The Patriot Report – January 14, 2022

“Although the life of a person is in a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God.” – Pope Francis

For the longest time there was a corner of my backyard that was overgrown. There was thorns and grass clippings and even a stump from an old tree. Every morning for the longest time and especially in the summer, I would stare at that corner of my yard and would feel a sense of dread about the amount of work it would take to clean it all up. It wasn’t until Spring Break of 2020 when Covid19 shut our province down that I finally tackled the project. With a shovel I began digging up everything. I beat back the brambles and dug deep to extract their roots. It seemed to everyone else in my household that I was making a much bigger mess than making it look nicer. 

In time though, the corner began to take shape and transform. The vision in my mind took shape and the work was beginning to pay off. I took old logs we had lying around and used them as a border. Fresh soil was brought in to give new plants the best possible start. And yes new plants gave the space the final transformation. 

In a lot of ways, transforming an overgrown and unruly garden space is a lot like transforming ourselves. Spaces become overgrown due to a lack of care. The same can be said of ourselves. Weeds and thorns take hold quickly and spread quickly if you do not stay vigilant in weeding the garden. Our bad habits can quickly take shape and take over if we do not take action. However, no space is completely helpless. No person is either. It takes a vision and a willingness to work hard to transform. It does get messy and it is never easy. But it is worth it. 

Please be aware of the following as we head into next week:

1. Updated guidance from Vancouver Coastal Health on self isolation and self monitoring has been provided. 
   • Vaccinated (2 doses) household contact – self monitor for symptoms
   • Partially vaccinated household contact – self isolate for 10 days
   • Unvaccinated household contact – self isolate for 10 days
   • Vaccinated (2 doses) case – self isolate for 5 days
   • Partially vaccinated case – self isolate for 10 days
   • Unvaccinated case – self isolate for 10 days
2. We are being asked by Vancouver Coastal Health and the Ministry of Education to track illness. Please be sure to inform the office if your child is away from school due to illness. 
3. There are two significant measures we have to stop the spread of illness. One is to get you and your child vaccinated. The other is to keep children home when they have symptoms. B.C. has launched the thrive app and website for symptoms. Please use it as it will guide you in decision making. Click here to access it. 
4. The school is working hard to ensure that in person learning remains for our students. This week we had 6 staff members away but we were able to keep things going. Please know that if the school were to have a functional closure it would be as a last result and only after consulting with CISVA, FISA, and VCH. A functional closure is when the school cannot open due to a lack of staff available. Any functional closures will be communicated to parents via email so please make sure you are getting emails from the school and are receiving our newsletter. Please let other parents know to check their email. 

St. Jude School recognizes the importance that education plays in stopping racism. As a Catholic school we need to be a leader in promoting justice and equality. Core to our beliefs is the understanding that each human person has a dignity and respect owed to them. This is God-given and can never be lost. Our society needs to reckon with its past and acknowledge the truth that prejudice, discrimination, and racism has played in shaping communities. At St. Jude School, we teach students that each child is made in the image and likeness of God. Each child contains the divine spark. Each child is sacred and beautiful as a creation of God. In the eyes of God there is only beauty and radiance. It is our job as parents and educators to teach our children that racism cannot be tolerated. 

In order to achieve this we must educate ourselves. We need to learn about different cultures. We need to listen to others. We need to ensure we do not judge and make sweeping generalizations. We need to be the example that our children need. Only in doing this can change happen. 

Book your Three Way Conferences here.

Three Way Conferences are happening this year via zoom on January 21. It is advisable that parents ensure they have working technology prior to the conference. Parents who cannot attend the meeting or find a time that works are encouraged to email their classroom teacher directly. 

The reason for this conference is to have a shared understanding about your child’s learning and their goals for learning. Your child is to participate in the conference and this will look different for our Kindergarten students compared to our Gr. 7 students. Learning improves when children take responsibility for their learning and their growth and have ownership over it. Furthermore, the conversation is to remain positive and to focus on ways forward. This is not the time or space for negative criticism or to discuss matters that are not related to your child’s learning. 

While I know that 10 minutes is not much time, it is what we can afford given the number of conferences that happen. If you show up late to your time, your conference will be cut short. You can also email your child’s teacher in advance to schedule a different time that works for you and the classroom teacher. 

The Grade 7 class is holding a hot lunch fundraiser on Monday, January 24th.  Please support the grade 7 students and order a lunch from Caveman Cafe.  Payment can be made via e-transfer or cash. 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.

Hot lunch date – Monday, January 24

All menu items are $8

• Burrito Whole Wheat Wrap: Beef
• Burrito Whole Wheat Wrap: Chicken
• Burrito Whole Wheat Wrap: Tofu
• Burrito Wrap Gluten-Free: Beef
• Burrito Wrap Gluten-Free: Chicken
• Burrito Wrap Gluten-Free: Tofu
• Chicken Burger on Whole Wheat Ciabatta Bun (with lettuce and mayo)
• Tofu Burger on Whole Wheat Ciabatta Bun (with lettuce and mayo)
• Butter Chicken on Basmati Rice
• Meat Chili Bowl on Rice
• Vegetarian Chili Bowl on Rice

Order link: https://forms.gle/Ltg67431YMk12K5h6

Order deadline is Wednesday, January 19.

Thank you for your 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 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