Dear Parents and Guardians of Vanier Catholic Secondary School students, We are excited to be introducing ourselves as the photography business taking over for Wilson Studios for the 2020-2021 school year. Vanier Catholic Secondary School has been scheduled for:
We have made a few changes to the packages and will now be offering digital portraits! Due to concerns of proper social distancing Whitehorse schools have decided against group class photos. Instead we will be creating a collage of each homeroom class using students' individual portraits. Below is a digital version of the photo envelope in case you didn't receive the one that was sent home with your child. Please be sure to print clearly and fill out all required areas. If you are e-transfering please include your child’s name and grade. If you have any further questions please email us: [email protected] Tom Patrick & Andrea Merschilz Star Flower Photography ![]()
Dear Vanier students and families:
The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. Psalm 121:5-6 Dear Lord, Thank you for watching over and protecting me and my loved ones. We are safe in your arms! Amen. We got a little carried away with too many meetings this afternoon – sorry about the delay of the weekly email! School portraits will be taken next week by a new photographer now that Ron Wilson of Wilson Studios has retired from the school portrait business. We wish Mr. Wilson the best and thank him for his many years of photography service that he provided to our school. More information about school portraits will come home with students later this week. The wireless internet (a.k.a. wifi) in our Senior Skills Room is now available for student use for school-related purposes! Please see below for more details on the Senior Skills Room. We hope everyone had a lovely Labour Day weekend. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us by telephone (667-5901), general school email ([email protected]) or by simply replying to this email if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Ryan Sikkes, principal and Alethea Wallace, vice-principal Week at-a-glance Tuesday, September 8th
School Portraits School individual portraits will be taken next Monday through Wednesday, September 14-16. We need all students to have their photos taken for our student information system and for student identity cards. There is no cost for these. Parents/guardians may choose to purchase a package of digital images or prints directly from the photographer. Payment envelopes with package options and payment instructions will be distributed to students this week. Senior Skills Room – Internet is up! The wifi is up and running! Thank you for your patience as we worked to get this network set up. The wifi available at the Senior Skills Room is only to be used for school purposes and has been throttled to discourage large downloads. The Senior Skills Room is available every school day between 8:30 and 3:15 and has digital (and now internet connected!) devices for students to use to complete their work. It is not a social space nor can the wifi be used for non-school related purposes. Senior School - Test writing outside of class time Some grade 10-12 teachers have expressed a very reasonable concern about using their limited class time for test writing. Therefore, they may require students, with sufficient advance notice, to write tests in the Senior Skills room when they are not in class on specific days and times. The school supports this approach to maximizing the amount of teaching time available to teachers and because the remaining half day not spent in class is still meant to be spent on school-related activities. If students or parents/guardians have any questions or concerns about this, please don’t hesitate to contact Mr. Sikkes or Ms. Wallace. Scent Sensitivity We have several students and staff who are quite sensitive to strongly scented products. We respectfully ask students to avoid wearing strongly scented products such as perfume or body sprays. We would also ask that students choose less scented hygiene products (e.g. deodorant or antiperspirants) whenever possible and apply lightly scented products as judiciously as possible. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Attendance We take attendance every period every day. Now that students’ timetables have settled, we are starting to make attendance calls (either in-person or automated) for students who are absent but who have not been excused by a parent/guardian. We ask that parents/guardians call (667-5901) or email ([email protected]) each day that a student is excused to prevent these notifications from being made home. Cafeteria is open! Our cafeteria operators from last year – the Cruz family – are back and open for business. Students may sit at a physically distanced seat inside the cafeteria or request a take-out container (for a small additional charge). The cafeteria is open during the morning break between 9:51 and 10:01 for the Junior School and 10:05-10:15 for the Senior School. Lunch is served between 11:25 am and 1:02 pm to allow for the morning and afternoon Senior School students to purchase food as well as our Junior students over their lunch break. The cafeteria accepts cash or debit. Become a Tutor Are you a senior student who would like to be a peer tutor?? Did you know that you can earn your community service hours, and/or get paid for being a peer tutor? YES, you can!!! If you think you would like to take this on, please contact Ms. Cann in the Junior Skills Room or email [email protected]. Once you complete the training program, you can be matched up with a junior student who would benefit from your willingness to assist them. Don't feel that you need to be an expert in the academics, sometimes grade 8/9 students really benefit from organization support and having a senior student to talk to. Consider signing up today! Visits to other schools In normal times, we allow for limited visitations of students between FHC and Vanier during our lunch periods. However, this year we cannot allow these visits to occur and remind Vanier students they are not permitted to visit FH Collins at any point during the school day. We appreciate our students understanding of the need for this change for safety reasons. Our students should also not be visiting Christ the King Elementary students over the lunch hour either. Mask use in schools The use of non-medical masks in schools has been recommended by Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health for students aged 10 and above in situations where physical distancing is not possible. These could include:
Reusable masks have been ordered and will be provided to students soon. In the meantime, we have disposable masks available for any student or staff member who wishes to abide by the recommendations. “The big three” of the safe six Our public health officials in Yukon have been constantly repeating the “safe six” precautions for addressing the Covid 19 pandemic. You can see our operational plans here: https://www.vcss.ca/covid-19.html At Vanier, we have been focusing heavily on the first three of these:
Dear Vanier students and families:
Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you. Psalm 86:4 Dear Lord, may your perfect will be done in my life and in the lives of my loved ones. May you bring joy and rejoicing into our homes. I believe in your goodness and I am proud to be a child of God. Amen. Things are starting to pull together and we feel that we are starting to get a sense of rhythm and routine to our days. However, there are still lots of little things that we are still trying to pin down once we see how things develop. I often think of the recommended approach to building a new park or public space: Instead of paving pathways right away, it’s better to leave it and see where people walk naturally and then install the pavement there! So it goes at Vanier with things like computer carts, getting students logged in, use of textbooks/workbooks, etc. We are waiting a bit to see where/how some things might best be organized before we formalize the plans and will communicate them to students/parents/guardians when things have been confirmed. Thank you for your patience as these things develop - if you do have specific questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact teachers directly through their email ([email protected]), reply to this email, or email our general school mailbox: [email protected] A hearty, “Congratulations, best wishes, and God bless!” to our Class of 2020 who were recognized in a very scaled down version of their Cap and Gown ceremony that took place last week. Now, we turn our focus to the Class of 2021 and planning to ensure we have a safe and meaningful recognition of their academic accomplishments. Grade 12s, stay tuned for more information from Ms. Giczi, Mr. Gillard, and Mr. Gray. Sincerely, Ryan Sikkes, principal and Alethea Wallace, vice-principal Week at-a-glance Monday, August 31st
Attendance We take attendance every period every day. Now that students’ timetables have settled, we are starting to make attendance calls (either in-person or automated) for students who are absent but who have not been excused by a parent/guardian. We ask that parents/guardians call (667-5901) or email ([email protected]) each day that a student is excused to prevent these notifications from being made home. Visits to/from other schools In normal times, we allow for limited visitations of students between FHC and Vanier during our lunch periods. However, this year we cannot allow these visits to occur and remind Vanier students they are not permitted to visit FH Collins at any point during the school day. We appreciate our students understanding of the need for this change for safety reasons. Our students should also not be visiting Christ the King Elementary students over the lunch hour either. Mask use in schools The use of non-medical masks in schools has been recommended by Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health for students aged 10 and above in situations where physical distancing is not possible. These could include:
Reusable masks have been ordered and will be provided to students upon arrival. In the meantime, we have disposable masks available for any student or staff member who requires one to meet the recommendations. “The big three” of the safe six Our public health officials in Yukon have been constantly repeating the “safe six” precautions for addressing the Covid 19 pandemic. You can see our operational plans here: https://www.vcss.ca/covid-19.html At Vanier, we have been focusing heavily on the first three of these: 1.Maintain physical distancing – keep 2 metres (6 feet) away from everyone who’s not a member of your social bubble. In situations where physical distancing is not possible, masks are highly recommended. We will eventually be supplying each student with reusable masks. Until then, we have disposable masks available in many classrooms or in the front office. 2.Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Hand sanitizing stations are located in many areas of the school and we require students to wash or sanitize their hands every time they move to a new room. 3.Stay home if you're feeling sick. Here is a bit more information about the symptoms of Covid-19 to watch for. There are places you can turn to for advice on whether to attend school or when to return after feeling sick:
Cafeteria is open! Our cafeteria operators from last year – the Cruz family – are back and open for business. Students may sit at a physically distanced seat inside the cafeteria or request a take-out container (for a small additional charge). The cafeteria is open during the morning break between 9:51 and 10:01 for the Junior School and 10:05-10:15 for the Senior School. Lunch is served between 11:25 am and 1:02 pm to allow for the morning and afternoon Senior School students to purchase food as well as our Junior students over their lunch break. The cafeteria accepts cash or debit. Blended Learning – Advice for Parents COVID-19 protocols in Yukon schools may mean that opportunities for teaching approaches that involve close physical contact may need to be limited/modified in the face to face setting. Also, as Grades 10-12 students are in school with their teachers and classmates for a half day, they may be required to engage in digital activities with technology and online tools when not in school. Blended learning strategies, working in concert with other experiential / place-based, service-learning activities, enable teachers to maintain student-centred learning approaches and meet curriculum requirements amidst social distancing requirements. While not in class, teachers may be asking students to:
Skills Room and Tutoring Program The Skills Room is up and running and available for help and support! It opens at 8 am every morning and EA assistance is available until 8:30 am. It is open again for the Junior School lunch hour (12:12 to 1:02) with support and again after school from 3:15 until 4:15. Within the Skills Room, we also offer a peer tutoring program where senior students can sign up to be tutors (with 4 hours of tutor training provided) and any other Vanier student can sign up to be tutored. The tutors can either work off their time as volunteer hours, or be paid. Tutoring is free of charge for tutees. Don't let yourself fall behind, get the help you need!! Anyone interested in becoming a tutor, getting a tutor, please see Ms. Cann or email [email protected] Dear Vanier students and families:
Almighty God: We give you our school. We give you all the teachers and staff who work here. We give you all the children who study here. We pray our school would be place of great discovery, adventure and creativity. May it be a place where we love to learn and where we learn to love, A place where everyone is respected and all are deeply valued. We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. It has been a wonderful few days welcoming our students back into the building. Our priorities have been focused on ensuring students feel safe and supported, building a sense of welcoming community within each class, and establishing the new health and safety routines. We have been accommodating schedule changes for our Grade 10 through 12 students and, now that those have settled down, we are turning our attentions to commencing the academic program in each class. Most teachers are now setting up their online classes in MS Teams and students should start being able to access those in the next days. An online program is not required for our Grade 8 and 9 classes at this time, although we hope – sooner rather than later – to get all our students logged in to the portal so they can access all the software and communication tools to supplement the in-class learning. This week at a glance: Monday, August 24th
Covid-19 precautions Our public health officials in Yukon have been constantly repeating the “safe six” precautions for addressing the Covid 19 pandemic. You can see our operational plans here: https://www.vcss.ca/covid-19.html At Vanier, we have been focusing heavily on the first three of these:
Welcome to our new and returning staff!
Sincerely, Ryan Sikkes, principal and Alethea Wallace, vice-principal Dear Vanier students and families:
I hope your family had a restful summer break after an unusual end to last school year. As we prepare for a safe return to Vanier Catholic Secondary for the 2020-21 school year, here is some important information about school routines for this year. Key steps for health and safety at school All schools must follow the health and safety guidelines for K-12 school settings set by Yukon’s Chief Medical Office of Health. School staff will go over health and safety routines at our school with students on a regular basis. The key steps our school will be following include:
Staying home when sick or showing symptoms If a student or staff has symptoms or is sick, they must stay home and not come to school. You should monitor your child ever day for symptoms before sending them to school. To help assess symptoms, use the COVID-19 self-assessment tool at: service.yukon.ca/en/covid-19-self-assessment. Check for new or worsening symptoms when monitoring. For example, a child with asthma may have a cough that is not new. Symptoms you should monitor for include: Fever/chills, cough, shortness of breath, running nose, sore throat, headache, loss of sense of taste or smell, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and muscle aches. Vanier Catholic Secondary operational plan Attached to this email is more information about our school routines, schedules and programs for the 2020-21 school year, including the specific health and safety measures at our school. This a summary of the key information in our school operational plan. The full operational plan, along with this summary, can be found here. Updates during the school year We will be sharing regular updates with students and families during the school year through e-mail and our school website. Visit the following websites for more information:
Sincerely, Ryan Sikkes. Principal and Alethea Wallace, Vice-Principal Dear Vanier students and families:
I hope this finds everyone well. A few information items before the weekend:
Sincerely, Ryan Sikkes, principal ![]()
![]()
Dear Vanier students and families:
Here are some updates about the start of this school year since my last email (July 13). Planning
School Calendar
School Schedule
Student Timetables
School Supplies and Lockers
In the meantime, please feel free to reply to this email with any of your questions or concerns or send them to [email protected] or call the school at 667-5901. Sincerely, Ryan Sikkes, principal Dear Vanier students and families: Many of you have heard by now the Minister of Education’s update on the return to school that was provided last week. If you haven’t, the bottom line is: In Whitehorse, Grades Kindergarten through 9 students will return to school for full days, every day and Grades 10 through 12 students will attend half days, every day and continue to learn from home during the other half of the day. These changes will allow us to maximize physical distancing and minimize the “mixing” of students within the school as these are the best practices with regard to public health and safety. This will look and feel very different from what we are used to and we appreciate all our students’ and families’ understanding and flexibility as we implement these changes. There are many details to work out to make this plan work. I’d like to share some of the broad aspects of what the return to school next month will look like that we know at the moment. More specific details will be shared in the coming weeks. Overall health and safety principles:
The school will be split into two groups: Junior School (Grade 8 & 9) and Senior School (Grades 10 through 12). Junior School:
Day 2 Shift 1, Block 1/2 Class Shift 1, Block 3/4 Class Shift 1, Block 5/6 Class Shift 1, Block 7/8 Class Lunch Shift 2, Block 1/2 Class Shift 2, Block 3/4 Class Shift 2, Block 5/6 Class Shift 2, Block 7/8 Class
Next Steps:
In the meantime, please feel free to reply to this email with any of your questions or concerns or send them to [email protected]. Please, at this time, do not send questions about a student’s timetable or “shift” as these have not yet been determined. Sincerely, Ryan Sikkes, principal On Tuesday, June 9, the Government of Yukon announced that it is planning to return students to full-time classes in Yukon schools for the 2020-21 school year.
In response to recent questions about school busing in 2020-21, we have prepared additional information below that you should share with your school community. Registration process and review of bus routes For the 2020-21 school year, parents should register their child as usual using the registration form on Yukon.ca/bus. The deadline to submit a registration for next school year is June 19, 2020. As we do every school year, we review bus routes and schedules each summer to adjust based on bus registrations. Adjusting school bus schedules each year helps ensure there are enough buses for all students and that school bus routes meet the needs of students and families. The updated schedules are posted on the school bus schedule webpage before the first day of school. Please use the closest school bus stop to your home address from the current routes. Using alternative bus stops Families should initially register their child for the bus between their home and school. For families who wish to request that their child ride the school bus to a location other than their home stop, they should submit their request to the Student Transportation Officer at [email protected] . These requests are considered at the start of each school year based on: Available space on the bus; and Existing bus routes. Student transportation health and safety guidelines To ensure the health and safety of students during the COVID-19 pandemic, detailed health and safety guidelines for student transportation for the 2020-21 school year are being developed with Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. More information will be shared as it becomes available. |
16 Duke Road
Whitehorse, YT Y1A 4M2 Fax: (867) 393-6370 Upcoming Dates
My child is feeling ill or has symptoms. Can my child go to school?
Click here for more information. Online services:
Follow our Instagram @stfrancisyukon
for news and fun stuff. SFA Cafeteria
|