November 1, 2013 RCCDSB 228 Mason Avenue, Renfrew, Ontario K7V 3Y3 November-Commemoration of All Saints Day The Feast of All Saints is a holy day of the Church honouring all saints, known and unknown. While we have information about many saints, and we honour them on specific days, there are many unknown saints, who may have been forgotten, or never been specifically honoured. On All Saints Day, we celebrate these saints of the Lord, and ask for their prayers and intercessions. The concept of All Saints Day is linked to the concept of the Communion of Saints. This is the belief that all of God's people, on heaven and earth are connected in a communion. In other words, Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe that the saints of God are just as alive as you and I, and are constantly interceding on our behalf. Remember, our connection with the saints in heaven is one grounded in a tight-knit communion. The saints are not divine, nor omnipresent or omniscient. However, because of our common communion with and through Jesus Christ, our prayers are joined with the heavenly community of Christians. FAMILY PRAYER FOR ALL SAINTS DAY In honour of the holy men and women who have inspired us to live our lives dedicated to the principles of humble service to God, we pray God of Hope, you give us so many wonderful examples of shining servants Help us to learn the stories of the saints and heroes in the Catholic faith tradition so we can grow in our own capacities to serve others and to serve you. Amen.
Anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that can be life threatening. Food is the most common cause of anaphylaxis, but insect stings, medicine, latex, or exercise can also cause a reaction. It has been estimated that more than 600,000 or 1% to 2% of Canadians are at risk of anaphylaxis (from food and insect allergy). More recent studies suggest that nearly 4% of the US population, or 1 in 25 Americans, is at risk for food allergy alone, a rate much higher than noted in the past. Canadian trends are thought to mirror those of the US, given similarities in lifestyle. Food allergy affects up to 6% of young children in North America. (Source: www.allergysafecommunities.ca ) Food allergens found to most frequently cause reactions include: Peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, milk, eggs, fish, soy, sesame seed, wheat. We have several anaphylactic staff and students. Therefore, we request that you do not send products to school that contain or may contain peanut/nut products. This includes baked goods, especially items from Tim Horton s as we cannot be sure that these products are safe. In addition, seeing that we are a healthy school, we strongly encourage snacks of juice boxes, fresh fruit, or veggies for parties. Thank you for your continued support. Parent-teacher interviews for students in grades 1-7 will be held on Thursday, November 14th from 3:30-9:00 p.m. These interviews are scheduled the day after the release of the Progress Report so parents can discuss recommendations for further progress. Collectively, staff and parents have the same goal-student success. The Progress Report does not contain marks but provides students and parents with feedback on pupil progress. The fact that the progress reports are sent home on November 13 provides parents with a good overview of their child s learning skills and academic progress before parent-teacher interviews on November 14th. Parent-teacher Interviews Healthy Snack We continue to receive a great deal of positive media attention regarding our healthy snack program, which is served twice daily. We serve one snack mid-morning and one snack during the afternoon nutrition break. Parents are asked to please remember to send plenty of healthy snacks and water with students as some students may not like the snack we are serving. All snacks served follow nutrition guidelines and are always peanut/nut free, in keeping with our school based policy on nut-free items being brought into the school. Special thanks to Ms. Hobbs and Mrs. Sweet for preparing snack and to all other EA s for assisting in preparation. Page 2
Key Information this Month! Bus Cancellations/Cold-Weather Guidelines-With the cold weather fast approaching, and snow in the forecast in many parts of our province, it is time once again to remember the protocol for bus cancellations. Parents are reminded to listen to STAR 96.7 Radio, in Pembroke, or 96.1 Radio in Renfrew, to hear current bus cancellation reports. You can also check the following web-site: http://www.rcjtc.on.ca Parents will not be advised directly of a change in transportation. Parents are also asked to remember that if the buses are cancelled, the school will remain open. Any school closures due to natural disaster or other emergency will be announced on the radio stations as well. Hot lunches-each Friday this month, students will have a great hot lunch except for the week of the PA day when pizza will be served on Thursday (due to the Friday PA day). The dates for hot lunches are: November 1 (pizza), November 8 (Frisco s Subs), November 14 (pizza), November 22 (Sante Fe wraps), and November 29 (Pizza). P.A. Day-November 15-no school for students. Staff are involved in professional development. Volleyball Tournaments-The girls and boys volleyball teams will compete in tournaments in November. The girls tournament is scheduled for November 21st, at RCI. The boys tournament is scheduled for November 27th at Opeongo High School. Flag Football-On Wednesday, October 9th, the flag football team competed in the RCEIAA Grade 7/8 tournament at Mateway Park. The team represented our school with outstanding school spirit and teamwork. They also finished second overall, losing in the last game only. Special thanks to Mr. St. Michael for coaching the students. MATH CHAT! Kindergarten - Grade 3 When talking with your child, identify things by their shape and size: "Please pass me the rectangular placemat, the largest box out of the cupboard, the square-shaped cracker and the circular plate." Grades 4 and beyond When you are shopping, have your child keep a running total of how much you are spending by using prices that he or she rounds up or rounds down. For a challenge, set a limit on the amount of money you will spend. Give your child an imaginary budget to spend at his or her favourite store (flyers or online catalogues may be helpful). Without writing down the amounts, have your child choose items to purchase. He or she will have to use estimation to stay within the budget. Then, have your child add up the actual costs. Did she or he stay within the budget? For a challenge, help your child estimate any taxes. Page 3
Key Events this Month! CPAN-Renfrew County Child Poverty Action Network For the past few years, CPAN has run a snowsuit and footwear campaign called Operation Snowsuit, the goal of this campaign is to ensure that every child living in our community has appropriate clothing and footwear for our severe Canadian winter. Starting immediately, Our Lady of Fatima is collecting new and/or gently used snowsuits and footwear on behalf of CPAN. Please take this opportunity to check your closets and donate any snowsuits and/or boots that your child (or children) may have outgrown. Please note: We are requesting that these snowsuits be clean and in good condition as CPAN does not have the capacity to clean and repair snowsuits. All donations are gratefully received. If you, or someone you know is in need of help, please call CPAN at 613-735-2374 ext. 250, or ext. 244. Please leave a detailed message with contact information, the name of the child in need, snowsuit and boot size, and gender of your child(ren). We are taking requests immediately at 432-4351. Dress for the Weather: Unless it is below 20 with the wind-chill, we will be outside each and every recess! The students now have only two recesses but they are outside for a longer period of time at the afternoon break, therefore it is extremely important that students are dressed for the weather. Please make sure your child(ren) have warm jackets and snowpants, hats, mittens or gloves and boots! Thank you for your continued cooperation. Christmas Concert-Follow the Star! The Christmas concert will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday,December 12th at St. Joseph s Catholic High School. We are only conducting one rehearsal mid-afternoon therefore, we will not have a matinee performance this year. Sorry! Cost of admission is a goodwill donation to CPAN at the door. School council will also hold a 50/50 draw at the door. Follow the Star follows the journey of the Magi (or Wise Men) and is an amazing story of obedience, faith and worship. Join the fantastic story of these three companions as they set their sights on a bright star in the heavens that would ultimately lead them to the Christ-child, the King of all kings!' School Council News & Views The next school council meeting will be held on Monday, November 18th at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend! School Council Fundraiser: The magazine fundraiser begins on Monday, November 4th and will wrap up the third week of November. If you wish to place an order in time for Christmas, on-line orders are much faster. Otherwise, orders completed via the order form (returned to school) may take between four-six weeks to process. On-line instructions are provided with each order form. Page 4
As part of the Catholic Graduate Expectations, students who graduate from a Catholic school are expected to be a discerning believer formed in the Catholic faith community. Students then are expected to actively reflect on God s word and integrate faith with life. Another expectation is that students become a caring member of the family. A student who demonstrates this expectation is one who values and looks for opportunities for family prayer. Prayer in the home is an excellent way to nurture your child and develop his/her potential as a caring contributor to family life. Here are a few suggestions to promote opportunities for family prayer. Timing is important choose a time when family members, especially children, are most receptive Keep prayers short Keep them positive Keep them meaningful Remember that none of us have to be a theologian to be able to talk with God and about Him Growing as a Catholic Faith Community Faith Formation in our Children Change the format as often as necessary to keep out of ruts Take turns leading. As children get older they can plan this for themselves Light a candle during prayer time, especially in winter Use songs from church or school, something from the children s experience. Even singing a part of a hymn learned in church increases attention and participation at Mass. Veterans Week-November 11-15 We will commemorate Remembrance Day on Monday, Nov. 11th. Primary classes will conduct a moment of silence at 11:00 and then all primary classes will gather in the gym at 1:00 p.m. to have a special presentation in honour of Remembrance Day, presented by our grade 7 students. The grades 4/5-7 students will represent OLF school at the Cenotaph in Renfrew and will lay a wreath on behalf of all students at the school. It is important that all students remember and bear witness to the ultimate sacrifice that so many of our Canadian men and women made and continue to make throughout the world today. May God bless them always. How will you remember this Remembrance Day? KINDERGARTEN PARENT S LITERACY NIGHT WHEN: Wednesday, November 20 WHERE: OLF Gym TIME: 6:00-7:00 p.m. Do you want to learn helpful strategies to accelerate your child s decoding skills and ability to comprehend text? Would you like to know key questions to ask, which boost critical thinking? This one hour session will provide the tools you require to help your child become a confident and critical analyzer of text. Page 5
ALL SAINTS DAY PRAYER SERVICE DATE: Friday, November 1 at 12:30 p.m. in the gym. Please join us! FOOD BANK DRIVE Special thanks to the parents who supported our Thanksgiving food drive for the Renfrew and Area Food Bank. We donated over 1200 items of food! Wow! Miss Cunningham s grade 5/6 class won the pizza lunch prize. Special thanks as well to Mr. Lance s class for showing leadership with the food drive and our Thanksgiving prayer service. They did a great job! The Premier s Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes outstanding teachers, principals and support staff from throughout the province. Nominations are now open. All staff employed in a publicly funded school board are eligible and anyone can submit a nomination. To learn more and download a nomination form, please visit: ontario.ca/teaching awards Sacramental Preparation at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church Many young families attended the first Sacramental Preparation meeting at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church on Sunday, October 27th. The church is the foundation of our faith and parents should be the first teacher of faith! Therefore, families now participate in sacramental preparation sessions at the church. Though preparation occurs at the church, the school still has an integral role in faith formation. Teachers promote and support faith development through daily recitation of prayers, review of the sacraments and key signs and symbols of the faith. All sessions will take place on Sunday mornings immediately following the 9:00 a.m. Mass. Parents are invited and asked to come to the session so that you may better assist your child in the home activities. The schedule will be as follows: Sunday, November 3 Sunday, November 10 Sunday, November 24 The Sacrament of Reconciliation is to be celebrated on Wednesday, December 4th at 6:30 p.m. As a reminder, parents who still need to obtain a baptismal certificate from a parish other than Our Lady of Fatima are encouraged to do so without delay.