St. Patrick's Intermediate Blog February 29 - March 4

Reading Buddies at St. Gemma

The grade 2 students at St. Gemma got to see how much snow fell in Ottawa by using one of our very tall reading buddies, Reath Muon, as a measuring ruler. Take a look at the photo below.  Our group of grade 7 and 8 readers go to St. Gemma every two weeks to read with grade 2 students.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Father Greg will be in on Wednesday of this week to hear confessions. Reconciliation is an extremely important sacrament, especially during the season of Lent; hence, we want to ensure students are given the opportunity to go to confession should they choose.

Parent-Teacher Interviews

We had a good turn-out for parent-teacher interviews on Thursday.  Thank you to all who participated and a special thank you to our School Council for providing coffee.  

Important 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 nice week.

Don Murphy
Principal

Coming Up

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).

St. Patrick's Intermediate Blog February 22-26

With a holiday on Monday and two days worth of bus cancellations, my blog is, admittedly, a little sparse this week.  Nonetheless, here are a few things you should know about:

Bus Cancellations
Did you have problems accessing the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority's website to see whether buses were cancelled or not on Tuesday and Wednesday?  The site was overwhelmed with "hits" again 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

Parent-Teacher Interviews
Parent-Teacher Interviews take place this Thursday, February 25 from 2-4 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.  Interviews are by appointment only and are made via the interview form that went home with report cards.  

Important 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

Tues. Feb. 23:  School Council Meeting, 7 p.m., St. Patrick Intermediate Learning Commons 1.

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).

St. Patrick's Intermediate Blog Week of February 16-19

Pancake Breakfast

On Tuesday, known as "Shrove Tuesday," students enjoyed pancakes in our cafeteria.  This is a tradition prior to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. I'd like to extend huge thanks to all those who helped out with this important celebration.

IEP Fact Sheet for Parents

As you know, if you read this Blog regularly, we presented on the topic of IEP's last month.  The week of that presentation, the Board released its much anticipated IEP Fact Sheet for Parents.  If you'd like to have a look at this document, please access the following:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lE1swsXasTWRrsJBMpsd2urnVqZeSx2VDQJsHmX_T_U/edit?usp=sharing

St. Pat's High School Band Drops by for a Visit

Last Friday, we were entertained by the St. Patrick's High School Senior Concert Band as well as their R&B Band.  Students really enjoyed the music and all were interested in hearing about what St. Pat's High School has to offer in terms of programs in music.  We hope they drop by again soon!

Ash Wednesday Liturgy

On Ash Wednesday, we had a liturgy which challenged us to examine our conscience and come up with ways in which we could better ourselves, especially over the next 40 days of Lent.  Mr. Stern's 7-1 class was put in charge of leading this liturgy.  They did an excellent job.  Thanks also to our chaplain, Mr. Kozak, and our music director, Ms. Reilly and her Glee Club.

Director of Education Visits

On Friday, our Director of Education, Denise Andre, visited our school to see QuadSI (Schoolwide Student Success Support Initiative) in action in Mark Dalipaj's and Stephanie Malloy's grade 7 Math class.  We witnessed reciprocal teaching via a Four Corners learning activity.

OCSB Discover

Would you like to better understand all of the options that our Board offers to our students in terms of course selections and pathways?  If so, then this link is for you.  Have a look:  ocsb.ca/discover

Family Fun Day

From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sat. Feb. 20 there is a Family Fun Day taking place at Sandalwood Park.  For more information, please access the following: 

Family Fun Day

Report Cards and Parent-Teacher Interviews
Term 1 report cards go home on Thursday, February 18.  Parent-teacher interviews are available by appointment using the form that will accompany the your child's report card.  Interviews take place a week later, on Thursday, February 25 from 2-4 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.

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 nice week.

Don Murphy
Principal

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

Tues. Feb. 23:  School Council Meeting, 7 p.m., St. Patrick Intermediate Learning Commons 1.

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).

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).

St. Patrick's Blog Week of February 1-5

Professional Development Day on Monday
This coming Monday, February 1, is a Professional Development Day, meaning that there is no school for students at St. Patrick Intermediate.  Please note that this PD Day is for Intermediate and High Schools ONLY.  Elementary schools, K-6, do NOT have a PD Day as they had theirs on Friday, Jan. 22.

Cardboard Boat Races
On Wednesday, our school participated in the annual Cardboard Boat Races. Although we did not place, our team did really well as they made it completely across the pool, holding extra people.  All of the participants had a really fun experience.  Check out this video: https://youtu.be/hGuBEVB6GXA 



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).

St. Patrick's Blog Week of January 25-29

IEP Information Night 
If you missed our IEP Information Night on Monday and would like to have a look at the slides presented, please access this link:  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hB1szf8vts-IZ_vi7VaqQ4IawxgpLHlGvARwNmakXrs/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000

Professional Development Day
A reminder that Monday, February 1 is a professional development day for intermediate and secondary schools, meaning that there is no school for students at St. Patrick's Intermediate and St. Patrick's High School.

Dress-Down Day for Charity
A reminder that this coming Friday, Jan 29 is a dress-down day for charity.  For a $2.00 donation, students can have a break from wearing their uniform in order to wear other appropriate clothing of their own. 

School Council Meeting
Our School Council meets this coming Tuesday, January 26 at 7 p.m. in Learning Commons 1.  We look forward to seeing and hearing from those in our St. Patrick community.

Have a great week.

Don Murphy
Principal



Coming Up
Sat. Jan. 23:  CSPA Presents Fostering Self-Esteem, 9:45-11:30 a.m., Frank Ryan Catholic Intermediate School (see spe.ocsb.ca for more information and to register).

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).

St. Patrick's Blog Week of January 18-22

IEP Information Night
Do you ever wonder if your child should be on an IEP (Individual Education Plan)?  Is your child on an IEP and you'd like more information on IEP's in general?  Then this night is for you!  On Monday, January 18 at 7 p.m. at St. Pat's Intermediate, the Student Services/Resource staff will be putting on a presentation dealing with IEP's.  All are welcome to attend.

Reading Buddies at St. Gemma School
Our Reading Buddies program has turned out to be a real success.  Every second Tuesday, students from our school walk over to St. Gemma to read with, primarily, the grade 2 class. Students at both schools have expressed that they really enjoy this endeavour because, amongst other things, they learn from each other.   

New Professional Activity Day (no school for students)

A new PD is being added to the school calendars of all school boards in the province. This is part of the settlement negotiated between the Provincial Government and the four teachers’ federations in the fall of 2015. The Board of Trustees of the Ottawa Catholic School Board have approved Friday, April 15, 2016 as the designated additional PD day in all OCSB schools. Visit http://ocsb.ca/calendar to view the newly updated 2015-16 school year calendar.

Automatic Attendance Starts Monday
Effective Monday, our attendance will be automated, meaning that should a student be absent and we have not been informed of this, parents will be notified of the absence at approximately 9 a.m. by an automated voice attendant. Again, this call will NOT go out if parents have approved the absence ahead of time.

Have a great week.

Don Murphy
Principal

Coming Up

Mon. Jan. 18:  IEP Information Evening, 7 p.m., St. Pat's Intermediate Cafeteria

Sat. Jan. 23:  CSPA presents Fostering Positive Self-Esteem, 9:45-11:30 a.m., Frank Ryan Catholic Intermediate School (see spe.ocsb.ca for more information and to register)

Tues. Jan. 26:  School Council Meeting at 7 p.m. in Learning Commons 1, St. Pat's Intermediate

Mon. Feb. 8:  CSPA presents Strong not Tough:  The Healthy Family Step Plan to Manage Anxiety and Prevent Depression,   7 p.m.-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 p.m. -8:45 p.m., St. Paul Catholic High School (see spe.ocsb.ca for more information and to register)