Giving & Support – St. James Vernon

Why Give?

So why do our local Catholic Schools need your help?

While it is true that our local Catholic Schools receive a portion of their funding from the provincial government’s education grants, it is only 50% of the per pupil operating cost of our local public school district.

Parents and families of students usually bear the largest portion of the costs associated as they pay fees per student registered in our schools. Our local parishes also contribute funds annually in support of their mandate to provide and ensure a Catholic Education is available for all Catholic families. Capital improvement projects, facilities, etc. are not funded by government in any way and as such must come out of our operating budget entirely. This is true for all BC Catholic schools.

The goal of our Catholic Schools is to provide a focused and appropriate education that is reflected and obtained through Catholic principles and teaching, while striving to prepare the whole person for a successful life here on earth and for their eternal soul in heaven. Your gift is one small way that you can help in our common pursuit of this goal for each of our local families.

Making a Gift

STRAIGHT DONATION

Any individual or business is able to make a cash donation directly to our school. This allows our school council to allocate your gift where it is deemed to be needed the most.

TARGETED DONATION

Any individual or business may direct which specific initiative or project they would like to direct their donation towards. For example a gift could be earmarked as directed towards technological upgrades to the school, new sports equipment or even towards a building fund dedicated to the construction of a new Elementary School. If you wish to target your gift in this manner please contact a member of the school council or the administration and see what projects or initiatives are currently in need.

GIFT DONATION

Offerings of land, large or precious assets or other similar items are also accepted by our Catholic Schools.

TAX RECEIPTS

**Be sure to ask if your donation is eligible for a tax receipt!**

October 6 2023

Friday we honored Canadian Hero Terry Fox by participating in our annual Terry Fox Run for the Cure. Every family has been touched by cancer and we are hopeful that a cure will be found in our lifetime. We thank all those families who raised funds for this very important cause.

HALL OF SAINTS IN SAINT JAMES SCHOOL

This past week we have celebrated two of the saints that are on display in the entry of our school. Saint Teresaof Liseux whose feast day was October 1 and Saint Mother Teresa whose feast day was September 5.

SHORT BIO OF SAINT MOTHER TERESA

Mother Teresa (1910-1997) was a Roman Catholic nun who devoted her life to serving the poor and destitute around the world. She spent many years in the slums of Calcutta, India where she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation devoted to helping those in great need. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and became a symbol of charitable, selfless work. She was canonized in 2016. Some favorite quotes by Saint Mother Teresa:

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”

“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”

September 29 2023

On Wednesday we recognized National Truth and Reconciliation Day. We wore orange shirts to honor the survivors of residential schools. Thanks to Ms. Witteman for taking on the role of Indigenous Education coordinator and providing us with some high quality lessons to share with our students and families. School families are also invited to a special Truth and Reconciliation Mass on Saturday September 30 at 11am at St. Benedict’s Church.

Volleyball season officially got underway for the girls this week (boys had a BYE) and you might notice our St. James Knights are looking extra flashy in their new jerseys! We have to thank Darris Routley for designing these stunning jerseys. Now both the girls and boys teams are properly equipped for years to come!

We also want to thank Ashley Irving for designing new apparel for the staff! We will enjoy representing our school at the staff retreat in our new sweaters!

September 15 2023

We are so blessed to still be enjoying such beautiful and balmy September weather. We gathered as a school community on Wednesday and celebrated our first school Mass. Even our 24 brand new kindergarten students were in attendance! We had a great turnout at Meet the Teacher night and we must thank our parents for participating.

Next Tuesday September 19, St. James School celebrates 67 years in operation! We will celebrate our anniversary with school picture day! Ordering information will be sent home shortly.

We are celebrating NATIONAL CEA day! Thank you to Mrs. Trepanier, Mrs. Romanovitch, Miss Anderson, Mrs. Allen, Mrs. White, Ms. Sircelj, Ms. Catlin and Mrs. Chipchase for everything you do for the students of SJS!