News from Vanier - Week of February 1 - 5, 2021

Dear Parents and Students,
 
We welcomed February today!  The light is coming back and we celebrate the longer days.
 
I’ve been thinking a lot about compassion these days.  Our English word compassion has its roots in Latin-“pati” means to suffer, and the prefix “com” means with. Compassion, originally from “compati” means to suffer with another person.  Compassion is not sympathy, feeling sorry, or pity for someone, but to feel with them.  I believe it is the root of empathy.  It seems we are often good at showing compassion for others, but compassion for self can be harder to cultivate.  I see so many people around us trying their best, and not feeling the self-compassion that is needed in these times.  We are all fallible, beautifully imperfect people.  Please take care of yourselves the way you take care of others.  
 
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12
 
Week-at-a-Glance
Monday, February 1

• Senior School - Day 1
• Jr. Social Justice Club @12:15 in LC
• Basketball Practices-All Boys Teams-Afterschool

 
Tuesday, February 2

• Senior School - Day 2
• Board Games Club @12:15 in LC
• Basketball Practices-All Girls Teams-Afterschool

 
Wednesday, February 3

• Senior School - Day 1
• Junior School X block = 3
• Sr. Social Justice Club @11:30 in LC
• Alpha @ 12:15 in Room 26
• Basketball practice- Grade 8/9 Boys-Afterschool

 
Thursday, February 4

• Senior School - Day 2
• Board Games Club @12:15 in LC
• Basketball-Grade 8/9 Girls-Afterschool

 
Friday, February 5

• Senior School - Day 1
• Basketball Winter League/Intramural Games-Grades 10-12-Afterschool

 
Meeting For Parents and Students Entering Grade 10 in August, 2021

• Monday, February 8, 2021
• 7:00 pm

We will be hosting a zoom meeting for all parents and students who will be entering Grade 10 next school year.  You will receive an invitation later in the week with the link for the meeting.  We realize that this is not the ideal way to have a parent meeting, but it is necessary at this time.  The information will also be put into paper form and posted on the school website for anyone who is not able to attend the zoom meeting.  Please be on the lookout for the zoom meeting link later this week.
 
Report Cards
Report cards were mailed late last week.  Please wait until Wednesday to see if your report card arrives at your house before asking the school for a digital copy.  We know the mail has been a bit slower lately.   Students in grades 10-12 will be receiving a letter about credit recovery options if they have courses that qualify.  Most students eligible for credit recovery have been contacted already by Mr. Comeau or Mr. Biss.
 
Numeracy and Literacy Exams
Over 100 students in grades 10 and 11 took numeracy exams and several others took literacy exams last week.  We had a “life in the North” incident on Wednesday afternoon with a school wide internet outage that lasted well over an hour.   Students who were in the middle of the exam were able to come back on Thursday afternoon and finish the exam where they left off. Any student in grade 10 or 11 who still needs to write a literacy or numeracy exam will be able to do so in April.  All of those students will be contacted.
 
As always, please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
 
Katrina Brogdon, Principal and Alethea Wallace, Vice-Principal