June 2022
St. Augustine School
Final Newsletter
Principal's Message
Dear St. Augustine School families,
As we wind down the year with this final month of school, I wish you all a safe and happy summer.
I look back on this school year with deep fondness, and, indeed, these 10 months have only served to reinforce my deep gratitude of being part of this wonderful and amazing community. It really is a privilege to be a part of such a patient, joyful, faith-filled and supportive community, knowing that, no matter the circumstance, we are always looking out for one another. As restrictions begin to be lifted and these challenging times become not quite so challenging, I cannot help but be reminded of how wonderful our St. Augustine family is. We are, afterall, "One Family. One Hope in Christ!"
Thank you to Father Andrew, the PEC, all the teachers and staff, and all the students and their families for all your support this year, particularly during this persistent pandemic! I am so grateful to be part of this blessed community that I consider home.
As the year comes to a close, I would like to share the following prayer with you:
We praise and thank you, Lord, For the gift of this school year. It has been a time filled with grace and blessings, With challenges and opportunities, joys and sorrows. The days have passed quickly.
The weeks, the months, the seasons, the holidays and holy days, The exams, vacations, breaks, and assemblies, All have come forth from your hand. While we trust that your purposes have always been at work each day, Sometimes it has seemed difficult to understand and appreciate just what you have been up to in our school.
Give us the rest and refreshment we need this summer. Let our efforts of this past year bear fruit. Bring all of our plans to a joyful conclusion, And bless us, according to your will, With the fulfillment of our summer hopes and dreams.
Watch over us in the weeks of rest ahead, And guide each day as you have done this past year. Help us return to school with a new spirit and a new energy. May we continue to grow In age, wisdom, knowledge and grace.
Amen.
Enjoy this last month of the school year and have a wonderful, safe summer, St. Augustine’s! Take good care over the holidays! See you in September.
God Bless,
Mr. Yaptinchay
As we begin our final month with restrictions lifted, we are bringing back some of the annual activities we celebrate this last month of the school year. These events may still look a little different, but they will feel like they did pre-pandemic!
FUN DAY
Friday, June 17 will be FUN DAY at SAS. Our students will be dressed in team colours for this annual celebration. It is a noon dismissal that day. Stay tuned for full details!
TALENT SHOW
We want to continue to honour and celebrate all our talented students! A Talent Show is scheduled for June 27. We will offer a hybrid opportunity for students this year: you can submit your talent show performance to a shared album as we did the last couple of years OR you can perform live on stage in front of the student body (live-streamed for parents so they can watch virtually). The deadline to sign up for a live performance will be June 10 with auditions June 13. The deadline to submit a pre-recorded performance is June 20. The criteria for either option is simple: 1) the performance should be limited to 1-2 minutes and 2) attire, lyrics, and language should be appropriate. We are excited to be entertained by and to celebrate the many, many talents of our students!
FAREWELLOur Grade 7 Farewell will return to its original in-person format to honour and celebrate our departing students. Farewell will be Thursday, June 23 at 7pm. We will begin with mass followed by student recognitions then a reception in the Parish Centre. More details to follow.
MONTH AT A GLANCE
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June 1 - CISVA Track & Field Championships Day 1
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June 2 - 7pm New Kindergarten Parent Social
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June 5 - Pentecost
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June 6 - Non-uniform Day
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June 8 - CISVA Track & Field Champtionships Day
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June 10 - Grade 7 Confirmation Retreat
- June 13
- 7pm Grade 7 Confirmation
- Talent Show Auditions
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June 17 - Fun Day (noon dismissal)
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June 18 - Happy Father's Day!
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June 20 - 7pm Grade 7 Parent Farewell Social
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June 23
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10:45am Grade 7 Farewell Assembly
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7:00pm Grade 7 Farewell Mass & Reception
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June 24 - Soak-the-Principal/Staff Day (9:30-2:00pm)
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June 27 - Talent Show
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June 28 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
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10:45 School Mass
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Noon Dismissal (stagger to begin at 11:55)
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LAST DAY OF SCHOOL & FINAL SCHOOL MASS
(Tuesday, June 28)
Our last day of school is Tuesday, June 28. We will be celebrating our final school mass of the year at 10:45am. Staggered pick-up will begin at 11:55am. Final Progress Reports will also be issued on this last day.
FIRST DAY OF CLASSES
School re-opens on Tuesday, September 6. Though we have not yet received any directives about what September will look like for our schools, for now, we will schedule classes from 8:30 AM until 12:00 PM for Grades 1-7, with Kindergarten beginning their gradual entry.
Staff Changes for 2022-2023
It is with sadness that I officially announce that several of our beloved teachers will be leaving us at the end of this school year. Ms. Yule, Ms. Finn, Ms, O'Riordan, Ms. Ramirez, Mr. Tobin, Mme McLean, Ms. Templeman, Ms. Lee, Mr. McDonald, Ms. Juric, Ms. Dardis, Ms. Darcie-Anne Bailey, and Ms. Youn will be saying farewell to St. Augustine School at the end of June.
Thank you to Ms. Finn and Ms. O'Riordan for their dedication to the school the last couple of years. Ms. Finn pursues a different path and begins her new career with her mother in the restaurant industry, and Ms. O'Riordan will be moving on to work at Notre Dame Regional, one of our CISVA High Schools, in its life skills department. We wish both Ms. Finn and Ms. O'Riordan a fond farewell and an immense thank you for taking such good care of our students in the first year of our primary grades (Kindergarten) and the first year of our intermediate grades (Grade 4) respectively.
Ms. Ramirez has dedicated the last 4 years of her career to the students and community of St. Augustine’s; her faith-filled love, passion, and dedication for her students were foundational in establishing and developing the high quality of education as our Grade 5 teacher. She takes all her gifts and talents with her to continue her service to the CISVA at St. Joseph the Worker School, which is five minutes from her home.
Mr. Tobin, Ms. Dardis, and Mr. McDonald will be returning to Ireland to be closer to family and continue their careers at home. We thank them for their service to our community and the children in their care during their short time at our school, and we wish them all the best in the future and hope perhaps to see them back in Vancouver one day soon.
Mrs. Youn will not be returning to St. Augustine's after her maternity leave. We will miss her very much as one of our Grade 3 teachers and wish her and her young family all the very best as she continues her career closer to home.
Mme McLean, who has worked passionately as our French Teacher for the last 10 years will not be returning from her year leave of absence. We are ever so grateful for her many years of faith-filled service to our community and for sharing her love of language with her students. Merci, Madame McLean! We are happy that Mme Cocosila will be returning next year as our French Teacher.
Ms. Lee, Ms. Templeman, Ms. Juric, and Ms. Darcie-Anne Bailey, who have been instrumental in supporting our special needs program, will also be leaving us. We thank them for their years of dedicated work supporting our students through our Learning Resource Department.
As announced last month, after 40 years of teaching, Ms. Yule announced her retirement this year. We cannot thank her enough for her years of faith-filled service to St. Augustine's and the multitude of lives she has touched and influenced. The halls of our school will not be the same without her. With Ms. Yule's retirement, I am happy to announce that Ms. Agregado will be switching classes to bring her talents and passion to become our new Grade 3 teacher, partnering with Ms. Gastaldo, who is already working part-time as Ms. Yule's partner.
Though we say farewell to some staff, we welcome new staff, as well. In Grade 6, we welcome Ms. Leigh Ella Siega, who is currrently teaching at Immaculate Conception School. In Grade 4,welcome to Mr. Conor O'Mahoney, who comes to us from Ireland. We are excited to have them join our community and bring their talents and skills with them to our school.
In September 2022, we begin the school year as a fully double-streamed school; our second Grade 7 class will be taught by Ms. Jacquie Chau, who returns from a two-year leave of absence after having completed a Masters Program. We have missed Ms. Chau and are excited to have her in Grade 7.
Other positions are still open as we continue our search for the right teachers and staff. Interviews are on-going, and we will keep you updated when we fill these roles.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire staff of St. Augustine School for their continued dedication and undying commitment to the community and the children in their care!
In gratitude, we thank all our departing teachers, education assistants, and staff for being an instrumental part of the high level of Catholic education at our school. Their gifts, talents, and the love they each have for our school and our students across all grades will be greatly missed. We congratulate them on their new endeavours and wish them all the very best in the future! Please, join us the last day of school as we say goodbye to our beloved staff at the end of year mass and recognize them more fully.
God bless all our teachers, friends, and families at
St Augustine School and Parish.
Have a wonderful and safe summer!