Principal’s Update – May 9, 2025
CELEBRATING NEW BEGINNINGS AND GRATITUDE
As we continue to celebrate the Easter season, we are reminded of the joy and hope that the Resurrection brings. This season is one of renewal, and we are grateful for the renewed energy and purpose it has brought to our school community. Along with this, we reflect on the passing of Pope Francis and the beginning of a new chapter with our new Pope Leo XIV. Let us continue to pray for him and embrace the lessons of faith, compassion, and leadership that Pope Francis imparted to us.
With Mother’s Day weekend approaching, students have been working on special gifts to honor their mothers and mother figures in their lives. These heartfelt creations are a reminder of the love and care shared in our families, and I encourage you to hold onto these precious tokens as they are filled with the creativity and love of our students.
A big thank you to all who have supported the Grade 8’s fundraiser. Your contributions make a significant impact, and we are grateful for the continued support from our community.
Next week, I am away for a 2-Day workshop so there will not be an update on Friday.
“A mother’s love is a reflection of God’s love, enduring, patient, and kind.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK …
- School Musical “Dot & the Kangaroo Jr.” at the WAG
- Enrichment
- Smores than Meets the Eye Fundraiser Contest
- Badminton Tournament
- Wednesday Subway/Hot Dog Fundraising Lunch
- Musical Cast Lunch Party
- HCA Popcorn Day
- Kinder Mother’s Day Tea
LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK …
- School Mass Tuesday, May 13th 1030 am ALL ARE WELCOME!
- Wednesday Pizza Fundraising Lunch
- Grade 1 & 2 Star Dome Presentation Wednesday, May 14th
- Grade 5 & 6 Camp Manitou May 14th to 16th
LOOK WHAT’S COMING UP …
- Victoria Day Monday, May 19th – NO SCHOOL, NO BASC
- Advisory
- Rooftop Photo Retake May 21st
- Wednesday Subway/Hot Dog Fundraising Lunch
- Golf Tournament at Breezy Bend May 22nd
- Grades 4-8 Track Meet at John Taylor Collegiate May 26th
More detailed information can be found on the school website, in the calendar section under Parent Zone!
BASC
Updates & Reminders
- Golf is on Tuesday
- Tennis is on Thursday
Thursday, June 6 – BASC Full Day Field Trip – Please register by May 22nd to attend.
Please submit your form & payment if your child has attended BASC. Please do not wait for me to send reminders.
📞 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
PARKING INFORMATION
Thank you to everyone in our community for following parking protocols and signage to help keep our students safe! Reminder: DO NOT PARK in the Retreat Centre parking lot. This is private property.
- 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!.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SCCS STUDENTS!
We joyfully congratulate all the St. Charles Catholic School students who have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation this school year.
May God continue to bless you as you grow in faith, hope, and love. Your journey with Christ is a beautiful witness to our school community!
SCHOOL LUNCH
We need your help! Please sign up as soon as possible to fill the Fundraising Lunch volunteer spots for Wednesday. Your time and support make all the difference!
Sign up here: HELP WITH WEDNESDAY FUNDRAISING LUNCHES
Thank you in advance!
GRADE 3 COUNTRY PROJECTS
🌍 Our Grade 3 students have been working hard researching and creating beautiful poster boards to showcase countries from around the world! Each student chose a country to explore and proudly shared their learning through visuals and key facts.
On Friday, classes from around the school visited the display and had the chance to learn something new. It was wonderful to see our Grade 3 students using their speaking and presentation skills with confidence and pride.
Well done, Grade 3—we’re so proud of your efforts and the global spirit you brought to our school!
SCCS GOLF TOURNAMENT
This year’s Golf Tournament is Thursday, May 22, 2025 @ Breezy Bend Golf Course, please mark it in your calendars!
Golfer Registration Form: GolferREGISTRATION2025PDF Document · 197 KB
Sponsorship Form: SCCSSponsorshipPACKAGE-2025PDF Document · 193 KB
Our annual Golf Tournament is just around the corner, and we need the support of our amazing school community to make it a success! Here’s how you can get involved:
Volunteers:
We’re looking for volunteers to help out on the day of the tournament. It’s a great way to complete any remaining volunteer hours!
Prizes:
We’re in need of items for our silent auction and wine raffle. Gift cards, bottles of wine, or themed basket items are all appreciated. Every $25 spent counts as one volunteer hour! Need ideas? Email Andrea at andreasiwak@shaw.ca
Golfers:
We still need more teams to register! Don’t worry if you don’t have a full team — we can help pair you up. Without golfers, the tournament can’t happen, so please consider joining us for a fun day on the course.
Sponsorships:
Sponsor a hole and support our school! Tax receipts are available for most sponsorships.
For all inquiries or to get involved, please contact Andrea Siwak at andreasiwak@shaw.ca
LET’S MAKE THIS EVENT A HOLE-IN-ONE!
SCHOOL MUSICAL
A Heartfelt Thank You from the Musical Team
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who helped make this year’s musical a success!
To all the parents—thank you for your continued support.
To Mr. Peterson, thank you for generously providing your truck to help transport sets and props to the WAG.
And to the Hicks family—thank you for returning all the sets and props back to the school.
We are so grateful for the time, effort, and care each of you contributed.
– The Musical Team
POPCORN SALE SUCCESS!
We’re happy to share that our popcorn sale raised $160 for the Holy Childhood Association!
Thank you to everyone who supported this fundraiser, and a special thank you to Ms. Furutani for making and bagging all the popcorn. Your generosity makes a difference!
SPRING CONCERTS
K-8 SPRING CONCERT
Thursday, May 29 at 6:30 p.m.
St. Paul’s High School Multiplex 2200 Grant Ave
Students 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 Street
Students 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.
SMORES THAN MEETS THE EYE – GRADE 8 FAREWELL FUNDRAISER
Thank you everyone for supporting the Grade 8 Farewell!
Winners will be announced on Monday … and prizes distributed. Get ready for a sugar rush!
A special thank you to the Grade 8 parent reps for organizing the contest – we really enjoyed it!
BOD – BOARD OF DIRECTORS CALL OUT FOR PARENT BOARD MEMBERS
The Management Board of Directors of St. Charles Catholic School is seeking letters of interest for three “Parent Board Member” appointments. This position carries a two-year term, beginning July 1st, 2025. The Parent Board Member actively participates in Board decision-making and takes on a portfolio or leads a committee, depending on school and Board needs. Currently, expertise in accounting/business, fundraising/marketing, policy development/secretary, and facilities maintenance is particularly valuable. If you have skills in these or other areas, we encourage you to apply. For more information, or to apply please contact Trish Farkas @ boardchair@stccs.ca
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.
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
KINDERGARTEN MOTHER’S DAY TEA
Our Kindergarten students hosted a lovely Mother’s Day Tea to celebrate their moms! The children sang two sweet songs, enjoyed tea and cookies with their mothers, and had a special time opening handmade presents
together. The celebration wrapped up with some cozy story time—a beautiful way to honour the special women in their lives.
A heartfelt thank you to our amazing Kindergarten teachers for making this event so memorable!
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Earlier this week, I sent home important information regarding the current measles situation from the Manitoba Chief Provincial Public Health Officer. Please check your email for the full details, and don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly if you have any questions or concerns.
This morning, due to poor air quality caused by nearby wildfires, we made the decision to keep students indoors for the 10:00 AM recess to ensure their health and safety.
We continue to keep the affected communities and all those working tirelessly to support them in our thoughts and prayers.
BADMINTON TOURNAMENT RESULTS!
We are proud to announce that St. Charles Catholic School was very successful in the Manitoba Catholic Schools Athletic Association Badminton Tournament!
Our Grade 6 Girls team and our Grade 6 Boys team both won their tournaments—an incredible accomplishment! We now have two new banners to add to our gym. Congratulations to all our players and staff coaches for their hard work, dedication, and team spirit!
Way to go, CHARGERS! 💙💛
Grade 6 Girls Doubles – Congratulations to Marcella and Margaret who won 1st place.
Grade 6 Boys Doubles – Congratulations to Lincoln and Parker who won 1st place.
Grade 6 Mixed Doubles – Congratulations to Willie and Adeleigh who who 1st place. Congratulations to Dylan and Esmée who won 2nd place.
PAC – FINAL PAC MEETING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR
PAC would like to invite all parents/guardians to our Final PAC Meeting of this school year on Wednesday May 28th at 6t:30 PM in the cafeteria.
We will be wrapping up this school year as well as preparing for next year as we will be electing the new PAC Executive Committee for 2025- 2026 school year. If you would be interested in learning more about the Executive positions or would be interested in putting your name forward for a position on the Executive Committee (PAC Chair, Vice Chair or Secretary) please reach out to Nikki Robert via stccspac@stccs.ca.
TURF CAMPAIGN – FROM THE GROUND UP – HELP BUILD OUR PLAYGROUND
We are asking for your help! So far we have raised $83,095. You can track our progress on the school website.
Have a great Mother’s Day weekend!
Sincerely,
Aneta Prettie PRINCIPAL
St. Charles Catholic School
Phone: 204-837-1520 ext. 222
Link to .pdf version of Principal’s Update.