The Patriot Report – February 17, 2023

“The family that eats together stays together.”

All children want their homes and families to be secure. One of the best ways to build strength in the family is by spending time together. Each day affords us an opportunity to be together. However, it is not enough to be simply sitting around the same table. It is about creating a space where parents and children can talk about their days and engage in conversation. 

It is not easy though to eat together. Sure, we might be seated around the same table but we are not engaging with each other. Ever go out to a restaurant and see all four members of a family on their phones? It happens. Or you may find that your schedule is just all over the place. Soccer, basketball, music, swimming, dance, tutoring, and much more all make it hard to sit together as a family. 

For my family, we are lucky if we can have all five of us at the dinner table on a weekday. Work and extracurriculars make it hard. But not all hope is lost. Here are 7 steps we can take to make eating together a means to build stronger families:

• Don’t worry about a fancy or elaborate meal. It’s all about spending time together.
• Try to start slowly. Simply increase the number of family meals you’re having by one a week.
• Plan a menu for the week and make a grocery list together. Take turns preparing food, setting the table and cleaning up afterwards.
• Turn off and tune in. Put away your phones and turn off the television so there are no distractions and you can focus on family time.
• Think up fun topics. Avoid dull conversation by thinking ahead about interesting things you can invite your family to share.
• Sit together. Use chairs not stools and sit around a communal table to encourage better connections.
• Keep conversation light. Make a ground rule that there should be no fighting, accusations, nagging, outside voices or whining.

All re-registration packages were due back by email to registrar@stjude.ca on Wednesday, February 15th.  

All returning students for 2023-24 should have received a Student Information Verification Sheet.  Please check thru it carefully and make any corrections needed on the page.  The Student Information Verification Sheet should be signed and handed back to the classroom teachers. 

Interest in St. Jude School has skyrocketed this year and we have waitlists now in several grades. Failure to send in your re-registration paperwork could result in your spot being given away to a student on the waitlist. 

The Income Tax Receipt is being emailed out to families on February 10, 2023. Please check your inbox. In some cases the email may have ended up in your spam inbox. The email address used is the one we have on file with respect to banking. We have taken this route as you will have an electronic copy that is not susceptible to getting lost in backpacks or getting lost in the home. Having a digital copy may also make it easier for tax purposes and lastly it was more efficient for the school office to send out Income Tax Receipts this way. 

Please see the click here to read a letter from Fr. Jun explaining the Income Tax Receipt.  

On rainy days I have observed that many of our students, especially girls, are not wearing appropriate footwear for the weather. The slip-on girls shoes should not be worn outside as it offers very little protection to the students. Students are allowed to leave their uniform shoes on their desk chair or in their sports/gym bag and then change shoes when they arrive. This allows them them the opportunity to wear rain boots outside. 

Another option is to consider an all black waterproof shoe that can be worn all day. The Vessi shoe, black on black, is a product I would recommend. I have a pair and my own children also have their own to wear to their school as well. An all black shoe, waterproof, dry socks, and no need to change shoes!

We have partnered with Vessi (a Vancouver based company) for a special offer for our St. Jude School families–a 20% discount. However, if purchasing as a school shoe, you need to purchase the black on black option (see link below). Vessi is online only and they ship to your house. If the shoe does not fit, you can ship it back and exchange. 

You can visit Vessi here: https://ca.vessi.com/products/kids-weekend-asphalt-black-on-black

The promo code for our school is being sent home with your child today. If you have lost the promo code please email Mr. Chris van der Pauw

As St. Jude School continues to prioritize in-person learning, we wanted to remind you of our policy regarding family vacations.

While we believe that the best learning environment is in the classroom, we understand that families may need to take time off for valid reasons. As such, we kindly request that vacations be taken during the natural breaks in the year (Spring Break, Summer Break, and Christmas Break).

For those students who will be away, we want to remind parents that we do not provide work in advance. However, our online subscription to Mathletics, daily reading and journal writing can help keep your child engaged in their studies.

Please do not ask your child’s teacher for homework. Rest assured that your child will catch up on any missed units/assignments upon their return to school.

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. 

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.