Immaculate Conception FAMILY School Newsletter

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1 Immaculate Bulletin Conception de l École School Immaculate Conception FAMILY School Newsletter UPDATE Formosa, Ontario N0G 1W0 Formosa, Phone/Téléphone:(519) Ontario N0G 1W0 1W0 Phone: Fax /(519) Voice Mail : (519) Fax / Voice Mail : (519) Vol. MMVIII, Number/Numero 4 Tuesday, December 8, 2009 Tuesday, Lundi September le 7 décembre, 5, 4, Vol. MMVII, Issue 1 BRUCE GREY CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD VISION STATEMENT Committed to a vibrant Catholic education, we ensure quality learning experiences through community partnerships that nurture each student in mind, body and spirit and embrace the teachings of Christ, giving witness to Gospel values. AN ADVENT PRAYER Father, all-powerful God, your eternal Word took flesh on our earth when the Virgin Mary placed her life at the service of your plan. Lift our minds in watchful hope to hear the voice which announces his glory and open our minds to receive the Spirit who prepares us for his coming. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. HE IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON Christmas is a time of great joy and excitement for children who wait with anticipation to receive presents from Santa and loved ones. Keeping Christ s birth at the heart of the celebration can be hard, but not impossible. We can help our children focus on the true meaning of Christmas in the following ways: place the nativity scene as a focal point in your home; assist with or contribute to charity drives; read the story of Christ s birth daily; engage in a small advent lighting ceremony each week of Advent as a family; on Christmas morning sing Happy Birthday to Jesus before you open up the gifts under the tree. Christmas holds a deeper meaning for us all when we stay focused on its true meaning. School Council Conseil de l école Board Administration Administration du conseil Co-Chairpersons/Co-Présidents: Director of Education/Directeur d éducation: Jeff Myatt and Carrie Anne Clancy-Quish Bruce MacPherson School Principal/Directrice: Contact Information: Francine Pilon Superintendent/Surintendante: Catherine Montreuil Office Administrator/Administratrice du bureau: Trustee/Commissionaire: Bev Eckensweiler Principal: Michael Murphy Norma Jeanne School King Council Co-Chairpersons: to Superintendent: Bruce MacPherson be determined at our first meeting in Secretary: Head Teacher/Professeur Norma Jeanne en charge: October. Amy Kieffer Our next newsletter Trustee: William will be Goetz sent home King Claire Wardlow-Barnard the week of January 4th, 2009 Priest/Prêtre: Father Stephen Lacroix Our next newsletter will be sent home the week of September Notre prochain 18, 2006 bulletin sera la semaine du 4 janvier, 2009.

2 Immaculate Conception School Formosa Happy Holidays! The staff of Immaculate Conception School would like to wish everyone Joyeux Noël Bonne Heureuse Année! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! During the upcoming holiday season we encourage everyone to take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. May God Bless you and your family. Saint of the Month: Immaculate Conception of Mary (December 8) Mary of Nazareth was a young maiden of Israel 2000 years ago, who waited with trusting and joyful hope for the coming of the Saviour. As God s faithful servant, Mary entrusted herself to God s plan when she said Yes! to the call to be the Mother of Jesus. Hail Mary full of grace, pray for us, that we may be people of joyful hope who hear and respond to God s call in our lives. Amen. Congratulations to the following students who were recognized for their effort in demonstrating the following virtues: BIRTHDAY CLUB Happy Birthday to the following students who celebrate their birthday in DECEMBER Ellie Biesenthal Graham Montag Zack Bruder Pilar Dietrich Ronin Remers Carolyn Gray Gillian King Isaac Mulvey RESPONSIBILITY Jayda Widmeyer Hannah Metcalfe Keegan Fischer Billie Martin Rhys Martin Cara Zettler Matthew Donnelly Abby Hahn Dylan Vinckx Craig Meyer Jordan Durrer Alli Meyer Brady Rich Abby Mitchell Nathan Schmidt Keifer Teeple Rail Thornewell Melynda McKenzie COMMITMENT Rudolf Sidibé Ava Sampson Mason Stroeder Keaton Rich Sarah Rawn Ryan Bester Harley Martin Devin Opperman Matthew Vandenberg Keifer Teeple Keaton Rich Holly Logan Ben Tomlinson Voice Mail Call anytime, day or night, and leave your message.

3 Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board Confirmation Please note our Grade 7/8 students will be traveling to Deemerton on December 9th and 10th to participate in the Christopher Leadership course. Students will be returning to ICS and having supper together Thursday night. Parents are invited to join us at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday at ICS for a presentation from our students of what they shared during the Christopher course. Proclaiming the Work of Your Love - Page 3 of Celebration of the Nativity You are invited to our Celebration of the Nativity on Tuesday, December 15th at 6:45 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church BUS CANCELLATION Now that the colder weather has arrived and we have seen evidence of snowy weather, we must remind you that there are times when buses do not run due to inclement weather. We ask parents to review your safety plan in regards to late busses or cancellations. Please be reminded that students must be supervised until they load a bus. If buses are cancelled, news regarding this will be broadcast on CFOS 560AM (FM or 93.7) Owen Sound and CKNX 920 (FM 102) Wingham. If the weather indicates that road conditions may be poor, please listen to one of these stations for possible reports of cancellations. CKNX has asked us to advise you not to call the radio station, but rather please wait for the announcement or check their website. Our buses will not be sent home early due to inclement weather. In the event that buses do not run in the evening, students may be picked up by parents or billeted in the community. APPROPRIATE CLOTHING As the weather changes, please ensure that your children are adequately dressed before sending them off to school. It is better to be overdressed than underdressed. We also strongly recommend that you label your children s mittens, hats, boots etc. in order to help us identify items as they are found. Literally, hundred of hats and mittens were found last year and we were unable to find their rightful owners. These items have since been donated to organizations in our community. If your son or daughter loses items, please come in and visit our lost and found section in the school, located in the main hall by the library. We are a Catholic Faith Community committed to developing and maintaining a love of life long learning, nurturing self-esteem and respect for all creation.

4 Immaculate Conception School Formosa GRADE 9 SHHS PARENT NIGHTS Grade 8 Parent Information Nights will be held at Sacred Heart High School on: Thursday January 21st Tuesday January 7:00 p.m. All parents of Grade 8 students are encouraged to attend one of these evening sessions to learn more about Sacred Heart High School, programs, diploma requirements and course options. Grade 8 parents do not want to miss this very informative evening.website for SHHS: NO SNOWBALLS PLEASE Just a reminder to students and families that Immaculate Conception School supports a NO SNOWBALL POLICY. Please take a moment at home to remind children of the potential hazards associated with snowballs and reinforce that this will not be tolerated at our school. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as always! SCHOOL BUS POLICY We would like to remind all of our parents and students that all school buses have a NO EATING ON THE SCHOOL BUS policy. Children are given opportunity to have a snack mid afternoon and should not require snacking on the bus. Please remind your child of this detail. CAMPBELL S SOUP LABELS When removing the label from your soup cans, please be sure the bar code is kept adjacent to the main label showing the product name. Labels cut in any other manner are not accepted by the company. Thank you for your continued support. THE SEASON OF ADVENT Advent is about preparing to celebrate the birth of our Saviour and preparing for his Second Coming. The visit of an angel, the pregnancy of a virgin, a star in the East these signs and others were the precursors of the Messiah being born into the world. Jesus tells us that signs will foretell his Second coming into the world, as well. Anticipation of His return should inspire us to leave behind our ways of sin, and return toward God. Advent is a time of promise discovering the beauty of darkness and light. We must learn to find Advent and to keep it within our hearts. The lighting of a candle brings us from darkness to light, illuminating the Way from promise to the fulfillment. As a school we will begin each week with the lighting of a candle on our Advent wreath to show our path towards Christmas. As we journey, we prepare our hearts by our thoughts, prayers and actions for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Voice Mail Call anytime, day or night, and leave your message.

5 Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board Let the same character be in you that was in Christ Jesus Philippians 2.5 Character Education Is a way of life and being DECEMBER VIRTUE : Hope Hope is having a joyful trust in the future, even when we are experiencing difficulty in the present time. Hope is rooted in the knowledge that God loves us and is always faithful to us, protecting us and helping us. For Christians, the virtue of hope leads us to look forward with confidence to the day when we will live forever with God in heaven. Be heralds of hope. Be messengers of joy. Be true workers for justice. Pope John Paul II Our Catholic Culture of Deep Caring Calendar Week One I believe that life is eternal, and that one day, I will live with God forever. Week Two I believe in myself, and in my ability to think and act wisely and creatively to solve problems. Week Three I encourage others to believe in themselves, and in God, to get through difficult times. Week Four I look to the future with a positive attitude and appropriate sense of humour because I know that God is there for me. Proclaiming the Work of Your Love - Page 5 of Skiing Dates at Talisman Our ski dates have been set for the New Year. All grade 5-8 students are invited to participate in this exciting program at Talisman Ski Resort. An information package with cost and details was sent home last week. Parent chaperones are always needed, so please indicate if you can help. If you have misplaced your form, or not received one, please contact the office for more information. Our ski dates for this year will be: Friday, February 12, 2010 Friday,February 19, 2010 Please return all required documentation and payments as soon as possible. The Olympic Torch is coming to Walkerton Just a reminder that the OlympicTorch run will be happening in Walkerton on December 28 th. For more details visit Thank you for using our Voice Mail Call anytime, day or night. Please let us know if your child has flu-like symptoms including fever, sore throat, cough, vomiting or diarrhea. These symptoms are reported daily to the Health Unit. We are a Catholic Faith Community committed to developing and maintaining a love of life long learning, nurturing self-esteem and respect for all creation.

6 Immaculate Conception School Formosa Sacred Heart High School SANTA ANNA ORPHANAGE PROJECT Once again this year, 17 students from Sacred Heart High School in Walkerton have been selected to go to the Dominican Republic to serve as ambassadors for our board and assist in the many projects currently in progress at the Santa Anna Orphanage. To do this, they need to raise $50,000.00, with all donations being tax deductible. If you have a relative or friend who is difficult to shop for Christmas, why not make a donation on his/her behalf? These donations make great Christmas gifts especially for those who "have everything" Cheques must be made payable to FOTOCAN (Friends of the Orphans Canada), then mailed/ couriered to Sacred Heart High School. Please make sure names and complete address and phone number appears on your cheque (include P.O box, please). Another way you may choose to support this project is to donate gently used summer clothing, including lingerie, for both genders from newborn to adult. The team are looking to fill sixty hockey bags with 50 pounds in each that will be taken with them when they go to the Domincan Republic later this school year. Items can be dropped off at SHHS chapel by the gym entrance or at Immaculate Conception School office and we will make sure the items get to the high school. For more information, contact Mrs. Joy King at Sacred Heart High School, Walkerton or by joy_king@bgcdsb.org. FIRE SAFETY ALERT A very important message from Bernard A. Moyle, Fire Mashal of Ontario: The Ontario fire service is doing everything it can to ensure that all children are as safe as possible from the dangers of fire. As parents, you have the power to keep your own children safe by preventing a fire from ever happening in your home. It is critical that you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home and develop and practice a home fire escape plan with your entire family. Please take a few minutes to conduct the following fire safety check-up. If you can confidently check off all of the boxes, you are well on your way to having a fire-safe home. Please help us to make Ontario safe for our children and families. Fire safety is everyone s responsibility! We always stay in the kitchen when something is cooking on the stove. Matches and lighters are stored out of sight and reach of children. Our fireplace or woodstove is properly installed. Chimney and flue pipes are inspected and cleaned regularly. Portable space heaters are kept at least one metre away from anything that can burn. Candles, when lit, are placed out of reach of children and pets, where they can t be knocked over. Candles are always extinguished before going to bed or leaving the room. We have working smoke alarms on every level of our home. We test the alarms every month and change the batteries once a year. Our family has developed and practised a home fire escape plan, so that everyone knows what to do and where to go when the smoke alarm sounds. Voice Mail Call anytime, day or night, and leave your message.

7 Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board Proclaiming the Work of Your Love - Page 7 of COMMUNITY / PARISH NEWS SINGING LESSONS are available at the school every Monday. Please call Diane Leith MILK BAG BRIGADE Mrs. Gloria Grubb, a former ICS Kindergarten teacher, is busy in her retirement, along with other church ladies, and is beginning a new social justice project making milk bag mats for the needy. These mats are made from the outer 4L coloured milk bags which have been cut into strips and crocheted into a mat. These mats are then sent to Haiti, where children sleep on them to keep them off the cold, damp ground. The Haitians have found another way to use them as well. For the ones living in huts with metal roofs, the hot tropical sun not only causes the roof to get very hot, but also heats the interior of the hut significantly. They discovered that by putting a mat up to the ceiling, it acts like insulation against the heat from the sun. Gloria needs your help, as a substantial number of milk bags is needed before the project can begin. A 30 by 48 mat requires 260 milk bags. You can help by saving the outer 4L coloured milk bags. They must be clean and washed out. Please leave them flat or fold them in half only. Do not crush them. Have your child bring the bags to school. These milk bags will help bring comfort to children, while also allowing us to protect our environment. Thank you for your caring, understanding and support. Help Mrs. Grubb help others! SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING is Thursday, December 10, 2009 in the School Library at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend. Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board Position: Tutors in the Classroom The BGCDSB has received funding from the Ministry of Education for the Tutors in the Classroom Program. The board is currently looking for Post-secondary students who are currently enrolled in an Ontario college or university and who are available one morning or afternoon per week through-out the school year. The student will support the work of the classroom teacher through activities and direct contact with students, assisting teachers and reinforcing skills and concepts. Interested candidates are invited to forward a resume stating qualifications, experience and references accompanied by verification of the post-secondary institution and program in which they are currently enrolled. Please indicate school preference. To apply contact: Human Resources Department fax or human_resources@bgcdsb.org We are a Catholic Faith Community committed to developing and maintaining a love of life long learning, nurturing self-esteem and respect for all creation.

8 Immaculate Conception School Formosa Free the Children Special Guest By: Sarah Petkov On Tuesday, December 1st, Immaculate Conception had a very special guest visit, who works with Free The Children. For the longest time, no one knew who our special guest was, except for student council and the teachers involved with it, so everyone was excited to discover our guest. There were clues leading to who the special guest was; The person was a speaker at We Day - A fun day in Toronto that some students from ICS attended to learn more about Free The Children - and that they had a troubled time in life. Our special guest, was Spencer West. Spencer West is quite the character - he had his legs totally amputated at the age of 5 because of a disease. He was bullied as a child, and now believes anything is possible. Spencer had many challenges as a child, because people always thought he was strange and different. He was different, and people often alienated him - when inside he really wasn t that different from another child. Spencer finished school, with the sport of cheerleading, then went on to university to attain a degree in communications, and continue living with one of his close friends in Phoenix, Arizona, where he had everything he could possibly need. Immaculate Conception School Annual Celebration Dinner Thursday, December 17, 2009 at the Formosa Community Center 12:00 noon Spencer helps everyone learn about what needs to be done in Third World countries, and what we could to help them. Also, Spencer taught us some helpful rules that we can apply to our daily lives: Number one - Be the one. Be the one to stand up. Number two - Stand up. Stand up for what you believe in. Number three - Be happy everyday. Not necessarily with hugs and smiles, but appreciate what you have, and what God gave to you. Right now, ICS is working on a new school in Kenya, along with some local charities. This year, we have helped with the food bank, and now we re working on stuffing a sleigh with various items for children on Christmas. We re going for 1000 items - it s a long way, but really is worth it. A huge thanks to Spencer, and everyone who made the day possible, because it truly was a gratifying experience. Thanks to Spencer, we now realize more and more, that anything is possible if we just try and stand up. And remember, be happy everyday. Voice Mail Call anytime, day or night, and leave your message.

9 Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board Proclaiming the Work of Your Love - Page 9 of Congratulations to our winners of the Formosa Lion s Club Peace Poster Contest. Lisa-Marie Oberle won 1st place Melynda McKenzie won 2nd place Sarah Petkov won 3rd place. Well done! Lisa-Marie s poster has moved on to the Regional level. Good Luck! CHRIST IN ACTION Shown above, our Grade 8 students in action preparing bags of candies at Operation Christmas Child Center in Waterloo. Thank You! Immaculate Conception School collected over 280 items for the food bank and many more toys for the Children s Aid Society with the Stuff a Sleigh. We are a Catholic Faith Community committed to developing and maintaining a love of life long learning, nurturing self-esteem and respect for all creation.