St. Patrick's Blog Week of February 8-12

Lent Begins
This week marks the beginning the Catholic liturgical season of Lent.  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is recognized as a day of fast and abstinence. This means we are to approach the day with reverence by fasting from larger meals and abstaining from "treats" and extras.  Our personal preparation for Ash Wednesday should be a larger preparation for the 40 days of Lent, which should be marked by personal prayer and reflection on how we can improve our relationships with others.  As we set goals for our work in the second term of the school year, Lent reminds us that goals which are spiritual in nature should be brought forward, too.  This is a practice shared by many religious traditions and is recognized by multiple faiths.  We will continue this discussion with our students and staff throughout this important liturgical season.

Ash Wednesday
We will observe Ash Wednesday with an afternoon liturgy on February 10th.  We will reflect on the meaning of Lent and invite students and staff to be marked by ashes that represent our mortality and are an outward sign for forgiveness.  The staffmember distributing the ashes will say, "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel."  Because the administration of ashes is sacramental and not a sacrament, all individuals, regardless of their faith, may receive ashes. Students who would rather not receive ashes will be encouraged to come forward for a blessing.

Bus Cancellations
Did you have problems accessing the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority's website to see whether buses were cancelled or not on Wednesday?  The site was overwhelmed with "hits" on Wednesday morning and many could not get on.  Prevent this from happening by signing up for an automatic e-mail to let you know about bus cancellations.  You can do so by accessing the following:
https://secure.campaigner.com/CSB/Public/Form.aspx?fid=962150

Visit by our Director of Education
On Friday of this week we welcome Denise Andre, our Director of Education. She will be visiting some of our classes, especially those involved with an initiative known as SSSSI, or School Student Success Support Initiative.

Contact Information
Our school council chair is Cees Artz and can be reached at chair@StPatsInt-council.ca
Our trustee is Mark Mullan and can be reached at mark.mullan@ocsb.ca

Have a great week.

Don Murphy
Principal

Coming Up
Mon. Feb. 8:  CSPA Presents Strong Not Tough:  The Healthy Family Step Plan to Manage Anxiety and Prevent Depression, 7-9 p.m., St. Matthew High School (see spe.ocsb.ca for more information and to register). 

Thurs. Feb. 18:  Learning French at OCSB, 6:45-8:45 p.m., St. Paul Catholic High School.

Sat. Feb. 27:  Ottawa Parents' Information Forum on FSL, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Immaculata High School.


Mon. Feb. 29 (Lester B. Pearson High School) or Tues. March 1 (St. Joseph High School):  Understanding EQAO Assessments, both locations 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. (see spe.ocsb.ca for more information and to register).

Sat. March 5:  CSPA Presents Pro-Social Skills for Kids to Thrive and Survive, 9:45-11:30 a.m., St. Patrick Intermediate School (see spe.ocsb.ca for more information and to register).