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2. school

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School
NEWSLETTER –FEBRUARY 2015
287 Imperial Road South, Guelph, Ontario, N1K 1Z4
Phone: (519) 821-9160, Fax: (519) 821-5296
Attendance Line: (519) 821-9169
Dear Parents/Guardians:
THE MISSION OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
We the staff and students of St. Francis School
will strive to grow spiritually, socially and
intellectually in our faith community providing
an atmosphere for learning that is safe, attractive,
pleasant and educational.
Central to our existence is the student. Nurturing
and guidance will help each child to develop
dignity and self-worth while exposing them to a
variety of experiences promoting skills and
talents and an appreciation of the uniqueness of
self and others.
We invite parents to be our partners to make the
vision of child as gift a reality and to foster in
each student a life-long love of learning.
We acknowledge our commitment to the
community, working together with parish and
home to mould young minds into future leaders
of society exemplifying a life of Christian
values.
In an atmosphere of mutual respect and support
we will encourage the development of each
other’s unique gifts from God, promoting
professional growth and sharing as educators of
youth.
Viewing ourselves as valued members of St.
Francis of Assisi School, we trust in the security
and acceptance of our school family, openly
taking risks without fear of ridicule.
The common thread weaving through our
curriculum is our Catholic Christian values
providing perspective and direction in our daily
lives.
Full Day Kindergarten Registration for the
2015/2016 school year took place last week. We
encourage any families that have not registered to
please do so. Please feel free to call the school if
you require additional information. With the colder
temperatures we have been experiencing, we would
like to remind all in the community that students
need to come to school dressed appropriately for the
weather. In the winter season this means: a winter
coat, hat, mitts, boots, and snow pants for students
that enjoy playing in the snow. We also ask that
parents continue to make a conscious effort to ensure
that their children are arriving to school on time.
When students arrive late, it is very disruptive to the
learning process.
A reminder that there will be No School on Monday,
February 16 (Family Day). Report Cards will be
sent home on Tuesday, February 10th and
Interviews will take place on Thursday, February
12th. Interviews will take place from 3:40 until
6:40 p.m. Please contact the office to schedule an
interview.
The staff and students would like to welcome back
Mrs. Beth Smith from maternity leave to Grade 1/2.
As we say goodbye to Ms. Contini, a special thanks
is extended to her on behalf of our entire school
community for her dedication to our staff and
students.
We have scheduled a number of wonderful activities
for our students during the month of February.
Please see the attached calendar. We hope all of our
families enjoy some quality time together on the
upcoming Family Day.
Mr. C. Malone, Principal
CATHOLICITY
FIRST RECONCILIATION &
FIRST COMMUNION
A parent meeting for First
Reconciliation and First
Communion was held on
January 20th at 7:00 p.m. at
St. Joseph’s Church. Our
Grade 2 students will
receive their First
Reconciliation on Saturday, March 7th at 1:00 p.m.
and their First Communion on Saturday, May 2nd
at 2:00 p.m. Please keep our students in your
prayers as they prepare for these sacraments.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
Thank you to all the intermediate
boys who came out for the 2015
basketball tryouts! It was evident
that everyone tried their absolute hardest, and
although we couldn’t pick everyone, the choices were
very difficult. Your hard work and dedication will
continue to pay off throughout the season. We wish
all the members of the team good luck in their games,
and tournament on February 25th.
Mr. McDonald
The Mathletes will be flexing their problem solving
muscles on Tuesday, February 17th as they write the
North American Math League Contest!
Good luck to our Mathletes!
Mrs. Gallant and Mr. Langella
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Dear Parents,
On February 13th there will be a Valentines
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAM
Congratulations to the following girls who made this
year’s basketball team:
Teagan K.
Andrea K.
Amber C.
Kate H.
Jordan S.
Raine M.
Arianna M.
Meaghan D.
Nadia M.
Melissa V.
Angela T.
Marissa L.
Kylie B.
Elizha C.
We wish our girls'
basketball team the best of
luck in their upcoming
games and tournament on
February 24th. Go
Falcons!
dance for all students
from JK-8. We are
asking for a $2 donation
to get in and all the
money raised will go
towards buying goats
for families in need
through Free the Children. When we are doing
this we are giving an alternative income to a
family. We are so blessed and we can give back
to our other brothers and sisters
around the world. Our goal is to
raise 1 goat per class. 15 goats
would change the lives of so
many people who need our help!
So on February 13th please bring
in $2 or more to help those in
need.
Together we can create change!
Ashley B. & Angelica C. (Gr.6)
CHICOPEE TUBE PARK
On February 23rd, 2015, the
Junior and Intermediate divisions
have the opportunity to
participate in a fun filled day of
tubing at Chicopee Tube Park.
Chicopee Tube Park provides a
safe Snow-Sliding activity and is an ideal introduction
to winter sports. It provides students with the
opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the winter in a
new and exciting way. Students are reminded to
dress for cold winter weather!
EQAO TESTING
Students in Grade 3 and Grade 6 will be offered
their assessments in reading, writing and
mathematics through EQAO testing from May 25th
to June 5th. For more information, please visit
www.eqao.com .
PANCAKE TUESDAY
Shrove Tuesday, also known as
Pancake Tuesday, is the last day
before the start of the Lenten
Season. On Tuesday, February
17th, St. Francis will be taking
part in Shrove Tuesday and
parent volunteers will be
cooking pancakes for our students. If you are available
and would like to help out with Pancake Tuesday,
please contact Debbie at 519-823-1186. Thank you in
advance for your support!
POLICE CHECKS
The Best Practices in Volunteer Screening Program is a
program of the Volunteer Centre of
Guelph/Wellington and delivered in agreement with
the City of Guelph and in partnership with the Guelph
Police Service. It allows individuals engaging in
identified volunteer roles to obatin PVSCs from the
Guelph Police Service free of charge. Volunteers will
obtain a letter from the school, which includes an
authorization number for the particular position, and
present this letter to the Guelph Police Service.
If your interested in volunteering at the school, please
contact the school office to obtain a letter.
A special thank you to our many parents who have
offered to volunteer and assist at
the school, during the months of
September to January. Thank
you so much!!! Your time and
efforts are very much
appreciated.
EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM SURVEY
A reminder, for Parents/Guardians
of children enrolled in JK/SK, and
Grade One to Six in 2015, to
complete the Extended Day
Program Survey that was sent
home with your child. The survey
will only take a few minutes to
complete. All surveys are due to
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the office by Friday, February 13 , 2015. Viability of
this program is dependent on enough parent interest.
Thank you for providing this useful information. You
can also access the survey online at:
www.wellingtoncdsb.ca/extendedcare
PIANO LESSONS
Piano lessons continue to be
offered at the school by
Nancy King. Nancy is a
friendly and very
experienced teacher. She has
her ARCT from the Royal
Conservatory of Music in
Toronto and a BA from York University. She
teaches all levels of piano and theory. To
register for lessons please contact her at (519)
824-0872. For more information please visit her
website at www.lets-play-piano.com Please note
space is limited!
~ Attention Grade 8’s ~
St. Joseph Sports Youth Group
Greetings St. Francis of Assisi Students and Staff. The
St. Joseph’s Sports Youth Group has a busy February.
We have our annual winter retreat at St. Brigid’s Villa
in Guelph all day Saturday February 7th. Emily Orlando
is our guest speaker. There are many activities
planned indoors and
outdoors. There is movie
night in the St. Joseph’s Parish
Hall on Saturday, February
21st starting at 6:30 pm. The
one hour movie is about St.
Francis of Assisi the patron
saint of your school! The youth group regular sessions
in the gym are scheduled for February 6th, 13th and
27th from 7 pm to 9 pm.
Brent and Wendy Pickering
519-837-8209
[email protected]
LAST CALL…
STUDENT ACTIVITY FLYERS
We have several student activity flyers
available at the Main Office. If your
child is interested in any of these
activities and/or sports, please have
them come to the office.
Currently, we have the following:
 Children and Youth Winter
Programs 2015
~ Wellington Centre for Continuing Education
 Parkwood Gardens Neighbourhood Group
 Emergency Health Services:
– Home Alone, Canadian Red Cross People
Savers Course and Babysitting Course
…for St. Francis Falcons
Spirit Wear Orders.
Please submit your order
form, along with payment
to the office by Monday,
February 2nd.
Stay Well Month
Reduce the risk of serious infections - proper hand-washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick.
Stay home when you are sick and limit contact with others -Children should not be in school with a fever,
undiagnosed rashes, vomiting, or diarrhea and should stay at home at least 24 hours following the end of symptoms.
Cover your mouth and nose - when you sneeze or cough; use a tissue or the bend of your elbow.
You can prevent many serious illnesses by keeping immunizations up-to-date for
you and your children. Call 1-800-265-7293 for more information.
MY .2 CENTS
Mike McCuen child and youth worker
Do you have a child that kicks and screams whenever they don’t get their own way, or do you find
yourself in an arguing match with your teenager every time you ask them to do something? If you
answered yes then you have entered the realm of the all mighty power struggle.
Power struggles often end up with both parents and children getting overly frustrated and exhausted. This can be a
great waste of time and energy so here are some ideas that you can try in an attempt to avoid these situations.
Compromise
Compromise has a place in parenting. When enforcing the rules you do not always have to play the tyrant.
You are allowed to give in on small points. Then when the big problems come, you can stick to your
principles without the child feeling that you are never flexible. Compromising with your children does not
necessarily make them think that you are weak or can be easily swayed. It shows them that you use your
mind to weigh the merits of each individual situation and it facilitates problem-solving skills.
Positive Language
Power struggles often initiate when a child hears the word no or is told that they are not allowed to do something. So
say yes or give them permission on your terms. Here is an example:
Child: “Mom can I go outside to
play”
Mom: “No you haven’t cleaned
your room”
Positive
Child: “Mom can I go outside to
play”
Mom: “Yes you can POSITIVE
once your
room has been cleaned”
Offer Choices
Negative behaviours can become very manageable through giving your children the opportunity to make
choices and treating them with respect. There will always be power struggles between parent and child;
however, building character comes from learning to negotiate what you want and by taking another person’s
perspective into account. You can teach this to your kids through daily examples that show them how to
successfully give and take. Choices are critical to help children deal with information and make positive
decisions. This is a skill they will need all their life and you as parents can help them develop this ability.
On Wednesday February 18, Mike McCuen our Child and Youth Worker is offering the
opportunity for parent meetings from 9:30 to 1:30. These will be private appointments. If
you are interested in meeting with Mike, please contact him at
[email protected] to book an appointment.
Talking About Mental Health
February, 2015
“Wellington Catholic Speaks Up!”
At this time of year many people commit to making a
change. We decide to exercise more, or to simplify our
lives, or to work more effectively. But how do we know
if our efforts are successful?
For some changes we can rely on
impressions or opinion: If making
a weekly menu makes supper
time less chaotic, feeling less
stressed is enough evidence that
the plan is working. For other
types of changes you will want
proof that your efforts are
successful. You might rely on the
bathroom scale to tell you if your
weight-loss program is working.
Or your bank account to tell you if
your budget is helping your
savings grow.
“When it comes to
building mentally
healthy schools or
creating safe,
inclusive school
communities, we
absolutely must
know if our efforts
are successful
because we are
dealing with the
emotional wellbeing of young
people.”
In some situations, it is imperative
that we carefully and objectively
assess the effectiveness of what
we do. When a change or
program is expensive, time
consuming, requires the effort of
many people, or, more
importantly, when it involves
children, youth, or vulnerable populations, we have a
moral and ethical obligation to make certain what we
are doing works.
When it comes to building mentally healthy schools or
creating safe, inclusive school communities, we
absolutely must know if our efforts are successful
because we are dealing with the emotional well-being
of young people.
This winter, Wellington Catholic will launch a new
survey to do just that. It is called “Wellington Catholic
Speaks Up!” We are currently partnering with
researchers from the University of Guelph to develop a
customized survey that will be used to assess school
climate, mental health and well-being, and the success
of our programs to promote mental health, wellbeing, and social and emotional competence.
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The week of March 2 to 6 , every school will
be asking its staff, students, and parents to
complete the survey. The data will be compiled,
analyzed, and shared with staff, students, and
parents either late this year or early next. It will
be studied by the Board and by school
leadership teams to determine what is working
and what needs changing. Changes to next
year’s school plans will be informed by your
feedback this year.
This first year, your ratings will provide an
important baseline. By repeating the survey
each year we will keep our fingers on the pulse
of our programs and their effects. And in future
years, individual schools will be invited to
include questions about their own programs or
projects so that they can tailor their initiatives to
the feedback from their own school
communities.
So mark your calendars for “Wellington Catholic
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Speaks Up!” March 2 to 6 , and wait for information
from your school on how to participate. Make sure
your voice gets heard, because we want to know what
works!
Dr. Brenda Kenyon is the Mental Health Lead for
Wellington Catholic District School Board.
OR
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FAMILY DAY -- MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2015
TWO LOCATIONS -- FREE ADMISSION
DONATIONS FOR TRAILS AND THE NEW
NATURE CENTRE COMPLEX WELCOME
GUELPH LAKE NATURE CENTRE - 11AM TO 2PM
ROCKWOOD CONSERVATION AREA - 9AM TO DUSK
YOU CAN ALSO JOIN US AT ROCKWOOD CONSERVATION AREA SUNDAY, FEB. 15 @6:30PM FOR A HOOT-N-HOWL HIKE & CAMPFIRE!
SKATING • HORSE-DRAWN SLEIGH RIDES
CAMPFIRE • DOG SLEDDING* • CROSS COUNTRY SKIING*
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ICE FISHING* • MUCH, MUCH MORE! * AVAILABLE ONLY AT GUELPH LAKE NATURE CENTRE
TRY SOMETHING NEW IN NATURE, DISCOVER ROCKWOOD AND LEARN MORE ABOUT
PLANS FOR OUR NEW GUELPH LAKE NATURE CENTRE COMPLEX, TO OPEN IN 2017
FOR MORE INFO: WWW.GRANDRIVER.CA/EVENTS OR CALL 519-621-2763 X2251
GUELPH LAKE NATURE CENTRE • 7677 CONSERVATION ROAD, GUELPH
ROCKWOOD CONSERVATION AREA • 161 FALLS ST. S., ROCKWOOD
Catholic Parent Involvement Commi?ee (CPIC) Parent to Parent
February 2015
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasMng may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasMng may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” MaNhew 6:16-­‐18 SHROVE TUESDAY February 17th Volunteers are needed to help make and serve pancakes to the students. If you can lend a hand, please contact Debbie at 519-­‐823-­‐1186 . ASH WEDNESDAY February 18th Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. What are you giving up for Lent? HELP MAKE OUR PATH SAFE
FAMILY DAY -­‐ Monday, February 16th Winterfest acQviQes in Guelph can be found at this link. Winterfest acQviQes are organized by community and neighbourhood groups and supported by the City of Guelph and Guelph Neighbourhood Support CoaliQon. www.guelph.ca/seasonal/winterfest The Pathway up to St. Francis from Stephanie Drive needs to be maintained to promote safe walking to school. Since this is City property we need to bring this to their aNenQon. Please help by calling the City of Guelph Parks Maintenance or our City Councillors. Parks & Rec Telephone: 519-­‐837-­‐5628 Parks & Rec Email: [email protected] Ward 4 Councillors: [email protected] [email protected] Thursday, May 28th !
Falcon Family Fun Fest!!!!
Follow our Parent Community on Facebook!
Link: h?p://Enyurl.com/lfce73u Or search:
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC Scan for our SCHOOL GUELPH – PARENT COMMUNITY Facebook page Next Parent Council Meeting
Wednesday, February 25 6:30 p.m. in the Faith Centre
All are welcome!