Dear Parents,

Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be recognizing and bringing awareness to a number of causes and days that affect our community in some manner. Inevitably, some will connect with you on a personal level, while others may be new or even off putting to you without having a context. As such, we would like to inform you on how we will recognize these days and provide you with more information as to why we recognize them.

The first of these, which is coming up this Friday, is Military Family Appreciation Day. We have chosen to recognize this day, as we have a staff member at the school whose child served in our Canadian Military for several years. In addition, many of us have family who served in the Military over the past few generations. In John 15:13, Jesus says: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” In the same way, we have had family and friends who have chosen to put their wellbeing on the line to serve us and place our freedom above all else. As such, this is a way we can visibily thank them for the sacrifices that they and their families have made for us.

Next week, we will be preparing for our annual Terry Fox walk as a school community. There are several reasons that we have chosen to participate in this day. Part of this ties back to our character traits of Courage and Compassion, which we see exemplified in Terry’s Life. Last year, we shared a newsletter on the theme of, “Courage to Care” to discuss this in greater length. In addition, the Terry Fox walk is about cancer research and helping to prevent and cure various forms of cancer. Most of us have had a family member or close friend that has either overcome or succumbed to cancer, fighting against this terrible disease. We want to honor them and join in offering hope for the future.

Finally, we will be recognizing Truth and Reconciliation Day on October 1st, as September 30th is a PD Day. Not only is this federally recognized and encouraged, it connects back to some important themes within our Biblical educational framework. Here are a few reasons why we acknowledge this day: to commemorate and bring awareness to the residential school experience, to recognize the brokenness that was created by the Residential School system and its impact on the Indigenous communities, and to look at how we can bring hope by being agents of reconciliation. We explore these themes by focusing on how brokenness occurs because of our sinful nature and how this played out in the history of Residential Schools, while also pointing to the hope we have in Jesus for healing and restoration. For more about our Biblical Perspective on Truth & Reconciliation, you can read this article from last year.

It’s important to note that while we encourage students to participate in these events, they can do so to the degree that you are comfortable as a family. Our hope is that these days will produce good conversations and ultimately help us to focus on how we engage in culture and community as followers of Jesus.

Blessings,
J-D Lussier, Principal