“Striving to bring
Christ to others
through our actions.”
SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM:
A REMINDER TO PLEASE PHONE IN YOUR CHILD’S ABSENCE (905) 335-7553. OUR ANSWERING SERVICE IS
AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY. MESSAGES ARE PICKED UP REGULARLY BETWEEN 8:00 A.M. AND 4:00 P.M.
April 2015
ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE CHURCH
NEWS AND INFORMATION
Easter is soon here and we reflect on the ultimate
sacrifice that Jesus died for our sins. In order to help
us understand and value the meaning of this the
parish offers a variety of services and events over
the Easter weekend. Please make note of the
schedule of services which includes the Triduum
(Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday) as the Sunday
Easter schedule differs from our regular schedule.
Holy Thursday – Mass of the Lord’s Supper at
8:00 p.m.
Good Friday – Liturgy for Children at 1:00 p.m.;
Solemn Liturgy at 3:00 p.m. and presentation of the
Passion Play at 8:00 p.m.
Holy Saturday – Blessing of Easter Foods at 12:00
p.m.
Easter Vigil – Saturday, April 4th at 8:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday Mass – Sunday, April 5th at 8:00
a.m., 10:00 a.m. (in both the hall and the church)
and 12:00 p.m. There are no evening masses in the
diocese on Easter Sunday.
Finally, the month of April is the start of First
Communion celebrations for Grade 2 students in
our six elementary schools. Please pray for these
children, their families and teachers as they prepare
to receive Eucharist for the first time.
The parish team of Fr. Ed, Fr. Paul and Lay Parish
Minister Mrs. Arden Ouellette wish you and your
families are very blessed Easter Season.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
This year our grade 8 students performed the Stations
of the Cross to our school community on Tuesday,
March 31st, 2014 at 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 7:00
p.m. The concert band and the bucket band also
accompanied the performance.
We hope you enjoyed the
performance and would
like to extend our thanks
to Mr. Back, Mr.
Berlingieri and Mr.
Stanlake for all their
help.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS goes out to the
St. Christopher Boys' Basketball Team for their
outstanding season!
The boys ended their regular season play with a 7
wins and 1 loss record!
The team also played in the Holy Trinity
Tournament on January 27, 2015. They were
extremely successful in the tournament going 3 and
0 in their pool which advanced them to the Tier One
Championship game! Although the boys
played very well in the tournament's final game,
they came up short in the end, losing to Our Lady of
Fatima by only 6 points.
On February 25th, the boys' run for the Halton
Catholic Finals became even more intense with
their first playoff game against St. Anne's. The boys
played a fantastic game, defeating St. Anne's by a
score of 53-37!
This win advanced the team to the Burlington Gold
Medal Game against their biggest rival of the year,
Canadian Martyrs. Even though the Tigers were
very disappointed with the outcome of their regular
season game against Canadian Martyrs (losing by
24 points), they were determined to fight to the very
end and pull off a victory. It was a very close
game, but the end result did not favour the Tigers
this time. The boys lost once again, but this time
only by 6. The Tigers entered the system quarter
finals representing Burlington in 2nd place!
With more determination than ever, the Tigers
continued their playoff drive with a convincing win
over St. Marguerite which advanced them to the
system semi-final game!
In the system semi-final game, the
Tigers defeated the team they had lost to in the Holy
Trinity Tournament, Our Lady of Fatima. This win
advanced the boys to the Halton Catholic District
School Board Gold Medal Game! Advancing to the
system finals is a very difficult task to achieve! This
was not good enough for the boys of St.
Christopher. They still had one more game to
win........
In the final game, the team once again had to
face the Canadian Martyrs Chargers. By the end of
the first quarter, the Tigers were down by
ten. Never giving up, the St. Christopher Tigers
clawed their way back to defeat their arch nemesis
by a score of 55-51! What an outstanding victory!
The boys played their best game of the season when
it counted most! Your coaches are extremely proud
of all your efforts! It was an unbelievable
season!
CONGRATULATIONS TIGERS! You are the
2015 Halton Catholic District School Board
Boys' Basketball Champions!
Team members include: Aidan I. #1, Jack T. #2,
Tim M. #3, Jacob S. #4, Julius d. #10, Matthew Z.
#11, Andrew G. #12, Matthew V. #15, Wyatt S.
#20, Jarrett W. #21, Luke D. #23
Special congratulations goes out to the members of
the team who will be moving onto High School next
year: Jack T., Tim M., Julius d., Matthew Z.,
Andrew G., Matthew V., Jarrett W.
You will be missed next season! The best of luck to
all of you!
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
The St. Christopher’s Girls Basketball team finished
a very successful 2015 season. After a three month
long season which saw the girls practicing at 7:30
in the morning and playing in two tournaments and
8 regular season games, the team advanced to the
Tier 2 playoffs. Their hard work, improved skills
and team unity paid off to allow them to become the
Halton Catholic District School Board Tier 2
Champions when they defeated Holy Rosary Milton
in the Championship game on March 11th.
We wish our graduating players all the success as
they head to Corpus Christi. Next year promises to
be just as successful with the return of 5 of our
players.
ST. CHRISTOPHER SCHOOL
HOCKEY TEAM
NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK
APRIL 12th – 18th
“Volunteers are part of the ripple effect.”
The St. Christopher Hockey Team participated in
their second tournament of the
season on Wednesday, March 4,
2015 at the "Burlington Wave
Twin Rinks." The team ended
their round robin play with 2 wins and 1 loss which
advanced them to the Tier Two Championship. The
Tigers dominated the entire game with great
pressure on offence and a solid performance on
defense! Unfortunately, they couldn't capitalize on
the score board and came up short in the
end. Despite the loss in the finals, St.
Christopher had a successful day! All members of
the team represented St. Christopher with good
sportsmanship and fair play!
A volunteer action is like a stone thrown in a lake:
its effect has a direct impact. At the same time, like
ripples, volunteer efforts reach out far and wide to
improve communities. Undeniably, volunteers rock.
National Volunteer Week is a time to recognize,
celebrate and thank Canada’s volunteers.
Findings from Volunteer Canada and Investors
Group’s 2013 Volunteer Recognition Study
indicated that many volunteers appreciate a genuine
thank you. Whether it is with words highlighting the
impact of a volunteers’ contribution or a small
personalized token, a custom and sincere thanks
makes a difference.
Special congratulations goes out to the following
team members who will be moving onto Secondary
School next year:
Adam B. #4, Abby C. #15, Gabriel D. #2, Tyler F.
#10, Owen H. #6, Tyler J. #12, Hayden M. #5,
Nicolas R. #13, Joshua S. #11, Lucas S. #8, Serina
T. #29, Jake V. #14 and Matthew V. #3
We will miss you next season! The best of luck
with hockey in the future!
PANCAKES IN THE JUNGLE
On Tuesday, March 17th, 2015
St. Christopher’s staff and
students enjoyed “Pancakes in
the Jungle”. Thank you to the
School Council for organizing
this event. A special thank you
to all the parent volunteers who
made this day very memorable.
6th ANNUAL ST. CHRISTOPHER
FAMILY TIGER TREK
1km/5km WALK/RUN
SAVE THE DATE!
Sunday, May 24th, 2015 is St.
Christopher’s 6th annual Tiger
Trek in support of the Canadian
Breast Cancer Foundation.
Registration forms will be sent
home early April.
MOVIE NIGHT
Please join us for our spring movie
night on Thursday, April 9th, 2015.
We will be showing Monsters
University. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
and the movie starts at 6:30 p.m.
sharp! Cost is $5 (payable online)
which includes admission, your choice
of one flavor of popcorn, water and a snack. Please
feel free to bring your blankets, sleeping bags and
pillows! This promises to be a fun-filled night for
all. Seating is limited so order quickly before the
tickets are all gone! Tickets will be on sale until
Friday, April 3rd, 2015.
YEARBOOK
St. Christopher will be publishing our seventh
school yearbook! Copies will be
available in the fall of the next school
year. To order your copy of the St.
Christopher 2014-2015 school year
book, please make a payment on line
using the School Cash Online Banking
system. The books will cost $20.00/book
Attention all parents! We are still accepting
sponsorship ads....if you are interested; please
submit your business card or advertising
message to Mrs. Butt at [email protected] no
later than Friday May 1st, 2015. Thanking you
in advance for your support!
STUDENT AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
We are proud to announce that this year’s recipient
of the Halton Catholic District School
Board’s Student Award of Excellence
is Andrew G. Congratulations
Andrew! Andrew has demonstrated
outstanding qualities in Catholic
leadership, family commitment, involvement in
school and community activities and a commitment
to handling difficult situations or tasks.
The official ceremony will take place on Monday,
April 27th at 7:30 p.m. at Corpus Christi Secondary
School, Burlington.
We would also like to wish Dylex S., a grade 7
student, the best of luck as he
participates in the French Public
Speaking Competition. The event
will take place on Wednesday,
April 1st @ 7:00 p.m. at St.
Thomas Aquinas Secondary
School in Oakville. BONNE CHANCE DYLEX!!
PUBLIC HEALTH NEWS
April is National Oral Health Month
Good oral health is important for the overall health
of children. Oral health problems can cause painful
infections and negatively affect speech, eating, and
appearance. In children, these factors can limit their
ability to socialize and may even lead to poor
nutrition and school absenteeism.
Introducing Healthy Smiles Ontario
Healthy Smiles Ontario (HSO) is a new oral health
program for children and teens 17
years and under who do not have
access to any form of dental
coverage and who live in a low income household.
If eligible, children and teens will get regular dental
services at no cost.
Hepatitis B vaccine in schools
Health Department nurses will be here at
St. Christopher, immunizing grade 7
students for Hep B #2 and HPV # 3 for
the grade 8 girls
LIBRARY NEWS
Our Junior and Senior Battle of the Books teams
will be traveling to the Burlington Public Library
this month to compete against other Burlington
Schools in the annual Battle of the Books
competition.
PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION
Congratulations to Stefania O. who
represented St. Christopher’s at the
Board’s Regional Public Speaking
Competition on Wednesday, March
25th at St. Anne’s School with her
speech titled Body Image.
Our Junior team: Sam, Julia, Chase, Kailey, Owen,
Juliana and Cynthia will be competing on
Wednesday, April 8th at 10:00 a.m.
Our Senior team: Rebeka, Nour, Sydney, Emma B.,
Emma P., Dylex, Megan and Angela will be
competing on Tuesday, April 21st at 10:00 a.m.
Good Luck to both of our teams!
We are excited to announce a new school resource,
PebbleGo, that can be accessed
from school, home or on the
go—anywhere where your
student has an internet connection. PebbleGo is a
database specifically geared toward the needs of K3 learners. It helps your student learn foundational
research skills plus provides critical early-reader
supports like audio voice overs and text
highlighting. But best of all, students love using
PebbleGo. The easy navigation makes it inviting for
students to discover new information. Features like
videos and fun games keep them engaged and
learning. And you can feel comfortable knowing
that they are exploring an ad-free website bursting
with resources that will help your student master
many skills and learn fun facts that they will be so
proud to share. Please explore PebbleGo with your
student and let us know your feedback.
To access our school’s subscription, go to
www.PebbleGo.com. Please ask Mrs. Heath our
Library Technician or your child’s teacher for
the Username and Password.
C.A.P.P. for KIDS
Community & Parent Partners for Kids
Free Admission
Building Stronger Families
Guest speaker: Mary Tabak
Mary Tabak is the Our Kids Network (OKN)
Developmental Asset Project Manager and is
accredited in the Triple P Positive Parenting
Program. She has worked in Halton schools for over
20 years with extensive experience in community
development, strength based approaches and parent
engagement.
All types of families have strengths, and all families
can be more intentional about using their strengths
to nurture their children.
This presentation will discuss:
 the strengths of Halton families
 5 things that make families strong
 20 things that you and your family can do
today
Date:
Time:
Location:
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
(Community displays
6:45 to 7:00 p.m.)
Gary Allan High School/
New St. Education Centre
3250 New Street, Burlington
*Donations toward future speakers will be
gratefully accepted*
For more information visit halton.ca/capp or dial
311 American Sign Language-English Interpreters
are available upon request. If you wish to use this
service at this event, please contact Halton Region
by Tuesday April 7, 2015.
In the event of poor weather conditions, please dial
311 for cancellation information.
ECO NEWS
Here are some tips to help keep
your home earth friendly.
1. Always turn off the lights
when you are not in the
room, to conserve electricity
2. On Fridays, try to take a 5-minute shower to
save water.
3. Every Tuesday, walk or bike to school
instead of using a car or a bus to help
prevent pollution.
4. Use re-useable water bottle. By doing this,
you can help reduce the amount of garbage.
These small things are very simple to do, but can
make a huge difference to our world. The tips are
made very simple, so that kids and adults can both
participate in this global event.
So just remember, Earth Month 2015 is a time to
promote awareness for our world, so try and do as
many of those earth friendly tips as possible.
Earth Day is Wednesday April
22nd, 2015.
CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK
May 3rd – May 8th, 2015
“Were not our hearts burning within us while He
was talking to us on the road?” – Luke 24:32
The sub-themes for Catholic Education Week 2015
are as follows:
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Walking Together and Sharing our
Story
Opening the Scriptures
Welcoming Others to the Table
Recognizing Jesus in the Breaking
of the Bread
Proclaiming the Good News
SEPTEMBER PLACEMENT
We will soon begin the process of preparing
“tentative” class plans for the 2015-2016 school
year. It must be emphasized that the plans are
tentative as summer registrations can significantly
affect our proposed organization. We wish to advise
you that in forming class groupings, the following
criteria are given due consideration:






Equitable balance of boys and girls in each
of the classes at any grade level
A range of academic ability and potential in
each class (i.e. classes are not “streamed”)
A mix of students from previous classes to
allow for students to form new friendships,
meet different academic and social
challenges
Students are to receive a new teacher if
possible
Some children are best kept together and
others are best separated
Some classes could possibly be combined
grades due to projected enrolment and
school organization (students in combined
grades the past year will be placed in a
straight grade the next year).
Keeping these criteria of class formation in mind,
we will meet with each teacher to gather an
individual profile of every student’s academic,
social and emotional strengths and needs. Following
this, tentative groupings are compiled by the team.
These are then returned for discussion and
suggestions to the group of teachers at each grade
level and further changes are made. The class lists
then remain “tentative” pending necessary changes
due to enrolment changes. As stated, class
groupings and school organization are not fully
finalized until the second full week in September
when Senior Administrative Staff may need to
respond to unanticipated increases or decreases in
student population. By this time of year, our
placement decisions are based on strong awareness
of your child’s academic, social and learning needs
and strengths.
Based on the consideration listed, parents may want
to share specific information regarding their child’s
personal development to assist us in the placement
process. However, parents are not invited to select
their child’s teacher. Finally, we ask that should you
have concerns or questions regarding the class
placement that these be directed in writing to the
principal, Mr. Caporicci
The objective of this organization process is to
achieve the most “workable” heterogeneous
combination of student groups. With your trust in
our professional judgment; we will continue to
provide all of our students with the best possible
learning environment.
To help us in the above endeavor, if you know that
your child(ren) will not be returning to St.
Christopher School in September 2015, please
advise the office in writing of your intent to move.
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any changes to your contact information
please let the office know
immediately. Thank you for
your cooperation in keeping
our records up to date.
MOVING – LET US KNOW
Please inform the office of any changes to your
family contact information including home phone,
cell phones, address and e-mail address. Thank you
so much for your co-operation
Plans for the 2015/2016 school year are already
underway. If you are moving and your child(ren)
will not be attending St. Christopher School next
year, please write us a note informing us of this
change. If you are aware of new students wishing
to enroll at St. Christopher School, please let their
parents know that they should register as soon as
possible.
SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR
2015 - 2016
Planning ahead…Update your calendar by visiting
our Board’s website at www.hcdsb.org and
download a hard copy for your records.
DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE AN UNUSUAL
EYE APPEARANCE?
 One eye that looks turned in or out?
 Bumps, styes, redness, swelling or crusting
of eyelids?
 Drooping eyelid?
 Haziness or whitish appearance inside the
pupil?
 Frequently watery eyes?
DOES YOUR CHILD BEHAVE IN A WAY
THAT COULD SUGGEST A VISION
PROBLEM?












Does not watch or follow an object?
Touches things to help recognize them?
Does not make eye contact?
Closes or covers one eye?
Squints or frowns when looking far or near?
Rubs or touches the eyes a lot?
Blinks more than usual?
Reacts strongly to light?
Turns or tilts head when viewing objects?
Holds objects very close to face?
Dislikes near tasks?
Loses interest quickly or becomes irritable
with visual activities?
 Has poor depth perception or trouble seeing
3D?
 Trips, falls or bumps into things often?
 Is unco-ordinated for play activities and
sports?
DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE ANY
DIFFICULTIES WITH LEARNING?
PARENT’S CHECKLIST
OF VISION PROBLEMS
Children may not know that they have a vision
problem. They can’t always tell you what they see.
1 out of 4 children have a significant eye problem
that can interfere with learning and development.
The Ontario Association of Optometrists
recommends that every young child has complete
eye examinations at ages 6 months, 3 years and
every year thereafter.
CAN YOUR CHILD SEE WELL?
 Has poor posture when reading/writing?
 Has poor handwriting?
 Moves head, loses place, skips lines when
reading?
 Uses more effort than normal to complete
school work?
 Works hard but is not achieving the
expected level at school?
IS YOUR CHILD AT RISK FOR VISION
PROBLEMS?
 Does a family member have a turned or lazy
or blind eye?
 Does a family member have glasses with
high power?
 Has any family member had early childhood
cataracts or glaucoma?
 Were there complications with the
pregnancy or delivery?
 Was your child premature at birth?
 Does your child have a hearing loss?
 Does your child have a health condition that
can affect eyes, such as:
o
o
o
o
o
o
Cerebral palsy
Juvenile arthritis
Down syndrome
Autism
Attention deficit disorder (ADHD)
Developmental delay
The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) pays for
the cost of an annual eye examination for children
aged 0-19 years. To find an optometrist, you can
call the Ontario Association of Optometrists at
(800) 540-3837 or visit www.eyecareoao.com
for a list of doctors in your area.
Visit www.EyeSeeEyeLearn.ca for information.
LOOKING AHEAD TO MAY
ENGAGING SPANISH SPEAKING
PARENTS
The TCDSB Advisory Committee for Spanishspeaking Parents would like to invite you to our
celebration on May 2, 2015 from 2-7pm. Come get
some educational information, FREE meal, cultural
acts, and a performance from Lucho de Sedas! First
100 parents to register at the event will get Paul
Tough's book translated in Spanish: Como Hacer
Que Los Ninos Triunfen.
May 1st
May 3rd – 8th
May 4th
May 5th
May 8th
May 11th
May 12th
May 15th
May 18th
May 19th
May 22nd
May 24th
May 25th
May 26th
May 28th
May 29th
Pizza Day
Catholic Education Week
Sub Day
Catholic Education Week Mass
Pizza Day
Hot Lunch Day
Pita Pit Day
Pizza Day
Victoria Day – no school for students
Sub Day
Pizza Day
Tiger Trek
Hot Lunch Day
Pita Pit Day
FDK Parent Information Night
Pizza Day
ST. CHRISTOPHER CATHOLIC SCHOOL
“Bringing Christ to others through our actions.”
Sunday
Monday
April
2015
Tuesday
Wednesday
1
Litterless Lunch
Wednesday
Thursday
2
Holy Thursday
Friday
Saturday
3
Good Friday – No
school for students
4
Easter Vigil – 8:00
p.m.
9
Movie Night
10
Pizza Day
11
Mass – 5:00 p.m.
Pizza Day
Follow us on twitter
@STCBurlington
7
Sub Day
French Public
Speaking
Competition.
Bonne Chance
Dylex!
5
Easter Sunday
Mass – 8:00 a.m.,
10:00 a.m. and 12:00
p.m.
6
Easter Monday – No
school for students
12
Mass – 9:00 a.m.,
11:00 a.m. & 8:00
p.m.
13
Kidssentials
Hot Lunch Day
14
Pita Pit Day
15
Litterless Lunch
Wednesday
16
17
Pizza Day
18
Mass – 5:00 p.m.
19
Mass – 9:00 a.m.,
11:00 a.m. & 8:00
p.m.
20
Sub Day
21
First Communion
practice 10:00 a.m.
22
Litterless Lunch
Wednesday
23
Pizza Day
24
P.A. Day – No
school for students
25
Mass – 5:00 p.m.
Grade 7 Hepatitis B
Shot #2 and HPV #3
Junior Battle of the
Books @ B.P.L. – 10:00
a.m.
26
Mass – 9:00 a.m.,
11:00 a.m. & 8:00
p.m.
27
Kidssentials
Hot Lunch Day
Student Awards of
Excellence at
Corpus Christi S.S.
Congratulations
Andrew!
28
Pita Pit Day
8
Litterless Lunch
Wednesday
World Autism
Awareness
Day
Junior Battle of the
Books @ B.P.L. –
10:00 a.m.
Earth Day
Mrs. Pereira and Mrs.
Ogg’s class trip to
Butterfly Conservatory
29
30
Grade 2 First
Communion at
St. Paul’s
Church
10:30 a.m.
Lenten Food Drive – March 30th – April 2nd
Don’t forget to register your child(ren) for OnLine Banking at https://hcdsb.schoolcashonline.com