Thunder News Flash – October 15, 2017

On October 22, 2017 there will be a Hospital Mass at 4:00pm. For more information please speak to or email Mrs. Wakely at rwakely@stjameselementary.ca 

November 3^rd and 4^th – the place to be is at St Ann’s Christmas Market. Our Youth Lounge will be open through the market!  Inside you will find: A Wii Golf Tournament, billiards, foosball, darts, board/card games and an in-suite concession.  The room is intended for those in Grades 5-12 but those young at heart probably won’t get turned away 🙂 Don’t miss it!

Don’t have a lot of extra time to share but want to contribute to our St Ann’s Christmas Market? The following items are still needed. Any item(s) that you can bring to the parish office by October 17^th would be greatly appreciated!

Ground pork (60lbs), Lard – not shortening (15lbs), Flour (12kgs), Butter (4 lbs)

Receiving blanket x 3, Small soft toy, Baby nail clippers. Baby bibs, Baby toy, Baby accessories

Pasta Spoon, Pasta bowl, Coffee, Coffee mug, Box of Tea x 2, Tea cup, Biscuits (cookies), Bottles of water (24), Pop Cans x 20 Cases of Assorted Flavours

Tickets for a movie, Bottle of wine, Fancy soap, Loofa, Pedicure tools, Body brush

Hunting book or Magazine, Fishing line, Fishing items

Colouring book (girl), Activity book (boy), Pack of markers x 2, Fancy gel pens, Art supplies, Sidewalk chalk

During supervision your child’s safety is always our main priority. It is becoming more challenging for staff to supervise children after school. One of the reasons is that younger siblings who are not school aged are interacting with our students and this poses all sorts of safety concerns. We kindly ask that parents with younger children do not let their child play with the students. Secondly, teachers who are on duty need to keep their attention focussed on the children so please do not approach them to engage in a conversation about your child. If you wish to meet with your child’s teacher please email them so that a time can be set up and they can give you their full attention. Thank you for your cooperation. 

The time for summer uniforms is over. All students should be in regular uniform. Also, the weather is getting colder and rainy. As much as possible we do like students to go outside for recess and lunch. Please ensure your child is coming to school with proper clothing for the weather. Rain jackets are a must as are a good pair of outdoor shoes or boots that can handle the wet conditions. Thank you. 

Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year. It has been a tradition at St. James and St. Ann’s Elementary School that students come to school on the day of Halloween in a costume. This is an opportunity for students to unite in being creative and having fun. However, there are strict guidelines about the costumes. First, absolutely no costumes that come with weapons. A child may choose to dress up like a Stormtrooper or a Jedi from Star Wars but they cannot bring any pretend weapons like a lightsaber. Second, no masks of any kind. Third, we ask parents to use their good judgment in the costumes their children wear. For example, there are many costumes out there that are highly inappropriate for elementary school. If the costume would scare a five year old then do not wear it to school. Students who are wearing inappropriate costumes will be asked to get changed immediately! In the past we have had students dress up like superheroes, princesses, fairies, football players, firemen, and nintendo characters. We have also had very creative costumes. I recall one student dressed up as a phone booth one year. If your child does not wish to participate in wearing a costume they may come to school in non-uniform for that day.

Having said all this, please remember that Halloween has its origins in All Hallows Eve, which is the night before All Saints Day; an important feast day in the life of the Catholic Church. Our teachers will spend time in the classroom discussing this important liturgical feast. As such, Mr. van der Pauw is personally challenging students to create a costume in which they dress up as a Saint! Special prizes will be given to those students who take on this challenge! Any questions please email Mr. van der Pauw at principal@stjameselementary.ca 

Our Fall Movie Night is just around the corner, on Friday, October 27th, 2017. This year we will be showing ‘Despicable Me 3.’ If you’re a new family to our school, our school ‘Movie Nights’ really showcase our sense of community. Please come and enjoy the pre-release showing of ‘Despicable Me 3’ shown on our big screen……but don’t forget your blankets and pillows!!! Most returning families have already experienced our ‘Movie Nights’ and they all agree that it is a wonderful time for our children to reconnect with their friends and enjoy a pre-release showing.

Note to all parents who may be coming out for their very first ‘Movie Night ,’ it is commonplace to bring your own foldable chair to have a comfortable place to sit, and
there is a concession as well. The children bring blankets and pillows and find a place on the gym floor to enjoy the film. We look forward to seeing you there!

“Can your business benefit from being advertised to the whole school? Then check out our sponsorship and donations information sheet to see how you can help our school’s event and promote your business at our Fall 2017 Movie Night!” Click here to see sponsorship levels.