HOLY FAMILY SCHOOL
SEPTEMBER 4th, 2023
A PRAYER AT THE START OF A NEW WEEK
Heavenly Father,
As we begin a new week, we thank You for the gift of a
fresh start and the many blessings that surround us each day.
Fill our hearts with kindness, our minds with curiosity,
and our words with compassion.
Remind us that even the smallest acts of kindness
can make a big difference.
Guide us to be patient when things are difficult,
grateful when things go well,
and hopeful when the path ahead seems uncertain.
May our school be a place where everyone feels
welcomed, valued, and loved.
Help us to let our light shine through our words,
our actions, and the way we care for one another.
Bless our students, families, and staff as we journey
through this new week together.
Amen
A REMINDER ABOUT TOYS AT SCHOOL
We are asking families to help us reinforce a clear school-day expectation: Toys, stuffed animals, trading cards, collectibles, and other personal playthings are to remain at home. This expectation applies throughout the entire school day, including classroom time, recess, and lunch breaks.
While these items may seem harmless, they have become a significant source of distraction. Too often, students are more concerned about their toys, where they are, who has them, or whether they might be lost or damaged than they are about the learning and activities happening around them. They can also lead to disagreements, hurt feelings, and unnecessary interruptions.
School is a place for learning, building friendships, and enjoying time together. We want our students to be fully engaged in these experiences rather than distracted by personal belongings.
Exceptions will, of course, be made for items specifically requested by a teacher or required as part of a student's individual learning or support plan.
Thank you for helping us keep toys at home and our students focused on learning, friendships, and fun at school!
GIVING THANKS TOGETHER
A heartfelt thank you to our Grade 6 team, especially Ms. Rino and Ms. McDonald, for organizing our beautiful Thanksgiving liturgy last week. Our Grade 6 students did a wonderful job leading our school community in prayer and proclaiming the Word with confidence and reverence.
A special thank you as well to Mme Heise and our school choir for filling our celebration with beautiful music and making our morning even more meaningful.
What a lovely opportunity for our Holy Family community to come together in faith, gratitude, and thanksgiving!
DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS PARENT OPPORTUNITY!
This is the workshop that every kindergarten family needs to attend! At the OCSB we see ourselves as a ‘village.’ We want to work alongside every family so that we can come together to support your child to become their best selves. Part of this means embarking on your child’s school journey with us, as a team. How your child starts school can have a great effect on their feelings about themselves as a learner.
Hannah Beach has been travelling the globe supporting educators and families as they come together to explore the science behind how young children learn best – through relationship and play! We are excited as a board to be working alongside Hannah and we invite you to join us for this important workshop.
Join Hannah for a warm and conversational workshop exploring practical strategies we can use to support our children to thrive. Western culture has replaced play with entertainment. We are now seeing the emotional side effects of the loss of play in the lives of children as aggression and anxiety in our young is at an all-time high. Faced with this epidemic of emotional health crises and behavioural problems, kids are struggling and parents are exhausted.
We will delve into how play reduces aggression, lowers anxiety, supports learning and builds resilience. And we'll explore the emotion behind aggression so that we can jump off the exhausting hamster wheel of trying to fix behaviours over and over again - and instead look at how we can work towards lasting change.
PILGRIMAGE WITH MONSIGNOR JOSEPH MULDOON
You are invited to join Msgr. Muldoon on a pilgrimage TO Marian Shrines, the Camino and the Pyrenees from March 31 – April 14, 2027. Msgr. Muldoon will serve as the Spiritual Director. Stops will include Lisbon, Fatima, Porto, Santiago de Compostela, León, Lourdes, Andorra, Barcelona and Montserrat. A meeting is scheduled for Sunday, October 25 at 2 pm in the parish hall. For reservations or information, contact Dennis Kam, JBC Travel at 613-569-3888 ext. 3 or email dennis@jbctravel.ca.
CHILD ABSENT? THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT!
How to Report Absences with SafeArrival
To report absences, our school board uses the SafeArrival 24-Hour Attendance Line.
Call 1-844-478-2598 or Download the APP:
PARENT HOMEWORK
Please take a few minutes to make sure you are connected. We don’t want you to miss anything! It can be a bit overwhelming with all of the forms at the beginning of the school year. Please see here for an overview of all the needed forms and links to help you complete them.
Please complete the following as soon as possible.