The world is full of beautiful places. Let your heart be one of them.
~Jenim Dibie
Thank you to all of our students, staff and families for the smooth return to school this week! Students have adapted very well to our added protocols to ensure everyone’s safety at school!
Thank you to The Saidat Show for the virtual presentations this month with the message “One person can make a difference. Together we can change the world!” For more info check out www.saidat.ca
Thank you to Ms. Cvetkovic, Mme Manes and the student ambassadors for organizing our February liturgy recognizing our January Student Effective Communicators – “One who speaks, writes, and listens to others honestly and sensitively, responding critically, in light of gospel values.” Congratulations to all of our award winners this month!
Thank you to all who were able to support our “Local Love Day” for The United Way! The Cash Online option for donations will be available until midnight Tuesday February 16th!
Saint Matthew Church Parish – Ash Wednesday
Lent begins this year on Wednesday, February 17. It seems all but certain that we will not be able to gather in the church. It is, however, the earnest embracing of penance and spiritual growth (not the physical act of imposing ashes) that effects the commencement of this season. We all have the same opportunity to draw closer to the Lord with or without ashes. Mass will be celebrated at 9 AM in the church, streaming LIVE on our YouTube channel, and available for later viewing all day. The Diocese is preparing resources to help families mark the day at home; we’ll share them on our Facebook page and on the Updates section of our website.
From Director Daly:
On Thursday February 11, 2021, the Ontario government provided an update on the timing of March Break for the 2020-2021 school year. The announcement indicated that March Break will be postponed until April 12-16, 2021, as a health and safety precaution to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in our school communities.
This means that all HCDSB elementary and secondary instruction will continue as scheduled from March 15 through 19, 2021.
Read the Ministry’s News Release here.
Before and during this week-long break, families are advised to stay home as much as possible, and to continue to follow the direction of our Public Health officials to keep our school communities healthy and safe.
As always, we will contact parents and guardians directly, should there be any additional updates before the week-long break in April. We will provide new information as it becomes available.
I recognize that this continues to be a challenging school year for our students and families, but I want to thank you for your ongoing patience, understanding and support as we adjust to the current requirements.
I continue to hold all students, families and staff in my thoughts and prayers. Wishing you and your family a safe and restful Family Day weekend. ~ Director Daly
Lent 2021
As we prepare to move into Lent, we recognize that many schools have traditionally held Shrove Tuesday celebrations and served pancakes to the school community. Given the current circumstances with all of the health and safety protocols in place, schools will be unable to serve pancakes to staff and students.
Ash Wednesday
The Hamilton Diocese has prepared a wonderful resource for families to celebrate Ash Wednesday. The resource includes a video of Bishop Crosby reading the Gospel along with a short reflection by Bishop Crosby. We encourage our St. Bernadette CES families to celebrate and pray with their families at home.
The resource can be found at https://hamiltondiocese.com/lent2021/.
PINK Shirt Day – Wednesday February 24, 2021
This Pink Shirt Day, our focus is working together and treating others with dignity and respect. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all and shown the importance of helping one another and advocating for those who need it. Help us “lift each other up” and support programs that encourage healthy self esteem and teach empathy, compassion and kindness. Our CYC, Mrs. Bromley will be joining classes virtually throughout the week of Feb 22-26th to promote healthy relationships through conversations and activities!
Please Do Not Congregate Before or After School
To help minimize the spread of COVID-19, we have received Ministry direction to continue to follow physical distancing measures both inside our schools and in outside areas. School staff will be monitoring to ensure that children are not gathering in groups before school starts and after school. Please review with your children about the need to follow physical distancing guidelines and remind your older children to refrain from congregating in groups before and after school. As a reminder, parents are also asked not to gather during drop off and pick up times, and to refrain from carpooling if physical distancing and the use of PPE (masks) cannot be maintained.
Mental Health Supports
We recognize that the shift from remote to in-person learning can be a very stressful time for many families. As a reminder, parents are welcome to visit our website for Mental Health & Well-Being resources and support. School Mental Health Ontario also has a number of excellent resources to help our HCDSB community navigate through this difficult period: www.smho-smso.ca.
Updates
We will continue to provide updates as they become available, and will share information in the following ways:
- Email to Parents/Guardians and Staff
- Updates to our Return to School Plan website
- Twitter: @HCDSB
- Instagram: @HaltonCatholicDSB
Thank you for your ongoing understanding and support as we work with the Ministry of Education and our Public Health officials to keep our school communities healthy and safe.
New to KDG ~ Ready, Set, Go! Virtual Information Sessions
This March, HCDSB staff are hosting: Ready, Set, Go! virtual information sessions for parents of children starting kindergarten in September 2021! Ready, Set, Go! is an interactive presentation offered to help parents better prepare their children for kindergarten. Two sessions will be offered: March 9th from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and March 11th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Topics will include:
- How to prepare your child emotionally and physically for school
- The importance of learning through play
- Being able to manage your child’s stress
- Fostering secure relationships
- Packing healthy lunches
- A checklist for starting school
For more information about the Ready, Set, Go! virtual sessions, visit the Board’s website on the Kindergarten page. A link for parents to tune into the live sessions will become available on the Board’s website on March 9 and March 11, 2021. We hope you are able to join us!
Promoting Well-Being – List of Feeling Words From A to Z By Amanda Morin
- Parents will often ask their kids to express themselves with words – “Use your words!” is a common playground refrain – but it’s not always easy for children. They are still exploring feelings and are sorely in need of emotional vocabulary to hang these feelings on.
- Helping our kids expand their emotional vocabulary not only aids them scholastically, but it also helps them better understand the subtlety of emotions and how words like “happy” and “elated” or “indifferent” and “disinterested” differ.
- By teaching our children the feeling words appropriate to their age – and encouraging them to use them when expressing themselves – we aid in their emotional growth now into their teen and adult years.
Read more at https://www.verywellfamily.com/feelings-words-from-a-to-z-2086647
Wishing you a fantastic Family Day weekend ~ the Staff of St. Bernadette CES
Follow us on Twitter @stbernhcdsb
Looking Ahead:
This Thursday February 25th we will be hosting our February St. Bernadette Virtual Family Trivia Night starting at 7:00pm. We hope you can join us!
Here is the link to the event: Click here to join the meeting
The Saint Matthew Conference of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul has been very busy with giving help to our neighbours in Glen Abbey these past two months. Families are really struggling through this pandemic. Money is what we need so that we can purchase grocery cards and pay for items like mattresses, household goods, Chrome books/laptops for students, medical costs, utility bills and rent. As our Lenten Initiative at St. Bernadette CES, we will host a Jersey Day Spirit Day on Friday March 12 to support our parish community. Donations can be made on School CashOnline only as we attempt to be a cashless school. Thank you for your support of our community needs.
Wear your craziest mismatched outfit and show off your new style!
