Dear Vanier Students and Families:
Today was a new experience for all our staff as we met virtually through a Microsoft Teams meeting! Lots of good ideas are already emerging that will result in an effective and engaging educational program to start on April 15. We also held our first daily prayer over Instagram Live at 12 noon today – this will continue every weekday and we invite all our students and families to join us. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we continue to make preparations. Here are some other things that will be happening this week:
I know the biggest question on most students’ minds is, “What am I going to do until April 15!?” Here are some suggestions:
I know many of you, especially Grade 12 students, will be anxious to get going on new learning. Again, please be patient and don’t email your teachers asking for work – they’re working on preparing it for you now. Teachers will be in touch soon to outline what will be happening in their classes. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or concerns. Thanks, Ryan Sikkes, principal and Jeanette Gallant, vice-principal Dear Vanier Students, Parents, and Guardians:
We mentioned in an earlier email that we would provide an update on or before today about the resumption of instruction. Nothing has changed since our email from Monday, March 23 that included an attached letter and FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) from the Department of Education. In that letter, it stated: Classes at all Yukon schools are suspended as of March 18, 2020 until April 15, 2020, due to recommendations from Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. During this time, students are not expected to attend school or learn from home. School staff will be working with their principal and staff from the Department of Education to assess potential impacts to school programs and to plan for measures needed to ensure continued learning for students. This includes:
Again, we want to ensure all our school community stays well informed and connected, so please:
Sincerely, Ryan Sikkes, principal and Jeanette Gallant, vice-principal Monday, March 23, 2020 Dear students, parents, and guardians; Things are changing every day with regard to our government’s and our school’s response to the COVID-19 situation. We pray for strength and guidance as we accompany each other during these uncertain times. Please find, linked below, two documents from Yukon Education that may answer many of your questions or concerns. If you have questions or concerns that are not addressed by these documents, please reply to this email with them and we’ll try and get you a response as soon as possible. Next Monday, March 30, our staff will begin working on a response to make sure our students continue learning. We will try and do this as fast as possible. We will need some time to develop and implement this response and we will keep you well informed of when students can expect to engage with their teachers and resume their courses. We thank you for your patience and understanding while we do this work. We are most concerned with the risk of losing our strong sense of community during the next weeks and months if the suspension of classes continues beyond April 15. We are hoping to use some technological methods to remain connected to our students, parents, and guardians. To that end, we hope that you can do the following:
With the worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus, we are confronted once more with the fragility of our lives, and again we are reminded of our common humanity; that the peoples of this world are our brothers and sisters, that we are all one family under God. God does not abandon us, he goes with us even now in this time of trial and testing. In this moment, it is important for us to anchor our hearts in the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. Now is the time to intensify our prayers and sacrifices for the love of God and the love of our neighbor. Let us draw closer to one another in our love for him, and rediscover the things that truly matter in our lives. Let us pray in solidarity for our brothers and sisters here and around the world who are sick. Let us pray for those who have lost loved ones to this virus. May God console them and grant them peace. We pray also for doctors, nurses, and caregivers, for public health officials and all civic leaders. May God grant them courage and prudence as they seek to respond to this emergency with compassion and in service to the common good. For those already afflicted, we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance. Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful, wipe away their tears and help them to trust. In this time of trial and testing, teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind. Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts. We come to you with confidence, knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother, health of the sick and cause of our joy. Shelter us under the mantle of your protection, keep us in the embrace of your arms, help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen. As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions as we move forward together during these uncertain times, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your continued support and prayers for our school community. Sincerely, Ryan Sikkes, principal and Jeanette Gallant, vice-principal ![]()
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Hello everyone: For the latest news from Government of Yukon on the Covid-19 situation, please visit their Covid-19 website. Classes at Yukon's public schools are suspended until April 15. Educational programming that will involve students working from home will continue after spring break ends on March 27 and arrangements, in particular, for grade 12 students will be put into place to ensure graduation. More information will follow on what Vanier students can expect after the end of spring break will be posted on this website on or before March 27. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us directly at vcss@gov,yk.ca or by calling the school at 867-667-5901. Sincerely, Ryan Sikkes, principal and Jeanette Gallant, vice-principal ![]()
March 9th, 2020
Dear Vanier families and friends, We are sad that our school will not be hosting two sporting events, accommodations, and food services for athletes next week during the now-cancelled Arctic Winter Games. We very much understand how difficult it was to make this decision out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of all the participants and volunteers. We recognize how many hours of training and planning went into this event and wish to remain focused on the commitment of the athletes, coaches, and volunteers. We hope that these efforts will pay off in other ways even though it will be disappointing to miss the games experience. As we head into spring break at the end of this week, we will be encouraging students to clean out their lockers before the end of Friday. Gym strip, especially, should be taken home to be laundered. This will be the last email until school resumes on March 30 – enjoy the break! Sincerely, Ryan Sikkes, principal and Jeanette Gallant, vice-principal Upcoming Important Dates
Smart phones can be wonderful tools for communications and for learning. We do, however, have some concerns with some of the choices that our students are making with their phones and wish to encourage parents/guardians to discuss smart phone use.
If you have any questions or concerns or wish some support in engaging with your child on this issue, please feel free to contact the administration or a counsellor for advice. Food for Learning The Yukon Food for Learning Association (YFFLA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the nutritional needs of school students in the Yukon. Their vision is a Yukon where every student has access to nutritious healthy food while at school. Here at Vanier we have been using our funding from the YFFLA to ensure we always have healthy food on hand that is accessible to all students. Students are encouraged to stop by the office where they can be directed to supplies to make healthy sandwiches, paired with fruit and granola bars, if they are hungry or have no food. Class of 2020 Fundraisers The Graduation class of 2020 is currently accepting donations towards their Raven Recyling fundraiser. When returning recyclables to Raven Recycling, just quote “Vanier Grad Class of 2020”, they will then put the refund towards the grad account. They provide refunds on all ready to drink beverage containers sold in Yukon. This includes all beer, wine, liquor, pop, juice and milk containers. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated. On Saturday, April 18, The Leesiders (Whitehorse’s premiere Celtic dance band) will be playing a down east kitchen party at the Coast High Country Inn as a Class of 2020 fundraiser! Tickets will be on sale starting March 30 at the school - $25 each. No minors; 19 years and older only. Service Learning Hours If your child received an “I” on their report card for Religion and had a comment saying they need to get their Service Learning Hours completed, please encourage them to see Mr. Gillard regarding this matter. They may also have hours not completed in previous years that is affecting credits on their transcripts. Please keep in mind, if a student did not complete hours in one year, they do carry over to the next. Please visit the website for more details: https://www.vcssreligion.com/service-learning March 2nd, 2020
Dear Vanier families and friends, Since the news broke last week regarding the credible allegations made against Jean Vanier, we have entered into many conversations about what this means for us as a school. Jean Vanier was the founder of L’Arche and a member of the family after whom our school was named. We previously held him in high regard and now know that this trust was unwarranted. We have removed pictures of Jean Vanier from our walls and staff have engaged students in conversations about the significance of these reports. The most common question we have heard is: “Will we change our school name?” Our honest, but perhaps unsatisfying, answer this week remains the same as it was last week: “We don’t know, yet.” However, our School Council will be undertaking a consultation process in the coming weeks to hear from all those both within and outside our school community regarding the issue of whether to keep or change the school’s name. This process will include seeking input from staff, students, parents, the diocese and the broader community, including local First Nations, before a decision is made. Information about this process, including ways for you to express your thoughts and opinions, will be shared by way of these emails from the school. In the meantime, we would like to reiterate that, as a school community, we stand in support of the women who came forward to report their abuse. We also stand with the thousands of residents, volunteers, and staff of L’Arche communities who continue to struggle with this news. Further, in no way will this process be an attempt to minimize these allegations. We strongly condemn any actions that violate the emotional and physical well-being of others. We would also like to echo our message from last week that news like this is never easy to hear and, for some students and families especially, hearing about abuse may cause feelings of anxiety, fear, sadness, or anger to name just a few. If your child is feeling this way, please encourage them to reach out to an adult they trust to listen and help. In particular, Ms. Brogdon and Ms. Ouellette will welcome any student who seeks support. If you have any questions, concerns, comments, or feedback about this matter, please feel free to bring them our attention and/or our school council Chair, Cynthia Lyslo, at [ mailto:[email protected] ][email protected] Sincerely, Ryan Sikkes, principal and Jeanette Gallant, vice-principal Upcoming Important Dates • March 2-6 – This week!! Informal Reporting Window. Parents/Guardians should expect progress reports emailed or telephone calls. • Wednesday, March 4 – PLC (Early Dismissal) • Friday, March 13 – Locker Clean out. VCSS will be home to many athletes during the Arctic Winter games over Spring break. Keeping this in mind, we will be facilitating a locker clean up this Friday to ensure we are as prepared as possible for homing so many people during the AWG. • March 15 – 21 –The Whitehorse 2020 Arctic Winter Games, officially known with the slogan “Bring it North”, is a multi-sport event which will take place in Whitehorse! Vanier will be hosting Arctic Sports, Gymnastics, Accommodations, and Food Services. The Arctic Winter Games is the world’s largest multisport and cultural event for young people of the Arctic. Best of luck to all participants! • March 16 - 27 – Spring Break – Have a relaxing couple of weeks. • April 3-4 – THINKfast – THINKfast is an interactive learning experience designed for youth. Students can choose from a collection of activities and reflections that will help them and their group experience the challenges of poverty and injustice in concrete ways. By participating in this 25-hour educational and fundraising fast you stand in solidarity with those in the Global South who need our support, both through financial support to projects they are leading and through a greater understanding of the structures that perpetuate poverty and injustice. In one day, you take a stand against oppression and directly support programs in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East that bring about peace, justice, and development. Registration forms will be distributed after spring break. Food for Learning The Yukon Food for Learning Association (YFFLA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the nutritional needs of school students in the Yukon. Their vision is a Yukon where every student has access to nutritious healthy food while at school. Here at Vanier we have been using our funding from the YFFLA to ensure we always have healthy food on hand that is accessible to all students. Students are encouraged to stop by the office where they can be directed to supplies to make healthy sandwiches, paired with fruit and granola bars, if they are hungry or have no food. Grad of 2020 Fundraiser The Graduation class of 2020 is currently accepting donations towards their Raven Recyling fundraiser. When returning recyclables to Raven Recycling, just quote “Vanier Grad Class of 2020”, they will then put the refund towards the grad account. They provide refunds on all ready to drink beverage containers sold in Yukon. This includes all beer, wine, liquor, pop, juice and milk containers. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated. Wood Street Centre – 2020-2021 Program Application Dates • Deadline for 2020 - 2021 Program Applications (except ES 11) into Wood Street Centre - Friday, March 6, 2020. • ES11 Overnight Event - Friday, March 6, 2020 and Saturday morning, March 7, 2020. Please see woodstreetcentre.ca for all 2020-2021 Application Packages. Service Learning Hours If your child received an “I” on their report card for Religion and had a comment saying they need to get their Service Learning Hours completed, please encourage them to see Mr. Gillard regarding this matter. They may also have hours not completed in previous years that is affecting credits on their transcripts. Please keep in mind, if a student did not complete hours in one year, they do carry over to the next. Please visit the website for more details: https://www.vcssreligion.com/service-learning ![]() CBC North is looking for their first-ever Junior Reporter to help cover the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse in March. The goal is to deliver on-the-ground stories that the teen athletes would be interested in, as told by one of their peers. The student will report on sports and social aspects of the games, on television, through written online reports, and social media. No prior experience is necessary, and this is a paid opportunity. Community students are welcome to apply, as long as they have accommodation, transportation to and from the job site, and an adult support during the games. If you know of a self-directed and creative student who is 12-16 years old; loves social media and sports; has an interest in journalism, media and writing; and is not competing in the Arctic Winter Games, please pass along this opportunity to them today. The application process is simple: submit a short video about why you should be the Junior Reporter to [email protected]. |
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