Tuesday, September 21st, 2021
Dear STMC Students & Parents,
Metaphorically speaking, the train officially pulled out of the station a little less than two-weeks ago (Sept. 8th) with the start of classes for the 2021-2022 school year. We are now picking up steam and moving forward. That said… there will be lots of stops and side journey’s along the way until we reach our final destination – June 2022! Keeping students and families informed and up-to-date to what’s happening and upcoming at the school is central to ensuring that the year ahead is as positive for all as it can be.
Stay Connected – Stay Informed!
The pandemic, and our need to response to it, will continue to drive our ability to hold traditional events and to totally ‘normalize’ our operations to pre-March 2020 levels. Our approach this year will again require us to be more pragmatic in our planning for most – if not all – of the events that we have calendared. We will endeavour to communicate with people regarding upcoming events in three ways; via regular emails, via our STMC IOS App (available as a free download from the Apple Store), and via our website and social media platforms. Stay connected – Stay informed!
Key Calendar Events (Sept. 21-October 11)
Wednesday, September 22, 2021 – Late Start Schedule
| PLC/Staff Meeting – Late Start | |
| Adjusted Day Schedule | |
| 7-8:15AM | Morning X Blocks |
| 8:20-9:05AM | Staff & PLC Meetings |
| 9:15AM | Warning Bell |
| 9:20-10:25AM | B-Block |
| 10:30-11:35AM | C-Block |
| 11:40-12:45PM | D-Block |
|
Lunch |
|
| 1:35-2:40PM | A-Block |
| 2:45-4:00PM | Afterschool Y Blocks |
Thursday, September 23, 2021 – Gr. 8 – 9 – 12 Dance & Mixer
Sadly, this traditional event (which we had hoped would include our Gr. 9s) is one of the first calendar casualties of our COVID-19 Response. It is still our hope that we will be able to host this event later in the year, but we will need to reassess later in the fall if/when protocols change. [Hopefully] More to follow!
Friday, September 24, 2021 – School Photo Day
GradsBC, our School and Grad Photo provider will be here for a large chunk of the day this Friday to take student & staff photos. As always, families will have the option to purchase a variety of photo packages. PLEASE NOTE: we will be asking ALL students to get their photo taken – even if they are not planning on purchasing any of the package options – as we need photos for School ID, as well as BC Transit Go-Card purposes.
Saturday, September 25, 2021 – Greater Knight Open (GKO) Alumni Golf Tourney
The Greater Knight Open (GKO) Golf Tourney is our major annual fund-raiser for our Fallen Knight Bursary program – providing tuition assistance to a number of our current families. I’m happy to announce this year’s event is fully SOLD-OUT! If you would like to take part in next year’s GKO please reach out to our Director of Alumni Relations Dominic Zimmermann d.zimmermann@stmc.bc.ca or our Director of Development & Community Relations, Brent Christensen brent.christensen@stmc.bc.ca.
Wednesday, September 29, 2021 – Grad ’22 Parent Knight @ 6:30PM, Cafeteria
[Please note this is a change in date from what has been originally calendared]
We need to limit the attendance to this event and ask that only one family member for each Grad ’22 attend this session. Masks are required and a parent/guardian sign-in for contact tracing purposes will be necessary. Topics: The Year Ahead & Life Beyond STMC – Navigating the Post-Secondary Application Process.
Thursday, September 30, 2021 – National Truth & Reconciliation Day [No Classes]
It is with a great deal of humility that we announce that we are still in the midst of planning for a community event for this day. We have experienced a significant shift in our thinking about what this day might look like. Initially planned as a day-in-session with focused conversations/dialogue around truth and reconciliation we have had to significantly scale back our plans simply given time constraints.
We are currently working on both the timing and logistics of opening our school to our STMC families, students, and staff to come together to recognize this day. The day will be optional but we would like to use it for the school to be a catalyst for our wider community to come together to acknowledge and reflect on the importance of this day. A prayer service and a variety of presentations are being planned. Our students and families are welcome to join us on the day! Please stay tuned for a separate email outlining what this inaugural National Truth & Reconciliation Day will look like.
Sunday, October 3 to Tuesday, October 5, 2021 – Grade 12 Retreat
This year’s Gr. 12 Retreat will take place on Sunday October 3rd to Tuesday October 5th. Our 12s and our staff will be taking over the Conference Centre at Camp Luther and full COVID-19 Protocols will be in place. Buses will be leaving the STMC parking lot at 1:00 PM on the Sunday and will return back to STMC between 1pm and 1:30pm on Tuesday, October 5, 2021.
Wednesday, October 6, 2021 – Late Start Schedule
|
PLC/Staff Meeting – Late Start |
|
| Adjusted Day Schedule | |
| 7-8:15AM | Morning X Blocks |
| 8:20-9:05AM | Staff & Department Meetings |
| 9:15AM | Warning Bell |
| 9:20-10:25AM | C-Block |
| 10:30-11:35AM | D-Block |
| 11:40-12:45PM | A-Block |
|
Lunch |
|
| 1:35-2:40PM | B-Block |
| 2:45-4:00PM | Afterschool Y Blocks |
Thursday, October 7, 2021 – Thanksgiving Masses
Thursday, October 7, 2021 – Photo-Retake Day
Monday, October 11, 2021 – Thanksgiving [No Classes]
Finally, as I have asked in each of my correspondences with you since the start of the pandemic I ask that you pray for the continued good health of our two resident Christian Brothers – Bro. Bassett, Bro. Cass – as well as everyone associated with our St. Thomas More family!
Pax et Bonum!
Yours in Christ,
Steve Garland – Principal, STMC
