The Patriot Report – Feb 19

“The journey of a 1000 miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

In 2008, my wife and I walked 750 kms across Spain completing the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. When I tell people that we walked 750 kms over a 3o day period, the reaction is usually one of surprise. I think this is because 750 kms seems to be a large number in our minds. And some people even remark, that they do not think they could do it. However, we met all sorts of people on the Camino. There was Agnes, who left her front door in Austria and had been walking for 3 months when we met her. There was a couple from Seattle who were retired and in their 70s. They walked 10 kms a day and were in no rush. All of us were walking the Camino and all of us were moving closer to the destination of Santiago de Compostela with each step we took, each at our own pace and for reasons only known to ourselves.

While the Camino was a journey to a physical destination, Lent is a 40 day journey to a spiritual destination. In order for Carla and I to reach the physical destination of Santiago de Compostela, we had to know the path to follow and had to take physical steps in that direction. In Lent, the path to follow is the path that Christ laid out for us and the steps we must take are that of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. With the Camino, each of us walked at a pace that was our own. In Lent, each of us moves towards God at a pace that is our own. Our journey to Santiago de Compostela took 30 days and was filled with challenge and discovery. While Lent may be 40 days, the spiritual journey lasts a lifetime and is filled with many challenges and discoveries. 

The important lesson though is that we take a step towards God. That step towards God may be small and simple. It could be donating a small amount to a charitable cause. It could be supporting a food bank. It could be carving out just 2 minutes in daily prayer before you arrive at work or return home from work. We do not arrive in full relationship with God by taking one step though. It is a lifetime of steps. But the journey towards God, the journey towards any destination, begins with that initial first step. 

I have noticed that after school pick up especially on the primary side of the building is starting to get congested. This may be due to parents talking with each other during the end of day pick ups. It is very important for parents to understand that they must maintain at least 6 ft distancing and that they must leave promptly so that we do not have crowding. Another possible cause is parents showing up prior to their pick up time. I would like to remind parents that we have a staggered pick up and drop off time to reduce crowding and congestion. In the interest of everyone’s safety, I ask that parents respect the staggered times. Lastly, I would also like to remind all parents that masks must be worn on school grounds even if outdoors. I thank you for your understanding and support!

Today a separate letter communicating uniform changes was sent out to all families via mailchimp. You can read the letter by clicking here. Below is just a brief summary. Starting March 1, 2021, the school will be making the following changes to its School Uniform schedule:

Monday – Uniform

Tuesday – Patriots Spirit Wear or Uniform. Students may only wear official Patriots Spirit wear. Sweatpants that are not Patriots wear are not permitted. Leggings are also not permitted. If your child only has the Patriots Spirit hoodie, then they can wear that with the uniform pants or kilt. 

Wednesday – Uniform

Thursday – Patriots Spirit Wear or Uniform

Friday – Uniform

Starting March 29, 2020, school administration and teachers will be conducting uniform checks. Infractions will be communicated to families in writing and the expectation is that changes will be made by the family in order to comply with the uniform. We will be having a Spring Sale for our Patriots Spirit Wear. Watch your emails for more information on when you can order Patriots Spirit wear. 

To order the Light Grey Patriots Spirit Wear, please click here: https://stjudepatriotsgear.square.site/

Also, there are 2 days remaining on the Cambridge Uniform Sale for our regular uniform items. Click here to learn more. The next sale will not be until June 2021. Our school code is TPA859.

This coming Sunday at 9:00 am, the parish of St. Jude will be having a mass for parishioners in the parking lot. The mass will be available via radio transmission on 87.9 FM while parked in parking lot. The parish can accommodate a maximum of 50 cars and therefore parishioners are asked to call to reserve their spot. Communion will be available for those attending. There are still spots available so call today to reserve your spot! Call 604-434-6700

Virtual Mass will be streamed at 11:00 am through the St. Jude Parish YouTube channel, followed by drive-thru communion at 12:15 pm.

Virtual Stations of the Cross starts today at 5:30 pm via the St. Jude Parish YouTube channel and will continue each Friday throughout Lent. 

In light of recent changes to the Ministry of Education Covid-19 guidelines for schools, we have decided that our March 12 Conferences involving the student, the teacher, and the parent, will be conducted virtually. 

The purpose of this conference is for teachers, parents, and students, to identify strengths and to set goals for improvement for the remaining 3 months of school. It is expected that students will wear their uniform during the virtual conference. All meetings will happen via Zoom. We will schedule times for interviews via schoolinterviews.com as we have for past conferences. 

The conferences will take place from 9am to 4pm. If you are unable to make a time on that day, you can schedule a zoom interview with your child’s teacher for a date and time that works well.  

I would like to encourage all of our parents, grandparents, and those connected to our school community to follow our social media feeds. It is through these feeds that you will be able to see what is happening in our school as we begin to post more and more pictures showing student learning. It is also a quick and free way for the school to post instant messages about school safety. If we were in a lockdown, I can easily post to our Twitter and Facebook feeds the situation and relevant updates. I cannot easily do that through mailchimp or the website. By following us, you can be well informed. Simply click the links below to follow us. 

Facebook – @stjudevan

Twitter – @stjudevan

This is a reminder that parents need to take the time to do the Daily Check every day. It is important that we remain committed to taking our COVID-19 procedures seriously. Click here to access the form. You will no longer need to provide the child or parent’s name on the form.