— February 2019 —
Pictured: Prospective parents learning about STMC's Football program during Open House on January 15, 2019
Message from the President
Over the last few years, the importance of the need for faith-based institutions – particularly schools – has become more and more apparent. There is a perception in secular society that faith-based institutions have a narrow worldview which is unable to see beyond the precepts of that particular faith. On the contrary, it is in having a deep understanding of one’s faith and strong commitment to it that one is able to recognize and respect the beliefs of others. It is just such a place where true dialogue happens.
 
With great sadness we learned of Mrs. Balouchi’s passing. We were blessed to have Mrs. Balouchi at STMC as a teacher since 2012 and for more years as a tutor. Mrs. Balouchi had a very strong commitment to her faith. She wasn’t Catholic; she wasn’t Christian. Yet, it was in the faith community of STMC, Mrs. Balouchi found a home; a place of welcome. Prior to her illness, Mrs. Balouchi made every effort to be actively involved in STMC. Even though she only taught one course, she would be here on her days off if there was an important event happening. She faithfully attended the school Masses and learned about the different aspects of the Catholic faith. She was also very open in sharing her own faith - looking for areas of agreement and understanding the differences. With this openness, she forged many close relationships.
 
In the many emails and updates we received from Mrs. Balouchi and her family throughout her illness, they always remarked how much they appreciated the prayers she knew were being said for her by the students, staff and families. In fact, Mrs. Balouchi would often reach out to Mr. Steele and ask for special prayers.
 
On the last visit with Mrs. Balouchi, she asked us to pray with her and for her. She welcomed the relics and holy oils that Mrs. Silveira brought. Together with her husband and daughter, we prayed for her healing. She spoke about her love of the STMC choir and was sad when she wasn’t strong enough to attend Music Knight in December. She spoke about her passing and of her wishes and belief. While sad, it was a beautiful and peaceful time.
 
As our society challenges the need for faith-based institutions, let us remember Mrs. Balouchi and the important religious dialogue and friendship her presence at STMC encouraged.
 
Eternal rest grant unto Fatemeh Balouchi, O Lord, and let Your perpetual light shine upon her! May she rest in peace. Amen
 
Live, Jesus, in our hearts … Forever.
 
Mrs. Neysa Finnie
STMC President
Message from the Principal
When classes began last Friday morning (February 1, 2019) we officially started the second half of our school year. Though fully ensconced in the present, we are now also at that point where we are keeping an eye towards our planning for next year. For our Grade 12s this involves the finishing touches on their applications to post-secondary schools and making some difficult yet exciting choices for their life ‘beyond STMC’ next fall. For our Grade 8s-11s, the focus over the next month or so will be on the Re-Registration and the Course Selection processes for 2019-2020. Both of these items will happen prior to Spring Break. ​
 
Course Selections for 2019-2020 will again be done online via PowerSchool. It is also the second time that our Re-Registration process will be done completely online by families. Details for both will be coming to you soon. To ensure that your daughter/son’s placement is secured for 2019-2020, Re-Registrations must be finalized by March 4, 2019.
 
In order to assist students and families with Course Selection and to examine how the courses they select might influence their Graduation Program and Post-Secondary pathways, we will be hosting two separate information evenings for our STMC parents later this month.

Junior School Course Selection Meeting
When: Tuesday, February 19 @ 6:30-7:30pm
Where: STMC Cafeteria

This session will be tailored specifically for our current students moving from Grade 8 into 9 and Grade 9 into 10.

Senior School Course Selection Meeting
When: Thursday, February 21 @ 6:30-7:30pm
Where: STMC Cafeteria

This session will be tailored specifically for our current students moving from Grade 10 into 11 and from Grade 11 into 12. Specific focus on the New 2018 Graduation Program, as well as the changes to both UBC's & SFU's Admissions Requirements.
 
We will try to keep these sessions as concise as possible and to also leave a sufficient amount of time for individual questions.

Blessings,

Mr. Steve Garland
STMC Principal
GIVING NEWS
Anne (L), Michelle, and Dominic Kully (#72) with Coach Steve De Lazzari (far left) and members of the Varsity Football Team
We are pleased to announce the new Bernie Kully Memorial Bursary Endowment Fund , which was established at STMC through a generous gift from the Kully Family. Our sincerest gratitude to Mrs. Anne Kully, Mike (’92) and Michelle Kully for choosing to create a lasting legacy, in honour of Coach Kully, which will benefit our students for years to come.

The Bernie Kully Memorial Bursary Fund will provide financial aid every year to STMC students. A fitting tribute to Coach Kully who instilled in his students and his athletes compassion, dedication, hard work, and perseverance, the bursary will support students who do not have the financial means to participate in sports or other extracurricular activities – Bernie’s passion. The bursary will be awarded to a student
whose family, through STMC’s financial aid assessment process, has a demonstrated financial need. The inaugural award will be available in the spring of 2019.

A heartfelt thank you also goes out to our alumni, relatives and friends of Coach Kully, and the STMC Alumni Association who have generously contributed to the endowment fund. Now at the $100,000 level, we hope that the Bernie Kully Memorial Endowment Fund will continue to grow so that more students will benefit from it in the coming years. 

For more information about the Bernie Kully Memorial Bursary Endowment Fund, please go to: Bernie Kully Memorial Bursary Fund

advancement@stmc.bc.ca | 604-521-1801 ext 131 or 133
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
February
14-15: Professional Day - No Classes
18: Family Day - School Closed
19: Jr. Course Selection Meeting
21: Sr. Course Selection Meeting
22: Jeans Day
ACADEMICS ROUND UP
SCIENCES

Under the leadership and inspiration of Mrs. Danielle Paloposki, the STMC grade 8 Science students have engaged in an educational, fun, and service-based opportunity to enhance their learning about the immune system. Mrs. Paloposki started the initiative for students to engage with "Kids Boost Immunity" (KBI), which is a Canadian Health initiative made possible through a partnership with the Public Health Association of BC, the BC Ministry of Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada (according to their website ). 

The premise is that students read through and answer a series of questions and quizzes; if they score high enough on their quiz, they earn a vaccine for a child in the Majority World purchased by KBI through UNICEF. Our students were able to work together to earn a combined 1,870 vaccines used to treat tetanus, polio, and measles. Their efforts have ranked STMC as the second-highest vaccine-earning school in Canada. The Science department and the school are very proud of our Knights' efforts in assisting those in need. Keep up the great work!

Below is the National Leaderboard or visit the webpage for the latest update s here .
DRAMA

Join us March 7-9 at STMC for the Drama Department’s production of “Everyman” - a Christian morality play written anonymously in the late 1400's about a man who is unexpectedly called to give an accounting of his life before God where both good and evil deeds are tallied by God. Everyman desperately tries to convince other characters to accompany him in the hopes of improving his outlook before God. The characters are allegorical ones in that they represent and personify ideas of fellowship, material wealth, beauty, and knowledge. However, he learns that before God, what matters are none of those things, but only his neglected Good Deeds that can make the journey with him.

This contemporary retelling of “Everyman” - translated by Lindsay Price - is at times sobering and humorous. A perfect way to begin the Lenten season!

Tickets will be available on our website at www.stmc.bc.ca mid-February, stay tuned!
STUDENT HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
Lauren Boddington, Sienna Mastromonaco, and Francesca Sandini

This past month, three of our Knights from the Varsity Volleyball team signed with three different post-secondary institutions as high school recruits. Lauren signed with York University, Sienna with Douglas College, and Francesca with Olds College in Alberta.

These young ladies led the STMC Varsity Volleyball team to 1st Place in the BC Catholic Senior Girls tournament and eventually to 3rd place in the Provincials. Their skills, leadership, and competitiveness did not go without the notice of several post-secondary institutions and as a result, were offered a spot on the roster of these respective schools' volleyball teams.

Congratulations once again. Way to represent STMC!
We'd love to hear about all the wonderful and exciting things in which our Knights are engaged ! If you have something you would like to share on our social media feeds or in the monthly newsletter send an email to communications@stmc.bc.ca
ATHLETICS ROUND UP
St. Thomas More Collegiate hosted the 22nd Annual Alumni Basketball Tournament last weekend from Thursday, January 31 to Saturday, February 2. Twelve teams showed up and had a wonderful time over the course of the three days, filled with fun, competitiveness, and of course, catching up with old friends.

Congratulations to Team Agrodome (left) for winning the competitive division and Team Air Monarchs (right) for coming out on top of the friendly Edmund Rice division.
STMC is hosting a 3 day volleyball camp March 26-28 for Grades 7-9. Participants will focus on the basic and enhanced fundamentals of the game, learn and understand team fundamentals and strategy, and of course have a great time! Fill out the sign up form and drop off at the front office or mail to the school.
Parents Association
*The PA section will temporarily be getting its own separate email starting next month. Stay tuned and be on the lookout near the end of March!
Message from the PA Chair

“February is a month that we celebrate love and caring. Enjoy the decorations in the cafeteria that have been carefully put up by your Parents Association and volunteers. Take time to let your friends, teachers, and support staff know how special they are. We often get busy and forget to appreciate each other. Enjoy and be kind to one another.”

Marie Takacs, 
PA Chairperson
Grad News

Grade 12 parents – support our students' graduation ceremony and its many events by attending our fabulous Pub Knight Fundraiser on March 1 st . Click below to buy tickets!

  
Parents and friends from any Grade are invited to donate an item for the Pub Knight Silent Auction – anything goes – wine, baskets, gift cards or vouchers, no item is too small. Donations can be left at the Front office tagged Grad Donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
Knight Club Uniform

"MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Knight Club uniform sales usually take place on the first Thursday of each month from 2:30 to 4pm.

Here are the next few sale dates:
February 7
March 7
April 4

KEEP WARM WITH SOME GREAT KNIGHT CLUB ITEMS!
Our STMC rugby shirts are perfect for this cold weather! We are fully stocked with all sizes, so come to our next sale and pick one up! And why not go for some socks and a blanket while you're at it?

If you cannot come to the next sale, please feel free to pre-order your purchase. Just fill out an order form and drop it off (with payment or credit card information) in the Knight Club mailbox (on the uniform store door). We will fill your order and have you notified at the end of the day to pick it up! (Order forms are available in the front office, in the tray just below our mailbox, or by clicking  Knight Club Order Form .
 
If you have any uniform-related questions or concerns, please email  knightclub@stmc.bc.ca  .”
PA Volunteering Opportunities

VOLUNTEERING at the school is a great way to show your appreciation and care.

Are you ready to become more involved in the school? Would you like to get to know more parents and families in the community? Have you got some great ideas, leadership skills, or special talents to share?

Please consider:

PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS
NEW COORDINATORS are needed for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year, to help organize volunteers and ensure meetings run on schedule. There will be another session held this coming April 11th, so NOW is the best time to find out more and to shadow the current team leaders before taking over next year. Parent-Teacher Interviews take place over one full day in November and April each year.

KNIGHTS CHRISTMAS MARKET (KCM)
We are always looking for new and enthusiastic members to join the KCM PLANNING COMMITTEE—to help us lead, organize and execute our biggest fundraising event of the year. The next market will take place on November 23 & 24, but the registration and planning process has already begun—please consider joining the team now!
 
*PA COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR*
The PA Executive is looking for a new member to join the team, to regularly attend meetings, monitor emails and keep the PA website up-to-date. Most importantly, he/she would create timely communications (eg. slideshows, newsletters, social media or advertising content) to help us reach out effectively to our school community. We want someone with keen communications skills and some tech savvy-ness to help us get this job done right!
 
If you’re interested in any of these opportunities, please send an email to: pavolunteers@stmc.bc.ca
 
Or come to our next PA MEETING ON FEBRUARY 11th, STARTING AT 7PM AT THE SCHOOL. All parents and guardians are welcome to attend, so we hope to see you there!
Special Events
Pink Shirt Day

Wednesday, February 27 is the annual Pink Shirt Day to raise awareness about bullying in society. Students can wear a pink shirt and jeans if they donate a minimum of $2 to missions. Please show support for this worthy cause by wearing pink.
Burnaby Lake Rowing Club

Did you know that your hometown of Burnaby has one of the best places in Canada to go fast on water? STMC is hosting an event with Burnaby Lake Rowing Club. Students between 14 and 16 are invited to discover what is awesome about going backwards on the water really fast with your friends!

Come find out about the sport of rowing from Olympic medalist Dave Calder, and about a new program for STMC students at a lunch-hour info session on Tuesday February 12, in the Multi-purpose Room. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes because we’ll do some moving. See you there!
Connect with us!