Christmas Letter 2009

Christmas Sleigh Ride at SJSA

Dear Supporter:

It is a surprise to me that I am still around to write a letter for Christmas 2009! Last year at this time, the final decision had been made not to re-open the school and to immediately sell the property.

Since then the school main building was leased to Mother Earth’s Children’s Charter School (MECC) with an option for them to purchase it after two years. It has been fantastic that the facilities are being used after sitting empty over the past year. MECC has 160 students from kindergarten to grade nine who have made excellent use of the gym and expanded the number of classrooms. There is even a brand new elaborate playground on site!

Saint John’s has an office in the east wing of the residential part of the building. Barbara McKay, Blaine Thauberger and Peter Jackson work part time at the school as landlords and maintainers of the archives and student records. A history book about Saint John’s School is being produced for 2011 and a new web site will be up in early 2010 emphasizing pictures and a way to communicate between alumni and other supporters.

The Saint John’s School of Alberta Bursary Trust name will be amended to become the Saint John’s Legacy Trust Fund in 2010. When the school property is sold, the sale of the assets will be transferred to this fund to fulfill the following mandate:

1. Providing post secondary scholarships to alumni of Saint John’s School of Alberta as well as to children of alumni and staff of the said school;
2. Providing grants to community organizations working with children and in particular, education and activities for boys;
3. Providing grants to organizations that promote and introduce people to the Christian faith;
4. Supporting groups and individuals involved in outdoor expeditions that promote adventure and protection of our environment.

The trust fund is accepting donations for 2009 that can be directed towards all of the above or one specific section of the mandate. If you are interested in making a contribution, please make out your cheque to the Saint John’s Bursary Trust Fund and send it to the school address. A charitable receipt will be issued.

In our new life of limited resources, it is our intention to provide more updates through email and the web site to reduce postage costs. If you have an email address (which I am sure most of you do!), could you please send it to bmckay@sjsa.ab.ca OR pjackson@sjsa.ab.ca OR the contact page on our web site at www.sjsa.ab.ca It would also help to find out how many people might be interested in buying a history book on Saint John’s School of Alberta covering the entire 40 years. The book would come with many pictures as well as statistics on snowshoe races, awards and other memorable moments along with reflections on how it started, what drove it forward, what was achieved and thoughts on why it ended. The estimated cost – $35.00 per book to be published by the fall of 2011.

It has been two years of upheaval at SJSA. While it has been sad to witness the close of the school as we have known it, it has been uplifting to see and hear the sounds of students in the hallways once again from MECC. No one would have predicted a year ago our present situation, but all things considered, it has turned out well.

On behalf of Company members and the Board of Directors of the Company of the Cross Alberta and the Trustees of the Saint John’s School of Alberta Bursary (Legacy) Trust, I would like to wish you a blessed Christmas season. I extend an open invitation to visit us on site in 2010!

Peter Jackson

* Please remember to send us your email address. If you would prefer not to receive future mailings or be contacted in any way, email bmckay@sjsa.ab.ca or pjackson@sjsa.ab.ca Our phone number: 780-789-4826 extension 101.

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