The Patriot Report – February 11, 2022

“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” – Steve Maraboli

On Monday, I had the distinct pleasure of joining the Gr. 7 and Gr. 5 class on their snowshoeing field trip to Grouse Mountain. Throughout the week I have found myself reflecting on the lessons this field trip offered to the students. 

For many of our students, it was their very first time snowshoeing. This presented a unique set of challenges from learning how to put on their snowshoe to avoiding falling while travelling downhill. Needless to say, many students fell and found themselves having to get back up to try again. 

I always enjoy watching students learn in new environments. On this field trip, students learned about tree wells, survival supplies while on a hike, indigenous uses for Cedar trees, and animals that live in the region. Most importantly, students learned that although they found snowshoeing challenging they could persevere in the task.

That is the real lesson for the students. I love the quote above because it speaks to a truth that is foundational to the human experience. For example, playing the piano is not easy. Playing the piano only becomes easier due to the hard work and continued practice of the piano player. The same can be said of sports. Making a layup in basketball is not easy. It too takes practice and skill. It only becomes easy for those who dedicate their time to getting better at it. 

I often hear parents speak about wanting their children to be resilient. I think we can cultivate resilience in our children by first modelling it ourselves. We can show our children what it means to be strong and resilient. We are our children’s first and primary educators and they are watching us. So let’s show them what it means to forge onward with a hopeful and positive outlook. Let’s also show them that resilience is born out of failure. I encourage all parents to take up a new hobby or new activity or to pursue even greater heights in areas you are already interested in. Show your children how to respond to the frustration felt when learning something new. 

Let us not underestimate the power of our own example. Our children watch us and copy us. If we want our kids to be resilient and strong then we need to first model it for them. Once the model has been given, we then need to give them the space to try new things and grow into the strong and resilient people we want them to be. 

Staff at St. Jude School received a kind donation of N95 masks by way of St. Jude Parish. The parish had received N95 masks from Mary Tecson with the Langley Community Services Society. We are very grateful for the donation and we are putting the masks to good use. Thank you.

Please support the Grade 7 class as they are holding a Krispy Kreme Doughnut 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 at desiree_suganob@yahoo.com or 778-891-3770 to make payment.

Order deadline is Wednesday, February 16

Doughnut orders will be distributed to the students on Friday, February 25 at noon dismissal.

Order link:  https://forms.gle/Ktriy8TubqtzSTCz8

Thank you for your support!

The Gr. 7 Boys Basketball team has so far had a very strong showing this season in basketball. The boys have bought into team basketball and have overwhelmed many of their opponents. Their only defeat of the season came against a very strong St. George’s Basketball Team in an exhibition game earlier this week. As their coach, I am proud that this group supports one another and is genuinely excited for each others success. We are looking forward to playoffs!

Tax receipts will be sent home on Monday, February 14, with the oldest child in the family. Please be sure to check your child’s backpack for this important document. Thank you

School administration has made the decision to cancel student led conferences on March 11, 2022. Student led conferences is a way for students to show parents their learning and it involves multiple groups of parents in the classrooms touring various stations. We felt that given current restrictions and not knowing when restrictions would be eased, the best course of action would be to cancel the conferences now so that parents and staff can make calendar adjustments. 

March 11, 2022 will be a regular day of instruction with normal school hours (8:30-3:00) and After School Club will run that day as well. 

Since we are not going to have Student-Led Conferences, we are going to make use of our SeeSaw platform for digital portfolios. Teachers will work with their students and have them upload examples of their work and learning. All parents should be able to access their child’s SeeSaw account and see the work samples. If you are not able to access it or are having problems, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher. 

Parents who choose to take vacations during school instructional days do so knowing that we will not be providing homework packages. While I understand that vacation travel is often cheaper during non peak times (believe me when I say that educators know full well the costs of traveling in peak seasons), teachers continue to teach the students that are present during the instructional days. 

Students who miss school for family vacations or family travel can participate in some online learning activities such as Mathletics or RAZ Kids. However, teachers are not going to prepare individualized homework packages and students can catch up on missed work upon their return. 

We all know how congested our parking lot can become for dismissal. There are a couple of things that have been brought to my attention that are worth communicating to the entire school community. 

1. Do not park in laneways blocking already parked cars. Imagine trying to get out of your parking spot but you cannot because a car is double parked blocking several cars. We understand there may be no parking spots available but this is not allowed. 
2. Do not linger and allow kids to play. If parents can leave once they have their children this will free up more spaces. 
3. Supervision goes until 3:15pm. Most of our parking lot is empty by 3:10pm at the latest. If you would like a less stressful experience, aim to get to the school by 3:10pm and you will find a spot with ease. 
4. Exercise caution at all times. Parking lots are always very busy and susceptible to accidents. Please ensure that you are always mindful of your surroundings and drive slowly and cautiously. 

Another option is to park further away from the school and look to get some steps in. Trust me, your son or daughter can handle the steps and this might be a nice, less stressful, way to transition from school to the car. When my dad picks up our kids from St. Pat’s in Maple Ridge he parks at least 3 to 5 minutes away and walks. 

Crowded parking lots and schools go together like peanut butter and jelly. Go to any one of our CISVA schools or high schools at dismissal and you will see that all parking lots are busy. In fact, if you go to many of the Vancouver Catholic schools, I think you will be grateful for how big our parking lot actually is. 

Be calm. Be kind. 

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.  

As of today, we only have space in Gr. 2 and Kindergarten for 2022-23. All other classes are full at this time and several have waitlists. 

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