Thunder News Flash – October 27, 2018

This week the CISVA hosted the Pastor/Principal Forum, and the topic was evangelization.  We learned that the Church exists in order to evangelize, and it is everyone’s responsibility.  Keeping the dignity of the human person in mind, being a joyful witness to the gospels, and sharing our own faith message/journey are important elements of evangelization.  However, the key to evangelization is to have a personal relationship with Jesus, as only then can we truly bring Christ to others.  When asked why we should go to Heaven, and our answer is a list of good deeds but doesn’t include the name of Jesus, we have a problem!

A school family who has recently moved to Aldergrove is in need of help bringing their daughter home from school mostly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  They live at 28th Ave. just behind the Aldergrove Safeway, and are willing to pay for gas.  If you think you might be able to help, please call the school office and we will connect you with this family.

Come and pray the rosary with us for our school community at 8:30am every Thursday morning in the Children’s room at St. James Church.  Please enter the Church quietly as Mass will still be going on when we start.  Small children and babies are welcome.

Did you know that the City of Abbotsford provides recreation programs for kids of all ages to enhance their Physical Literacy?  From cooking, dance and art, to science, sports and languages, there is something for everyone to enjoy.  They even have Day Camp options for the public Pro-D days and school breaks when you are in need of care for your child(ren).  

If you are an Abbotsford resident with a financial need, the PRC Subsidy Program could possibly provide assistance with registration and admission fees.  For complete details, please contact the Parks, Recreation & Culture Office at 604-859-3134.

Do you have a teenager to buy a Christmas present for, or a friend or relative who is difficult to shop for?  Well, do we have the answer for you!  We will once again be selling gift cards through the Shopfunds program to raise money for our school, and the gift cards will arrive well before the Christmas break.  Shopfunds provides the opportunity to purchase gift cards for a variety of stores, restaurants, gas and services, and then provides the school with a percentage based on how much is purchased.  Watch for the order forms to be sent home to each family through your oldest child during the week of November 5th.  The forms with payment to the school will be due back on November 13th for cards to be picked up at the end of November.  Happy shopping!

On October 31st the Leadership Team is encouraging students to come to school dressed for Halloween; however, they would like to remind all students that costumes may not include masks, weapons of any kind, or blood/gore.  In the morning there will be a parade of costumes in the gym, and the costumes in each grade will be judged in the following categories:

• best faith-based costume 
• most creative costume
• best homemade costume

There will be a sock hop at recess for the primary students, and one at lunch for the intermediate students, and we will end our day in the gym watching Hotel Transylvania.  After Halloween, students and parents are encouraged to sort through the candy that they have collected, and donate the extras to Night Shift.  We will be collecting this extra candy at the school from November 5th – 8th in each classroom.

We are happy to announce that once again the Abbotsford Judo Club will be holding their after school program in the gym at St. James & St. Ann’s School for students in Grades 1 and 2.  The program will take place on Fridays beginning on November 16th from 2:30 – 3:30pm, and has 16 spots available.  Please see the Judo School Schedule by clicking here.  If you are interested in having your child participate in this Judo program, please click here to get the Sign Up Sheet – print the sheet, fill it out, and either email it to the address provided, or take it directly to the Abbotsford Judo Club.  You will also need to complete the Individual Membership Registration Form, which you can get by clicking here.  The cost of the program is $150 and your payment can either be taken with the forms to the Abbotsford Judo Club, or brought to the first class.  Please remember that there are only 16 spots available, and these will be filled on a first come, first served basis.  A poster regarding the program is available by clicking here.

The monthly Hospital Mass will take place on Sunday, October 28th at 4:00pm at the Sacred Space in the Abbotsford Hospital.  Any students wishing to read, please meet Mrs. Wakely at 3:45 at the Sacred Space.  This is a wonderful outreach opportunity for our students and their families.

The Lost and Found bin in the school hallway is overflowing with items that need to be claimed.  Please remind your children to look in the bin for items they have lost recently, as any items not claimed by Wednesday, October 31st will be donated to charity.

Just a reminder to please pick up your children promptly after sports practices or games, and club meetings.  Many of the coaches and teachers in charge of activities have waited up to 30 minutes after the sport or club ended for children to be picked up.  When activities occur at school your children will be taken to the Thunder Club and the parents will be billed; however, it is not always possible for your child to be brought back to the school after an event that is away from the school.  Please note that all activities are listed on the school calendar, including starting and ending times, and depending on what device you are using to look at the calendar you may need to scroll down the page to access all entries.  Just a further reminder that the school does not arrange rides for students to away games or tournaments, and back to the school when they are finished – this is a parent responsibility.  We appreciate your understanding.

Unique Christmas gifts available from vendors & crafters, scrumptious homemade baked goods, silent auction, basket raffle, and fun for the whole family – that is what you will find at the St. Ann’s Christmas Market.  A hearty Italian dinner will be served Friday evening, as well as a delicious breakfast and lunch on Saturday.  Admission is free!  Please come and kick off the festive season with us in comfort and joy.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Friday, November 2nd from 4:00pm – 9:00pm & Saturday, November 3rd from 9:00am – 4:00pm.

St. Ann’s Parish Hall – 33333 Mayfair Ave., Abbotsford, BC.

To see the Facebook page click here.

To see the St. Ann’s website click here.

For more information, call 604-852-5602.

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported our school at our Fall Movie Night last night!  Everyone had a great time watching Incredibles 2. 

A huge Thank You to our sponsors and donors.

Sponsors:

Starbucks

TPC 2000 Ventures: http://www.tpcprojects.com/

Westlynn Meats: http://westlynnmeatsandseafood.com/

Donors:

Safeway – South Fraser Way

and many anonymous donors

A big thank you also goes out to all the families who attended as well as the staff, parents and students who shared of their time to help make Movie Night a success.  

Working together as a community, using our gifts of time, talent and treasure, we can reach our fundraising goal for this year.  Every dollar adds up and it all benefits the students of St. James & St. Ann’s.  Thank you for your support of our great school.