Happy Easter! Our Lady of Sorrows. Are You Moving?

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1 A P R I L N E W S L E T T E R Our Lady of Sorrows Principal: Christina Brown VP: Karen Keels This is what Yahweh asks of you: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 Happy Easter! I hope you and your families have a blessed and restful Easter. What a beautiful time of the year! God is truly at work in our lives during the Easter season, a season that remains with us far beyond the Resurrection. It extends on for 50 days through to Pentecost Sunday and Trinity Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost). The call of the Resurrection is to spread faith and justice in our world: faith in Jesus as the word and love of God, and the justice of God as seen in the words of Jesus, our risen Lord. May you all experience wonderful new beginnings as the Easter season continues! Are You Moving? We certainly don t wish to say goodbye to any of our families, however we do realize postings are part of the military experience and some people may be moving for other reasons. It would be much appreciated if you could kindly notify your child s teacher or the office if you are moving and will not be attending OLOS as of September This will assist us in planning for next school year. Thank you! It All Comes Down to Mercy. Let Jesus Find Us. Inside this issue: Catholic Education Week 2 Parish News 3 School Council 5 EQAO 7 BSCH and Graduation Dates 8 Special points of interest: Grad Photo Retakes are April 24th. Good Friday is April 14th and Easter Monday is April 17th. IPRCs are scheduled for April 10th, 21st, 24th and 28th. Prayer 9

2 Catholic Education Week 2017 Opening the Doors of Mercy April 30th May 5th This year s Catholic Education Week theme is, Walking Forward Together. The 2017 CEW theme and its five sub-themes are drawn from three contemporary Catholic documents that address the need for reconciliation and renewal in our lives, with our families, in our relationships with others and in our relationship with our environment and our common global future. The first is the 2016 response of the Canadian Catholic Bishops to the Truth & Reconciliation Commission that we need to heal past injustices by Walking Forward Together. The second is the 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si : On Care for Our Common Home by Pope Francis, that emphasizes the cultural roots of our ecological problems and advocates an urgent world collaboration for the care of our common global home. The third document, Amoris Laetitia: The Joy of Love is a 2016 Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis, which applauds our dedication and concern shown to children, families, migrants, the poor, the elderly, and to persons with special needs, as a sign of the Spirit. These supportive relationships are a test of our commitment to show mercy in welcoming others and to help the vulnerable, to be fully a part of our communities. Our CEW biblical quote, Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8), acknowledges the important role of justice and solidarity with our Indigenous peoples, our environment, the poor and marginalized, and all those who work to protect our common global future. Our Catholic school community will celebrate Catholic Education Week 2017 beginning on Sunday April 30th, and running through to Friday May 5th. There are five sub-themes for each day of Catholic Education Week: Walking Forward Together With God Walking Forward Together With Our Families Walking Forward Together With Others Walking Forward Together With Creation Walking Forward Together With Hope We will be celebrating Catholic Education Week with prayers and activities each day. Some of these have been adapted from resources provided by the Ontario Catholic Schools Trustees Association (OCSTA); others have been created by members of our Renfrew County Catholic School Board. During this Catholic Education Week, let s highlight how our school is Walking Forward Together! Catholic Education Week will feature special programs and presentations at all grade levels. Stay tuned!

3 Parish News OUR LADY OF SORROWS CATHOLIC PARISH Father Steven Ballard Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation Saturday, April 22 First Communion Retreat Saturday, May 6 Confirmation Retreat Sunday, May 7 First Communion Wednesday, May 24 Sacrament of Confirmation Stations of the Cross Father Ballard is hosting Stations of the Cross during Lent. The next date is April 5th (7:00 7:30 p.m.). Visits to the Church Thank you Father Ballard for opening the church up for our staff and students. Individual classes visit the church at various times during the week to engage in prayer. Students learn to quiet their bodies and open their hearts and minds to build a stronger relationship with God through prayer. Some classes have focused on Christian meditation, some have prayed the stations of the cross and some have simply prayed. Classes will continue to visit the church to pray. Conversations about your child s experiences while visiting the church could be very rich. Rediscover Jesus: An Invitation Last year, Father Ballard provided our staff with multiple copies of a resource entitled Rediscover Jesus: An Invitation by Matthew Kelly. It is a wonderful book for adult faith development and invites us to reflect upon ourselves and how Jesus is lived out in our lives. It contains short chapters with points to ponder, questions and prayers following each one. This snippet from chapter 3 offers a reason why it proves beneficial to accept the invitation. It is fitting given the Lenten season and it goes along with Pope Francis simple message of mercy. We need to seek the mercy of God and offer love, compassion and forgiveness to others as we are all children of God. Look around you. The world is constantly grappling with crisis and war. People are weary from the dysfunction of their own lives. The chaos is crying out for order. The complexity is crying out for simplicity. At every level in society, from the beggar on the street to the leaders of nations, we are all looking for something to solve the crisis for our lives and of our times. It is time to stop looking for something and start looking to someone Jesus of Nazareth. Knights of Columbus and CWL Thank you to the Knights of Columbus and Catholic Women s League (CWL) for their continued support. Both support worthwhile projects associated with our school such as our Breakfast Club. Many members volunteer their time to serve breakfast to students. We are so grateful for the generous donation of $600 the Knights of Columbus provided us to help fund the Breakfast Club. We are also so appreciative of the CWL for their generous donation of $400. This will be used to help support students who may require financial assistance for class trips etc.

4 ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC PARISH - Father Titus Ndala We have always had military and civilian families attend Our Lady of Sorrows Parish. Due to the reestablishment of school boundaries last spring, we recognize a number of military families attend mass at Garrison Petawawa as well. Thus, we endeavor to work with both parishes and are open to providing communication from both. Sacrament of Reconciliation and Communion St. Francis of Assisi parish is offering classes to help students in grade 2 or above to prepare for the sacrament of First Holy Communion. The sacrament of First Holy Communion will be during masses on Sunday, May 14, Classes will be held on Sundays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office at ext School Mass Mrs. Vincent s class will be leading a school mass at St. Francis of Assisi Parish on Tuesday, April 11th. Please note, the date of this mass changed from April 4th to April 11th. Permission forms will be sent home shortly. OLS Celebrations Kiwanis Music Festival Both our primary and senior choirs entered into the Kiwanis Music Festival in Pembroke under the leadership of Mrs. Elgar, Miss Slight and Mrs. Chapeskie. They made us proud! The primary choir placed 2nd and the senior choir placed 3rd. Way to go! Basketball Teams Congratulations to our Grade 7 boys and girls basketball teams! They entered county tournament during this past month and put forth their best effort and played hard. Mrs. Vincent, Mrs. Stevenson, Miss Angie and Mrs. Townsend were very proud of the dedication, hard work and good sportsmanship of the players during practices and at the tournaments.

5 OLS Celebrations Destination Imagination Team We have a team of five girls who have formed our school s Destination Imagination Team. Students interested in being part of this extra curricular activity were encouraged to put their names forth to be part of the DI team. This team has worked on developing an open-ended project focused on improvisation during the past few months. The purpose is to strengthen and apply 21st century learning skills such as collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking during the process. Just prior to the March Break, the team celebrated their innovative and creative skills at the county tournament in Stittsville. They placed 2nd and were able to move on to the provincial tournament in Toronto. There, they placed second as well! Now they may have the opportunity to compete on a global level - in Tennessee. Way to go team!!! Thank you very much to their coaches, Mrs. Moyles and Mrs. Keels, and all the parents who accompanied them! School Council MONCION RECEIPTS PROGRAM When shopping at Moncion Metro and Petawawa Independent Grocers, you can ask to have your receipt of over $25.00 stamped. Receipts are collected in a box which is located at the front entrance of the school. They are used to redeem snacks for our healthy snack program and for special occasions. We encourage you to ask relatives, coworkers and friends to collect receipts for you to submit as well. Every little bit helps! Thank you to Jamie Bowden for calculating and submitting receipts for us. LABELS FOR EDUCATION PROGRAM Labels for Education has been awarding free educational equipment to schools in exchange for proofs of purchase from the Campbell family of brands. We encourage families to send in any Campbell s Soup labels you may have to contribute to our program. As with the Moncion Receipts, we encourage you to ask relatives, coworkers and friends to collect receipts for you. HOT LUNCH Each month, we establish hot lunch days for students and staff. In April, pizza from Petawawa Pizzeria will be served on Wednesday, April 5th, tacos from Santa Fe will be served on Wednesday, April 12th and subs from Subway will be served on Wednesday, April 19th and 26th.

6 School Council SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR Another Scholastic Book Fair will be held during the first week of May (Wednesday to Friday). This will be a buy one get one free fair. If you are able to assist with this fair, please let the office know. We could always use more volunteers. I will also send additional communication about this by mid month. CHILDREN S THIFT SALE It s the time of year when we do a little spring cleaning. We hope to help you out with this. Please save the items you no longer want or need and sell them at our yard sale. Our school is planning to have a yard sale on Saturday, June 3rd from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Families and community members will have an opportunity to purchase a table for $20.00 and sell items appropriate for babies and school aged children. All profits minus the initial $20.00 will be yours. A separate table will be available for large items such as strollers and tricycles. The person working this table will receive a small portion of the profits. Everyone is welcome to attend the thrift sale. Please spread the word! An admission fee of $2.00 per family will be collected. This will go toward school council initiatives. PARENT INVOLVEMENT SESSION The RCCDSB Parent Involvement Committee and the RCCDSB applied for a PRO grant through the Ministry of Education to have a guest speaker for our parents across the board. Dr. Greg Wells is scheduled to be the guest speaker at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in the gym beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 18th. Dr. Wells is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto and an associate scientist of physiology and experimental medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children. At U of T, he studies elite sports performance, and at Sick Kids he leads the Exercise Medicine Research Program where his team explores how to use exercise to prevent, diagnose and treat chronic illness in children. He has dedicated his career to understanding human performance and how the human body responds to extreme conditions. This is fascinating especially when we are looking at wellness for ourselves and our children. I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Wells speak in Toronto. It was well worth the time! Part of his talk, focuses on how technology affects the minds and health of our youth. It s interesting information. If you can, save the date to attend this session! NEXT MEETING WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS SCHOOL COUNCIL HAS SUPPORTED THROUGH FUNDRAISING? Winter Skating Program (gr. 1 to 7) Class Trips ($12 per student in grades 1 6 and $25 per student in grade 7) Butterfly Kit for our Kindergarten Classes Gift Cards for Teachers to purchase what they need in their classrooms Milk for all students and staff for World Milk Day Chromebooks Sports Equipment 2 $ Bursaries for Grad at BSCH (they go to former OLS students) New Piano for Piano lessons and choir Medals for Grade 7 Grad Snacks for Kindergarten and Grade 7 Grads Thank you for your support in all fundraising initiatives. None of this would be possible without you! Our next school council meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 25, All are welcome to attend! We will plan for spring events like the thrift sale and family dance.

7 80 s Day Was A Hit! Dolphins Pumas 419 pts Bears 394 pts Falcons 428 pts 480 pts Thursday, April 27th is Hat Day. Everyone is encouraged to wear any type of hat crazy or not. Go Bears, Go Dolphins, Go Falcons, Go Pumas! EQAO School Parking The primary and junior assessments of reading, writing and mathematics will be administered to grade 3 and 6 students during the mornings of Wednesday, May 24 to Friday, May 26th and Tuesday, May 30th to Thursday, June 1st. If at all possible we encourage parents of grade 3 and 6 students to refrain from scheduling appointments etc. during this period. Mental Health Walk-in Clinics Phoenix Centre Pembroke Tue. 2-6pm Renfrew Thurs. 2-6pm Robbie Dean Centre Pembroke Wed. 5-9pm Renfrew Thurs. 5-9pm Petawawa Tues. 1-5 pm Arnprior Mon. 1-5 pm There are many vehicles in and out of our main parking lot each day. To ensure everyone s safety a few measures have been established. No parking signs are placed along the side of the road just outside of the staff parking lot. If you are dropping your child off or picking your child up, please feel free to use the church parking lot situated across the street from the church or side streets. We endeavour to keep the sides of Mohns Avenue and the main parking lot clear of vehicles to allow buses to easily and safely deliver students to and from home. We ask that anyone parking along side streets, to please ensure driveways are not being blocked. Students walking home or biking are dismissed from the far gate, near the kindergarten yard. Thank you for helping us keep all students safe! OUR LA DY OF S OR ROWS

8 Bishop Smith Catholic High School Grade 7 Orientation Grade 7 students will participate in an orientation day at Bishop Smith Catholic High School during the morning of Wednesday, April 19th. They will engage in a rotation of four activities and then will end their session with a hot lunch served in the cafeteria. Amazing Race The Amazing Race is a Bishop Smith event intended to ease the transition between elementary and high school. Bishop Smith has a long history of exceptional student leadership and school pride and The Amazing Race is one way to invite future Crusaders into this climate early, before high school even begins. The event is organized by a select group of senior students, who will serve as facilitators in various team work activities. The Amazing Race is a full day orientation conference scheduled for Friday, June 2nd. It will provide students with the opportunity to become acquainted with the school as well as with other students who will attend Bishop Smith in the fall. Students will spend the day involved in orientation activities where they will develop friendships with grade seven students from other schools, as well as their senior leaders. The conference will reflect a balance between skill building sessions and activities designed for fun and entertainment. The goal is to allow students to feel connected to the school that will be their home for the next five years. The conference is extremely well organized and closely supervised by teachers and administration. Stay tuned for more information! Highlights of BSCH Bishop Smith Catholic High School is a wonderful school that encompasses our Catholic faith and vision of being an inclusive environment that nurtures the giftedness, self-worth and potential of all students. The academic, social and community experience for all students at Bishop is both positive and rewarding. A few highlights from BSCH are listed below: Diverse courses and hands-on learning opportunities (i.e. media arts, visual arts, photography, yearbook design, construction technology, auto technology, hospitality and tourism, French culture and language, vocal and instrumental music, cooperative education, specialist high school major in health care, dual credits program in partnership with Algonquin College etc.) Extended French for Grade 8 and 9 Students (pilot program beginning in September) Dominican Republic Experience Interested grade 9 and 10 students can apply to be part of this social justice experience of developing a relationship with the people of the Dominican Republic via seminars, language training, fundraising and awareness campaigns. The mission culminates with a trip to the Dominican Republic to assist those in need. Grade 9 Hockey Team Student Leadership Opportunities through clubs such as student council, student athletic council, environmental action committee, social justice and anti-bullying club and pastoral team. Mark Your Calendars! An end of the year Kindergarten celebration will occur for all three classes during the afternoon on Tuesday, June 20th. Grade 7 Graduation is scheduled for the afternoon of Monday, June 26th.

9 March Break A Prayer of Stewardship Society of Saint Vincent De Paul Saint Vincent De Paul has a soup kitchen in Pembroke and serve families in the Petawawa and Pembroke areas. Each Saturday, Sunday and Monday, they serve hot meals for 25 to 55 people. All meals are prepared and served on the premises by volunteers. They also do home visits and assist with groceries when the need is urgent. Our school would like to help this society by hosting a food bank drive. Some of the items they need include canned foods (tomatoes, creamed soups, chicken and beef broth, canned vegetables, fruit cocktail, tuna, salmon, tea and coffee, mayonnaise, salad dressing), pasta (macaroni, lasagna, noodles, spaghetti), rice, crackers, cookies, peanut butter, juice boxes, pudding, applesauce, Kraft dinner and instant coffee. If you could assist by donating any of the items listed, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! I grow with amazement at the glory of the Holy One. I grow with gratitude for life. I grow with hope that all shall be well. I grow with courage to meet the challenges ahead. I grow with conviction to do what is life-giving. I grow with eyes ever alert for beauty. I grow with openness for greater truth. I grow with desire for continued transformation. I grow with compassion for those who suffer and hurt. I grow with eagerness to learn and hone my craft. I grow with a sense of kinship for those with whom I work. I grow with respect as others mentor and deepen my vision. I grow with determination to make good choices in using my time and energy. I grow with willingness to help those who will need my care. I grow with hesitation thinking of difficulties that may come. I grow with longing for a greater peace. I grow with faith and trust in Jesus, the Master Teacher, for he will guide our way. I grow with love for God, our Creator, who is the source of all the work of our hands and the fruit of our labour. OPP Criminal Record Checks God has given us a common calling to be stewards of our environment and all life in it. Let us go forth in peace to love and serve in Christ s name. Amen The Upper Ottawa Valley OPP will only accept and return vulnerable screening criminal record checks on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The change comes as a result of balancing operational needs with the increasing demand for criminal record checks. If you do not have a background check on file at our school and are thinking of attending the end of the year class trips (if applicable) or volunteering in any other capacity, it may prove beneficial to request a background check as soon as possible. This way, it will likely be returned in time for the event for which you are volunteering.