The Dance-A-Thon is taking place tomorrow.

This is a reminder to enter your pledges on School Cash Online. For every $5 pledge, students will receive a raffle ticket to win various prizes.

The boys basketball tournament @ St. David’s will be held on Tuesday, March 7.

• Due to the current road conditions, ALL SCHOOL BUSES, TAXIS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION ROUTES operated by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board and Waterloo Region District School Board are cancelled.
• All Public and Catholic Schools are OPEN.
• All Extended Day Childcare Programs are OPEN.
• St. Louis online, daytime, and evening classes are open at all locations.

Our Grade 8 Parent Meeting for Camp Brebeuf has been cancelled this evening and is rescheduled for Thursday, March 9th.

Sorry for the inconvenience, and thank you for your understanding.

Good afternoon Tornado Families:

We want to start by thanking Father Peter for leading our Ash Wednesday liturgy last week with the assistance of Mrs. Jakeman and the Grade 6 class. Thank you to Mrs. Miltenburg, Mr. Gallipeau, Gary (the parish organist) for assisting, and all those in the community who joined us. This past week marked the beginning of the most important time in our liturgical calendar as we prepared for Lent. As we begin this journey together, it’s essential to reflect on how we will fulfill our promise of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Let us spend the next 40 days perfecting Pope Francis’ words and fasting from things that make life complicated and instead concentrate on loving our neighbour, loving ourselves, and loving our God.

The students are incredibly excited about our Dance-A-Thon which was postponed due to the weather we had on Thursday. We are looking forward to hosting the fundraiser this Wednesday, March 1st.  Due to the date change, we require a few more volunteers. If you can assist either for the morning (8:30-11:20 a.m.), the afternoon (12:15-2:45 p.m.), or the entire day, please email paula.pizarro@wcdsb.ca. Thank you for your support and generosity!

This Friday, March 3rd, is Lunch Hour Appreciation Day! We want to send a huge thank you to Mrs. Ditner, Mr. Elliott and Mrs. Jorge who supervise our students, rain or shine or cold. They are an essential part of our school community and look out for the safety of all.

Please have a look at what is coming up this week:

This week:

Monday, February 27

• 6 p.m. Grade 8 Parent Information Night on Grade 8 Retreat

Tuesday, February 28

• Intermediate Boys Basketball Tournament (PM)

Wednesday, March 1

• Wear your Spirit Wear! Or wear red and/or blue
• Pizza Day (if you ordered through School Cash Online)
• Dance-A-Thon!

Thursday, March 2

• Lunch Lady (if you ordered through School Cash Online)
• Ms. Bauer and Mrs. Reinhart’s class skating (AM)

Friday, March 3

• Lunch Hour Supervisor Appreciation Day!

Dance-A-Thon Fundraiser ~ Wed., Mar. 1st!

St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Elementary School is conducting a fundraising activity by holding a school Dance-A-Thon on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.  The class that collects the most money per student, will have a chance to win a pizza party! The student with the highest pledge total overall has a chance to win a $50 gift card of his/her choice! (i.e., Toys R Us, Indigo Books, Mcdonald’s Restaurant, etc.).

This year for every $5 raised, your child’s name will be entered into a draw for a chance to win one of five raffle prizes of their choice – Lunch with the Principal (Principal’s treat), Be the Principal for the Day, an extra 15 minutes of recess for the whole class, Borrow the Principal’s Chair for the Day, Lunch Recess in the gym with four friends.

We kindly ask students to gather pledges from parents, neighbours, relatives and friends.  DOOR-TO-DOOR SOLICITING OF PLEDGES IS NOT ENCOURAGED.  Our fundraising efforts this year will be directed toward the continued support of literacy and numeracy teaching resources in our classrooms, gym equipment replacement, busing costs for sports, guest speakers, technology and school culture activities. All pledges are due to the school by February 23, 2023.  A tax receipt will only be issued when requested and for donations of $25.00 or more.  Please be sure to provide an e-mail address for tax receipt mailing.  Once all pledges are collected, please input the total donation amount in School Cash Online. School Cash Online is set up to collect money in increments of $5. The school cannot accept cash or cheques for donations. There will also be a chance for your children to buy food items and glow sticks at the dance starting at $1 each.

Let’s make this Dance-A-Thon a great success as this is a big fundraiser for the year.  Your efforts in supporting this and other school fundraisers go a long way in allowing us to provide great initiatives and activities which ultimately benefit all our students.

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.
• 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.

Donations for Earthquake Survivors in Turkey and Syria

From the office of the Director of Education, Tyrone Dowling

As many of you know, WCDSB has a long tradition of fundraising to assist relief efforts when natural disasters strike.

The devastation of the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria has once again called us to action.

While rescue and recovery efforts continue, it has already been confirmed that more than 35,000 people have died.

Many thousands more — including many current refugees — are in desperate need of shelter, food, clean water, and medicine.

Consequently, the Senior Team and Board of Trustees would like to invite all WCDSB students and staff to participate in a centralized fundraising campaign via the Canadian Red Cross (operating under the umbrella of the International Red Cross).

Donations of ANY AMOUNT will support the range of emergency services the Red Cross is delivering to those in need including interim housing, clothing, food, and other essential supplies.

All fundraising efforts will be collected centrally using the following link: Donations – Earthquake in Turkey & Syria

How to Participate:

• The deadline to participate is Friday, March 10
• The link will deposit the funds into a central board office account
• Individuals can use their existing SchoolCash account or checkout as a Guest. A SchoolCash account is not required.

Sacramental Preparation Dates for Grade 2 and Grade 7

Please make note of these dates for the Sacramental preparation as there have been a couple of changes:

First Communion: Parent meeting – Tuesday, March 21st @ 7:30 pm

Sessions with children –  March 28, April 4, 11, 18 and 25th @ 6:00 pm

First Communion Enrolment –  Saturday, April 15 @ 5:00 pm Mass or Sunday, April 16 @ 9:00 am Mass

First Communion practice – Saturday, April 29, 10 – 11 am

First Communion – Sunday, April 30 @ 2 pm

Confirmation – Parent meeting Tuesday, March 28 @ 7:30 pm

Sessions April 11, 18, 25 May 2, 9, 16

Confirmation Enrolment – Saturday, April 29 @ 5 pm Mass

Confirmation Liturgy – Tuesday, May 30 @ 7:00 pm

A Message From Fr. Peter & Parish News

Please have a look at this week’s Parish Bulletin here: February 26, 2023

In the bulletin, you will also find some events for the adults in the community. Be sure to check them out!

• Funeral Choir – the parish would like to enhance their Funeral Choir for this important sacrament.
• Friday, March 3rd – World Day of Prayer 2023
• Saturday, March 4th – Young Adults Night
• Thursday, March 23rd – Reel Justice Film Festival – Coco
• Wednesday, April 26th – Card Party
• Thursday, April 27th – Fundraiser for the Catholic Missions in Canada

Math @ Home – Issue 2

Parents can make a big difference in their child’s learning by talking about what they are learning at school. In the 2020 curriculum, there are relevant, real-life examples that help connect math to everyday life, such as developing infographics, creating a budget, e-transfers, and learning to code. Families can support their child’s success by finding ways to make a connection between what is being learned at school and outside the classroom. We want to help and provide valuable information and ideas for supporting their learning at home. Here is the second issue of Math @ Home to help support your child: Issue 2 _ MATH@HOME MONTHLY

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)

Region of Waterloo Libraries

Check out the events happening at our regional libraries during the March Break!

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, April 4th 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. We do have a danceathon and Pancake Tuesday coming up and are always in need of volunteers.

Click here to go directly to the CSAC webpage

CSAC Parent Outreach Letter 2022

February ~ Black Heritage Month

Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month events and festivities that honour the legacy of Black people in Canada and their communities.
The 2023 theme for Black History Month is: “Ours to tell”. This theme represents both an opportunity to engage in open dialogue and a commitment to learning more about the stories Black communities in Canada have to tell about their histories, successes, sacrifices, and triumphs. – https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month.html

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.

WCA Brochure

The Umbrella Project Message for Parents ~ Resilience!

Get your kids moving outside

Nature has some amazing benefits for our health! 

Nature provides two major benefits to us. Firstly, it is very calming to our nervous system. The second benefit is that it stimulates our curiosity and our natural tendency to explore the world and tap into our imagination. 

This combination is an amazing resilience builder.

Listen here, as I explain the importance of play time outdoors. 

Interested in learning more? Here are a few more short and sweet videos about Resilience from Dr. Jen. 

Health & Happiness, 

Dr. Jen, The Umbrella Project

Additional Resources 

Interested in learning more? Here are a few more short and sweet videos about Resilience from Dr. Jen. 

• Put Challenges in Perspective
• Nature, Risky Play, and Resilience
• Embrace Your Own Failures
• Help Your Child Learn to Pivot
• Our Brains & Negative Thinking
• Set Aside 10 Minutes a Day
• At Home, Create a Safe Space to Share
• Focus More on Self-Care

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:

• March 13-17: Week of March Break
• March 21: First Communion Parent Meeting at the Parish 7:30 pm
• March 22: Senior Kindergarten Vision Screening
• March 28: Confirmation Parent Meeting at the Parish 7:30 pm
• March 29-April 5: CCAT Grade 4
• March 31: P.A. Day
• April 7: Good Friday
• April 10: Easter Monday
• April 12-19: CAT-4 Grade 7
• 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

• Due to the weather conditions, ALL Waterloo Catholic District School Board and Waterloo Region District School Board SCHOOLS AND SITES ARE CLOSED
• ALL SCHOOL BUSES, TAXIS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION ROUTES operated by the WCDSB and WRDSB are cancelled.
• All before and after school programs and child care centres co-located in schools are CLOSED.
• All programs and services offered by St. Louis Continuing Education and Adult and Learning Centres are cancelled

Our Dance-A-Thon is postponed to Wednesday, March 1st

A huge THANK YOU to our parent volunteers who came in this morning to mix, cook, and serve pancakes for 225 students and staff! The pancakes were delicious, and we all appreciate you volunteering your time to prepare and serve us all pancakes!

Thank you also to our Catholic School Advisory Council for funding this special event for our school.

Lent begins tomorrow and Father Peter will join us at the church for our Ash Wednesday liturgy, which begins at 9 a.m. All are welcome to attend.

Please also remember to dress in pink tomorrow as we show that we stand together against bullying. You may also wear your spirit wear.

Good evening Tornado Families:

We have a busy week lined up for the students and staff of St. Teresa!

On Tuesday, we will celebrate Shrove Tuesday, also known as “Pancake Day”. This is the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. If you have any questions or concerns regarding dietary restrictions/accommodations, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher or the main office. This is a snack and not a substitute for lunch, so please remember to send in lunch on Tuesday. Thank you to our Parent Council and volunteers for making this possible.

On Wednesday morning, we will be going to the Parish for our Ash Wednesday liturgy. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the holy season of Lent, a season of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. Our liturgy will include the distribution of ashes on the forehead. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us. As the ashes are marked on a person’s forehead, we speak the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The ashes are from blessed palm branches taken from the previous year’s Palm Sunday Mass. All family members are welcome to join us at the Parish at 9 am.

Wednesday is also “Pink Shirt Day“. We invite all staff and students to wear a pink shirt for bullying awareness. Pink Shirt Day is to honour a Grade 9 male student from a small town in Nova Scotia who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to his school. A couple of students that he went to school with decided to take a stand against the bullies and wear pink shirts as well as hand them out for other students to wear.

On Thursday, we will be holding our school fundraiser – The Dance-A-Thon!

Dance-A-Thon Fundraiser ~ Thursday, February 23rd!

St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Elementary School is conducting a fundraising activity by holding a school Dance-A-Thon on Thursday, February 23, 2023.  The class that collects the most money per student, will have a chance to win a pizza party! The student with the highest pledge total overall has a chance to win a $50 gift card of his/her choice! (i.e., Toys R Us, Indigo Books, Mcdonald’s Restaurant, etc.).

This year for every $5 raised, your child’s name will be entered into a draw for a chance to win one of five raffle prizes of their choice – Lunch with the Principal (Principal’s treat), Be the Principal for the Day, an extra 15 minutes of recess for the whole class, Borrow the Principal’s Chair for the Day, Lunch Recess in the gym with four friends.

We kindly ask students to gather pledges from parents, neighbours, relatives and friends.  DOOR-TO-DOOR SOLICITING OF PLEDGES IS NOT ENCOURAGED.  Our fundraising efforts this year will be directed toward the continued support of literacy and numeracy teaching resources in our classrooms, gym equipment replacement, busing costs for sports, guest speakers, technology and school culture activities. All pledges are due to the school by February 23, 2023.  A tax receipt will only be issued when requested and for donations of $25.00 or more.  Please be sure to provide an e-mail address for tax receipt mailing.  Once all pledges are collected, please input the total donation amount in School Cash Online. School Cash Online is set up to collect money in increments of $5. The school cannot accept cash or cheques for donations. There will also be a chance for your children to buy food items and glow sticks at the dance starting at $1 each.

Let’s make this Dance-A-Thon a great success as this is a big fundraiser for the year.  Your efforts in supporting this and other school fundraisers go a long way in allowing us to provide great initiatives and activities which ultimately benefit all our students.

Please have a look at what is coming up this week:

This week:

Monday, February 20

• Family Day! Spend time with your loved ones! ~ School is closed

Tuesday, February 21

• Shrove Tuesday – Pancake Tuesday! 

Wednesday, February 22

• Ash Wednesday Liturgy – 9 am at the Parish
• Wear your Spirit Wear! Or wear red and/or blue
• Wear Pink for Pink Shirt Day!
• Pizza Day (if you ordered through School Cash Online)

Thursday, February 23

• DANCE-A-THON!
• Lunch Lady (if you ordered through School Cash Online)
• Ms. Bauer and Mrs. Reinhart’s class skating (AM)

Friday, February 24

• Grade 8 Immunization Catch-Up Clinic

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.

Donations for Earthquake Survivors in Turkey and Syria

From the office of the Director of Education, Tyrone Dowling

As many of you know, WCDSB has a long tradition of fundraising to assist relief efforts when natural disasters strike.

The devastation of the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria has once again called us to action.

While rescue and recovery efforts continue, it has already been confirmed that more than 35,000 people have died.

Many thousands more — including many current refugees — are in desperate need of shelter, food, clean water, and medicine.

Consequently, the Senior Team and Board of Trustees would like to invite all WCDSB students and staff to participate in a centralized fundraising campaign via the Canadian Red Cross (operating under the umbrella of the International Red Cross).

Donations of ANY AMOUNT will support the range of emergency services the Red Cross is delivering to those in need including interim housing, clothing, food, and other essential supplies.

All fundraising efforts will be collected centrally using the following link: Donations – Earthquake in Turkey & Syria

How to Participate:

• The deadline to participate is Friday, March 10
• The link will deposit the funds into a central board office account
• Individuals can use their existing SchoolCash account or checkout as a Guest. A SchoolCash account is not required.

Sacramental Preparation Dates for Grade 2 and Grade 7

Please make note of these dates for the Sacramental preparation as there have been a couple of changes:

First Communion: Parent meeting – Tuesday, March 21st @ 7:30 pm

Sessions with children –  March 28, April 4, 11, 18 and 25th @ 6:00 pm

First Communion Enrolment –  Saturday April 15 @ 5:00 pm Mass or Sunday, April 16 @ 9:00 am Mass

First Communion practise – Saturday, April 29 10 – 11 am

First Communion – Sunday, April 30 @ 2 pm

Confirmation – Parent meeting Tuesday, March 28 @ 7:30 pm

Sessions April 11, 18, 25 May 2, 9, 16

Confirmation Enrolment – Saturday, April 29 @ 5 pm Mass

Confirmation Liturgy – Tuesday, May 30 @ 7:00 pm

A Message From Fr. Peter & Parish News

Please have a look at this week’s Parish Bulletin here: February 19 2023

In the bulletin, you will also find some events for the adults in the community. Be sure to check them out!

• Funeral Choir – the parish would like to enhance their Funeral Choir for this important sacrament.
• Thursday, February 23rd – Reel Justice Film Festival
• Saturday, February 25th – Coldest Night of the Year Walk fundraiser for the Ray of Hope’s Community Centre.
• Sunday, February 26th – Coffee Sundays
• Saturday, March 4th – Young Adults Night
• Wednesday, April 26th – Card Party
• Thursday, April 27th – Fundraiser for the Catholic Missions in Canada

Math @ Home 

Parents can make a big difference in their child’s learning by talking with them about what they are learning at school. In the 2020 curriculum, there are relevant, real-life examples that help connect math to everyday life, such as developing infographics, creating a budget, e-transfers, and learning to code. Families can support their child’s success by finding ways to make a connection between what is being learned at school and outside the classroom. We want to help and provide valuable information and ideas for supporting their learning at home. Here is the first issue of Math @ Home to help support your child: Issue 1 _ MATH@HOME MONTHLY

Friday, February 24th ~ 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.

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)

Region of Waterloo Libraries

Check out the events happening at our regional libraries during the March Break!

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, April 4th 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. We do have a danceathon and Pancake Tuesday coming up and are always in need of volunteers.

Click here to go directly to the CSAC webpage

CSAC Parent Outreach Letter 2022

February ~ Black Heritage Month

Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month events and festivities that honour the legacy of Black people in Canada and their communities.
The 2023 theme for Black History Month is: “Ours to tell”. This theme represents both an opportunity to engage in open dialogue and a commitment to learning more about the stories Black communities in Canada have to tell about their histories, successes, sacrifices, and triumphs. – https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month.html

Report Cards (Gr. 1 to 8) and Kindergarten Communication of Learning 

This a reminder to families that Elementary Term 1 Report Cards went home on Friday, February 17th.  These reports are the assessment and evidence of learning collected and documented from September until now. Letter grades are given for students in grades 1-6, and percentage marks are given for students in grades 7-8. Teacher comments focus on your child’s strengths and the next steps for learning improvement based on the curriculum. Kindergarten students will also receive their term one Communication of Learning Report highlighting key learning and the next steps in learning.

If your child has an Individual Education Plan, the IEP will be sent home along with the term one report card. Although formal interviews occurred in November, please feel free to connect with your child’s teacher if you have concerns or questions about your child’s progress.

Thank you to our students and staff for their hard work this term!  Click Ontario-Catholic-School-Graduate-Expectations to view a copy of the Ontario School’s Catholic Graduate Expectations. These distinctive expectations are integrated throughout your child’s experience here at St. Teresa of Avila school.

This past Friday, buses were cancelled due to the weather, so not all students were at school to collect their report cards. For students who were absent on Friday, report cards will be going home on Tuesday.

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.

WCA Brochure

The Umbrella Project Message for Parents ~ Resilience!

See the ‘rain of life’ as important for your child

Imagine you are on stage about to perform for thousands of people. You’re sitting at a beautiful piano but you have never played it before. The crowd is expecting a brilliant performance and you are not prepared. What do you feel? Fear? Panic?

This example beautifully parallels life. In order to be prepared for something we need to practice. To build resilience, we need adversity. Every time we successfully weather a challenge in life, we gain a little bit more confidence in our ability to do that and we become a bit more resilient. Most parents dislike seeing their children upset and stressed, thinking that a bad thing has happened. Actually, most of the small challenges in life are what prepare you for the bigger ones along the way.

Now imagine you are sitting at that piano in front of thousands of people. Leading up to this point you have taken many lessons. You’ve performed first at your school recitals and slowly with bigger and bigger audiences and bigger and bigger venues. You’ve played this specific piece so many times your body naturally plays the keys without really thinking about it. This is the biggest performance of your life so far, but you are ready. Better, right?!  

Teach your kids to play at life. The good stuff, the tough stuff…don’t shelter them from all of life’s sprinkles. You can even try to feel a little bit of happiness, mixed in with the normal parent-worry, every time they get to practice.  

Listen in as I describe this analogy in this video.

Health & Happiness, 

Dr. Jen, The Umbrella Project

Additional Resources 

Interested in learning more? Here are a few more short and sweet videos about Resilience from Dr. Jen. 

• Put Challenges in Perspective
• Nature, Risky Play, and Resilience
• Embrace Your Own Failures
• Help Your Child Learn to Pivot
• Our Brains & Negative Thinking
• Set Aside 10 Minutes a Day
• At Home, Create a Safe Space to Share
• Focus More on Self-Care

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 27: Grade 8 Parent Information Night for the Retreat
• March 13-17: Week of March Break
• March 21: First Communion Parent Meeting at the Parish 7:30 pm
• March 22: Senior Kindergarten Vision Screening
• March 28: Confirmation Parent Meeting at the Parish 7:30 pm
• March 29-April 5: CCAT Grade 4
• March 31: P.A. Day
• April 7: Good Friday
• April 10: Easter Monday
• April 12-19: CAT-4 Grade 7
• 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

*****UPDATE*****

If buses are cancelled tomorrow (Thursday), the Dance-A-Thon will be postponed to Wednesday, March 1st.

St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Elementary School is conducting a fundraising activity by holding a school Dance-A-Thon on Thursday, February 23, 2023.  The class that collects the most money per student will have a chance to win a pizza party! The student with the highest pledge total overall has a chance to win a $50 gift card of his/her choice! (i.e., Toys R Us, Indigo Books, Mcdonald’s Restaurant, etc.).

This year for every $5 raised, your child’s name will be entered into a draw for a chance to win one of five raffle prizes of their choice – Lunch with the Principal (Principal’s treat), Be the Principal for the Day, an extra 15 minutes of recess for the whole class, Borrow the Principal’s Chair for the Day, Lunch Recess in the gym with four friends.

We kindly ask students to gather pledges from parents, neighbours, relatives and friends.  DOOR-TO-DOOR SOLICITING OF PLEDGES IS NOT ENCOURAGED.  Our fundraising efforts this year will be directed toward the continued support of literacy and numeracy teaching resources in our classrooms, gym equipment replacement, busing costs for sports, guest speakers, technology and school culture activities. All pledges are due to the school by February 23, 2023.  A tax receipt will only be issued when requested and for donations of $25.00 or more.  Please be sure to provide an e-mail address for tax receipt mailing.  Once all pledges are collected, please input the total donation amount in School Cash Online. School Cash Online is set up to collect money in increments of $5. The school cannot accept cash or cheques for donations. There will also be a chance for your children to buy food items and glow sticks at the dance starting at $1 each. A little pink order form is going home today to help make ordering easy.

Let’s make this Dance-A-Thon a great success as this is a big fundraiser for the year.  Your efforts in supporting this and other school fundraisers go a long way in allowing us to provide great initiatives and activities which ultimately benefit all our students.

From the office of the Director of Education, Tyrone Dowling

As many of you know, WCDSB has a long tradition of fundraising to assist relief efforts when natural disasters strike.

The devastation of the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria has once again called us to action.

While rescue and recovery efforts continue, it has already been confirmed that more than 35,000 people have died.

Many thousands more — including many current refugees — are in desperate need of shelter, food, clean water, and medicine.

Consequently, the Senior Team and Board of Trustees would like to invite all WCDSB students and staff to participate in a centralized fundraising campaign via the Canadian Red Cross (operating under the umbrella of the International Red Cross).

Donations of ANY AMOUNT will support the range of emergency services the Red Cross is delivering to those in need including interim housing, clothing, food, and other essential supplies.

All fundraising efforts will be collected centrally using the following link: Donations – Earthquake in Turkey & Syria

How to Participate:

• The deadline to participate is Friday, March 10
• The link will deposit the funds into a central board office account
• Individuals can use their existing SchoolCash account or checkout as a Guest. A SchoolCash account is not required.