PASTORAL PLAN School Name: School Mission Statement: St. Jean-Marie Vianney aims to produce high levels of student achievement for all learners. Catholic graduates are taught the virtues and values of the Catholic faith making them not just good students, but contributing citizens in our community. School Motto: To Dream, Explore and Discover Pastoral Plan Links to Strategic Plan/Catholic Board Learning Plan: CATHOLIC LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: We foster the continuous development of all through a caring, safe, and inclusive environment. PARISH-HOME-SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS: We believe that strong partnerships and collaboration among Parish, Home and School are based on mutual respect rooted in our lived Catholic Faith. STEWARDSHIP OF OUR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: We are committed to healthy and safe learning and working environments that enhance well-being, engagement and achievement. SACREDNESS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT: We encourage the respectful and sustainable environmental practices of reducing, reusing, and recycling in our facilities through our ECO schools program. Our Parish: St. Jerome Pastor: Rev. Jan Kolodynski Parish website: www.stjeromeparish.ca Page 1 of 6
Message from the Pastor: Dear Parents, Students and Friends of St. Jean-Marie Vianney Catholic School, I prayerfully invoke an abundance of Divine blessings upon the staff and especially our children that they may continue to grow in knowledge, character and faith during this new school year and throughout their lives! As always remember to pray for our parish family and ask God s blessings as we build His kingdom here on earth. Please know that I am praying for you, and I ask for your prayers for me, that together through the intercession of Saint Jean-Marie Vianney, our Patron and united in the Holy Eucharist, we will reflect the presence of Jesus to the world. Yours sincerely in the Lord, Fr. Jan Kolodynski Message from the Catholic School Council: The St. Jean-Marie Vianney Catholic School Council is an integral part of our school community. Through the active participation and collaboration of parents/guardians, we strive to ensure that all students reach their full potential in a faith filled environment. Catholic Education Week Theme: Opening the Doors to Mercy Throughout Catholic Education Week, we ask you to reflect on the significance of Catholic education s presence and contribution in our Church, and in our society. May 1 6, 2016 is Catholic Education Week. The St. Jean-Marie Vianney school community will welcome parents in for our second annual Spring Concert during the week of Catholic Education Week. Faith Formation: Forming ourselves in our Catholic faith is a foundational element in helping each of us understand and live in the example of Christ. Page 2 of 6
St. Jean-Marie Vianney school has active adult faith ambassadors who prepare and lead staff in prayer and liturgy during staff meetings and at special liturgical times throughout the year. This year we will be formalizing our student faith ambassadors and incorporating the work of our Vianney Vision students and their social justice initiatives. We have been fortunate enough to participate once again, in the Me to We Event in Toronto to kick off our initiatives. As always, we pray every day as a school community and involve students in leading prayer via the announcements. School masses have also been set for the year, with our final mass being celebrated at St. Jerome s Parish this year. Sacramental Preparation: As Catholic we understand sacraments to be "outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace." Together in partnership with our parish, we support the preparation of God s children in receiving the sacraments. Event Grade 2 Grade 7 and 8 Sacrament of Reconciliation TBD NA Sacrament of Communion TBD NA Sacrament of Confirmation NA TBD Liturgical Celebrations: The Liturgical calendar is marked by the gathering in community to celebrate the Eucharist and share in prayer. Celebration Date Opening Mass @ school September 23, 2015 @ 9:30 Advent Mass @ school December 16, 2015 @ 9:30 Year End Mass @ St. Jerome s Parish June 9, 2016 @ 10:00 Social Justice / Outreach Activities / Charities: Catholic Social Teachings of the Church root our actions in supporting human dignity and the preferential option of the poor which calls us to serve the most vulnerable in the world. Page 3 of 6
Our school participates in ShareLife activities such as the Wilf Hartzenberg Run/Walk/Roll in September. We also organize a ShareLife spirit week, teacher vs. student games and casual dress days for staff on Friday where proceeds are donated to ShareLife. Our school participates in the annual Terry Fox run/walk. Our Vianney Vision students will begin their social justice and community outreach initiatives after attending the Free the Children/Me to We Rally in October. In the past we have supported St. Louise Outreach through canned food drives and clothing drives, Toys for Tots, and Chalice. Recognizing Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations: Framed by the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations (OCSGE), our graduates will be effective communicators, reflective thinkers, lifelong learners, collaborative contributors, caring family members, responsible citizens and discerning believers formed in the Catholic faith community. To celebrate OCSGE, we as a school community acknowledge the efforts of all our students regularly. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate the OCSGE in their report card comments as well. Each classroom was provided with the Elementary version of the OCSGE and were encouraged to refer to them often. During their long range planning, teachers also consider opportunities to highlight the expectations throughout the curriculum. Celebrating Virtues: A virtue is a habit or established capacity to perform good actions according to a moral standard. When we practice these virtues we strengthen them and thereby make the presence of God more and more visible in the world around us. The St. Jean-Marie Vianney school community regularly participates in Vianney Villages. Groups are made up of a mix of students from kindergarten to grade 8 who participate in team and community building activities, faith based lessons and fellowship. Visible Signs of our Faith: Page 4 of 6
Through symbol and service, we are instruments of God s love whose work within our communities stands as a witness to our faith. St. Jean-Marie Vianney displays a number of visible signs of our faith. Upon entry into the school, our altar and cross adorn the space. Each classroom has a prayer space and cross. Our school also has a beautification committee that has installed a number of inspirational quotes in hallways and stairwells and is working on generating funds to paint a mural in the entrance of the school. Additionally, visible signs of our Faith are evident in the daily actions and faces of our students and staff. Resource List for Parents: Religious Education Curriculum - Ontario Religious Education Curriculum Family Life Curriculum - Ontario Family Life Curriculum Fully Alive Program information - Ontario Bishops' information on Fully Alive Resource List for Schools: Board Vocations Units Page 5 of 6
We have Vocations units as part of the Grades 2, 5, and 8 curriculum. The goal of these supplementary units is to deepen one s understanding of God s call the vocare to various forms of life within the Church. History of the Parish Through the resource book Our Story, Our Tradition, Our Journey, grade 7 students have the opportunity to learn about the history of our parish. Enduring Gift Video School-Based Adaptive Reconciliation Kit (grade 2) Adaptive First Eucharist Kit (grade 2) Adaptive Confirmation Kit (grade 7-8) Adaptive Program Finding God Kit (kindergarten) Religion Textbook and Teacher s Resource : Born In The Spirit ( grade 1-8) Family Life Textbook and Teacher s Resource: Fully Allive (grade 1-8) Bibles Page 6 of 6