The Patriot Report – February 18, 2022

“The family is the first essential cell of human society.” – Pope John XXIII

The Catholic Church has always placed great emphasis on the role of the family in shaping the societies we inhabit. In fact, Pope Francis declared 2021 the Year of the Family to call the faithful towards giving families the care and attention they deserve. With Family Day approaching, it is appropriate that we reflect on family. 

I think the one of the most important things we can give our children is our time. It is also the most challenging thing to give. We find ourselves often short on time. But if we do not prioritize the time we do have available, then the consequences can be profound. I do not believe that our children require all of our spare time. They need to be independent and have free time as well to pursue their interests and their passions. But we risk damaging our family, and by extension our society, when we do not give time to our children. 

I know this is no easy task. Especially when work can demand so much. It is also not easy when our children seem to always be on the move with this activity or that activity. However, it is our responsibility as parents to find the time. The time we spend with our children though must be carefree time. Sure driving to a game or a practice is time spent together, and many an important conversation happens in car rides, but this is not carefree time. 

Carefree time is when there is no other agenda or task that distracts from being together. One of the best ways I have to spend time with my family is to go on a hike with them. It is funny because I often walk too fast and they complain that I am always looking to go faster, but it is the moments along those hikes that become cherished memories and the time we spend will build a foundation that we can rely on. Moments such as Evan always seeming to find a stick to carry like dogs often do. Or Eric walking beside me as we talk about sports. Or Nadia saying, “Watch me” as she leaps off of a log. All those moments add up to something special. 

Make the time and find the time to be together. Your children need this. We as a community need this. We all want better communities and achieving this starts in the home with our immediate family. My hope for each of you this Family Day long weekend is that you spend carefree time together building lasting memories. 

The Gr. 1 and Gr. 2 classes went to Grouse Mountain on Tuesday, February 15. For many of the students this was their first experience at Grouse Mountain and snowshoeing proved to be a real challenge. What I observed though was students, who despite being tired, kept going and finished what was a long snowshoeing trek for them. I was so proud of their determination and their ability to learn a new skill. I was also very grateful to Miss Handy and Miss Glinsbockel who planned and organized the field trip. With their leadership, the chaperones, the support staff, and all the students had a rewarding learning experience. 

The Re-registration package was due back on February 4, 2022.  We thank all families for returning the packages to us.  If you have not completed the re-registration and need more time, please email the office.  We will be reaching out to those on the wait list if you do not intend to return.

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. 

The theme for this Friday’s Care Day is Sports Jerseys. It does not have to be an actual jersey. Your child can wear the color of a favorite sports team, they can wear a shirt showing the team, or they can wear a jersey of a team they play for. As the Olympics come to a close, students can also wear Olympic colors or Canadian colors. 

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