Thunder News Flash – October 9, 2021

We would like to wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving and a relaxing long weekend!  May you find opportunities to make beautiful memories with family and friends.  Here is a lovely Thanksgiving prayer:

Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day, we bow our heads to you and pray.  We give you thanks for all you’ve done, especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.  For beauty in nature, Your glory we see, for joy and health, friends and family.  For daily provisions, Your mercy and care, these are the blessings You graciously share.  So today we offer this response of praise, with a promise to follow You all of our days.  Amen.

The St. James Parent Rosary Group will be meeting every Thursday morning following drop off, from 8:30 – 9:00am in The Sons of Thunder room in St. James Church.  Keep a lookout for their message board reminder on Thursday mornings, near the drop off lane.  Also, email reminders will be sent out weekly.  Please send an email by clicking here if you would like to be added to the Rosary email list.

Just a reminder that there are only three ways that children may make their way home at the end of the school day:

1. They are picked up by their parents or a caregiver.  Parents or caregivers will park their vehicles and walk to get their children, use the pick up lane, or gather them from the YMCA Kids Club after their work day ends.
2. They take the school bus.  The children will meet the bus supervisor in the designated area and they will be walked to the school buses at SJB.  The students will remain on the school bus once the supervisor has indicated that the children may board the bus.
3. They meet a sibling or a parent at SJB.  Children who are being picked up or are meeting their parents or siblings at SJB will be walked to SJB at 2:45.  The children must then wait with the supervisor until their parent or sibling lets the supervisor know that they are taking them for the day.

Please note that these procedures are for the safety of everyone, and help our school supervisors to ensure that the students are well looked after.

Even though the days are getting cooler, it is still so important for your children to keep well hydrated throughout the day.  Unfortunately many children are coming to school without a water bottle and we do not want to fill up the landfill with disposable cups.  Please ensure that your child comes to school each day with a water bottle, which can then be refilled using our water bottle filling station, if necessary.

Nominations are being accepted until January 7, 2022, for the Premier’s Awards for Excellence in Education.  Bestowed annually, these awards recognize education professionals who have made exceptional contributions to benefit their school, students and communities.  Please visit the Premier’s Awards for Excellence in Education by clicking here or read the news release for more information by clicking here to learn how you can nominate deserving candidates.

This past Sunday, October 3rd, Safe Haven Sunday celebrated its first year of raising awareness throughout the Archdiocese of Vancouver regarding the negative impact of pornography, particularly on children.  Archbishop Michael Miller wrote a pastoral letter on this topic which can be viewed by clicking here.  Parishes and schools in the Archdiocese were invited to distribute the booklet Equipped: Smart Catholic Parenting in a Sexualized Culture, a resource to help families have engaged, healthy and informed conversations about online threats.  Each family will receive a copy of this booklet from the school on Tuesday in a sealed envelope marked “confidential” through your oldest child in the school.  On the cover of this booklet is a 7 day email challenge that parents can take part in.  Pease note that the text number on the pamphlet does not work in Canada, but parents can still participate in this challenge by clicking here.  

There will be no school on Monday, October 11th as we all celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends.  There is also no school on Friday, October 22nd for the Provincial Pro-D Day.

Wearing a mask at school can certainly be a challenge, but the students have been doing very well, with minimal reminders required.  Please note that students must wear a mask in the hallways of the school, and so when they arrive at school it is a good idea for them to have their mask ready to put on just before they enter the school.  If they forget, the supervisors at the doors of the school will give them a gentle reminder, which is all that they need.

Thunderwear Orders were sent home this past week.  Please check your items with the enclosed copy of your order.  If you are missing anything, or you find an item included that you didn’t order, please contact Nicola Humphreys, Fundraising Volunteer, by clicking here and return any items to the office ASAP.  Thank you!  Please note that as stated previously, as well as on your return tag, some jogging pants are on backorder.  We hope to receive these in November and will keep you posted in the Thunder News.

HELP!!!  With numerous items ordered and to be sorted, we sometimes make errors.  We are missing:

• 1 YM Navy Blue Cotton T-shirt
• 1 YL Navy Blue Dry Fit Short Sleeve Shirt

We also have one extra Youth Small (YS) Sport Grey Hoodie that is for sale for $35.  If you are interested in buying it, please contact Nicola Humphreys by clicking here.  First come, first served.

Thank you for the huge fundraising support!

Please complete a Daily Health Check with your child each day before they come to school.  The easiest way to do this is to go to the BC K-12 Health Check website by clicking here.  Please also remember that adults and children in Kindergarten – Grade 7 are required to wear masks in indoor spaces.  These proactive steps will help us all remain safe and healthy.