This year, the Easter season began with Ash Wednesday on February 22. The Grade 6 students did a lovely job leading Mass for our school and church community. Thank you to Mr. Klein, Mr. Caouette, and Mr. Avans for cooking us pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday!

Basketball season is coming to an end in March. Thank you to our coaches who volunteered their time so our students could participate! Mrs. Kirsty Hernes coaches our grade 6 boys, Mr. Richard Klein coaches our grade 6 girls, Mr. Ben Mattheis coaches our grade 7s, and Mrs. Misty-Anne Larsson coaches our grade 8s and 9s! Thank you to the parents for their support during this basketball season!

Friday, March 10th is the end of Term 2. Report cards will go home on Friday, March 17, which is a half day and the last day of school before Spring Break. Students will return to school after Spring Break on Monday, April 3.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live, work, learn and play on the unceded traditional territories of the Ts’msyen Nation.

New Applications: Veritas School is currently accepting applications for September 2023’s Kindergarten class! Some of our other grades also have room for new students for the 2023-2024 school year. Application forms can be downloaded from our website or picked up in the school office. Please send in any application forms as soon as possible, as our Admissions Committee will begin reviewing our Kindergarten applications soon.

Tax Receipts: 2022 tax receipts were sent home with the youngest child in your family. If you need a receipt re-printed, please request this before Friday, March 17 when we close for Spring Break.

Sick Children: If your child is unwell, please keep them home until their symptoms have improved!

School Council: The next School Council meeting is on Thursday, March 9 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. Minutes from previous School Council meetings can be accessed here: https://www.veritascatholicschool.ca/school-council

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.

In August 2022, the Ministry of Education and Child Care announced a one-time grant to BC schools for the purpose of making life more affordable for families who are facing financial challenges. Veritas School received a grant of $19 674, which is intended to support BC students and families affected by recent inflation and cost of living challenges. This fund can be used for school supplies (such as ink cartridges for home printers, band instrument rentals, etc.), field trips, extra-curricular events, bus and transit, Hot Lunch, grocery cards, and winter clothing purchases. If you have a need not listed here, please contact Tamara Berg to see if your need qualifies under this grant.

Veritas School parents and caregivers can make a request for financial support by completing a Student & Family Affordability Fund form. The form is available in the Veritas School office or can be downloaded HERE. Completed forms must be submitted to Tamara Berg (Principal), where they will be reviewed by Mrs. Berg and a representative of Veritas School Council. Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Student & Family Affordability Fund, please contact Tamara Berg at tberg@cispg.ca or 250-635-3035.

Please note that grant funds may not be used for school tuition fees. If you require tuition assistance, please contact Tamara Berg for the appropriate form. All Tuition Assistance Forms are reviewed by Veritas School Council.

Canada Dental Benefit: Please click HERE for an infographic on the Canada Dental Benefit for children under 12 years of age.

The Catholic Church dedicates the month of March to St. Joseph, the father of Jesus and husband of Mary. The entire month of March this year falls during the liturgical season of Lent, which is represented by the liturgical color purple. Purple is a symbol of penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart. When you visit the school this month, you will notice that the prayer table is draped in a purple cloth.

Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer, we serve others by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully.