The Patriot Report – May 6, 2022

“I can imagine no heroism greater than motherhood.” – Lance Conrad

I selected the above quote because it rings true based on my personal observations of the mothers I know. 

A hero is someone who has a courage and strength that inspires others. Watching my wife go through labor was all the evidence I needed to know that woman have a reservoir of strength and courage that is truly miraculous. 

A hero is someone who comforts and protects others. Some mothers may take the job of protecting their children a little too far, but the desire to keep their children safe is written on their hearts. Children themselves know that their mom’s are there to help them. It is why kids at school will cry for their mom or why a mom will wake up in the middle of the night to comfort a child who had a nightmare. It is why my own kids will say to me, “Not you Dad, I need Mom.” There are somethings that only mom’s seem to be able to fix. 

A hero is someone who sacrifices their wants and needs for someone else. Any mother can tell you the endless sacrifices they make for their children. Their bodies are sacrificed. Their time is sacrificed. From making lunches to comforting a sick child, a good mother will sacrifice themselves for the well being of their children. And even when husbands try to create time for their wife to relax and rejuvenate, some mom’s will feel guilty because they have been sacrificing so much of themselves for so long that taking time for themselves seems to be too self-indulgent.

A hero is someone who never gives up. While our eldest child is not yet a teenageer (we have 2 years until that day), I can imagine that during these years, a mother’s love while tested, never gives up. Perhaps the first 12 years of a child’s life is a training ground for preparing mothers for the challenge of raising a teenager.

The heroism required to be a mother is truly great because the job of being a mother never ends. It is a lifetime of endless heroic deeds. 

Happy Mothers Day!

We are still short on crossing guards for the Walkathon. We need your help so that our children will be safe while completing their walkathon. Please contact Andrea Hannos for more information: andreahannos@yahoo.com

All volunteers will be credited with parent participation hours. 

We have done an amazing job raising funds for our school! We are so close to $30 000 and we have our last weekend in front of us. 

So far, our Kindergarten to Gr. 6 Classes have raised:

$27 476.85

Grade 7 Walkathon funds goes to their Outdoor Education Program hosted at Loon Lake in June of this Year. 

Cambridge Uniforms is offering a 5% discount on online sales from May 01 – May 21.  If you wait until June or later to order your uniform, you will not get it in time for September. 

Please click here to be directed to their website.  

Please note the following change for 2022-23:

St. Jude School has partnered with Cambridge Uniforms to offer a Girls Pant option as part of our regular student uniform. Boys and Girls Pants must come from Cambridge Uniforms (no substitutes allowed – i.e. Old Navy, WalMart, etc). Wearing a uniform is a symbol of school community and school pride. If you are in need of financial support due to the cost of the uniform please reach out to Mr. van der Pauw at cvanderpauw@stjude.ca

St. Jude School is pleased to announce that it has partnered with Pui Ying Schools (http://www.puiying.org/english/cschool/cschoolmain.html) to offer after school Beginners Mandarin Language instruction to students. Only students who are registered with St. Jude School will be able to register for programming at our school. 

Cost: $300 (tax and course material included) per term

Starts: September (Mondays 3:15 – 5:15) – starting September 12, 2022 – 15 week term

Location: In person at St. Jude School – classroom TBD

Requirements: Minimum of 8 students must register for the course to go forward. This is open to all St. Jude School students regardless of age. 

How to register: 

Email: edu@puiying.org

Attention: Ms. Nellie Chan

Send the following information to edu@puiying.org:

Ref.: SJES
Name of Student:
Date of Birth:
Course to register:  Cantonese / Mandarin / Mandarin Conversation
Grade / Level to register:  Beginners Level 1 Mandarin / Beginners Level 1 Cantonese / MCon Level 1 (short course Mandarin Conversation)
Name of Parent / Guardian:
Day time Contact number:
Email:

We currently have 8 students registered for Beginners Level 1 Mandarin so this course will happen.

We currently have 4 students registered for Mandarin Conversation – 4 more students will need to register to make this course a go. 

We currently have 2 students registered for Beginners Level 1 Cantonese – 6 more students will need to register to make this course a go.

Over the next few weeks I will highlight the businesses that have sponsored our walkathon shirts for 2022. 

School Start

At St. Jude School we partnered with School Start for all our student school supplies. School Start has made the process of order student school supplies easier for the school and for parents. At the start of each school year, School Start will deliver schools supplies either to our school or a student’s home. When we have had issues with orders or when a new student arrives mid-year, School Start has always been very responsive and reliable. We are grateful to School Start for being a Walkathon 2022 Sponsor and it is with full confidence that I recommend them to other schools, teachers, and parents.

You can read more about them at their website: schoolstart.ca

This past year we handed out $1200 in rewards to parents that referred students to our school. Every student that is referred and enrolls in our school for the year results in a reward of $200 for the the referring family. 

We currently have spots available in Kindergarten, Gr. 1, Gr. 2, Gr. 3, Gr. 4, and Gr. 6. 

To learn more about the referral program, please click here. 

Volunteer Policy

Under the Criminal Records Review Act, anyone who works with children or who has unsupervised access to children must submit to a Criminal Record Check (CRC).  The act helps protect children from individuals whose criminal record indicates they pose a risk of physical or sexual abuse.  

Based on the current programs offered at St. Jude School, this policy is applicable to the following volunteer opportunities and parent participation categories:

• Library
• Parent Supervisors for Field Trips
• Coaching Assistance / Refereeing / Extra-Curricular
• Playground / Parking Lot Supervision
• Hot Lunch helper
• Classroom / Office helper

If you plan to volunteer for the school in the capacities outlined above or your parent participation involves any of the above, you will need to complete a Criminal Record Check as soon as possible.  This check is free and can be completed online. Simply click on the link below and follow the on-screen instructions. You will need to enter the Access Code to be identified as a volunteer at St. Jude School.

Online Link: https://justice.gov.bc.ca/criminalrecordcheck

Access Code: KVLB9GCYEW

If you are not able to complete the form online, please email the school office for an appointment, bring your picture ID and we will assist you at the office.

St. Jude School acknowledges that there will be no disclosure of personal information to unauthorized personnel or third parties who are not directly involved in school management or the care, supervision and instruction of your child(ren) at this school, unless written authorization from a parent or legal guardian is provided to the school.  The school will securely store all electronic and hard copy parent and student personal information.

We currently have several items available for sale in our Consignment (please email if you would like to purchase – first to respond will be given the option to buy):

Green Patriots Hoodie – Youth Small – $20

Green Patriots Hoodie – Youth Medium – $15

White School Polo Shirt – Youth Small $15

White School Polo Shirt – Youth Small $10

White School Polo Shirt – Youth Small $10

School Kilt – Size 8 – $20

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 or Ms. Goh at the Office if you would like an item to be sold or to purchase an item. 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