Monthly Archives: April 2023

Dear Families,

Catholic Education Week: April 30th to May 5th

“We who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members, one of another.” (Romans 12:5)

This week we celebrate Catholic Education Week. This week is specially set aside to celebrate our Catholic schools and why the connection of home, school and parish is an important and integral part of Catholic education. This triad emphasizes for our children the reality of our wider Catholic community that collaborates on their faith formation and education.

This year’s Catholic Education Week theme is, “We Are Many, We Are One”.  At St. Aloysius, we continue to celebrate our school which defines itself on faith and mercy and embracing Jesus’ message of love. In our classes, we will be reflecting and exploring the 5 themes for each day of the week:

• When We See
• When We Listen
• When We Reflect
• When We Learn
• When We Act

We will also be marking this week with special school-wide activities. Stars, together, let’s spread the message that although we are many, we are ONE!

Thank you to St. Aloysius Church for your partnership in celebrating this week with us:

St. Mary’s Family of Schools Parent Night

Theme: “We’re in this together” Resources for Parenting in 2023

Parents/Guardians of students across all grades are invited to attend the Parent Engagement Night at St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School this Wednesday, May 3rd from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Parents/Guardians are able to choose a presentation or activity you are interested in. On site childcare services are available.

Here is a short list of sessions available:

• Supporting your teen in managing their anxiety
• Internet Safety/Internet Child Exploitation
• Cannabis and Vaping (health risks)
• Zumba/Dance fitness
• Anti-racism workshop…

If you are interested, please sign up using this link: St. Mary’s Parent Night Registration

Mental Health Week

As we also move into Mental Health Week, various resources can be found on the following websites:

• Canadian Mental Health Association: https://cmha.ca/mental-health-week/
• School Mental Health Ontario: https://smho-smso.ca/

In addition, our WCDSB Mental Health and Well-Being page continues to be updated with resources: https://www.wcdsb.ca/programs-and-services/mental-health-and-well-being/ . It is important to focus on our stories and how naming, expressing and dealing with our emotions are important actions to support our mental health and overall well-being.

Finally, as we head into the coming week together…

A Catholic Education Week Prayer

We are many, we are one; we all form one body in Christ.
Lord, when we see the one before us, let us reverence your presence within.
When we listen to one another, let us hear with our hearts.
When we reflect on each encounter, may we discern to understand.
When we learn from those around us, let us respect our differences with joy.
And, when we act, may we be kind and generous to all, for each person is a member of your body, with all that they are.
We are many, we are one.

Amen.

Let’s enjoy the week together, Stars!

Bus 116 (Red Bus) is running 10  20 minutes late today.

Dear Families,

Welcome to the last week of April! A big thank you to our classes for their efforts with school yard/community clean up for Earth Week. Many also took part in reflective activities as they thought about how we can do our part to support a greener and cleaner world. Let’s do our best to “make every day, earth day”, Stars!

Kindergarten Registration is still OPEN!

• Children born in 2019 are eligible for JK/Year 1 Kindergarten
• Children born in 2018 are eligible for SK/Year 2 Kindergarten
  • (Note: You do NOT need to re-register if your child is already at St. Aloysius School)

Once you have completed your online registration, please contact Mrs. Kozak at 519-893-5830 and she will be happy to help you finish your registration. Our school will be hosting a Welcome to Kindergarten Event on May 25th at 5:30 pm. All families who have registered a child will receive an invitation to attend. We can’t wait to meet our newest Stars!

Are You Moving for 2023-24 School Year?

Please let us know if you are moving or if you will not be returning to St. Aloysius School in September 2023. We are beginning preliminary planning for next year and this information is helpful with the process.

Administrative Professionals’ Day

This Wednesday, we say a huge THANK YOU to Mrs. Kozak and Mrs. Cranford on “Administrative Professionals’ Day”!  Behind every successful day at St. Aloysius School, they are there! Mrs. Kozak and Mrs. Cranford, you are the face of our schools and the first smile that our students and families see. Our students and staff go to you for everything they need. You keep us all humming along and we are so lucky to have you both! Happy Administrative Professionals’ Day!

Spirit Day Friday: “Dress Like a Storybook Character”

All students and staff are encouraged to dress like a character from your favorite storybook this Friday, April 28th. Could you be Thing 1 (or Thing 2), Harry Potter, Fancy Nancy, Superhero, etc.! The sky’s the limit for this spirit day!

Sacrament of Confirmation 

Please keep our Grade 7 students, their sponsors and their families in your prayers this week as they prepare to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation this Wednesday, April 26th at St. Aloysius Church. May the blessed spirit fill their hearts with love!

Have a wonderful week, Stars!!

Cross Country tryouts are cancelled this Wednesday and will resume Tuesday April 25th,

Dear Families:

“As stewards of God’s creation, we are called to make the Earth a beautiful garden for the human family” – Pope Francis

Earth Day

This Saturday, April 22nd is Earth Day! It is a day recognized by more than a billion people every year as a day of commitment to leading the change to a more sustainable lifestyle and relationship with the planet. This week at school, we will be engaging in lessons and activities to show our commitment as Catholics to stewardship of this earth we share. Join us this week in making simple choices that help protect our earth. Bring a reusable water bottle to school, use reusable containers, recycle, walk, or ride when you can, and reduce water consumption. Stars, let’s do our part and come together to help our planet!

Spring Weather

Our weather can be unpredictable at this time of year. Please be sure to check the forecast each morning to be prepared for the day. This includes hats and sunscreen on hot and sunny days and coats/jackets when the weather will be rainy or cool. Thanks!

Cake Walk Fundraiser

Families are invited to send in your loose change to support our Cake Walk Fundraiser this week! Thank you!

PD Day – Friday, April 21st

Just a kind reminder that this Friday, April 21st is a Professional Development Day for all staff. There is no school for students. The Extended Day Program will be CLOSED on Friday as all staff will be participating in common professional learning activities for the day.

Have a great week, Stars!

The Lord is risen! Let us lift up our gaze, remove the veil of sadness and sorrow from our eyes, and open our hearts to the hope that God brings! ~ Pope Francis

We hope all of our families enjoyed a blessed Easter Sunday filled with new hope and happiness and that your spirits have been renewed. As you continue to give thanks during this blessed Easter season, we pray the hearts of you and your loved ones are filled with peace, joy, and God’s love.

Some updates for the week ahead…

April is Intrinsic Motivation

This month for our Umbrella skill we are excited to be focusing our energy on Intrinsic Motivation. Intrinsic Motivation is motivation that comes from inside you instead of from external rewards like money or grades. It’s the pleasure you get from doing something because it is interesting, challenging and absorbing. When we are intrinsically motivated we do activities simply for enjoyment, and we don’t worry as much about the reward at the end. In fact, being intrinsically motivated ultimately  increases our well-being and our success at the end of the day.

Building intrinsic motivation is about helping our children find enjoyment and reward in the process of achieving their goals. You can use goal setting to help your child build this important skill by encouraging them to set proximal, self-directed goals. Proximal means that the goal being set is close to where they currently are. It’s the next small step needed to get to a bigger goal. Self-directed means that our children are choosing the steps in the process for themselves instead of having us tell them what to do next. ~ Dr. Jen

WCDSB Extended Day Program

The program is within our schools for children from Kindergarten to grade 6 & provides children with opportunities to expand their knowledge through a variety of activities. Children will be exposed to situations that will stimulate their curiosity, independence, and communication skills. The Extended Day Programs are delivered by teams of Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) who are members of the College of Early Childhood Educators. They are dedicated to providing faith-based, quality, educational programming. Pre-registration is now open for the 2023-24 school year.

WCDSB Extended Day Program

St. Aloysius Church 

• Easter Liturgy: Our school community will celebrate our risen Lord together in an Easter Liturgy this Thursday morning at 10:45 am. Alleluia!
• Celebration of First Holy Communion: Please keep our Grade 2 students in your hearts and prayers as they prepare to celebrate their first Communion this Saturday at 10:00 am. Blessings to our little ones!

Have a wonderful week, Stars! See you tomorrow!

Please order now for May pizza through School Cash Online. You must order before April 30, 2023

Dear Families,

Today, we celebrate Palm Sunday (also called Passion Sunday) and begin a very special week in our faith, Holy Week. Holy Week is a time when we celebrate in a special way the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We remember Jesus’ actions, reflect on His message, and recommit to living as Jesus’ disciples in the world today. At school, we will be commemorating Holy Week by engaging in prayer and reflection, and through our continued sharing of the story, “Benjamin’s Box”.

What is the Triduum?

The Triduum is the three days commemorating the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Holy Thursday is the day of the last supper and it was also the First Holy Communion, as it was the first time that Jesus turned bread and wine into His body and blood.

Good Friday is when we remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus. It is called good because we remember that Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to die for us.

Holy Saturday is a vigil day; a day of waiting and watching for something to happen. It is the day before Easter where Jesus lay in the tomb.

Mrs. O’Meara and Mrs. Nadeau’s classes will be leading our Holy Thursday Stations of the Cross presentation on April 6th. Please ask your child(ren) about this wonderful experience of faith.

Due to the holidays for Good Friday and Easter Monday, there will be no school on Friday, April 7th or Monday, April 10th. We will look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Tuesday, April 11th.

May the blessings of Easter be with you and your families, Stars!