June 2024
St. Augustine School
Final Newsletter
Principal's Message
Dear St. Augustine School families,
As we approach the end of the academic year, I want to extend my heartfelt wishes to each and every one of you for a safe and joyful summer.
Reflecting upon the past school year, I am overwhelmed with a deep sense of affection. These nine months have only reinforced my profound gratitude for belonging to such a remarkable and extraordinary community. It truly is a privilege to be a member of this affirming, joyful, faith-filled, and supportive community, where we consistently look out for one another, regardless of the circumstances we face. I am constantly reminded of the incredible nature of our St. Augustine family.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Father Ignacy, the PEC, all the dedicated teachers and staff, as well as the students and their families, for the unwavering support provided throughout the year. Your commitment has been truly invaluable, and I am deeply grateful to be part of this blessed community that I proudly call my 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
IMPORTANT DATES TO NOTE IN JUNE
FUN DAY
Friday, June 21 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 24. 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 (the show will NOT be live-streamed for parents so they can watch virtually, but we will film and post the performances to the shared album after). The deadline to sign up for a live performance will be June 11, our audition date. The deadline to submit a pre-recorded performance is June 23. 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!
SIGN-UP HERE.
FAREWELL
Our Grade 7 Farewell will be in-person at the church to honour and celebrate our departing students. Farewell will be Thursday, June 20 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 5 - CISVA Track Championships Day 1
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June 6 - New Kindergarten/Families Wine & Cheese Social at 7pm (at Parish Centre)
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June 9 - 9am Children's Mass
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June 10 - Hip Hop Presentation to parents 1:00pm
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June 11 - Talent Show Auditions
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June 12 - CISVA Track Championships Day 2
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June 13 - Grade 7 Parents Farewell Social at 7pm (in Learning Commons)
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June 16 - Fathers’ Day
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June 20
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Grade 7 Farewell Assembly at 10:45am
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Grade 7 Farewell Mass and Reception at 7:00pm
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June 21 - Fun Day (noon dismissal)
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June 24 - Talent Show
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June 25 - Soak-the-Teacher
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June 26
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Last Day of School for Students
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10:15am School Mass
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Noon Dismissal (first stagger begins at 11:55)
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LAST DAY OF SCHOOL & FINAL SCHOOL MASS (Wednesday, June 26)
Our last day of school is Wednesday, June 26. We will be celebrating our final school mass of the year at 10:15am.
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 3, with classes scheduled from 8:30 AM until 12:00 PM for Grades 1-7, and Kindergarten beginning their gradual entry.
Staff Changes for 2024-2025
It is with sadness that I officially announce that several of our beloved staff will be leaving us at the end of this school year.
Thank you to our departing Education Assistants for their dedication to the school over the last few years: Ms. Patro, Ms. Sheridan, Ms. McMahon, Ms. Maron, Ms. Maxwell, and Mr. Figueroa. Congratulations to all who have secured postions as EAs or teachers in schools closer to home. We thank them for their service to our community, and we wish them all a fond farewell and an immense thank you for taking such good care of our students during their time at our school.
One of our Grade 3 teachers who began her 8 years with us at St. Augustine School in Grade 1, Ms. Agregado, will be saying farewell and conitnuing her career in Catholic education at Star of the Sea School. We will miss Ms. Agregado very much for her professionalism and deep care and love for her students. We are happy for Star of the Sea School as it gains a faith-filled and incredibly dedicated teacher.
No new hires have been made to date, and 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 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!