The Patriot Report – December 3

“The elders say that Creator is perfect loving energy. Within the realm of perfect love there is no judgment. If there is no judgment then there can be no failure. In turn, if failure does not exist, there is no unworthiness. We are all one energy. We are worthy and we always were. We never have to qualify.” – Richard Wagamese, One Drum: Stories and Ceremonies for a Planet

If you were to ask me to recall my university courses, there are only a handful of moments that I can truly recall and it really hasn’t been that long. Unfortunately, not all university courses are all that too engaging. I can recall being in a history course on the Middle East during 9/11 and our professor was taking calls from CBC and other media outlets as he was seen as an expert on the topic. I can recall failing miserably in a Spanish class I took, thinking it would put me in better favor with my then girlfriend whose family spoke Spanish. We ended up getting married despite my shortcomings in speaking Spanish. I can recall taking a Philosophy course and achieving an “A” as the course was essentially a retelling of what I had learned in Christian Education 11. The most memorable professor though was Donald Grayston, an Anglican priest and professor of Religious Studies at SFU. 

There were many lessons I learned from Grayston. His wisdom and appreciation for different religious traditions was something to admire. He introduced me to Thomas Merton, a Catholic Trappist monk and I was fortunate enough to share an occasional lunch with him learning what I could. One such teaching was that the great spiritual leaders of the world could all sit together at a table and share a meal of fellowship. He pointed to the example of St. Mother Teresa, who at that time was still alive working in Calcutta, India. He pointed to the Thich Nhat Hanh and his teachings of peace. He pointed out Rumi, an Sufi poet that wrote on subjects such as love and beauty. All the great spiritual masters, regardless of their faith tradition, understood that love was at the center of it all.   

The quote from Wagamese teaches us that lessons of love and acceptance are to be found in the worldviews and stories of indigenous peoples. I choose the quote because it is a reminder to us that we too describe God as creator and as perfect love. We are first told in Genesis that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The Gospel of John relates that we are united in love and united to God in love. 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is love.” In St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians we are reminded that love endures all things and never ends. Love is eternal. 

Within our own spiritual faith tradition of Catholicism, rooted in scripture, we can find the truth that unites us to all people and the whole of creation. In the season of Advent, we are called upon to be a light for others in the darkness. We do this by being a people of love. This means we sacrifice for each other, we listen to each other, and we accompany each other. We would do well to remember that the world is sustained and built upon a wellspring of love. It is when we forget these lessons, that we begin to spiral downwards into darkness. As easy as it is to spiral into darkness by judging others, condemning those who think opposite of us, and consuming negative headlines at alarming rates, it is also fairly simple to lift one another out of darkness. A smile, a shared meal, a thoughtful gift, a compliment, an ear to listen, even just a good intention for another, are all ways in which we can lift others out of darkness. 

The real beauty of it all is that when we lift others out of darkness through good and simple kind acts, we end up lifting ourselves out of darkness. If you find that living through these times we find ourselves in to be dark and depressing then seek the remedy of helping others first and in time you will find that you have all the strength and goodness you need to overcome the darkness. 

We are hiring for the position of After School Club facilitator. If you know of someone who is reliable, responsible, and enjoys working with children, please encourage them to apply. Hours are Monday to Friday 3pm to 6pm and on half days from 12pm to 6pm. If they are interested please have them email their resume and references to Mr. Chris van der Pauw at cvanderpauw@stjude.ca 

We are grateful that Ms. Vanessa (After School Club Facilitator from last year) is able to help us out in the short term while she is on break from her Educational Teaching Program.

Here is the schedule for next week December 6 to December 10:

Inclement Weather Decision Making Process

The decision making process for closing the school due to snow includes:

• assessment of sidewalks & stairways
• assessment of parking lots
• assessment of staff driving routes
• assessment of general driving conditions
• assessment of weather, current & projections
• consultation with neighbouring schools and principals
• consultation with PEC and staff that live in the area
• prayer 

 Some of the factors which make St. Jude School unique when considering these decisions include the following:

• we’re not a neighbourhood school, but nearly exclusively a commuter school
• students travel from different parts of Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, and Richmond
• staff travel from Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, North Van, Coquitlam, and Maple Ridge
• we live in a region that does not get much snow and many drivers are ill prepared (no snow tires) to drive in snow yet do so anyway
• the risk of car accidents greatly increases in such conditions and commute times become exceptionally long with many arriving very late. 

Other factors all schools must consider:

• are we able to provide a quality learning experience if we have 1/3 or 1/2 of our students in the building?
• if some teachers aren’t able to make it to school, do we have the support from our Teacher On Call pool to handle the sudden demand? 
• are we able to provide adequate supervision if staff cannot make it to work?
• can we confidently say that we made the best decision to open if an injury or fatality occurs?

When the school is closed due to inclement weather, communication will be through Facebook and Twitter first, then the school website by 7am at the latest. Lastly an email will be sent out through mailchimp. It is the responsibility of the parents to check our Facebook or Twitter feed, the website and their email when snow is in the forecast. 

In difficult weather, our hope is to open our schools as soon as it is possible while considering all educational and safety perspectives. We thank you for your prayers and support!

The safety of our students is everyone’s responsibility. When you enter our parking lot you must drive with extra caution. If you are late and in a rush this does not allow you to drive fast in our parking lot. We all know that their are peak drop off times and if you plan to drop off during these times then you must be prepare that drop off will take longer; please be patient. Below is a reminder of some important rules:

1. Parents are not to get out of the car when using the drop off lane. If your child cannot open the car door on their own and exit the car independently, then do not use the drop off lane.
2. Pull all the way up to the front of the drop off lane. Do not stop in the middle if there is room to pull up. This causes a back up. 
3. Listen to the Parent Supervisors. Parents are out their to help with the flow of the parking lot and they deserve your respect.
4. Do not let young children navigate the parking lot on their own. We would never let our young children walk unescorted in a busy mall parking lot so let’s not do it in our school parking lot. If your child is under 10, then you need to escort them. In the morning this means you walk them into the coned off area and in the afternoon you meet them there. 
5. Drive slowly and cautiously. Be on the lookout for students. 
6. Walk cautiously and watch for cars backing up and pulling out. 
7. Be Courteous. Parking lots can sometimes bring out the worst in us. Please be patient and kind and treat all with respect.

We have seen an uptick in students coming to the office asking for masks. We would like to remind parents that students need to come to school with extra masks. These masks can be either stored in their backpack in a baggie or you can talk to your child’s teacher about sending in a box of masks. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter. 

I am happy to report that student behavior has improved since we started going outside daily, rain or shine. Only once in the past few weeks did we have an indoor recess as the heavy rains and windy weather was of such force that not even umbrellas would have helped. 

With atmospheric rivers seemingly behind us, we now prepare for colder weather. We do not ever get extremely cold weather (-25 below) and if students are equipped with proper attire (gloves, toques, winter coats, winter boots) then they will be more than fine playing outside. Students get cold when they are not properly dressed for the weather. The fresh cold air is good for them and playing outside allows them to have greater focus in the afternoon. 

Please ensure you equip your child with proper clothing for the colder weather. 

Each year the Gr. 7 Class fundraisers for their year end farewell celebration. The fundraising helps offset the costs for the farewell dinner and celebration. This program works as each year the students that enter Gr. 7 benefit from the fundraisers. This year, the committee of Gr. 7 parents have several fundraisers for our school community to participate in. Below you will find two opportunities, a Krispy Kreme Donut sale and Indigo Fundraising. 

Great news! Our group just started a fundraising page for St Jude School’s Grade 7 Class on Indigo FUNdraising. Every time we shop online through our group’s fundraising page, St Jude’s Grade 7 Class earns cash back! It’s that easy. Here’s an opportunity to do all your Christmas shopping in your pajamas, even purchasing gift cards will help support our class! 

Join our fundraiser now using our invite code FMYFG9 at https://indigofundraising.flipgive.com/teams/join?fundraiser_name=Lisa&joincode=FMYFG9

If we work together, we’ll meet our $1,000 goal in no time.  

The fundraising opens only until December 31, 2021.

Thank you everyone!

Grade 7 Class

Please support the Grade 7 class as they are holding a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Fundraiser.  Buy a box of 12 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnuts for $10.  Please complete the online order form via the link below. To limit contact, we encourage parents to pay via e-transfer to Lucy (Shih-Yun) Liang at lucyliang0202@gmail.com. Please indicate student’s name and grade. For those who prefer to pay cash, please contact Desiree Suganob @ desiree_suganob@yahoo.com or 778-891-3770 to make payment.

Order deadline is Friday, December 10

Doughnut orders will be distributed to the students on Friday, December 17.

Order link: https://forms.gle/cJL3N41DncJu6XyU9

Thank you for your support!

Classes at St. Jude School participate in Advent assemblies as a way of growing in faith during this important liturgical season. 

We are excited to welcome kindergarten registration for children born in 2017, turning 5 in 2022. These children will begin kindergarten in September, 2022.  Please click on our Admissions Top Tab to access the New Family Application.  

We currently have no stock available for sale in our Consignment.

If you would like uniform items to be sold in consignment, they must be in good to excellent condition. They need to be the current uniform and not the old one. You will need to set a price and fill out a form. Please contact Mr. van der Pauw if you would like an item to be sold. From time to time we will post what is available for sale in consignment. 

Reminder of Uniform Schedule:

Monday to Thursday – Uniform

Fridays – Patriot Spirit Wear