April 2016 - Halton Catholic District School Board
Transcription
April 2016 - Halton Catholic District School Board
ST. MATTHEW CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 1050 Nottinghill Gate Oakville , Ontario L6M 2G3 Phone : 905-847-0088 Fax : 905-847-1014 www.hcdsb.org/matt/pages/newsletter.aspx APRIL 2016 PRINCIPAL: MRS. A. KORITKO SECRETARY: MRS. S. VARRICCHIO OFFICE ASSISTANT: MRS. M. BROPHY SUPERINTENDENT: MR. C. CIPRIANO ST. MATTHEW PARISH: FR. MARK GATTO (905) 825-0219 “ALWAYS TOGETHER IN CHRIST” 2015 report card data, concentrating on planning and organizing in writing. ADMINISTRATOR’S MESSAGE We hope you were able to share a prayerful Lent and now with spring in the air and the warmer weather coming our way we are reminded of new life and new beginnings. As we continue to celebrate the Easter season we share these new beginnings within our school community. The Catholic Social Teaching for this month is Promotion of Peace which will be facilitated by our Gr. 2 staff and students. By June 2016 we will increase by 10% the number of students achieving a score of 30 on Open Response questions in the 2016 EQAO assessment by focusing on selecting appropriate evidence from the text and schema in order to effectively communicate their understanding. Our learning skill and work habits will focus on independent work. The four work habits which we will address in more detail each morning are: 1. Identifies, gathers, evaluates, and uses information, technology, and resources to complete tasks. 2. Independently monitors, assesses, and revises plans to complete tasks and meet goals. 3. Uses class time appropriately to complete tasks 4. Follows instructions with minimal supervision. By June 2016 report card, 90% of our Level 1, 2 and 3 students will improve their achievement in mathematics, by 1/3 of a level, as measured by report card data To provide a minimum of two opportunities by June 2016 for students to engage in 21st Century Learning through the use of inquiry based tasks that emphasize Critical Thinking. Bullying Awareness by June 2016, we will increase by 25% the number of students who actively implement bullying awareness strategies through Tier 1 approaches as measured through the PALS pre- and post- surveys and the data from the Tell Them From Me survey. Special Education by June 2016, a Student Success Model of Response to Intervention will be implemented for school wide use. By June 2016 100% of the staff will know and use it. Extended French - 100% of Extended French students will speak French for 120 minutes / day, excluding questions for clarification of subject matter, by June 2016 Please see the attachment to the newsletter for the final SIP goal. It is described in detail. Our school community continues to remain focused on our School Improvement Plan and our staff remains committed to ensuring that our EQAO results show improvement. In September we developed our School Improvement Plan with staff from FDK to Grade 8. During our monthly staff meetings, divisional meetings and professional learning team sessions our staff use student work and benchmark assessments to create instructional pathways for instruction throughout the school year. Teacher moderation allows for staff to assess student work and to develop the necessary teaching/learning strategies needed to ensure the improvement of student learning. In November we revisited our school improvement plan to ensure we were in line with our goals. We have made some adjustments as we continue to see great improvement in our students in all areas of learning. St. Matthew Catholic School Improvement Plan includes the following: By June 2016 report card, 90% of our Levels 1, 2 and 3 students will advance 1/3 of a level in their achievement in writing as compared to the June We thank you for your continued support as we work together as a Catholic School community to meet the needs of all of our students. LET’S CELEBRATE OAKVILLE PUBLIC SPEAKING FINALS Congratulations to Farrell Tunney who put forth an outstanding effort as she represented St. Matthew Catholic School at the HCDSB English Public Speaking Finals. NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK The week of April 11 – 15 is National Volunteer Week. In appreciation of all the hard work and dedication shown by our volunteers, St. Matthew Catholic School would like to thank all our parent volunteers. We will be celebrating our volunteers at our school mass on Wednesday, April 13 at 9:00 a.m. at which time Father Mark Gatto will bless our special people. This will be followed by a Volunteer Reception at the school. Volunteers plant the seeds of kindness. Thank you for all of the kindness you spread at St. Matthew Catholic School. STUDENT RECOGNITION—AWARD OF EXCELLENCE Each year, every school in the Halton Catholic District School Board recognizes one student who has demonstrated the importance of being a Catholic school student. The student is chosen by the staff of the school and is one who has demonstrated an excellent attitude and demonstrates Catholic values on a daily basis. This student is an individual who exhibits strong school spirit and is a builder of school community. This year we are pleased to say our recipient is Celeste O’Brien. She will be honoured at the Board ceremony on April 25, 2016 at Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School, Burlington. Congratulations Celeste! SPIRIT OF INCLUSION The staff and students of St. Matthew Catholic School are proud to have nominated Daniel Dickson for the Spirit of Inclusion Award for the Halton Catholic School Board. Daniel is recognized for his constant willingness to assist other students who are in need. His bright smile lightens the classroom and hallways of St. Matthew Catholic School. Thank you Daniel for including others in all you do at our school. Extended French Public Speaking We wish all of the best to the following students who will represent us on April 6 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School for the French Public Speaking: FSL Arielle Chan Extended Junior Alisa Kiss Extended Intermediate Jessica Smart French Immersion Celeste O’Brien FSL+ Min Joon Kim JUMP ROPE FOR HEART Our Jump Rope for Heart Fundraiser is approaching. This has always been a very successful program at St. Matthew Catholic School and our students have raised significant funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation over the years. All students in FDK- Gr. 6 will participate in Jump Rope for Heart and our Gr. 7 and 8 students will participate in Hoops for Heart on Friday, May 13 as part of their Physical Education program. Information and envelopes will be sent home. We are looking forward to another successful campaign and your continued support is always appreciated. Thank you to Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Stollberg for coordinating this most worthwhile event. BATTLE OF THE BOOKS Our Junior and Senior Battle of the Books teams have been working diligently since January to prepare for the battle which will take place at the Oakville Public Library. Our Junior team which consists of players from grades 3 to 5 will compete on Monday, April 4th, and our Senior team from grades 6 to 8 will compete on Thursday, April 7th. Junior team members from Grade 3-5: Daniel Duff, David S., Jin R., Irelyn F., Emma B., Anabella B., Katie B., Amani B., and Kyle S. Senior team members from Grade 6-8: Ethan C., Evika T., Carlee M., Caitlin B., Ben S., Victoria P., Jessica S., Michelle R., and Celeste O. Thank you to Ms. Hinton and Mme Campese for working with our students. ECO TEAM FOCUS ON FAITH Earth Day has become Earth Month at St. Matthew Catholic School! Once again, we would like to thank all of our hardworking Eco-team members who help keep our school clean and green every day. The Waste-Free Wild Days program continues to be successful as students are getting better at placing waste in the proper bins. Remember to continue to pack litterless lunches everyday! As we approach Earth Day on April 22nd, we will begin by having our Earth Hour on April 1st from 12:30-1:30 p.m. The Grades 3-8 will have a special author, Mark Newman, in on April 6th. He uses a graphic novel format to teach about the problems of invasive species in our Great Lakes and how we can help protect our water systems. Earth Week will consist of a series of events, including a community clean up and an assembly. Stay tuned for more information! BOOK FAIR The St. Matthew Library Wizards will be working hard throughout April to bring the book fair back to our school! This year the fair will take place during Catholic Education Week, and will be open Monday, May 2nd – Thursday, May 5th. FDK and Primary students will have the opportunity to view the display and write a wish list before coming to purchase as a class, and all other students will be able to come and visit at lunch and recesses. Parents are also very welcome, and the library will remain open until 8:00p.m. on Wednesday May 4th for those who wish to stop by. Come on out and show your support! UNSTOPPABLE GIRLS ON THE GO The girls running group is back for the Spring 2016 program! It is open to girls in grades 5 to 6. Our session will start April 11th and run until June 1st (8 weeks) meeting every Monday and Wednesday from 3:15 to 4:30 pm at the school. The cost is $60.00 per child. We will be running in two separate races one costing $20, the other $30. The first being April 24th at Appleby College. The second on May 28th at Bronte Park. It's a first come first serve basis, the last day for registration is April 10th, 2016. If you have any questions, you can contact Mme Slattery, Mrs. Parsons or Mrs. Caron the head coaches at 905-847-0088. LITURGIES Gr. 2 Communion Retreat April 5 9:30 a.m. First Holy Communion April 10 3:00 p.m. Easter Mass April 13 9:00 a.m. Rosary Apostolate April 28 Family and friends are always welcome to join us for our liturgies. Special thanks to the staff at St. Matthew Parish for their continuous support in assisting our community spiritually. CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK During the week of May 2- May 6 Ontario Catholic school Boards will be celebrating Catholic Education Week. This annual promotion celebrates the distinctive contribution that Catholic schools make to students, the community and society. Please refer to the brochure which you will be receiving in the near future outlining the activities which will be taking place throughout the day at our school. SPIRITUALITY AND OUTREACH COMMITTEE Lenten Kits for Kids: We are very pleased to share that 395 shoe boxes, filled by students were delivered to the Canadian Food for Children, on Friday, April 1. (www.canadianfoodforchildren.net). The kits are being shipped to Honduras. Thank you to our Gr. 6 students for helping to fill Mrs.Flores and Mrs. Farrell’s vans to the brim. I would like to thank all our parent volunteers and school staff for helping us tape all these boxes. Thank you for all your help and support. Adriana Flores PARENT INFORMATION CORNER EDUCATION/HEALTHY SCHOOLS COMMITTEE We are excited to welcome Cyber Safety Speaker PAUL DAVIS to our school on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 7:00 pm. PAUL DAVIS brings 26 yrs+ experience of IT knowledge and expertise to his speaking engagements. PAUL DAVIS has presented to over 252,000 students from Grade 4-12 from Ontario, Alberta to Quebec and Nevada! All in just over four years! Relating to kids, as a father himself and to parents, as a professional - both presentations are targeted so that each audience leaves with a wealth of knowledge and empowerment for their respective age level. Notable speaker at various conferences, including the Ontario Provincial Police Safety Conference, Department of National Defense Conference, Canada Border Services/Pearson Airport Conference and more. Please RSVP, if you would like to attend, by Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at the following website: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0b4cabaa28a6fb6-social There will be babysitting available in the school library, so, if needed, please be sure to specify number of children and age. YEARBOOK Yearbook sales will begin this month. The design and production of our yearbook is completed by our talented St. Matthew Catholic School Students! Please support their efforts as well as keep a record of treasured school memories by purchasing a copy. The yearbook committee also asks that you continue to send in photos of school events to [email protected] GRANDPARENT DAY Grandparents Day will be on Monday May 9th. Forms will go out mid month. On behalf of the St. Matthew Catholic School Community, we hope that you will be able to attend this informative presentation. We are looking for volunteers to help bake and serve refreshments. If you can help, please email me at [email protected] St. Matthew Catholic School - Education/Healthy Schools Committee Rosa G. Verrico - Laura Robinson EQAO UPDATE As Catholic educators we continue to believe we are in partnership with our parents. We educate our children in academics, Catholicity and inclusion. We thank our School Council who speak on behalf of our parent community and who continue to work with us to support us in improving student achievement through a number of school initiatives. Grade 3 and 6 EQAO Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics Primary Division and Junior Division. 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 during the week of May 30 - June 10. 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 two or 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 upon the quality Catholic education offered to your children at St. Matthew Catholic School. Additional specific information regarding the assessments will be sent home to our Grade 3 and 6 parents in the month of May. HEALTHY SNACK On Tuesday, April 19th, we will be serving fruit and cheese kebobs. Fruits are sources of many vital nutrients for our bodies, such as vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and folic acid. By eating more fruits, you are helping your body stay healthy and reduce the risks of obesity and many chronic diseases, such as diabetes. If you are interested in volunteering or have any healthy snack ideas you would like to share, please email Zsuzsanna Nucara [email protected] MOVING Please inform our office if your children will NOT be returning to St. Matthew Catholic School in September. CROSS-BOUNDARY If your child is a cross-boundary student, and you have not completed your cross-boundary form for the 2016 school year, please contact the school office at 905-847-0088. PARKING Just a reminder when parking in our parking lot to please park in one of the allotted spaces. There are many nights after school when our students are in danger as a result of vehicles parking along the walkway and in the no parking zone. Please park in a designated parking spot or at the church. Thank you for assisting with the safety of our students. FAMILY INFORMATION Please notify the school office of any changes in your work/home/cell telephone numbers, place of employment, change of sitter or any such pertinent information. It is very distressing, as you can well imagine, having difficulty making contact in times of medical emergency, illness or school closure. Also, if you are planning to move and your children will not be attending our school in September, please notify the office as we are already organizing for next year. ATTENDANCE Thank you to all the parents who call into the school to report their children’s absences. It helps us keep track of the students and to keep our children safe. We have found that on average we make only 5 phone calls a day to check on children who are absent. Thank You!!!!! Thank you also for making sure that the children arrive to the school on time. It is important that they don’t miss the first subject of the day. It is respectful to the teacher and the other students to arrive on time and not disrupt the class by walking in late. It is respectful to oneself to be punctual as it shows that you are an organized, responsible student. Please support us in our efforts to help your children develop the traits of responsibility and organization by ensuring they leave for school in enough time to arrive punctually. SAFETY A Please remind your children to stay away from lakes, streams and ponds. Thawing conditions and rainfall this time of year make these areas very dangerous for our children. We cannot be too careful! B We realize that to some it may seem like an “unwelcoming stance” to insist that ALL VISITORS report their presence and business at the school office, however, hopefully, you can see that we have the safety and security of all our pupils in mind with this procedure. This is a standard practice in all our schools and we thank you for diligently remembering to do this each time you visit the school. C Please have the students continue to wear their boots during this weather. The children play outside and the field is wet and muddy. Also, if there is a puddle anywhere on the playground, a child will find it! It is necessary for the students to have a pair of indoor shoes or slippers to wear at school. BICYCLE SAFETY It’s that time of year again! With the mild winter, some of the older children have been out and about on their bicycles. With spring upon us, more children will be out on their bicycles, so now is a good time for some reminders. Please remind your child/ren that cyclists are governed by the same rules as drivers, and review safe cycling procedures at home. Be certain that the bicycle is “road worthy” and that your child is able to ride it in a safe manner. Teachers review these rules every year, but you are more aware than we of the level of your child’s cycling skills. Students should record at home the serial number of their bicycles. We request that ALL students LOCK their bicycles in the racks at school to prevent loss. Students have been reminded that they must not sit on another child’s bike while it is in the racks, nor should they play amongst the bikes or on the bicycle rack. To ensure safety of other students, cyclists must walk their bicycles on school property. BICYCLE HELMETS ARE MANDATORY AND STUDENTS MUST WEAR A PROPERLY FITTING HELMET FOR THEIR SAFETY!!!! SKATEBOARDS/IN-LINE SKATES: The use of skateboards, in-line skates and scooters are strictly prohibited on school property! However, students may ride them to school as far as the sidewalk out front. Safety tips: BE PROTECTED! √ Wear an approved helmet. BE HEARD! √ By law, all bikes must have bells or horns. BE VISIBLE! √ Wear reflective armbands/tape and bright clothing. √ A white front light and a red rear light or reflector are required when riding between 1/2 hour before sunset and 1/2 hour after sunrise. √ A bicycle must have white reflective tape on the front forks and red reflective tape on the back forks. BE ALERT! √ Look for hazards such as sewer grates, car doors and gravel. √ Watch for vehicles about to pass you. √ Stop before driving into the street from a driveway or lane. BE SMART! √ Know the rules of the road. √ Obey all traffic lights and signs. √ Use correct hand signals. √ Ride on the right side of the street. √ Ride single file. √ Ride one to a bike. √ Keep your bike in good repair. By June 2016, 80 percent of our students achieving “G” or below, will improve their ability to manage their own learning through focusing on their personal learning skills and work habits as measured by report card data. Strategies Infuse Catholicity by connecting Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations into learning skills and work habits Professional Learning Development of consistent wording to use in classrooms by division Strategies for linking OCGEs to Learning Skills Monthly focus on one specific learning skill during morning announcements, flyer, newsletter and RAD Assembly Focus on Faith Themes linked to Learning Skills in Growing Success Concrete descriptive feedback peer and self – assessment tools based on learning skills in each classrooms Developing understanding of how to intentionally address learning skills in staff meetings , division meeting a and PLCs Focus on Growth Mindset in Improving Learning Skills and Work habits Resources (include consultant and itinerant for all) Board Document linking Learning Skills to OCGE CCC Planting Seeds for Success I Believe DVD FoF themes Growing Success Policy Document Edugains Professional Collaboration Student Reflection Tools Peer Acknowledgment Tool Descriptive Feedback tools Teacher moderation of Assessment of Learning Skills on Report Cards In each class students will set goals for improvement in work skills and learning habits, based on report card data Development of Valid Measurement tool for Student Self- Assessment of Learning Goals to be used for gathering reliable data Staff Meeting, Divisions meetings, PLCs Development of strategies for goal setting Growing Success Determination of criteria and measurement format Research and Development Goal setting tools SEAC SOUNDByTES Raising awareness of the Special Education process at HCDSB April 2016 MENTAL HEALTH AND SPECIAL EDUCATION 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. 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. 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. For further information on mental health in education please refer to “Supporting Minds - An Educators Guide to Promoting Students’ Mental Health and Well-being”. Submitted by Rhonda Quesnel, SEAC Member representing VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children