Thunder News Flash – October 21, 2023

St. Ann’s is hosting a Christmas Market on Nov. 3rd and 4th.  They will have a Junior Vendor area.  Interested students can rent a Jr table.  Rates are $5 for 1/2 a table of $10 for a full ones. Please click on the links for more information.

2023 Vendor Application CM – Jr Vendor

Next month we will be celebrating All Saints Day and All Souls Day.  Students are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite Saint!  We look forward to seeing many Saints as we start the day by celebrating Mass together on November 1st.  Please join us for Mass on November 1st and encourage your child to come dressed as their favourite Saint on this day.

We would like to send a special shout out of thanks to Mrs. Schriefers and all members of the Parent Support Group (PSG).  They have worked hard to continue to provide meeting spaces for parents, students and siblings.  You may have noticed the blue benches and tables outside of our school.  They look amazing!  They are inviting spaces for all and help in our effort to build community for everyone in our St. James family.  Thank you for all you do!  This would not have been possible without the help of Mr. Asayo, Mrs. Mendez and the dedicated Work Bee crew.  Many hands do make light work and we are truly blessed at St. James to have so many dedicated families!

Halloween is coming up.  It is an exciting time at St. James and St. Ann’s School!  Students may wear their costume at school all day on Tuesday, October 31st.  Parents, please ensure that costumes are tasteful, and not too scary.  Please, no blood, weapons, full masks or faces fully covered up. We will be having a sock hop and a parade of costumes that includes a costume contest.  We will also be announcing the winners of the Pumpkin Carving Contest!

Our Fall Movie Night Fundraiser will be on Friday, November 3! We are inviting businesses to support us as a Movie Night sponsor. Help us make this night fantastic for our students & families while contributing to our school efforts and promoting your business. If you or your business is interested in sponsoring our event, please contact Nicola Humphreys at nicolawithers@hotmail.com.

We wanted to let you know about a change regarding the food donation that was initially planned for the Poor Clare Sisters. After discussing the matter with the Sisters, their wish is to have the food donated to another charitable organization.  They are very thankful for our generosity, but they have recently received a large donation and would like the food items given to those who are experiencing food insecurities.  Luckily, we were able to quickly find a suitable alternative for the donations that will support needy families in our community.  St. Joseph’s Parish in Mission has a large food bank that supports over 900 families each month!  They were happy to receive the large donation of non-perishable food items.  Thank you to everyone who donated.

Due to the wonderful response to the Food Drive, our school reached our goals and will be receiving 2 prizes for reaching our collective goals.  After collecting 200 items, the students earned an extra recess and then we even collected well over 300 items and the students have earned a Dress Down Day!  We will be calling it “Super Fun Friday”.  These will take place on Friday, November 3rd, the same day as our Movie Night!  At our next assembly, this Wednesday, Oct. 25th, the Gr. 7 Leadership Team will announce what the Dress Down Day will be.  Stay tuned …

Just a reminder that Picture Retake day is upcoming on October 30th!

Students are encouraged to carve pumpkins at home.  Please bring them in on October 30th (NAME MUST be on the pumpkin), and we will display them in the gym for the Halloween sock hop.  Please bring them home at the end of the day on Oct. 31st.  Prizes for the top 3 pumpkins!

Please see the information from Safer Schools Together:

As part of Safer Schools Togethers’ on-going work through the Ministry of Education’s erase strategy, we are pleased to announce COMPLIMENTARY student and family sessions coming up this Fall!

Establishing Safe, Caring and Respectful Digital Communities

This session covers all things digital, from how to be a good digital citizen, the criminal consequences of cyberbullying.  Some of the most prominent concerns currently surrounding use of social media platforms, smartphones, and artificial intelligence will be discussed.  To register for our family sessions, please take a look at the attached pdf by clicking on the link below.

family-sessions-erase-training-schedule