Author: Trainor, Dan

November 2024

St. Theresa Tribune
Sowing the Seeds of Faith, Blossoming in Knowledge
St. Theresa Catholic Elementary
58 Seymour, St. Catharines, Ontario L2P 1A7 Phone: 905-682-0244
Principal: Mr. Dan Trainor B.A., M.Ed Secretary: Mrs. Read
st.theresa@ncdsb.com www.niagaracatholic.ca

“The happiness of life is made up of little things:
a smile, a hug, a moment of shared laughter.”
-Unknown
Our daily interactions with our students are grounded in profound respect and regard for each individual student. As a staff, we greatly appreciate and celebrate the little things that create happiness. We are very proud of the small steps each student takes towards a big goal.
During the first two months of school, as a staff, we have established the foundation for a deeper understanding of our Catholic Faith. Students know that they are expected to treat each other in the manner in which Jesus
instructed us and modelled for us.
There are many highlights to showcase from our busy October. Our Holy Childhood walk was an awesome time for all students. Our students represented our school in an exemplary fashion! Costumes and dressing in Orange and Black to celebrate Hallowe’en showcased much creativity among our students and families. Students enjoyed their classroom activities.
November is a month of reflection and regard for the gifts of safety and freedom. Your children will be taught the significance and reverence of wearing a poppy and the importance of Remembrance Day. Please join us for our Remembrance Day liturgy at 10:45 am.
Yours in Catholic Education,
Dan Trainor
D. Trainor,
PRINCIPAL
E.Q.A.O. Results
We are tremendously proud of all our students who wrote the primary and junior assessments last June. Individual results were sent home by paper copy to our current grade 4 and grade 7 students in October. Results are reported as a percentage of students who achieved at grade level or higher (Level 3 and 4) in the following areas: Reading, Writing and Mathematics.
Primary Results: Junior Results:
Reading = 76.9% Reading = 70.6%
Writing = 76.9% Writing =64.7%
Mathematics = 84.6% Mathematics = 35.3%
This data is one source that we as a staff use to monitor student achievement and to base our school improvements goals. The data allows us to target areas of strength and areas where more teaching and learning is needed.
Congratulations students!

Remembrance Day November 11th
During November, we must take the time to reflect on the freedom and democracy in our great country, Canada. November is a time to reflect on the sacrifices and lives that were lost in times of war, past and present. We need to take action for our freedom. Our action needs to
develop our ability to see the positive in people and
situations. We should seek out and help others in need and work together towards peaceful projects. The staff and students of St. Theresa will celebrate with a
Remembrance Day Liturgy in our school gym, lead by our Grade 7 class at 10:45 on Friday, November 11th. Each student will receive a poppy in remembrance of those who gave so much. We will have a poppy donation box at school if you wish to send some coins in for the poppies.
Kindergarten Communication of
Learning and Progress Reports for Grades 1 to 8
Early progress reports will be available to
parents online and in print on Monday, November 11th, 2024. Parent-teacher interviews will be scheduled for Thursday, November 21st from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Additionally, as part of the communication of learning for Year One Kindergarten (Junior Kindergarten) students, parents will be invited in for observation times in our Kindergarten rooms. Parent visits will occur during the week of November 18th-22nd.
Booking Parent/Teacher Interviews
St. Theresa Catholic School will again be using the online method for parents to book their in-person
interview times. Detailed instructions for registering your child(ren) and booking your interview will be sent to you through School Messenger. If you are having trouble retrieving the information, please call the school and a paper copy will be sent home with your child. You may begin booking your 10 minute appointment at 9:00 a.m. on November 12th until 10:00 p.m. on November 18th by logging onto http://ncdsb.schoolappointments.com.

St. Theresa Tribune

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Classroom Spotlight Grade Two
Welcome to an exciting new month! As we enter the month of November, it has been wonderful to see the success of the Grade 2 students as they continue to learn and grow together in faith and serve each other within their classroom community. Grade two students are becoming independent learners and are learning to effectively collaborate with their peers. In math, we are using numbers in real life situations and are learning new strategies each day. This is complimented by using digital programs such as Knowledgehook to activate prior knowledge and practise their learning. In social studies, students are exploring a variety of traditions within their families and their local communities, as well as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuit and other diverse communities. They investigate how traditions and celebrations may have changed over time and are developing an understanding of how these traditions contribute to and enrich their own community and Canadian society. Students are learning how to be descriptive writers as they learn to produce creative writing pieces to reflect the changing seasons. Well done Grade 2!
Anaphylaxis Awareness
and Action Plans
All classrooms at St. Theresa are peanut, tree nut and milk safe classrooms. No peanuts, peanut products, or tree nuts are allowed at any time. We have many students with life threatening allergies to peanuts, tree nuts and peanut products. Please do not send in any food items for class distribution. We also have a student with dairy allergies and must ensure we handle all dairy food items carefully. Students who share the classroom with our student with a dairy allergy have been informed and know that they are to wash their hands after lunches and snacks that contain dairy items. Please ensure that your child has thoroughly washed their hands after eating peanuts, peanut products or dairy products for breakfast/lunch at home. We must make every effort to ensure we do not contaminate our learning environment for these students. Please respect the safety of all students. Remember how you would want your child protected by their school
community if your child had a fatal allergy.
St. Theresa Spirit Wear
You can order spirit wear at anytime and it will be delivered to the school. Please use the following link to access the order forms, thank you.
https://exclusiveimprint.com/
Upcoming Dates:
December 2nd -Advent Liturgy in our Gym
December 9th - Advent Liturgy in our Gym
December 16th -Advent Liturgy in our Gym
December 20th - Advent Liturgy in our Gym
December 20th - Last day of school before Christmas Break
January 6th - We are back to school!
January 9th - DM Gr. 9 Open House
January 17th - P.A. Day - no school for students
March 10th-14th - March Break
April 4th - P.D. Day - no school for students
April 18th - Good Friday
April 20th - Easter Sunday
April 21st - Easter Monday
May 7th - Grade 7 Immunization Clinic
June 19-20 (tentative dates) - Gr. 8 Blue Mountain Trip
June 25th - Grade 8 Graduation

Safe Arrival
Remember to report your child’s absence using our safe arrival system. Phone 1-844-287-6287 or visit https://go.schoolmessenger.ca to access a Parent Portal where an account can be set up to report absences via web or smart phone. The free App called “SchoolMessenger” is
available through the App Store or Google Play. Absences may be reported up to 5 days. If your child will be away longer than 5 days, please contact the school. Safe Arrival absence
reporting will be accepted until 8:40 a.m., each morning for the
current day. After that time, please phone the school to report. Instructions for registering for SchoolMessenger is available in the school office.
Cell Phone use for Students
The Ministry of Education has directed schools and school boards to not allow elementary students to have cell phones on them during the school day. To fairly manage this mandate along with parenting decisions made for each of our students; we thank you for respecting the following
compromise. If you are providing your child(ren) with a cell phone as part of their communication and safety tools as they transit from home to school and back, be advised that all
cellphones will be placed in the classroom “cell garage” or in each student’s backpack for the instructional day. If you are texting your child during the day — please expect them to only get the message at dismissal time (2:50). All communication must go through the main office. If students are using their cells as a personal device for research, teachers will direct them to access their cell phones. If students are required to bring a device for a specific purpose, the teacher will send a message in their digital platforms, such as the “NCVLE-classroom, School Messenger” so parents are aware of the request.
Thank you for your support.
Parking Lot Safety
Parents are cautioned when driving in and out of the school parking lot. Students who walk to school may be crossing the driveway to get to the sidewalk. Student safety is our first priority and we ask that drivers please be vigilant.
If you are picking your child(ren) up at our “Kiss and Ride”, we ask that everyone keep the traffic flowing in this space at a slow speed to ensure students are safe. It is preferred that you park your vehicle in the parking lot and escort your child(ren) to the front of the school during morning drop off and repeat the same procedure at the end of the day by meeting your child(ren) at the exit gates. Do Not park in the “Kiss and Ride” and leave your vehicle. Thank you, safety of our children is our first priority.
Medication
For safety reasons, no child is to bring any form of medication to school. If medication is necessary, there is a form that must be filled out by your doctor to indicate dosage, instructions, etc., and the prescription container clearly labeled with names (child, parent, doctor), phone numbers and must be left at the office. Please contact the school to address individual student needs in this regard.

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St. Theresa Tribune

School Picture Retakes
Thursday, November 20th will be our
picture retake day. Students are to be in full dress code for their school pictures. We will use the composite
layout for the class photos as this allows any retake pictures to be the actual chosen image and allows for any students who are unable to be here on the first picture day to be included.
Grade Eight graduates pictures will occur in early 2025.
Cross Country Team
Congratulations to our Cross Country Team members who showed their determination, perseverance and sportsmanship at our Cross Country meet. Each and every one of the students powered through their race with good team spirit and a positive attitude.
A huge congratulations to five of our members, Hadrian S., Paisley Y., Quentin S., Jayden R. and Mila K,. who moved on to the Board meet.
Thank you to Mrs. DiTillio and Mrs. Stephens for your time coaching our runners.
Junior Soccer Teams
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our junior boys and girls soccer teams for their incredible effort and exemplary sportspersonship throughout the season. Your dedication on the field, teamwork, and positive attitude not only showcased your skills but also set a remarkable example for your peers. Each game demonstrated your resilience and commitment, and it has been inspiring to watch you grow as athletes and individuals. Thank you for representing our school with such pride and integrity!
Boys Team: Ayo O, Tolani A, Sam N, Xian C, Cortez, Seth, Jayden R, Fabio S, Daniel, Wyatt, Raymond, Davyn
Girls Team: Everleigh J, Chilotam A, Arabella, Vaiyah K, Isabella M, Antonelis, Kylie, Eden W, Amelia, Paisley Y, Gemma B, Rufta, Mckenna
Mr Dikic, Mr Inman
Thank you Mr. Dikic and Mr. Inman for your time coaching our soccer teams.
Professional Development Day
Our next PD day is Friday, November 29th, 2024. Staff will be working on our School Improvement plans and reviewing Mathematics curriculum, Language curriculum and instructional strategies.
Catholic School Council
Our first Catholic School Council meeting was held on
Tuesday, October 1st at 6:00 p.m. We are excited to
continue the great work that we have been doing over the last few years. We welcomed back our previous members and are so excited to see new parents join us. Our meetings are approximately every 6 to 8 weeks, usually run about 60 minutes. Come out, share your ideas and meet fellow parents.
Mrs Carrie-Ann Csordas and Mrs. Lori Knight are eager to serve as Co-chairs again for this school year. Our next meeting is on November 25th, at 3:00 p.m. We are trying an afternoon meeting time again to see if this works better for our parents. We will be anticipating that students will be remaining at school for members of CSC attending the meeting.

St. Theresa Catholic
Elementary School Newsletter & Website
We will send home a paper copy of the school calendar each month. The newsletters and calendars will be posted on our school website. This will generally happen on the last Thursday of the current month. Watch for your newsletter as it contains much information regarding school activities. All information is sent home with the youngest or only child in a family. Newsletters and calendars will be posted on our school website! Please visit this exciting showcase of our great school.
Grade Eight Confirmation
Our Grade Eight students will be receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Alfred Catholic Church in May 2025. The students will be confirming the Baptismal promises their parents made at Baptism. Father Brian Bevan has been recuperating from his health issues and we have connected with St. Alfred Church for the sacrament this year. Monsignor Hugh will be holding a student and parent meeting in January 2025. More information on the actual dates will be shared when available.
The focus of their Religion classes will be on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Sacrament of Confirmation. God bless our grade eight students as they confirm their Baptism.
Intermediate Homework Club
We have been approved for a funding grant set aside for students in grades 7 to 12, for homework help and extra
reinforcement of skills. The club will run weekly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:50 to 4:15 p.m. in the library. Ms. DeLuca, Mrs. Rogers and Mr. Trainor will be the staff moderators of the club. As part of the learning students will have access to technology and also use various literacy and numeracy games to reinforce their skills. Thank you to the students who have already signed up for the club. Parents you can sign your child up for the club at anytime of the school year. Please call the office for the form and we will get them in the Homework Club.
Book/Math Buddies
Every Day 5 from 1:50 to 2:30 pm, our students will be engaging in peer learning by having time with their Book/Math Buddies. Students will be practising and modelling reading and decoding strategies, sharing comprehension of texts and playing many math games to build stronger additive reasoning and multiplicative thinking. Our younger students have been paired with older classes for this productive learning time. Watch for posts showcasing this learning time on our Instagram account.
Bell Times
A.M. Entrance: 8:30 a.m.
Nutrition Break #1 10:40 - 11:00 a.m.
Physical Break #2 11:00 - 11:20 a.m.
Nutrition Break #1 12:40 - 1:00 a.m.
Physical Break #2 1:00 - 1:20 a.m.
Dismissal: 2:50 p.m.
*Morning supervision begins at 8:20 a.m.
Students should not be on the school yard before 8:20 to ensure they are being supervised. Thank you!