As I look at the calendar I note we are halfway through the month of
Novemeber. Our first term report cards are in the process of being completed
and the first Sunday of Advent is only about 10 days away.
Everyone at St. Joseph's School has been actively involved in our School
Improvement Plan Goals, which reflect our catholicity and our desire for high
academic achievement.
This month our grade 2 students participated in receiving the 2nd
sacrament of initiation into our faith; that of Reconciliation. Students and
parents attended a celebration at St. Anne's and at St. Peter's last week.
We congratualate these students and their families for their dedication to
learning and growing in our catholic teachings.
St.Joseph's School has strong ties with our Huron County Catholic
Secondary School, St. Anne's and we continue to benefit from the presence and
role modelling occuring within this school. This month our junior students
have had the opportunity to listen to information around personal
responsibility for our actions and buyllying issues. Our senior students were
invited to participate in a Free The Children assembly, in which they learned
the harsh truth of the life of a "child soldier" in Africa. They came a way
with a sense of responsibility to "speak up" for children who are forced into
such situations and for whom no one seems to care.
Within our own cultures there are times when specific individuals are
targeted with "bullying" tactics and to this end our senior students have
chosen to turn the tables and have proclaimed Friday Nov 18th as "Hug a
Ginger" or "Be a Ginger" Day. These students have come to understand the
negative impact of the violent assertion that people of different skin
colour, hair colour, culture or language can be targeted for abuse.
On an academic note, our parent community has been invited to attend a
Math Nite for Parents Only, in which representatives from our math
coordination team at our H.P. School Board Office, will provide fun and
entertaining ways for parents to support their student's learning of math
while spending positive, quality family time together. Several draw prizes
will be given out this evening, which can be used to further enrich family
understanding of mathematics.
In late November and early December our school will hold weekly advent
assemblies, as well as an Advent Liturgy on Tues Decmeber 15th.On December
18th, our Advent Mass will be hosted by our grade 4 classroom. On this date
we will also hold a whole school Christmas dinner for our students and staff,
sponsored by our School Advisory Council and our Healthy School's Initiative
Program.
St. Joe's continues to be "a hive" of activity, positive energy and
catholic values. We welcome visitors to our school and invite parents to
continue to active partners in their child's education.
Please contact our school for any comments or suggestions related to our
events or activities. God bless and keep you.
Sincerely,
Ms.Barrett
