to feel the Christmas spirit as you drive around and see lights up on houses, and decorations on front lawns?  To help you decorate your home for the holidays the Grade 6 class will be selling bags of holly for $5/bag,  December 5th – 7th from 2:30 to 2:45pm, or until they run out.  This is a fundraiser to help raise money for Outdoor Ed. when these students are in Grade 7 next year.  These bags of holly are very popular, and they will have a limited number of bags for sale, so please come early.  

This year the school will be collecting items to supplement the Christmas hampers that St. Vincent de Paul puts together for those in need in the Abbotsford area.  Instead of assigning each class some items, or sponsoring a particular family, we are wanting to help fill those hampers with the staple items that everyone needs.  Each class will have a basket to collect items, and we will be accepting items from November 29th – December 15th.  Here are some suggestions:

• Canned items such as vegetables, fruit, soups (especially the favourites like mushroom, tomato and chicken noodle), canned fish, meats and beans
• Pasta and sauces, macaroni and cheese, rice
• Cereals (basic ones like Cheerios, Shreddies, Corn Flakes, etc.), oatmeal packages, pancake mixes and syrup
• Juice boxes or bottles of juice, fruit cups, pudding boxes or cups, granola bars and breakfast bars, packages of cookies
• Coffee, tea, Coffee Mate or whitener, hot chocolate, apple cider packs, powdered milk
• Christmas candy is always a nice treat

It is also nice to put gift cards into the hampers so that the recipients can treat themselves later, or buy items for their family when things go on sale after Christmas.  They do not have to be large, even $5 or $10 is a wonderful gift to give someone.  If you are planning on donating gift cards, please do not put them in the classroom baskets, but instead send them straight to the school office so that they do not get misplaced.  Your generosity is most appreciated at this time of year.