St. James Flames Monthly Newsletter
November 2014
Principal’s Message
As the cold weather approaches, it is good to see the
students arriving with their happy smiles that come
from their happy homes and a warm place like St.
James. The school year has been progressing very well
and I would like to thank the staff at this time for all of
their hard work.
This month, we will be holding our Parent/Teacher
Conferences regarding student progress to go over
information in the Progress Report. As a parent, I can’t
stress enough the importance of communicating with
your child about his/her school work and progress.
Research shows that students are more successful
when parents are regularly involved in their education.
Therefore, please continue to check agendas and
contact the school immediately if you have any
concerns.
God Bless,
Mrs. S. Forbes
Principal
YOUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
Congratulations and our thanks goes to the following
people who will serve on our Catholic School Council
this year.
CHAIR:
TREASURER:
SECRETARY:
COUNCILLORS:
Heather Brown
Jana Plaunt
Amanda Banfield
Chantale Lebrun,
Cathy Kinch (staff rep)
Reflection on Peace
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called
sons and daughters of God” (Mt 5, 9). These are the
words of Jesus from His sermon on the mount. They
tell us something about ourselves, and they tell us
something about God’s Kingdom. By our baptism, we
are called to live in Christ’s peace, and this peace is at
the heart of God’s kingdom.
As we go out into the world, let us remember Jesus’
words “peace be with you” and carry them in our
hearts. We ask the Holy Spirit for the courage to share
Jesus’ gift of peace through acts of kindness, as a sign
of his kingdom’s everlasting peace, where the Father
has prepared a place for each of us, beloved sons and
daughters of God.
Have you updated your child’s clothes???
With the cooler weather upon us, we would like to
remind parents to update the spare clothes that your
child brings to school...out go the shorts and t-shirts
and in go the long-sleeved shirts and pants...Don’t
forget the change of underwear and spare socks too.
Availability in St. James Before & After School
Program
Our school daycare provider has spots open for
students in Grade One, Two and Three in both before
and after school. For further information, please
contact Bev Leach at 613-283-2981. Our program is
run and staffed by the Child Development Centre in
conjunction with the Town of Smiths Falls.
SAVE THE DATE!
Fall Parent Council Fundraiser
“Carnival Night”
This event will take place on Tuesday, November 18th from 5:00-6:30 pm. It will host a variety of carnival style
games where the children will earn a chance to win prizes as well as a canteen serving pizza and drinks at a
reasonable price. This will be a fun night for our children and families as well as a good opportunity to raise
funds for our parent council.
More information and details will be sent home in the upcoming week!
Newsletter 1
Roots of Empathy – 2 Programs!
The Roots of Empathy program will be taking place
this year in two of our classrooms.
Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Seward’s Kindergarten class are
very excited about their Roots family. Baby Jameson is
the beautiful son of our French teacher Mme. Carroll.
Mrs. Kinch’s Grade 2 Class is already well involved
with their Roots Program. Baby Wyatt has made quite
an impression on the class already.
Both classes will be making observations about the
baby’s development and behaviour and connecting
this to books and discussions. The purpose of this
program is to build empathy in our students for those
younger or more vulnerable than themselves.
Thank you to all teachers, the students and parents for
supporting this worthwhile “International” program!
Student Agenda Use
The student agenda (used in Grades 1-3) is used for
recording homework and other assignments. If
parents/caregivers need to write a short note (i.e.
leaving early or an upcoming appointment), please
feel free to use it as well. However, if you would like
clarification or if you have a concern, please write a
separate note and either place it in the front pocket of
the agenda or attach it to the agenda or call the
school to speak with the teacher. We would like to
ensure that the communication in the agenda is
positive and that students have the space they need
to write down instructions from their teachers.
We appreciate your support in the proper usage of
this valuable tool.
Terrific Kids
We would like to recognize the following students for
receiving a Terrific Kid award in October.
Congratulations!
Keeley Crawford
Mrs. Cyr
Cadence Thibeau
Mrs. Cyr
Brayden Britton
Mrs. Lamont
Mary Anne Babcock
Mrs. Lamont
Clara Bingham
Mrs. Seward
Austin Voisine
Mrs. Seward
Emma Mouck
Mrs. Kinch
Braden Riley
Mrs. Kinch
Billy Tsarouhas
Mrs. Wolynice
Aidan Cyr
Mrs. Wolynice
Drake Turgeon
Mme. Jordan
Alyssa Jordan
Mme. Jordan
William MacGregor
Ms. Lambert
Cason Clarke
Ms. Lambert
Andrew Beckstead
Mrs. Pierman
Clara Curran
Mrs. Pierman
Stella Frankovitch
Mme. Parent/Mrs. Mousseau
Isaiah Fernandez
Mme. Parent/Mrs. Mousseau
Joey Bridson
Mrs. Garvin/Mrs. Graham
Madeline Empey
Mrs. Garvin/Mrs. Graham
Lost & Found
If you are missing things from home, please feel free
browse through the collection of sweaters, jackets,
hats and mitts. Unclaimed items will be sent to
Goodwill at the end of the month.
November Birthdays
Paige Rideout
Jordyn Hendy
Gabriel Eager
Naden Hole
Zaylea Crowder
Ava Varghese
Oliver Schur
Kristin Nowak
Tyler Badham
Owen Dowdall
Alexis Goveia
Aydessa Spencer
Drop off/pick up Zones
Thank you to those who have been assisting us in following the directives for the use of both
the Parking Lot and the grass area along Davidson St. to drop off and pick up rather than
alongside Catherine Street. The no parking signs are now up and parking is prohibited between
the hours of 8:30 -9:30 a.m. and 2:30-3:30 p.m.
With 10 buses daily and over 194 students it was necessary to make changes in order to ensure student safety.
Please keep in mind that the decisions we make reflect our belief in commitment to safety. Thank you for your
continued cooperation and support with this.
Newsletter 2
Methods of Communicating School Vehicle Cancellations Due to Inclement Weather
Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario (STEO) would like to advise students and parent(s)/guardian(s) that
there are three (3) methods in which you can check for school vehicle cancellations:
1. Announcements regarding the cancellation of school bus and special vehicle transportation will be broadcasted
starting at 6:15 a.m. on local area radio stations.
2. Access our Website at www.steo.ca and click “View Bus Delays & Cancellations”. School vehicle cancellations will
be posted by 6:15 a.m. Scroll down to check the transportation status for your school.
3. Call 1-866-629-0629 to access a pre-recorded message.
** During inclement weather the message will be posted by 6:15 a.m.
**Please note that the message for this phone line is only updated on inclement
weather days.
Please do not call the bus companies as the radio and website reflect the most accurate information.
If transportation is cancelled in the morning, afternoon transportation will not operate.
Museum passes @ Smiths Falls Public Library
The SFPL has Family Passes available for the following
museums in Ottawa:
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Canada Science and Technology Museum
(currently closed)
Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
Canadian Museum of History and the
Canadian War Museum
National Gallery of Canada (ARTPASS)
Museum of Nature
A family pass admits 5 people with a maximum of 2
adults.
There are two passes available for each
museum/gallery.
The person needs to have a library card and the loan
period is three (3) days.
For further information, visit the Smiths
Falls Public Library or call 613-283-2911
www.smithsfallslibrary.ca
[email protected]
Flu Clinics
Getting immunized against influenza is easy,
convenient, and free. The Health Unit is hosting 12
community clinics this year from November 13th December 9th. For more information about the flu
and for a listing of free flu shot community clinics,
contact the Health Unit at 1-800-660-5853 or 613345-5685 or visit our website at www.healthunit.org
Message from the Health Unit…
New Immunization Requirements for
School-Aged Children.
As of July 1, 2014, meningococcal disease, pertussis
(whooping cough) and varicella (chicken pox) have now been
added as designated diseases under the Immunization of
School Pupils Act (ISPA). This means that it is the parent’s
responsibility to provide a copy of their child’s
immunizations to the health unit, or the original copy of a
valid exemption form for these new designated diseases.
However, varicella is only required for children born in 2010
or later. Under ISPA, students can be suspended from school
if they do not have all of the required immunizations. For
more information visit http://www.ontario.ca/vaccines or
contact the LGL District Health Unit at 1-800-660-5853.
Being a Good Sport*
These days, a lot of parents are questioning whether or not
to enroll their children in team sports because of violent
incidences in the games. Being on a sports team will help
your child stay active, make new friends, and learn valuable
social lessons about teamwork, responsibility and
competition. However, some parents who are keen on
winning put too much pressure on their children – this can
cause anxiety and poor sportsmanship. If your child is being
a ‘bad sport’ at their sporting events, after the game tell
them that what they did was wrong and tell them why. For
example, “Johnny, throwing your racket into the net is being
a bad sport.” Then they should be given a tip on what to do
instead, such as, “if you feel frustrated during a game, take
deep breath and count to 10.” This gives them an alternative
to let out the frustration they may feel. If the behaviour
persists, you can have them sit out next game or not allow
the social time with their friends after the game. For more
information, on sportsmanship or other parenting tips, visit:
www.triplepontario.ca or call 1-800-660-5853.
*Adapted from Triple P Ontario Parenting Tip Sheet “Being a
Good Sport”
Newsletter 3