October 2016
News and Information for the St. John Catholic School Community
We would like to thank
everyone who came out to our
open house. It was a great
evening of classroom visits,
time in the book fair and
snacks in the gym. Thank you
to all helped make the
evening a success. Thank you
also to our school community,
who helped build our school
strength’s wall to remind
students of all the things they
can “BE”.
We are so grateful for our
blessings here at St. John and
also for the privilege of living
in this great country.
As Thanksgiving draws closer,
let us be mindful of our
blessings and continue
sharing our abundance with
others.
We wish all of you a blessed
and happy Thanksgiving.
Our School’s Mission
“To create a caring, Catholic community where
all of our students will feel safe and secure
and where all of our students will work
to achieve their full potential.”
Your Monthly Activity Forecast
Oct 6
Oct 7
Oct 10
Oct 11
Oct 12
Oct 12
Oct 13
Oct 13
Oct 13
Oct 17
Oct 18
Oct 28
Bishop’s Dinner
St. John School Mass 9:15am
Thanksgiving Day – School Closed
City Girls Soccer Tournament
City Boys Soccer Tournament
Student Photo Day
Grade 2 Sacrament Meeting 7:30pm
Grade 6 Classes to Guelph Lake
Grade 8 Career Pathways
JK/SK/ Vision Screening
Grade 7 Confirmation Meeting 7:30pm
Professional Development Day – No Classes
 Check calendar for additional dates
Mrs. Baggio & Mrs. Hasson
Attention: No Parking Zone in Front of St. John School
Your vehicle cannot be left anywhere along the school sidewalk side of the front
loop. If you are waiting for a student on the road side of the front loop, you must be
in your car in case it needs to be moved for buses or any emergency vehicle.
Our Guiding Values:
C
H
R
I
S
CHRISTIAN & FRIENDLY
HUMILITY
RESPECT
INTEGRITY
SERVICE
T TEAMWORK
St. John Catholic School, www.wellingtoncdsb.ca/school/stjohnguelph
Phone: 519-824-4710, Fax: 519-824-1721
Terry Fox Fundraiser
Submitted by: Mrs. O’Connor
Thank you to our awesome Wildcats for
your amazing support of the Terry Fox
Fundraiser.
Our school has been participating in
this worthwhile event since 1994!
Our overall total this year was
$3424.90! That is $600.00 more than
last year’s total. Thank you for keeping
Terry’s dream alive!
Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair was a tremendous success once again. Our
excellent sales allowed us to choose $2650.50 in FREE books! The
students were so excited about purchasing their favourite books right
from the fair. I am positive that everyone will be pleased with the new
additions to our library and classrooms.
The Book Fair would not have been as successful without the help of
Mrs. Kathy Mora and all our excellent volunteers! Special congratulations
to the Family Event Door Prize winner, Summer T, and Miss Steinhoff!
These lucky ladies won $25.00 each in free books!
Regular weekly Book Exchange begins this week. Please note your
child's Library Day and ensure that they pack their Library Book so they
can choose another book to enjoy each week to share with you at home.
Thanks for continuing to promote and foster a love of reading!
READ! READ! READ!
Mrs. Della Croce
Teacher-Librarian
Prayer Cards
Submitted by: Mrs. Willemsma
All of the children at St. John School will receive a prayer card in
October.
These cards were blessed at our first school Mass. The blessed prayer
cards can be kept beside your bed as a reminder to begin and end each
day with a prayer. This is the fourth year the children have received
prayer cards. We hope that the children have kept their little collection
of cards safe over the years.
The distribution is as follows:
JK - Hail Mary, SK- The Lord's Prayer. Grade 1 - St. Joseph or St. Anne
Gr 2. Act of Contrition, and Gr. 3-8, a favourite saint. There are 15
different saint cards to choose from and teachers will have information
about each saint in order to help the students choose the saint that
best fits their needs.
The St. John's Social Justice Club is
organizing our annual Thanksgiving
food drive.
Students in all grades are
encouraged to bring in nonperishable canned and dry goods
and personal products from October
3rd to 14th.
All donations go towards the Guelph
Food Bank, so please help support
this local initiative.
Stay tuned for further information
regarding the Christmas and
supporting refugees “Shoe Box”
drive.
It is our hope that students will feel connected to their favourite saint
as they journey through the school year.
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“Hurray for Healthy Snack” Update
Submitted by: Thoa Tran
Good nutrition is vital to a child’s
growth, development and mental
health. There is a clear link
between nutrition and school
performance – students show
improved attention to tasks, more
effective learning and problem
solving abilities, quicker and more
accurate retrieval of information,
and better concentration when
properly nourished.
Here at St John school, we are
pleased to offer this program:
Tuesdays & Wednesdays – a
different snack each week
incorporating 2 food groups
October snack calendar:
Oct 04 – Fruit, yogurt
Oct 05 – Turkey pepperettes,
Triscuits, Peppers
Oct 11 – Fruit, granola bars
Oct 12 – Melba toast, hard
boiled eggs, cucumbers
Oct 18 – Fruit, Pretzels
Oct 19 – Whole wheat bagels,
cream cheese, celery
Oct 25 – Fruit, cheese cubes
Oct 26 – Nachos & salsa, carrots
Special welcome to this year’s
grades 4, 5 & 6 snack gurus, who
will be delivering/collecting
snack bins to the classrooms on
Tuesdays & Wednesdays:
Ashlynn
Nathaniel
Ella
Jayce
Tasha
Jacob
Alex
Olivia
Amand
Jolene
Tyler
Aiden
Drew
Stefan
Eva
Thank you everyone for
volunteering to be a part of the
team!
A special thank you to our
returning parents: Mrs. Burke,
Ms. Gordon, Mrs. Muehlbacher,
Mrs. Vettoretto, Mr. & Mrs.
Sorbara and Ms. Garcia!
We are very grateful for your
dedication to our worthwhile
program!
If you are interested in
volunteering, please email
[email protected], as we
are scheduling for our November
snack calendar.
1. We are always collecting
Canadian tire money for kitchen
supplies!
2. LIVE free campaign 2016-17
goal $1200. Keep reading our
newsletter for upcoming events!
In Appreciation
Special thanks to the following for
making the Open House a
success.
Thank you to our new Chair, Ellen
Sorbara and our entire parent
council volunteers who came out
to organize and clean up after our
St. John School Open House.
It was a great success. We hope
all families enjoyed the night.
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Wildcats Sports Announcements
Submitted by: Mrs. Nieuwold
10th, Hannah F. – 11th, Hailey
F. – 12th, Astrid S. – 16th
WOW!! What an incredible
cross country season!!
Congratulations St. John's
Cross Country Runners!
Enthusiastic students trained
3 days a week with Mrs.
Drummond, Mrs. Nieuwold,
Ms. Richardson and Ms.
Walkey since the 3rd day of
school. Big thanks to Ms.
Bailey, Mr. Pembleton and
Mrs. Schill for also
volunteering their time to run
with our athletes each
practice and to Mr.
Hasselman for helping with
course directions so our
runners were aware of the
route.
Our final championship
meet took place on
Wednesday, September
28th, 2016 at Bishop
Macdonell where over 2000
students participated from
all schools in Wellington
Catholic District and 111 of
those students were our
own Wildcats.
On Friday, September 23rd,
2016 109 runners from
Grades 3 to 8 competed in
the St. Peter’s / Margaret
Greene Invitational Cross
Country Meet. This was the
most participants EVER!!
Wow!!
Grade 3 Boys - Cohen D. –
1st , Cannon S. – 14th,
Adrian T. – 15th, Chase G.17th, Cody H. – 18th,
Braeden B. – 19th.
Running Club begins Tuesday,
October 11th, 2016 at St.
James track and will run
Tuesday and Thursday
mornings 8 - 8:30am until the
snow flies.
Grade 3 Girls - Cristina A. –
1st, Jahriel B.- 8th, Tahlia A.
– 10th, Antonette M. – 17th
Students from JK to Grade 8
are welcome to join the
runners!
Grade 4 Boys - Royce S. –
1st, Jayce P. – 6th, Rodney S.
– 18th
Stay tuned for more
information regarding
permission forms.
Each and every runner
showed fantastic spirit,
mental and physical
toughness and then
continued to cheer on their
fellow Wildcats after their
race.
Grade 5 Boys - Eric T. – 5th,
Kylie C. – 11th
Grade 6 Boys - Brock L. – 17th
Grade 6 Girls - Amelia G. – 6th
Grade 7 Boys - Riley M. – 11th
Each and every one of them
ran with determination,
tough spirit and a smile on
their face. Unbelievable!
Grade 8 Boys - Evan M. – 8th ,
Joshua H. – 11th , Zach S. –
19th , Floyyd T. -20th
Special mention to runners
placing in the top 20 of
their category include:
Great Season Wildcats!
Grade 4 Girls - Hanna M. –
4th, Ava A. – 7th, Anika B. –
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SAFE SCHOOLS – Bullying Prevention at School and Home
Bullying is a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive behavior directed at an individual or individuals. It is intended
to cause fear, distress and/or harm to another person’s body, feelings, self-esteem or reputation. Bullying occurs in a
context where there is a real or perceived power imbalance. It can be physical, verbal or social and may occur through a
variety of means including technology. All schools in our district prohibit any form of bullying behavior and are
committed to bullying prevention strategies.
Throughout our curriculum, students are always encouraged to include others in social groups. As well, they are
encouraged to respect the gifts, talents and uniqueness God has given to each one of us. Throughout the year classes
participate in bullying awareness and prevention education. Our youth worker, Mrs. Dorantes as well as our Guelph
Police Safety Officers through our Safety and VIP program support our students in a variety of ways from developing selfesteem to making presentations on what bullying is, strategies to prevent bullying and how to respond to bullying if
students see or hear it happening. As well, Code of Conduct meetings occur throughout the year with our students.
Here are some helpful tips for parents from the Canadian Red Cross website on bullying prevention: If your child sees
bullying behavior, remind them they should not watch, laugh or join in but instead they should report the behavior
immediately to a trusted adult such as a parent or teacher as soon as possible. Pay attention to the relationships in your
children’s groups. Help children to see the value of offering empathy and support to those who are bullied. In addition,
help with promoting and modeling respectful behavior at home during family interactions.
Our Safe Schools Committee is comprised of parents and a student representative, the Youth Worker and the Principal
and Vice Principal. This committee is responsible for completing the "Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan". This
plan will be available on our school website under Quick Links later this month.
School Staff Reporting and Responding to School Incidents As part of keeping our Students Safe at School (Bill 157):
All school staff report serious student incidents to the principal that could lead to suspension or expulsion.
Principals contact the parents of victims of these types of incidents.
Staff work directly with students to respond to incidents at school that have a negative impact on the school
climate. These could include inappropriate and disrespectful behaviour, such as racist or sexist comments, graffiti
or vandalism – incidents that are unacceptable in our schools, as well as incidents that can lead to suspension or
expulsion.
For further information, please see the following link: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/safeschools/incident.html
Safety Drills – Lockdown / Hold and Secure
In the interest of student safety, the Wellington Catholic District School Board has directed all schools to conduct one
Lockdown and one Hold and Secure drill each school year. A lockdown is initiated when it is suspected that an intruder has
entered the school and poses a threat to the safety of our students and staff. A Hold and Secure will take place when an
external event necessitates us securing all entrances and exits to the school. Detailed plans for lockdown and lockout
procedures have been developed in conjunction with our local police services and provided to all schools as part of our
Emergency Procedures Manual. Classroom teachers are having discussions with their students to explain the purpose of
these drills and to review these procedures.
The drills are conducted without advanced notice and the Police will be present and offer assistance for one of the Lockdown
drills.
For the duration of a Hold and Secure drill, no unauthorized entry to the school will be allowed, (drill may last for approximately
15 minutes). When a Lockdown drill is announced, students are directed to go into the nearest classroom. All classroom
doors are locked and curtains are closed.
In the event of a real emergency, the school has made arrangements with St. James High School or parents to call their office.
The receptionist would then inform the parents of the progress of the emergency. It is crucial that parents not attempt to
enter the school or block entry to the school for emergency vehicles as only emergency responders would be allowed to enter
the building.
Lockdown/Hold and Secure drills are just two more ways, along with regular fire and tornado drills that help us continue to
ensure the safety of our students and staff. If you have any questions, please contact the school.
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Fundraising at St. John
Throughout the year our school participates in several Fundraisers. Each year we choose 2-3 fundraisers
to raise money for enhancements such as supplementing the cost for buses for field trips, classroom
craft items, guest speakers (musicians, artists etc.), defraying costs of field trips, and so on.
This year we are continuing with our chocolate bar fundraiser which has traditionally done well and nets
a 40% profit margin, and added on a health inspired fundraiser called “Fresh from the Farm”. Both of
these fundraisers occur at the beginning of the year because that gives us a clear idea of the funds we
have available for the year.
As well, for the “Fresh from the Farm” fundraiser, the produce is ready for delivery by October/November.
Order forms and information was sent home at the end of September. If we do not get much response
for these 2 fundraisers we may find it necessary to do a third one in the Spring.
This year we are using the boards “School Cash Online” for all orders so that we are in line with the
board’s plan to be cashless at all schools. We appreciate all your help in becoming cash free at school.
Our secretaries are available if you need assistance in setting up your account.
Charities at St. John
Charities and Social Justice initiatives are supported by our school as we are called to witness our faith
and try to live our mission by increasing awareness and caring for those who are less fortunate or
marginalized. Here is a breakdown of the events/charities we are supporting this year:
Terry Fox – September
Special Projects for Advent (i.e. shoe boxes for) - December
Food Drives/Special projects for Lent - March - April
Live Free – March
Jump Rope for Heart – February
United Way – 4 to 5 small events throughout the year (i.e. theme days, jelly bean contest, frozen yogurt
days, popcorn days)
Many, many thanks for all of your help and support this year and over the years.
Chocolate bar sales have gone down this year. If you are able to sell a $90.00 case of 30
bars - Almond or Nut Free available, and unable to order the case on line, please fill out
the order below and attach 90.00 cash or cheque and we will deliver a case to your child’s
classroom. Top sellers will have a chance to win an iPad or a $100.00 gift certificate to
Walmart.
_______________________ ________________________
Child’s name
Teacher
_________
Grade
_________________________
Parent Signature
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