Monthly Archives: February 2024

 Thunder Community, 

Can you believe it will be March later this week? WOW! We look forward to the signs of spring and continuing our journey through the liturgical season of Lent.  Lent is a time of prayer and preparation for Easter, the holiest of the liturgical seasons. Students and families are encouraged to think about how they can prepare for this special time in our faith lives. Once again, we would like to thank you for your ongoing support! Working in collaboration with our families makes a huge impact and helps us make our school a better place to learn and grow each day.

 

Celebrating Black History Month

As Black History Month draws to a close, we wish to extend our appreciation for the remarkable achievements and invaluable contributions made by Black Canadians in shaping and enriching our country. Their efforts have played an important role in forging the diverse, inclusive, and resilient fabric of Canada today. While we understand the importance of integrating and embedding Black History teaching and learning throughout the whole year, February serves as a dedicated time for focused and intentional reflection on the lived experiences of Black people, past and present. St. John’s is committed to fostering equity and inclusion and we believe that embracing and sharing the cultural richness within our school and wider community is essential in dismantling harmful biases and deepening our mutual understanding. We encourage you to engage in these purposeful and intentional conversations in your home as well, further enriching our collective appreciation and awareness.

Happening THIS Week: 

Catholic School Advisory Council

We have a CSAC meeting, Monday, February 26th at 6:00 pm in our school Learning Commons. We will continue to discuss the ongoing safety issues related to our school parking lot. We will also share information about student engagement initiatives at school and how we work collectively to provide a safe, inclusive learning environment for all members of our school community. We look forward to welcoming parents & guardians to our meeting and hope you will bring along at least one other parent from our community.

 

Pink Shirt Day 2024: February 28th

Pink Shirt Day holds significant importance as a powerful symbol of unity against bullying and discrimination. Originating from a simple act of kindness when two Canadian students stood up against bullying by wearing pink shirts, this day has grown into a global movement advocating for kindness, empathy, and respect. We will wear our pink shirts on Wednesday February 28th as a symbol of unity and kindness. By wearing pink shirts, we show our commitment to creating safe and inclusive environments where everyone feels accepted and valued. This intentional day serves as a reminder of the collective responsibility to stand up against all forms of bullying. However, our efforts need to continue on a daily basis in order to promote empathy and understanding as fundamental principles in fostering positive relationships and nurturing a compassionate school community. Please join us in wearing something pink on Wednesday February 28th..

 

Thursday February 29th

We will be hosting a Parents’ Group session on Thursday February 29th from 9:30am to 11:30am in our Learning Commons. This session is open to all St. John’s parents/ guardians. If you have children under school age they are welcome to attend and stay with you during the meeting.

Our KW Settlement Worker, Segen Abraham, will be joining our Administrators, Mrs. Reesor and Mr. Figueiredo, for this session. We will also have interpretation available for the meeting.

Here are some of the topics we will address in our time together:

• gathering information from those in attendance about concerns/ questions related to school in Ontario (e.g., challenges you face as parents while trying to support your children at school, curriculum, evaluation of student learning, etc.)
• school expectations for students and families (e.g., attendance, behaviour, communication protocol, etc.)
• how to connect with your child’s teacher
• the importance of being connected to the school
• the role of the settlement worker in our school

Our goal is to be responsive to the needs of our community, to hear your voice, and open lines of communication between home and school. We will have a short break so attendees can engage in conversation with one another, as well. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided during our session.

The Region of Waterloo Public Health unit will also have a Public Health nurse present. They will review the importance of updating your child’s immunizations and records to avoid school suspensions (related to immunization requirements) which will begin at the end of March.

Other Information: 

 

Kindergarten Registration Happening NOW! 

A reminder to all families that if you have not yet, please use the online registration portal for Kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year as soon as possible. If you have any questions please call the main office.

https://www.wcdsb.ca/our-schools/register-for-school/entering-kindergarten/

 

Extended-Day-Pre-Reg-Reminder

Click on this link if you are interested in registering your child for Extended Day programming next year.

 

 

Bring on the Sunshine Week 2024

March Break is just around the corner! We have some Spirit days planned for students as well as some fun activities. More information to come ~ stay tuned!

 

 

 

A reminder that March 8th – 15th is our WCDSB break. There is NO SCHOOL during this week.

 

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. #Strengthen

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Important Dates

March 8~15th – March Break (no school for students)

March 29th – Good Friday (no school for students)

April 1st – Easter Monday (no school for students)

April 8th – PA Day (no school for students)

May 20th – Victoria Day (no school for students)

May 31st – PA Day (no school for students)

June 25th- Term 2 Reports go home

June 27th- Last Day of School

June 28th – PA Day  (no school for students)

Happy SUNday Thunder families!

All three groundhogs emerged from their holes last week and did not see their shadow! They predicted that Spring would come early! WooHoo!

Let’s enjoy the gift of sunshine and shine our light on others with our words and actions this week!

 

Happening this Week: 

Winter Walk & Roll Day 2024: Wednesday February 7th

Register for a chance to win a $20 Indigo gift card!

Walk/wheel from home or park and walk a few blocks to qualify. ENTER TO WIN – then bundle up & walk/wheel. Click HERE for more information.

 

St. John’s Drive to 5 map

On Winter Walk & Roll Day, we will have members from our board staff joining us at our Drive to 5 walking spots located in the community around St. John’s. Let’s start using these parking spots instead of the school parking lot so we can keep our kids safe!

Click on the map to see the places where you can park and walk your kids to school. We will continue to address this important community issue at our upcoming CSAC meetings. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend!

 

CSAC: Catholic School Advisory Council updates

We hosted our January meeting on Monday January 22nd, and this was our best attended meeting to date! Thank you to the 10 parents who attended. We are grateful for your time, your contributions, and your concern. We hope each of you will return to our next meeting and bring along at least one other parent. Please click on the link below for a summary of the meeting.

STSWR School Travel Planning presentation

January 22 CSAC minutes

Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations

In February, we will continue our focus on our Catholic Graduate Expectation of being a reflective, creative and holistic thinker! 

Being a reflective, creative and holistic thinker means … I HAVE IDEAS!
I have thoughts and opinions that matter
I make good choices
I have hope for the future
I solve problems with knowledge, understanding and prayer
I know we are all equal and special

Because I have ideas, I have a purpose, and I will live my life like Jesus! 

 

Deep Learning: Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are the skills and attributes that students need to thrive in the modern world. Sometimes called “competencies” – they will help students navigate the world of work and meet with success in the future.

As we step into the month of February at St. John’s, our focus will be on fostering Critical Thinking and Problem Solving among our students.  Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving are not just academic skills; they are essential for personal growth and future success. We invite you to extend this learning environment to your home. Engage with your child in discussions that challenge their thinking, encourage them to ask questions and solve problems in creative ways. Your support is invaluable in nurturing these skills.

 

100th Day of School

A hundred days of laughter and learning have come and gone, and it’s time to reflect on everything that the students have to show for it! The 100th Day of School is a symbolic celebration of students’ achievements during the academic year, and this year the 100th day is February 9th! The day for some classes focuses on the number 100, which helps develop learners’ understanding and recognition of numbers up to 100. But, beyond math activities like counting to 100, other activities done on this day can include creating art projects using 100 items, performing 100 acts of kindness, and other games and challenges related to and revolving around the number 100!

 

Other Information: 

Math @Home

Parents can make a big difference in their child’s learning by discussing their learning at school. Families can support their child’s success by finding ways to make a connection between what is being learned at school and outside the classroom. Check out our WCDSB Monthly Math @Home Newsletter for ideas on FRACTIONS.  A solid understanding of the various meanings that fractions can have and a robust ability to reason and operate on quantities with fractions will support students with their mathematics education and in daily living.

Issue No. 6 Fractions

 

Report Cards

Term one report cards will be sent home Thursday, February 15th. These reports are the assessment and evidence of learning collected and documented from September to the end of January. Letter grades are given for students in grades 1-6 and percentage marks are given for students in grades 7-8. Teacher comments focus on your child’s strengths and next steps for learning improvement. Kindergarten students will also receive their term one Kindergarten Communication of Learning highlighting key learning and next steps in learning. If your child has an Individual Education Plan, the IEP for term two will be sent home along with the term one report card. Although formal interviews occurred in November, please feel free to connect with your child’s teacher if you have concerns or questions about your child’s progress.

 

Monday, February 19th is FAMILY DAY!

Do you sometimes feel like there is no time left to just enjoy and be with the family in our busy days? Since 2008 Family Day has been celebrated in Ontario on the 3rd Monday of the month. There is NO school on this day! This is a day to step away from other duties and distractions for a moment and just be together. Embrace the time and find joy in the small but beautiful moments with your family.

 

Important Reminders…

WCDSB Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI) Survey

As per Ministry mandate, the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) will be conducting a variety of school climate surveys to collect information from students, staff, and parent/guardians. These surveys will be conducted between February 15th – March 8th.

The following letter was emailed directly to each parent/ guardian for Grade 4-8 students on January 22nd through our Aspen portal by our school principal. If you did not receive this notification, please contact the main office to update your personal contact information.

WCDSB MDI Notice of Collection (2024) – Family Letter

 

Valentine’s Day 

St. John’s will recognize Valentine’s Day on Shrove Tuesday – February 13th – so that we can quiet our hearts and minds to prayerfully acknowledge Ash Wednesday on February 14.

Each year, on Ash Wednesday all schools begin the Lenten season with a liturgy and the distribution of ashes. In our Catholic faith, Ash Wednesday is a day of prayer and reflection with the intention of growing closer to God.

Valentine’s Day is a time to focus on the virtue of love, kindness, and charity. However, it’s important for us to recognize that this year, it coincides with Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Lenten season in the Catholic faith tradition. Therefore, we will be celebrating Valentine’s on February 13th – Shrove Tuesday. If you plan to send in a Valentine’s treat for your child to share with their class on February 13th, please ensure it is store-bought,  individually wrapped and nut-free. And, remember…there is absolutely no expectation to bring in a treat. The gift of friendship and kindness is what matters most!

We will have a Spirit Day and dress in Red, White, and Pink!

 

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. #Strengthen

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Important Dates

February 15th – Term 1 Reports go home

February 19th – Family Day (no school for students)

March 8~15th – March Break (no school for students)

March 29th – Good Friday (no school for students)

April 1st – Easter Monday (no school for students)

April 19th – PA Day (no school for students)

May 20th – Victoria Day (no school for students)

May 31st – PA Day (no school for students)

June 25th- Term 2 Reports go home

June 27th- Last Day of School

June 28th – PA Day  (no school for students)