Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

PASTORAL PLANSchool: St. Angela Merici Catholic Elementary

School Mission Statement:

St. Angela Merici School is a Catholic faith community that creates a Christ-centred environment. Students grow in the realization that faith is a way of life that should permeate all of one’s actions and decisions. Our goal is to impart a deep conviction in individuals to bear positive witness in the world and to challenge all to achieve excellence spiritually, socially and academically.

School Motto: Vision and Dedication

Our Parish: Guardian Angels

Pastor: Rev. Jan Gogolewski

Parish website: www.guardianangelsparishchurch.org

Message from the Pastor:

Our school is under the pastoral care of Guardian Angels Parish. We encourage families to register with the parish, and to join us for Sunday mass at Guardian Angels Parish on:

Saturday evenings: 5:00 p.m.

Sunday mornings: 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12 noon.

Message from the Catholic School Council:

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Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

The St. Angela Merici Catholic School Council is an integral part of our Catholic 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: Living as Joyful Disciples

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 5 – May 11 is Catholic Education Week.

Dancing Presentation Grade 4-6: May 6Volunteer Appreciation: May 7Easter Mass: May 8 Grade 7 Confirmation: May 9Crowning of Mary: May 10

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.

St. Angela Merici School promotes the catechesis and faith promotion by having a vibrant Youth Faith Leaders program as well as Adult Faith Leaders who provide guidance, support, and liturgical opportunities to support our staff at the school and our Brampton West Family of Schools. Our school community continues to promote and empower our students to become discerning believers, effective communicators, reflective, creative and holistic thinkers, self-directed, responsible, lifelong learners, collaborative contributors, caring family members and responsible citizens. Through liturgy, word, and action we embrace and practice our Catholic responsibility and Gospel Values.

Sacramental Preparation:

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Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

As Catholics, 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 Parent Meeting for Reconciliation and First Communion

December 2, 2018 @ Guardian Angels Parish Hall @ 1:00 pm

Sacrament of Reconciliation March 27, 2019 @ St. Angela Merici School

March 27, 2019 @ St. Angela Merici School

Sacrament of First Communion

April 27, 2019 @ Guardian Angels Parish @ 10:30 am

Parent Meeting for Confirmation

December 9, 2018 @ Guardian Angels Parish @ 1:00 pm

Sacrament of First Confirmation

May 9, 2019 @ Guardian Angels Parish @ 7:00 pm

Liturgical Celebrations:

The Liturgical calendar is marked by the gathering in community to celebrate the Eucharist and share in prayer.

Celebration DateOpening/Thanksgiving Mass October 11, 2018Remembrance Day Liturgy November 9, 2018Confessions before Christmas: Gr. 3-8 November 21, 2018Advent Mass December 20, 2018St. Angela Merici Feast Day Mass January 27, 2019Ash Wednesday Liturgy March 6, 2019Lenten Mass March 29, 2019Stations of the Cross TBDEaster Mass May 8, 2019Crowning of Mary May 10, 2019Grade 8 Brampton West Schools Mass June 7, 2019Year End Mass June 21, 2019

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Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

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.

Our school participates in the following activities: Advent Food Drive, Knights of Columbus Lenten Food Drive, and the Guardian Angels Parish Building Fund initiatives. The school is collecting funds for ShareLife during our Staff Dress Down Days, Halloween Dance and Spirit Days. This year our school will be hosting a Toy Drive and hat and mitten tree during Advent and our Advent Family Movie night event on November 29, 2018 and our FDK Christmas concert. Our Student Faith leaders visited Dr. Simone’s Warehouse where they put their “Faith into Action,” helping to pack supplies for those in need abroad.

Our Youth Faith Leaders and Student Council have many activities planned for the 2018-2019 school year. Below is a calendar of our monthly events.

2017-2018 Youth Faith Leaders/Student Council Plan

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Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

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.

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Month Moral/Ethical Applications OCSGEsSeptember

Planning for the school year 30 volunteer students to go to Dr. Simone’s

Warehouse (CFFC)

A Responsible Citizen

October ShareLife Donations – Halloween Dance A Responsible CitizenNovember

Hard Candy Drive for CFFC – November 1 – 9, 2018

Anti-Bullying Week (Nov. 19-23)

A Discerning Believer

December Commissioning Mass @ St. Mary’s Parish Toy Drive: November 29- December 14 Tree of Hope: mittens, hats, gloves, scarves–

November 29 – December 14 Spirit Week – December 17-21 – proceeds to

ShareLife Adult Advent Liturgies starting December 3rd.

A Discerning BelieverA Collaborative ContributorA Responsible Citizen

January Spirit Week – January 28 to February 1, 2019 – St. Angela Merici Feast Day – January 28

A Self-Directed, Responsible, Lifelong Learner

A Responsible Citizen February From our Hearts to their Homes – Valentine’s

Day Candy Grams (proceeds to Guardian Angels Parish Building Fund)

A Discerning BelieverA Caring Family Member A Responsible Citizen

March Lenten Food Drive – Knights Table World Down Syndrome Day – Odd Socks Day March 21st, 2019 Stations of the Cross & daily reflections

A Discerning BelieverA Collaborative ContributorA Responsible Citizen

April Day of Pink (TBA) A Caring Family MemberA Responsible Citizen

May Education Week – Spirit Week (proceeds to ShareLife)

A Responsible CitizenA Collaborative Contributor

June Spirit Week to celebrate summer – June 24-28 A Collaborative Contributor A Responsible Citizen

Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

The Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations are posted centrally in our school foyer at St. Angela Merici School. We integrate these expectations during our daily school announcements, classroom lessons, and liturgies. Staff are noticing and naming examples of how students realize the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations. Our focus will be to identify, name and highlight student actions, which exemplify the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations to the parent community.

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.

To highlight and celebrate the virtues within the school community, each month, students are presented with Virtue Certificates in their classrooms, and recognized and celebrated for the demonstration of their faith and commitment to the virtues by having their photo displayed in the “Virtue Award Recipient” display case in the front foyer. Monthly virtues are named and highlighted through school prayers, announcements, and in the messages shared each and every day within our classrooms and lessons.

Visible Signs of our Faith:

Through symbol and service, we are instruments of God’s love whose work within our communities stands as a witness to our faith.

Throughout the school, we have visible signs of our faith, such as: Crosses, Bibles, Prayer Tables, a Sacred Prayer Space, Liturgical colours for our altar, classroom Advent wreaths and candles. Our display cases demonstrate our commitment to Catholic Education and the Virtues by honouring the faces of the students who demonstrate their gifts and unique talents. As a school community we celebrate the various feast days and religious holidays that our significant in the Liturgical Calendar.

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Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

Resource List for Parents/Guardians:

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 UnitsWe 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 ParishThrough 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

Auditing Our Catholic Schools Dear Pope Francis Where to Find it in the Bible

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