ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 20 East Avenue South, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3X1 Tel: Mrs. T. Kovach Superintendent of Education

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1 Mrs. S. Verrelli Principal ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 20 East Avenue South, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3X1 Tel: Mrs. T. Kovach Superintendent of Education Mrs. T. Fricano Principal Intern Mr. T. Perri Trustee Father T. O'Dell & Father J. Pachocki Mrs. C. Serrani Secretary St. Patrick CES is a proud feeder school for Cathedral High School. 30 Wentworth Street Hamilton, Ontario JANUARY 2016 Here is a short and simple prayer to pray daily as a family: Your Thumb: is the prayer for people who you are closest to. These are your close friends and family, often the first you think about when you pray. Give thanks to God and ask his protection on your parents, siblings, friends,and classmates. Pointer (people who point the way): these are leaders in your life, such as teachers and pastors. Offer God your thanksgiving for them and ask him to help them in their important work. Tall Finger (people in authority): The big people in the world need prayer too. Ask God to give wisdom to our government, military, and police. Ring Finger (people who are weak): This is your weakest finger. We should remember others who are sick, live in poverty, or are treated badly. Pray that Jesus would give them new strength. Little Finger (your own needs): God wants to hear your needs too, especially when you put others first. Pray for your own growth in mind, body, and spirit. Remember to be thankful for all God s Blessings! ST. PATRICK WEBSITE... All newsletters are available online at "THINK AS AN INDIVIDUAL. WORK AS A TEAM. LOVE AS A FAMILY WITH CHRIST IN OUR HEARTS.

2 From the Principal s Desk WELCOME BACK! Resolutions, new beginnings are always top priority. We hope to make our new years Resolutions last throughout the year. Aim to help your child each and every day. Read with them nightly. Practice math skills. Be there for them. Listen to what they are saying and how to solve problems in a good and constructive manner. Take your children to Church and pray as a family. As educators, we are here to guide them in all areas of growth. We pray for you and your children daily. Make this year the best year it can be for you, your children and your family. THANK YOU A Special Thank you to all the schools, individuals and agencies that donated to our families during this Christmas Season! All of these people, too many to list, greatly contributed during the Christmas season to make it a special Christmas for so many families. We thank you for your generosity, your kindness and for touching our hearts in a very special way. A Special thank you to all of the staff members of our school community for Taking the time to organize and distribute the gifts and baskets. Organizing and practising Advent celebrations, awards assemblies and our Christmas concert. Setting up, sorting and organizing the Christmas Store and the Christmas Luncheon. Your hard work and commitment to our school community is very much appreciated! REPORT CARDS Report Cards will be going home on February 17th, Your child should be bringing home the agenda each night. Check the agenda; have them complete their homework and sign tests and notes. If you have concerns, contact the school and make an appointment to see the classroom teacher. Being involved and making your child responsible helps make them successful students.

3 WINTER WEATHER The cold weather is part of our winters. All students are expected to go outside at the nutrition breaks. This is where they are supervised. If there is an extreme cold alert, we will keep the students indoors. Students must wear proper clothing to be on the yard, boots, hats, scarves, coats and mittens. Students must have a change from the boots worn on the playground and into the classroom. Running shoes are recommended for indoor use. Listen to the Radio Stations or check the school board web page for school closures. All snow must stay on the ground. Students are not permitted to throw snowballs or snow other students. Actions such as these will have consequences and the student will be suspended. UNIFORM SALE On Thursday January 21st all Parents are welcome into our gymnasium for a uniform and used clothing sale. Our sale will begin at 8:30 a.m. until 9:15 a.m. then again in the afternoon at 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL Our Catholic School Council will meet on Thursday January 26 th at 4:00 p.m. Come and join us!! BREAKFAST CLUB Breakfast club is open to all students Tuesday to Friday. All students are welcome to attend. No entry before 8:00 am and all students must be on the yard by 8:30 a.m. COUNT YOURSELF IN! Did you know that every time you move to a new home, you must re-designate your Catholic school support? If you do not, the education portion of your property taxes will automatically default to the Public School System. The number of Catholic ratepayers is also a strong indicator of support for the Catholic School System. To vote for Catholic Trustees you must be registered as a separate school ratepayer. We urge you to check your property tax bill to ensure that your support is directed to the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board. We also encourage you to share this information with family and friends who are Catholic but do not have children in the school system. If you need help checking or changing your school support designation, please call the Assessment Department at Ext.2188, or webmaster@hwcdsb.ca.

4 MEDICAL ALERT BRACELETS The No Child Without program is for children ages Go to enrol.asp and you can sign up your child to receive a free medical alert bracelet if they have a life threatening allergy to nuts, bees, penicillin, etc. Brochures are available in Mr. Jackman s office. HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED ADOPTION OR BECOMING A FOSTER PARENT? Do you have room in your home for one more? RCT COMPUTERS There is an excellent opportunity to purchase both laptop and stand alone computers. If you are interested in purchasing a re-built computer for a great price please see Mr. Jackman. Deadline is February 5 th, Upcoming Adoption Information Night Thursday, January 21, :00 p.m. Catholic Children's Aid Society of Hamilton Upcoming Adoption and Foster Parent Information Night Thursday, January 21, :00 p.m. St. Matthew Parish 1150 Monks Passage, Oakville For more information and to register call: (Adoption) Jocelyn at (905) ext Visit our website at SCHOOL CASH ONLINE For safety and efficiency reasons, we want to reduce the amount of cash and cheques coming into our school. Therefore, we will be sending home information next month on how pay online for trips, pizza days, etc. PRECIOUS MOMENTS BOUTIQUE The Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board is once again donating gently new and experienced First Holy Communion and Prom dresses/suits appropriate for First Holy Communion and Grade 8 Graduation at no cost but first come, first serve. Wednesday March 9 th, 2016 Wednesday May 18 th, 2016 Wednesday June 1 st, 2016 Please feel free to come and have a look. We are located at St. Mary Catholic Resource Centre, on the third floor, 203 McNab St. North. For more information contact: Kelly Duffy-Kariam - School Social Worker (905) Ext.2831

5 "News from the Pews".. A message from our Parish Dear Parents/Guardians, The local Catholic parish, St. Patrick's, located at 440 King Street East, is providing pastoral care for the families of children enrolled in St. Patrick School. We want you to know that you are very welcome to join us for our Sunday liturgies (Saturday 5pm; Sunday 9am, 11:30am, 7:15pm). W hat's happening at St Pats. - Y EA R R EV IEW Pope Francis once wrote, "Mary was able to turn a stable into a home for Jesus, with poor swaddling clothes and an abundance of love" (Evangelii Gaudium) This miraculous ability to transform the mean environment of a cattle shed into a place of domesticity, security and love is a sign to our parish community of the possibilities for ministry we have: the challenges of the core of Hamilton won't stop us in providing a welcoming home for the many. Taking a "from the curb to the pew" approach, we have developed an outreach "door ministry" - a simple bit of hospitality offered to anyone who comes to the pastoral offices' main door and asks for it. It can be a sandwich and a hot cup of coffee or a cold can of pop, and often something sweet as well, a candy bar or muffin. The "ministry at the door" is the first step in addressing poverty in our neighborhood. Our goal is to intentionally work on this issue, cooperating with the diocese, civil authorities, police and other social agencies within the inner city. Our St. Dymphna Society, a ministry of spiritual support and fellowship to those who live with mental illness either as sufferer or caregiver, is well on its way to establishing itself in our community. Now in its second year, its numbers have grown and its program of leader training, discussion groups and worship is expanding. Our Seniors' Group has been established and is providing opportunity for discussion and mutual support for those facing the challenges of aging in the context of faith. We have renewed our commitment to the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre on Barton Street. The coordination of this ministry is an ongoing work. Last fall we commissioned 18 people for the Catholic prison ministry "Hope Beyond the Walls". They work closely with Fr. Tony to provide outreach to anyone who requests it at the center. This is often a simple friendly visit or time with another for prayer and thoughtful discussion. Toward the end of the summer some of the parish leadership team participated in The Amazing Parish conference in Denver, Colorado. They experienced world-class workshops, breakout sessions and best-practices discussions with top instructors and church leaders - all for the benefit of our parish. We reflected on the seven traits of the amazing parish and particularly focused on the importance of good and real leadership. It helped us to build trust and focus our attention on the vision and what we want to accomplish in our parish. We are mindful that the journey takes time, and has its hills, valleys, and sometimes-even detours; but we are committed to moving forward with building an Amazing Parish. We believe that no parish can be amazing without ministers. We understand that our parish is filled with many gifted people who haven't been asked, or haven't thought about, how they can contribute. So we are beginning to engage parishioners on the issue of how they can serve Christ through His Church. One of the values proclaimed by our Mission Statement is the "Next Generation" - "We strive to offer our young people a life-giving experience of the living Church, forming them as disciples of Jesus Christ." That's why we revised our confirmation program this year, refocusing from "making confirmandi" to "making disciples". We are also happy to see the development of our St. Patrick's Youth Group. We invite our youth ages to "come and see" what a life-changing experience this can be! We believe that the Church's mission goes beyond the walls of the building. We have established a presence in the virtual world and social media. A newly designed website offers parish information, news, and inspiring stories from the life of the parish. Check it out at stpatrickshamilton.ca All in all, there is much to be thankful for, and much cause to celebrate. Yet there is still a great deal of work ahead and we pray for the grace and the gifts to accomplish the task our Lord has set for us. STAY IN TOUCH: You can find more information about your parish on our new parish website join us on our Facebook Page: facebook.com/stpatrickshamilton or follow on

6 PARENTING TIP OF THE MONTH Tip #83 - In the Christmas carol O Holy Night we hear these words: "Long lay the world in sin and error pining. Till He appeared and the Soul felt its worth." The words are a beautiful reminder that we are loved by God and that Christ's birth reminds us of our inherent value. In a world that can, at times, be hurtful, our children can seek refuge in loving families and through a personal relationship with Jesus. Christmas is a lovely time to remind our children that when Jesus was born he came to live among us and that he still wants to be with each of us today. Through prayer, attending Mass and simply talking to God about the highs and lows of their day, children can develop a friendship with Jesus who loves them deeply. This Christ- mas, give your children a powerful gift by helping them develop a friendship with our Saviour. (From: Teresa Hartnett, Family Ministry Office, ext. 2250) MARRIAGE TIP OF THE MONTH Tip #63 - Christmas is a time of joy in families, but also a time of stress as we do too much, eat too much and spend too much! This year make Christmas truly special by slowing things down just a little. Spend some time together, just the two of you; tell your spouse why you see them as a gift all year long. Express your love to your spouse - knowing how you feel about them and why you feel that way may be the greatest gift they will receive. (From: Teresa Hartnett, Family Ministry Office, ext. 2250) ECO NEWS Remember to reduce, reuse and recycle. This month the ECO Team is holding a battery drive to recycle batteries properly. Please send any worn out batteries that you have with your child. The Eco Team FENCE/PARKING FENCE: We have a gated fenced-in playground. This is for safety reasons. The playground is for the students of St. Patrick School. During recess and lunch hour the gates will be closed and parents/guardians are asked to stay off the playground. No smoking on school property or on the sidewalk around the playground! PARKING: Parking is an issue at our school. We all need to do our part to alleviate the congestion at the front of the school, for everyone s safety. Please walk to school. If you must drive, please drop off your child or park in designated spots on the street. The Hamilton Parking Bylaw Officer will be called to patrol the area. Please be a team player.

7 AWARD WINNERS FOR DECEMBER: Congratulations to all of our Award Winners: ACADEMIC: ATTENDANCE: Adriano B.- Miss Filice & Mrs. Viscoso Patience W.- Mrs. Williams & Mrs. Klerks Daniel C.- Mrs. Zorko Kalleigh C.-Mrs. Reilly Joshua E. -Mr. Chernets Mia R. Mrs. Liota Vanessa P.-Mr. Sergi Joy G.-Mr. Grilli Brooklynne B.-Mrs. Sheehan Anthony V.-Mrs. Fricano Thelonious P.- Miss Filice & Mrs. Viscoso Abraham E.-Mrs. Williams & Mrs. Klerks Jerrel F.-Mrs. Zorko Shon M.-Mrs. Reilly Anita B.-Mr. Chernets Steven T.-Mrs. Liota Melanie B.-Mr. Sergi Becca A.-Mr. Grilli Mark C.-Mrs. Sheehan Christina H.-Mrs. Fricano FAITH: FRENCH: Kyle F.-Miss Filice & Mrs. Viscoso Bria S.-Mrs. Williams & Mrs. Klerks Alex T.-Mrs. Zorko Angelo D.-Mrs. Reilly Hayden D.-Mr. Chernets David P.-Mrs. Liota Edisson S.-Mr. Sergi Azeem V.-Mr. Grilli Mekai F.-Mrs. Sheehan Nick M.-Mrs. Fricano Matthew S.-Mr. Sergi Gejza B.-Mr. Grilli C.J.-Mrs. Sheehan Jean S.-Mrs. Fricano

8 D ATES TO REMEMBER January 5th Rising Stars Assembly for Grades 6 8 Drug Awareness January 8th School Mass at 9:30 a.m. January 13th Reuseable Containers Day January 14th Cathedral Visit with Grade 8 students / Option Sheets January 18th Awards Assembly January 19th Hockey Trip January 21st Uniform Sale January 25th Grade 8 Cathedral trip January 26th Catholic School Council Meeting at 4:00 p.m. January 28th Grade 3 Family Literacy Trip to Wilmas Place January 29th P.A. Day No school for students