Happy Easter!
We celebrated, this past long weekend, the beginning of the Easter season. As Christians, we believe that following the 40 day observance of Lent, Easter brings new promise and rebirth. Pope Francis shared his Easter message this past weekend - a passage from that reflection:
This is the culmination of the Gospel, it is the Good News par excellence: Jesus, who was crucified, is risen! This event is the basis of our faith and our hope. If Christ were not raised, Christianity would lose its very meaning; the whole mission of the Church would lose its impulse, for this is the point from which it first set out and continues to set out ever anew. The message which Christians bring to the world is this: Jesus, Love incarnate, died on the cross for our sins, but God the Father raised him and made him the Lord of life and death. In Jesus, love has triumphed over hatred, mercy over sinfulness, goodness over evil, truth over falsehood, life over death.
All Saints Costa Rica Visit
Our student and staff group returned from Costa Rica this past weekend. The indication was that they had a fantastic time. I have shared some student feedback regarding the trip below. I appreciate our students sharing their thoughts:
We as a group had donated to a school that was not necessarily up to par with the ones back home in Kanata. Just being there with the children and giving back was the best experience for me because a lot of us tend to take advantage of the gifts we have been given. This truly opened my mind to not take advantage of the simple things in life such as chores, being respectful, helping others, and most importantly, giving back.
We helped the people of Costa Rica when we visited the elementary school. This was a one room school with 12 kids up to grade 6. We ended up spending way longer then planned with the kids just playing and getting to interact with them. There was one little girl who seemed to have a difficulty who was particularly fun to be around. She was a very sweet girl who was all smiles despite us not speaking the same language. It was rather amazing to me that she was so happy with her difficulty and didn't shy away because we couldn't communicate with words. The school trip was truly an amazing experience and opportunity to make someone’s days.
One thing I learned about myself and this group was that things are easier done in larger numbers. When we went to the school and sanctuary we made a much bigger difference then if we tried to do those things on our own. The importance of teamwork was something I think we all learned.
The volunteer work we did as a team was a great addition to the trip and a nice experience. Our volunteer activities included planting trees and visiting an elementary school. It was nice to see the happiness of the students despite the lack of materials they possessed. It was good that we could give sports equipment and school supplies to help out as much as we could.
All Saints Administration Change
Following the meeting with Trustees last week, there were a number of changes to administration teams made across the Board. This change did have an impact on our All Saints community. Tracy Murray (VP) will be moving to St. Mark for September, and Bonnie McGilchrist (VP) will be retiring. We will certainly miss these great administrators. Mark O'Connor (currently a VP at St. Peter's) and Tanya Noble Moore (currently a teacher at Holy Trinity) will be coming to join our team in September. I have worked with both Mark and Tanya previously, and they will be great additions to our school community.
Parent School Climate Information Survey
Every two years the Ministry of Education requires that schools conduct a School Climate Survey where we ask students, staff, and families to provide their input on the environment in our school. In Catholic schools, our Catholic teaching on the dignity of the human person is the starting point for all issues of diversity. Catholic schools strive to create an environment where all members of the school community feel safe, welcomed, included and valued.
We need your voice.
As parents and guardians, we value your voice and ask for your input as we continue to build positive school climates. We encourage you to take 10 minutes to complete our survey and ask that each family complete only one survey for each of the schools the children in your family attend. Each survey is linked to the school your child attends.
Please click this link for the parent survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PARallsaints724777
This survey link is also available on the homepage of our school website.
All students in Grades 4-12 will complete a similar survey at school. The student survey measures safety, bullying, equity, inclusivity and student well-being. Our school staff will also complete a survey.
The surveys will help in-school teams determine school needs, make decisions on improving the climate of our school, as well as help to determine whether programs are effective at improving the school climate.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact the school. We look forward to hearing your feedback regarding our school’s climate.
This survey will be available for completion until May 5, 2017.
Student Support Initiative in the Community
A Kanata Major Pee Wee AA Blazers Hockey team is currently involved with the Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup. This is an opportunity to raise money for their selected charity, support for Jonathan Pitre, better known as The Butterfly Child. The contest would allow the team to support Jonathan and his mother Tina Boileau and DEBRA, the organization which researches Jonathan's EB disease. If the team wins this contest, Chevrolet will donate an additional $15,000 to DEBRA on behalf of the Blazers and Rogers Sportsnet will host a party which will be broadcast live at the Bell Sensplex.
How can you help??
Students are encouraged to vote every day at the following link: http://www.chevrolet.ca/hockey/power-of-play.html, simply scroll down to Kanata Blazers and vote. You are encouraged to vote once a school day until April 20th when voting closes. We have the potential to get several thousand votes just by this process
You can vote once every 24 hours. The key is to vote and share daily.
ALSO, we are asking students to share the story on Instagram and Facebook asking their friends to vote.
Summer School Program - July 2017
Information is now available regarding the OCSB summer school program for this July. For parents of students in grades 6, 7 or 8:
The Numeracy/Literacy Skills Development Program offers a spectacular opportunity for struggling learners currently in grades 6, 7 or 8.
Please see information regarding the Numeracy/Literacy program or the schedule for credit courses at the link below:
There is a great deal of information on the CSPA website regarding information for parents and upcoming sessions. You can visit the website here.
Recognizing and supporting the mental health needs of our children and youth
This session will explore the concepts of "normal stress" and the "continuum of mental health" along with the signs and symptoms of potential mental health issues in children and youth. When and where to access services and supports for mental health within our community will be discussed. Strategies to foster resilience in our children and youth will be shared.
Presenter: Dr. Elizabeth Paquette
Thursday, April 27, 2017
7:00-9:00 PM
Immaculata High School
Communications:
Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsCHS (Mr. Kelly’s - @seankellyottawa) as well as our website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!
Coming Up:
April 24th to 28th: Workplace Safety Week
May 1st to 5th: Education Week
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