St. Teresa of Avila C.E.S. ~ Weekly Updates Jan. 30-Feb. 3
Good afternoon Tornado Families:
Black History/Heritage Month begins on February 1st. During Black History Month, Canadians celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians who, throughout history, have done so much to make Canada the culturally diverse, compassionate, and prosperous nation it is today. Black History Month is a time to learn more about these Canadian stories and the many other important contributions of Black Canadians to the settlement, growth, and development of Canada, and about the diversity of Black communities in Canada and their importance to the history of this country. Our staff and students will be spending the month involved in various classroom activities aimed at providing opportunities to better appreciate these contributions made by our Black Canadians, past and present.
Please join us in celebrating BHM by asking your children about what they have been learning in school. You can also learn more as a family here: https://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc2/explore/black-history-month and https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage.html
Winter Walk Day is this Wednesday! There is an opportunity to win a $25 Indigo gift card from STSWR by registering as per the flyer.
Our school Danceathon fundraiser will be taking place on Thursday, February 23rd! More information to follow next week.
2023-2024 Extended Day Registration
Please know that the 2023-2024 Extended Day Pre-Registration is now open. Families who are interested in the program for next school year are encouraged to pre-register using this link:
https://regionofwaterloo.onehsn.com/wcdsb/
Kindergarten Registration: Do you have a child at home born in 2018 or 2019?
You can register them now to start school in September 2023! The online registration portal through ASPEN for Kindergarten registration for the 2023-2024 school year is NOW OPEN!
- Parents/Caregivers can now register their children online for next year’s kindergarten class. If you would like to physically come into the school to register your child, this can be done anytime in February during the school day (9 am – 2:45 pm). We will also offer one evening for registration on Thursday, February 16th, from 5 pm to 8 pm.
- A Welcome to Kindergarten Night will be held at our school on May 18th from 6 pm to 7 pm.
- Children born in 2019 are eligible for Year 1 of The Kindergarten Program (Junior Kindergarten)
- Children born in 2018 are eligible for Year 2 of The Kindergarten Program (Senior Kindergarten)
- NOTE: Children currently enrolled at St. Teresa of Avila School in Year 1 (JK) do not need to register for Year 2 (SK)
Link to information about the Kindergarten Program and how to register through ASPEN.
Please have a look at what is coming up this week:
This week:
Monday, January 30
- Mental Health Tip – Practice Deep Belly Breathing
Tuesday, January 31
- Mental Health Tip – Practice Muscle Relaxation
Wednesday, February 1
- Wear your Spirit Wear! Or wear red and/or blue
- Pizza Day (if you ordered through School Cash Online)
- Winter Walk Day!
- Black History/Heritage Month begins
Thursday, February 2
- Lunch Lady (if you ordered through School Cash Online)
- Mental Health Tip – Practice Affirmations
- Groundhog Day
Friday, February 3
- Mental Health Tip – Practice talking about feelings
Community Partner Flyers
WCDSB Grade 7 Students – Spanish Exchange Opportunity
WCDSB grade 7 students: Do you want to have an incredible International Experience with other students from around the Region? Would you like to learn Spanish, travel to Spain, and make new friends? We are once again offering students who are currently in grade 7 the opportunity to be a part of the 2023-24 Grade 8 Spanish Exchange. If you would like to learn more, plan to come to one of our Information Sessions on February 1st or 2nd. Please see the attached letters for more information.
Gr 8 Spanish Exchange Parent Letter 2023-24
Kens intro letter with QR codes_WCDSB 2023-24
A Message From Fr. Peter & Parish News
Please have a look at this week’s Parish Bulletin here: January 29 2023
Come out on February 10th for the Knights of Columbus Spaghetti Dinner from 5 pm until 7:30 pm. Takeout starts at 4:30 pm. See the Parish Bulletin for more information.
February 25th – Coldest Night of the Year Walk fundraiser for the Ray of Hope’s Community Centre.
In the bulletin, you will also find some events for the adults in the community. Be sure to check them out!
School Immunization Program for Grade 8 Students
As the Grade 7 School Immunization program was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Region of Waterloo is collaborating with schools to provide Grade 8 students easy access to catch up on the meningococcal vaccine (Men-ACYW-135) at school. The COVID-19 vaccine will also be available if parents are interested (not mandatory). Due to capacity limitations, Hepatitis B and Human Papillomavirus (HPV), normally offered in Grade 7, will not be available at this catch-up clinic. More information will be shared with the grade 8 parents once the date is finalized.
Region of Waterloo Public Health Message ~ Immunization for Students Grade 7 to 12
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:
- Online: www.regionofwaterloo.ca/updateimmunizations (anytime and preferred)
- Email: Immunizationservices@regionofwaterloo.ca
- Phone: 519-575-4400 ext. 5001 (Mon. to Fri. 8:30 am to 4:30 pm)
CSAC – School Council
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
Hot Lunches
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:
- Wednesday – Twice The Deal Pizza
- Thursday – Lunch Lady (there are some gluten-free options available)
- Orders may be placed weekly or in advance, for the entire length of the program.
Please read the following document that shows you how to order: How-to-Order-Guide (St. Teresa Avila)
WOOLWICH COMMUNITY SERVICES
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.
The Umbrella Project Message for Parents ~ Grit!
Develop your child’s capacity to practice
The ability to practice is one the most important pieces in persevering towards complex and long-term goals. Without the ability to sustain effort and practice over time, many big dreams go unrealised. Here are a few tips when it comes to making practice effective and sustainable for your child:
- Schedule practice and rest time to avoid burnout. To perform at our best we need breaks, and teaching children this early on will really help them do their best. Determine how long your child can hold focus for and then set a timer for that amount of time while working or practicing something. Take short breaks between practice sessions to get some fresh air, run around, snack and recover for the next focused practice session. For example, you could do 15 minutes of practice, take a 5 minute break and then 15 more minutes of practice. Repeat this for the duration of their working time. Timed intervals will help your child stay on task and practice well.
- Find tasks that help your child work at the right level for their pre-existing ability. This will help them achieve a state of engagement and concentration when practicing (otherwise known as a state of flow). To achieve this state of flow, think about what we often refer to as the Goldilocks effect. Tasks should be not too hard.. not too easy.. just right! Tasks that are too difficult tend to create anxiety and those that are too easy lead to boredom. Both those states are detrimental to our capacity to practice something. When practicing, tasks should be challenging enough to require your child to recruit many skills to accomplish the task but not so hard that they can’t succeed.
A few thoughts in this week’s video about the Finnish concept of ‘Sisu’
Here’s to practice!
Dr. Jen, The Umbrella Project
Interested in learning more? Here are a few more short and sweet videos about Grit from Dr. Jen.
Finding joy in overcoming challenges
Ask this question: What is the hard part?
Using conscientiousness as a tool to build grit
DAILY SCREENING & MASKING
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. It is strongly recommended that all individuals age 2 or older wear a well-fitted mask in indoor public settings. This includes school and child care due to the additional risk of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and influenza. Children age 2 to 5 should only wear a mask if they are supervised, can safely tolerate masking, and can put their mask on and take it off.
Thanks for your support in following the screener guidance. The screener was last updated December 22, 2022.
Coming Up:
- February 17: Term 1 Report Cards and Term 2 IEPs Go Home
- February 20: Family Day
- February 22: Ash Wednesday
- February 23: Danceathon!
- Marcy 13-17: Week of March Break
- March 31: P.A. Day
- April 7: Good Friday
- April 10: Easter Monday
- April 21: P.A. Day
- May 1-5: Catholic Education Week
- May 22: Victoria Day
- June 2: P.A. Day
- June 27: Term 2 Report Cards Go Home
- June 29: Last Day of School
