<p>St. Mary Catholic School April, 2016 Newsletter Principal: Mrs. C. Hryhorsky Oakville Trustees Vice-Principal: Mrs. L. Boulos Mr. A. Danko Secretary: Mrs. L. Pavao Mrs. H. Karabela Office Assistant: Miss S. Pusic Mr. P. Marai Special Education: Mr. D. Sebastian (ext. 1017) Mr. A. Quinn Mrs. E. Carey </p><p>ADMINISTRATOR’S MESSAGE</p><p>Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples.</p><p>Matthew 28. 5-7</p><p>As April begins we find ourselves immersed in the Easter Season. As Catholics, we are offered an opportunity to participate in the rich traditions embedded in the celebration of the Last Supper, the crucifixion and death of our Lord and ultimately, in the joy of His resurrection. Abiding joy is the attitude of an ‘Easter People’, who live with the reality of ultimate triumph.</p><p>During these days our liturgical rituals draw us deeply into the transformative power of Christ’s death and resurrection. Triduum was a time of retreat for the entire church community, a time to spend with God unlike any other. We looked forward to the renewal of our baptismal vows at the Easter Vigil, and to the life- giving water that enveloped the new community members. For our children, these are the faith traditions that draw them into a deeper understanding of the rich symbolism that is theirs for the taking.</p><p>So during this Easter Season, may you be abundantly blessed with the warmth of the springtime and joyously sing, “Alleluia”! </p><p>FIRST COMMUNION</p><p>Please join us in offering prayers for our beautiful Grade 2’s as they prepare for the reception of their First Holy Communion. This very special celebration will take place at St. Matthew’s Church at both 10:30 am and 2:30 pm on Saturday, April 9th. A very special thank you to our Parish Assistant Mrs. Joanne Montague, Fr. Mark Gatto and Fr. Dave Walter as well as to Mr. Hogervorst, Miss Franklin, Mrs. DeSantis, Mme. Quinn and Mrs. Parabello-Orsini for all their work preparing our young ones for this special occasion. </p><p>We look forward to seeing our little ones join their families in the reception of the Eucharist each Sunday at mass.</p><p>CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL</p><p>The next meeting of our Catholic School Council will take place on Monday, April 4th from 6:30 pm—8:00 pm in the school library. All are welcome to attend.</p><p>COUNCIL CORNER ~ PARENT ENGAGEMENT</p><p>Parent Council Corner – April 2016 Top 10 Reasons you will want to attend Paul Davis’ SOCIAL NETWORKING SAFETY Presentation</p><p>1. It’s a FREE presentation by Paul Davis, who has 26+ years of IT knowledge and expertise to help educate children and empower parents on the topic of Social Networking Safety. Guaranteed, you will learn something new and even eye-opening! 2. Topics include: Cyberbullying, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Texting, Gaming, photo sharing and much more. You will hear about the potential dangers out there so you can safe guard your children and yourselves. 3. It is an IMPORTANT OBLIGATION for us as parents to teach our kids how to be smart about social media. For our children, social media is an essential part of their lives, just like landline telephones were important to us at their age. It is our job as parents to stay current and know the good things about social media and also the potential dangers so we can guide our children in the right direction. 4. It’s a great way to be involved in your child’s education and meet other parents in our school community. 5. This presentation got rave reviews from parents who attended last year. Many thought this presentation should be a must attend for all parents. 6. Enjoy some complimentary coffee and treats. 7. You could WIN an iPAD! 8. FREE child care, if required, will be provided in the gym, supervised by the Parent Council and School Volunteers. 9. It’s easy to RVSP! Complete the registration attached to this Newsletter and send it back to the school in your child’s agenda. Or, drop it off at the school office. 10. You will leave the presentation with a sense of empowerment and will tell your friends and other parents what a fantastic presentation it was. You will also pat yourself on the back for not missing out on the knowledge you will gain...and possibly walk away with a free iPAD!</p><p>Mark Thursday, April 21st, 7pm-9pm in your calendar. We hope to see you there!</p><p> RSVP for Paul Davis – Social Networking Safety Presentation</p><p> YES, I will attend! I want to be involved in my child’s education and learn more about Social Networking Safety. Name(s): ______</p><p>Email: ______Phone: ______</p><p>Childcare required for ______# of children; Ages: ______</p><p>ROSARY APOSTOLATE ~ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED</p><p>The Rosary Apostolate at St. Mary School is a wonderful way to foster a spirit of prayer in our children and inspire them to love God and Mary by teaching them to pray the Rosary! Our volunteers pray the Rosary (or a part of it) with every student in their respective classrooms, once a month, from October to May. Due to health issues and job constraints, several of our Rosary Visitors have had to quit and we are in serious need of new volunteers. If you have a devotion to Our Mother Mary, and are willing to visit your local school to pray the Rosary with students once a month from October to May for about 2 hours per visit, we truly need your help. Training will be provided. </p><p>If you can give your time and become part of our team, please contact Ellen Dean at [email protected] or call (905) 469-6581. Mother Mary is counting on your help.</p><p>PA DAY ~ NO SCHOOL ~ APRIL 8 TH AND APRIL 22 ND </p><p>On both Friday, April 8th as well as Friday, April 22nd there will be no school for our student, as all…school staff will be involved in Professional Development opportunities designed to support student learning.</p><p>ASSISTANCE FOR REFUGEES</p><p>The Halton Catholic District School Board was recently awarded a grant from the Ex Corde Foundation of the Diocese of Hamilton, established by Bishop Crosby in 2011. This grant is to be used to support our refugee students and families that are in need of financial assistance. If you or anyone you know is in need of such support, please contact Carmen Condo, Consultant in the Settlement and Multicultural Services department at the main board office: (905) 632-6300</p><p>WE ARE SCENT AWARE</p><p>Please be kind and consider the scent you use in perfume and cologne and other products when coming to St. Mary. When large groups of children and adults share a relatively confined building, those who are here all day can become sensitive to scents in the air. If you are planning on coming into our building, we would appreciate your kindness in helping us reduce the scents within our school and helping us to keep the air clear for those who find breathing difficult. As always, we appreciate your support!</p><p>MOTHER GOOSE ARRIVES AT St. Mary!</p><p>For the fourth year in a row, our mascot Mother and Father Goose (Mary and Joseph) have once again chosen to nest in our front area underneath the office window. As per their usual visit, we have set up pylons and re-routed busses while Mary nests for the next 30 days or so. Once the goslings have hatched, the geese will remain for only 24 hours and then vacate the school property to find a body of water where they will remain.</p><p>Our students have always been highly respectful of the opportunity to watch the life cycle of these geese and to see the goslings hatch. Their stewardship of creation has been one of the reasons for our capturing Gold Eco School status each year since our opening in 2012. We ask that you respect their domain by staying outside of the pylons set up to ensure they are not disturbed. Geese will become agitated if they sense we are too close and over the years we have given them the respect of keeping away from the nesting area.</p><p>Please do not walk across the front of the school near the office windows. Use the sidewalk on Colonel William to walk from one side of the school to the other. Please ensure, as we do, that all children are with an adult keeping clear of the nesting area.</p><p>Pizza Day</p><p>Due to the inclement weather and school closure on Thursday, March 24th, we will have an extra pizza day on Wednesday, April 13th, 2016. </p><p>SEAC SOUNDByTES Raising awareness of the Special Education process at HCDSB April 2016</p><p>MENTAL HEALTH AND SPECIAL EDUCATION</p><p>Children in today’s society face many stresses from a variety of sources that could have an impact on their social and emotional development and academic performance at school.</p><p>Children with special education needs may be at greater risk for mental health issues given the complexity of their needs and challenges across many areas of functioning. In 2007, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education began focusing and collaborating on student mental health and well-being at school. Today, many schools have adopted strategies to help students who are impacted by stressful life events to deal affectively with their challenges. HCDSB has implemented school based mental health teams who seek to improve the quality of life for our student’s at risk and to improve the general climate of schools. Teachers, principals and support staff are provided with the information they need to support students with mental health problems through early recognition and effective classroom strategies. For a student with an IEP, these strategies may be included in their special education program.</p><p>If you are concerned about your child in terms of his/her negative thinking, feelings, mood and/ or ability to relate to others then you are encouraged to speak to your child’s teacher and/or Special Education Teacher. Together, you and your child’s educators can put a plan in place to address these concerns.</p><p>For further information on mental health in education please refer to “Supporting Minds - An Educators Guide to Promoting Students’ Mental Health and Well-being”.</p><p>Submitted by Rhonda Quesnel, SEAC Member representing VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children April 2016 “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples.” Matthew 28. 5-7 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2</p><p>Mass 5:00 p.m.</p><p>3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Catholic School Gr. 2 First Mass: 9:00 a.m. Council Meeting @ Communion 10:30 a.m. 6:30pm in the P.A. Day 10:30 am and 12:00 p.m. Library (No school) 2:00 pm @ St. 7:00 p.m. Matthew Parish Lunch Lady Pizza Day Mass 5:00 p.m.</p><p>10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Mass: 9:00 a.m. . 10:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Mass 5:00 p.m. Lunch Lady Pizza Day Pizza Day </p><p>17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Mass: 9:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Paul Davis 12:00 p.m. Internet Safety Mass 5:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm P.A. Day (No school) Lunch Lady Pizza Day</p><p>24 25 26 27 28 29 30</p><p>Earth Day Assembly @ 1:15pm in the Lunch Lady Pizza Day gym </p>