St. James Public School
243 St James Street P7A 3P1 Thunder Bay, ON, Canada

St. James is extremely proud to be presenting the Grade 8 Award of Excellence to Marley Martell, a student who embodies all of Lakehead Public School’s core values. Marley is a role model for our school community, stepping into leadership positions whenever she is given the opportunity. She is dedicated to her academic studies and is determined in all her ventures. Marley can always be found lending a... helping hand and offering a kind smile and conversation. We are all so proud of you Marley! See more

Social Media & Mental Health Workshop Being ‘tech savvy’ is the first step to knowing what your child's experience is like online and how difficult it can be ...growing up today. In this free workshop, parents will learn how to build stronger connections with their children and create an honest dialogue about internet safety, social media, and mental health. Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/yJRpL9hC8B View poster for details.

We can not wait to meet the newest members of our St James Family! Kindergarten Open House Wed, May 18 from 6-7pm. See you there:)

Attention future Polar Bears!

Coming Soon to a School Near You: Kindergarten Open Houses! We've got BBQs, open-fire cookouts, scavenger hunts, activity centres, story time, and gifts to take... home! Check out the schedule and what your Kindergarten open house is offering! https://www.lakeheadschools.ca//welcome-to-kindergarten-o/

Attention parents/guardians of our future-Kindergarteners! Enter your child into a draw to WIN one of 7 PRIZES! Your child can win a Code & Go Robot Mouse (2 to... give away!), Munschworks - a collection of Robert Munsch stories (4 to give away!), or the GRAND PRIZE... a brand new iPad Mini! Lucky kiddos! TO ENTER THE DRAW: To enter your child into the draw, register your child for Kindergarten 2021-2022 by midnight Sunday, February 7th. Click here to register now and be automatically entered into the draw! http://www.lakeheadschools.ca/register DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING: You can also enter the draw by TAGGING Lakehead Public Schools when posting a photo of your future-Kindergartener wearing their Class of 2035 T-shirt! The T-shirts are free and included in all Welcome To Kindergarten bags being handed out at all of our schools on Thursday and Friday 9AM-3PM this week! Just ring your school's doorbell and someone will bring one out to you. If you've already registered your child for Kindergarten 2021-2022, congratulations, your child has been entered into the draw! Double your chances of winning a prize by tagging us in a photo. See the details of our Welcome To Kindergarten Virtual Event taking place Monday, February 1st at 6:30PM here: https://www.lakeheadschools.ca/kindergarten-registration-v/

Calling all future-Kindergarteners! This GIFT is for you, from us, so you can follow along during our Welcome To Kindergarten Virtual Event on Monday, February... 1st at 6:30PM! The Welcome To Kindergarten bags can be picked up on Thursday or Friday of this week between 9AM-3PM at any of our schools (see school list here https://www.lakeheadschools.ca/schools/). The virtual event will consist of a book reading (with your very own copy of The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn!), a fun activity (all materials included!), and a Class of 2035 T-shirt for you to wear! Then, your parents can watch our videos about our school board and safety within our schools. Join your soon-to-be friends by watching the virtual event via our website from the comfort of your own home! https://www.lakeheadschools.ca/ STAY TUNED all week to hear about our HUGE PRIZE GIVEAWAYS and how you can enter the draw! If parents/guardians are unable to pick up the free Welcome To Kindergarten bag during school hours, please contact [email protected] to make alternate arrangements.

Family Literacy Week Each year we celebrate Family Literacy Week as a way to recognize the importance of reading at home. The week-long celebration was developed by ABC Life Literacy Canada in 1999 to celebrate adults and children reading and learning together. It encourages Canadian families to spend at least 15 minutes a day enjoying an activity together. This year we will celebrate from January 25th to January 27th ,and this year’s theme is Travel the World Together. ... In honour of Family Literacy Day, St James School is planning to focus on, Family Recipes. Participants are asked to share a family recipe and then take a picture of the family members cooking together. Parents/guardians and staff are invited to share these pictures and recipes via your child’s Seesaw page or they can post it in the comments section of this Facebook post. This will be a great way to share some new ideas for dinner! Let’s get cooking!!!

Through a virtual tour of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, our grade 7/8 class has been learning about the works of Maud Lewis, a famous Canadian folk artist from Nova Scotia. We used water colour techniques to learn about the colour wheel, and then used those techniques today creating works inspired by Maud Lewis’ style. See the comments for more pictures

We love to see this creativity and inspiration! At 21-years-old, Mikey Harris is dancing his way to over 14 million views on TikTok with his unique routines combining hip hop moves with Metis jigging. https://www.cbc.ca//hip-hop-jigging-michael-harris-1.57717

St. James families! Tomorrow is tie dye/rainbow day!! Wear your favourite rainbow colours or tie dye clothing

Hi St. James families! Just a reminder that tomorrow is hat/hood day wear your favourite hat or hoodie

Today we remember those who fought and continue to fight for our freedom. Thank you for your service, we will never forget

Lakehead Public Schools sharing a COVID-19 Update. Thunder Bay District Health Unit (Public Health) has informed us that an individual associated with the St. James Public School community has tested positive for COVID-19. Upon receiving the report, Public Health immediately initiated an investigation to assess possible exposures in the school. At this time, there is no evidence of spread to anyone else within the school setting. Working closely with the school and Lakehea...d Public Schools, Public Health will continue to take a strong approach to follow-up and manage the situation. Anyone identified by Public Health as a close contact will be required to stay home and will not return to the school setting until cleared by Public Health. Public Health has concluded their investigation and at this time they have not identified any high-risk staff or students. They will continue to closely monitor the situation and advise of any changes. Nurses from the Thunder Bay District Health Unit attended the school to assess the situation and gather more information to determine any others, including students, staff, and visitors, who may have been exposed to the virus. As per standard practice, Public Health will also be following up on contacts outside the school setting, as needed. At this time, everyone else in the school setting who has not specifically been contacted by Public Health is considered at low risk and does not require testing because of this situation. St. James Public School, like other schools in the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, has implemented significant measures to reduce the risk of spread of the COVID-19 virus within the school setting. Further information will be provided to the school community in the coming days, if needed. All students and staff should use the Government of Ontario’s School Screening Tool (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/) daily before attending school. Thank you.

We are looking for photographs of any St James family members (related to staff or students) who have served in the military. Pictures may be scanned or emailed to the following address: [email protected]. Please identify who the person is, who they are related to, and any other additional information. These will embedded in a tribute video, for Remembrance Day, that will be shared with classes. Please send in any photos by Monday, November 9th at 9:00 am. Thank you!

If you are keeping your child home because they are ill, or if your child is sent home, please follow the directions in these guidelines from the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.

***URGENT*** On behalf of all students waiting to be assigned to school bus transportation, if your child is currently assigned to a bus and is not using it, pl...ease opt-out now at https://forms.gle/wn2tww2wg158skpH9 In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Educations guide to reopening Ontarios schools, and in cooperation with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Student Transportation Services of Thunder Bay has planned all routes this year to ensure that the maximum seating capacity of all our contracted 72 passenger school buses is limited to 50 students (46 for high school routes, 50 for elementary and elementary/high school combined routes). Unfortunately, some buses have reached this capacity with the number of students assigned and we will be unable to provide transportation to other students requesting busing when there may be assigned seasts going unused. Thank you for your assistance while we continue to work through these challenges.

St James families here is our September school newsletter with some important information about our school and this fall. We cant wait to see you all next week:)

St James Public School is eagerly searching for new lunch supervisors from 11 am - 1 pm each day $15/hr. Please call us at 345-7191 if you are interested in joining our St James Family.

Looking forward to seeing all our St James Polar Bears even if its a bit delayed:)

All St James families must complete this survey to register their children for school this September. This information is very important in determining classes, staffing, transportation and so much more. Please take some time to complete this survey if you have not already done so by August 14 which is the new deadline.

As we prepare for a return to school that is unprecedented, the health and safety of our students and staff is top priority in our planning. The decisions we ma...ke in all areas of concern health and safety, teaching and learning, transportation are made with extensive consultation with the Ministry of Education, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, and our community members and stakeholders. Lakehead Public Schools received confirmation of models for return from the Ministry of Education on July 30, 2020, but we have been preparing plans for return since late May. These plans are being shared with our families, staff, and the community so informed decisions can be made for our children. This document is intended to provide families the information they need to choose how their child(ren) will participate in school in September: in-person at school or learning remotely at home. View and download our Return to Learning Fact Sheet here: www.lakeheadschools.ca/returntolearning

Return to Learning 2020 - As we work towards reopening schools, we have developed a page with Frequently Asked Questions. This page is intended to keep parents... informed of Reopening Planning for September 2020. Included here will be information about what that will look like, including the model students will be returning to school under, what health and safety protocols will be in place, transportation, and other important areas of concern. This page will be updated regularly as we get new information from the Ministry of Education, or when plans become finalized. Information found here is the most current we have. Parents are also reminded to complete the Return to Learning survey located on the page by Friday, July 24th. The information collected is very important for planning the upcoming school year. To access the FAQ, and to complete the survey, please visit: https://www.lakeheadschools.ca/covid-faqs-july-22/

St James Public School parents/guardians please take some time to read this important information and to complete the survey.

School Food Packages for July and August Family Breakfast and snack packages for families who relied on schools food programs will be available at a number of ...locations on: Thursday, July 2 Thursday, July 16 Thursday, July 30 Thursday, August 13 Thursday, August 27 See more

Its the last day of school and our final Fun Friday! Heres a couple jokes to start off your summer! 1. What has 4 wheels and flies? A garbage truck!... 2. What does the ocean do when it sees its friends? It waves! Have a safe and wonderful summer everyone! See you in September

Hi St. James! Tomorrow is the last day of school for the 2019/2020 school year. This year has been anything but normal, but weve made it! We are so proud of all of you for persevering through these challenging and uncertain times, and we hope you have a safe, healthy and happy summer vacation. Youve earned it!

Happy wellness Wednesday everyone! A great way to promote wellness is to acknowledge what we are grateful for in our lives. This scavenger hunt is an excellent way to do just that! Be well, Polar Bears!

Its Tasty Tuesday, Polar Bears! Watch these 2 show us how to make a yogurt parfait - a perfect healthy summer treat! Enjoy! https://youtu.be/XTGHj_EUSiA

Hey St. James! Today is our last Motivation Monday of the year, so heres some Kid President motivation (my favourite). We need YOU https://youtu.be/D_9rAxvDOko

Hey St James families did you know that today Saturday, June 20th is Neighbors Day. Our Saviours Lutherans Church at 10 Farrand Street is inviting families to come by and decorate their parking lot with chalk drawings that celebrate our neighborhood. If you are interested please drop by with your parents/guardians today anytime. Chalk will be provided and we ask that families stay safe and respect social distancing. Here is your chance to show off your creativity and make our community a brighter happier place:)

Heres some Fun Friday jokes! 1. What did the sink say to the toilet? "Wow, you look really flushed!"... 2. What kind of key opens a banana? "A mon-key" Have a great weekend!

Happy Fun Friday, Polar Bears! Today we have a fun activity for you - guess the teacher! To guess, comment with the number on the picture and who you think it is. The options are: Mrs. Yaschuk, Mr. Tropea, Mrs. Facca, Ms. Gerow, Mr. Hyytiainen, Mrs. Power, and Ms. McEwan.... Well let you know the correct answers at the end of the day!

!BLUEBERRY ALERT! It looks like our mascot, Blueberry, has been doing some camping! He looks pretty relaxed out there! Have any of you been camping yet this year?... Happy Thursday!

"CBCs Up North program is hosting a special day of programming in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day. Tune in this Friday, June 19 between 4 6:00 p.m. to hear music, stories and traditions from Indigenous communities across Ontario. Broadcast from Thunder Bay and hosted by powwow emcee Todd Genno from Biigtigong Nishnaabeg." https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-84-up-north

Hi St. James! Its Wellness Wednesday, and its going to be a hot day today! Heres some information about how to stay safe on these hot summer days. Stay safe, Polar Bears!

Its Tasty Tuesday, Polar Bears! Todays recipe is called "quick and easy blender muffins" - makes 10 muffins Ingredients:... 2 1/2 cups oats (any type of oats will work - quick, instant, etc) 1 single serving container of Greek yogurt 2 eggs 1/2 cup of sugar 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 2 ripe bananas peeled and cut into large chunks Directions: 1. Pre-heat oven to 400 2. Spray muffin tins with non stick cooking spray or butter (because these muffins have no flour they will stick to paper liners) 3. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. NOTE: it may be helpful to blend the oats first. When blending you may have to stop and stir the ingredients to make sure everything is blended. 4. Pour batter into muffin tins 5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted 6. Allow muffins to cool and enjoy!

Hey Polar Bears! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Wasnt the weather beautiful? Its Motivation Monday! Heres a video of some children giving us some much needed motivation. Enjoy!! https://youtu.be/kGusd0HKvtY

Heres an additional Fun Friday activity! Watch the video to learn how to make a paper dream catcher. Youll need: A paper plate Yarn or string... Beads Feathers Tape Scissors A hole puncher Crayons/markers/decorative accents for however you want to decorate it! https://youtu.be/pd5mOkz6-kM

Happy Fun Friday everyone! Heres some jokes for you today: 1. Why do bicycles fall over? Because theyre two-tired... 2. Why did the cookie go to the nurse? Because he felt crummy! Have a fabulous weekend!

Last night St James Public School was proud to recognize Matthew Jobbitt as our Grade 8 Award of Excellence recipient for 2020 Every morning at St. James as the announcements begin, we are greeted by our schools quiet but unwavering student leader, Matthew Jobbitt. Matthew has been an essential member of the St. James family for many years. They personify all of the values of Lakehead Public Schools every single day. They are respectful to all members of the school, and ar...e accepting of every newcomer. Matthew is an incredibly empathetic person, always reaching out to those in need. When faced with difficult situations, Matthew always looks for the teachable moments and would rather help their peers to learn and better themselves. Matthew is a devoted student, always trying to improve academically and add their own personal touch to assignments. That personal touch is usually some form of artwork, as Matthew has really dedicated themselves to the visual and dramatic arts. Matthew has been a member of Eleanor Drury Childrens Theatre for four years, and has been involved not only as an actor but as a costume designer, puppeteer, and assisting in writing of plays. Matthew has also acted with the All the Daze theatre group, and starred as Vasyl in the Chaban Ukrainian Dance Groups Vasyl and the Varenyky Factory in 2019. More recently, Matthew has taken up roller derby, and skates with the Thunder Bay Junior Roller Derby League. Matthew has made St. James a better school for everyone through their kindness, humour, patience and perseverance, and will surely have the same impact at Superior next year. On behalf of everyone at St James we want to say Congratulations! We are all so very proud of you!

BLUEBERRY ALERT Blueberry, our St. James mascot, has been seen at Hillcrest Park!! He was seen exercising at the top of the hill and challenged St. James families to recreate this photo and post it in the comments! ... Happy Thursday everyone!

Its Wellness Wednesday, Polar Bears! ITS TICK SEASON! Since the weathers been getting nicer and weve been getting outside more (which is great!), heres a reminder about tick Safety! Go outside and enjoy the weather, but be safe

Its Tasty Tuesday everyone! Heres another recipe for you to try! This one sneaks in some veggies and you wont even taste it . As always, post a picture in the comments if you try it out! Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese Ingredients:... 1-pound butternut squash, halved and seeded 8 ounces dried whole-grain elbow macaroni (about 2 cups dry) 4 teaspoons butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour teaspoon salt teaspoon ground white pepper 1 cup 1 % or 2% milk 3 tablespoons Philadelphia Herb & Garlic Cream Cheese 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese Directions Step 1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Coat a 2-quart square baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Step 2 Place squash halves cut sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes or until very tender and cooked through. Remove from oven; let stand until cool enough to handle. Scoop flesh from squash halves; discard skin. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the squash; set aside. Step 3 Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Step 4 In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper until combined. Add milk, whisking until smooth. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add Philadelphia cheese; whisk until cheese is melted. Add cheddar cheese, whisk until melted. Stir in mashed squash. Add cooked pasta; stir until coated. Step 5 Add the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Flag Raising at Lakehead School Board

June is not only Indigenous Heritage month, but also Pride month, and since today is Motivation Monday, wed like to share this read aloud with you. Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag - Read Aloud Picture Book | Brightly Storytime Ms. Linda reads a moving and empowering true story for young readers that traces the life of the Rainbow Flag, from its beginnings in 1978 with social activist Harvey Milk and designer Gilbert Baker to its spanning of the... globe and its role in todays world. https://www.schooltube.com//PrideA+Th/0_2mpeexei/128185481 #pridemonth

A school in Antrim, Ireland just posted this, with permission to copy and paste. We at St James could not have said it better and we want to share it with our amazing St James families:) Dear parents This Thursday marks 12 full weeks since our schools closed and Sunday since our country went into lockdown.... You have had your children home for more time now than you would if they were on summer holidays. You have protected, nourished, educated, supported and entertained your children during a period of national and international uncertainty and fear. You have experienced emotions for yourself and your family that you never knew existed, never mind experienced before. This is a long time. Think about how you feel at the end of the summer holidays, how ready you are for routine, how badly your house needs cleaning, how much work you are ready to catch up on. Remember that exhausting feeling of having so little sleep, much less money and hearing mum/dad every time you happen to sit down. And you wonder why you are exhausted after all this time in lockdown? You are amazing! You have achieved something no other parent ever has! You have faced this time unable to take your child or children anywhere, no parks, holidays to break up the boredom, no day trips, no family to help. On top of that you have juggled loneliness on a level never experienced before, information overload from the internet and emotional turmoil of not being able to see people you hold dear. Even getting food to eat has been a major drama! So its ok to feel drained. Its ok to feel like you would sell your soul right now for five minutes alone. Its ok to feel uninspired about another day of homeschooling, another day of never ending laundry and cooking. Its ok to be so very tired. It is a long time. But you have made it. Be proud of yourself. Stand tall. History will show you for your courage, your children will remember this period as a time knowing they were safe and loved and teachers everywhere are deeply grateful that you are there for your children when they should be but cant be. In short: you are awesome! And so are your children. Cope and paste for those who may need to hear it too

Its Fun Friday everyone! Here are a couple of jokes for you: 1. What animal can you always find at a baseball game? A bat!... 2. Which hand is it better to write with? Neither, its better to write with a pencil! Have a fantastic weekend!

!!BLUEBERRY ALERT!! Our mascot has been sighted! Sources say hes been fishing out at Dog River! Have any of you been out fishing this year? Fun fact about Dog River: "It gets its name from a large effigy of a dog dug into the ridge separating Big and Little Dog Lakes. Ojibwe people created the effigy to honour a dog which had alerted their sleeping village of an impending attack by the Cree."

Just a reminder to families, we are at the school today (June 3) from 12-3pm so you can come pick up your child(ren)s belongings! Instructions: Please enter the school parking lot at the entrance closest to the front of the school.... Vehicles are asked to stay to the LEFT of the pylons and remain in single file order. Move forward as directed by staff and please remain in your vehicle. A staff member on site will ask your childs name and teacher/grade. For foot/bike traffic please stay to the RIGHT of the pylons and remain in single file adhering to physical distancing. There will be a table to approach (providing a 2 meter distance) and a staff member will ask your childs name and teacher/grade. A table will be set up at the other end of the parking lot and your childs belongings will be brought out to it.

Hi Polar Bears! It is Wellness Wednesday, and today we have a read aloud for you. This book is called "You Hold Me Up" by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Danielle Daniel. It encourages children to show love and support for each other and to consider each others well-being in their everyday actions. Award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote You Hold Me Up to prompt a dialogue among young people, their care providers and educators about reconciliation and the importance... of the connections children make with their friends, classmates, and families. This is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy, and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our littlest citizens. Lets hold each other up https://youtu.be/Uiuev2fXvRU

Its Tasty Tuesday St. James! Heres a bannock recipe. Post your photos below if you try it out! Ingredients 4 cups flour 2 tbsp. baking powder... Dash salt 1 - 2 cups milk or water (just to moisten) Canola oil for frying Directions In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add enough water to moisten the ingredients and bring the mixture together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead about 10 times. Shape the dough into round patties about -inch thick. Make a thumbprint indentation in the middle of each patty. This keeps them from puffing up in the centre and ensures that it is cooked all the way through. Cook in an oiled skillet for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown.