Dear Tornado Families!
Thank you so much for attending our Christmas Concert today! The students and staff were so happy to perform for you.
As you may know by now, school is closed tomorrow, and students will be returning to school on Monday, January 9th.
Thank you for all your support this year!
Dear WCDSB Students and Families,
A major winter storm is expected to reach Waterloo Region overnight tonight and is expected to cause dangerous driving conditions on Friday and over the weekend.
Based on this forecast – and with the safety of all in mind – the WCDSB in collaboration with the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) and Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region, has made the proactive decision to cancel ALL student transportation and close all schools tomorrow, Friday, December 23, 2022.
All before and after school programs and child care centres co-located in schools will also be closed.
And all programs and services offered by St. Louis Adult Learning and Continuing Education Centres are cancelled and St. Louis sites will be closed.
We pray that everyone is able to remain safe during the storm, and we wish one and all a happy and blessed Christmas break.
We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday, January 9, 2023.
Dear Families,
We would like to reassure the community that the ambulance was not at the school for a student.
All is well.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
We have our Christmas Concert today! The students and staff have been practicing diligently for their special performance.
We kindly ask that you please observe the following:
We look forward to sharing our talents with you today!
Wear your Pajamas, comfy clothes or onesy today! Or you can wear your spirit wear today!
Good afternoon Tornado Families:
Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent. The fourth Sunday of Advent symbolizes Love. All four candles will be lit on our Advent wreath, and we will have a full circle of light. The Lord brings the light of love to his people by sending His only Son to earth for our salvation.
We have a week full of events before families set off for the holidays. We have our Christmas Turkey Lunch on Tuesday, and our Christmas Concert is on Thursday afternoon! The students are getting very excited, as are parents, we are sure.
Please have a look at what is coming up this week:
On Thursday, December 22, we will be having our Christmas Concert! The students and staff have been practicing diligently for their special performance.
We kindly ask that you please observe the following:
We look forward to sharing our talents with you on Thursday!
Dear St. Teresa of Avila families:
As we journey through the season of Advent, we continue to prepare our hearts to welcome the Lord at Christmas. Many of us will similarly prepare our homes to welcome loved ones over the holidays. Our special holiday touches and traditions provide a warm welcome to the family and friends who will grace our homes throughout this season. After two years where this was mostly not possible, this year’s celebrations will undoubtedly take on a special significance.
Just as our homes have missed the presence of loved ones these past two years, our parish community has truly missed the presence of the whole community gathered together in worship. When all the members of our parish family are not gathered with us around the Lord’s Table, our community is incomplete.
Please accept our warm and heartfelt invitation to join us for Mass this Christmas. If you have been away from the parish community, whether for a short time or a long time, we warmly welcome you home with open arms. If you attend Mass regularly, we thank you for your presence and we ask that you please extend this invitation to family, friends and neighbors.
Please know that it is our desire to have you join us for the celebration of Mass, and we are praying that every member of our community may accept our invitation to Come Home for Christmas! Be assured if you are not able to attend this Christmas that our prayers and best thoughts are with you and your families. The Christmas schedule is listed below.
Yours, in Christ,
Father Peter Meyer
Christmas Mass Times
Christmas Eve, December 24th @ 6:00 pm (Family Mass) and 9:00 pm
Christmas Day, December 25th @ 10:00 am
New Years Eve, December 31 @ 6:00 pm
New Years Day, January 1, 2023 @ 9:00 am
Please have a look at this week’s Parish Bulletin here: December 18 2022
In this bulletin, you will find more information about:
CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS CHOIR – We are hoping to have our young people, Grade 2 and up, join the Children’s Choir for the Christmas Eve 6 p.m. Mass. Practices will be Mondays, beginning November 21st, at 3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Please register your child beforehand by calling the Parish Office at 519-669-3387 or emailing StTeresaofAvila.Elmira@rogers.com. Children attending St. Teresa’s School may meet in the schoolyard by the fence and Iris Miltenburg will bring the children over to the church.
The St. Teresa of Avila SUNDAY CHILDREN’S LITURGY PROGRAM, for children JK to Grade 2, has begun at the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass. All are welcome! The parish is also looking for parent volunteers to help with this program. Please contact the church if interested.
Please pray for our Parish Administrator who will be having knee surgery on November 30th and will be away until the end of February. Please also pray for those who will be helping in the Parish Office at that time.
Public Health is ready to begin enforcement of all mandatory ISPA vaccines for the 2022/2023 school year for grades 7- to 12. Due to COVID-19, the enforcement of the Immunization of School Pupils Act was put on hold and the ability for families to access vaccines decreased. Despite recent catch-up clinics, approximately 25,000 students in grades 7-12 are missing one or more vaccines. Notices will be sent home on a rolling basis for approximately 17-20 schools sent each week. Following that, suspension orders will be mailed directly to parents/students at least three weeks before the suspension date. Suspension day for elementary school students (Grades 7 and 8 only) will be March 29, 2023. If your child receives their vaccines, please ensure the information is being sent directly to Public Health; the school does not collect this information.
Information can be sent via:
EQAO Parent Outreach Webinar | Jan. 17, 2023
Parents and Guardians will gain an understanding of EQAO and the Primary and Junior division assessments.
Learn about EQAO assessment results and Ontario’s large-scale assessment program at the elementary-school level by registering for a webinar.
The session is approximately 45 minutes, followed by a live question-and-answer session with EQAO staff. See the flyer for details | EQAO _ Parent Event _ Outreach.pdf
Please go to our school webpage by visiting stteresaelmira.wcdsb.ca and clicking on the School Council tab to check out the minutes of our last meeting and also to learn more about our Catholic School Advisory Council. Everyone is always welcome to join our next meeting on Tuesday, February 7th at 6pm. Come and see what it’s all about! If you cannot commit to joining our CSAC but would like to offer to volunteer for events when required, please email paula.pizarro@wcdsb.ca.
Click here to go directly to the CSAC webpage
CSAC Parent Outreach Letter 2022
We are happy to share that Lunchbox by SchoolCash Online will be offered at our school for the 2022/2023 school year. Lunchbox is a convenient, online ordering platform featuring local vendors. An ordering calendar has been coordinated for the school community and can be found on our SchoolCash Online items page.
The ordering features the following options:
Please read the following document that shows you how to order: How-to-Order-Guide (St. Teresa Avila)
Woolwich Community Services provides many different programs and supports for our community. Have a look at the posters for upcoming programs at The Hub. Families can follow them on social media or join their E-Blast by visiting their website at https://www.woolwichcommunityservices.org for the most up-to-date information.
Limit your use of Extrinsic Motivators
Extrinsic motivators are the external rewards, ubiquitous in parenting, that are contingent on a child’s task performance or behaviour. Used regularly because of their effectiveness, there is a dark side to these extrinsic motivators. Studies show that we actually decrease our child’s intrinsic motivation over time by offering up these external rewards. This means that our children will want to do things less and less the more we provide them rewards. The task itself becomes less enjoyable without the reward. When we think about academics we can see why this causes a problem over time. If we provide rewards for good marks, for example, we slowly start to decrease our children’s actual enjoyment of the learning process.
Here are a few ideas for reducing extrinsic motivators:
In this video, I explain extrinsic motivators.
Until next time,
Dr. Jen, The Umbrella Project
Interested in learning more? Here are a few more short and sweet videos from Dr. Jen.
Fall cold/flu season is here– it is important that any student not feeling well should stay home and also follow the guidance of the screening tool found on our school website.
While it is not mandatory to wear a mask – the screener does indicate in what situations and for how long we should wear a mask i.e., wear a well-fitted mask in all public settings (including school and child care). Thanks for your support in following the screener guidance.
Good morning Tornado Families:
As you have heard by now through the media, the school is OPEN, buses and taxis are CANCELLED, and the Lunch Lady for today is CANCELLED, so please send a lunch.
If you plan on keeping your child home today, please notify the school as per our Safe Arrival policy.
Stay warm and safe!
• If buses are cancelled due to inclement weather, lunches will be canceled and credited.
• If there is a school closure, lunches will be cancelled, and a credit will be issued to your Lunchbox account
within 3 business days
Dear St. Teresa of Avila families:
As we journey through the season of Advent, we continue to prepare our hearts to welcome the Lord at Christmas. Many of us will similarly prepare our homes to welcome loved ones over the holidays. Our special holiday touches and traditions provide a warm welcome to the family and friends who will grace our homes throughout this season. After two years where this was mostly not possible, this year’s celebrations will undoubtedly take on a special significance.
Just as our homes have missed the presence of loved ones these past two years, our parish community has truly missed the presence of the whole community gathered together in worship. When all the members of our parish family are not gathered with us around the Lord’s Table, our community is incomplete.
Please accept our warm and heartfelt invitation to join us for Mass this Christmas. If you have been away from the parish community, whether for a short time or a long time, we warmly welcome you home with open arms. If you attend Mass regularly, we thank you for your presence and we ask that you please extend this invitation to family, friends and neighbors.
Please know that it is our desire to have you join us for the celebration of Mass, and we are praying that every member of our community may accept our invitation to Come Home for Christmas! Be assured if you are not able to attend this Christmas that our prayers and best thoughts are with you and your families. The Christmas schedule is listed below.
Yours, in Christ,
Father Peter Meyer
Christmas Mass Times
Christmas Eve, December 24th @ 6:00 pm (Family Mass) and 9:00 pm
Christmas Day, December 25th @ 10:00 am
New Years Eve, December 31 @ 6:00 pm
New Years Day, January 1, 2023 @ 9:00 am
Good afternoon Tornado Families:
Today is the third Sunday of Advent. The third Sunday of Advent gives us the opportunity to prepare in our hearts a sense of holy anticipation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus as well as for his promised second coming. We are invited to reflect on the joy we have access to because of our faith in Jesus.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” ~ Philippians 4:4-5
With two weeks left until the Christmas holidays, the students and staff have been preparing for some fun activities and practicing for the big day – THE CHRISTMAS CONCERT!! The Christmas concert for parents will be on Thursday, December 22nd starting at 1pm. More information will be shared later this week.
Please continue reading for what is coming up this week:
Please have a look at this week’s Parish Bulletin here: December 11 2022
In this bulletin, you will find more information about:
CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS CHOIR – We are hoping to have our young people, Grade 2 and up, join the Children’s Choir for the Christmas Eve 6 p.m. Mass. Practices will be Mondays, beginning November 21st, at 3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Please register your child beforehand by calling the Parish Office at 519-669-3387 or emailing StTeresaofAvila.Elmira@rogers.com. Children attending St. Teresa’s School may meet in the schoolyard by the fence and Iris Miltenburg will bring the children over to the church.
The St. Teresa of Avila SUNDAY CHILDREN’S LITURGY PROGRAM, for children JK to Grade 2, has begun at the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass. All are welcome! The parish is also looking for parent volunteers to help with this program. Please contact the church if interested.
The FIRST RECONCILIATION for Grade 2 students will be on Tuesday, December 6th at 6:30 p.m. All other students attending St. Teresa’s School will receive reconciliation on Thursday, December 15th.
The St. Teresa of Avila PARISH RECONCILIATION will be on Wednesday, December 14th at St. Boniface, Maryhill at 7:00 p.m.
Please pray for our Parish Administrator who will be having knee surgery on November 30th and will be away until the end of February. Please also pray for those who will be helping in the Parish Office at that time.
Public Health is ready to begin enforcement of all mandatory ISPA vaccines for the 2022/2023 school year for grades 7- to 12. Due to COVID-19, the enforcement of the Immunization of School Pupils Act was put on hold and the ability for families to access vaccines decreased. Despite recent catch-up clinics, approximately 25,000 students in grades 7-12 are missing one or more vaccines. Notices will be sent home on a rolling basis for approximately 17-20 schools sent each week. Following that, suspension orders will be mailed directly to parents/students at least three weeks before the suspension date. Suspension day for elementary school students (Grades 7 and 8 only) will be March 29, 2023. If your child receives their vaccines, please ensure the information is being sent directly to Public Health; the school does not collect this information.
Information can be sent via:
EQAO Parent Outreach Webinar | Jan. 17, 2023
Parents and Guardians will gain an understanding of EQAO and the Primary and Junior division assessments.
Learn about EQAO assessment results and Ontario’s large-scale assessment program at the elementary-school level by registering for a webinar.
The session is approximately 45 minutes, followed by a live question-and-answer session with EQAO staff. See the flyer for details | EQAO _ Parent Event _ Outreach.pdf
Please go to our school webpage by visiting stteresaelmira.wcdsb.ca and clicking on the School Council tab to check out the minutes of our last meeting and also to learn more about our Catholic School Advisory Council. Everyone is always welcome to join our next meeting on Tuesday, February 7th at 6pm. Come and see what it’s all about! If you cannot commit to joining our CSAC but would like to offer to volunteer for events when required, please email paula.pizarro@wcdsb.ca.
Click here to go directly to the CSAC webpage
CSAC Parent Outreach Letter 2022
We are happy to share that Lunchbox by SchoolCash Online will be offered at our school for the 2022/2023 school year. Lunchbox is a convenient, online ordering platform featuring local vendors. An ordering calendar has been coordinated for the school community and can be found on our SchoolCash Online items page.
The ordering features the following options:
Please read the following document that shows you how to order: How-to-Order-Guide (St. Teresa Avila)
Woolwich Community Services provides many different programs and supports for our community. Have a look at the posters for upcoming programs at The Hub. Families can follow them on social media or join their E-Blast by visiting their website at https://www.woolwichcommunityservices.org for the most up-to-date information.
Create a learning environment at home
It isn’t always easy to create a love of learning, but studies show that if we can create a learning environment in our homes, it will build our children’s academic intrinsic motivation and engagement with their education. The greater the emphasis on learning opportunities and activities at home, the more motivated children are to learn.
This week, observe your house with an eye on learning. What kinds of books, activities and opportunities are available for your child to learn new things around the house. This could be anything from science experiments, to a vegetable garden, fiction books that explore other people’s experiences, art supplies or games that encourage math skills or strategy in a fun way. This shouldn’t be forced upon them and is more about allowing for opportunities to explore the intersection between intrinsic motivation and learning.
In this short video, I describe how to create a learning environment at home
Health & Happiness,
Dr. Jen, The Umbrella Project
Fall cold/flu season is here– it is important that any student not feeling well should stay home and also follow the guidance of the screening tool found on our school website.
While it is not mandatory to wear a mask – the screener does indicate in what situations and for how long we should wear a mask i.e., wear a well-fitted mask in all public settings (including school and child care). Thanks for your support in following the screener guidance.