Dear Parents/Guardians,
Happy Catholic Education Week! We’re extremely grateful for Catholic Education and the great work the staff does at St. Mary to make it a wonderful place to learn and work. We’d like to thank each and every one of the St. Mary staff for being a people of hope during this past year. We thank them for being committed to nurturing and educating each one of our students, for building relationships with families and for fostering a love for learning. We thank them for all the extras they do to help each student grow to their full potential! And, to the wonderful parents and guardians at St. Mary, thank you for the many ways that you support the work and learning we are doing every day. In a special way, we want to say THANK YOU to our Catholic School Council executive members and participants. The school Council has an important role to play and we are grateful to parents on the Council who give of their time and support. Happy Catholic Education Week to All!
Catholic Education Week 2021
This year’s celebration is entitled, “Catholic Education: Nurturing Hope”. The theme and sub-themes are very much directed to the students in our schools, especially in their growth in holiness and their formation as disciples of Christ. A variety of activities and lessons have been prepared for the students throughout the week.
Each day, we can do simple activities, individually or as a family, to act on the hope that dwells within us. These are suggestions for simple activities to reinforce hope for ourselves and others that you can do at home with your child(ren).
● Plant some seeds in peat pots and put them near a window. Document their growth on a chart.
● Take part in a bird count or animal count. Go to Observation Nation (inaturalist.ca)
● Learn about saints who taught us about the environment. St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Francis of Assissi, St. Benedict of Nursia and St. Hildegard of Bingen are examples.
● Make a birdfeeder out of a milk carton or a plastic pop bottle, hang it outside on a tree and see which bird species come to the feeder.
● Go for a Nature Walk as a family and pray together to thank God for all the beauty you see.
● Do some research as a family on the night sky. Choose a moment when it is clear to see if you can identify some constellations.
● Write letters to family members that you haven’t been able to see for a while.
● Create a fancy message of hope in chalk on your driveway or sidewalk for passersby to read or create a poster to put in a window.
● Write a postcard or note of thanks for frontline healthcare workers and drop this in the mailbox for a local hospital.
● Bake cookies and deliver them to your neighbourhood grocery store for workers to share.
● Make cards or draw pictures for seniors in your community.
● Music makes us happy. Create a playlist of happy music, play this in your backyard or if you are able, send it to a family member whom you miss.
Catholic Education Week Liturgy
A special thank you to Ms. Menna, Ms. Westlake, Ms. Duke and their students for preparing our Catholic Education Week liturgy. All students will participate in the liturgy with their teachers on Monday.
Music Monday
On May 3, 2021, we will join #TogetherInHarmony for Music Monday. While our celebrations will remain virtual this year, we hope that #EveryVoice from class to class will sing along, make some noise in support of music education, and help identify all the reasons why we need music in our lives, and especially during this time. Thank you to Ms. Tiller and Ms. Giordano, our talented Music teachers for their steadfast support of the arts at St. Mary.
Catholic Education Week Virtual Mass
We are pleased to announce that His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins will be celebrating the Catholic Education Week Mass scheduled for Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. All students, families, Board staff, trustees, and the broader Catholic community are invited to participate “virtually” in this celebration of the Eucharist by clicking on the following link at the scheduled time: https://www.
Alternatively, Fr. Ignacio has invited us to watch the livestream mass on YouTube on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 11:00am. Once the link to the Mass is ready, it will be shared with school staff and teachers will post the link on their Google Classrooms.
ShareLife Contributions
A sincere thank you to the St. Mary community for all of the online ShareLife contributions. The total donations was $905.00. This money will support many Catholic charities through the ShareLife organization. Thank you.
Mark Your Calendars:
May 9 Mother’s Day
May 12 GAUSS Math Exam Day
May 18 CSC Virtual Meeting
May 26 Mother Mary Liturgy Prepared by Gr. 1 and 1/2 classes
May 26-27 FDK First Impression Meetings
May 31 PA Day
Wishing you a wonderful week,
Mrs. D’Andrea Mrs. Crocitto
Principal Vice Principal