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Veritas Newsletter March 2024
What's Going On At Veritas!
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Welcome to March! This is a short school month at Veritas. Spring Break begins with a noon dismissal on Friday, March 15. Easter weekend is the end of Spring Break, with school re-opening on Tuesday, April 2.
Thank you to those who have returned the blue re-enrollment forms for each of your children. If you have yet to do so, please note that the blue forms are due on Friday, March 1! This information is crucial in planning our staffing needs and our budget for the 2024-2025 school year.
Our free school lunches through the BC Ministry of Education's Feeding Futures grant will be offered only on Tuesdays in March, and will not be offered after Spring Break. The remaining grant funds will be used to continue providing health snacks (fruit and granola bars) in the classrooms, and yogurt in the office.
March Dates
Friday, March 1 - Grade 6-9 Skiing / Snowboarding at Shames Mountain
Friday, March 1 - Blue re-registration forms due to office
Friday, March 1 - Dare to Dream at REM Lee for Grade 6 & 7 Band Students 7:00 am - 8:30 pm
Saturday, March 2 - Dare to Dream at REM Lee for Grade 6 & 7 Band Students 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Monday, March 4 - Pizza Hut Hot Lunch (ordered and paid)
Tuesday, March 5 - Hamburgers FREE Lunch
Wednesday, March 6 - Lola's Hot Lunch (ordered and paid)
Wednesday, March 6 - Grade 6 Boys Basketball Game @ 3:20 at Uplands Elementary
Monday, March 11 - Pizza Hut Hot Lunch (ordered and paid)
Tuesday, March 12 - Chicken Strips FREE Lunch
Wednesday, March 13 - School Mass Led by Grade 9 at 9:00 am
Wednesday, March 13 - Hot Dogs Hot Lunch (ordered and paid)
Thursday, March 14 - Veritas School Council Meeting @ 7 pm
Friday, March 15 - Half Day, Dismissal at 12:00 Noon
Monday, March 18 - Monday, April 1 - Spring Break, School Closed
Thursday, March 28 - Holy Thursday
Friday, March 29 - Good Friday
Sunday, March 31 - Easter Sunday
Monday, April 1 - Easter Monday
Tuesday, April 2 - School Re-Opens
Items of Interest
Student Applications: Veritas School's Admissions Committee will be reviewing all applications, including new kindergarten applications for September 2024, this month. Families who have applied for kindergarten will be contacted in early April.
2023 Tax Receipts: Tax Receipts for the 2023 year are available at the school office. If you would like your tax receipt sent home with your child, please contact the school office via email, Seesaw, or phone. If we don't hear from you by Friday, March 8, they will be sent home with your children on Monday, March 11.
Sick Children: If your child is unwell, please keep them home until their symptoms have improved!
School Council: The seventh School Council meeting is on Thursday, March 14 at 7:00pm at the school. The meeting begins with an open invitation to all, before we move to the in-camera portion of the meeting. The mandate of School Council is to oversee the operation of Veritas School, including finances and staffing.
Absentee Notes: Please contact the school explaining your child's absences with a Seesaw message to Office Staff and your child's teacher. Absentee reports are crucial to our school's funding, as numerous unexplained absences throughout the school year can mean less government funding for your child.
Veritas Parent Support Group
A message from Birke Schemmerling-Araujo, VPSG Chair . . .
Thank you to all the volunteers in all the ways that you contribute!
Completed Fundraisers: Our February fundraisers did well. Our Ascent Coffee fundraiser made $400, thanks to Ascent Coffee matching the fundraising amount! This year's fundraising efforts will go towards installation of the next playground phase and various school needs.
Current Fundraisers: Our upcoming fundraisers include spring plants and gardening needs from Growing Smiles! Watch for the link!
VPSG Meetings: The VPSG is not meeting in March. The next VPSG meeting will be on Monday, April 8 at 7 pm. There will be coffee and tea available, and childcare will also be provided in the gym by a few of our dedicated grade 8/9 students. I look forward to seeing everyone.
Hot Lunch: This Hot Lunch session runs until Spring Break. The grade 7 parents are responsible for Wednesdays in the month of March. The final Hot Lunch session will be shared soon for ordering!
VPSG Executive: The VPSG Executive includes a Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. Birke Schemmerling-Araujo is our Chair, Ashley Medeiros is our Vice-Chair, Gillian McCutcheon is our Secretary, and Joan Iamele is our Treasurer. If you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to reach out to me (Birke) via text (250-615-1491), Facebook, or email (birkepferd@hotmail.com).
Feeding Futures Grant
Veritas School's free lunches on Tuesdays and Thursdays in January and February have been well received. These lunches will continue only on Tuesdays in March, and will not be offered after Spring Break. However, the following initiatives towards assisting families with food options during the school day will continue to include:
- Fruit in each classroom. Each classroom, as well as the office, has had a basket holding fresh fruit (apples and oranges) and granola bars that are available to any student. We began this initiative at the end of October 2023, and it has been highly successful. The food in the baskets is consumed frequently, with some classes replenishing their fruit supply at the office each day.
- A mini fridge has been added to our office area. This fridge holds yogurt drinks and tubes. Students are invited to come by the office before school begins or throughout the day to request yogurt, granola bars, or muffins.
Catholic Corner
The Catholic Church dedicates the month of March to St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster-father of Jesus. This year, the month of March falls entirely in the season of Lent and ends with the Easter Triduum. Holy Thursday on Thursday, March 28 commemorates the Last Supper, Good Friday on Friday, March 29 commemorates the Lord's Passion, and Easter Sunday on Sunday, March 31 celebrates the Resurrection of the Lord. Please visit www.shpchurch.com for Mass times throughout the Easter Season at Sacred Heart Parish.
Congratulations to the Grade 8 Basketball Team who earned third place at Zones! Thanks to Mr. Mattheis for coaching!
Thanks to all for your food bank donations during Catholic Education Week!
Congratulations to Claire and Abbegail in grade 5 for placing in the provincial Fire Safety competition!
The grade 5 students did a beautiful job leading our Ash Wednesday Mass!
Our February day at Shames was great for all!
More fun at Shames!
Even Ms. Dusdal enjoyed Shames at the bottom of the hill!
A moment of rest at Shames before lessons began!
Grade 7 students made catapults in woodwork class!
Grade 8 foods is always delicious!
Grade 8s did a wonderful job running the canteen at the Last Bash Before the Ash!
Kindergarten and grade 2 had a lovely later winter walk in Howe Creek!
Kindergarten and grade 2 collaborated to make a paper chain on Pink Shirt Day!
Our grade 6 and grade 6/7 girls basketball team had a great season!
About Veritas
Email: veritas@cispg.ca
Website: www.veritascatholicschool.com
Location: 4836 Straume Avenue, Terrace, BC, Canada
Phone: 250-635-3035