Pastoral Plan
2015-2016
PASTORAL PLAN
School Name:
School Mission Statement:
The staff of St. Cornelius School strives to provide a safe, caring, inclusive
environment which inspires academic excellence, continued personal faith
development and respect for all living things. Each individual is challenged to
use his/her unique talents to contribute positively to the school community.
Parents, teachers, parish priest and students work together to promote the
Gospel values and be living examples of God's message of love. Through our
shared efforts and commitment, we encourage our children to develop
spiritually, intellectually, morally and socially in the image of Christ.
School Motto: Together in Faith and Excellence
Pastoral Plan Links to Strategic Plan/Catholic Board Learning Plan:
 Link: Strategic Plan 2014-2019 Strategic System Plan
 Link: Catholic Board Learning Plan CBLP 2013-2016
Our Parish: St. John the Evangelist/St. Cornelius
Pastor: Rev. Robert Thomas Glynn
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Pastoral Plan
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Message from our Pastor Fr. Robert Glynn:
It is one of the greatest joys of my life and ministry to work with our youth,
helping them to deepen and strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ through the
Sacramental life of the Church. I am grateful for the dedication and faithfulness
of our teachers and staff, who daily encourage the dedicated and consistent
prayer life in St. Cornelius School. We have a loving and nurturing environment
in which there is collaboration, cooperation, and a genuine concern for the
welfare of the children. Our Catholic School is a gift that I have the privilege to
serve and witness wonderful miraculous acts of Christian Virtue that happen
every day.
Message from the Catholic School Council:
The St. Cornelius Catholic School Council is an integral part of our school
community. The diverse Catholic community is reflected in our Catholic School
Councils. At St. Cornelius School, all members of the community are welcome,
respected and valued. All members are invited to attend our Catholic School
Council meetings and are given the opportunity to participate in council
positions and activities. Catholic School Council participates in our Curriculum
Night/ Open House to encourage new membership, and provides opportunities
for parents to become involved in volunteer activities at the school. Through
the active participation and collaboration of parents/guardians, we strive to
ensure that all students reach their full potential in a faith-filled environment.
The Catholic School Council provide representation of the diverse voices in the
faith life of the school through participation in Catholic School Councils, by
supporting school activities, through participation in liturgical celebrations and
other religious events, and by helping to build parish-school relationships.
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“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the
body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. Now you are the body of
Christ and individually members of it.”
1 Corinthians 12:12, 27
Catholic Education Week Theme: Opening the Doors to Mercy
Throughout Catholic Education Week, we ask you to reflect on the significance of Catholic education’s
presence and contribution in our Church, and in our society.
May 1 – 6, 2016 is Catholic Education Week.
“Opening the Doors of Mercy” is the theme of Catholic Education Week 2016,
combines both the theme of mercy and the act of opening doors of
reconciliation, mercy, and forgiveness to all around us. At St. Cornelius School,
we will share daily reflections from the Gospel and explicitly teach the
messages through class and school-wide activities. Individual classroom/
grade level events reflecting the theme for the day.
Each day of the week, we will focus on Jesus’ examples of mercy.
Monday: “Mercy that Welcomes” (Jesus and the Woman at the Well)
Tuesday: “Mercy that Loves” (Jesus and the Good Samaritan)
Wednesday: “Mercy that Forgives” (The Prodigal Son)
Thursday: “Mercy that Lives the Gospel” (Zacchaeus)
Friday: “Mercy that Rejoices” (Healing the Paralytic)
Catholic Education Week Prayer
God of Love and compassion,
help us to open the door of mercy in our school communities,
in our families and in the world.
Let mercy guide our living and bring us closer to the heart of the gospel.
May we live as Jesus with mercy that welcomes, loves, forgives
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and calls us to live the gospel joyfully. Amen.
The events that are planned to recognize Catholic Education Week include a
school-wide Crowning of Mary celebration, our Primary Division Mass at St.
John Albion Parish, and our St. Cornelius Talent Show. All parents and
guardians are always welcome to join in our celebrations and Talent Show.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” – Matthew 5:7
Faith Formation:
Forming ourselves in our Catholic faith is a foundational element in helping each of us
understand and live in the example of Christ.
At St. Cornelius School, we promote catechesis and faith formation in our
students and staff in a variety of ways. We celebrate communal prayer as a
school community that reflect the Liturgical Calendar including the
Thanksgiving Mass, Advent Mass, Ash Wednesday Liturgy, Lenten Mass,
Crowning of Mary celebration and End of Year Mass.
Teachers evangelize through daily classroom prayer and reflections and
incorporate church teachings and gospel values into all curriculum areas.
Religious Education and Family Life Education Programs are taught as
required.
St. Cornelius participates in many social outreach activities to promote
humility and mercy amongst our students. Our Youth Faith Ambassadors are
leaders in our school in promoting Social Outreach initiatives. This year, we
have thirty Youth Faith Ambassadors who participated in a commissioning
mass at Holy Family Church in Bolton. We are pleased that we have inspired
so many young servant leaders in our school community.
Furthermore, each division is responsible to plan liturgies and school masses,
actively involving students in the process of planning liturgical celebrations.
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Each division has an opportunity throughout the year to celebrate a divisional
mass at St. John the Evangelist Parish.
Our Grade 2, 7 and 8 students participate in Faith based activities, such as
retreats, as part of the preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy
Communion, and Confirmation. Grade 7 and 8 students are actively involved
in Confirmation Service projects which reflect our Catholic Education Week
Theme, “Opening the Doors of Mercy.” Student retreats are an integral part of
the school year which provide an opportunity for students to come together
informally to speak, worship, be silent and reflect.
Our staff at St. Cornelius School and Adult Faith Ambassadors participate
reverently in school, community and faith activities including monthly
liturgies, masses, staff twilight retreats, the Seder meal and celebrations,
Advent preparation, bulletin board set up to communicate information
regarding Board wide faith development days, and the uses of different types
of prayer at the beginning of staff meetings, school assemblies, and other
gatherings.
Finally, through the triad partnership, parish, home and school work closely
together to encourage a support system of a faith-based curriculum, through
prayer, liturgy, moral justice and scripture. Our St. Cornelius staff and
students work in close collaboration with our school pastor, Fr. Bob who
regularly visits classes, provides guidance and support to our Youth Faith
Ambassadors involved in social outreach initiatives, and helps to facilitate our
sacramental retreats. Fr. Bob leads our school masses, divisional masses at St.
John the Evangelist Parish, and Kindergarten liturgies with compassion and
humility and addresses students that truly embodies the message “Opening
the Doors of Mercy”.
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Sacramental Preparation:
As Catholic we understand sacraments to be "outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace."
Together in partnership with our parish, we support the preparation of God’s children in
receiving the sacraments.
Event
Grade 2
Grade 7 and 8
Sacrament of
Reconciliation
Sacrament of
Confirmation
Wed., Feb. 17, 2016
Enrollment Mass- Mme
Zingaro’s Gr. 7 class on
Nov. 21, 2015
Enrollment Mass- Ms.
Scarcello’s Gr. 7/8 class
on Dec. 12, 2015
Enrollment Mass- Ms.
Leardi/Ms. DeVoy’s Gr.
7 class on Jan. 16, 2016
Enrollment Mass- Mr.
De Rango’s Gr. 8 class on
Feb. 6, 2016
Feb. 17, 2016 at
Saint Francis Centre for
Religious Studies
Feb. 18, 2016
Saint Francis Centre for
Religious Studies
Enrollment Mass- Mrs.
Cancelliere’s Gr. 8 class
on Feb. 21, 2016
Enrollment Mass- Ms.
Mark’s class Gr. 7 class
on Mar. 5, 2016
Sacrament of
Confirmation
Sacrament of
Confirmation
Sacrament of
Confirmation
Gr. 7 Confirmation
Retreat
Gr. 8 Confirmation
Retreat
Sacrament of
Confirmation
Sacrament of
Confirmation
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Pastoral Plan
Sacrament of
Confirmation
Sacrament of
Confirmation
Sacrament of
Confirmation
Sacrament of
Confirmation
Sacrament of
Confirmation
Sacrament of
Confirmation
Communion Retreat
Sacrament of
Communion
Sacrament of
Communion
Sacrament of
Communion
Sacrament of
Communion
2015-2016
Apr. 19, 2016- Mme
Zingaro’s Gr. 7 class
Apr. 20, 2016- Mr. De
Rango’s Gr. 8 class
Apr. 26, 2016- Ms.
Scarcello’s Gr. 7/8 class
Apr. 27, 2016- Mrs.
Cancelliere’s Gr. 8 class
May 10, 2016- Ms.
Leardi/Ms. DeVoy’s Gr.
7 class
May 11, 2016- Ms.
Mark’s Gr. 7 class
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
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Liturgical Celebrations:
The Liturgical calendar is marked by the gathering in community to celebrate the Eucharist and
share in prayer.
Celebration
Date
Thanksgiving Mass at St. Cornelius
School
Junior Mass at St. John the Evangelist
Parish
Advent Mass at St. Cornelius School
Intermediate Mass at St. John the
Evangelist Parish
Ash Wednesday/ Lenten School Mass
at St. Cornelius School
Easter Mass at St. Cornelius School
Primary Mass at St. John the
Evangelist Parish
Crowning of Mary Celebration
Year End Mass at St. Cornelius School
Graduation Ceremony at Robert F.
Hall Cafetorium
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Thursday, November 10, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Social Justice / Outreach Activities / Charities:
Catholic Social Teachings of the Church root our actions in supporting human dignity and the
preferential option of the poor which calls us to serve the most vulnerable in the world.
Our school participates in school wide Share Life initiatives (Spirit Day,
Student/Teacher Hockey Game), United Way Initiatives, Terry Fox/Cancer
Awareness Day, Thanksgiving Food Drives, Candy Food Drive for Canadian
Food For Children, Christmas Food Drive, Lenten Food Drive, Milk Bag Mat
Weaving (for Haiti), Christmas Tree of Hope, Coat Drive, Project Gift Boxes for
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Canadian Food For Children, and Family of Schools Diversity Conference for
our Youth Faith Ambassadors.
Recognizing Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations:
Framed by the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations (OCSGE), our graduates will be
effective communicators, reflective thinkers, lifelong learners, collaborative contributors, caring
family members, responsible citizens and discerning believers formed in the Catholic faith
community.
We continue to commit to the guiding principles of Learning for All: K to 12
and to Dufferin-Peel’s Equity and Inclusive Education Policy while:
 Being authentic witnesses to our Catholic faith;
 Being responsible stewards of God’s grace in the world;
 Respecting human dignity;
 Modelling all learners after Jesus, as ministers of compassion and
service.
At St. Cornelius School, we recognize the Ontario Catholic School Graduate
Expectations through a variety of activities. We promote a respectful, caring,
inclusive safe environment that reflects student voice.
 Participation in workshops/ programs about digital citizenship and how
to use social media in a socially responsible way;
 Attendance at community events as representatives of St. Cornelius and
Catholic Education, in partnership with community partnerships (Peel
Public Health Nurse- PALS, O.P.P. Dare, O.P.P. Kids Programs);
 Diversity Conference;
 Social Justice Initiatives Led by our Youth Faith Ambassadors- Food
Drives, Candy Drives, Community Service Projects;
 Playground Activities Leaders in Schools (P.A.L.S. Program)
 Eco Schools –Student led Eco-Club planning initiatives such as Earth
Hour, recycling drives, National Sweater Day, energy audits and waste
audits;
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 Student retreats where the focus is sharing, building, growing and
communicating in Faith for Sacramental Preparation;
 Bullying Prevention and Awareness Activities.
Celebrating Virtues:
A virtue is a habit or established capacity to perform good actions according to a moral
standard. When we practice these virtues we strengthen them and thereby make the presence
of God more and more visible in the world around us.
The systematic program of Virtues Education/ Character Development for
students is an essential part of the offerings of St. Cornelius School. This
program helps students understand and appreciate the importance of
character traits such as honesty, respect for others, self-control, fairness and
empathy. In our school, Virtues Education is anchored in our faith through
monthly liturgical celebrations which are organized and planned through
rotation of leadership among grade levels. Classroom teachers incorporate
student voice to share with the school how a student may demonstrate the
Virtue of the Month. Students who exemplify the Virtue of the Month are
recognized by their teachers via Virtues Nominations which are read over the
announcements and then rewarded with a Virtues bracelet. In addition, our
Virtues Education is highlighted on our school newsletter, school website,
staff weekly updates and bulletin board displays. The program and the values
it promotes are reflected continually in the daily life of the school and
throughout the school year.
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Visible Signs of our Faith:
Through symbol and service, we are instruments of God’s love whose work within our
communities stands as a witness to our faith.
 Regular classroom visits by Fr. Bob
 Visible signs of our Faith: prayer tables, altars, front foyer display,
posters and wall displays, bibles, sacred cloths to match the colour of
the liturgical season, crosses, rosaries, statue of Mary and Jesus
 Faith events and activities highlighted in classroom calendars and
school newsletters
 Saint feast days included in daily prayer
 Daily announcements include gospel and bible readings
 Catholic Code of Conduct embedded in discipline and rehabilitation
 Library displays based on Virtues Education Program and our liturgical
season
 St. Cornelius students reflected in portraits around the school
highlighting the Virtues
 Bullying Prevention and Awareness Activities
 Catholic history pieces included in school newsletters and school
website
Resource List for Parents:
 Religious Education Curriculum - Ontario Religious Education Curriculum
 Family Life Curriculum - Ontario Family Life Curriculum
 Fully Alive Program information - Ontario Bishops' information on Fully Alive
Resource List for Schools:
Board
 Vocations Units
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We have Vocations units as part of the Grades 2, 5, and 8 curriculum. The goal of these
supplementary units is to deepen one’s understanding of God’s call – the “vocare” – to
various forms of life within the Church.
 History of the Parish
Through the resource book Our Story, Our Tradition, Our Journey, grade 7 students have
the opportunity to learn about the history of our parish.
 Enduring Gift Video
School-Based





Children’s Bible and Daily Readings
Novalis Advent and Lent Resources
Novalis Monthly “Living in Christ” Publication
Teacher Faith Based Resources
Copies of church bulletin to promote good relationships between the triad
relationship of school, parish and home
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