Principal’s Update – April 25, 2025
ALLELUIA!
With Lent now behind us, we enter the Easter season with hearts renewed by the promise of hope, joy, and new life. This week at school, our focus has shifted from the quiet reflection of Lent to the celebration of the Resurrection. Students have been learning about the Road to Emmaus—the powerful story of two disciples who, while walking and grieving, are joined by the risen Jesus. Though they do not recognize Him at first, their hearts are stirred by His words, and they finally recognize Him in the breaking of the bread. This story reminds us that Jesus walks with us in our everyday lives, often when we least expect it.
Alongside our Easter celebrations, we have also taken time each morning to honour the life of Pope Francis, whose recent passing has deeply touched the global Church. As a sign of respect and mourning, the flag at our school is flying at half-mast. Each day, we have shared prayers and reflections on Pope Francis’s life—his humility, compassion, and unwavering call to care for the poor and the Earth. Many believe his greatest legacy will be his commitment to building a Church of mercy—one that welcomes and embraces all.
As we continue through the Easter season, may we carry forward both the joy of the Resurrection and the example of Pope Francis in how we live out our faith with kindness, courage, and hope.
May the joy of the Risen Christ fill your hearts this Easter season.
May we continue to walk in faith, just as the disciples did on the road to Emmaus—open to God’s presence in our lives.
May we live with the humility, compassion, and hope that Pope Francis so beautifully exemplified.
And may our school community be a place of peace, kindness, and renewed purpose in the light of the Resurrection.
Wishing you and your family continued blessings throughout this sacred season.
“He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice,
and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
— Micah 6:8
This verse speaks to the kind of life Pope Francis modeled—one rooted in humility, justice, and mercy—and it connects with the message of Easter: that Christ walks with us, calling us to live out our faith in everyday ways.
TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK …
- Easter Monday
- Blue and Green Colour Day & Take Pride Winnipeg Assembly in celebration of Earth Day
- Enrichment
- Musical Practices at lunch
- Badminton Practices
- Wednesday Subway/Hot Dog Fundraising Lunch
- Musical Practice (Saturday)
LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK …
- Advisory Groups
- Badminton Tournament April 29th to May 1st
- Wednesday Pizza Fundraising Lunch
- Musical Practices at lunch
- Band & Instrument Picture Day Wednesday, April 30th for Grades 6 to 8 students
- 230 pm Early Dismissal Thursday, May 1st
- Uniform Fitting Days Thursday, May 1st and Friday, May 2nd 11 am to 6 pm
- Musical Practice (Saturday)
LOOK WHAT’S COMING UP …
- School Musical “Dot & the Kangaroo Jr.” at the WAG Monday, May 5th
- Enrichment
- Grade 8 Farewell Fundraiser May 6-9th
- Badminton Tournament May 6th to May 8th
- PML Lunch Hour Recital Wednesday, May 7th
- Wednesday Subway/Hot Dog Fundraising Lunch
- HCA Popcorn Day Friday, May 9th
- Kinder Mother’s Day Tea Friday, May 9th
More detailed information can be found on the school website, in the calendar section under Parent Zone!
BASC
A few updates and reminders for BASC:
- Updates & Reminders
- BLINE is on Monday
- BLINE Testing takes place Wednesday, 4:30–5:10 PM in the gym
- Tennis starts Thursday
- May & June Programs are nearly full! K–2 Baking, K–3 Tennis, and Gr. 1–3 Golf are now full
- Thursday is Early Dismissal – Please submit the required form and fee if your child will attend BASC
- Wednesday is the start of a new month – Don’t forget to submit your monthly BASC forms
- Monday, May 5 – No milk or hot lunch service available
- Thursday, June 6 – BASC Full Day Field Trip – Please register!
📞 Last-minute BASC? If you need BASC or need to cancel on the same day, please text me directly at 204-880-8245. I provide the attendance list to teachers daily, so there’s no need to contact the office.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
Ms. Furutani
SUMMER CAMP applications are due April 30th! Some weeks are already full. If interested or have any questions, please contact Ms. Furutani. 📧 kfurutani@stccs.ca📞 204-880-8245
IMPORTANT PARKING INFORMATION
Thank you to everyone in our community for following parking protocols and signage to help keep our students safe!
- Volunteers Needed! We are always looking for extra hands to support this initiative. As a thank you, FREE BASC (Before and After School Care) is offered to our volunteers.
- Sign up for Loading Zone Patrol (Monday – Friday) on ParentZone!.
PRIVATE MUSIC LESSON (PML)
PML is now open for the 2025–2026 school year! This year, registration and payment will be handled conveniently through Permission Click.
Lessons are offered during the school day on a variety of instruments, and students will be accepted until program capacity is reached. Once accepted, an invoice will be issued for payment.
Important:
- Continuing students are guaranteed their spot if registered by May 12th.
- New students are encouraged to register early, as spaces fill quickly.
If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Gingrich, PML Coordinator at mgingrich@stccs.ca.
Here is the link to sign up: Permission Click
LENTEN WALKING WITH JESUS CHALLENGE – WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Thank you to all students and staff who participated in this year’s Lenten Walking with Jesus Challenge! It was truly inspiring to see our school community come together in prayer, reflection, and action throughout the Lenten season. Each of these students received a prize in celebration of their efforts!
Congratulations to the following students for their outstanding participation and spirit:
Kindergarten: Imissi, Madeline, Everly, Milo
Grade 1-2s: Bronson, Veronica, Liam
Grade 3-5s: Trevina, Zoe, Anu, Janice, Ashlyn, Sarah, Rose, Brooklyn E.,
UNIFORM FITTING DAYS – May 1st and 2nd
Uniform fittings will take place at the school on May 1st and 2nd. Our uniform provider, Envision, will be on-site to assist with fittings, take orders, and answer any questions you may have.
Please use the link below to book your appointment:
BOOK YOUR UNIFORM FITTING Thursday, May 1 or Friday, May 2, 2025 11 AM – 6 PM
Additional information about our uniform policy—including some exciting new additions for the 2025–2026 school year—will be shared with families next week.
We are also looking for volunteers to help out during the fitting days. If you’re available, please sign up here:
VOLUNTEER TO ASSIST WITH UNIFORM FITTING DAYS Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2, 2025
Thank you for your support!
SCCS GOLF TOURNAMENT
Save the Date! This year’s Golf Tournament is Thursday, May 22, 2025 @ Breezy Bend Golf Course, please mark it in your calendars! We need help from the entire St Charles community to make this a success.
Golfer Registration Form: GolferREGISTRATION2025PDF Document · 197 KB
Sponsorship Form: SCCSSponsorshipPACKAGE-2025PDF Document · 193 KB
WE NEED YOUR INPUT!
As we begin planning our fundraising efforts for next year, we’re asking all parents to complete our Fundraising Survey. Your feedback is incredibly important—it helps us understand what works, what doesn’t, and where we can improve.
Please take a few minutes to share your insights and help shape the future of fundraising at our school. Here is the link:
ST. CHARLES CATHOLIC SCHOOL FUNDRAISING SURVEY
SCHOOL MUSICAL AT THE WAG
St. Charles Catholic School is performing Dot & the Kangaroo Jr. at the Winnipeg Art Gallery on May 5th with a matinee and evening show.
Tickets are available in the school front office or please contact Ms. Furutani.
There are also three gift baskets to win, and tickets can be purchased in the front office and on May 5th.
Thank you for your support!
Help Needed: Prop Transport to the WAG
We need your support in moving props and set pieces from the school to the Winnipeg Art Gallery.We’re looking for one or two trucks to assist with transporting items on Sunday, May 4th around noon. The actual move to the WAG will take place on Monday, May 5th, 2025.
If you’re available and able to help, we’d greatly appreciate it!
BAND PHOTOS – April 30th at 9:00AM
Lifetouch will be at the school on Tuesday, April 30th starting at 9:00 AM to take individual and class photos of all students in Grades 6–8 who are part of the band program.
These photos will serve as a keepsake of the students’ participation in the music program. They also provide families with a special way to commemorate their child’s involvement in band.
All students will receive a photo package with details on how to place an order.
SPRING CONCERT
K–8 Spring Concert
Thursday, May 29 at 6:30 p.m.
St. Paul’s High School Multiplex 2200 Grant AveStudents should arrive at 6:00 p.m. in colour clothes and are encouraged to wear their “Sunday Best.”
Grade 6–8 Spring Band Concert
Thursday, June 12 at 6:30 p.m.
St. Charles Catholic Parish 320 St. Charles StreetStudents should arrive at 6:00 p.m. in their best school uniforms, with their instruments and music. Percussion instruments will be transported to the church for students.
GRADE 8 FAREWELL FUNDRAISER
Get ready for a sweet challenge coming your way—all to support the Grade 8 Farewell!
Can you guess how many marshmallows are in the jar? Soon, you’ll have the chance to enter your guess in our “Smores Than Meets the Eye” fundraiser!
The rules are simple:
- Guess the number of marshmallows in the jar.
- The closest guess without going over wins a fun prize!
Every guess helps support our Grade 8 students as they prepare for their special farewell celebration. Stay tuned for more details—it’s going to be s’more fun than you think!
SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL BAND – Donate an Instrument!
Do you have a band instrument sitting in storage, unused and collecting dust? Put it to good use by donating it to our school! Our music program is always in need of instruments to ensure every student has the opportunity to learn and play.
If you have an instrument to donate, please bring it to the school office or contact Mrs. Gregorchuk. Thank you for your support!
BURSARY APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE
Bursary applications for the 2025-2026 school year are now available on Parent Zone under Forms & Documents. If you require a printed copy, please call the school directly.
The deadline for submission is May 16th at 4:00 PM. Applications should be placed in a sealed envelope addressed to Mrs. Prettie and submitted to the school office. All applications will remain confidential and will be reviewed by the bursary committee.
If you have any questions about the bursary process, please feel free to contact me directly.
WORLD’S FINEST CHOCOLATE – FUNDRAISER
We have some chocolates left and are offering them at 50% off!
- Almond cases – $50 each
- Variety cases – $45 each
Plus, when you purchase a case, you’ll receive 1 VIP hour!
To get your cases, please visit the office – payment is required at pick-up.
Thank you for your support!
IMPORTANT REMINDER ABOUT SCHOOL ENTRY PROCEDURES
At St. Charles, our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students and staff. To help us maintain a secure and calm environment, we kindly ask all parents and visitors to follow these important guidelines:
- All visitors must enter through the main front doors.
- Please check in at the front office—even if you’re just dropping something off or need to grab something from your child’s cubby or locker.
- Parents should not be going upstairs, down the classroom hallways, or into the kindergarten area for drop-off, pick-up, or to help their child with something. These areas are for students and staff only during school hours.
- All student drop-offs and pick-ups must be done outside. Parents waiting in the hallways is disruptive and causes confusion for both reception and staff.
We recognize that most parents are doing their best to follow these expectations, and we sincerely thank you. However, there have been ongoing challenges with some individuals entering areas of the school without checking in or using alternate entry points. Even if the intentions are good, this puts added pressure on our staff and compromises the careful safety procedures we have in place.
We are asking for your support and cooperation to help reinforce these expectations. It takes a collective effort to keep our school safe, respectful, and focused on learning. Thank you for helping us protect the integrity of our learning environment and maintain the safety and security of our community.
HOCKEY ENRICHMENT SKILLS PROGRAM – PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR
We’re excited to begin planning next year’s Hockey Enrichment Skills Program for students in Grades 6–8!
To help us gauge interest, all current Grade 5–7 students have received a Permission Click survey.
This is just a survey at this stage—not a registration form.
We’d really appreciate it if you could take a few seconds to complete the survey. Knowing our numbers early helps us with planning and logistics.
Thanks for your support!
Click the link based on the class your child is in currently.
Grade 5: https://permission.click/QP2Wl/ca
Grade 6M: https://permission.click/n8yLv/ca
Grade 6C: https://permission.click/Xj2wb/ca
Grade 7: https://permission.click/2xeWX/ca
TURF CAMPAIGN – FROM THE GROUND UP – HELP BUILD OUR PLAYGROUND
Here is an amazing message I received from one of our fabulous staff members…. “It is Friday! The sun is shining, the music is blaring, the kids are running all around the GREENEST field ever and the vibes are so positive! Thank you for all the upgrades this year.”
Yes, we play music for the kids at recess…and we take requests…we love seeing them so happy and dancing😊
We are asking for your help! So far we have raised $83,095. You can track our progress on the school website.
| GENEROUS DONORS SUPPORTING OUR TURF CAMPAIGN |
| The Perry-Parker Family |
| The Kinsmen Club of Winnipeg |
| Thank you! |
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Aneta Prettie PRINCIPAL
St. Charles Catholic School
Phone: 204-837-1520 ext. 222
Link to .pdf version of Principal’s Update.
