A PRAYER FOR SPRING
As the earth once again turns to face the sun we rejoice
in this season of spring. We give thanks, O God, that
each day grows longer in light and that the earth has been
liberated from the grip of winter.
We remember the resurrection of Your Son Jesus from
THE MONTH OF MARY
May is the month we dedicate to Mary, the mother
of our Saviour, Jesus. We celebrate Mary, who
humbly and gladly accepted God’s will when she said
“Yes” to our Lord. As we honour Mary and all
mothers, we are reminded of the many blessing
mothers bestow upon their children each and every
day. Let us keep Mary and all mothers in our
thoughts and prayers so that the honour and respect
they deserve is not limited to one day or month in
the year. Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers.
the depths of death’s decay in the tomb, we lift our hearts
to You in gratitude. We thank You for the gift of a day
and all the graces it holds. We ask for the grace, O God,
to live in a new way. Grant us fresh dreams and new
visions. May this day come upon us like Spring herself,
so that our hearts may be filled with hope. May we thus
taste more deeply the joys of simply being alive. May we
find the countless hidden treasures that You have
scattered throughout this day and season! May Your
peace rest upon all the members of the earthen family with
whom You have made us one. Amen
MAY 2014: INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Catholic Education Week Highlights
EQA0 Testing- Gr. 3 and 6
St. Cornelius Athletics & Chess Team
Student Dress Code Reminders
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CROWNING OF MARY CELEBRATION
Since the fall, St. Cornelius School community has
been praying the rosary with our Rosary Apostalate
from St. John’s Albion Parish. We will be celebrating
Mary by hosting a Crowning of Mary Celebration on
Tuesday, May 6th in our school gym. The
Kindergarten to Grade 3 celebration will take place at
9:45 a.m., and Grade 4 to 8 celebration at 11:20 a.m.
If you are available, please join us in this special
tradition honouring our Holy Mother.
Together in Faith and Excellence
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CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK
HIGHLIGHTS
Catholic Education Week will be celebrated this coming
week. During this week the Catholic community
celebrates the unique and distinctive contribution that
Catholic schools make to our students, our community
and our province. Catholic Education Week is an
opportunity to celebrate the mission of our Catholic
schools as they strive to integrate the Gospel values of
Jesus Christ in every aspect of school life and
curriculum.
Our school community will celebrate Catholic Education
Week during May 4-9, 2014. There are five sub-themes
for each day of Catholic Education Week:
Monday – Serve with faithfulness
Tuesday – Serve with humility
Wednesday – Serve with compassion
Thursday – Serve with justice
Friday – Serve with joy
The theme this year is Serving in the Light of Christ. We
will be sharing special readings, prayers and lessons
throughout the week on announcements and in classes.
Help us to celebrate Catholic Education Week by
participating in a Family GROOVE workshop, hosted by
Groove-EDGE-ucation in our gymnasium on
Thursday, May 8th at 6:30 p.m. followed
by a casual visit of our beautiful school highlighting all
the ways we are magnificently and uniquely Catholic.
Peel Public Health will also be present to discuss and
share innovative ideas about healthy eating and living.
We hope to see you there!
ELEMENTARY SUMMER SCHOOL
An information flyer regarding the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District Summer
School Programs for 2014 is available on
our school website. Please note that
these programs are intended for students
achieving Level 1 or 2 in Reading and
Writing (and Gr. 7 & 8 Numeracy). Please contact your
child’s teacher if you are interested in having your child
participate in either the Gr. 7 and 8 Summer School
program or the Gr. SK-6 Summer Literacy Camp.
QSP MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS
Throughout the year, QSP continues to offer magazine
subscriptions at substantial savings off the newsstand
price. St. Cornelius earns up to 35% profit on the
subscription price of most magazines ordered through
our group number. This is a limited time offer so hurry
and place your orders on-line at www.qsp.ca. St.
Cornelius's group number is 8391 and is only valid until
the end of June.
GRADE 3 & 6 PROVINCIAL ASSESSMENT
St. Cornelius School will be participating in the
Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO)
Provincial Assessments of Reading, Writing and
Mathematics in Grade 3 & 6. This testing will take
place on:
· May 26th, 28th & 30th- Grade 3 EQAO Testing
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May 27th, 29th & 30th- Grade 6 EQAO Testing
·
June 2nd& 3rd- Gr. 3 & 6 EQAO Testing Make Up
Days
Please make every effort to ensure your child’s
regular attendance during this time.
SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING
JUNE
9th-
students.
P.A. DAY – There will be no school for
Our next Catholic School Council
meeting will be held on Monday, May
12th at 6:30 p.m. in the school library.
Together in Faith and Excellence
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ST. CORNELIUS ATHLETICS
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CHESS TEAM
Basketball: Congratulations to the
Boys and Girls Intermediate
Basketball teams on their
achievements at the "mini"
tournament at St. Andrew School on
April 8.
The boys' team place third, falling short by
only one basket to the eventual winning team from St.
Benedict. Team members include: John M., Brennan N.,
Travis M., Jackson K., Jonathan N., Aidan L., Nicolas C.,
and JD!
The girls' team won their "mini" tournament by winning
two of three games, which qualified them to advance to
the Family of Schools Tournament on April 24. The team
made it to the Finals, but fell short by only a few
baskets to place 2nd overall. Way to go girls!! Team
members include: Alexis V., Amelia L., Gracie K., Allison
D., Victoria L., Georgia M., Isabel S., Stephanie C., Jada
C., Cassandra E., Jillian H.
Both teams are to be commended for their skill,
teamwork and sportsmanship!!
"The St. CFL" - The St. Cornelius Flag Football League is
up and running for a second year in a row! Students in
grades 6, 7 and 8 are divided among six teams and will
play on Wednesdays and Fridays at lunch recess during
the month of May. The league champions will compete
in a Family of Schools Invitational tournament on May
26 at RF Hall.
Soccer - Try-outs for our girls and boys soccer teams
have begun! Students in grades 6, 7 and 8 are invited to
take part in lunch hour scrimmages over the next three
weeks. The boys tournament will be held on Thursday,
June 5 and the girls tournament on Tuesday, June 10.
These events will take place at the Caledon Soccer
Complex in Caledon East.
Track and Field - Try-outs for the various track events
(100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, relay and 1500m races) and
field events (High Jump, Long jump, Triple jump, and
Shot Put) will be held during the month of May. The
Family of Schools Meet will take place on Thursday,
June 12. Those who qualify at this Meet will move on to
the Boardwide Meet on Friday, June 20.
On Friday April 11th, the Primary, Junior and
Intermediate chess teams participated in the Family
Final Chess Tournament at Good Shepherd School.
Each team demonstrated great skill and poise
throughout the tournament with the Intermediates
reaching the semi-final round and finishing third. Both
the Primary and Junior teams advanced to the finals,
with the Primary team finishing second overall and the
Junior team prevailing as tournament champions. The
Primary and Junior teams will be advancing to the Board
Tournament. Well done, team!
Congratulations and thanks to Brennan, Jackson, Sam,
Kieran, Noah, Matthew, Beck, Patrick, Ethan, Robert,
Alex, Nicholas, Sofia, Martyna, Gabriel, Jaden, Andrea
and Stephen for all their hard work and dedication.
Coaches Mr. DeRango and Mrs. O’Donnell
KINDERGARTEN BUSSING FOR 2014-2015
On Saturday, August 23rd,2014 we
will be holding our twenty-first
annual YOUNG RIDER ORIENTATION
DAY for ALL Kindergarten children.
The intent of the day is to introduce
children to school buses in an
informal setting prior to the first day
of school.
We encourage you to participate by
bringing your Kindergarten children
and elementary age siblings to a one hour program
between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1 p.m. Bus rides
and a school bus safety video are only part of the
informative fun. All Young Rider Days have been
tremendous successes.
Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR), the Peel
District School Board and Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board, First Student Canada, Stock
Transportation Limited, Parkview Transit Inc. and
Attridge Transportation Inc. support this event.
To confirm your attendance and preferred time slot,
please call Parkview Transit at 905-846-1070 as soon as
possible. The location for this training is Humberview
Secondary School, 135 Kingsview Drive in Bolton.
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
As you may be aware, sanitary sewer installation along
Old Church Road and Innis Lake Road east has begun.
Traffic delays should be anticipated. Please exercise
caution when using this intersection.
Together in Faith and Excellence
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STUDENT DRESS CODE RULES
The St. Cornelius Green Team invites all
students to continue helping the
environment by supporting our LOL
(Lights Out Lunch) and Waste Free
Lunches. Throughout May, classes are
encouraged to turn out the lights and
open the blinds during lunch, and not use the garbage
can at all!
The Green Team will be checking to see which
classrooms are keeping the recycling bin free of
contaminants and which classes are creating the least
waste. Students are asked to bring reusable containers
for lunches and snacks, and recycle properly by cleaning
all containers before placing them in the blue bin. Let’s
continue our efforts to act as Stewards of the Earth and
respect this precious gift God has given to us.
The Green Thumbs have been busy around our school
grounds, cleaning the yard of litter and sticks, and
preparing for planting. Their central focus is to support
our school community and the environment. They have
a goal to increase biodiversity by adding native species of
plants to our gardens. They are asking for donations of
non-invasive perennial plants to be added to our gardens
that will attract butterflies and birds, and provide root
protection for some of our trees. Some plants they were
hoping to add include: Hostas, Purple Coneflower,
Black-eyed Susans, and Butterfly Bushes. All plants can
be sent to Mrs. McDonnell’s room when brought to
school.
The Green Team thanks everyone for their continued
efforts to make St. Cornelius the greenest it can be!
PROTECTING YOUR SKIN FROM THE SUN
Overexposure to the sun can cause skin
damage. We remind students to take
precautions to protect their skin during
recess times. The following are some
suggestions to help protect the skin:
1. Wear protective clothing to cover the skin.
2. Wear a hat to protect both the eyes and skin.
3. When possible, stay out of direct sunlight.
4. Wear sun block, the higher the protection factor
number, the greater the protection.
With the warm weather finally approaching, we would
like to take this opportunity to review the dress code
expectations at St. Cornelius School. As a Catholic
school, we believe that there must be a commitment to
high standards of modesty, neatness, cleanliness and
good taste. Therefore, while halter tops, short shorts,
spandex bike wear, muscle shirts and similar clothing
may be acceptable for beach wear, they are not
appropriate for classroom instruction. Shirts should be
of appropriate length to be able to be tucked into pants
or a skirt. Shorts and skirts should be appropriate length
for school. Suggestive or inappropriate language or
violent symbols are not permitted on any clothing or
personal belongings. Every classroom has a visual
reminder of acceptable/ unacceptable clothing posted
in their rooms. We appreciate your ongoing support in
this matter.
MAY’S VIRTUE FOCUS IS ACCEPTANCE
God wants us to make friends with everyone no matter
how different they may look or act. Acceptance is the
ability to respect the dignity and rights of all persons,
even those whose beliefs and behaviours differ from our
own. Everyone should strive to love and respect their
neighbour, as they love and respect themselves.
An accepting person is:
• willing to treat everybody as a member of a group;
• non-judgemental;
• welcoming to those different than himself/herself;
• loving and happy with who he/she is.
The virtue of Acceptance means we accept ourselves
and others, just the way we are. God created all of us in
His image, and God does not make mistakes. Being part
of Gods family means that we love and welcome
everyone just the way Jesus did. Sometimes we find
ourselves in situations where it is easier to follow the
crowd than to stand up for what we know is right.
However, Jesus wants us to accept everyone even when
it is hard.
Together in Faith and Excellence
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SAFE SCHOOLS FOCUS FOR MAY: Bullying
is NOT a Normal Part of Growing Up
In May students will examine why
people use bullying behaviours. We
need to dispel the myth that bullying is
just a normal part of growing up and
understand why it happens. Bullying is
a relationship problem – it is about a
sense of entitlement, power and
control. Using bullying behaviours is not something we
outgrow but rather adopt as a way of interacting with
others throughout our lifespan. Childhood bullying may
evolve into dating violence, gang activity, assault, sexual
harassment, workplace harassment, marital violence,
child abuse and elder abuse (Peplar). Research
demonstrates that by age 24, 60% of identified bullies
have criminal records (Olweus).
Learning how to effectively deal with feelings of anger
and finding positive ways to feel powerful are proactive
steps to changing or preventing the use of bullying
behaviours. Ultimately it is a question of the worth or
value we assign to all people. We don’t tend to bully
those we consider worthy. In turn, when someone is
bullying others we must remember to value that person
while helping them deal with their bullying behaviours.
Students will be reminded to identify the behaviour as
bullying but not to label the person as a ‘bully’.
Tips for parents:
- learn to recognize warning signs that your child may
be involved in bullying others
- role model appropriate anger management strategies
and effective apologies for and with your children
- don’t label children; deal with problem behaviours
while maintaining a child’s sense of worth.
IMPORTANT DATES:
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May 1st – Confirmation - Mrs. Leitch's class May 1st – Jump Rope for Heart Assembly
May 2nd - Waste Reduction Workshops
May 3rd Mrs. Burke and Mrs. Kehoe's classes First Communion - 11:00 am - St. John the
Evangelist Church
May 5th – Just Catering for Kids
May 6th –Crowning of Mary Celebration- All are
welcome! 9:45 a.m. Grades 4-8,
May 7th – Primary Mass – 1:30 pm- St. John the
Evangelist Church- All are welcome!
May 8th – Pizza Day
May 8th – Catholic Education Week Parent
Evening 6:30 -8:30 pm. Please join us!
May 8th – Grade 3 and 6 Tutoring club
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May 12th – Catholic School Council - 6:30 pm –
Library. All are welcome!
May 12th – Just Catering for Kids
May 13th– Teams and Clubs Photo Day
May 14th – Board Chess Tournament
May 15th – Sub Day
May 15th – 1:15 pm - 2:45 pm - Grade 6 & 7
performance in gymnasium
May 16th – Jump Rope for Heart
May 19th – Victoria Day - no school for students
May 21st – May 23rd - Grade 7 students to
Ottawa
May 22nd – Pizza Day
May 24th – Mrs. Sebasta - 1st Communion 11:00 am - St. John the Evangelist Church
May 26th, 28th & 30th- Grade 3 EQAO Testing
May 27th, 29th & 30th- Grade 6 EQAO Testing
June 2nd& 3rd- Gr. 3 & 6 EQAO Testing Make Up
Days
May 26th –Just Catering for Kids
May 28th- Intermediate Flag Football
Tournament at RF Hall Secondary School
May 29th – Subway Day
June 2nd – Just Catering for Kids
June 2nd - June 3rd – Dental Screening for FDK
students and Grade 2 students
June 5th – Intermediate Boys Soccer
Tournament at Caledon Soccer Complex
June 6th – Grade 8 students to Mount Alverno
June 9th – PD Day – No School for students
June 10th – Intermediate Girls' Soccer
Tournament at Caledon Soccer Complex
June 12th – Track and Field Meet at St.
Marcellinus
June 16th – Talent Show
June 16th – Just Catering for Kids
June 17th – Talent Show
June 18th –Spirit Day
June 23rd – Just Catering for Kids
June 24th - Grade 8 Graduation
-3:00 p.m. – Mass at St. John the
Evangelist Church
-5:15 p.m. – Dinner at St. Cornelius
(students only)
7:00 p.m. – Graduation ceremonies at Robert F.
Hall S.S. Cafetorium
June 25th – Report cards
go home
June 27th – Last Day of
classes
Together in Faith and Excellence
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Together in Faith and Excellence
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