The Patriot Report – January 24, 2020

“Be who you are and be that well.” —St. Francis de Sales

Today is the feast day of St. Francis de Sales and his quote above is simple yet deeply profound. As a people of faith, we believe that God has created each and everyone of us in the divine image (Gn 1:27). We further believe that God has a special plan for each of us. If we hold to the idea that God created each of us and has a plan for each of us, then our challenge is simply be ourselves. God’s plan is not that you be like somebody else. Judy Garland (actress in Wizard of Oz) echoed these thoughts when she said, “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” The importance of being our best selves is a lesson that we all need to take to heart and most importantly, share with our children. Our children will be bombarded with messages from advertisers and other sources that they will never be good enough and that they need to be someone else. What we must do, what we are called to do, is to teach them that they already have everything they could ever need because God made them and has a plan for them. 

Many of our families have used Munchalunch with success. This is a reminder to all of our families that ALL hot lunch orders must be completed online. Below you will find instructions for how to set up your account. 

HOW TO REGISTER:

1. Go to: https://munchalunch.com/schools/StJude   
2. Click the “Register Here” button (as shown below). The system will guide you through.
3. After adding your children, click the green “Order Lunch!” button to order.
4. Next time, just click the “Login Here” button to access your account.

ORDERING DETAILS:

• • Online ordering will be OPEN from January 10, 2020. 
  • All orders for February must be completed by January 27, 2020. 
  • If you need assistance with ordering, or do not have access to the internet, please contact August Ma at hotlunch@stjude.ca or the Office at office@stjude.ca 

Please note if your child is ill on a lunch date, you are welcome to pick up their lunch at 12:00pm or after school.  Please call the school to advise that you are coming and we will hold it for you at the office.  Consistent with previous years, there are NO REFUNDS.  

Three way conferences are on January 30, 2020. The purpose of 3 way conferences is for the student, the parent and the teacher to come together to discuss educational growth and establish goals for moving forward. The aim is to establish a clear path for improvement for the remainder of the school year. Students need to be in attendance for the meeting and should be in school uniform. Parents and students are to arrive only for their scheduled time slot. 

To book your interview time click here.

Last year was the first year we introduced a Re-registration night in which we accept and process re-registration forms. Each year we are required to collect information from our families as set out by the Auditors. The Re-registration packages were sent home today so please expect these to come home with your child. We will have PEC members as well as school staff on site that evening to process Re-registration Packages. Please make sure that you have all documents completed accurately and correctly. Similar to last year, families who hand in Re-registration packages late will be charged a $20 late fee. 

New this year is the ability to authorize the school to accept payments through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). This means that you can opt out of having to pay by cheque or cash and instead the school can withdraw the specified funds similar to the existing Pre-Authorized Debit system we use for monthly tuition. For example, instead of paying the Student Activity Fee of $75 by cheque or cash, you can opt to have the funds automatically withdrawn on the specified date in the Re-registration package. In this case, you would not have to write cheques or bring cash with you that evening. 

In the Re-registration package there is an important FAQ about EFT and a permission form for you to fill out. EFT is safe and efficient. It will greatly reduce the amount of work required in our bookkeeping office to process cheques and cash and you will have the peace of mind in knowing exactly when money will be debited and you will be better able to track and record payments. Therefore I am encouraging everyone to sign up for the EFT. 

This year, Cambridge Uniforms is donating two $50 gift certificates to their store for our AGM night. Parents who arrive on time (between 6:15 and 6:30pm) will have the opportunity to enter their names into a draw for the certificates. Only one entry per family. You must be in attendance to claim the prize. 

I look forward to seeing all of our parents at our AGM and Re-registration Night. 

Re-Registration Night Details:

When: February 5th, 2020 at 6:30pm

Where: St. Jude School Gym 

The Gr. 7 Class is running a Church’s Chicken Hot Lunch fundraiser for Wednesday January 29. Order forms were sent home and the deadline is Monday, January 27.  

Our annual Scholastic Book Fair will happen January 27 to 30 in the Downstairs Library. We invite you to come by and take a look at the many titles for sale. The book fair will be open during 3 Way Conferences so make sure you pay them a visit! All proceeds from the bookfair go to support purchasing book titles for classrooms and the library!

St. Jude School is now receiving applications for Kindergarten and other grades that have spaces for 2020-21. If you know of families that are considering St. Jude School please encourage them to apply right away so that spots can be guaranteed. New families are encouraged to email office@stjude.ca to set up a tour and to pick up an application package. 

The Gr. 7 Girls Basketball team competed hard and just came up short in their semi-final match at the OLPH Tournament. The girls placed 3rd in the tournament and are to be commended for representing our school with pride! Way to go Girls!

The Gr. 6 Boys Basketball team dominated every facet of their home opener against St. Joseph’s School. They pushed the ball in transition, they outworked their opponent on defense, and they attacked the hoop with purpose. Congrats to the team on an excellent start to their season!

The Gr. 5 Boys team put in an impressive performance in their victory over St. Mary’s School. The boys took an early lead and built on it throughout the contest. The boys played solid team ball looking to move the ball to different teammates and to always cheer each other on. Next up is a Monday contest against OLS. 

The Gr. 5 Girls team played a solid game against St. Mary’s Vancouver. The game was close the entire time and went to overtime. Our girls lost by a basket but their efforts are the real story of the game. The Gr. 5 Girls Basketball team is to be commended for the hard play.