The Patriot Report – January 7, 2022

COVID 19 UPDATE

Please be sure to read my letter addressing the safety procedures we have in place to address Covid19. You can find the letter by clicking here.

Due to the snow that accumulated over the Christmas Break we have lost a number of parking spaces. Drop off and Pick Up will naturally be busier times. To avoid greater congestion in the morning, I am asking parents to strongly consider using the drop off lane. The playground areas will also be slushy and therefore students need to be wearing boots to play outside. 

Over the Christmas Break the snow plowing company did damage the brick wall near the driveway closest to the parish. The parish is aware of the situation. We ask all families to ensure that they stay away from the damaged area. 

Please plan for more time during the next week due to the limited parking available. Be Patient. Be Kind. Be Calm.  

I am very pleased to announce that we have hired Miss Nicole Hombrebueno as our After School Club Facilitator. She will be starting on Monday, January 10, 2022. Miss Vanessa will be on site to assist with training and support. We are most excited to welcome Miss Nicole Hombrebueno to our St. Jude School family. 

I am very pleased to announce that we have hired Mrs. Irene Van Esch as an Educational Assistant. Mrs. Van Esch is excited to be joining our staff and she is a former student and graduate of our CISVA school system. We are excited to welcome Mrs. Irene Van Esch to our St. Jude School family. 

Inclement Weather Decision Making Process

The decision making process for closing the school due to snow includes:

• assessment of sidewalks & stairways
• assessment of parking lots
• assessment of staff driving routes
• assessment of general driving conditions
• assessment of weather, current & projections
• consultation with neighbouring schools and principals
• consultation with PEC and staff that live in the area
• prayer 

 Some of the factors which make St. Jude School unique when considering these decisions include the following:

• we’re not a neighbourhood school, but nearly exclusively a commuter school
• students travel from different parts of Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, and Richmond
• staff travel from Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, North Van, Coquitlam, and Maple Ridge
• we live in a region that does not get much snow and many drivers are ill prepared (no snow tires) to drive in snow yet do so anyway
• the risk of car accidents greatly increases in such conditions and commute times become exceptionally long with many arriving very late. 

Other factors all schools must consider:

• are we able to provide a quality learning experience if we have 1/3 or 1/2 of our students in the building?
• if some teachers aren’t able to make it to school, do we have the support from our Teacher On Call pool to handle the sudden demand? 
• are we able to provide adequate supervision if staff cannot make it to work?
• can we confidently say that we made the best decision to open if an injury or fatality occurs?

When the school is closed due to inclement weather, communication will be through Facebook and Twitter first, then the school website by 7am at the latest. Lastly an email will be sent out through mailchimp. It is the responsibility of the parents to check our Facebook or Twitter feed, the website and their email when snow is in the forecast. 

In difficult weather, our hope is to open our schools as soon as it is possible while considering all educational and safety perspectives. We thank you for your prayers and 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