St. Patrick's Intermediate May 30 to June 3

Arts Night at St. Pat's High
On Thursday at St. Pat's High we celebrated our Arts Night, with musical performances by our St. Pat's Intermediate Concert Band and Jazz Band as well as a play performance, Comic Book Artist, by our drama students.  Special thanks goes out to teachers Mary Reilly and Gabe Leury for an extremely successful and entertaining evening.



Grade 8 Retreat 
This Monday our grade 8 Retreat will take place.  This is a result of us having to cancel our planned date in the fall due to poor weather conditions.  The grade 7's had an extremely successful retreat experience in the fall and I am sure the 8's will as well on Monday.

School Innovation Planning for student achievement and wellness (SIPsaw)

A group of staff from St. Patrick’s participated in the Board’s SIPsaw planning date this past week.  This is an opportunity to set academic and student wellness goals for our 2016-2017 school year.  The team focused on initiatives in the areas of faith development, literacy, numeracy and diversity.  Our school is proud of our goal work this year and we look forward to the initiatives for focus next year.  

May 31 School Council Meeting
A special School Council Meeting will be held on May 31 from 7-9 p.m. in Learning Commons 1.  Members from our Board will be present to explain and answer questions about our joining of St. Pat's High School in September, 2018. Families and School Council members from our feeder schools have been formally invited as this year's current grade 4's will enter grade 7 in a newly constructed structure on the site of St. Pat's High School.  These certainly are interesting and exciting times for both St. Pat's Intermediate and St. Pat's High School.

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
Tuesday, May 31:  St. Patrick's Intermediate School Council meeting, 7-9 p.m., Learning Commons Building 1

St. Patrick's Intermediate May 23-27

Student Success Visit
On Tuesday a team from the Board visited us for our annual Student Success Visit.  We visited twelve classrooms and then reviewed our past and future goals, celebrating our successes and outlining what it is we need to work on. This visit went extremely well and will form the foundation for our School Innovation Plan for Student Achievement and Well-Being, which we will be working on this coming Thursday.







4th Aboriginal Lecture Series

For the past three years, Pleasant Park Public School Council has hosted three aboriginal lectures.  This year, St. Patrick Intermediate School Council has partnered with others, including St. Patrick High School Council to present a fourth aboriginal lecture series at Rideau High School on May 25th.  For more information, please access this link:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByrlYMrTjslHVEozVlc4STFYaWhlb290REcwZzNUbi1hcmZ3

May 31 School Council Meeting
A special School Council Meeting will be held on May 31 from 7-9 p.m. in Learning Commons 1.  Members from our Board will be present to explain and answer questions about our joining of St. Pat's High School in September, 2018. Families and School Council members from our feeder schools have been formally invited as this year's current grade 4's will enter grade 7 in a newly constructed structure on the site of St. Pat's High School.  These certainly are interesting and exciting times for both St. Pat's Intermediate and St. Pat's High School.

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

Wednesday, May 25:  4th Aboriginal Lecture Series, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Rideau High School (see information above).

Tuesday, May 31:  St. Patrick's Intermediate School Council meeting, 7-9 p.m., Learning Commons Building 1.

St. Patrick's Intermediate May 16-20

Student Success Visit
This Tuesday is our Student Success Visit.  Essentially, this entails a team from the Board visiting a number of our classes to see all the great things we are doing at St. Pat's Intermediate.  Our goals for the year are analyzed and new goals are set, as well as the highlighting of our strengths and next steps.  This visit will also help drive our School Improvement Plan for 2016-17 which will be developed in a few weeks at a session that includes all intermediate/secondary schools.

4th Aboriginal Lecture Series

For the past three years, Pleasant Park Public School Council has hosted three aboriginal lectures.  This year, St. Patrick Intermediate School Council has partnered with others, including St. Patrick High School Council, to present a fourth aboriginal lecture series at Rideau High School on May 25th.  For more information, please access this link:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByrlYMrTjslHVEozVlc4STFYaWhlb290REcwZzNUbi1hcmZ3

Grade 8's to Visit SPH
On Wednesday our grade 8's cross the street to visit their new home for the next 4 years.  It is always exciting to visit St. Pat's High.  We are looking forward to experiencing all the great things that are happening there.

Dental Health Services for Refugees
Thousands of refugees will be making Ottawa their new home. The attached poster was developed to assist sponsors and support service providers such as teachers to help refugees access dental care. Refugee children can also enroll in the Healthy Smiles Ontario program.  It is a program that provides free preventive, routine, and emergency dental services for children and youth 17 years old and under from low-income households.  

Dental screenings are offered at 14 Community Health and Resource Centers every month.  Visit www.ottawa.ca/dental to view the calendar for the dates and locations of community dental screenings.  These community dental screenings are free and are open to children, youth, adults and seniors.  The dental screening does not replace regular check-ups at the dentist, but the dental hygienist will try to help the families get the dental care they need. 
Access to Poster

May 31 School Council Meeting
A special School Council Meeting will be held on May 31 from 7-9 p.m. in Learning Commons 1.  Members from our Board will be present to explain and answer questions about our joining of St. Pat's High School in September, 2018. Families and School Council members from our feeder schools have been formally invited as this year's current grade 4's will enter grade 7 in a newly constructed structure on the site of St. Pat's High School.  These certainly are interesting and exciting times for both St. Pat's Intermediate and St. Pat's High School.

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

Tuesday, May 31:  St. Patrick's Intermediate School Council meeting, 7-9 p.m., Learning Commons Building 1.

St. Patrick's Intermediate May 9-13

Door of Mercy
For this Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis explained in December, 2015 that he wanted a Door of Mercy in each diocese so that everyone throughout the world may be able to celebrate the Jubilee.  Ottawa's Door of Mercy is at Notre Dame Basilica on Sussex Drive.  Thanks to teacher Joan Sweeney and her talented art students, we have our own Door of Mercy at St. Patrick Intermediate.  The photo gives an idea of how it looks but to really experience this wonderful creation it's important to see it in person.  So please feel free to drop by and have a look.  It really is amazing.

4th Aboriginal Lecture Series

For the past three years, Pleasant Park Public School Council has hosted three aboriginal lectures.  This year, St. Patrick Intermediate School Council has partnered with others, including St. Patrick High School Council to present a fourth aboriginal lecture series at Rideau High School on May 25th.  For more information, please access this link:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByrlYMrTjslHVEozVlc4STFYaWhlb290REcwZzNUbi1hcmZ3

Consolidation Update

We found out this week that the Provincial government has approved an extension onto St. Patrick High School for St. Patrick Intermediate, in terms of allocating funds, to the tune of 7.5 million dollars, for this project.  Hence, we will definitely be closing (and joining) at some point.  No firm date has yet been decided but when this information becomes available I will let the community know immediately.

Dance Showcase 2016

Our amazing dancers wowed the audience at Notre Dame earlier this week. They repeated their performance at our Open House to the delight of all who attended.  

Open House

We had a very successful Open House on Thursday.  Many showed up to enjoy our dancers, play performers, and musicians.  We are so pleased the weather was so beautiful for our BBQ.  Rain was forecasted earlier in the week but the sun shone on St. Pat's Intermediate.  Here are some photos from our Education Week event:

 

St. Patrick High School Breakfast 4 Cancer

On Friday, St. Pat's High School held their 12th annual Breakfast 4 Cancer.  I had the pleasure of attending with roughly 20 of our students.  We also presented a cheque for almost $500, raised from out last dress-down day.  It was an honour to be a part of this very special and very important event.

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

Tuesday, May 31:  St. Patrick's Intermediate School Council meeting, 7-9 p.m., Learning Commons Building 1.

St. Pat's Intermediate May 2-May 6 (Education Week)

Education Week Open House
Please join us this Education Week for our Open House on Thursday, May 5 from 2:30-6:30 p.m.  There will be artwork on display as well as personnel and materials from our School Council, our MLO program, OCISO services, and more.  From 2:30-4:30 p.m. there will be a dance and drama showcase in our gym and from 5:15-6:15 p.m. there will be a music showcase in our cafeteria. A BBQ will also occur from 4-5:15 p.m. where hot dogs, hamburgers, and soft drinks will be sold.


We hope to see you there!

St. Patrick’s French Excursion to Quebec City
We welcome our students and staff back from their Quebec City trip this past week.  The group was involved in a French language and cultural experience that included a visit to Sainte Anne de Beaupre Basilica, a guided sightseeing tour of the city, and an exploration of the history surrounding the Plains of Abraham.  There was also a little time for shopping and, I hear, some great meals!  Thank you to our parent community for supporting this activity.

Guys Read Club

Our Guys Read Club had a celebratory lunch on Tuesday thanks to Popeye's Chicken (and Mr. Dalipaj for picking everything up). These students have consistently given up their lunch hours in order to read and discuss books. Way to go, guys!

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

Friday, May 6:  St. Patrick's High School Breakfast 4 Cancer, 6:30-9:30 a.m., St. Patrick's High School.  For more information: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByrlYMrTjslHUUVPSC1NZHBJVFU0aUlmaThoRDhubTFKOG0w

St. Patrick's Intermediate April 25-29

School Easter Mass
Father Greg paid us a visit on Wednesday to celebrate Easter mass.  His message of having faith in the resurrection of Jesus was well-received by all of the students and their behaviour during mass was excellent.  It was a very spiritual moment.

Workplace Safety Week
Next week is Workplace Safety Week.  We will kick off this important week with a presentation at our Monday Morning Assembly.  As many students end up taking co-op in high school, the importance of workplace safety cannot be emphasized enough.

Earth Day
Earth Day was celebrated on Friday but at St. Pat's we had a whole week of activities.  The photos below show an Earth Day quiz that took place during lunch as well as a tie-dye workshop which happened after-school.  Special thanks go out to Ms. Rupert and members of the Eco-Team for organizing these events.

Boys' Basketball Champions

Congratulations to our boys' basketball team who won a decisive game against rivals St. Joe's in order to claim the championship.  Way to go guys and coaches!  We are all very proud of you.

Leveraging Digital

One of our major goals this year has been to appropriately use digital devices in the classroom.  In this photo, grade 7 students are using a Google-hangout to converse and work with students they are partnered up with at St. Matt's High School in Orleans.  In this digital age and knowledge environment, it is always enjoyable to witness the proper use of technology.

The Marvellous Wondrettes

A benefit production of 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' will be playing at The Gladstone Theatre from May 11 to May 14 (7:30 evening performances with the addition of matinee at 2:30 on the 14th). This off-Broadway musical comedy features classics of the 1950's and 60's. Tickets are: Adults $39, Seniors (65 +) $35 and Students (18 & under) $25 and Groups of 10 or more receive a 10% discount. Tickets can be purchased online at thegladstone.ca or by phone at 613-233-4523. This would make a GREAT MOTHER'S DAY GIFT!

All profits from the show will be donated to The Catholic Education Foundation of Ottawa (CEFO), a registered charity whose objective is to counter the effects of poverty on students within the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Visit catholiceducationfoundationottawa.ca for more information.

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
Tuesday, April 26:  St. Patrick's Intermediate School Council meeting, 7-9 p.m., Learning Commons Building 1.

Friday, May 6:  St. Patrick's High School Breakfast 4 Cancer, 6:30-9:30 a.m., St. Patrick's High School.  For more information: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByrlYMrTjslHUUVPSC1NZHBJVFU0aUlmaThoRDhubTFKOG0w

St. Patrick's Intermediate April 18-22

MakerMobile Workshop
On Thursday, uOttawa came to our school to do MakerMobile Workshops with our grade 8 students.  Essentially, students learn how to manipulate 3-D objects using computer programming technology.  They then are able to make replicas of their objects using 
3-D printers (seen in the photo below). We are grateful to uOttawa for providing this as it is always a hit with our students.

Feeder School Concerts

Our school band went to all of the feeder schools this week to perform for students there.  This provided us with an excellent opportunity to promote our music program at our school. Feedback from the schools was nothing but positive.  A big thank you to our music teacher, Ms. Reilly, for putting this endeavour together.




Let's Talk Science
uOttawa students were at our school this week promoting science.  Our students had a number of opportunities to explore various scientific aspects of the curriculum and had a chance to ask questions and develop inquiries.  Thank you to uOttawa for providing us with this opportunity.

Waterloo Gauss Workshop
A number of our students will be demonstrating their math knowledge by writing the Waterloo Gauss Math Competition.  What you are seeing in the photo below is a practice session that was held earlier in the week.  We wish all of our students participating in this contest much success.

Visit to Algonquin College
Some of our students went to Algonquin College to explore the many options offered.  In this photo they are looking at the living wall in the amazing building that teaches construction.  We are grateful to Algonquin for allowing our students to visit




Wellness Gaming Activity
In our Learning Commons this week, students had the opportunity to improve wellness and mental well-being by getting involved in a number of games offered.  This allowed students to relax and socialize in a positive environment.  By all accounts, a good time was had by all.

Easter Mass
This Wednesday we will be celebrating our Easter mass in the cafeteria.  We are very happy we could set this date with Father Greg as he is always an inspiration to our students.

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
Monday, April 18:  St. Mark School Council presents The Effects of Nutrition and Sleep on Teenagers, 7-8 p.m., St. Mark High School (see spe.ocsb.ca for more information).

Wednesday, April 20:  CSPA presents Math for Parents, 7-8:45 p.m., All Saints Catholic High School (see spe.ocsb.ca for more information and to register).

Thursday, April 21:  CSPA presents Youth Substance Use...Supporting Youth and Families, 7-8:45 p.m., Sacred Heart High School (see spe.ocsb.ca for more information and to register).

Saturday, April 23:  CSPA presents Responsibility Matters...Raising Responsible Students/Children, 9:45-11:30 a.m., Saint Clare Catholic School (see spe.ocsb.ca for more information and to register). 

Tuesday, April 26:  St. Patrick's Intermediate School Council meeting, 7-9 p.m., Learning Commons Building 1.