Monthly Archives: April 2023

Angel Community,

“We, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members, one of another.” (Romans 12:4)

Welcome to the month of May, Catholic Education Week and Mental Health Awareness Week. We are fortunate as a school community to celebrate Catholic Education Week. This year’s theme is “We are Many, we are ONE”.  The St. Michael School community is proud that we are one faith community, united in our desire to serve God and to be His hands and feet so that we make a positive difference in our world. The relationship between learning and believing is fundamental in Catholic schools, our Catholic Graduate School Expectations focus not only on knowledge and skills but also on values and actions. 

There are five sub-themes, one for each day of Catholic Education Week and they are aimed at helping staff and students to reflect more fully on what “We are Many, We are One!” means to them. The five sub-themes are:

Monday:       When we see / En voyant   
Tuesday:      When we listen / En écoutant  
Wednesday:        When we reflect / En réfléchissant
Thursday:          When we learn / En apprenant
Friday:         When we act / En agissant

Our entire school community is invited to participate in each day’s sub-theme by exploring the activities below:

This year’s Catholic Education Week Song can be found here: CEW Song: We Are Many, We Are One!

Mental Health Week:
As we also move into Mental Health Week, various resources can be found on the Canadian Mental Health Association Website and School Mental Health Ontario. In addition, our WCDSB Mental Health and Wellbeing page continues to be updated: Mental Health & Well-Being (wcdsb.ca).  It is important to focus on how naming, expressing, and dealing with our emotions – the ones we like and the ones we don’t are important for our mental health.

Reminder: St. Benedict’s Parent Engagement Night THIS THURSDAY
On May 4th at 5:30pm, the St. Benedict Family of Schools will be hosting a parent event with Paul Davis at St. Benedict High School. This event will focus on empowering parents in the digital age with topics about social media and online safety. The evening will begin with a liturgy at 5:30pm. 

Moving? Changing Schools?
As we continue to plan for the new school year, please let us know if you are moving or changing schools, by calling the office at 519-653-3351 or email colleen.best@wcdsb.ca. Thank you!

New to School – Registering?
We are registering new friends to St. Michael for all classes including those friends who were born in either 2019 or 2018. 
Register ONLINE!

Welcome to Kindergarten:
We are having our Welcome to Kindergarten event on May 17 from 6:00-7:30 pm. More information to come!

CPIC Virtual Yoga Event:
Date:  Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Time: 7:30pm-8:30pm (Link to open at 7:10pm)
Location: Virtual (Link will be shared in advance)

Join The Branches for a beginner-friendly yoga practice to help you destress and limber up for the springtime. This nourishing and calming class will focus on mindfulness, balance, a bit of strengthening and end with guided relaxation. For the class you’ll need a strap or scarf, a tennis or hockey ball, a large pillow, and a blanket.
CPIC Virtual Yoga Sign-UP

Looking Ahead:

May 7: First Communion at St. Clement Parish
May 10: Track and Field
May 15: Intermediate Soccer Tournament
May 17: Welcome to Kindergarten Event
May 22: Victoria Day Holiday! No School.
May 30: Cross Country Meet
June 2: P.A. Day
June 23: Grade 8 Graduation
June 27: Term 2 Report Card Distribution
June 29: Last Day of School 2022/2023 

The staff and students at St. Michael would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all the Administrative Assistants today on “Administrative Assistant’s Day”.  YOU are the face of our schools.  The first smile that our students and families see when they come to us.  YOU are the medical expert, giving ice, providing tissues and paper towels, and handing out medication and inhalers.  YOU are the mental health experts, calming bodies, minds and hearts with ease.  YOU are the ones that our students go to for everything they need; the ones that all staff go to for everything they need; and the ones that our Administrators go to for everything we need.  YOU at the one.

Behind every successful day at school – however, you measure that success – is YOU.  Today we recognize the sacrifices you make in your personal time, your family time and in your lives for the good of the school.  We recognize the dedication you have to your communities and we recognize the challenges that you deal with – with ease.

We would like to acknowledge all the work and dedication of Mrs. Best our administrative assistant who supports us in so many ways.

Today we recognize YOU and the impact that you have on our school. You keep us all going!

You are an ANGEL!

Hello Angels,

Welcome to the last week of April!  A big thank you to our classes for their efforts with school yard clean up for Earth Week. We all need to do our part to support a greener and cleaner world!

We wish our Grade 8 students well as they embark on their Mount Mary retreat this week! Thank you to our staff for making this special experience possible!

Congratulations to our Grade 7 students who received the sacrament of Confirmation this past Thursday at St. Clement Parish. May the Holy Spirit continue to strengthen and guide you!

Save the Date: St. Benedict’s Parent Engagement Night
On May 4th at 5:30pm, the St. Benedict Family of Schools will be hosting a parent event with Paul Davis at St. Benedict High School. This event will focus on empowering parents in the digital age with topics about social media and online safety. The evening will begin with a liturgy at 5:30pm. See poster for more information!

Welcome Message from Nicole Hunter:
Hello! My name is Nicole Hunter, l am a Public Health Nurse from Region of Waterloo Public Health.  I am excited to have the opportunity to work with St. Michael’s school and the surrounding community. My role is to listen and learn from the staff, students, and parents/caregivers of this community, to build on school strengths and identify opportunities to work together.
Please feel free to say hello when you see me at the school. I welcome the opportunity to talk with you about how to strengthen this great school and community, and provide a sense of connection for all.
-Nicole Hunter, RN

Active Travel
Working with STSWR (Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region), a Drive to 5 Map has been created for our school community. The aim of the drive to 5 campaign is to move traffic from the school vicinity through identifying street parking that is a 5 minute walk to the school. Using this map, parents can easily navigate alternate areas to drop off their children while reducing unsafe car traffic around the school, including on Winterhalt Ave. It’s the perfect time of year to embrace active travel!
Drive to 5 – St. Michael

Extended Day Program:
The program is within our schools for children from Kindergarten to grade 6 and provides children with opportunities to expand their knowledge through a variety of activities. Children will be exposed to situations that will stimulate their curiosity, independence, and communication skills. The Extended Day Programs are delivered by teams of Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) who are members of the College of Early Childhood Educators. They are dedicated to providing faith-based, quality, educational programming. 
For more information, please open the following link:
Extended-Day-Program-2023_24-2

Looking Ahead:
May 1-5: Catholic Education Week (We Are Many, We Are One)
May 4: Star Wars/Disney Spirit Day
May 4: St. Benedict FOS Parent Night (Paul Davis Speaker)
May 5: Wear Red Day
May 7: First Communion at St. Clement Parish
May 10: Track and Field
May 15: Intermediate Soccer Tournament
May 17: Welcome to Kindergarten Event
May 22: Victoria Day Holiday! No School.
May 30: Cross Country Meet
June 2: P.A. Day
June 23: Grade 8 Graduation
June 27: Term 2 Report Card Distribution
June 29: Last Day of School 2022/2023 

Hello Angels,

We hope all of our Angel students, staff, and families have enjoyed the warmer weather this past week!  We are looking forward to the busy next few months and are hopeful that spring has arrived and that sunshine, and warmer weather will be here soon to stay.

This a reminder to families that Friday, April 21st is PA Day. There will be no school for students on this day. Extended Day will also be closed.

Spring Weather:
Weather can be unpredictable this time of year. Please be sure to check the forecast to be prepared for the day. This includes hats and sunscreen on hot and sunny days and coats when the weather will be cooler. Please also remember to send a reusable water bottle daily. Thank you!

Active Travel:
Working with STSWR (Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region), a Drive to 5 Map has been created for our school community. The aim of the drive to 5 campaign is to move traffic from the school vicinity through identifying street parking that is a 5 minute walk to the school. Using this map, parents can easily navigate alternate areas to drop off their children while reducing unsafe car traffic around the school, including on Winterhalt Ave. It’s the perfect time of year to embrace active travel!
Drive to 5 – St. Michael

Graduation Photos THIS TUESDAY!
Our Grade 8 Graduation photos will be taken on Tuesday, April 18th!
Please see flyer for more information.
Grade 8 Grad Photos Flyer

Confirmation:
We wish our Grade 7 students well who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation this Thursday, April 20th at St. Clement’s Parish. Blessings to you on this very special day! May the Holy Spirit continue to strength and guide you.

Earth Week:
As we enter Earth Week, we will work to change the narrative from “I” to “We”, focusing on how we as a community can make our Earth sustainable for everyone. This requires us to sacrifice convenience. We can make simple choices to do our part: bring a reusable water bottle to school, stop the use of single-use plastics, reduce, reuse, and recycle, walk or ride when you can, and reduce water consumption. We look forward to using this week to remind students of our commitment as Catholics to stewardship of this earth we share.

Extended Day Program:
The program is within our schools for children from Kindergarten to grade 6 and provides children with opportunities to expand their knowledge through a variety of activities. Children will be exposed to situations that will stimulate their curiosity, independence, and communication skills. The Extended Day Programs are delivered by teams of Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) who are members of the College of Early Childhood Educators. They are dedicated to providing faith-based, quality, educational programming. 
For more information, please open the following link:
Extended-Day-Program-2023_24-2

Save the Date: St. Benedict’s Parent Engagement Night
On May 4th at 6pm, the St. Benedict Family of Schools will be hosting a parent event with Paul Davis at St. Benedict High School. This event will focus on empowering parents in the digital age with topics about social media and online safety. See poster for more information!

Looking Ahead:
May 1st ~ Catholic Education Week
May 22nd ~ Victoria Day
June 2nd ~ P.A. Day
June 27th ~ Term 2 Report Card Distribution
June 29th ~ Last Day of School 2022/2023 

Happy Easter Angels,

The Lord is risen! Let us lift up our gaze, remove the veil of sadness and sorrow from our eyes, and open our hearts to the hope that God brings! ~ Pope Francis 

Easter is a time of celebration! We celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and ultimately the triumph of good.
Wishing everyone a beautiful day and a joyous Easter.

Reminder: No School tomorrow on Easter Monday.

Domino’s Pizza Night is THIS TUESDAY on April 11th:
Order a large 3 topping pizza for $15 and $5 goes back to our school!
All orders must be placed online using the code SGIVE.
Valid at the Eagle St. location in Cambridge.
Link to Poster: Dominoes Fundraiser April 11th

Save the Date: St. Benedict’s Parent Engagement Night
On May 4th at 6pm, the St. Benedict Family of Schools will be hosting a parent event with Paul Davis at St. Benedict High School. This event will focus on empowering parents in the digital age with topics about social media and online safety. See poster for more information!

Graduation Photos Coming Soon!
Our Grade 8 Graduation photos will be taken on Tuesday, April 18th!

Umbrella Project Skill for April: Self-Compassion

Treat yourself as you would treat a good friend. Children who are low in self-compassion are often very hard on themselves. They can feel isolated and alone in their struggles and have a hard time moving on from failures. From a parenting perspective, it can be very difficult to convince children with low self-compassion that people aren’t judging them as harshly as they are judging themselves.

One of the easiest ways to help your child practice their self-compassion is to start one step outside themselves. Ask them to think about how they would treat a good friend who is struggling and then reflect on whether they treat themselves with the same care.This exercise is beneficial for everyone and most people are quite surprised when they take a moment to listen to what they say to themselves. The phrase “we are our own worst enemy” rings true here.

Here are a few simple steps to follow when you notice your child’s self-criticism is becoming detrimental to their wellbeing:
1. Have them bring to mind a good friend or someone they care about and imagine it is their friend, and not them, experiencing the struggle. 
2. Ask your child these questions: What would you say to your friend in this situation? How would you treat them? What do you think would happen if you said the same things to your friend that you are saying to yourself? Would it help them?
3. Help your child remember that they can be a good friend to themselves. Remind your child they should offer themselves the same amount of love, compassion, forgiveness and respect as they offer everyone else.

Health & Happiness,
Dr. Jen, The Umbrella Project

Looking Ahead:

April 21st ~ P.A. Day
May 1st ~ Catholic Education Week
May 22nd ~ Victoria Day
June 2nd ~ P.A. Day
June 27th ~ Term 2 Report Card Distribution
June 29th ~ Last Day of School 2022/2023 

Hello Angels!

Today is Palm Sunday, also called Passion Sunday, and for Catholics, this is the first day of Holy Week. Palm branches were used as a sign of goodness and victory and they were placed before Jesus’ path as he entered Jerusalem. Throughout the week we will continue with our Lenten reflections as a school community and classrooms will engage in activities to deepen understanding of Lent and Holy Week.

A huge thank you to the St. Michael School community for supporting our Lenten Almsgiving Food Drive! We collected many essential items for the Food Bank that will make a world of difference! Your generosity is much appreciated!

What is the Holy Triduum? 

The Triduum is the three days commemorating the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Holy Thursday is the day of the last supper and it was also the First Holy Communion, as it was the first time that Jesus turned bread and wine into His Body and Blood.

Good Friday is when we remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus. It is called good because we remember that Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to die for us.

Holy Saturday is a vigil day, a day of waiting and watching for something to happen. It is the day before Easter where Jesus lay in the tomb.

There is NO SCHOOL on Good Friday or Easter Monday. 

Save the Date: St. Benedict’s Parent Engagement Night
On May 4th at 6pm, the St. Benedict Family of Schools will be hosting a parent event with Paul Davis at St. Benedict High School. This event will focus on empowering parents in the digital age with topics about social media and online safety. See poster for more information!

April 2 World Autism Day
Celebrate the Spectrum is the theme for World Autism Day 2023 celebrations. It is an opportunity for positive action to provide spaces of support and advocacy for our diverse communities while learning about autism and how to make our communities better for people on the autism spectrum.

Summer Learning Opportunities
In July and August this year, there are several FREE learning options available for elementary students that will ignite, support and challenge students toward success and preparation for the next grade. REGISTRATION will open Tuesday, March 21st.
Find the programs listed by date and grade that best suit your student’s needs.

Visit https://www.wcdsb.ca/summer-learning/ for program details, dates, and registration links.

Kindergarten Registration OPEN!
The online registration portal for Kindergarten registration for the 2023-2024 school is open!
Register ONLINE!
For more information please visit: The Kindergarten Program-WCDSB

Umbrella Project Skill for April: Self-Compassion

This month we are adding the skill that will help your child to be kinder to themselves in the face of failure and difficulties, Self-compassion. 

What will self-compassion do for my child?
You probably won’t be surprised to hear that 75% of people treat others more kindly than they treat themselves. 

Self-compassion means offering ourselves compassion when we fail, make mistakes or are at fault. Self-compassion is the opposite of self-criticism and will help your child treat themselves like they would a good friend instead of continuously judging themselves harshly. 

Self-compassion helps to reduce children’s feelings of isolation and instead recognize that struggle is a normal part of being human that everyone experiences. There is a 100% chance of rain at some point in every life so it’s important that we learn to weather these storms with compassion.

Do you often catch your child saying harsh things about themselves and their abilities?

It’s vital that we help our children avoid getting caught up in the dramatic storyline of their struggle and instead recognize this normal part of life. Imperfections, rough days, mistakes, being at fault and failures are a part of being human and the better we are at accepting this, the easier it is to preserve our wellbeing through these challenges.

Listen as I introduce this important Umbrella Skill of Self-compassion 

Dr. Jen, The Umbrella Project

Looking Ahead:

April 7th ~ Good Friday
April 10th ~ Easter Monday
April 21st ~ P.A. Day
May 1st ~ Catholic Education Week
May 22nd ~ Victoria Day
June 2nd ~ P.A. Day
June 27th ~ Term 2 Report Card Distribution
June 29th ~ Last Day of School 2022/2023