St. Michael's News
November 3rd, 2023
Welcome Father Rodney!
We feel very blessed to have Father Rodney joining our Parish community for the next 2 months. Father Rodney will be celebrating our school Mass tomorrow and we look forward to having him visit the school during his time here.
We pray in gratitude for the gift of Father Rodney. May he enjoy his time with St. Michael's and continue to be strengthened by God's loving grace.
Upcoming Events and Activities
Halloween Candy
We are collecting Halloween candy again to support our Catholic Ministries in Vancouver. The candy gifts we make from your donations remind the residents of the Downtown Eastside that they are cared for and loved. The candy bags made up from these donations are a means to engage in conversation with those most vulnerable in our city and allow the opportunity for volunteers to offer words of hope, prayer, and guidance.
Boxes will be placed below the stairs outside the office and students are encouraged to bring in some of their Halloween treats to share with others.
Daylight Saving Time
Sunday, November 5, 2023, 2:00:00 am clocks are turned backward 1 hour to return to local standard time. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep and more light in the mornings!
Grade 2 Enrolment Mass & School Mass
Our November family Mass and Grade 2 Enrolment Mass for the Sacrament of First Reconciliation will take place on Sunday, November 5th at 8:30 am. We look forward to having our choir sing and our students read at this Mass. Students are asked to wear full uniform to this Mass. The Knights of Columbus will also be serving pancake breakfast in the gym after Mass
Sunday, Nov 5, 2023, 08:30 AM
St. Michael's Parish
Scholastic Book Fair and Raffle Tickets
We are excited for our Scholastic Book Fair on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 9am-5pm. Come take a look at popular titles and start your Christmas shopping early! If we sell more than $4000 in products, the school will get back 50% in Scholastic rewards.
Book Fair Raffle ticket purchases will be collected until Monday, Nov. 6. We have some wonderful prizes and will draw for them on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Tickets are $5 each, or 3 for $10. Thank you for all proceeds go to supporting our school library!
Parent/Caregiver Survey
To inform our school's growth, we would like to gather data from our parent and caregiver community. It would be greatly appreciated if you could contribute to this by completing the survey shared via email on Wednesday morning. It should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. Your feedback and support are greatly appreciated.
Please join us for the second in our Screenagers series: Screenagers: A New Chapter on Thursday, November 9th at 6:30 pm.
To help us plan for this event, we ask that families please register using the link below as soon as possible.
We look forward to seeing you then.
Remembrance Day Assembly
Our Grade 5 class will lead the school in an Assembly in honour of Remembrance Day. Please join us as we gather together in prayer on Friday, November 10th at 11am in the school gym.
Friday, Nov 10, 2023, 11:00 AM
St. Michael's School
3-Way Conferences
As part of St. Michael's ongoing efforts to keep you informed of your child's learning experiences, we have scheduled time for the teachers to meet with parents and students to discuss learning goals for the year.
These 3-way conferences will take place on Thursday, November 16th between the hours of 9am and 6pm. There will be no regular classes that day as teachers will be meeting with families all day.
Students are to attend their conference, wearing their school uniform at their scheduled time. Each conference will take approximately 15 minutes. We are using an online scheduling system to set up appointment times.
Online Scheduling
Opens Friday, November 3rd at 8AM
Closes Sunday, November 10th at 10PM
Go to our school appointments website: www.stmichaels.schoolappointments.com
If you do not schedule an appointment, teachers will allocate time for you from their remaining time slots.
St. Michael's Open House for New Families
The school administration team will be hosting a question and answer session and open evening for new families on Tuesday, November 21st from 6:30 - 8pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to visit our school and meet the principal, as well as ask any questions you may have about our community.
There will also be an open house on Monday, November 27th from 9am - 11am to allow interested families to tour the school while we are in session.
Uniform
We are now in our winter season and ask that all students wear WINTER UNIFORM
https://www.stmichaelschool.ca/school-uniform/
GIRLS
White school golf shirt*
Tunic (K – Gr. 3)
Tunic OR skirt (Gr. 4 – 7)
Navy blue school cardigan
Navy blue school vest (optional)
Navy blue knee-high socks OR leotards
All-black shoes (either all black runners or all black dress shoes)
BOYS
White school golf shirt
Navy blue dress pants
Navy blue school sweater
Navy blue school vest (optional)
Navy blue socks
All-black shoes (either all black runners or all black dress shoes)
PEC News
Hot Lunch Ordering Open!
December & January - ordering has now opened and will be available until Friday, Nov. 24.
Please order early so you don't forget and miss the cut-off. We cannot accept orders once ordering closes. Credit card is accepted anytime online.
Parent Participation Opportunities
We are so thankful to have a culture of support and participation from our Parent Participation Program. Kindly note that it is your responsibility to find a suitable replacement for any shifts you will miss. The school relies on the support of our parent volunteers.
We need help in the following areas and would encourage you to contact the school office or our Parent Participation Coordinator at your earliest convenience if you can help.
Creating Advent wreaths for the classrooms.
Parish Groups - this is a great opportunity for those who are looking for hours outside of the 9 - 5 work day. Tentative meeting date will be Saturday, November 11th at 2:00pm in the school kitchen.
Purdy's Christmas Chocolate Orders
St. Michael's School is excited to announce a Christmas chocolate fundraiser through Purdys Chocolatier!
Whether you are purchasing gifts for your loved ones, children, grandchildren, friends and/or employees, Purdys has something for everyone, at any budget. Options include big, or small, gift boxes, stocking stuffers and/or chocolate bars.
If you’d like to support St. Michael’s School by purchasing some very sweet, and tasty, Christmas gifts, please click the link below: https://fundraising.purdys.com/841136-109565.
After you’ve signed in, you can place your order and invite others (friends, family, etc) to join and support St. Michael’s Fundraising Campaign. Alternatively, you can send your family and friends an email, asking if they would like to support our fundraiser by placing an order, using the above link.
The CUT-OFF date to order is November 27, 2023. The PICK-UP DAY is scheduled for December 13, 2023.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact fundraising@smeschool.ca.
Community News
Knights of Columbus Poinsettia Sale
The Knights of Columbus are having a Poinsettia fundraiser this year. You can order a variety of plant sizes this Sunday at the pancake breakfast and pick up your order on December 10th in the school gym at the breakfast with St. Nicholas.
Archbishop Carney Open House
Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary School would like to invite all prospective Grade 6 and 7 students and their families to their annual open house on Tuesday, November 28th from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm.
St. Thomas More Open House
St. Thomas More Collegiate open house will be held on December 12th at 6 pm. All prospective Grade 7 students and their families are welcome to attend.
Nov 4th: Gr. 7 Spirit Day 9 am - 6 pm
Nov 5th: Daylight Saving Time ends;
Nov 5th: Gr. 2 Enrolment Mass and School Sunday Mass 8:30 am
Nov 6th: Fire Drill
Nov 7th: Confession for Grade 4
Nov 9th: Screenagers: The Second Act 6:30 pm in the school gym
Nov 10th: School Mass 9 am; Remembrance Day Assembly 11 am
Nov 13th: No School Observance of Remembrance Day
Nov 14th: Gr. 5 First Aid Training; Confession for Gr. 3
Nov 15th: 9:50 am Fall Recognition Assembly
Nov 16th: 3-Way Conferences and Book fair 9 am - 6 pm. No regular classes.
Nov 17th: 9 am School Mass.
Nov 21st: Confession for Gr. 7; Open House Q & A for new families 6:30 pm.
Nov 23rd: Non-uniform Day; PE Class - Student Dance Performance (TBA)
Nov 24th: Professional Development Day No school.
For our priests.
You came from among us
to be, for us, one who serves.
We thank you for ministering Christ to us
and helping us minister Christ to each other.
We are grateful for the many gifts you bring to our community:
for drawing us together in worship,
for visiting us in our homes,
for comforting us in sickness,
for showing us compassion,
for blessing our marriage,
for baptizing our children,
for confirming us in our calling,
for supporting us in bereavement,
for helping us to grow in faith,
for encouraging us to take the initiative,
for helping the whole community realize God's presence among us.
For our part, we pray that we may always be attentive to your needs
and never take you for granted.
You, like us, need friendship and love,
welcome and a sense of belonging,
kind words and acts of thoughtfulness.
We pray, also, for the priests
who have wounded priesthood.
and may they be open to healing.
Let us support one another during times of crisis.
God our Father, we ask you to bless our priests
and confirm them in their calling.
Give them the gifts they need
to respond with generosity and a joyful heart.
Amen