Dear St. Scholastica Families,
There are many important updates this week – this is a long one! Please see below for more details:
PA DAY IN FEBRUARY
February 14th is a designated Professional Activity Day for our school board. There will be no school for students on this day.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Each year, students and staff across the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) are invited to participate in Black History Month, to honour and pay tribute to Black Canadians, both past and present. For 2020, the theme of the Government of Canada’s Black History Month campaign is: Canadians of African Descent: Going forward, guided by the past. At St. Scholastica, our Social Justice Team has been busy putting together announcements and creating posters to advertise the accomplishments of many Black Canadians and North Americans. Mrs. Chorley, our Library Technician, has put many fiction and non-fiction books on display that are about Black Canadians and Americans throughout history and include Black protagonists. Students are free to sign these books out during their library visit time. Throughout the HCDSB, a number of events and learning opportunities are planned. For more information on these, visit the HCDSB website and click on the “Black History Month” banner at the top of the opening page.
VALENTINES DAY AT ST. SCHOLASTICA
As there is a PA Day on Friday, February 14th, St. Scholastica will celebrate Valentine’s Day on Thursday, February 13th. Children are allowed to exchange Valentine’s Day cards if they wish but we are asking families to please not send in candy treats on this day. We do have children at our school with life threatening allergies who we need to keep safe. We also would like to honour the rights of parents who choose to monitor closely the sugar intake of their children. If you or your child wishes to bring in small gifts or tokens with their Valentine’s Day cards we are asking you to please consider stickers, erasers, pencils etc. as alternatives to candy treats.
FAMILY DAY – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH, 2020
A reminder that Monday, February 17th is Family Day in the Province of Ontario. There will be no school for students on this day. We hope that you can enjoy some fun activities on this day with family and friends. If you are looking for some ideas, please click on the link below:
https://www.milton.ca/en/arts-and-recreation/family-day.aspx
NEW UNIFORM PIECES AVAILABLE
In the Fall, your Catholic School Council voted to add more uniform pieces to our school uniform collection available at our approved uniform provider, ISW. Have a look at the attached flyer to see our new fleece hooded sweatshirt, athletic shorts for the warmer months and the knit cardigan option.
St. Scholastica Flyer February 2020
St. Scholastica Order Form Update February 2020
THURSDAY NIGHT BASKETBALL PROGRAM AT JEAN VANIER SECONDARY SCHOOL
Is your child interested in learning more about the sport of basketball? If so, check out the flyer attached below for more information on an evening basketball program being offered there this Spring.
Thursday Night Player Application 2020
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL PRIMARY MOVIE NIGHT – SAVE THE DATE!
Please save the date of Thursday, March 5th for our first “Primary Grades Movie Night” organized by your Catholic School Council. A flyer will be coming out later this week. You can also look to pay for your tickets and treats via our School Cash Online payment system (again – later this week).
SHROVE TUESDAY – TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH, 2020
On Tuesday, February 25th, your Catholic School Council has organized a school wide pancake treat! All students in Grades K-8 will be invited down to the gym at a scheduled time to enjoy a pancake as a SNACK to recognize this day. PLEASE NOTE THAT GRADE 4 AND 5 STUDENTS WILL HAVE THEIR PANCAKE TREAT ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH AS THEY WILL BE ATTENDING THE TORONTO MUSIC AND DRAMA TRIP ON TUESDAY THE 25TH.
Shrove Tuesday has connections to our Catholic Faith Tradition. Shrove Tuesday is always on the last day before Lent begins. It is a day to FEAST before the penitence and fasting associated with our Lenten season begins. This pancake treat will not be breakfast or lunch, but will instead, serve as a morning or afternoon snack for our students.
The pancake mix that we are using is a peanut and tree nut free mix. If your child has another type of allergy or food sensitivity you are asked to please be in touch with your child’s teacher to discuss the options for your child on this day.
We thank the parents who have volunteered to assist our Catholic School Council on this day. We are still in DESPERATE need of electric griddles that can be borrowed on this day. If you have an electric (plug in) griddle that we can borrow for the 24th and 25th, please drop it off at the main office labelled with the family name by Friday, February 21st.
CELEBRATING OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL GRADUATES
The Halton Catholic District School Board is excited to announce the launch of our new HCDSB Alumni Award. The HCDSB Alumni Award has been designed to celebrate the graduates of our system who embody the attributes of the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations (OCSGEs). Beginning this school year, and each year moving forward, we will recognize seven (7) HCDSB Alumni Award recipients during Catholic Education Week. Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2020 HCDSB Alumni Awards – deadline for submissions is Monday, March 30, 2020. To learn more about the selection criteria and nomination process, click here.
PROMOTING WELL BEING: Safety During Cold and Flu Season
The health and well-being of those in our community remains our highest priority. To prevent the spread of any respiratory viruses, the following steps and precautions are recommended both at school and in homes:
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Please note: Hand sanitizer is not a substitute for washing with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, a hand sanitizer with a 60% alcohol base can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands. Sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.
- Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
- If you do not have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or arm
- Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces regularly
- If you or your family members are ill, stay home
Below are some wonderful resources on handwashing and preventing the spread of germs and illnesses:
Wash Your Hands: Child Care
http://old.halton.ca/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=21578
Wash Your Hands: Just Wash Them!
http://old.halton.ca/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=21580
Wash Your Hands: Stop the Spread of Germs http://old.halton.ca/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=21150
Wash Your Hands: Schools
http://old.halton.ca/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=21576
Wash Your Hands: Children and Hand Washing
http://old.halton.ca/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=21582
Stop the Spread of Influenza
Handwashing Resources in Multiple Languages
https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/health-programs-advice/hand-hygiene/
DON’T FORGET!
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