Administrator’s Message

April has arrived and we continue to adjust to more daylight and warmer temperatures! This month we have many activities and spe-cial occasions to celebrate!

Our Battle of the Books teams compete at the Oakville Public Library during the first week of April! We wish both our Junior and Senior teams luck in demonstrating their knowledge of books and reading!

Another community evening is upon us—this time our Active Chefs night for registered participants! Once again, our Catholic School Council is providing a unique family experi-ence on Thursday, April 7th!

We also kick off our MS Read-a-thon this month! Please help to encourage the love of reading while promoting and collecting for research in support of MS.

April also sees a most special time for our Grade 2 students as they receive the Sacra-ment of their First Communion on Saturday, April 23rd at St. Michael’s Church at

11:00am. Please keep our Grade 2s in your prayers as they continue to prepare for this day.

And with TWO PA Days in April, this month will go by quickly!

With only a few more months to go of this school year, let us all continue to be in-volved with the life of the school—whether volunteering for our Breakfast Program, or accompanying your child on school trips, or coming out to our monthly community events! Let’s keep the positive community spirit alive so that we can keep making St. John Catholic School the “Best it can Be!”

Mr. Melanson

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St. John News

ST. JOHN CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Public Speaking 2

Pita Pit 2

Parents Corner 2

EQAO 3

Moving? 3

Battle of the Books 3

St. Michael Church News 4

CAPP Flyer 5

Concussion Protocol 6

Daffodil Month 6

Additional PA Day 6

Catholic Education Wk 7

World Autism Day 7

Anaphylaxis 7

School Council 8

Community Night 8

School Cash Online 9

Tuesday at 10 & 7 (HT) 9

SEAC Soundbytes 10

Visitor Information 11

Focus on Faith 11

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Upcoming Events at St. John this month….

Lots of events and special days coming up this month! Catholic School Council Meeting April 4th @6:45pm

Battle of the Books competitions!

Pita Pit hot lunches continue on Thursdays! Active Chefs Community Night April 7th!

MS Read-a-thon Kick off Assembly April 13th! Dairy Presentations April 14th!

Grade 2 First Communion Saturday, April 23rd @11:00 St. Michael’s Church

P.A. DAYS:

Friday, April 8th

Friday,

April 22nd

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Pita Pit!

Just a reminder that due to our “Snow Day” our first Pita Pit day was Thursday, March 31st. We are adding an additional day at the end of the order, therefore the final day for this current Pita Pit order will be on Thurs-day, May 5th! We are hoping to offer a second round of Pita Pit orders if this one is successful!

Parents’ Corner: HaltonParents

HaltonParents helps parents at all stages, from thinking about having a child, to pregnancy through adolescence. For information from Halton Parents, please click on the following link (move cursor over link, press “ctrl” and click!):

Halton Parents website

At HaltonParents there are many ways to connect: website, blogs, facebook and twitter! Check out the link above for more information!

English Public Speaking Competition

Congratulations to the following students who competed in the English Public Speaking Compe-

tition at our school on Tuesday, March 8th: Eden H, Jacob B, Daniela A, Hunter S, Joaquin F, and

Sofia C. Your hard work and talent are an inspiration to all of us at St. John Catholic School. Our winner

was Daniela A with her speech on “Invisibility.” Daniela will compete in the HCDSB’s English Public Speak-

ing Regional Competition on Wednesday, March 30th at 7:00pm at St. Marguerite Catholic School in Oak-

ville.

Cycling is a fun and healthy activity, it's a low-cost way to get around, and it's good for the planet. Cyclists have to share the road with cars, pedestrians and other cyclists. Before you head out on a bike, learn the rules of the road, helmet information and safety tips for cyclists of all ages.

As recommended by Parachute Canada:

Always wear a helmet. Properly worn, it can reduce the risk of serious head injury by up to 80%. Know and follow the 2V1 Rule.

Be prepared. Know the rules of the road.

Check your ride. A fun and safe cycling experience starts with a properly equipped bicycle.

Be a role model. Set a good example and practice safety together.

The Ministry of Transportation’s Young Cyclist Guide has additional information on riding tips to keep you safe while cycling. For more information, check out our website, or to speak with a public health nurse, Dial 311 or 905-825-6000 or email: haltonparents@halton.ca

Visit us on: HaltonParents Twitter, HaltonParents Facebook, HaltonParents Blog

ST. JOHN NEWS P AGE 3

EQAO Assessment of Reading, Writing,

and Mathematics for

Primary Division (Grades 1-3) and

Junior Division (Grades 4-6)

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 between May 30 – June 9, 2016.

These EQAO assessments will 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 curriculum your child has been learning throughout the year. The total amount of time that the students will spend on the assess-ment will be six hours and is generally spread over the course of three or four 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 child is in attendance each day during the assessment, specifically during the weeks of Monday, May 30th to Thurs-day, June 9th. In advance, we appreciate your efforts in scheduling appointments around this block of time. The EQAO assessment results will help us inform our school improvement plan and inform instruction in each grade.

Additional specific information regarding the assessments will be sent home to our Grade 3 and 6 parents in the month of May.

Battle of the Books Competitions!

MOVING? PLEASE LET US KNOW!

Plans for the 2016/2017 school year are already underway. If you know that your child(ren) will not be attending St.

John School next year, please write a note informing us that you are leaving, and which school or Board you are moving

to. Your efforts would be greatly appreciated.

Extra, extra read all about it…The Battle of the Books teams are busy reading to prepare for the

“Battle of the Books” competitions in April 5th (Junior) and 6th (Senior). Thank you to Mrs. Fay and

Ms. Zidner for preparing the students for this wonderful educational experience. Good Luck St.

John Eagles!!!

Good luck to our Junior Team: Shaye P, Nicole S, Maia S, Keja L, Kaylie N, Sebastian N, Sultan A,

Emily R, & Kieran M

Good luck to our Senior Team: Melanie N, Sofia C, Abigail H, Daniela A, Zachary B, & Diego A

V OLUME 1 ISSUE 3 P AGE 4

Prayer Before Mass

God our Father,

Thank you for…..

I am sorry for….

Please grant me….

I love you Father!

I give you all my joys,

my troubles and my future

together with the Body and

Blood of Jesus, your Son. Amen

Prayer After Communion

Jesus, I know that you love me.

Give me your love

so that I can love you in return

and love others with your love.

I give you all my joys,

my troubles and my future. Amen.

Spring is here! New life is springing from the ground, spring flower, green grass, trees

in bud and warmer days. We have just celebrated Easter. We have new life in Jesus Christ.

Alleluia! The scripture readings during the Easter season remind us of new life and living life

to the full. Let us appreciate the many gifts that God has given us in our life.

Father Jason will be giving tours of our beautiful church to all our Grade Two students

on Thursday, April 7 followed by classroom visits on Thursday, April 14 and 21 in preparation

for their First Holy Communion. First Holy Communion for Our Lady of Peace students is on

Saturday, April 16 at 11:00 a.m. and St. John and St. Michael students on Saturday, April 26

at 11:00 a.m. The prayers at the beginning of this newsletter is what the Grade Two students

are learning.

ST. JOHN NEWS P AGE 5

Additional PA DAY on April 8th, 2016!

Last year the Ministry of Education and the federations representing Ontario teachers took part in a cen-tralized bargaining process. One of the negotiated terms of settlement that came to be as a result of this process requires each school board in Ontario to provide an additional Professional Activity (PA) Day, be-ginning this school year (2015-2016), and moving forward. The Ministry of Education asked school boards to provide the additional PA Day this year before April 15, 2016. In consultation with the Halton District School Board, the extra PA Day will be provided this school year across Halton schools on Friday, April 8, 2016. There will be no classes for students on April 8th. The revised 2015-2016 school year calendar dates have been posted on the Board’s website and may be viewed at: http://www.hcdsb.org/Calendar/Pages/2015-2016-School-Year-Calendar.aspx.

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The Halton Catholic District School Board, in partnership with parents and members of the community, value a healthy and safe learning environment for our students, that provides essential preconditions for effective learning. As an extension to this commitment, a comprehensive protocol based on current research and best practices has been developed to address the needs of students to prevent, recognize, and respond to a concussion. What Is A Concussion? A concussion is a brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head, face, neck, or body that can cause a sudden jarring of the head. Even what seems to be a mild bump to the head can be serious. Research has shown that a concussion can have a signifi-cant impact on a student – cognitively, physically, emotionally, and socially. Based on this information, educational resources have been provided below, to recognize and respond to a potential concussion. As a Board, we continue to make the health and safety of our students a priority to ensure that our students can thrive in all areas. Our new Concussion Protocol enhances that commitment.

For more information, please visit our Board’s website at: http://www.hcdsb.org/Parents/safeandhealthy/Medical/Pages/Concussion-Protocol.aspx?

Concussion Protocol

April is Daffodil Month!

Daffodil Month, held every April, is a national fundraising campaign of the Canadian Cancer So-ciety. During the month, Society volunteers are involved in numerous activities to raise vital funds for the fight against cancer. We ask Canadians to reflect upon the thousands of people who are living with cancer and to remember loved ones lost to cancer. During Daffodil Month we encourage everyone to do something special for those living with cancer or to contribute in some way to the fight against this disease. Please consider how you can show your support for people living with cancer.

V OLUME 1 ISSUE 3 P AGE 7

Anaphylaxis and Life Threatening Allergies

Several children in our school live with a severe life threatening food allergy to peanuts and nuts (anaphylaxis).

This is a medical condition that causes a severe reaction to specific foods and can result in death within

minutes. Although this may or may not affect your child’s class directly, we request that you send your child

with nut-free lunches and snacks. Products that contain or “may contain” peanuts and tree nuts are not to be brought onto

the school site. Alternate “peanut butter” spreads are difficult to differentiate from the real product and make monitoring

student safety a challenge. Please do not send “peanut butter” look-alike products to school. We continue to promote food-

free celebrations at school. Please do not send snacks or treats for your child’s birthday or Holidays (Easter).

Thank you for helping to keep students safe!

For more information on Medication in our schools, please visit hcdsb.org!

In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) with the goal of bringing the world’s attention to autism, a pervasive disorder that affects tens of millions globally. WAAD shines a bright light on autism as a growing global health concern. WAAD activities help to increase and develop world knowledge of autism and impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Au-tism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain develop-ment. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviours. The Government of Canada passed Bill S-206 in October 2012 that officially recognizes April 2nd as WAAD. Support continues throughout the month of April in much of the world as it is also con-sidered Autism Awareness Month.

April 2nd—World Autism Awareness Day

Catholic Education Week—May 2 to May 6, 2016

OPENING DOORS OF MERCY

Each year, the Catholic community of Ontario engages in a week-long celebration of the unique identity and distinctive contributions of Catholic education during Catholic Education Week. This year’s cele-bration is entitled, “Catholic Education: Opening Doors of Mercy” and will be held during the week of May 1-6, 2016. The overall scriptural theme is taken from Matthew’s Gospel, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” –Matthew 5:7. We are hopeful that as the body of Christ, we, too, feel our hearts embracing mercy in our com-munity. The five sub-themes for Catholic Education: Opening Doors of Mercy are: Monday: Mercy that Welcomes Tuesday: Mercy that Loves Wednesday: Mercy that Forgives Thursday: Mercy that Lives the Gospel Friday: Mercy that Rejoices

St. John Catholic School Advisory Council 2015-2016

ST. JOHN NEWS P AGE 8

Are you looking to connect with the St. John School Council? We would love to hear from you, so please reach out if you have any questions or ideas you would like to share. We have a mailbox in the school office if you would like to drop us a note! Would you like to attend a School Council Meeting? Our next School Council meeting will be held on Monday, April 4th at 6:45 p.m. in the St. John Library. It is a great way to get plugged into what is going on at the school. Everyone is welcome to attend our meet-ings, so please stop by with any questions or ideas you may have.

Are you looking to volunteer? Parent council is always looking for volunteers! Our School BBQ is coming up in June, along with our Grade 8 Graduation. If you would be interested in lending a hand to plan and participate in these events please connect with us through the school by con-tacting the main office.

Please join us for our next Catholic School Council Meeting

Monday, April 4th - 6:45 p.m. (Library) We hope to see you there!

Community Night: Active Chefs April 7th!

St. John Catholic School families were invited to come and enjoy an evening out with your school community at the Active Chefs Event. This engaging evening of fun, interactive & hands-on expe-rience for the whole family aims to promote the importance of healthy eating & healthy living and celebrate our diversity by ‘making and tasting’ foods from different countries! On Thursday, April 7th from 6:30pm to 8:00pm, Active Chefs will be at our school to host an evening for our next Community Night! Thank you to all families that have registered for this night at St. John’s school to experience cooking skills, healthy eating, and nutrition with your family as part of this month’s community building event! We are ful-ly booked and look forward to this event, sponsored by our Parent Reaching Out grant submitted by our Catholic School Council! Please remember that only those registered will be able to attend this evening!

V OLUME 1 ISSUE 3 P AGE 9

Just a reminder that ONLINE PAYMENTS are available

School related expenses are available online for your convenience!

Please take a few minutes to register! Here’s how:

Step 1: Please visit https://hcdsb.schoolcashonline.com

Step 2: Register by selecting the “Get Started Today” and following the steps.

Step 3: After you receive the confirmation email, please select the ‘click here’ option, sign in and add each of

your children to your household account.

You may also access the School Cash Online by clicking on the link posted on our School Website.

School Cash Online provides parents with easy access to make online payments for a variety of student activ-

ities, providing greater flexibility and control on how payments are made to the school. This new online pay-

ment method will also help reduce the risk of theft and cash misplacement. For more information including

an FAQ, the benefits of this program, and how to register for School Cash Online, please visit: http://

www.hcdsb.org/Parents/Pages/School-Cash-Online.aspx .

School Cash Online

Please protect the safety of your child by ensuring that your child is

not on our playground until 8:25am (when supervision be-

gins) and by reporting their absence to our main office at

905-844-3111

Tuesday at 10 and 7 at HOLY TRINITY

Tuesday, April 12th, 2016

Michele Sparling is a parent who continues to navigate the maze of mental health services for her family, as well as a

Partner at Innovative HR, a Human Resources consulting firm. A strong advocate for mental health, in addition to being

a member of the Board of Directors for PCMH, and the Board of Directors for CMHA-Halton Region; she is a Parent

Representative and trainer for the Family Engagement Training Initiative developed between the Ontario Centre for

Excellence in Child and Youth Mental Health and PCMH; and is on the Parent and Youth advisory panel for the MCYS’s

system transition for child and youth mental health. Michele is also on the mental health leadership committee of the

Halton Catholic District School Board and has worked with her children’s schools in addressing and bringing awareness

and action to mental health matters. This presentation will focus on helping parents support their children during times

of anxiety, depression or other mental health concerns.

Location: Holy Trinity H.S

Time: Parents choose to attend either session - 10am (held in the Auditorium) or 7pm (held in the library)

SEAC SOUNDByTES

ST. JOHN NEWS P AGE 10

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 qual-ity 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 infor-mation 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

SEAC SOUNDByTES

Raising awareness of the Special Education process at HCDSB

April 2016

Tell Them From Me Survey: Parent Survey Coming soon!

In our on-going effort to increase school effectiveness, over the next few months we will be implementing the Parent and Staff

online Tell Them From Me (TTFM) survey. Developed by The Learning Bar, TTFM is based on the work of co-founder Dr. J.

Douglas Williams and it has quickly grown to become Canada’s largest national school survey. Earlier in the year, students

provided their input into school improvement initiatives in an anonymous way. Originally planned for the end of February, this

survey to parents will now be coming in April or May. Parents will have their turn! The survey is completely voluntary and anon-

ymous. We will be sending out information on how to access the survey when it is available, so stay tuned! More information

is available at: http://www.hcdsb.org/Parents/TTFMSurvey/

1480 Mansfield Drive

Oakville, ON

L6H 1K4

St. John Catholic Elementary School

The Halton Catholic District School Board is rooted in, and envi-sions education based on the true model of moral character, Jesus Christ. By inculcating gospel values into all of our pursuits, we work for the highest ideal of human character. At St. John Catholic School we support our Board’s initiative to ensure Christ-centered character formation is guided and supported by the Unifying Catholic Theme identified for each grade. These Themes are drawn from the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church, and find their source in the Kindergarten to Grade 8 Religious Education and Family Life Education programs. Each month, we will highlight one of the Catholic Social Teachings so that you can support the Teachings at home. This month’s Cath-olic Social Teaching is PROMOTION OF PEACE which is the foun-dational theme for Grade 2.

Peace is the work of justice and the result of love. Much more than the absence of conflict, it speaks of a harmony or shalom which is fundamental to God’s original vision for all of creation. Catholic social teaching con-tends that peace can be established only if the social order set down by God is fully observed.

“Respect for and development of human life require peace. Peace is not merely the absence of war, and it is not limited to maintaining a balance of powers between adversaries. Peace cannot be attained on earth without safeguarding the goods of persons, free communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and assiduous practice of fraternity. Peace is “the tranquility of order.” Peace is the work of justice and the effect of charity.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2304)

Using this teaching, our school will incorporate this theme into all curriculum areas, giving your children opportunities to:

recognize the inherent dignity in all people of good will

recognize that peace is not simply the absence of war but rather a mutual respect be-tween all people and nations

recognize that peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon the right ordering among humans

Explore relationships that build the Kingdom of God rather than tear it down

describe the role of social institutions in contributing to the common good of society

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” Matthew 5: 9

Focus on Faith: Promotion of Peace

Phone: 905-844-3111

We are on the Web!

schools.hcdsb.org/joho

Visitor Information

In following HCDSB policy to protect students from unwelcome visitors and in-truders, our school security system will be on at all times. Please use the intercom to the left of the main doors to gain access to the school. All visitors must report to the office to sign in and obtain a visitor tag. Should you wish to contact your child or a staff member at school, please notify the office. Please remember that this applies during our recess times outside, where only staff are allowed in our school yard with our students. Always check in with our office.

The Halton Parenting Directory is a comprehensive directory of par-enting programs and workshops aimed at helping parents and oth-er caregivers access learning, sup-port and information.

Check it out at

www.ourkidsnetwork.ca