• Nov. 30th – Kindergarten Advent Assembly (streamed live on our YouTube Channel at 9:15am)
• Dec. 1st – Gr. 4 and 5 Mass
• Dec. 9th – Gr. 2 and 3 Mass
• Dec. 10th – Christmas Concert (posted on our YouTube Channel at 6pm)
• Dec. 14th – 18th – Spirit Week (TBA)
• Dec. 18th – Kindergarten and Gr. 1 Mass
• Dec. 18th – Early Dismissal (11:50 LG2 and LG4, 12pm LG1 and LG3)
• Dec. 18th – Reports go home
• Dec. 18th – Stingers club after school until 2:30pm. This is only for families who are registered for Stingers club and they must contact Sheila Vader prior to Dec. 18th to attend.
COVID-19 UPDATE
Dear Parent(s),
St. Bernadette School continues to adhere to and follow our health and safety plans. Ventilation, mask wearing, sanitation, physical distancing and health checks continue to be done in the school. Our success is defined by the compliance and willingness of everyone in our community to make sacrifices and attend to the multilayered approach of our plans.
COVID-19 is in our community. It is in our grocery stores, pharmacies, care homes, daycares and other places of business. To keep our staff, children and yourself safe, we must continue to make sacrifices to not gather (especially in each other’s homes), wear a mask whenever we are in public, maintain physical distance and live a healthy life. We can continue to keep our school a safe environment by being a caring and considerate community. We must shift from me to we. This is about all of us and we have to take care of each other. My sacrifices protect you and your child, your sacrifices protect the children in your child’s class and their teacher, the sacrifices of the teachers protect us all. COVID is not in our school, it is in the community and we must commit to a new normal to keep each other safe and healthy.
Currently, attendance is roughly 30% higher than it was at this time last year. This shows that our school is healthier on a whole and that our multilayered approach is working. This multilayered approach isn’t just for students, it also applies to parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc. who are in the child’s bubble. Everyone must work together.
I am calling on families to continue to do the good work of wearing your mask on school property, to not gather in the parking lot, to refrain from carpooling when possible, to refrain from getting out of your car, and continue to do health checks each morning with your family. I want to encourage families in grade 3 to kindergarten to mainly use the school parking lot and drive thru area as your main pick up and drop off area. The parish parking lot is not designed to handle school traffic and we don’t have the authority to make changes or additions to the parish parking lot. The safest way to drop off and pick up your child is using our drive thru. It will add extra minutes to your routine (especially at pick up time), but it is the safest way to pick up and drop off your child. Only Kindergarten and Gr. 1 parents can accompany their child to the classroom. All other children can make their way to school on their own.
Finally, as the daily numbers increase, so does the pressure to close schools. We don’t know what the future holds. The staff is committed to pivoting to new learning models if and when the school must enter a new stage of instruction. Much like our preparation for the closure after Spring Break, staff have been troubleshooting and coming up with plans that will continue to meet the needs of the students. I am very proud of the work and commitment our staff has shown during this time. We are very fortunate to have a staff of such dedicated, diligent and prudent people who are very committed to the health and wellbeing of your child.
Many thanks to our families for their willingness to commit to the needs of the school community and the sacrifices you are making to keep everyone safe and healthy.
IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING PROPER HEALTH AND SAFETY
St. Bernadette’s believes strongly that a multilayered approach is essential to reducing risk at our school. We have identified 4 areas that will keep everyone safe:
1. Physical distancing – it is especially important that adults maintain physical distancing from each other and other children, especially when on school property. Children must maintain physical distancing from other students outside of their Learning Group. Families should not be getting together and students should not be having playdates.
2. Masks – Mask wearing is mandatory for visitors and adults while on school property. Masks must be worn properly and have a minimum of 2 layers of protection. Students are encouraged to wear a mask as much as possible throughout the day. Teachers will suggest to students they should put on their mask if physical distancing cannot be maintained. We continue to have great compliance with mask wearing in the school.
3. Washing Hands – Children will wash their hands anywhere from 6 – 10+ times per day. Every time a student transitions, they will wash their hands. Students should wash their hands prior to leaving their house.
4. Health Checks and testing – Ensuring we are healthy on a daily basis is very important. Families have shown excellent compliance thus far. If a child is unwell, they cannot return to school until they are well again and symptoms have subsided. If your child is unwell and has COVID like symptoms, you must call 811 and they will give you further guidance.
With everyone in our community working together and adhering to these 4 layers of protection, we can keep each other safe and healthy as we head into the winter months.
2021-2022 ADMISSIONS
Admission to our school are stagnate at the moment. Trying to advertise and reach new families is very difficult during this time. Currently we have 8 new families applying for kindergarten and we are hoping for another 11 more. Your support in a word of mouth campaign would be greatly appreciated as our usual venues for reaching new families is not possible this year. Having good numbers in our primary grades allows us to continue to be self-sustainable and affordable. Thank you for your support and help in letting families know about our school and how to apply.
Our Lights of Hope campaign has begun. This year we are doing things a little different to ensure everyone’s safety. Instead of each student getting prayer cards to sell, donations can be made through the parish’s online platform similar to our Walkathon. Christmas light bulbs can be purchased for $5.00 each and represents your prayer intention. Students do not have to keep track of their sales as there is no minimum or maximum for how much you are to sell. Tax receipts will not be provided for this fundraiser. Please ensure that your billing address matches that on your credit card or the payment will not go through. All we ask is that you please participate in this event to your best ability and support it in the best way you can.
2) Select or type in the amount you’d like to donate
3) Select Designation: P93 School Lights of Hope
4) Type in your prayer intentions in the comment box
We would like to thank the families who have stepped forward to help with the Christmas light decorating for our Lights of Hope event. We currently have enough people helping and so grateful for the response from the community.
This might be our last major fundraiser for the year. All proceeds will go towards a last push to get the much needed Chromebooks in the hands of our students. We are very close to our goal and we hope to reach it though this fundraiser.
Thank you again for all your support in this meaningful and blessed event!
GOOGLE REVIEWS
The school relies on positive social media presence to help celebrate our school and to attract families to our community who will benefit from a Catholic education. To help foster this presence, Ms. Jed Molina runs all of our social media sites. We share student work, classroom activities, major events, extra-curricular events and fun photos we think the wider community will enjoy.
Our presence on Google took a hit when two erroneous reviews were given by what was believed to be bots. These reviews had nothing to do with the school and hurt our rating. As much as we tried to remove the reviews, they are still there. Our best effort to reduce the impact false reviews have on our school is to increase the amount of reviews we have.
We have noticed that children are coming to school unprepared for the incremental rainy and cold weather. As part of our health and safety plans, it was stated that:
“As much as possible, classes will be held outdoors, and students will be required to be outdoors during recess times.
• Students need to be prepared for the weather when going outside for recess. Sunscreen and hats are recommended for the warmer months, while winter/rain jackets, gloves, toques, rain boots, umbrellas and other similar items are recommended for the rainy, snowy and cold months.
• Indoor recess will only occur if the outdoor conditions are unsafe for the students.” – STB Family Planning and Return to School September 2020 document
Children will be going outside during rainy and cold weather. Having an umbrella and/or a good rain jacket is essential. Being outside for recess is healthy for the student and the classroom. Your child needs fresh air and recess times allow the air in the classroom to cycle quicker and bring more fresh air in.
ST. BERNADETTE FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE
Once again we will be displaying our Family Christmas Tree in the school. We are inviting all new families, and those who have not yet done so, to bring in an ornament with the year your family started at St. Bernadette written on it. It can be bought or homemade. This is optional for all families. Ornaments can be dropped off at the office and will be displayed year after year.
FLIPGIVE
As the PEC mentioned in the AGM last week, we would like to introduce a new fundraising app called FlipGive. This is an online platform for purchasing digital gift cards where St Bernadette School can earn cash back. Since we will not be doing the gift card fundraiser this year, FlipGive is a great alternative! With the holidays approaching this is a wonderful way to send gifts to family and friends that we cannot see in person. The FlipGive app will also be available year round. Simply join our team on FlipGive and start shopping through the app or team page and we’ll earn money every time you shop with popular brands like Amazon, Starbucks, Indigo, Sportchek, Esso and so much more! Join our team now by clicking this link: https://flipgive.app.link/teams/join?fundraiser_name=Cindy%20Chiang&joincode=LZ3CFW If you are prompted for a join code, please enter our code: LZ3CFW Remember to use FlipGive before you shop online so we’ll earn cash back – make a purchase within the first 14 days of joining and we’ll receive an additional bonus! FYI – You are not required to share your purchase details. There is an option to turn on privacy settings suiting your preferences. For example, partial name, hidden name, and hidden purchase details. If you still have questions, here is a handout that explains FlipGive in more detail: https://www.flipgive.com/flipgive-getting-started.pdf?campaign_id=250698https://www.flipgive.com/teams/250698
PURDY’S CHOCOLATE SALES
Our Purdy’s Chocolate sales have begun. As always, sales will be done online, however, distribution will be done in a manner that will keep everyone’s health and safety in mind.
To make your orders, please go to:
https://fundraising.purdys.com/1226210-79796
Please pass along this link to others that wish to make a purchase. Every purchase made using this link helps support our school.
LIGHTS OF HOPE AND SCHOOL DECORATING
We would like to thank the families who have stepped forward to help with the Christmas light decorating for our Lights of Hope event and the decorating inside of the school. Currently we have enough people helping with the decorating of the school, but we are still looking for another family or two to join our team of helpers to decorate the courtyard. If you are able to help please let Victor Naval know by emailing him at maintenance@stbernadette.ca. If you have a responsible child in high school, who does not require supervision and who needs service hours, this could benefit them.
GOOGLE REVIEWS
The school relies on positive social media presence to help celebrate our school and to attract families to our community who will benefit from a Catholic education. To help foster this presence, Ms. Jed Molina runs all of our social media sites. We share student work, classroom activities, major events, extra-curricular events and fun photos we think the wider community will enjoy.
Our presence on Google took a hit when two erroneous reviews were given by what was believed to be bots. These reviews had nothing to do with the school and hurt our rating. As much as we tried to remove the reviews, they are still there. Our best effort to reduce the impact false reviews have on our school is to increase the amount of reviews we have.
• Nov. 5th – AGM – 6:30pm via Zoom – Registration required (see below)
• Nov. 10th – St. Vincent De Paul food drive begins
• Nov. 11th – Remembrance Day – No School
• Nov. 13th – No School – Pro-D
• Nov. 16th – Lights of Hope Fundraiser begins
• Nov. 24th – PJ Day for Covenant House
AGM NOVEMBER 5TH @ 6:30PM
We are hosting our AGM online this year. Unlike our other online meetings, this one will be more interactive and allow for participants to join with or without video. Upon entry, everyone will be muted. During the Q&A at the end of the meeting participants can unmute themselves to ask a question. You will need to register in advance for this meeting:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
INCREMENT WEATHER
We have noticed that children are coming to school unprepared for the increment rainy and cold weather. As part of our health and safety plans, it was stated that:
“As much as possible, classes will be held outdoors, and students will be required to be outdoors during recess times.
• Students need to be prepared for the weather when going outside for recess. Sunscreen and hats are recommended for the warmer months, while winter/rain jackets, gloves, toques, rain boots, umbrellas and other similar items are recommended for the rainy, snowy and cold months.
• Indoor recess will only occur if the outdoor conditions are unsafe for the students.” – STB Family Planning and Return to School September 2020 document
Children will be going outside during rainy and cold weather. Having an umbrella and/or a good rain jacket is essential. Being outside for recess is healthy for the student and the classroom. Your child needs fresh air and recess times allow the air in the classroom to cycle quicker and bring more fresh air in.
POPPY SALES
Once again the school is supporting the selling of poppies in class. Children can bring in any size of a donation to receive a poppy. Sales will continue until November 10th.
GOOGLE REVIEWS
The school relies on positive social media presence to help celebrate our school and to attract families to our community who will benefit from a Catholic education. To help foster this presence, Ms. Jed Molina runs all of our social media sites. We share student work, classroom activities, major events, extra-curricular events and fun photos we think the wider community will enjoy.
Our presence on Google took a hit when two erroneous reviews were given by what was believed to be bots. These reviews had nothing to do with the school and hurt our rating. As much as we tried to remove the reviews, they are still there. Our best effort to reduce the impact false reviews have on our school is to increase the amount of reviews we have.
SCHOOL UNIFORM
A letter went home last week informing families of additions we have made to our school uniform. In an attempt to maintain our commitment to our health and safety plans and to provide children with a comfortable work environment, the PEC has agreed to extend our uniform to allow children to wear the school hoodie and sweatpants during class time. All other jackets and outerwear is to be worn to and from school and during recess times.
Most sizes from the 2019 collection are sold out as they are moving to a better quality product. The 2020 hoodies and sweatpants do not have an image yet, but you can click on the placeholder to go to the purchasing page. The colour and design are the same.
2021-2022 SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
Admissions are now open for the 2021-2022 school year. We have 20 spots available in Kindergarten next year and roughly one spot in a couple of the other grades. Since advertising this just a week or two ago, we already have 8 applicants. Please send families to our website to download a form. Siblings of students currently attending St. Bernadette’s will be automatically enrolled during re-registration.
The pandemic will not afford us the opportunity to reach out to parishioners as we have done in the past. More than ever, we need your help to reach those who want to send their child to our school so that they receive the message that admissions are open. We have already had good response from the community without any advertising, however we want to ensure that all parishioners who want to send their child to our school knows to get in their application as soon as possible.
We will not be hosting an Open House this year. Arrangements will be made with new families to the school to tour the school through an appointment.
FAMILIES WITH SIBLINGS ENTERING KINDERGARTEN FOR 2O21-2022
Our records currently show 10 children of families currently attending our school will be entering into Kindergarten next year. If you think your child might not be on our list, please contact the office. We want to ensure all siblings entering Kindergarten are registered for next year prior to opening up spots to the general public.
HALLOWEEN CANDY FOR AGAPE MINISTRIES
We are hoping your child is able to donate some of their halloween candy to the Agape Ministries. They use the candy to create initial contact with people living on the streets. If your child wishes to donate their candy, they can drop it off at the office window.
GRADE 6 IMMUNIZATION
A letter was received from Fraser Health today, stating:
“Public Health will commence the School Immunization Program for this year’s Grade 6 students in January 2021. Public Health will also provide catch-up immunizations to students who did not complete their immunizations last school year or over the summer.”
• Nov. 5th – AGM – 6:30pm via Zoom – Registration required (see below)
• Nov. 11th – Remembrance Day – No School
• Nov. 13th – No School – Pro-D
• Nov. 15th – Open House – Cancelled
• Nov. 24th – PJ Day for Covenant House
AGM NOVEMBER 5TH @ 6:30PM
We are hosting our AGM online this year. Unlike our other online meetings, this one will be more interactive and allow for participants to join with or without video. Upon entry, everyone will be muted. During the Q&A at the end of the meeting participants can unmute themselves to ask a question. You will need to register in advance for this meeting:
Gr. 6 and 7 will be notified by the teachers of how to register for their conferences.
We are spreading out our conferences over a series of days to better serve our community. Registration is first come, first serve.
LAST CALL FOR ORDERS FOR OUR CUSTOM SCHOOL MASK
This is the last week to purchase a school mask and the only time we will be selling them to families. We are not treating this as a fundraiser, but a desire to see everyone in masks so that we are all adding an additional layer of protection to our daily lives. There are 2 sizes to choose from and both cost the same amount.
1 mask = $16
2 masks = $30
3 masks = $40
Orders are through Munchalunch and can be purchased up to October 30th. Masks will arrive the week of November 9th – 13th.
A letter went home yesterday informing families of additions we have made to our school uniform. In an attempt to maintain our commitment to our health and safety plans and to provide children with a comfortable work environment, the PEC has agreed to extend our uniform to allow children to wear the school hoodie and sweatpants during class time. All other jackets and outerwear is to be worn to and from school and during recess times.
2021-2022 SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
Admissions are now open for the 2021-2022 school year. We have 20 spots available in Kindergarten next year and roughly one spot in a couple of the other grades. Please go to our website to download a form. Siblings of students currently attending St. Bernadette’s will be automatically enrolled during re-registration.
The pandemic will not afford us the opportunity to reach out to parishioners as we have done in the past. More than ever, we need your help to reach those who want to send their child to our school so that they receive the message that admissions are open. We have already had good response from the community without any advertising, however we want to ensure that all parishioners who want to send their child to our school knows to get in their application as soon as possible.
We will not be hosting an Open House this year. Arrangements will be made with new families to the school to tour the school through an appointment.
FAMILIES WITH SIBLINGS ENTERING KINDERGARTEN FOR 2O21-2022
Our records currently show 10 children of families currently attending our school will be entering into Kindergarten next year. If you think your child might not be on our list, please contact the office. We want to ensure all siblings entering Kindergarten are registered for next year prior to opening up spots to the general public.
HALLOWEEN
On Friday October 30th, the school will honour its tradition and permit students to dress up for Halloween. Parents and students are reminded that costumes must be appropriate (no gore, nothing intensely frightening or satanic, etc) and the principal reserves the right to ask a student to remove their costume for any reason. Students who wish not to dress up can come to school in Halloween colours or their school uniform.
Traditionally we would have a parade during the day where students can move from one classroom to the next to show off their costume. For health reasons, this will not happen this year. If the weather permits, we may try to coordinate an outdoor event for students only, that promotes physical distancing between classes.
Students are still highly encouraged to wear a protective mask with their costume when appropriate
St. Bernadette Elementary School Newsletter October 21st, 2020
HIGHLIGHTS • Ordering School Masks • Parent/Student Conferences • Admissions and Annual Open House • Parish Parking Lot • Spanish Interpreter Needed
THE MONTH AT A GLANCE • Oct. 30th – Halloween Non-Uniform Day • Nov. 2nd – 27th – ongoing parent/student conferences • Nov. 5th – AGM – 6:30pm via Zoom Webinar • Nov. 11th – Remembrance Day – No School • Nov. 13th – No School – Pro-D • Nov. 15th – Open House – Cancelled
NOW ACCEPTING ORDERS FOR OUR CUSTOM SCHOOL MASK
St. Bernadette’s is now allowing families to purchase our custom school mask. Each student was given one mask, however families were asking if they could purchase more for their child and themselves. We are not treating this as a fundraiser, but a desire to see everyone in masks so that we are all adding an additional layer of protection to our daily lives. There are 2 sizes to choose from and both cost the same amount.
1 mask = $16
2 masks = $30
3 masks = $40
Orders are through Munchalunch and can be purchased up to October 30th. Masks will arrive the week of November 9th – 13th.
Parent/student conferences will not be in person this year. Teachers will be creating their own schedule to accommodate parents as best as they can. This might be over a series of days or weeks depending on the teacher. Conference Schedules will be out next week. Conferences will start in November.
2021-2022 SCHOOL ADMISSIONS AND OPEN HOUSE
Admissions are now open for the 2021-2022 school year. We have 20 spots available in Kindergarten next year and roughly one spot in a couple of the other grades. Please go to our website to download a form. Siblings of students currently attending St. Bernadette’s will be automatically enrolled during re-registration.
The pandemic will not afford us the opportunity to reach out to parishioners as we have done in the past. More than ever, we need your help to reach those who want to send their child to our school so that they receive the message that admissions are open. We have already had good response from the community without any advertising, however we want to ensure that all parishioners who want to send their child to our school knows to get in their application as soon as possible.
We will not be hosting an Open House this year. Arrangements will be made with new families to the school to tour the school through an appointment.
PARISH PARKING LOT
We are seeing a growing number of people using the parish parking lot for pick up and drop off. We support the dual use of our school and the parish parking lots. To help with traffic flow and proper use, Fr. Paul has moved morning Mass to 9:15am and we will now have one to two parent supervisors located at the parish to ensure proper safety is being followed. I would like to remind parents of the following:
– All adults on our grounds (parish and school) during school hours (7am – 6pm) must wear a mask when they exit their car and must maintain 2 metres of distance between other adults and children.
– Parents are encouraged to stay in their car
– Parents are not to gather or congregate while on school property.
– Parents must arrive on-time. Please do not drop off your child early.
– Only Kindergarten and grade 1 parents may accompany their child to the door. All other children are to make their way into the school independently.
SPANISH INTERPRETER NEEDED
We are very excited to be welcoming 2 boys from Peru to our school in December. They have been adopted by a family in our community and will be attending Grade 3 and 4. We have an interpreter for the Grade 3 class but we are still in need of someone who is able to speak Spanish to be with the boy in Grade 4. If you speak Spanish and would like to assist in helping our new students adapt to our school and teach them basic English, please contact me at principal@stbernadette.ca.
