St. Mark Catholic School
2145 Upper Middle Road
Burlington, ON
L7P 4G1
Principal:
Superintendent:
Secretary:
@MarkLion14
Phone: 905-336-3911
Fax:
905-336-7957
M. Morrissey
C. Cipriano
C. Palucci (for C. Garner)
May 2015
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
It’s hard to believe how quickly the school year is winding down! Looking back
on April we appreciate the many opportunities to come together as a school community including the Easter Triduum, the Annual Pasta Night, the celebration of Mass on
the Feast day of St. Mark, and the Volunteer Appreciation Tea. I want to extend a personal thank you to the many staff members, parents, and students who give their
time, talents and efforts to make St. Mark School such a wonderful place to pray,
play, and learn together.
The month of May is also a time when all across Ontario Catholic schools celebrate the gift of Catholic Education Week which begins on Sunday, May 3 rd to Friday,
May 8th with the theme “Exploring Paths of Joy.” The teachers are planning activities
and opportunities for parents and families to visit the school. We are also looking forward to welcoming you to St. Mark School for the Grades 1 to 8 production of the
musical Seussical on May 12th and May 14th. Tickets are still available for purchase at $5 each. Ad- SCHOOL HOURS (GRADES FDK-8)
ditional tickets will also be available once all famiMorning
lies have the opportunity to purchase their
9:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
three tickets per family limit. The students are
thrilled to perform for you and revive the tradiAfternoon
tion of musical productions at St. Mark School!
1:10 p.m. – 3:40 p.m.
M. Morrissey, Principal
SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM
Please phone the school BEFORE 9:10 a.m. to report
ALL absences or late arrivals.
Clearly state your child’s first & last name, grade, teacher, a brief reason & length (if known) of
the absence.
Our Safe Arrival Program ensures the safety of your child.
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St. Mark Catholic School
St. Gabriel Parish connection
2261 Parkway Drive, Burlington, Ontario L7P 1S9
Tel: 905-336-144
Fax: 905-336-0790
Father Piotr Machnacki SAC
Assc. Pastor: Father Luke
Mass Schedule:
Saturday: 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.
Parish Office Closed - Please note that the parish office will be closed, with only limited emergency services available from Monday, May 11 th to Monday, May 25th (inclusive). Regular office hours will resume on Tuesday, May 26 th.
2015 Donation Envelopes are in the Narthex - If you do not currently use donation envelopes
and wish to have a set assigned to you, please contact the Parish Office. Please do NOT use
envelopes from previous years, as your number may have changed.
Sacraments for Your Child - If your child is not Baptized and you wish for her or him to receive
the Sacraments, please call the Parish Office and we will assist you. Children MUST be Baptized
before receiving First Eucharist. If your child has been permitted to enter a Catholic School
without being Baptized, this is at the discretion of the school board. However, you must arrange for your child to receive the Sacrament of Baptism BEFORE they can receive any further
Sacraments within the Church, even if they are receiving preparation within their school. We
are happy to help! Please contact us as soon as possible to make arrangements.
HCDSB Walk with Jesus - The Halton Catholic District School Board is pleased to announce our
sixth annual WALK With JESUS, student walkathon in support of Catholic Education Week on
Thursday May 7. Students will exhibit a sense of community and solidarity in support of their
Catholicity and social justice as they walk from Bronte Provincial Park to Corpus Christi Catholic
Secondary School, at which point they will participate in Mass led by His Excellency Bishop
Crosby. An important social justice focus of our Walk With Jesus is to provide students with
fundraising opportunities in support of Catholic charitable commitments. This year the charitable funds will support the Halton Catholic Children’s Education Foundation, which is committed
to enhancing the educational experience and enriching the lives of students within our Catholic school communities. The participation of students from throughout the Halton Catholic District School Board community in our annual Walk With Jesus will demonstrate that “children
helping children” is an important and achievable goal of this board-wide initiative in support of
Catholic Education Week. Please keep us in your prayers on Thursday May 7.
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St. Mark Catholic School
Seussical is fast approaching!
It's almost time for Seussical! All the Grade 1-8 students are eagerly preparing for our upcoming
performances. We know it will be a wonderful production! Just as a reminder, here is the breakdown of which classes are performing on which night:
Tuesday, May 12 - 7:00pm, St. Mark Gym:
Mrs. Buffone, Mrs. Garchinkski, Ms. Anton, Mrs. Dreith, Mrs. Sheldrick, and Mrs. Barker
Thursday May 14- 7:00pm, St. Mark Gym:
Ms. Zrinscak, Mrs. Alderman, Mr. Tracey, Mr. Schneberk, Mr. Hawken, and Mrs. Schroeder
Each class is asked to please wear the following for the performance:

Mrs. Dreith and Mr. Schneberk: A plain, solid bright colour top, jeans, and running shoes.

Mrs. Garchinski and Mrs. Alderman: Plain black or brown pants with a plain brown or orange top and running shoes (preferably dark coloured).

Mrs. Anton and Mr. Tracey: All yellow and white clothing (i.e. White jeans and a yellow tshirt, a yellow dress with a white sweater, yellow shorts and a white shirt). Light coloured
shoes preferred but not necessary.

Mrs. Barker and Mrs. Schroeder: All black clothing. 1 or 2 beach/Hawaiian accessories (i.e.
A Hawaiian shirt, a lei, big sunglasses, etc.)

Mrs. Sheldrick and Mr. Hawken: All brown and black clothing, preferably more brown clothing items.

Mrs. Buffone and Ms. Zrinscak: A plain yellow or white top, black pants that are comfortable for dancing, and running shoes.
Students will need their costumes for the evening performance as well as the morning dress rehearsal on the day of their show. Please note that students are not required to wear make up for
the performance. Evening performances will begin at 7:00pm.
Students should arrive at the school by 6:30pm. Doors to the gym will open at that time.
Tickets will be sent home the week before the performance. Please note that while your tickets will
have numbers on them, there are no assigned seats. These numbers are purely for tracking purposes. If you requested extra tickets and this request was granted, you will be notified next week.
Looking forward to seeing you at Seussical!
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St. Mark Catholic School
Classroom placements for 2015-2016
The month of May is also a time when, as a staff, we look
ahead to June and begin preparing for the next school year.
Much thought and expertise goes into the creation of class lists
and the placement of students. For example, consideration is
given to each child’s diverse learning style, birth month, whether or not a child has been placed in a combined grade during
the previous school year, and the balance of genders across a
grade, where possible.
Please keep in mind sometimes in a small school combined grades are unavoidable. If you wish to share information regarding your child’s learning style or needs, please put your request in writing and direct your letter to my attention
and not the classroom teacher. While the teachers will endeavour to place a student with
at least one friend, classroom placement decisions are not based upon friendships, which
naturally evolve over time or on a preference for one teacher over another. Thank you in
advance for your trust in our professional judgement.
Moving?
If you are planning to move or have already moved please notify the school office as
soon as possible so that we may update our school records and get the appropriate forms
filled out.
A new Direction of School Support form must be filled out
showing your new address and the date of the move so that
your taxes will support the Catholic School Board. Otherwise,
by default, the support goes to the Public School system.
Also, if you have moved out of the St. Mark School boundary,
a Cross boundary form must be filled out and approved by
the Superintendent of Education/Principal. A Cross Boundary
form must be filled out and approved each school year.
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St. Mark Catholic School
EQAO, Grades 3 & 6
Similar to previous years, our Grade 3 and 6 students will participate in the Education Quality and Accountability Office
(EQAO) Primary and Junior Division assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics from May 25th to June 4th.
These EQAO assessments will continue to be administered to
all students in Grades 3 and 6. Students will be required to complete three test booklets: one mathematics booklet, one reading
booklet and one writing booklet. The types of questions in the booklets will be familiar to
your child as they are based on the kinds of work your child has been doing throughout the
year. The total amount of time that the students will spend on the testing will be six hours
that is generally spread over the course of three days. Sample questions can be viewed on
the EQAO website at www.eqao.com
We ask that you make every effort to avoid holidays during these days and to
try to make sure your children are in attendance each day during the assessment. In advance, we appreciate your efforts in scheduling appointments
around this block of time. The EQAO assessment results help us to continue to
improve the quality Catholic education offered to your children.
Eqao parent bulletin
EQAO has prepared a bulletin to help parents understand what their children can expect
during the administration of the Grade 3 and 6 assessments. You can access the bulletin
on “Parent Resources” section of the EQAO website www.eqao.com. This bulletin is also
available in 21 other languages on the web site.
Gr. 7 Religion assessment
The annual Grade 7 Year-end Religious Education Assessment will take place on May 19
and 20. An information letter will go home with our Grade 7 students shortly. The assessment focuses on the content of the Grade 7 religion program that is taught all year long.
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St. Mark Catholic School
Cobs “dough raiser” program
Do you love to shop at COBS Bread by Walkers Line & Hwy 5
(Headon Forest location)?
Now when you shop at COBS Headon Forest location (only) mention our school and 10% of your purchase
goes back to our school to help with fundraising! Tell your friends and family as well.
The more we promote/encourage people to mention St. Mark’s at the time of purchase,
the more money goes to our school!
See attached flyer.
Pasta dinner thank you’s
Parent Council would like to extend a big “Thank You” for all the support from our school community and
surrounding businesses for supporting this year’s Pasta Dinner & Raffle. From every raffle item donated to
every ticket purchased – we thank you for your generous contributions. Many local businesses also helped
by contributing donations products, services and/or gift certificates. All money raised through the Pasta
Dinner & Raffle goes towards funding programs and resources for our students – a very worthy cause!
Special Thanks to:
COBS Bread (Hwy 5 & Walkers) for donating the delicious dinner rolls
enjoyed at the Pasta Dinner.
Burlington Flowers (Upper Middle & Brant) for donating the
beautiful table flowers.
Gator Teds Restaurant
Longo’s
Sobeys
Fortinos
Roseland Bowl
Rock & Road Cycle
Brant Cycle
Mastermind
Mrs. Michelle’s Haircuts for Kids
Kicks for Kids
PRO Martial Arts
A Lyrical Body Pilates Studio
Rachelle Parent, local Pampered Chef Consultant
Pizza Pizza
Amazing Adventures
Lil’ Monkeys
Bob Ross, Tutor Bright
David William Photography
Atlantics Paper Company
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