• Monday October 5th – World Teacher Appreciation Day
• Wednesday Oct. 7th – St. Bernadette Cross Country Meet (no spectators permitted)
• Friday Oct. 9th – Walkathon
• Monday Oct. 13th – Thanksgiving (No School)
• Tuesday Oct. 14th – No School – Ministry of Ed. evaluation prep day for teachers.
ST. BERNADETTE CROSS COUNTRY MEET
In lieu of participating at Swangard this year for the CISVA Cross-Country Championship, we are hosting our own mini-meet. Students will be running along the side streets in a simple and safe route that will have teachers leading, following and stationed along the route for safety. The meet will take place on Wednesday Oct. 7th during the day. Students will be running according to their cohort. We are excited to host our first athletic event of the year for the students. Permission forms have gone home and students need these signed if they are to participate.
FSAs POSTPONED FOR GRADE 4 AND 7
The Ministry of Education announced on Monday September 28th that the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) will be postponed. The Foundation Skills Assessment is an annual province-wide assessment of all B.C. students’ academic skills in grades 4 and 7, and provides parents, teachers, schools, school districts and the Ministry of Education with important information on how well students are progressing in the foundation skills of Reading, Writing, and Numeracy.
“In recognition of the unique circumstances facing schools as they resume in-class instruction in the context of COVID-19 this fall, the timing for the administration of the FSA is being postponed until January 18- February 26, 2021. These new dates for administration will provide schools with more time to prepare for these assessments.” – Ministry of Education
EXTRA SUPPLY FEES DUE OCTOBER 2ND
This is a reminder to parents that the Extra Supply Fees are due this Friday, October 2nd. This is mandatory for each student and it is to be paid by Munchalunch only. Your order is not complete until you have received an email of confirmation of payment.
As of writing this we have raised $2,555.00. We are so thankful for the contributions thus far. Although we don’t expect to hit last year’s target of $13,000.00, we do hope that every family takes the opportunity to donate. All money will go towards the purchase of Chromebooks so we can have 1:1 devices for every child in the school.
Please go to https://www.stbernadette.ca/donate to make a donation and select the designation “P93 Walkathon”. In the comment area please put your child’s name and grade. If you are not part of the parish, please also include your address if you would like to receive a tax receipt. Anyone can use this site to make a donation, so please pass this website onto your family and friends.
We are so excited to be afforded the opportunity to bring some normalcy back for our students by offering this fun and important event. The walkathon is one of the biggest fundraisers for the school and it is also a very enjoyable experience for the children. It allows them to have fun while making a difference for their School.
I would like to thank parents for their understanding that we cannot have parent supervisors for this event. I also want to thank parents for their contributions to this important fundraiser. We don’t know what the future brings and we hope we can still do the Lights of Hope and Purdy’s chocolate fundraiser, but for now, this is the only fundraiser for this school year.
COMMUNITY CORNER
We are happy to bring back this section of our newsletter. If you have an item that you believe will benefit our community, please email me at principal@stbernadette.ca and we will post it here. This week:
I have been contacted to let families know of a job opportunity at FedEx. It is local and they have several openings. They provide a good wage and benefits. For more information, please click below
CHARITY APPEAL
Dear fellow parishioners,
Every year the Knights of Columbus around the world engage in a variety of fundraising activities and pledge to donate the part of the proceeds to the parish and to a number of different charities in the community that help those with needs such as food and much more.
The annual Charity Appeal is one of the biggest fundraising events of the year. It generates a fair amount of money that we donate to various recipients in our community. At the same time it offers the ticket buyers many prizes worth thousands of dollars in value. This year we have been faced with the coronavirus and are limited to where we can sell our tickets. We are staying focused on raising funds and are going ahead with the Annual Charity Appeal. Generally we sell the tickets to our parishioners at the church or at the parish hall, during pancake breakfast or at bingo nights and to people in general. Traditionally we have sold many of these tickets at local gathering places like the malls.
Times have changed and because of covid-19 we don’t even have access to the venues or public gatherings that we traditionally have had in the past so our approach this year will be different. We will be selling Charity Appeal tickets strictly online. You will be able to access a URL link and/or a Barcode to buy the tickets. We are appealing to everyone to please get on board and help us to achieve our goal in raising funds and supporting our local Parish and community. We cannot do this alone! If everyone pitches in and does a little bit collectively we will do much more. Together we are strong!
How do I buy tickets online?
To buy the tickets online, click on URL link kofcdraw.net/c8629. This will connect you with St. Bernadette Parish Joseph Krenn Council 8629. Select the number of tickets you want to purchase and pay with your credit or debit card the same way as when you purchase any item online.
By helping and supporting your Knights of Columbus Council 8629 you are also supporting your church and the different charities in your community. I thank you in advance for your participation and support and may God bless you and your families.
St. Bernadette Elementary School Newsletter September 23rd, 2020
HIGHLIGHTS • Webinar – Update from the Principal – 6pm Thursday Sept. 24th • Meet the Teacher Night – 6:30pm and 7pm Thursday Sept. 24th • Walkathon – Important donation update • NEW BCCDC Self-Assessment Daily Health Check • Morning and After School Supervisors • Remind App • Mass Registration • Masks • Parking Lot Routines
CALENDAR • Thursday Sept. 24th – Meet the Teacher Night via Zoom • Monday Sept. 29th – Orange Shirt Day (non-uniform) • Tuesday Sept. 30th – Picture Day
PRINCIPAL MEETING
At 6pm on Thursday September 24th, Mr. van der Pauw will spend roughly 20mins explaining how the first 2 weeks have gone and what we can expect over the next 2 weeks. You must register in advance for this webinar: https://ca01web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pCjdyyexTu25Bvg8_3UApg
Immediately following the webinar, parents are to login to their child’s presentation for Meet the Teacher Night.
MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT
On Thursday September 24th, teachers will be making a short presentation to parents about their classes and what to expect for the 2020-2021 school year. The presentation is limited to 25mins and there are 2 sessions to accommodate parents with 2 or more children in the school.
Session 1 – 6:30pm – 6:55pm
Session 2 – 7pm – 7:25pm
WALKATHON UPDATE FOR DONATIONS
We are so excited to be afforded the opportunity to bring some normalcy back for our students by offering this fun and important event. The walkathon is one of the biggest fundraisers for the school and it is also a very enjoyable experience for the children. It allows them to have fun while making a difference for their School.
In our original planning we were under the impression that we had to use a school based program for the collection of funds (in this case Munch-a-Lunch). However, since sending out the form, we were notified that the parish has a program designed for fundraising that will allow parents to receive tax receipts, is easy to use and does not have any service fees. We are switching to the parish based site starting today. We believe this will resolve several issues that have presented itself over the past few days.
I would like to thank parents for their understanding that we cannot have parent supervisors for this event. I also want to thank parents for their contributions to this important fundraiser. We don’t know what the future brings and we hope we can still do the Lights of Hope and Purdy’s chocolate fundraiser, but for now, this is the only fundraiser for this school year.
Please go to https://www.stbernadette.ca/donate to make a donation and select the designation “P93 Walkathon”. In the comment area please put your child’s name and grade. Anyone can use this site to make a donation, so please pass this website onto your family and friends.
NEW BCCDC SELF-ASSESSMENT DAILY HEALTH CHECK
The BCCDC (B.C. Center for Disease Control) has issued a new symptoms list for daily heath checks. The BCCDC has removed runny nose, sore throat and headache from the COVID-19 symptoms list. These changes have been updated on our own daily health check form (please download the new form below). Although they have been removed from the COVID-19 list of symptoms, if a child is feeling unwell they must stay at home regardless if their symptoms are COVID related or not.
MORNING AND AFTER SCHOOL SUPERVISORS
Thank you to all the parents who have signed up to help with morning and after school supervision. Prior to the start of your shift, please see Jed at the window to the front office to check in. This is a reminder that parents are not allowed inside the school.
REMIND APP
The school will now be exclusively using the Remind App to communicate urgent messages with parents. The app is to be downloaded on your phone and you are to enter in the code provided by your classroom teacher. You can go to https://www.remind.com to download the app or to access it on the web.
Unfortunately parent participation is going to look and feel very different this year and we are unable to move forward with classroom representatives. However, we believe that this app will allow for urgent messages like school closures (snow days, etc.), classroom reminders and other information to reach you in an appropriate and timely fashion.
If you have not already received a document from your teacher about the app, you should receive one by the end of the week.
READY TO COME BACK TO MASS
All attendees at weekend Masses are required to be registered. This includes the Saturday 5pm Mass, and the Sunday 8:30am, 10:00am, 11:30am Masses. At this time it is still recommended that *children and those 65 years and older do not participate in a group setting such as Mass. It is also recommended that attendees wear a mask during Mass due to the spoken responses we engage in. However, singing is discouraged at this time. To register please contact us as early in the week as possible at 604-596-0566 (press 7 to leave a message) or by email RegisterForMass@stbernadette.ca. Once you are on our list, you will be included in the automatic rotation (perhaps every three weeks, maybe longer). Our lists are finalized by Thursdays and we are not able to accommodate last minute requests. You will know by end of day Wednesdays if you are registered for Mass that weekend. Father Paul has arranged to have an additional live Mass (not a broadcast Mass) at both 8:30am and 11:30am on Sundays in the Parish Hall. This allows us to register more families to attend Mass (to a maximum of 50 people in each building). *While we have not received any clear age or definition with reference to children, we have assumed it to refer to children who are unable to sit still for Mass, or who cannot keep from touching multiple surfaces. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the parish office or visit our website www.stbernadette.ca for additional details.
PARENT PARTICIPATION
The Stage 2 restart plan for schools has made it very difficult to incorporate the physical presence of parents into the school. We have always believed that parent involvement, an inalienable piece to education, is crucial for a child’s development. However, we also must adhere to the parameters that will keep children safe and healthy. This means that we had to cancel the vast majority of our parent participation program. There are three areas that still require parent participation: Parish Education Committee (PEC), Supervision and Maintenance.
A call went out from the PEC at our webinar in August asking for volunteers to fill positions for parking lot supervision. Although we had a couple of responses, it is not enough to keep your children safe and to keep the flow of traffic as good as it is now. The PEC has graciously stepped into the role of supervisors, but this cannot continue to the rest of the year.
Therefore, it has been decided that every family will need to complete 2 parking lot supervision shifts from now to Dec. 18th, 2 shifts between Jan. 4th and March 31st, and 2 shifts between April 1st and June 23rd. Although these shifts will amount to a few hours of participation, they will replace the required 40hrs of parent participation. The $800 non-participation fee is still in effect and will be cashed if a family does not fulfill its supervision duties. Those families who have opted out of the parent participation program and wish to opt back in should contact Camille at participation@stbernadette.ca.
The health and safety of your child is very important to us. Soon you will receive notification from Camille with further information on how to select your preferred time and other pertinent information.
MASKS
Masks have finally arrived 🙂 Every student will receive 2 masks. These masks are provided through a government program to ensure every child had a minimum of 2 masks. In addition, the school has purchased an additional mask for children. This mask will be picked up on Sept. 23rd and distributed to children on the 24th.
STINGERS CLUB PHONE NUMBER AND DROP OFF/PICK UP ROUTINES
This is a reminder that if you are late for pick up, your child will be brought down to Stingers Club. To pick your child up, please call 236-518-6402. This will put you in direct contact with the coordinator so you can pick up your child.
If you arrive to school and it is dark out or pouring rain, you may drive up to the doors by the gym to pick up your child. Please drive the same as if you were at the end of a cul-de-sac.
PARKING LOT ROUTINES
I would like to thank everyone for their continued support and cooperation with pick-up and drop-off. We are continuously evaluating and assessing our parking lot safety. There are 2 areas we are focusing on right now:
1. Parental physical distancing and mask wearing – We are noticing that on occasion parents are gathering in the parking lot. This is not permissible. If you forget your mask and need to get out of your vehicle, we can provide you with a disposable mask.
2. Grade 4 and Primary drop off and pick up – We are noticing that drop off and pick up times are going smoothly. We are considering moving grades 2 and 3 to enter and exit from the courtyard area. Parents will still be required to drop off and pick up the usual way and will not be allowed to accompany their child to the door like Kindergarten and grade 1 parents do. This will allow Grade 4 to enter at 8:55pm and exit at 3pm. This is still under review and we will inform parents prior to any changes.
St. Bernadette Elementary School Newsletter September 16th, 2020
HIGHLIGHTS • Remind App • Parent Participation • PEC Elections • Masks • Stingers Club Phone Number and Drop Off/Pick Up Routine
CALENDAR • Thursday Sept. 24th – Meet the Teacher Night via Zoom • Monday Sept. 29th – Orange Shirt Day (non-uniform) • Tuesday Sept. 30th – Picture Day
REMIND APP
The school will now be exclusively using the Remind App to communicate urgent messages with parents. The app is to be downloaded on your phone and you are to enter in the code provided by your classroom teacher. You can go to https://www.remind.com to download the app or to access it on the web.
Unfortunately parent participation is going to look and feel very different this year and we are unable to move forward with classroom representatives. However, we believe that this app will allow for urgent messages like school closures (snow days, etc.), classroom reminders and other information to reach you in an appropriate and timely fashion.
If you have not already received a document from your teacher about the app, you should receive one by the end of the week.
The Stage 2 restart plan for schools has made it very difficult to incorporate the physical presence of parents into the school. We have always believed that parent involvement, an inalienable piece to education, is crucial for a child’s development. However, we also must adhere to the parameters that will keep children safe and healthy. This means that we had to cancel the vast majority of our parent participation program. There are three areas that still require parent participation: Parish Education Committee (PEC), Supervision and Maintenance.
A call went out from the PEC at our webinar in August asking for volunteers to fill positions for parking lot supervision. Although we had a couple of responses, it is not enough to keep your children safe and to keep the flow of traffic as good as it is now. The PEC has graciously stepped into the role of supervisors, but this cannot continue to the rest of the year.
Therefore, it has been decided that every family will need to complete 2 parking lot supervision shifts from now to Dec. 18th, 2 shifts between Jan. 4th and March 31st, and 2 shifts between April 1st and June 23rd. Although these shifts will amount to a few hours of participation, they will replace the required 40hrs of parent participation. The $800 non-participation fee is still in effect and will be cashed if a family does not fulfill its supervision duties. Those families who have opted out of the parent participation program and wish to opt back in should contact Camille at participation@stbernadette.ca.
The health and safety of your child is very important to us. Soon you will receive notification from Camille with further information on how to select your preferred time and other pertinent information.
PEC ELECTIONS
The PEC is seeking nominations for the 2020-2021 school year. If you are interested in joining the PEC this year, please contact pec@stbernadette.ca prior to September 25th, 2020.
MASKS
We highly recommend that everyone in K-7 wear a mask while indoors. We understand that some students are unable to wear a mask or are unwilling to do so. For those students who are able and willing to wear a mask, we ask them to do so while indoors and traveling inside of the school. Time spent outside is a break from wearing a mask.
Families should provide children with a case or bag to hold their mask. These cases/bags need to be breathable and not retain moisture. The CCDC recommends a paper bag for storage. What is important is that students have a place to put their mask when not in use. Another option is to purchase a lanyard so the mask hangs from their neck while not in use.
We were notified over the weekend that the order of reusable masks from the government were once again being delayed. In lieu, the government has sent us disposable child size masks to be used until the such time the shipment arrives. Currently we have approximately 1200 disposable masks in the school and children who don’t have a mask or forgot their mask can ask for a disposable mask. The custom masks we have ordered will be arriving by the end of next week.
Children can wear any mask they want. We have also made an order for a third mask for children that should arrive in the next 10 days.
STINGERS CLUB PHONE NUMBER AND DROP OFF/PICK UP ROUTINES
This is a reminder that if you are late for pick up, your child will be brought down to Stingers Club. To pick your child up, please call 236-518-6402. This will put you in direct contact with the coordinator so you can pick up your child.
If you arrive to school and it is dark out or pouring rain, you may drive up to the doors by the gym to pick up your child. Please drive the same as if you were at the end of a cul-de-sac.
REMINDERS
AT HOME SCREENING PROCESS
Every family must do an at home screening to ensure their child is healthy and is able to attend school. There is a form that you are to use as a checklist to ensure that you have check for all symptoms. We suggest downloading the form above, printing it and posting it somewhere visible in your house.
STINGERS CLUB PAD FORM AND REGISTRATION
You should have received an email about registration for our Stingers Activity Club (before and after school care program).
All registration forms need to be sent to stingersclub@stbernadette.ca prior to their first day in the club.
If you are unable to fill it out online, please send it with your child prior to their first day in the club.
Furthermore, please remember to send the Pre-Authorized Debit form in with your registration. Both the PAD form and registration can be downloaded from this newsletter (please see below).
REMINDER OF LEARNING GROUPS AND STAGGERED START/END TIMES We would like to remind you that September 10th is a half day. Your child’s LG and their start and end times are as follows: LG1 – Kindergarten and Grade 1 LG2 – Grade 2 and Grade 3 LG3 – Grade 4 and Grade 5. LG4 – Grade 6 and Grade 7 School Start 8:45am – LG2 – enter through the doors by the gym 8:45am – LG4 – enter directly into their classroom 8:55am – LG1 – enter through outside classroom doors facing the church 8:55am – LG3 – Grade 5 – enter directly into the grade 5 class 9:05am – LG3 – Grade 4 – enter through the doors by the gym Sept. 10th – Half Day School dismissal 11:50pm – LG2 – exit through the doors by the gym 11:50pm – LG4 – exit directly out of their classroom 12:00pm – LG1 – exit through outside classroom doors facing the church 12:00pm – LG3 – Grade 5 – exit directly out of the grade 5 class 12:10pm – LG3 – Grade 4 – exit through the doors by the gym Sept. 11th – Regular dismissal School dismissal (except Wednesdays – see below) 2:50pm – LG2 – exit through the doors by the gym 2:50pm – LG4 – exit directly out of their classroom 3:00pm – LG1 – exit through outside classroom doors facing the church 3:00pm – LG3 – Grade 5 – exit directly out of the grade 5 class 3:10pm – LG3 – Grade 4 – exit through the doors by the gym Wednesday School dismissal 2:05pm – LG2 – exit through the doors by the gym 2:05pm – LG4 – exit directly out of their classroom 2:15pm – LG1 – exit through the doors by the gym 2:15pm – LG3 – Grade 5 – exit directly out of the grade 5 class 2:25pm – LG3 – Grade 4 – exit through the doors by the gym
St. Bernadette Elementary School Newsletter September 9th, 2020
HIGHLIGHTS • New video on Youtube • Uniforms and Supplies • Reminder of Learning Groups, Staggered Start/end Times and Drop-Off/Pick Up Routines • Reminder of Fourth Option • Masks • Welcome Letter from Mr. Barber • At home screening process • Reminder for Stingers Club Registration
CALENDAR Sept. 10th – First Day of School – Half Day Sept. 11th – Full day classes Sept. 14th – Stingers Club Resumes, classes as usual NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO The school has produced a fun video for students and parents so they can see what school will look and feel like. To watch the video please visit our YouTube page:https://youtu.be/mVEoHLDJYH8 UNIFORMS AND SUPPLIES We understand that getting all of your uniform pieces and supplies for the start of school can be a challenge. If you are missing part or all of your uniform, please do your best to wear a neutral colour dress pant (girls can wear a skirt if they desire) or dress shorts (preferably dark grey or black) with a neutral polo shirt (preferably white). With the weather projected to be hot in the upcoming days, boys are encouraged to wear the school shorts option and students can remove their sweaters when it gets warm. We ask that you try to have all your school supplies by Monday September 14th. Bringing just the basics (pen, pencil, notebook) is fine for this week.We hope that all families will have their uniform by Monday September 21st. If you still don’t have your uniform or supplies by that time, please contact the school so we can make further arrangements. REMINDER OF LEARNING GROUPS AND STAGGERED START/END TIMES We would like to remind you that September 10th is a half day. Your child’s LG and their start and end times are as follows: LG1 – Kindergarten and Grade 1 LG2 – Grade 2 and Grade 3 LG3 – Grade 4 and Grade 5. LG4 – Grade 6 and Grade 7 School Start 8:45am – LG2 – enter through the doors by the gym 8:45am – LG4 – enter directly into their classroom 8:55am – LG1 – enter through outside classroom doors facing the church 8:55am – LG3 – Grade 5 – enter directly into the grade 5 class 9:05am – LG3 – Grade 4 – enter through the doors by the gym Sept. 10th – Half Day School dismissal 11:50pm – LG2 – exit through the doors by the gym 11:50pm – LG4 – exit directly out of their classroom 12:00pm – LG1 – exit through outside classroom doors facing the church 12:00pm – LG3 – Grade 5 – exit directly out of the grade 5 class 12:10pm – LG3 – Grade 4 – exit through the doors by the gym Sept. 11th – Regular dismissal School dismissal (except Wednesdays – see below) 2:50pm – LG2 – exit through the doors by the gym 2:50pm – LG4 – exit directly out of their classroom 3:00pm – LG1 – exit through outside classroom doors facing the church 3:00pm – LG3 – Grade 5 – exit directly out of the grade 5 class 3:10pm – LG3 – Grade 4 – exit through the doors by the gym Wednesday School dismissal 2:05pm – LG2 – exit through the doors by the gym 2:05pm – LG4 – exit directly out of their classroom 2:15pm – LG1 – exit through the doors by the gym 2:15pm – LG3 – Grade 5 – exit directly out of the grade 5 class 2:25pm – LG3 – Grade 4 – exit through the doors by the gym
NEW KINDERGARTEN AND GRADE 1 DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP LOCATION The task force team is reviewing the drop-off and pick-up location for younger students. We understand how difficult it is for younger children to independently enter and exit the school. It has been decided, through the help of Ms. Schollen, to have Kindergarten and Grade 1 use the exterior doors on the east side of the school for drop-off and pick-up. This will allow parents the option of bringing their child to the door of the classroom.Parents are reminded that they are not allow into the classroom, must wear a mask and must practice physical distancing from other children and parents.We will monitor this change closely to see how well families are able to physically distance, find appropriate parking, and safety drop-off and pick-up their child both at the door and in the parking lot. We will be monitoring to see if parents begin to gather, if procedures are being followed, if safety can be maintained and if it serves as a benefit to the child. If this option proves successful, then there is an opportunity to expand this option to grade 2 and 3 students. By having the school separated to an east and west side of the building, we can greatly reduce the numbers of students gathered in one area. OPTION 4On Tuesday September 1st, St. Bernadette’s was notified of the CISVA mandate to make a fourth option available to all families. Deacon Henk, Superintendent of Catholic Schools stated the following in his letter:
“It is the intention of the Ministry of Education that students return to full-time, in-person attendance at school on September 10, 2020. However, some families may not be ready to have their children return to full-time in-person instruction on this date. This option allows the child to receive an at-home learning package with limited grade-level support from a teacher. It is important to note that this support will not be the same as that which was offered following Spring Break 2020. The child will maintain their classroom placement at their current school and will be able to transition to full-time in-person instruction at selected dates in the fall (dates to be determined). This is not intended to be a full-year option. Normal tuition applies for this option.”
Further to this, the CISVA stated that the start date for learning for families that wish to select option 4 will be September 21st and that a return to school date will be October 13th or November 16th. A child will not be allowed to return to the school prior to these dates.
St. Bernadette’s is in line with the Ministry of Education in having all students return to full-time, in-person attendance at school on September 10th, 2020. We are concerned with the late start date of Option 4 for learning to begin and for a child to be out of the school for this long of a period of time, especially at the start of a school year where friendships are formed, safety lessons are taught, and routines are established. In the webinar, the school’s safety plans and in our newsletter updates, we have highlighted the importance of a safe and healthy return to school and that a trauma informed approach will be greatly beneficial to your child’s learning (please see the webinar powerpoint on the school website for more information). When making this decision it is important to reflect on the following:
Logistics – Will you be able to provide a schedule and a positive learning environment for your child with limited support from the school? Will you have access to sufficient resources at home so your child can continue their learning? Do you feel prepared to lead your child’s education during this transition period? Learning – Will you be able to ensure a high quality of learning from home? Will you be able to address the social, emotion, physical, and spiritual aspects of your child’s education? Do you have the resources necessary to provide your child with a trauma informed education? Will you be able to create a plan that addresses your child’s transition back into the learning environment after being out for several weeks?
If there is something specific about our restart plan that would necessitate you to refrain from having your child start the school year with in-person learning, please speak with me so that I can ensure that all aspects of our restart plan are clear and understandable.If after much consideration and reflection there is still a desire to have your child not begin the school year with his/her peers in the classroom, please send me an email by 4pm on September 9th, 2020 so we can further discuss the fourth option as described above. You can reach me at principal@stbernadette.ca MASKS We highly recommend that everyone in K-7 wear a mask while indoors. We understand that some students are unable to wear a mask or are unwilling to do so. For those students who are able and willing to wear a mask, we ask them to do so while indoors and traveling inside of the school. Time spent outside is a break from wearing a mask. Families should provide children with a case or bag to hold their mask. These cases need to be breathable and not retain moisture. The CCDC recommends a paper bag for storage. What is important is that students have a place to put their mask when not in use. We were notified over the weekend that the order of reusable masks from the government is being delayed. In lieu, the government has sent us disposable child size masks to be used until the such time the shipment arrives (hopefully in the next few days). Children can wear any mask they want. We have also made an order for a third mask for children that should arrive in the next 10 days. WELCOME LETTER FROM MR. BARBER Dear Parents/Guardians, I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Nathan Barber, and I am the new Athletic Director and Physical Education Teacher at St. Bernadette’s. I have had nearly two years teaching experience with the CISVA, both as an Educational Assistant and as Athletic Director/Physical Education Instructor. I obtained my Bachelor of Physical Education and Coaching degree as well as a Diploma in Sport Science.I have always had a passion for sports, and feel that physical education is an important aspect of child development. Although physical education is not for everyone, I hope to instil the fundamentals of physical education and create a fun environment for all. While there will not be inter school sports this year, the plan is to continue with “extramural” sports. Once classes begin, more emails will follow regarding sport activities. I thank you all for your support, and look forward to meeting with you in the near future. If you ever have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at athletics@stbernadette.ca. Warmest Regards,Mr. Barber AT HOME SCREENING PROCESS Every family must do an at home screening to ensure their child is healthy and is able to attend school. There is a form that you are to use as a checklist to ensure that you have check for all symptoms. The form is below and we suggest downloading it, printing it and posting it somewhere visible in your house. STINGERS CLUB PAD FORM AND REGISTRATION You should have received an email about registration for our Stingers Activity Club (before and after school care program). All registration forms need to be sent to stingersclub@stbernadette.ca prior to their first day in the club.If you are unable to fill it out online, please send it with your child prior to their first day in the club.Furthermore, please remember to send the Pre-Authorized Debit form in with your registration. Both the PAD form and registration can be downloaded from this newsletter (please see below).Daily at Home ScreeningStudent-Daily-Fit-for-In-Class-AttendanceDownloadRead more.Stingers Club Registration 2020-2021Stingers-Club-Registration-Package-2020-2021DownloadRead more.Stingers PAD FormPre-Authorized-Payment-for-Stingers-ClubDownloadRead more.
REMINDERS
Dear new families,In this section you will find information, updates and other items from previous newsletters that we feel are still relevant but not necessarily “front page news”. Please check this section weekly just to ensure you have not missed anything.
VENTILATION AND SAFETY UPDATES On Monday we had BC Comfort spend all day at the school to assess and test our HVAC systems. They conducted a very thorough investigation and I am very pleased to report that they have concluded that we have excellent ventilation in our school. We have met or exceeded all industry standards. They were impressed with our large fresh air intake panels and commented on the good air flow in all the rooms. They inspected all aspects of our system, made some minor repairs and provided us with recommendations to keep our system healthy and in good working order. This is great news for our staff and students as it confirms that we will be able to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for everyone. Further more, we have procured more signage and traffic control structures to ensure children are safe when entering the school. Yesterday the entire staff went through an orientation that focused on our health and safety plans and what it means to be a trauma informed school. The staff is excited and ready to welcome your child into the classroom on September 10th and we are very prepared for the 2020-2021 school year. MINISTRY APPROVAL OF HEALTH AND SAFETY PLANS All of our plans were submitted for approval to the Ministry of Education. We have received confirmation that all our plans are approved and they have confirmed their alignment with the requirements set out in the COVID-19 Operational Guidelines and the Provincial COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines for K-12 Settings. We are very proud of all the work and effort that went into the creation and updating of our health and safety plans. I would like to thank the task force team of Ms. Cristina Ricafort, Ms. Boni Kosman and Ms. Laurie Bennett who joined me in the creation and implementation of these plans. I also wish to thank all the staff and teachers for their enthusiasm and commitment to see these plans in action. And I wish to thank all the parents for their trust, engagement and support. We are a strong community that strives to work together for the betterment of your children. WELCOME NEW TEACHERS I would like to take sometime to once again welcome 3 new teachers to our school. In Gr. 1 we welcome Kathlyn Buenvenida. Ms. Buenvenida comes to use from St. Francis Xavier School in Vancouver. There she also taught Gr. 1 and we are excited to have her join our team. In Gr. 2 we welcome Ms. Caroline Winship. Ms. Winship was previously at Star of the Sea school in Surrey. Ms. Winship brings a wealth of experiences and we look forward to her guiding our Gr. 2s in their sacramental year. We also have Nathan Barber joining our school as the Physical and Health Education (PHE) teacher. Mr. Barber comes to us from St. Anthony’s school in West Vancouver. We are excited to see him lead our sports teams and take on the duties as our PHE teacher and Athletic Director.
A Prayer to Start the Year God of wisdom and might, we praise you for the wonder of our being, for mind, body and spirit. Be with our children as they begin a new school year. Bless them and their teachers and staff. Give the strength and grace as their bodies grow; wisdom and knowledge to their minds as they search for understanding; and peace and zeal to their hearts. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Resources Used Uniforms – If you have used uniforms to donate or need a uniform for you child, please email useduniforms@stbernadette.ca. You can also drop off your used uniforms at the box located outside of our front doors at any time. Stingers Club – For inquiries for registration or other questions regarding before and after school care, please email stingersclub@stbernadette.ca Shout Out Submissions – if you would like to recognize someone or a group in our community please email shoutout@stbernadette.ca PEC Chair – If you have questions, concerns or comments for our Parish Education Committee, please email pec@stbernadette.ca Links School Calendar Absentee Forms Stingers Club
St. Bernadette Elementary Catholic School 13130 65B Ave Surrey, BC V3W 9M1 phone: (604) 596-1101 fax: (604) 596-1550