The Patriot Report – January 31, 2020

“Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.” – Martin Luther

On Wednesday we had our weekly school mass. Sometimes I find myself quite distracted at our school mass for a variety of reasons. This past Wednesday was no different. And then the Choir led the congregation in song that truly transported me into a more spiritual space. My mind calmed and I could enter into prayer with God. The song was sung without any instruments, only the children’s voices. It was sung in a “round” as well, where students sing different parts of the song at different times. It all worked. And as the quote above suggests, my agitated soul became calm. With this in mind, I would sincerely like to express my gratitude to the students for their wonderful singing and our Choir directors (Miss Antao, Miss Smillie, and Mrs. Collins) for their leadership. 

Thank you for using Munchalunch. We hope this product will allow for greater efficiency. Please be mindful that the school will hold a student’s hot lunch until the end of that school day. Any food not picked up by the end of the day will be considered donated. We will not store student food overnight. If you would like the food to be sent with a sibling or for it to be donated right away, we would appreciate an email to office@stjude.ca indicating your request. Thank you.

If you have not ordered for the months of February to April, please do so. If you do not know if you have ordered or you need help please email hotlunch@stjude.ca or office@stjude.ca

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 

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.  

The Gr. 7 Girls Basketball put together a successful campaign at St. Helen’s Searchers Tournament. The team battled hard in the Championship game against the host school, but eventually fell to them. The team is to be commended on their efforts and for bringing pride to our school! Keep it going!

The Gr. 6 Boys Basketball team continued their strong play in a blowout victory over crosstown rivals, St. Mary’s School. The boys took command right away and never looked back. The team will be facing stiff competition in 3 tournaments this year: St. Patrick’s, St. George’s, and Vancouver College. We are excited to see how they do and we are proud of their efforts!

The Gr. 5 Boys started strong against OLS, opening with an dominant first quarter. The team again showed cooperation in a balanced attack as 7 players featured in the scoring. High Fives Boys!