Summary of our St. Patrick's School Council Meeting January 6th, 2015

Thank you to those who attended our School Council meeting last evening.  A number of topics were discussed and it is our intention of providing you with a synopsis:

• School Councils across the province are able to apply for Parents Reaching Out (PRO) and Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) grants to assist with school support.  The St. Patrick's School Council secured both modes of funding, and it was our intention at our meeting to begin the allocation process.  Our first order of business was supporting a "Newcomer Welcome" package that we have been providing to families new to St. Pat's.  These re-usable gym bags contain supplies for students as they begin their studies at our school (pencils, pens, binders, pencil case, erasers, etc.) as well as community information for our parents (parks and recreation schedules, banking information, public health updates, etc.).

• School Council is also supporting the students and staff at St. Patrick's as we replace a stove in the Cooking and Learning area of our school.  This will allow students to work on preparing meals and snacks as part of the program across a number of subjects and activities.

• Further spending support projects will be pursued later in the year.  These initiatives include further family engagement activities at the school, technology awareness sessions, and support of our Grade 8 Closing Ceremonies.

• Stay tuned as we will be looking to bring in one of our School Board representatives who will be coaching us around the new technological approach in education.  We will provide further information once this session has been formalized.

• Watch for the St. Patrick's School Council display at our parent/teacher discussion evening on February 19th (following our term one report cards).  Members of the school council will be available that evening and would be happy to answer any questions or provide you with additional information about the council's direction.

St. Patrick's Blog Week of January 5th, 2015

St. Patrick's Blog

Week of January 5th, 2015

Happy New Year!

I would like to take this opportunity to extend a Happy New Year to all of you in our St. Patrick’s community.  I hope that our Christmas holidays provided you with an opportunity to relax and spend some time with family and friends.  From experience, the second half of the school year will roll out quickly, and we will be emphasizing goal setting and organization with our students.  We have a number of initiatives planned to assist students with meeting the expectations at the end of term 1 and beginning of term 2.  

Advent Liturgy / Christmas Mass

During the last week of school before Christmas, Ms. Baril’s class led us in a beautiful Advent liturgy that focused on the importance of Hope, Preparation, Joy and Love as we continually invite God into our lives.  We continue our Christmas celebration with a Mass on January 28th that will revisit the birth of Christ as well as the Epiphany and remind our community of the importance of this special time of year.  Thank you again to Fr. Greg who generously makes himself available to lead our school masses.

St. Patrick’s Christmas Hampers

We recognize that our strength as a school community can be seen when we work together with good intentions in mind.  This quality was at the forefront of our Christmas Hamper initiative this December.  All of our grade 7 and 8 classes came together to contribute to Christmas packages for those in our community who might not otherwise have food and gifts at this time of year.  The amount of goods that our students and staff contributed was overwhelming.  A big thank you to everyone who participated in any way they could.  Our community is thankful!

St. Patrick’s Career Fair

On December 16th, all of our grade 7 students had the opportunity to visit our Career Fair, organized by our Student Services Department.  We had community representation from several vocations and agencies including firefighters, police officers, colleges, bank employees and electricians to name a few.  This is an opportunity for our students to ask questions and get additional information on career opportunities as we encourage them to begin the planning process for high school and beyond.  Thank you to those in our community who gave of their time to provide information at the fair.

Shamrock Fashions Consignment Store

A group of students, supported by our Student Services Department, has opened our Shamrock Fashions Consignment store at the school.  We opened our doors before Christmas so students could find some gifts for family and friends ahead of the holidays, and now we are having our Boxing Week sale!  This Thursday, January 8th at lunch, students are encouraged to get a pass that will allow them to go shopping at the consignment store.  Our parents and guardians are also encouraged to visit and shop on Thursday between 11:45 and 12:15 after signing in at the main office.  We are also continuing to look for donations to keep our inventory up.  We have asked students to bring in any gently used clothing or accessories which can be dropped off in our students services department.

School Council Meeting

We will be having a school council meeting on Tuesday, January 6th at 7:00 pm in our Learning Commons.  Our emphasis is always on providing information to our parent and guardian community on what is going on at St. Patrick’s.  I would certainly encourage you to attend to get some information or to ask questions.  Our meeting minutes and other news are posted on our website at  http://spe.ocsb.ca/catho.

Band Concert

We will be collaborating musically with St. Patrick’s high school on January 14th (at the high school) for a band concert evening at 7:00 pm.  The concert was to take place before Christmas but was postponed due to inclement weather.  Come and join us - it is a great way to keep the spirit of the season alive!

Have a great week;

Sean Kelly

St. Patrick's Blog Week of December 15th, 2014

St. Patrick's Blog

Week of December 15th, 2014

Merry Christmas!

I would like to take this opportunity to extend a very Merry Christmas and a special holiday season to all of our St. Patrick’s families.  As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we also recognize the additional celebrations of the many faiths that make up our school family.  At this special time of year, we acknowledge the hard work of our students and staff in bringing a comfortable Christmas to many in our community who might otherwise go without.  Our support of the Christmas Hamper program is a practical reminder of the meaning of Advent and Christmas themes.  I hope that each one of you is able to find time to relax and renew yourself during the holidays.

School Council Meeting

The St. Patrick’s School Council met on Tuesday, December 2nd.  We encourage you to visit the school website (spe.ocsb.ca) and click on the “Catholic School Council” tab for additional information, meeting minutes, and upcoming meetings.

St. Patrick’s Intermediate presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

Last week, our students and staff were treated to our school’s production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  Our theatre was the scene for this thoughtfully funny, yet poignant portrayal of the important message of the Christmas season.  The actors were extremely well prepared, and our background crew supported the presentation beautifully.  Special thanks to Mr. Leury, Ms. Clarke and Ms. Rupert for their assistance and organization with the play.  

Shamrock Fashions Store

A group of students and staff have collaborated on an entrepreneurial initiative called “Shamrock Fashions” that has donated clothing and other items available for sale at the school.  The involved students began with a survey of all individuals at St. Pat’s, and a posting of job opportunities supporting the store.  Our grand opening was this past Thursday and there was a great deal of support among the school as the store made some good coin!  Students (and their families) are welcome to visit the store at lunch for deals.  Please check with the school or your son/daughter about opening times.  

School Dance and Movie

St. Pat’s celebrated some hard work so far this term, as well as our strong contributions to our Christmas Hampers with a dance and movie last week.  After a morning of regular academic programming, the students chose a dance or movie to finish off the week.  We celebrated some flash mobbing and dance off’s among the students, while several were sporting their “ugly Christmas Sweaters”!  Thank you to Mr. Kozak and his youth group workers who organized the dance and supervised the snack bar.

Have a great Christmas;

Sean Kelly

Week of December 1st, 2014

St. Patrick's Blog

Week of December 1st, 2014

Bullying Awareness Week

Between November 17th and 20th we observed Bullying Awareness Week at St. Patrick’s.  This is a national initiative around which we were able to integrate our own activities.  Throughout the week we shared prayers about strengthening our community and being kind to one another.  Students were encouraged to share their space at lunch with students they might not have met yet, and we had a “photo booth” set up to capture friendly moments.  While these activities take place over the week, the staff at St. Patrick’s is always open to discussions around ensuring that our students are comfortable at school.  Please see an administrator or visit our student services department if you would like to chat about anything.

Ottawa Catholic School Board - Christian Community Day

On November 21st, our school board hosted our annual Christian Community Day.  This is an opportunity for all board staff to participate in spiritual theme discussions and take part in a full board mass.  Our speaker this year was Sister Helen Prejean, whose work with individuals on death row in the United States was portrayed in the movie Dead Man Walking.  Sister Helen spoke of redemption and aptly illustrated our board theme: Restore one another in a spirit of gentleness.

Eric Walters Visit

Young adult author Eric Walters, writer of novels such as Trapped in Ice, War of the Eagles and War of the Eagles, will be visiting St. Patrick’s on Monday, December 1st.  All of our grade 7’s will have the opportunity to hear Eric read, as well as share some of this current works.

School Courtyard make over

New signage on Building 2

The Ottawa Catholic School Board has approved a number of financial supports for St. Patrick’s to be put in place shortly.  This has included new signage on our building 2, updates to our school stairwells, and, most excitingly, a makeover for our courtyard.  Our student eco team, lead by Mrs. Rupert, is to be commended for the creation of a video presentation to the board that outlined our vision for the outdoor space.

School Council Meeting

A reminder that the St. Patrick’s School Council will meet this Tuesday, December 2nd at 7:00 in our Learning Commons area.  We look forward to meeting more of our parent and guardian community.

Have a great week;

Sean Kelly

St. Patrick's Blog Week of November 17th, 2014

St. Patrick's Blog

Week of November 17th, 2014

Bullying Awareness Week

This is Bullying Awareness Week across the country in Canada.  While we are constantly engaged in practices that promote well being among our students, this week provides us with an opportunity to emphasize the importance of being good to one another.  Our activities this week include prayers around the topic, a photo booth and pledge around anti-bullying practices, a sharing circle with our high school students, and encouraging students to reach out to someone “new” at lunchtime.  Students are regularly reminded that it is our expectation that they are happy and comfortable at St. Patrick’s, and if, for some reason, this is not the case, they need to seek out a staff member.

Professional Development Day - November 21st

A reminder to our school community that this Friday, November 21st is Christian Community Day for staff and a pd day for students.  

Remembrance Day Observation

We have a great deal to be proud of following our Remembrance Day Observation this past week at school.  We took the time to pray as a school, while we honoured those who had made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives for others.  We thank Lieutenant-Commander Ahmed Abderrahmani for joining us from the Canadian Armed Forces as he participated in our ceremony and spoke to the students about his role.  He was very impressed with our presentation, and asked me to thank our students for their participation and their respect demonstrated throughout.  

English Diagnostic Test

All of our grade 8 students completed an English Language diagnostic test this past Thursday.  It is an opportunity for us to assess where our students currently are academically, and allows us to focus instruction over the next several months.  In grade 10, all students complete the Ontario Literacy Test which is an evaluation of students’ literacy skills and a graduation requirement.  We are already looking ahead to that test, providing students with instruction that reinforces the skills required to meet the Ministry standard.  

Working Visit to Shepherds of Good Hope

A number of our students, accompanied by Mr. Kozak and Ms. Foley, one of our office administrators, visited the Shepherds of Good Hope this past Friday.  Students began the morning by making dozens of sandwiches for the clients at Shepherds, and then participated in the food preparation on site.  The feedback from our grade 7 and 8’s was great as they indicated they arrived back at the school with a more fundamental respect for those who may be less fortunate.  Appreciation to all involved, and a special thank you to Mr. Kozak and Ms. Foley for leading the group.

Display areas at St. Patrick’s Intermediate

We are updating a number of our display areas at St. Patrick’s Intermediate.  Students, staff and visitors to our school will find the following on the main level at the school:

We remember An area of the school where we are able to honour family members (students and staff) who have passed away.  Parents/Guardians are welcome to get in touch with the school if they would like to provide a picture and/or short description of the life of a relative who has died.
St. Patrick’s Intermediate Wall of Fame This is an area where we highlight some of the individuals who have passed through our hallways as students who have gone on to do some special things both academically and athletically.  Check out some of these stories the next time you are in the school.
Student Goal Setting Information Organized by our Student Services department, this area provides some support for students as they review their goal setting strategies and use MyBlueprint to ready themselves for high school.
Team Wall of Fame - Phys Ed Area Here we have highlighted many of our championship teams over the years.  Check out our pictures to see if you can see any older brothers, sisters or friends!

Fish Study Area: We will soon have a working fish aquarium in one of our display areas where students can review the habitat and behaviour of various fish species.  

Have a great week;

Sean Kelly

St. Patrick's Blog Week of November 10th, 2014

St. Patrick's Blog

Week of November 10th, 2014

Parent - Teacher Discussions

Thank you to all of our parents and guardians who visited with us during our parent-teacher interviews this past week.  This evening provides us with a great opportunity to share what is happening in the classroom while providing specifics regarding next steps for our students.  In our blog last week we highlighted some of the after school programs that are in place to provide additional support to students who are experiencing some challenges.  Following parent-teacher discussions, if you feel you would like your son/daughter to participate in an after school program, please contact the school.  

Jason Evert - Chastity Presentation

Last Friday, Jason Evert presented to our grade 7&8 students on the topic of teenage relationships, dating, and the concept of chastity.  Jason’s talk is an upbeat and engaging discussion around these topics that directly reflects the Religion curriculum in our Catholic schools.  Jason’s talk was organized by our school board and he was able to visit with two of our grade 7&8 schools last week.  At the end of Jason’s discussion, our school administration encouraged any students who still had questions, or who wanted to speak further about these issues to talk to a parent, teacher, or our student services department.  Any parents or guardians who have further questions can contact the school.

Have a great week;

Sean Kelly

St. Patrick's Blog Week of November 3rd, 2014

St. Patrick's Blog

Week of November 3rd, 2014

Finding Your Pathway Career Forum

All of our grade 8 students visited the “Finding Your Pathway” Career- Life Forum on Tuesday, October 28, and took in a wide variety of interactive displays from all of our high schools and many community exhibitors. Our students had a great time touring around displays on specific careers, secondary school options, and possibilities in the world of work.  Grade 8’s completed an interview sheet, and are to document their information in myBlueprint.ca/ocsb. We would encourage our parents and guardians to support this “Creating Pathways to Success” inquiry, by creating discussions around some of the questions posed at the forum: What are my opportunities? Who do I want to become? What is my plan for achieving my goals?

Progress Report Cards / Parent-Teacher Interviews

Progress report cards for grades 7&8 students went home on October 30th of last week.  Currently, teachers are scheduling appointments for parent-teacher interviews which will take place on Thursday, November 6th, from 2:00 to 4:00 and 5:00 to 7:30.  Please review the report card with your son/daughter, and fill out the interview form that came home with them and return to the school.  If you need the support of a Community Facilitator (translator) for your discussion with your child’s teacher, please contact the school.  We are looking forward to seeing many of our parent community at the school this Thursday.

After School Academic Support

As part of our Student Success plan at St. Patrick’s we are offering a number of options for after-school support.  These programs range from informal homework assistance to a credit course for some students.  Parents/guardians may have already been contacted about their son/daughter participating in an after school course.  If you have any questions, please contact the school.  Some upcoming after school support:

Literacy/Numeracy Program: Some students requiring additional support in literacy and mathematics skills have been recommended for our Literacy/Numeracy course, running Tuesdays and Thursdays after school beginning this month.  When recommending individuals, we take data from our recent progress reports, our Ontario Numeracy Assessment Package, as well as teacher recommendations.

GLS course (Skills for Success in Secondary School): Beginning this year, we are offering a high school credit course for any of our English Language Learners at St. Patrick’s Intermediate.  This is an initiative that originated from many of the technological tools we were employing to assist students with English Language acquisition.  Individuals in this course (running Tuesdays and Thursdays) will be supported in their language development while strengthening their approach as successful students.

Homework Club: Running Mondays and Wednesdays, Homework Club is an opportunity for students to work on regular classroom assignments while getting assistance from teachers at St. Patrick’s.  All subject areas and questions are welcomed!

School Council Meeting

A reminder that the St. Patrick’s School Council will meet this Tuesday, November 4th at 7:00 in our Learning Commons area.  We look forward to meeting more of our parent and guardian community.

Have a great week;

Sean Kelly