April 2018

Issue 8

Lenten Almsgiving Almsgiving is “a work of justice pleasing to God” (Catechism of the Catholic

Church, no. 2462). During Lent we are called to focus on almsgiving, which means

donating money or goods to the less fortunate and performing other acts of

charity. This year our students and staff focused our Lenten almsgiving on

supporting the Good Baby Box Program & the Canadian Cancer Society-

St. Joseph Dragons’ Relay for Life team. Although contributions were

collected during Holy Week, families can continue to make donations to the St. Joseph Dragons’ Relay for Life

team through this link:

http://convio.cancer.ca/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFL_ON_even_?team_id=370690&pg=team&fr_id=23697

The Canadian Cancer Society will issue tax receipts for donations of $20 or more.

Also, the Good Baby Box program is most in need of the following items:

- Wipes - Shampoo - Baby lotion - Baby soap - Diaper cream - Soothers - Infant cookies

Thank-you for helping us to help others! It is through our modeling and participation in local

community efforts that we can foster our children’s prosocial development.

Family Bingo Night All families are invited to our Family Bingo Night on Monday, April 23rd

from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in our school gym. Families can order a medium

cheese or pepperoni pizza for just $ 7 a box! Juice will be sold at the event.

Go to schoolcash online to purchase your pizza:

https://alcdsb.schoolcashonline.com/

Thanks to our awesome Catholic School Council for organizing this community building event!

Inside this issue:

Lenten Almsgiving……..1

Family Bingo……………..2

News from Council…….3

Focus Virtue …..............3

EQAO……………………….3

Autism Awareness……..3

Sacramental Info……….4

Lockdown Drill………….4

ECOTeam News…………5

Field Trips…………………5

Earth Week..……….…….5

St. Joseph Catholic School Reverence, Responsibility, Relationships

405 Bridge St. E., Belleville, Ontario, K8N 1P7

Tel: 613-962-3653 Website: http://www.alcdsb.on.ca/school/jose/Pages/default.aspx

Lord, the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed

hope. Help us to live as new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal.

Grant us wisdom to know what we must do, the will to want to do it,

the courage to undertake it, the perseverance to continue to do it,

and the strength to complete it. Amen.

Easter, like Christmas, is not just one day on the calendar; it is a special and sacred period of time. We celebrate the Easter season, also known as Eastertide, by remembering our Baptismal vows and reflecting upon what it means to be disciples of the Risen Lord. Are our words and actions Christ-like? Do we carry on His work of reconciliation in our lives? It is in our own daily actions that we acknowledge Jesus’s resurrection and teach our children that God’s love is more powerful than anything, even death.

Many of our children in grades 2 and 7 will be celebrating a milestone in their sacramental lives over the next few weeks- On April 4th gr. 2 students of St. Joseph’s Church will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (1st Confession) and then the Sacrament of Holy Communion on May 5th (1st Communion). Our gr. 7 students will register for the Sacrament of Confirmation on April 11th. We pray for God’s blessings on our students who are taking these important next steps to becoming more united with God.

Yours in Catholic Education,

Mrs. Jackie Gauthier

Principal

Page 2 April 2018

Random Acts of Kindness Week

In March we celebrated Random Acts of Kindness Week by focusing on the little things that can make a big difference to others. Students were also invited to acknowledge kind acts that other people did, participated in co-operative games, and were able to send candy grams in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. This was a wonderful week to

celebrate the kind acts that happen every day at St. Joseph Catholic School! Many thanks to Mrs. Naylor and our gr. 7 Random Acts of Kindness Committee for organizing our week!

Kindergarten Registration We are now accepting registrations for our 2018-2019 Kindergarten program. Children born in 2014 are eligible for our Kindergarten program. Please bring your child’s Baptismal and birth certificates as well as their immunization record when you come to register.

Polar Bear Art Contest Winners

During the last week of February, our EcoTeam taught us about polar bears and the challenges that they and other arctic life are facing due to global warming. We learned that our actions here in Belleville affect the fate of those animals so far away. Students had an opportunity to show some polar bear love through the art contest. Many thanks to everyone who entered. Here are the winners of each division: Kindergarten: 1st place- Sloane M., 2nd place- Scarlett H., 3rd place- Egan D. Primary: 1st place-Masie W., 2nd place- Jude D., 3rd place- Joni K. Junior: 1st place- Kierra C., 2nd place- Liam M., 3rd place- Kylie K. Intermediate: 1st place- Leah H., 2nd place- Vera E., 3rd place - Carley S. & Naiya E.R.

Congratulations artists and thanks to Mrs. Robinson for organizing this week!

St. Joseph Catholic School Math Team

Four intermediate students will travel to Queen's University on April 6th to participate in the QSLMA MatholymPIcs, organized by the Faculty of Education. Good luck Dwayne, Alison, Kathryn and Victor!

Thanks to Mrs. Bonin for coaching our mathletes!

ST. JOSEPH'S SCOOL COUNCIL – APRIL 2018 NEWSLETTER

Happy Easter from the St. Joseph School Council!

Only 3 months left of this school year! School Council is proud to announce we will be doing a Pizza/Bingo

night. This event will take place on Monday April 23rd at 5:30pm in our school gym. If you are ordering

pizza for that night, please fill in the form that was sent home on Tuesday March 27 or order online through

School Cash Online. There will be no pizza for sale the night of bingo. Pizza cost is $7.00 for a medium

(8 slices) cheese or pepperoni pizza. The form is due back to school by Monday April 16th. No late

orders will be accepted.

SCHOOL COUNCIL PRESENTS........SPIRIT WEAR AT ST. JOSEPH!!! A form has been sent home with your child regarding the purchase of St. Joseph Spirit Wear. Spirit wear is

on sale until Wednesday, April 25th. Sample sizes will be available to try on Monday, April 23rd at Bingo

& throughout April. Please see the attached calendar for dates/times. You can contact Council Co-Chair,

Whitney Hummell, if you have any questions wshummell@gmail.com

The next meeting is Tuesday April 10th, 2018 at 6:30pm. All are welcome! For more info, please check

the school website http://schools.alcdsb.on.ca/jose/default.aspx and join our Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/stjoesparentcouncil/ and Twitter.

Page 3 April 2018

April Focus Virtue: LOVE

Virtues are gifts that guide us in our daily lives when we actively practice them. The word “love”

is often used casually in today’s society- we love a type of food or we love a particular movie. But

what does it mean to truly follow God’s commandment and love your neighbor? True loving

means seeing God in others and putting their needs first.

Families can support their children’s social, emotional, and spiritual development by talking about the kind words they chose to say and the self-less acts they chose to perform in order to improve someone else’s day.

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”~ 1 John 4:8

We Are People of Faith Students and staff gathered together to pray and reflect on the Stations of the Cross on Holy Thursday. Thanks to Mrs. Bonin and our grade 8 class for their excellent portrayal of each station so that we could walk with Jesus and remember how much He loves us. We were reminded that we are called to live a life that honours God each day.

Autism Awareness Month April is Autism Awareness Month, with April 2 being Autism Awareness Day. Since

April 2nd is Easter Monday, our school community will celebrate by wearing blue on

Tuesday, April 3rd. Classes will recognize Autism Awareness Month through morning

announcements, videos, and activities that will foster every child’s sense of how to be an

inclusive and empathetic friend to all. Please help support Autism Awareness by talking with your child about

how we are all different yet made in the image of God and should be accepting and supportive of everyone.

Breakfast Club It’s important to start the day with a healthy breakfast. All students are welcome to the

gym from 9:00 to 9:15 a.m. to enjoy a yummy and nutritious breakfast! There is no charge

and students do not need to sign up. Thank-you to Mrs. Murphy and all of our volunteers who

work so hard to run our Breakfast Club!

EQAO Parents of students in grades 3 and 6 are advised that the annual provincial assessments of

Reading, Writing, and Mathematics are planned for May 23 through May 25, 2018. We

ask that parents avoid booking appointments during the course of the school day if possible

during these days.

Page 4 April 2018

School Mass

Families are invited to join us as we celebrate the Mass on Wednesday, April 18th

at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Church.

Sacrament of Reconciliation- 1st Confession

First confession for all candidates who are registered at St. Joseph’s Church will take place

on Wednesday, April 4th at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Church.

Lockdown Drill

Regularly practicing lockdown and fire drills is a part of our Safe Schools routine. We will be having

our second lockdown drill on Thursday, April 5 at 2:15 p.m. Please note that all doors will be

locked and phones will not be answered during the drill.

Catholic School Council

Our St. Joseph Catholic School Council plays an important role in our community as they work

closely with staff and parents to enrich our children’s educational experiences. This active group

of parents determine where to allocate our fundraising money, co-ordinate our milk and hot lunch

programs, and organize many special events. Our next Catholic School council meeting will be

held on April 10th at 6:30 p.m.

All parents are invited to attend! We hope to see you there!

Confirmation The information and registration meeting for confirmation candidates and their parents will

occur on Wednesday, April 11th at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Church.

Students will take part in a retreat during the school day on Wednesday, May 2nd at the

church and will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Tuesday, May 29th at 7 p.m. at

St. Joseph’s Church.

PA Day

Friday, April 13, 2018 is a Professional Activity Day. Students do not have classes on

this day.

Grade 8 Graduation

Our graduation for grade 8 students will take place on Monday, June 25th at 6:30 p.m. We

will celebrate Mass as a community and present our graduates with their diplomas and awards

at St. Joseph’s Church on Victoria Street. A dance will follow in our school gymnasium.

Why Learn French?

“To challenge my brain every day.” -Darren, ALCDSB Grade 10 Student

Encourage your child to be a lifelong learner

of French!

Page 5 April 2018

News from the Eco Team EARTH DAY 2018

Earth Day takes place on April 22nd. We will be having activities during the week leading up to

the 22nd to celebrate the Earth and to think of ways we can conserve its resources. An assembly will

be held on the 20th. In 1980 St. Francis was declared the patron saint of ecologists and our Church

encourages each one of us to care for the Earth and all of God’s living creatures. To find out more

about Earth Day and Earth Week you can go to http://www.earthday.ca

LAST MONTH FOR THE BATTERY RECYCLING CONTEST!!!

Please continue to send in any used household batteries in by April 20th to help our school and the

Earth! The prize money in this contest is close to $10 000.00! We can make a difference with your help!

PLASTIC BAG GRAB CHALLENGE The Plastic Bag Grab challenge is a waste reduction program for elementary schools

across Canada that engages schools and students on the 3Rs hierarchy: reduce, reuse, and

recycle. During Earth Week 2018 (April 16-20), schools are challenged to learn and take

action on plastics waste by reducing their use, while collecting discarded plastic bags for recycling in their schools and

beyond. Please help us by sending in any shopping plastic bags that you may have to your child’s class or ideas of how

we as a school community can reduce the use of plastic in our lives.

Field Trips Parents or guardians hoping to assist with a school event such as field trips must have a valid and current police check. The original document must be presented to the office and will be kept on file. Please contact the office for a volunteer letter.

Indoor Shoes

With the wet weather upon us, all students are expected to change their footwear before entering their classroom. Wet shoes are not only uncomfortable, they also create slippery floors that are a hazard to others.

Students may not walk around barefoot or in socked feet. Slippers do not provide enough traction and are not considered appropriate school footwear.

Lions Club Vision & Hearing Screening

Many kinds of impairment can be prevented or cured.

The first step to prevention is awareness. The second is

early detection through screening. Around the world,

Lions partner with medical professionals and

community leaders to screen young children, primary school students,

and adults to identify those at risk for vision loss. Members of the Lions

Club of Belleville will be at our school on April 10th and 11th to

conducts screens on students in Senior Kindergarten and grade 1.

Permission forms were sent home at the end of March.

Page 6 April 2018

April 2018

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

Easter Sunday

2

Easter Monday

3

Wear Blue for

Autism

Awareness Day

Pizza Day

4

Spirit Wear Sizing

4p.m.-5p.m.

1st Confession for

St. Joseph Church

candidates

7 p.m. at

St. Joseph’s

Church

5

Lockdown Drill

2:15 p.m.

6

Math Team at

Queen’s

University

7

Quinte

Regional

Science Fair at

Loyalist

College

8

2nd Sunday of

Easter

Divine Mercy

Sunday

Spirit Wear

Sizing

1:30p.m.-

3 p.m.

9

Solemnity of the

Annunciation of

our Lord

10

Pizza Day

Spirit Wear

Sizing

3:30-4:30 p.m

Vision

Screening

Catholic School

Council

Meeting at

6:30 p.m.

11

Confirmation

Parent Meeting at

St. Joseph’s

Church

7 p.m.

Queen’s Tech &

Tinker workshops

Gr.1-8

Vision

Screening

12

13

PA Day

14

15

3rd Sunday of

Easter

Jubilate

Sunday

16

17

Pizza Day

18

School Mass

St. Joseph’s

Church 10 a.m.

Plastic Bag Grab

Challenge

Spirit Wear Sizing

3:30-4:30 p.m

19

20

Earth Day

assembly

21

22

4th Sunday of

Easter

Good

Shepherd

Sunday

23

Family Bingo in

our gym

5:30 p.m. to

7 p.m.

Spirit Wear

Sizing

24

Pizza Day

Oral Health

Screening

25

Oral Health

Screening

26

27

Immunizations

for Grade 7

students

(2nd dose)

28

29

5th Sunday of

Easter

30