The Patriot Report – October 23

“Courage, courage, trust in God who helps you in all things.” -St. Mary MacKillop

I came across this quote on my Living with Christ prayer app. It is simple yet profound. I should like to share a personal story that may serve to demonstrate this quote. 

When Nadia, my daughter and third child, was a few weeks old her mom and I started to notice that she would spit up a lot of the breast milk she would consume. As parents, our sometimes natural disposition is to worry for our children and perhaps this is even stronger among mothers. Our concerns grew when she began to lose weight. We took her to the doctors. They offered suggestions and solutions to try and feed her in different methods. We tried but to no avail and the spit ups would be rather forceful. It is very difficult for parents to watch their children suffer and to not know the reason. When the spit ups became even more forceful, Carla and I began to think that Nadia had what I had when I was one month old, pyloric stenosis (an uncommon condition in infants that blocks food from entering the small intestine). 

We took her to Children’s Hospital where they said she was too young for pyloric stenosis and we were sent away with further strategies to try different feeding methods. It is often in times such as these that we begin to allow fear to consume us. The “what ifs” can sent us into a spiral of anxiety. In such moments, as the quote by St. Mary MacKillop suggests, we need to be courageous and trust in God. For all parents faced with uncertainty about their child’s health, prayer is of utmost importance. And we prayed to God. 

After Children’s Hospital, Nadia continued to throw up and lose weight and this time we confronted the doctors and demanded that they rule out pyloric stenosis and while Nadia was not likely to have it we still made our case. She was sent to a specialist, who upon observation and testing, quickly confirmed that it was pyloric stenosis. Four hours later Nadia was being prepped for surgery at BC Children’s Hospital. She was 3 weeks old. 

When I reflect on this moment, I can recall that I was scared for my daughter, but also quite confident that all would be well. I reassured my wife that it would be fine and perhaps the confidence came from the fact that I was living proof that there was a fix for this condition. Perhaps my pyloric stenosis when I was one month old was a blessing from God as I could literally see the scar on my belly confirming that things would be alright. Also, modern medicine has only improved in the 30 plus years since I had my operation. 

But nothing quite prepares you for seeing your baby girl being prepped for surgery and having to watch her go into operation and you are left to your own thoughts in a waiting room. In such times, prayer becomes a foundation to lean upon. And while thoughts of “Lord please watch over her and the doctors” repeatedly were spoken in my mind, I also asked God to grant me courage and calm. “Lord help me to be calm. Lord give me strength to be the dad I need to be.”

Nadia came out of surgery fully repaired. I am thankful that her scar is barely visible (mine is a battle scar that today measures 3 inches). Today, Nadia is a cheerful and wonderfully kind hearted child that warms my soul each day (yes she is my little princess). But that moment, reminded me that we need to trust in God because life is not ours to control. But to trust in God requires prayer and courage. 

A reminder that the playground is closed to students before and after school.  After School Club uses the playground as part of their programming.

Patriots Wear from Cambridge is in production.  They will be ready in 2-3 weeks.  We thank you for your patience during this time.

Often when new students come to St. Jude School they end up telling us that it was a family member or a friend that referred them to us. The power of your referrals is something St. Jude School wants to reward. The program is not retroactive and it is effective as of October 13, 2020. 

The New St. Jude School Student Referral Incentive Program awards a referring St. Jude School family with a $200 tuition credit for each new student who is referred to and enrolls in and attends St. Jude School for the academic school year. (Refer a family that enrolls two students and receive a $400 tuition credit; refer a family that enrolls three students and receive a $600 tuition credit; etc.). The rules of the referral program are outlined below:

• Tuition credit awards will be given to families for referring new families/students to the school. To qualify for the incentive, referred students cannot have a sibling currently or had been previously enrolled at St. Jude School.
• There is no limit to the number of students a family refers to St. Jude School.
• All new students must meet standard enrollment criteria and be enrolled for the entire school year before credit is granted. Referring Families must also remain enrolled for the entire academic year.
• Tuition credits will be applied to the last payment of the school year. Families who paid their tuition in full will receive the credit on the next year’s tuition or will receive an incentive cheque if they are graduating out of the school, and teachers and staff (excluding the principal and office staff) making referrals will receive tuition credit or an incentive cheque should they not have children in the school equal to the amount of the tuition credit.
• To qualify, the Referring Family must fill out the online form before the new family contacts the school. New families will be asked to confirm their connection with the Referring Family when they are interviewed.
• Newly referred families who enroll after February 15 and re-register for the following Academic school year will result in the award being applied to the following school year provided that the family remains enrolled for the entire academic year.
• Failure to turn in a completed Referral Incentive Program form will make the referring family ineligible for the reward.
• The referral program is for parents or guardians who are paying tuition for enrolled students attending St. Jude School.
• Interpretation of program parameters will be at the sole discretion of the Principal and Pastor.

The Referral Form is available through our website under the new Admissions Tab on the main page. Or you can click here to access it. 

At St. Jude School we take your child’s health and safety seriously. Today our staff recertified in First Aid. 

This is a reminder that parents need to take the time to do the Daily Check every day. It is important that we remain committed to taking our COVID19 procedures seriously. Click here to access the form.