February 2017

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Feb 3, 2017 - and staff of Our Lady of Peace Catholic School will begin the season of Lent with an ... Your OLP senior b
Our Lady of Peace Catholic School

February 2017 Administrators’ Message We cannot think of February without thinking of St. Valentine’s Day. As we send cards, enjoy treats and special celebrations, we need to be ever mindful of God’s unconditional love for each of us. This is the love that we strive to show to each other, not only on this day, but every day, in our words and actions. We are reminded that “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) February will also be a very busy month with a number of events occurring at our school. Our grade 2 students received the Sacrament of Reconciliation in January and we ask you to please keep them in your prayers. As a Catholic faith community, we will move into the season of Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday. Lent is the time of the church year in which we are called to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These actions help prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. The students and staff of Our Lady of Peace Catholic School will begin the season of Lent with an Ash Wednesday liturgy on Wednesday, March 1st at 11:00 am in the gym. All members of our school community are invited to join us in this liturgy. We will also celebrate the completion of the first term of the school year. Report Cards for students in Grades 1 to 8 will be sent home with your child on Thursday, February 23. This is an opportunity to examine what we do well, identify things that we need to work on, and set a plan for the remainder of the year.

SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM: Please call in your child’s absence at 905-257-2791 The school voicemail service is available 24 hours a day.

On behalf of the staff, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued generosity, assistance and dedication in helping make our school a vibrant and caring Catholic community of excellence. C. Daly

Ash Wednesday Liturgy 11:00 am

**PA DAY February 3rd.** There will be no school for students. Family Day is Monday February 20th, 2017 As a provincial holiday, schools will be closed. Students and staff will not be required to attend school on this day.

March 1st. School Gym

Peace Team and Student Council News

Grade 8 Graduation Photos

Catholic School Council Meeting February 6th at 6:00 pm

Tuesday February 16th

All are welcome! Feedback and support is always welcomed.

Information will be sent home with students. Boys are asked to wear a white shirt and tie and girls a white shirt. (or bring one to wear)

Shrove Tuesday February 28th.

Report Cards

Volunteers will be serving pancakes to our students. Thank you to our team of volunteers for

go home

coordinating this event.

Please sign &

HAVE A GRIDDLE WE

FEBRUARY 23rd

return Page 3.

CAN BORROW? Please label it and drop it into the office by Monday, February 27th

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EXTRA CURRICULARS AT OUR LADY OF PEACE OLP BASKETBALL

OUR LADY OF PEACE HOCKEY TEAM

The Our Lady of Peace “Thunder” Basketball teams began their regular season in midJanuary. Our hockey team has entered one tournament. Congratulations to the following students who are representing OLP proudly: Ryan A., Jaymeson V-McR, JD Keyser, Nicholas R., Rory D., Ben M., Damian V., Tyler L., Matthew G., Aidan T., Jack G., Braeden S., Troy E., Zach B., Owen W., Kyle F., Jaden McA. Thanks to our coaching staff – Mr. Miljan and Mr. Curto.

We thank our dedicated staff for their support with our teams – Mr. Miljan and Ms. Alexander We wish you all the best this season! Boys Your OLP senior boys basketball opens their season this year on February 13 at Mother Teresa Elementary School. Game time is 3:45. Schedules will be handed out to team members starting January 30th. All are welcomed to come out and support our boys. Girls This year, our girls basketball team begins their season at home on February 21st against St..Michael Elementary. Tournament details and a detailed schedule of games will be handed out to team members during the week of Jan. 30th. Go Thunder!

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS BASKETBALL FREE THROW COMPETITION

We had several students participate in the K of C sponsored basketball Free Throw competition here at Our Lady of Peace. We thank the members of the Mary Mother of God Council 14446 for organizing this competition. Congratulations to Kaitlyn Y and Cristian B. who both placed 3rd at the competition. Great job!

PUBLIC SPEAKING We will be holding our Public Speaking Competition on Wednesday, March 22nd. Students have been diligently working on their speeches for this competition. Each grade from Grades 4 to 8 will be represented by one student and the grade 3 poetry finalists will entertain us that afternoon beginning at 1:00pm Parents and friends are invited to come and listen to these students as they demonstrate their talent and hard work. You are also invited to attend the Halton Catholic District School Board’s Annual Public Speaking Regional Competitions and enjoy these fine examples of student excellence and oratory skills. English Regional Public Speaking Competition For Oakville Elementary Schools: Wednesday March 29th 7:00pm at St. John School, Oakville.

PRIMARY AND JUNIOR EQAO - ASSESSMENT DATES

All Elementary Schools will use the weeks of May 23 to June 5, 2017 as the time period to administer the EQAO Assessments to the Grade 3 and Grade 6 students. The total testing time will be 6 hours, approximately 2 hours per booklet of which there are 3: Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Each booklet contains ‘common’ items: Reading – Fiction and Non-fiction passages, with varying levels of difficulty, followed by open-response and multiple choice items. Writing – Short and long writing prompts and multiple choice items. Mathematics – Open-response and multiple choice items.

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FLU SEASON

What should I do if I get the flu? There are several steps you can take in order to help yourself and to help reduce the spread of illness to others:



Stay home and avoid contact with others if you do not feel well! If you can, sleep in a separate room from others until you are well.



See your family doctor if illness persists or becomes worse, or call Telehealth at 1-866-797-0000, TTY 1-866-7970007 to speak with a registered nurse.



Avoid visits to long-term care homes, hospitals and retirement residents if you have been ill or have had contact with someone who is ill. Please help protect frail persons and other individuals at high-risk.



Cough into your sleeve or a tissue and not your hands if you have a cough. Dispose of the tissue immediately, and make sure to wash your hands.



Clean and disinfect all contaminated surfaces and frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, faucet taps, and toilet handles.



Wash your hands frequently with soap and water to protect yourself from getting infected. Use an alcohol based hand rub when soap and water are not available.



Drink lots of fluid.



Get plenty of rest.



Take an analgesic (aspirin or acetaminophen) to relieve head and muscle aches.



Children and teenagers who have the flu should avoid aspirin unless specifically directed by a physician.

COLD WEATHER Canadian Winter is here. We expect students to wear the proper cold weather clothes you have provided for them when they go out for recess. Students must also have a pair of indoor shoes to wear inside. During severe weather conditions, we do monitor the wind chill factor and equivalent temperature as provided by Environment Canada. Board policy states that when temperatures (including the wind chill factor) fall between -15°C and -20°C, students can be outside for no longer than 20 minutes and when temperatures are colder than -20°C, students must remain inside. Lunch recess is the period most affected by this rule. We will curtail all outdoor recesses if the wind chill falls below -20°C since the risk of frostbite goes up markedly at this wind chill point.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS FOR DECEMBER & JANUARY ! Our focus was FAIRNESS—treating people equally without favouritism or discrimination.

December Winners: Wal-Mart Gift Card - Luca Z. Tim Hortons’ - Lauren M.

January Winners: Wal-Mart Gift Card– Ella B. Tim Horton’s– Michael H.

Panago Pizza - Jacob K.

Panago Pizza— Liam L.

February 2017

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EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSURE INFORMATION In the event of inclement weather, our Director of Education and the Director of Education of the Halton District School Board, consult with Halton Student Transportation Services (HSTS) to determine whether to cancel school transportation and/or close schools.

AM Radio Stations

In most cases, this decision is made prior to 6 o’clock in the morning and is communicated by 6:30 a.m. The decision to cancel buses and/or close schools is communicated by the following methods:

CHAM (820 AM)

Parents may also subscribe to email notifications regarding school transportation delays and cancellations through

CFRB Newstalk 1010 (1010 AM) CJOY Greatest Hits (1460 AM) CHML (900 AM)

CKOC Oldies 1150 (1150 AM) CHWO Zoomer Radio (740 AM) 680NEWS FM Radio Stations CHFI (98.1 FM)

Halton Student Transportation Services @ www.haltonbus.ca

CHKX (94.7 FM)

Websites

Vinyl (95.3 M)

www.hcdsb.org

Virgin Radio (99.9)

www.haltonbus.ca

K-Lite FM (102.9 FM)

Television Stations

CBC Radio 2 (99.1 FM)

CHCH TV Morning Show

Magic 106 (106.1 FM)

CITY TV (Breakfast Television)

Boom (97.3 FM)

Y108 (l07.9 FM)

Classical (96.3 FM)

HEAD LICE Should you find that your child has head lice, please notify the school prior to notifying We Care Services (905) 545-2273. We Care will inform you about the nearest school the nurse is working from so that you may take your child there to be re-checked. The nurse will then give you a note to be brought in to the school advising us that your child is clear and can be re-admitted into school. Should your child still have head lice, the nurse will go over the best procedures to use to get rid of the remaining head lice. Following these procedures will greatly reduce the number and frequency of head lice in the school.

How much sleep does my child need? Every child is different. Some need a lot of sleep while others need much less. Here are some general recommendations: Preschoolers (3-5 years) 11-13 hours School-aged children (5-10 years) 10-11 hours Adolescents (10-17 years) 8.5-9.25 hours

Ways that you can help your children get enough sleep:

Have a regular bedtime: It doesn’t have to be set in stone but try to go to bed at the same time every night, including on the weekends.



Create a calming bedtime routine: Establish bedtime rituals that help to your child slow down and get ready for sleep.



Limit screen time: Turn off electronics an hour before your child tucks in for the evening. The flickering light from computers, TV screens and cell phone screens signals to the brain to remain in wake mode.



Get help if you need it: Being continually short of sleep is not good for children. If you think your child has a problem in this area, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor for a referral to someone who can help.

 Check out our HaltonParents blogs: The Sleepy Teen Years & Why you’re STILL talking about sleep when you have teens...

For more information, check out our website, or to speak with a public health nurse, Dial 311 or email: [email protected] Visit us on: HaltonParents Twitter HaltonParents Facebook HaltonParents Blog

Please respect the bus zone at the front of our school. No cars are permitted in the Bus Zone at any time. We ask that you use the Kiss and Ride located on each side of our school for drop off in the morning.

Free—Canada Parks 2017 Admission Passes Parks Canada invites you to celebrate Canada’s nat6ional treasures coast to coast with free admissions! What is free? 

Admission to all national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas operated by Parks Canada (228 locations).



Lockage at Parks Canada’s historic canals and waterways.

What is not free? Parks Canada is pleased to offer free admission to our places, however, regular fees still apply for other experiences and services, such as: 

Camping, backcountry and other accommodations;



Canadian Rockies Hot Springs;



Mooring;



Reservation fees;



Guided tours and hikes and programs not usually included with admission;



Firewood;



Backcountry overnight use.

Order your pass at http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/voyage-travel/admission.aspx Uniform Website The ISW Uniforms Website is now live. iswuniforms.com Parents will be required to enter a school code when they register an account. The code for Our Lady of Peace Elementary is: OLPH For any questions, please contact Heather Ingram Manager, Operations & Partnerships ISW Uniforms 289-952-8225

Get outside, enjoy winter and walk every day! Wednesday, February 1, 2017 is Winter Walk Day across Canada. The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for children recommend that children need at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity a day. Walking is a great way to achieve some of those recommended minutes. Walk to school or at school for daily physical activity, a healthier environment, safer streets, making friends and ... having fun! It’s simple to be active in the winter! A few tips for dressing for winter walking: Keep hands and head covered to prevent heat loss On really cold days wear a scarf over your face and mouth Wear warm, waterproof boots and a warm coat that deflects the wind Woolen clothing helps to retain the heat Wear clothing or carry knapsacks with reflective material – it’s important to be seen . Reference: Active and Safe Routes to School

For more information, check out our website, or to speak with a public health nurse, Dial 311 or email: [email protected]

Lego Club We are pleased to announce that OLOP will start a Lego Club on Mondays and Tuesdays at lunch recess for students in Grade 3. Students will use their brain power to create and/or follow instructions to create structures while practicing appropriate social skills and engaging in team work! We are asking that if any families have extra Lego pieces or kits that they are looking to dispose of to please send them in to school in a plastic bag with their child marked “Lego Club”. We thank you for your support! Mrs. Cordeiro

Deadline to Receive Cross Boundary and Non-Resident Applications Cross Boundary and Non-Resident Applications due by February 17th Parents that are requesting 2017-2018 School Year Cross Boundary/Non-Resident status for their child/ ren must submit their applications to the school office by February 17th, 2017. Please note that each request will be judged on its own merit. Parents will begin to receive response letters in mid-May. Parents who currently have cross boundary/non-resident status within our school must have the request renewed on an annual basis. The request for renewal of Cross Boundary/Non-Resident application should be submitted to the school office by February 17th, 2017. Please Note Our Lady of Peace cross boundary renewal letters are being sent home February 1, 2017. Requests received after this date may be reviewed based on exceptional circumstances. To view the Policy, please visit the Board website www.hcdsb.org under Policies and Procedures Policy I-04 Cross Boundary School Attendance

This month we had the X Movement Program "Fusion X", visit our school again. We had Malcolm from X Movement for the week energizing our school to kick off the winter with a blast. The main aim of X Movement programs is to integrate Movement, Mateship and Mindfulness. Movement: Physical Activity that makes you feel good irrespective of ability Mateship: Loyalty, equality and friendship and; Mindfulness: becoming aware of yourself, others and the world around you. This year our focus is self-regulation and stability using our core and balance.

THANK YOU! Thank you to the Our Lady of Peace Catholic School Community for your generosity and kindness in your support of the school wide and classroom outreach initiatives during the advent season. From our Peace Tree, Advent Liturgy, and Christmas Musical, your continuous dedication to the children of Our Lady of Peace is overwhelming and appreciated. Mrs. Bardwell and the many volunteers who organized our Christmas Peace Tree, your efforts are much appreciated from all, including the many local charities that this program supported.