News from Vanier - Week of May 25 - 28, 2021

Dear Parents and Students,

We hope you had a great long weekend and that the extra day provided lots of time for family and friends and renewal.  We are in the home stretch for school and everyone is busy and working hard.  Please reach out if you have a concern or need help with anything.  We want this year to end as successfully as possible for everyone!
As this school year draws closer to the end, let us be mindful of those who are under great stress, who have anxiety, who are far away from loved ones, and who are lonely and uncertain about the future.  We are about to complete a school year that is unlike any other.  There was no road map, no advice, no amount of prediction that could truly guide us this year.  Hopefully, everyone in our community is practicing self-compassion and compassion for those around them.  Here is a prayer for all of us:
God of the present moment, God who in Jesus stills the storm and soothes the frantic heart; bring hope and courage to all who wait or work in uncertainty.
Bring hope that you will make them the equal of whatever lies ahead.
Bring them courage to endure what cannot be avoided, for your will is health and wholeness; you are God, and we need you.
- Adapted from New Zealand Prayer Book, p. 765

Week-At-A-Glance:
Monday May 24

• Victoria Day – No School

Tuesday May 25

• Senior School - Day 1
• Board Games Club @ 12:15 pm in LC
• Softball tournament- students who are registered only

Wednesday May 26

• Senior School - Day 2
• Sr. Social Justice Club @ 11:30 am in LC

Thursday May 27

• Senior School - Day 1
• Board Games Club @ 12:15 pm in LC

Friday May 28

• Senior School - Day 2
• Outdoor Ed Day 8s & 9s- permission forms need to be returned by Thursday.

News Items for the Week:
National Science Fair Winner
Congratulations to Gavin Howells!  Gavin is in grade 11 at Vanier and has been involved with science and science fairs for many years now.  Gavin has won many awards for his work at regional and national science fairs and just last week was awarded a gold medal for his science fair project (A Novel Evaluation of the Mutagenicity of E-cigarette Liquid and Vapour on Yeast Cells) in the senior category at the virtual Canada Wide Science Fair (CWSF).   Gavin is the first Yukon student to win a gold medal in the senior category (grade 11/12) at the CWSF. We are very proud of Gavin for this accomplishment and for turning his research into action.  Gavin has been teaching lessons to many community schools through Zoom on the health effects of e-cigarette use. 

Safer Driving Needed!
We have been discussing driving habits with some of our students the past 2 weeks.  Students must obey speed limits and sensible and safe driving in the parking lots of our school.  Beside the obvious risks, students need to understand that there are several elementary schools near Vanier and that we must safely share the road with all the residents of Riverdale.  We will be contacting parents this week if our initial conversations do not seem to take effect.

Exam Schedules
We are in the final process of editing the exam schedules.  They should be posted on our website by the end of Wednesday. Thank you for your patience. 
Regarding exams and attendance - we are running a very tight exam week this year so that students have the maximum class time before their exams.  This means there is almost no room for students to make up an exam if they miss it. Students must be in attendance for their exams on the day and time it is scheduled.  If a student is so sick that they cannot attend, a parent must call in before 8:45 that morning.
Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. 

Have a great week,
Katrina Brogdon, Principal and Alethea Wallace, Vice-Principal