1355 Lansdowne St. W.
Peterborough, ON K9J 7M3
Phone: 705-748-6664
Fax: 705-742-1498
Principal: James Brake
Vice Principals: Tammy Horton
Susan Mooney
Holy Cross
Catholic Secondary School
Kindness ~ “BUT A SAMARITAN WHILE TRAVELLING CAME NEAR HIM… BROUGHT HIM TO AN INN AND TOOK
CARE OF HIM.”
Luke 10. 33-34
Principal’s Remarks...…
We’re on the Web!
www.hccss.ca
@HolyCrossPTBO
School Council Meetings:
All parents are welcome to
attend, held on the second
Wednesday of the month.
Next meeting: Wednesday,
March 9th @ 6:45 p.m.
Holy Cross Secondary School
Police Liaison Officer:
Parents or students with
concerns are welcome to call
Constable Alison Sharpe
(705)750-8916
Semester One at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary has come to a close, and we have already
swung into full gear for Semester Two. We should all reflect on the many remarkable things we
have accomplished this term both individually and collectively. It is also a time for us to review
progress and revisit plans for success and growth.
Option sheets for next year will be on every students mind. Our Grade 12 students are beginning to prepare themselves for what is coming beyond Holy Cross; for some, the arrival of letters of acceptance to college and university, and others, plans for work or travel coming to fruition after high school. All of this is very exciting. It can also bring on some anxiety. If you are
seeing this in your child, please contact us, and we can put some strategies in place.
We have recently submitted a new pending SHSM in Sport Excellence and Academic Leadership (SEAL) for Grade 11 students. We will also be creating a feeding pathway for grade 9 and
10 students (Jr SEAL). If you would like more information on the Specialist High Skills Major,
please contact our guidance department.
Semester Two always demonstrates dramatic flair at Holy Cross and I would ask you to join us
March 3rd, 4th, 5th, 2016 for the School Production of Meet Me In St. Louis. The excitement
never ends. School sports are looking for playoffs for some (Boys Hockey, Boys Basketball,
Girls Volleyball) and other programs are just gearing up (Archery, Curling and Badminton).
In closing, I wish all at Holy Cross and those connected to Holy Cross a rich second half of the
academic year. We are all blessed by a very talented community that is generous of heart and
filled with the Holy Spirit.
1355 Lansdowne St W
Peterborough ON K9J 7M3
Phone: 705-748-4861
Director of Education:
Barbara McMorrow
Superintendent of Schools:
Joan Carragher
Chair of the Board:
Michelle Griepsma
Trustees:
Christine Dunn
Helen McCarthy
Take care and God Bless,
James Brake
*NEW* PA Day - February 29th, 2016
Please be advised that an additional PA Day has
been added to the school Calendar this month.
There will be no classes for students on Monday,
February 29th, 2016.
Parent Teacher Interviews
will
be held on
We’re on the Web!
www.pvnccdsb.on.ca
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2016
From 3:30 pm ~ 7:00 pm
Hope to see you there!
@pvnccdsb
Report Cards will be sent home on
February 17th, 2016
$$$
School Cash Online
$$$
PVNCCDSB offers a secure payment option that
allows parents to purchase items and pay for student fees online 24/7 from the comfort of their
home. See the link on our website—www.hccss.ca.
Donations Needed of Warm Holy
Cross Uniform Clothing
If you have any Holy Cross uniform clothing that you would like to donate to the
school, (sweaters and pants are greatly
needed), please drop them off at the Main
Office during business hours. Thank you!
Dates to Remember
Feb 15 Family Day
Feb 17 Final Report Cards sent home
Feb 22-26 Anti-Bullying Week
Feb 24 Volunteer Fair 9am – 2 pm
Feb 24 Pink Shirt Day
Feb 24 Social Media Fitness—7 pm
Feb 26 Dress Down Day
Feb 26 24 hr Fast
Feb 29 PA Day *NEW*
Mar 3-5 ‘Meet Me In St. Louis’ 7 pm
Mar
9 Catholic
School Council
Principal:
Tim Ball
Meeting 6:45 pm
Vice Principal: Catherine Byrne
Mar 11 Progress Reports mailed home
Mar 14-18 March Break Week
Director:
John Mackle Interviews
Mar 23 Parent/Teachers
Superintendent:
Deirdre Thomas
Mar 25 Good Friday
Trustees:
JoeMonday
Whibbs, Lorne
Mar 28 Easter
Mar 31 OSSLT
Corkery,
Christine Dunn
Apr 6-16 Guatemala Trip
Apr 13 Catholic School Council
Meeting 6:45 pm
Apr 15 PA Day
Apr 26 Spring Concert 7 pm
Apr 29 Dress Down Day
May 1-7 Catholic Education Week
May 4 Mid-Term Report Cards home
May 4 Catholic Leadership Awards
Ceremony – 7 pm
May 5 Prayer Service
May 10 Catholic School Council
Meeting 6:45 pm
May 13-19 Quebec/Halifax Trip
May 23 Victoria Day
May 27 Dress Down Day
May 27 PROM
Community Service
Hours
R.J. McCarthy’s Store
Students can hand
their St. N.
461 in
George
signed volunteer community
Peterborough,
service hours form as soon as
741-0306
the task is completed. They do
not have to wait until they have
accumulated 40 hours or more.
Extra forms are available in the
Main Office and Guidance.
Please encourage your student
to hand in their form.
BUSSING INFORMATION &
CANCELLATIONS can be found
on the Transportation website:
www.stsco.ca
From the Music Room…….
Another semester has come and
gone. Congratulations to our grade
9/10/11 beginners for all their hard
work. You have accomplished a
great deal and should be very proud
of yourselves. Just a reminder, band practices are on Tuesday from 2:45-4:15pm. Attendance
is very important as we only have 6 rehearsals before our Kiwanis Festival performance
(March 29 or 30). Make sure you book April 26 for the Spring Concert. It will be a shorter
concert as we only have our 2 bands. I am hoping to have some small ensembles or soloist.
Please see me if you might be interested. We also have a concert band performance on May 4
for the Catholic Student Award. It will take place at our school and yes, we will play Star
Wars!
As of today, we have 35 students for the New York trip. I have also approached St. Thomas
Aquinas in Lindsay, to get a few more students to reach our 40 number and get our $789 price.
PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU NEED A PASSPORT!! As a teacher, I can sign as one of
your references. If you bring your information down to the passport office in Whitby, the turnaround time has been about 2 weeks. We will do another K-cup order to help you raise some
funds. The profit is about $4 per box you sell so you do need to push the orders. The hot
chocolate was very popular last time. We will have a meeting in the next week to get forms
out. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Mrs. Kraus
From Administration……..
FULL UNIFORM EXPECTATIONS
**Reminder ~ OSSLT (Literacy Test)
March 31st, 2016
It should go without saying that “ONLY MCCARTHY’S ISSUED CLOTHING” is to be worn in the school,
yet as of late the consistent use of Holy Cross uniform has slipped. The greatest concerns are as follows:
Boys wearing khakis that are not McCarthy’s issue
Girls wearing yoga pants and non-issued McCarthy’s bottoms
Students wearing non-issued sweaters, including SPIRIT WEAR items from teams and those purchased at the Business day *these items are for SPIRIT WEAR FRIDAYS
As stated in the school calendar the following are the days SPIRIT WEAR DAYS in the months ahead:
February
March
April
Friday, February 12th
Friday, March 4th
Friday, April 8th
Friday, February 19th
Friday, March 11th
Dress Down for
$2.00
Thursday, April 14th is NOT a Spirit Wear day
No Spirit Wear this week as there is a PA Day on
Friday, April 15th
Wednesday, Feb. 24th
PINK Day - pink shirts,
McCarthy’s bottoms in support
Friday, April 22nd
Friday, February 26th
Dress Down for $2.00
Friday, April 29th
Dress Down for $2.00
Thank you for everyone’s kind attention to this matter and we would also like to recognize the great majority of
students that are in full uniform every day.
From the Guidance Department……
Congratulations on finishing Semester 1! There is much to celebrate: the successful transition of our grade 9's to secondary school,
the re-adjustment to school, the applications of college and university bound students, the securing of apprenticeships for next year
and the attainment of graduation requirements, including community service hours!
We are very excited about the launch of a new program and SHSM (pending Ministry Approval to start next school year) S.E.A.L.
(Sports Excellence & Athletic Leadership). Students accepted into S.E.A.L. will take part in Dual Credit opportunities, receive mentoring and instructional opportunities from community partners as well as receive industry certifications (some examples include refereeing, athletic taping for injury and performance, CPR). Students will be invited to apply for this program at course selection time in
February. Students will be invited to also apply for our well established and very successful Aviation and Aerospace SHSM at course
selection time. Both of these Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSMs) run for a student’s grade 11 and 12 year and students graduating
from these SHSMs receive a special Red Seal O.S.S.D. (Ontario Secondary School Diploma) at graduation. The wonderful thing about
both of our SHSM’s is that they both feed into a variety of employment sectors, from Business and Management to more hands on
options (aircraft maintenance, physiotherapy, etc.) that are expected to experience employment growth. Please feel free to talk to us
about these opportunities!
There are many opportunities to explore here at Holy Cross. In addition to our SHSMs, there is also a Dual Credit running next year in
partnership with Fleming College for Manicure. Students can sign up for this opportunity, as well as many other experiential based
learning opportunities (e.g. Cooperative Education where a student completes a work placement, the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship
Program, and a full range of technologies listed in our course calendar). Consider the current pathway, academic performance in this
pathway, post-secondary requirements and interests while picking courses.
We look forward to a busy second semester. All grades will be receiving course selection presentations by Mr. Clarke and Ms. Hickey
the first week of February. Students will be asked to pick courses for next year on Career Cruising www.careercruising.com before
February 26th (Career Cruising will be locked for submissions after this date). We encourage parents to be active participants in the
selection of courses, and of course, we ask that you sign the course selection sheet and have your son/daughter return it to their
teacher. There will be a registration fee for next year ($20) that can be paid for on-line. Once this is completed, we can begin
the process of determining which courses will run for the following year and timetabling them for students. The student registration
fee helps support Retreat Programs, Student Council, Student Cards, Agenda Books, Locks and Locker, Athletic Program, Guest
Speakers and Graduation.
For students that are planning to attend college or university next year, information on OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) will be available in the early spring. We will have a speaker here at Holy Cross from Trent University and parents are more than
welcome to attend. Additionally, graduation information will be forthcoming in the spring for our June 29th graduation ceremony.
As always, please feel free to contact us regarding any academic or social/emotional needs. Good luck to everyone in Semester 2!
Meet Me In St. Louis
It's rare for a play to capture truly a special moment in time, a particular moment in the lives of some real people. This play
in a charming way that offers some touching moments, and some broad comedy scenes that we hope will stop the show
with laughter!
Four sisters (Kirsten Brown, Maggie Doris, Brooke Lawler, Bridgette Kelly), are all blazing with excitement over the wonderful World's Fair that is about to open right there in St. Louis.
The girls are also in a state about the love life of their only brother (Austin Kelly), whom
they suspect of ditching his sweet hometown girl (Angelina Haines) for a girl from New
York (Victoria Loucks). Father (John Kenny) breaks in an announcement. He's been offered
a better job in New York! This will mean leaving their home in St. Louis and missing
the fair! At this, the girls (including their mother, played by Claire Doris) unite for action.
We hope you can join us for an evening of entertainment, perfect for an audience of all
ages. Talented cast members also include Sam McCrae, Owen Nabuurs, Phil McQuade, Nate
Blundell, and of course, our talented stage and tech crew members!
Performances: March 3rd, 4th, 5th, 2016 at 7 pm in the Cafeteria
Tickets:
$8 for adults
$5 for students
Good News from the PVNCCDSB Religion Department…..
In the month of February, the Liturgical Season of the Church moves from Ordinary Time to the season of Lent, which begins on
Ash Wednesday, 40 days prior to Easter. The Liturgical Colour changes from green to purple. Every school in the Peterborough
Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board will be learning, praying and talking about the Fruit of the
Holy Spirit called Kindness. When we act for the benefit of someone else and expect nothing in return, the
fruit of kindness is revealed. In our homes, school and parishes, let us teach the Gospel stories of Jesus’ kindness so that students will become more aware of their own call to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and to act
kindly toward others.
February Feast Days, Solemnities, Memorials for whom our schools are named:
February 10
Ash Wednesday
February 22
The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter
From the Special Education Dept…….
Semester 2 is well underway in the Special Education Department. The LLS classroom and CASA have been enjoying weekly music
therapy through SoundSpeak music therapist, Caroline O'Grady. We have also started a weekly lunch group, 'Girls Space', led by
Ashley from the YWCA. This group meets twice each week during lunch to discuss healthy choices and positive relationships.
Please contact Mrs. Hawman if you would like to be considered for our next group session.
Attention Potential Grads: A representative from Sir Sandford Fleming College will be in the Guidance space
on Wednesday March 2, 2016 to talk about the self identification process for students with IEPs going to college in the fall. Please
sign up for this workshop outside Mrs. Hawman’s office - Room 125, next to the Cafeteria.
From the Chaplain…….
Greetings! I hope you had a blessed Christmas and New Year.
Here is an update of what is happening in the area of Chaplaincy at Holy Cross.
Last fall, leading up to our Advent season, we had our first Packs of Hope campaign; collecting backpacks for Guatemala. This campaign was very successful and thank you to everyone who donated backpacks for this drive. These packs will be distributed in Guatemala in April. In November our social justice group hosted their 5th annual Fair Trade Fair. This event was very successful, with
Ten Thousand Villages and Carolina’s Coffee on board. It was an opportunity for staff and students to understand the importance of
fair trade and to purchase items from all over the world, through Ten thousand Villages and Carolinas Coffee. In November the
grade 9’s also had their ½ day retreat with NET. This event was hosted in our Cafeteria with all the grade 9’s. It began with a Mass
and the NET band playing, followed by a rally. This enjoyable event that will be carried forward each year.
Our Advent season began with an Advent Mass, following with our Spirit of Giving Drive, where we collected outerwear for our
Syrian refugees. Thank you to everyone who donated to this drive.
Our Lenten season this year began with our Ash Wednesday Mass. As part of our Lenten journey, on Friday, February 26th, we will
be hosting a 24 hour fast. Students will be able to get their community service hours, with a minimum of $50 in pledges towards
Well of Hope. The students will fast from Friday morning until Saturday morning. They will also partake in a poverty meal on Friday
at lunch. More information will be available to the students in February.
On February 24th, Holy Cross will also be hosting its 2nd annual Volunteer Fair from 9 am—2 pm. There will be approx. 15 community organizations represented, in the main forum. Students will be able to find out how they can volunteer and get their community service hours. This is also an opportunity for our school to network and make connections with our agencies in our community. It is also an opportunity for parents to come out and see what volunteer opportunities are available to them. February 24th
is also our Pink Shirt day, where we invite our students to wear pink tops to show their support against homophobia.
On March 4th, we are hosing our 11th annual Silent Auction Bowling Night (adults only) at Lakeview Bowl. Tickets are $20 and
this includes snacks and your bowling shoes. All money raised will go towards projects in Guatemala. If you would like to financially
donate, or donate an item for this auction, or buy tickets, please let myself or Mr. Clarke know! This event has always been successful and fun, with over 120 participants coming out for the evening.
I hope this upcoming Lenten season holds many blessings for you. Thank you for all the support you have given us at Holy Cross
this year.
Teresa Cosentino, Chaplaincy Leader
Month of February Faith Focus and Year of Mercy
YEAR OF MERCY:
“Mercy that Forgives” (“La miséricorde qui pardonne”)
Jesus affirms that mercy is not only an action of the Father, it becomes a criterion for ascertaining who his true children are. In short, we are called to show mercy because mercy has first been shown to us. Pardoning offences becomes the clearest expression of merciful love and for us Christians it is an imperative from which we cannot excuse ourselves. At times, how hard it seems to forgive! And yet pardon is the instrument placed into our fragile
hands to attain serenity of heart. To let go of anger, wrath, violence and revenge are necessary conditions to living
joyfully. Let us therefore heed the Apostle’s exhortation: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph. 4:26).
Above all, let us listen to the words of Jesus who made mercy an ideal of life and criterion for the credibility of our
faith, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt. 5:7), the beatitude to which we should particularly aspire in this Holy Year.
~Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus (“The Face of Mercy”), Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Year of Mercy, #9
READING AND GUIDED REFLECTION QUESTION
The Parable of the Prodigal son and His Brother (Luke 15:11-32)
What are the obstacles that keep us from extending mercy to others? Why is it so hard to forgive?
When have I experienced the gift of mercy from God or from others? To whom have I been unwilling to extend that
gift?
From the Attendance Desk…….
Policy Reminders:
From the Religion Dept…….
(As Stated in the Student Agenda Book)
Fasting From Indifference
Absence
Once again Lent is here and we
look forward to a renewed focus
on our Spiritual life and practices.
In the past we have often thought
of Lent as something that we
suffer through in order to get to the joyous season
of Easter. More and more, we are realizing the value of Lent as a time of personal awareness and spiritual growth.
All students are expected to attend school regularly. Students who will be away from school for a known period
of time (i.e. vacation) must complete a Leave of Absence
Form and return it to the Office before the expected absence. If absence due to illness exceeds 5 days, a medical
certificate will be required.
Parents calling regarding absences should: state student’s name, date of absence, and reason for absence
(i.e. illness). Students returning from an absence must
present a detailed note signed by a parent/guardian or a
phone call may be made in lieu of a note—the school
has a 24 hour voice mail system if you need to call
after hours. [(705)748-6664 press 1 or extension 304].
Late To School
All students are expected to be on time for homeroom
and each class. If a student is late to school, a note or a
phone call from a parent/guardian is required. Punctuality shows responsibility and consideration for others.
Students late to class inconvenience the teacher, classmates and office staff. Punctuality is a good habit which
will be expected both on the job and in personal relationships. Good attendance is essential for continued
academic success and for active participation in the
school community.
While the recent trend has been to “take something
on” rather than to “give something up”, Pope Francis
reminds us that fasting is a virtue but only if our
self-denial is an advantage to others. We are encouraged not to deny ourselves those things that
are superficial, but those things that build up and
encourage others. He suggests that we fast
from Indifference. Indifference towards others
and towards God. To quote the Pope, “whenever our
interior life becomes caught up in its own interests
and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no
place for the poor”.
As always, you and your family are in the thoughts
and prayers of our faith community at Holy Cross.
Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario (STSCO)
If you wish to have an Out of Boundary transportation request reviewed by STSCO in advance of the start of the 2016/17 school year, you must
submit an Out of Boundary Student Transportation Request online at www.stsco.ca by May 31, 2016. Requests will be date stamped by STSCO
and reviewed on a first come, first serve basis. Please keep in mind that our first priority is to accommodate eligible students who live within the
school boundary and outside the school’s walk zone. New bus routes will NOT be created to accommodate out of boundary requests.
Should you have any questions regarding our services, please contact the STSCO office, at either (705)748-5500 or 1-800-757-0307, and speak
with your area Route Planning Specialist (Peterborough ext. 242, Northumberland ext. 232, Clarington ext. 231, and Special Needs ext. 241).
Aviation SHSM
Students enrolled in the Aviation SHSM have had a busy January. Completing authentic learning based
work - such as a wing profile - from design to manufacturing to finishing. As well, students have visited
Hamilton's Warplane Museum and tested their aerodynamic abilities at iFLY Toronto's world class indoor
skydiving centre.
If you have any questions regarding this program please contact Steve Nowak
snowak@pvnccdsb.on.ca.