The Patriot Report – April 14, 2023

“The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole.” -Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate

As we are in the month of April, we have focussed our attention on the virtue of justice. One particular branch of justice is climate justice. Climate justice requires that we address the root causes of climate change and work towards a more just and sustainable world for all.

The Catholic Church teaches that the Earth is a gift from God, and that we have a responsibility to care for it as stewards. This means that we should not only use the Earth’s resources responsibly, but also ensure that everyone has access to them. The Church also recognizes that we are all interconnected, and that our actions affect not only ourselves but also others and the planet as a whole.

Climate justice demands that we address the social, economic, and environmental injustices that contribute to climate change. This includes working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, supporting sustainable agriculture and renewable energy, and promoting policies that prioritize the needs of the poor and vulnerable.

If we agree that there must be deep respect for the dignity of every human person and that all of creation is interconnected, then we must see that each action taken matters. We cannot adopt the mindset that this problem is too vast and therefore my actions do not matter. We all must take responsibility for our actions and work towards a more just and sustainable world for all.

Today a letter and pledge sheet was sent home with each child for our Annual Walkathon happening on May 12, 2023. This year our fundraising efforts will be going towards upgrading our school library into a learning commons space for all of our students to enjoy. Our goal is to raise $30,000. 

Our Charitable Impact online platform will be open for parents next week. A separate communication explaining how to use Charitable Impact will be sent home. 

Our Grade 6/7 Badminton team competed in a tournament this week at St. Francis Xavier School in Vancouver. None of our doubles teams or singles players advanced to the CISVA finals, but our students played very well and were extremely polite and supportive of each other and the other teams. Our sports programs have been blessed with the talent of our community and our St. Jude staff. Many thanks to Coach Kwok for his support and time leading practice and giving pointers from the sidelines! Thank you to our faculty sponsors Ms. Corea and Ms. Smillie who helped with practices and supported our athletes through this season. 

As we approach Earth Day on April 22, the Nature Club at St. Jude School has requested that we adopt next week as Earth Week. This is a fantastic suggestion and calls attention to how we must all respect and care for the land and the planet we call home. 

The students will spend various parts of the week learning about climate change, environmental stewardship, and what actions they can take to reduce their impact on the environment. 

As a school we will also look to adopt more environmentally friendly practices. Some changes are easier to implement than others but every change we do make helps. 

On Friday, April 21, students are encouraged to wear Earth Tone (blues, greens, browns) as a way of celebrating Earth Day. We will also be encouraging students to look at their own practices at home and see what they can do to make a difference. 

Cambridge Uniforms is recommending that parents place uniform orders for September 2023 before the summer months as supply issues can cause delays. Please read the letter from Cambridge Uniforms by clicking the link: Letter to Families

Follow this link to complete your hot lunch orders in support of Gr. 7 fundraising. 

http://bit.ly/3YGZhFu

Our Gr. 7 Student Ambassadors will be available to provide tours of our school to prospective families. If you know of someone who might be interested in attending St. Jude School, I encourage you to tell them to sign up for a tour. Any interested family can email registrar@stjude.ca to schedule a tour. 

It’s Yearbook ordering time again! Like last year, our yearbook ordering will be completely online through our school portrait company, Lifetouch.  
The order deadline is May 15, 2022 so order today!
 
Step 1: open  ybpay.lifetouch.ca   in your browser.
Step 2: type in the Yearbook ID code 14136523
Step 3: type in your child’s name and grade. You may order multiple copies under one name or add an additional order under a different name (additional orders can be added on the next screen).
Step 4: Online payments methods accepted are American Express, Mastercard, Discover, or Visa.
 
Please note the order deadline of May 15, 2023. Late orders will not be able to be fulfilled.

This past year we handed out $1200 in rewards to parents that referred students to our school. Every student that is referred and enrolls in our school for the year results in a reward of $200 for the the referring family. 

To learn more about the referral program, please click here.