Pita Pit will offer lunch options for our students on Tuesdays starting October 3rd!
Orders must be submitted by September 29th before midnight.
Place your order through Pita Pit per the instructions in the attached letter. You can use a QR code or go to the website by visiting pitapitelmira.schoolfuel.ca
Tomorrow, September 29th, we invite all staff and students to wear an orange shirt to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Pita Pit will offer lunch options for our students on Tuesdays starting October 3rd!
Orders must be submitted by September 29th before midnight.
Place your order through Pita Pit per the instructions in the attached letter. You can use a QR code or go to the website by visiting pitapitelmira.schoolfuel.ca
This message is sent on behalf of St. Teresa of Avila Church:
Dear Parents of Grade 2 children,
I hope that everyone has had a good start to their school year.
As we move forward into the fall, it is time to think about the Sacraments for Grade 2/3 students.
If your family is considering the Sacrament of First Communion for your child, our program begins with Reconciliation.
I would like to invite all parents of Grade 2 students to a meeting on Tuesday, October 10 @ 7:35 pm at the church. At this meeting we will discuss the program, session dates and any questions you may have.
Please respond to me at miltenburg.i@gmail.com if you are able to attend this meeting.
Looking forward to meeting you on Oct. 10.
Iris Miltenburg
Sacramental Coordinator
St. Teresa Church
Today our staff and students participated in our Terry Fox Walk/Run!
Thanks to the generosity of our community, St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Elementary School surpassed our goal of $1,095 for the Terry Fox Run and raised $1900 at the time of this Newswire!! Way to go, Tornadoes! We may be a small school, but we have a mighty generous community!
“We need to see each child as a gift to be welcomed, cherished, and protected…” – Pope Francis
Good afternoon, Tornado Families:
We had an eventful end to our week on Friday with the shifting of students and classes in Grades 1-6. As you are aware, the board made a decision for us, which led to decisions being made by us as to student placements. We look at many complex factors, situations, and background information that are private and confidential. We use our professional judgment when making these decisions. Together, we can assist our students in building their resiliency skills and capacity to help weather the storm of unpredictability (read more under the Umbrella Project Skills below). We greatly appreciate your support with these changes and thank you for choosing a Catholic education for your children.
Wednesday, September 27th, 2023, is Rowan’s Law Day (#RowansLawDay, #WCDSBRowansLawDay) – a day to engage students, staff, and parents/guardians in activities that increase awareness about concussions and to share Rowan Stringer’s story. In 2013, Rowan Stringer, a 17-year-old high school student from Ottawa, lost her life to Second Impact Syndrome, a brain injury caused by suffering a concussion before fully recovering from a previous concussion. In March 2018, the Ontario Government passed Rowan’s Law. As part of Rowan’s law was the proclamation of Rowan’s Day to occur on the last Wednesday of September each year, with this year occurring on September 27, 2023. The goal for Rowan’s Day is to:
• Educate staff and students about Rowan and her story
• Share key messages and education about concussions
• Create dialogue about concussions
• concussion prevention
This Friday, September 29th, we recognize Orange Shirt Day and Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day is a sombre reminder of innocence lost and a commitment to accountability and humanity. This week, our students will take part in grade-appropriate lessons and activities that bring light to this dark period in our not-so-distant past, its lasting trauma, and what we, as a compassionate and loving society, can do to ensure that every child, every person is treated with kindness, dignity and respect.
WCDSB has a parent webinar for the D2L Parent Portal on Tuesday, September 26th. Parents are the intended audience of this webinar. Here are the registration links:
Option #1 @ 7pm – https://d2l.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvcOytqDsqG9PiU-djorpBOP9HHW7Mqupk
Option #2 @ 8pm – https://d2l.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0pd-mqqzsuH9GrOUkzyG-6nGju4McT2td6
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board does not provide accident insurance coverage for student injuries on school premises or during school activities. However, accidents can and do happen. In addition, some injuries incur medical, dental, or other expenses that are not covered by provincial health care or employer group plans. Parents/Guardians are responsible for these expenses. Families wishing to purchase Student Accident Insurance can apply online at https://www.studyinsuredstudentaccident.com/
The 2023 Terry Fox School Run is set for this month, and we are so excited to be taking part! Our event will be taking place on Monday, September 25th. We need your help to boost our student’s fundraising. This event supports vital cancer research while also building incredible school spirit for our students. Let’s all show how incredible and generous our school community is and work to reach the fundraising goal of $1095.
The Terry Fox Foundation has created an online fundraising page customized for our school. Don’t delay, let’s start fundraising today!
1. Donate online at: https://schools.terryfox.ca/41406
• Click the link above to donate or search for our school name at terryfox.org
• Receipts are issued immediately to donors by email from the Terry Fox Foundation
2. Help your child set up a student fundraising page
• Upload personal photos, videos and messages to share with friends and family
• All student logins and links are private and secure
• Student names are not searchable on our website and links can only be shared by you
3. Support your child’s fundraising efforts
• Share their fundraising link or your child’s school’s link with family and friends to help them reach their goal
• Share a “#DearTerry” message to celebrate Terry’s legacy and inspire others to go the distance
We are very excited to be a part of this year’s Terry Fox event. This is our opportunity to “Try Like Terry” and go the distance for this year’s event. Please join us to support cancer research while building incredible school spirit for all of our students. Thank you in advance for your support!
Fresh From the Farm Fundraiser form will be coming home soon! All orders will be placed through School Cash Online. We will not be collecting any cash donations.
What is Fresh from the Farm?
Fresh from the Farm provides a healthy fundraising alternative to schools by selling fresh Ontario-grown fruit and vegetables. Since 2013, over 2,200 schools have raised over $1.9 million for school initiatives, selling 4.3 million pounds (lb) of Ontario-grown produce.
Why Participate?
Our campaign runs from now until October 5th!
The funds will be used for student initiatives, such as guest speakers and the replacement of outdoor equipment, to name a few.
Any parent can be a part of our CSAC council, also known as Parent Council. Some of CSAC’s responsibilities include planning our fundraisers, deciding how to spend our fundraising dollars, volunteering for different initiatives and sharing your opinion about what the Council can do! To find out more, have a look at the resources below. Our first meeting is Tuesday, October 3rd at 6pm. You can attend virtually or in person. Make sure to complete the CSAC form in School Cash Online, as the deadline is September 25th if you are interested in any positions.
Click here to go directly to the CSAC webpage.
CSAC Parent Outreach Letter 2022
Please have a look at this week’s Parish Bulletin here: September 24 2023
In the bulletin, you will also find some events for the adults in the community. Be sure to check them out!
Woolwich Community Services is looking for feedback from the youth in the community. There is a short 8-question survey they are asking for them to complete. All the information is in the following letter: 
https://woolwichcounselling.org/upcoming-events/
Visit https://www.woolwichcommunityservices.org for the most up-to-date information. WCA Brochure
As we enter this new year, we also enter the second year of the WCDSB 3-year Pastoral Plan and Multi-year Strategic Plan. The annual pastoral theme for this school year is “Strengthen!” based upon Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through the One who strengthens me”. We are the People of God, listening and responding, strengthened to share the Gospel.
The Board has also augmented the policy “Right to Disconnect from Work,” providing additional parameters for employees’ availability to support a positive shift in our organizational culture. These parameters are part of the Board’s efforts to foster positive mental health and healthy schools; we believe that creating a strong learning environment begins with ensuring our staff strikes a balance between life and work. As always, the well-being and learning of students remain at the core of our work.
Letter to Parent Community – Right to Disconnect – September 2023
As we move into the 2023-24 school year, we are reminded of the importance of directly addressing and supporting our students’ mental health and well-being. Please see the linked Caregiver Updates: Caregiver Handout Mentally Healthy Return to School 2023-24
Help your child face their fears
Avoiding our fears may be the easiest road in the short term but doesn’t help us build resilience. What we actually need is small, repeated exposure to the things that scare us. Over time, small successes over these fears help us slowly build the confidence to navigate adversity.
Here’s an example from my family. When my daughter was young, she didn’t like to be the centre of attention. This became glaringly obvious the day she wore a fancy dress to school for the first time in years, received at least 5 compliments in the first minute and proceeded to burst into tears and beg me to take her home. It seemed like a small thing but it pushed a big fear button inside her. Parenting dilemma…take her home to change or make her stay in a state of clear distress?
Actually, there is a third choice. We had time to go home and change, but only with the following condition: she was going to have to work on being the centre of attention. That was the deal.
I explained that life will present her with many similar circumstances, and I want her to have the skills to deal with those situations. While this current challenge was too big for her, we were going to choose smaller opportunities for her to practice. She agreed and we have since helped her practice this skill in many contexts until she is now more comfortable when she finds herself pushed this way. In fact, last year she made it to the school finals for a speech competition. A huge change from the girl crying in the hallway over some positive attention.
This is how resilience is built. Not avoidance, not full immersion, but repeated small fears faced and defeated over time.
In this short, 2-minute video, I explain the importance of facing our fears.
You’ve got this!
Dr. Jen, The Umbrella Project
Coming Up:
Dear Parents/Caregivers:
The 2023 Terry Fox School Run is set for this month, and we are so excited to be taking part! Our event will be taking place on Monday, September 25th. We need your help to boost our student’s fundraising. This event supports vital cancer research while also building incredible school spirit for our students. Let’s all show how incredible and generous our school community is and work to reach the fundraising goal of $1095. We will be sharing regular updates of our fundraising progress on NEWSWIRE, and D2L class sites.
The Terry Fox Foundation has created an online fundraising page customized for our school. Don’t delay, let’s start fundraising today!
1. Donate online at: https://schools.terryfox.ca/41406
• Click the link above to donate or search for our school name at terryfox.org
• Receipts are issued immediately to donors by email from the Terry Fox Foundation
2. Help your child set up a student fundraising page
• Upload personal photos, videos and messages to share with friends and family
• All student logins and links are private and secure
• Student names are not searchable on our website and links can only be shared by you
3. Support your child’s fundraising efforts
• Share their fundraising link or your child’s school’s link with family and friends to help them reach their goal
• Share a “#DearTerry” message to celebrate Terry’s legacy and inspire others to go the distance
We are very excited to be a part of this year’s Terry Fox event. This is our opportunity to “Try Like Terry” and go the distance for this year’s event. Please join us to support cancer research while building incredible school spirit for all of our students. Thank you in advance for your support!
Staff and Students of St. Teresa of Avila
WCDSB has a parent webinar for the D2L Parent Portal on Tuesday, September 26th
Parents are the intended audience of this webinar
Registration below
Option #1 @ 7pm – https://d2l.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvcOytqDsqG9PiU-djorpBOP9HHW7Mqupk
Option #2 @ 8pm – https://d2l.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0pd-mqqzsuH9GrOUkzyG-6nGju4McT2td6
Good afternoon, Tornado Families:
Thank you to all who attended our School Open House and the Church Garden Party on Friday. Seeing our families was wonderful! We have a caring community that comes together and celebrates together. If you did not have a chance to come on Friday and would like to speak to your child(ren)’s teacher, please feel free to reach out to them directly.
As you may have heard, the Township will test their CAER alarm system on Tuesday morning. You may hear an alarm, so do not be alarmed, as it is only a test.
We are finalizing a few more details from the vendor regarding spirit wear. We will share information as soon as it is available.
Fresh From the Farm FundraiserFresh From the Farm Fundraiser form will be coming home soon! All orders will be placed through School Cash Online. We will not be collecting any cash donations.
What is Fresh from the Farm?
Fresh from the Farm provides a healthy fundraising alternative to schools by selling fresh Ontario-grown fruit and vegetables. Since 2013, over 2,200 schools have raised over $1.9 million for school initiatives, selling 4.3 million pounds (lb) of Ontario-grown produce.
Why Participate?
Our campaign runs from now until October 5th!
The funds will be used for student initiatives, such as guest speakers and the replacement of outdoor equipment, to name a few.
The 2023 Terry Fox School Run is set for this month, and we are so excited to be taking part! Our event will be taking place on Monday, September 25th. We need your help to boost our student’s fundraising. This event supports vital cancer research while also building incredible school spirit for our students. Let’s all show how incredible and generous our school community is and work to reach the fundraising goal of $1095. We will be sharing regular updates of our fundraising progress on NEWSWIRE, and D2L class sites.
The Terry Fox Foundation has created an online fundraising page customized for our school. Don’t delay, let’s start fundraising today!
1. Donate online at: https://schools.terryfox.ca/41406
• Click the link above to donate or search for our school name at terryfox.org
• Receipts are issued immediately to donors by email from the Terry Fox Foundation
2. Help your child set up a student fundraising page
• Upload personal photos, videos and messages to share with friends and family
• All student logins and links are private and secure
• Student names are not searchable on our website and links can only be shared by you
3. Support your child’s fundraising efforts
• Share their fundraising link or your child’s school’s link with family and friends to help them reach their goal
• Share a “#DearTerry” message to celebrate Terry’s legacy and inspire others to go the distance
We are very excited to be a part of this year’s Terry Fox event. This is our opportunity to “Try Like Terry” and go the distance for this year’s event. Please join us to support cancer research while building incredible school spirit for all of our students. Thank you in advance for your support!
Woolwich Community Services is looking for feedback from the youth in the community. There is a short 8-question survey they are asking for them to complete. All the information is in the following letter:
https://woolwichcounselling.org/upcoming-events/
Visit https://www.woolwichcommunityservices.org for the most up-to-date information. WCA Brochure
Attention! Parents and WCDSB school communities
Children JK- Grade 8 can still register for 1 of 20 teacher-led, year-round language programs offered FREE.
Programs are offered on Saturday mornings and an additional Chinese program offered on Monday evenings. All instructors are proficient in that language and are WCDSB employees. These fun, engaging, academic language programs support personal growth, cultural identity and offer a chance for children to meet new friends.
Teacher Meet and Greet: Saturday, September 23rd
First Class: Saturday, September 30th
Many languages have waiting lists and others have space available. Check out the online registration form and St. Louis website for details. We are also seeking language instructors. All qualified applicants are welcome and encouraged to apply.
Registration Form – LINK
Deadline: end September or while space remains available
** additional languages will be considered for Elementary programs if 23 or more students enroll
Please have a look at this week’s Parish Bulletin here: September 17 2023
In the bulletin, you will also find some events for the adults in the community. Be sure to check them out!
There was a mix-up with the pizza ordering at the start of the school year. The pizza ordering was set up incorrectly on School Cash and is different than the pizza we had last year. It should be straightened out by the end of next week. More information to follow.
As we move into the 2023-24 school year, we are reminded of the importance of directly addressing and supporting our students’ mental health and well-being. Please see the linked Caregiver Updates: Caregiver Handout Mentally Healthy Return to School 2023-24
Please read the Student Handbook at the front of your child’s agenda, as there is information about our school’s policies.
St. Teresa of Avila, Elmira 2023 2024 Student Handbook
As we enter this new year, we also enter the second year of the WCDSB 3-year Pastoral Plan and Multi-year Strategic Plan. The annual pastoral theme for this school year is “Strengthen!” based upon Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through the One who strengthens me”. We are the People of God, listening and responding, strengthened to share the Gospel.
The Board has also augmented the policy “Right to Disconnect from Work,” providing additional parameters for employees’ availability to support a positive shift in our organizational culture. These parameters are part of the Board’s efforts to foster positive mental health and healthy schools; we believe that creating a strong learning environment begins with ensuring our staff strikes a balance between life and work. As always, the well-being and learning of students remain at the core of our work.
Letter to Parent Community – Right to Disconnect – September 2023
Any parent can be a part of our CSAC council, also known as Parent Council. Some of CSAC’s responsibilities include planning our fundraisers, deciding how to spend our fundraising dollars, volunteering for different initiatives and sharing your opinion about what the Council can do! To find out more, have a look at the resources below. Our first meeting is Tuesday, October 3rd at 6pm. You can attend virtually or in person. Make sure to complete the CSAC form in School Cash Online, as the deadline is September 25th if you are interested in any positions.
Click here to go directly to the CSAC webpage.
CSAC Parent Outreach Letter 2022
For the 2023-2024 school year, our school will focus on Deep Learning elements every month. Each month’s theme has been carefully chosen to align with previously explored themes (e.g. Umbrella Project, Catholic Graduate Expectations, and Grandfather Teachings).
We are thrilled to introduce September’s Deep Learning Skill: Collaboration. Our students will engage in a range of classroom activities aimed at developing this Transferable Skill throughout the month.
Collaboration involves building positive and respectful relationships, sharing ideas, and learning from one another. Students will have opportunities to assume different roles within their groups while respecting and valuing everyone’s ideas and opinions. They will also learn to resolve conflicts in appropriate ways. Additionally, they will explore how to connect with different groups using various technologies, expanding their collaborative experiences in both physical and virtual settings.
This month at the Umbrella Project we are tackling Kindness. At the Umbrella Project we believe that every day can be a random act of kindness day. Kindness is one of the easier skills to understand and make a part of our daily lives. Even a genuine smile counts!
What will kindness do for my child?
Doing good is not only beneficial for the person on the receiving end and those who witness the kind action, but also for the givers of kindness. When we are kind and intentionally perform acts of kindness, we get a boost in our own wellbeing and happiness. It feels good to help others and it helps us focus on the positive things in our lives. It’s win-win!
This month we are going to add some complexity to kindness for our children, increasing their care for others but also helping them recognize the benefits they get from being kind and then actively looking for chances to use this skill more often.
Show your kids that kindness isn’t within someone else’s control
Within this quote is buried a powerful lesson that can make a big difference in how often our children use kindness:
“Treat everyone with kindness, even those who are rude to you – not because they are nice, but because you are.” – Author Unknown
Feeling empowered to deal with life is about finding that which is within your control. Unfortunately, when it comes to kindness we often give it only to those who treat us well. This ultimately puts our use of this important skill in someone else’s hands.
As we start this month, remember that using the umbrella skills is a choice and kindness is a skill that is always available. In fact, it can be extremely uplifting to give it out freely to everyone. Remember most people are fighting their own complex battle that has led them to the point where they may be rude, closed-minded or angry. Show your kids how powerful it can be to give kindness to the people who seem to deserve it least. Most often, they are the people who need it most. Now that’s empowering!
Choose a family ‘helping’ project
When we perform acts of kindness or help others, our brain releases dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins that scientists refer to as the “helpers high.” These endorphins make us feel good and our body craves this good feeling. It’s why we turn to food, devices and other less healthy sources of pleasure that release the same chemicals in our brain. Kindness is a great way to give our brain what it craves in a healthy way and help others while we are at it.
Children have an innate desire to use kindness and this grows over time if we can nurture it along the way. Start by making family acts of kindness a priority in your house. Choose a project or charity that you can all get involved in together and commit to making this an important and regular part of your family’s schedule. These charitable efforts on a regular basis will strengthen your child’s ability to use kindness and may even help to replace some of the less healthy habits they are pulled towards, such as their devices. In addition, the “helpers high” is an ideal hormonal environment in the brain for family bonding. So if you are pondering how to connect with your moody teen, this could be a place to start. Get them involved in choosing the project they care most about for the best results.
Model kindness behind closed doors
Our kids may seem to tune us out, but you would be surprised how often they are actually listening. I’m regularly shocked to hear what the kids have picked up from me. The tones of voice they use, the expressions, the worries – it’s not hard to trace many of them back to the primary adults in their lives.
When it comes to kindness, many adults have learned to be kind to others’ faces. This week, take some time to reflect on how often the casual conversations your children overhear at home are about the shortcomings of others.
When discussing difficult coworkers, friends that have let you down, parents or others, try to keep the perspective of sharing how you are feeling instead of the negatives about that other person. Use empathy as much as you can and try to imagine how that other person might have become the way they are before you judge them. Raising kind kids is about more than just acts of kindness. It’s about how we show them to be kind even when nobody’s watching.
Health & Happiness,
Dr. Jen, The Umbrella Project
Coming Up:
