Catholic Education Week

Sunday is the beginning of Catholic Education Week across Ontario.  We are reminded that We are Many, We are One as we reflect on the theme for #CEW2023.

Our Catholic schools help to form joyful disciples as hearts and minds are opened to the transforming love of God and to the flame of faith in action. On a daily basis, Catholic schools demonstrate the joy of believing and witness the Good News to the communities that they serve.

Please open our letter below for more detailed information about Catholic Education Week.

School Newsletter CEW

Mental Health Week

This week is also our national Mental Health Week. At St. John’s, we will continue our learning about stress management and healthy coping skills using resources from School Mental Health Ontario.

Our school Child and Youth Care Worker will continue to work alongside classroom teachers while engaging  in classwide training sessions and activities for students. We will be doing some learning in our classes about the impact of stress on our brains, at age-appropriate levels, to help students understand why it is so valuable for them to practice calming skills such as deep breathing, meditation, journaling, nature walks, etc. It is important to focus on how to name, express, and deal with our emotions – the ones we like and the ones that challenge us –  all are important for our mental health. In addition, our WCDSB Mental Health and Wellbeing page continues to be updated: Mental Health & Well-Being (wcdsb.ca).

This week, we have a number of special events happening in our community.

Monday:

• CSAC: Catholic School Advisory Council meeting AGENDA
• 6pm to 7:30pm in the Learning Commons at St. John’s
• parents/ guardians of current students are welcome to join us!

Tuesday:

• Welcome to Kindergarten Event: 4:30pm to 6:00pm
• St. John’s WTK Event English 
• St. John’s WTK Event Tigrinya
• this is for all NEW students to Kindergarten at St. John’s in September 2023
• your child must be registered at the school in order to attend this event

Wednesday:

• Folk Dance Festival at The Aud in Kitchener

Thursday:

• Grade 8 Graduation photos: 9:30am – 11:30am
• Mission on the Moon robotics experience…stay tuned!

Friday:

• Catholic Community Cafe & Open House invitation
• this event is for all our parents/ guardians to attend
• 8:45am – 10:30am: you are welcome to attend for any portion of this event
• please open the flyer for more information

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.+

Together, we will build a strong community that is committed to lifting up others, repairing harms of the past, and creating a better tomorrow for all. #Awaken

The staff and students at St. John’s would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all the Administrative Assistants today on “Administrative Assistant’s Day”.  YOU are the face of our schools.  The first smile that our students and families see when they come to us.  YOU are the medical expert, giving ice, providing tissues and paper towels, and handing out medication and inhalers.  YOU are the mental health experts, calming bodies, minds and hearts with ease.  YOU are the ones that our students go to for everything they need; the ones that all staff go to for everything they need; and the ones that our Administrators go to for everything we need.  YOU are the one.

Behind every successful day at school – however, you measure that success – is YOU.  Today we recognize the sacrifices you make in your personal time, your family time and in your lives for the good of our school operations.  We recognize the dedication you have to your communities and we recognize the challenges that you deal with each and every day.

We would like to acknowledge all the work and dedication of Ms. Stephanie Medeiros our lead administrative assistant and Mrs. Stacey Mayer our half-time administrative assistant. We are grateful to both of you for helping to greet late students with a warm smile and calling home to check in on students too, just to highlight a few things you do!

Today we recognize YOU and the impact that you have on our school. You keep us all going!

Thank you both for being a shining light in our community each and every day!

WCDSB CATHOLIC PARENT INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE INVITES YOU TO ATTEND…
MASTERING YOUR MONEY:
A FINANCIAL WELLNESS PRESENTATION FOR THE WCDSB FAMILY

We are happy to welcome Fred Masters, President of Masters Money Management Inc., to chat with us about personal financial wellness. Mr. Masters is the author of the critically acclaimed book Lessons on Mastering Money: The Personal Finance Guide for Canadians in their 20s and 30s and a contributor for Canadian MoneySaver Magazine. The first 100 registrants who attend in-person will receive a free autographed copy of Fred Masters’ book.

The presentation will also be streamed virtually if you wish to attend remotely.

Registration is required.

Mastering Your Money:  A Financial Wellness Presentation for the WCDSB Family (office.com)

When: April 27th, 2023
Where: Waterloo Catholic Education Centre, 35 Weber St. W., Kitchener
Time: Sign in 6:00 pm
Speaker 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Money Matters Event – Apr 27 2023

JEDI: Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion event

St. John’s Parents & Guardians,

Please join us on Thursday May 11th for an interactive conversation about Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. We know we have a lot of work to do and we value your voice in the conversation.  We hope you will be able to join us.

ሰይንት ጆንስ ፓይረስ ኤንድ ጋርድያንስ

በጃኹም ሓሙስ 11 ግንቦት ምሳና ሓቢርኩም ብዛዕባ ፍትሒ ማዕርነት በበይኑ ዝዓይነቱ ጕዳያት ምይይጥ ግበሩ ። ብዙሕ ክንዓዮ ዘሎና ዕዮ ኸም ዘሎና ንፈልጥ ኢና ኣብቲ ዝርርብ ድማ ድምጽኻ ኣኽቢርና ኢና እንርእዮ ።  ምሳና ኽትሓብሩ ተስፋ ንገብር ።

For more information please click on the link below:

ዝያዳ ሓበሬታ እንተ ደሊኻ በጃኻ ኣብቲ ኣብ ታሕቲ ዘሎ ሊንክ ጠውቕ፦

JEDI St. John’s event

NO SCHOOL Friday April 21st

Staff have a Professional Development Day to learn more about Anti-Racism and Trauma Informed Classrooms.

ዓርቢ 21 ሚያዝያ ቤት ትምህርቲ የልቦን

ሰራሕተኛታት ብዛዕባ ጸረ ዓሌትነትን በሰላን ዝያዳ ንምፍላጥ መዓልቲ ምዕባለ ክኢላታት ኣለዎም።

WCDSB Parent/ Guardian Engagement & Learning opportunities

Hello St. John’s families,

There are a number of upcoming events being offered by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board that you may be interested in attending. Please see information below.

The Legacy of the Holocaust: More than just a History Lesson

We invite everyone in our WCDSB community to an evening of learning. Walk through this historical event in a pop-up gallery and listen to deeply impactful stories of survival and resiliency from Andy and Melissa. All are welcome!

Legacy of the Holocaust poster April 18

When: April 18th, 2023

Where: St. David Catholic Secondary School, 4 High Street, Waterloo

Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm

FREE event

No registration required

Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Table Talk

It’s time for our April Anti-Racism, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Table Talk being held as a hybrid event this year on Thursday, April 20th.  Our panelists will be in-person at the CEC in the St. Mary’s Board Room in front of a live audience.  

Panel Discussion begins promptly at 7:00 – 8:30 pm. 

Here is our Theme

Our Story: We continue our journey in promoting racial equity, cultural responsiveness, inclusion, and belonging and developing the necessary tools to address systemic racism; competencies related to a teacher’s anti-racism awareness and the teacher’s efforts to promote racial equity, inclusion, and belonging; and the importance of diversity while advancing equity and inclusion for Indigenous, Black and other racialized and marginalized Canadians.

Please email lynn.garrioch@wcdsb.ca to register

WCDSB Catholic Parent Involvement Committee (CPIC)

Mastering Your Money: A Financial Wellness Presentation for the WCDSB Family

When: April 27th, 2023

Where: Waterloo Catholic Education Centre, 35 Weber St. W., Kitchener

Time: Sign in at 6:00pm

Speaker: 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Please REGISTER @ Money Matters Sign Up Link

The session will also run remotely. You must register to receive the link to the presentation.

Together, we will build a strong community that is committed to lifting up others, repairing harms of the past, and creating a better tomorrow for all. #Awaken

Time is running out! Don’t miss your chance to order this school year.

St. John’s spirit wear order form

We are so excited to have our new Spirit Wear clothing items ready for ordering! Moving forward, we will only be ordering this logo on our Spirit Wear items. All orders will be handled by School Tee. Please do not call the school for information about spirit wear orders. You should call School Tee directly as they manage the orders, payments, and any corrections that need to be made. The online ordering system is open until April 14th.

We will open the ordering system again at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year.

St. John’s spirit wear order form

St. John’s spirit wear order form

We are so excited to have our new Spirit Wear clothing items ready for ordering! Moving forward, we will only be ordering this logo on our Spirit Wear items. All orders will be handled by School Tee. Please do not call the school for information about spirit wear orders. You should call School Tee directly as they manage the orders, payments, and any corrections that need to be made. The online ordering system is open until April 14th.

St. John’s spirit wear order form

Sharing Resources with St. John’s Families as we walk through Holy Week

Your Essential Guide to the Triduum

A Catholic Guide to Holy Week Symbols

How to Carry the Meaning of Holy Week thru the Rest of the Year

A few important reminders about the great learning opportunities for both parents/ guardians and students. Register early!

Resurrection Parent Engagement Night 

Please consider joining the Resurrection Parent Engagement Night! We will be welcoming Dr. Asa on Tuesday, April 4^th  6:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Holy Rosary Catholic School. (485 Thorndale Drive) ~ Doors open at 6:15 pm

RSVP NOW! RSVP Here For Dr. Asa

The Legacy of the Holocaust: More than Just a History Lesson

We invite everyone in our WCDSB community to an evening of learning. Walk through this historical event in a pop-up gallery and listen to deeply impactful stories of survival and resiliency from guest presenters Andy Reti, a child survivor, and Melissa Mikel, Director of Education at Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies.

This is a FREE event, and all are welcome. No registration required. April 18th from 6pm – 8pm at St. David CSS in Waterloo.

Legacy of the Holocaust poster April 18

Summer Fun with Languages (Register HERE)

International and Indigenous Languages Elementary (IILE) is a camp-like program for students JK to Grade 8, that teaches language using music, stories, crafts, indoor and outdoor games, and other interactive hands-on activities and technology resources. This program is in-person only

Languages Offered: Arabic, Chinese, Igbo, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil, Tigrigna and Ukrainian

Dates: July 4 – 28, 2023, Monday to Friday (no programming Mon., July 3) – select each week or all 20 days
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am
Locations:
Resurrection CSS, 455 University Ave. W., Kitchener
St. Louis – St. Francis Campus, 154 Gatewood Ave., Kitchener

**Transportation to and from school is not provided.

Grades: Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8
Webpage: Summer Fun with Languages 
Deadline: June 8, 2023

Summer Boost Program (Register HERE)

Literacy and Numeracy Programs offered to all Grade 1 to 6 students in our Community!

Date/Time:

July 3-21, 2023, Monday to Friday (15 Days)
9:00am – 12:00pm

Locations:

Kitchener – St. Bernadette CES, 245 Lorne Avenue, Kitchener
Waterloo –  Sir Edgar Bauer CES, 660 Glen Forrest Boulevard, Waterloo
Cambridge – St. Peter CES, 92 Avenue Road, Cambridge

Grades: Senior Kindergarten to Grade 6
Website:
Deadline: June 8, 2023

Beginning Monday July 3, the WCDSB will be offering 15 days of in-person FREE Literacy and Numeracy learning support for students currently in SK to Grade 6 inclusive through the Summer Boost program.

If you are interested in bridging the gaps in learning, making new friends, honing your Literacy and Numeracy skills through fun and engaging activities, learning more about mental health and resiliency, as well as weekly STEM challenges then Summer Boost is for YOU!

Students will…

• Have a variety of opportunities for hands on learning through weekly STEM challenges and other outreach programs;
• Served healthy snacks daily and will be engaged in regular physical activity that emphasizes teamwork, skills and sportsmanship;
• Engaged in fun literacy/numeracy activities at school and home with family members as part of the Home Numeracy/Literacy Program;
• Receive an integrated arts education as cooperative activities will be designed each week to promote creative and thinking and expression through music, drama and visual arts;
• Access technology including chromebooks codable robots, microbits and more;
• Make new friends and develop a belief in themselves as learners through the power of perseverance.

Summer Boost is FREE, registration is required and transportation is not provided.

For more information or updates on the Summer Boost program please contact: pat.runstedler@wcdsb.ca

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE
SUMMER BOOST MAKES!

Summer Expedition (Register HERE)

Literacy, Numeracy, STEM for Intermediate Grades – in-person only

Explore a FREE 3-week, hands-on, and interactive literacy and numeracy support summer program for students completing Grade 6, 7 & 8. Summer Expedition focuses a STEM  is an educational approach to learning that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering,  and Mathematics as access points to strengthening literacy skills through guiding student inquiry in order to solve authentic real world problems. Learning emphasizes preparation for the next grade, and is delivered using narratives, basic moviemaking, coding, robotics, various technology tools, and so much more.

Dates: July 4-21, 2023, Monday to Friday (14 days ~ no programming July 3rd) 
Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Locations: 
Kitchener – Resurrection CSS, 455 University Ave. W., Kitchener
Cambridge – St. Benedict CSS, 50 Saginaw Pkwy., Cambridge

Grades: Grade 6 to 8
Webpage: Summer Expedition
Deadline: June 16, 2023

Summer Expedition is FREE, and registration is required.

HeadStart to Grade 9 (Register HERE)

HeadStart is a 4-day preparatory program, which provides students going into Grade 9 with those preliminary tools to be academically successful at the beginning of the school year.  The program is infused with literacy and numeracy activities and the all-important social adjustment factor.

Dates: August 21 – 24, 2023, Monday to Thursday
Time: 8:30am-11:30am OR 12:00pm-3:00pm
Locations: Each Catholic Secondary School – To Be Confirmed
Grade: Grade 8 going into Grade 9
Webpage: HeadStart
Deadline: June 16, 2023

Registration is OPEN!!