| St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School | 147 Mill Street West, | Acton, Ontario L7J 1G7| Telephone: 519-853-3730 | website: schools.hcdsb.org/josa

April 2017St. Joseph Patron of Canada Parish

With the arrival of April, Holy Week is just around the corner. It marks the beginning of the most sacred days of our annual faith journey. It is true that Christmas might be more popular, yet Holy Week—especially the graced-filled days of the Sacred Triduum, is the reason why Jesus was born. Jesus became one of us, to save us, from our death of sin. Jesus was born to say ‘Yes’ to the heavenly Father, to die on the Cross and to save us through his Easter Victory of the Resurrection. Next week let us take time to experience, meditate and reflect on the blessed steps of Jesus: from his painful death on the Cross to his greatest gift of new life through his Resurrection.

Please join us Holy Thursday, April 13 for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 8:00 p.m. On Good Friday join us at 11:00 for Morning Prayer and the Stations of the Cross. Good Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. join us for our Passion Service with Holy Communion. Later on Good Friday at 5:15 p.m. join fellow Christians on the Procession of the Cross through town, starting at Churchill Community Church and winding through the downtown area. We will meditate on the Lord’s passion as we travel from church to church concluding at Trinity United Church for a short service followed by refreshments and a time of fellowship. On Holy Saturday there will be the blessing of Easter food baskets at 11:00 a.m. culmination with the most awesome celebration of our faith in the glorious Easter Vigil at 8:00 p.m. Of course, Easter Sunday Masses are at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Let us remember the wise words of St. John Paul II: “the future starts today, not tomorrow.” Yes—now is the time to act.

A blessed Easter to one and all

Fr. Robert HétuPastor, St. Joseph Patron of Canada Parish

Sunday Masses Confession Saturday 5:00 p.m., Sunday 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Saturday 4:00 – 4:30 p.m. or by appointment

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Lenten Initiatives & Charities FundraisingAs a Catholic School Community we strive to not only support our students as best we can, but to also reach out to support others in need of our prayers and help on both a local and global level. We began our Lenten journey with an Ash Wednesday Liturgy. With Lent being a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, our staff and students are participating in a number of meaningful initiatives, which highlight our commitment to social justice and helping those less fortunate. These initiatives include: Pancake Snack on Shrove Tuesday to support Lenten initiatives. (CSC) Breakfast for Bricks, an oatmeal breakfast for students, to raise funds for helping to build a school in Sierra Leone (Student

Parliament Social Justice Committee); “Minute It to Win It” game day to support the Breakfast for Bricks initiative (Student Parliament Social Justice Committee). Lenten Food Drive. We are collecting non-perishable food items for the local food bank and coins to support local charities; food

will be picked up April 12th (Student Parliament Faith Formation Committee); Supporting our Team Unbreakable Initiative and the HCCF with movie and popcorn day scheduled as part of our Spirit.

Holy Week Holy Week - The students and staff will be participating in a Holy Thursday Observance beginning at 1:15.  All parents are welcome!

P.A. Days: Friday, April 28 and Good Friday April 14, Easter Monday April 17 No classes will be held on these days.

Senior Kindergarten-Grad Photos-May 9thOur senior kindergarten students will be having their graduation photos taken on May 9th.

School Volunteer Appreciation We sincerely thank our school volunteers. During the month of April we acknowledge and thank the many parents and guardians who volunteer throughout the year at our school, helping to support our students and activities. Together we build a strong community. National Volunteer Week is April 23 -29, 2017.

Aboriginal Education Awareness MonthApril is Aboriginal Education Awareness month at the HCDSB. Please check the Board’s website at www.hcdsb.org for up-to-date listings. Our Board is committed to delivering equitable and inclusive programs and services that support achievement and engagement by addressing the shared histories, cultures, and perspectives of the First Nation, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada.

Autism Awareness MonthApril is Autism Awareness month. Students will be participation in various activities to bring awareness to intellectual differences.

Student Activities

Social Justice CommitteeOur Oatmeal Breakfast will take place on Wednesday, April 5th, April 12th. Students are able to purchase oatmeal for $2 before the morning school bell. The funds raised will be used to support the work and programs of Free The Children.

We thank all for supporting our Social Justice initiatives.

Battle Of The BooksOur Battle of the Books teams worked very hard to prepare for this year’s competition. We are very proud of all the students who practiced and represented our school so well at Halton Hills Public Library battle on March 29 and 31, 2017.

Thank you to Mrs. Quiambao and Mrs. Beaton who helped Mrs. La Selva with the coaching.Congratulations to our team members : Sophie F, Landen M, Emilia S, Liam S, Dario G, Gavin L, Sasha A, Ivan S, Mac C, Marco D, Audrey C, Emily M, Adriana G, Kiersten H, Teryn A, Eric C and Mark K.

School Spirit:

Our PJ, Movie and Popcorn School Spirit Day on was a hit with everyone! Thanks to Mrs. McReavy-Jackson for organizing this very successful event.

The Student Parliament Spirit Committee thanks everyone for their enthusiastic participation.

B.R.A.V.O-Grade 6 StudentsOur grade 6 students have been involved in the B.R.A.V.O. (Building Respect, Attitudes and Values with Others) Program at school. On April 3rd at 1:00pm in the school gym, we will have a celebration ceremony. Families are welcome to attend to share this special celebration with your child.

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EQAO Grade 3 and 6 StudentsThe EQAO assessment of Primary and Junior reading, writing, and mathematics will take place during the months of May and June. Grade 6-May 24, 25, 26 Grade 3-May 30, 31, and June 1

The entire assessment is six hours in length. Please avoid appointments and/or holidays at this time for grade 3 and 6 students. Please visit the Ministry website www.eqao.com for parent resources.

Team Unbreakable

Team Unbreakable is holding a "Pie in the Face" fundraiser to raise funds for our upcoming race in May. Team Unbreakable is a group of students and staff who are training to participate in a 5Km run in support of  'Cameron Helps" - a group which works  to reduce the stigma of youth mental illness, build awareness of the issues, and to promote the positive aspects of physical health on mental health.     The 'Pie in the Face' event will take place Thursday, April 6, 2017. Staff members have volunteered to receive a pie of whip cream in the face by students whose names are drawn during the assembly. Students can purchase tickets for $2 in the front lobby for their chance to throw a pie! The more ballots they purchase, the higher their chances are of being chosen to throw. All funds raised goes towards our Team Unbreakable run. Thanks for your support!

ECO ClubDown to Earth Conservation Presentation: During the month of May Loretta Penny, of Down to Earth Conservation Education, will present Sacred Water to our junior division and Social Justice to our senior classes. Students will have opportunity to visit the Global Village Gift Shop. **More information to follow.

Lights Out Canada/Earth Day 2017: As April 28th is a P.A. Day we will be celebrating the 11th annual Lights Out Canada on Earth Day April 21st by turning lights off where possible and learning about climate change. We will also participate in the 22 minute clean up initiative. ***CTK mentors and mentees will be assisting on this day.

1Health & Safety Issues...

Immunization Hep-B #2 & Menactra Grade 7 students who have sent in their permission forms will be receiving immunization for Hep-B #2, and Menactra on Thursday April 6th.

The Flu and student attendance at schoolIs your child feeling ill? The best course of action to a quick and healthy recovery is keeping an ill student at home.

Student Recognition

2017 Student Award of ExcellenceCongratulations to this year’s St. Joseph School recipient Jessica C.

2017 Spirit of Inclusion AwardCongratulations to this year’s St. Joseph School recipient Rheilin M.

Focus on VirtuesEach month, we focus on a specific "virtue." A virtue is a habit or established capacity to perform good actions. Good deeds, acts of love and kindness are constantly happening around us. With each good deed or kindness done for another, we are helping someone else feel good, which in turn will encourage that person to be kind to someone else.

April virtue: Self-Control (Temperance) using your God-given gifts, talents and abilities to serve/glorify God showing restraint over one’s actions demonstrating control of one’s emotions and behaviour demonstrating calmness and composure in a difficult situation - being patient with others

Kindergarten Program Parent Orientation for Parents New to Kindergarten

Thursday, May 18, 2017 6:30-7:30 p.m. St. Joseph School LibraryParents new to Kindergarten are invited to attend our Kindergarten Program Parent Orientation in May. This orientation session will provide information and resources to help parents support their child’s entry into school.

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April School Newsletter ArticleCatholic Education: Walking Forward Together

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.

There are five sub-themes for each day of Catholic Education Week:

Day 1: Walking Forward Together with GodAller de l’avant avec Dieu

Day 2: Walking Forward Together with Our FamiliesAller de l’avant avec nos familles

Day 3: Walking Forward Together with OthersAller de l’avant avec les autres

Day 4: Walking Forward Together with CreationAller de l’avant avec la Création

Day 5: Walking Forward Together in HopeAller de l’avant dans l’espérance

Every year, the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) provides our Catholic schools with a resource kit to help schools prepare for Catholic Education Week. Using these resources as well as our own developed activities, we have prepared a series of activities which will highlight how our school is ‘Walking Forward Together.’More information will follow regarding St. Joseph’s activities during this special week. We hope to see many of you during our school celebrations.

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Healthy Snack Calendar April 2017Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1April Fool’s Day

2 3 4Melba Toast andPears5 6Dirty Apples 7 8

9Palm Sunday

10 11Greek Pitas and Carrots with Hummus12 13Cereal with Milk 14 15

16Easter Sunday

17 18No Healthy Snack Today

19 20Cheese, Crackers and Grapes21 22

Earth Day23 3

024 25Greek Pitas and Cucumbers with Hummus

26 27Cantaloupe and Pineapple28 29

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| St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School | 147 Mill Street West, | Acton, Ontario L7J 1G7| Telephone: 519-853-3730 | website: schools.hcdsb.org/josa

April 2017Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday SaturdayOur families are encouraged to actively practice our faith. Mass times at St. Joseph Parish: Saturday evening at 5:00, Sunday mornings at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. The Liturgy of the Word with Children is offered during the 11:00 Mass.

Reconciliation takes place on Saturday from 4:00 to 4:30 p.m., or by appointment.

Please check the Parish’s website for time changes and other information: http://stjosephpatronofcanadaacton.weebly.comSt. Joseph Patron of Canada Parish,

64 Church Street East, Acton. Rectory telephone: 519-853-0784

1Pita Pit Lunch

St. Joseph ParishMass at 5:00 p.m.

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

St. Joseph ParishMass at 9 & 11 a.m. B.R.A.V.O Ceremony 1:00 pm

school gym

Food For Thought Pizza Lunch

Oatmeal Breakfast

Food For Thought

Immunizations Grade 7Menactra and Hep B #2

Pita Pit Lunch St. Joseph ParishMass at 5:00 p.m.

9 10 11 12 13 14 15St. Joseph ParishMass at 9 & 11 a.m.

Palm Sunday

CSC Meeting 6:30 p.m

Food For Thought Pizza Lunch

Last Oatmeal Breakfast

Lenton Food Drive EndsGrade 8 Grad Photo Orders

Due

Food For Thought

Holy Thursday

Holy Thursday Observance in Gym 1:15pm

Good Friday-No school

St. Joseph ParishEaster Vigil Mass at 8:00

p.m.

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Easter Sunday

St. Joseph ParishMass at 9 & 11 a.m.

Easter Monday-No school

Food For Thought Pizza Lunch Food For Thought

School Mass 10:00am

First Communion Retreat @ Church

Pita Pit Lunch

Light’s Out Canada

Halton Hills 22 Minute Makeover

First Communion

11:00 a.m.

Earth Day

St. Joseph ParishMass at 5:00 p.m.

23 24 25 26 27 28 29St. Joseph ParishMass at 9 & 11 a.m. National Volunteer Week

Student Awards of ExcellenceCorpus Christi S.S.

Food For Thought

Scientists in Schools

Pizza Lunch Food For Thought

P.A. Day(No classes today)

First Communion11:00 a.m. 2:00

p.m.

St. Joseph ParishMass at 5:00 p.m.

Our School Trustee: John Mark Rowe, 1-800-741-8382 x7186 email: rowem@hcdsb.org Our Superintendent of Education: Camillo Cipriano, 1-800-741-8382

b

Our monthly school newsletter is available online at: http://schools.hcdsb.org/josa/Pages/Newsletter.aspx Follow us on twitter: @StJoesActonSAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM: Please call the school to report all student absences and late arrivals. Dial 519-853-3730.If calling outside office hours or your call will be directed to our voice mail system. Please follow the prompts to leave a message: clearly state student name, grade, teacher, reason and length (if known) of the absence. If no notification is received, we will call home/workplace/emergency contact numbers to determine your child’s location. (Please keep contact numbers current.)

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