Mother Teresa Catholic
School
110 Northgate Drive, Bradford, ON, L3Z 2Z7
(905) 778-8653
“SHARING THE SPIRIT”
March / April 2012
Lenten Journey Towards Easter
For some, Lent seems a
gloomy season, a time
for ashes and thoughts
of mortality. We fast
from certain pleasures
and struggle to become
a more loving person.
Not much cheer there.
In fact, Lent can seem
like a lot of hard work.
Excellence in Public Speaking
Congratulations to Drew and Danielle on their winning
speeches that garnered them a spot at the Lions’ Club
Speech Contest. What amazing speeches!
Congratulations to Allessandra, Giulia, Venezia, Toni,
Danica and Brianna who participated in the French
Speeches. Good luck to Venezia at the provincials.
Hockey Champions
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Yet Jesus tells us not to
look gloomy “When you
fast, do not look gloomy”
(Matthew 6:16). In view
of that, we might want to
consider this penance
for Lent: to fast from gloominess, that is, to fast from
complaining, from looking on the dark side of things, from
wearing a gloomy face, from snapping at others, from
feeling sorry for ourselves. If we do this, then our Lenten
journey will be characterized not by gloom, but by a deep
underlying joy that will renew our faith in the good news of
Jesus’ resurrection.
Adapted from Towards Glory, Lent in the Light of Easter from Sister
Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.
Supporting our Faith
Ways to Give: ShareLife Coin Collection
Every Lenten season, we demonstrate the strength of our
Catholic charity by raising funds for ShareLife. This year,
each class will again be collecting donations for ShareLife.
Students are encouraged to bring in their donations in
coins to fill their class’ ShareLife jar. Our school has
always responded generously to this charitable campaign.
We thank you in advance for your support.
Lenten Giving - Kenya
As part of their social justice project, and in support of
Holy Trinity’s Kenya mission, Mrs. Richardson’s class has
decided to help raise funds for Kenya. Each student is
asked to donate $1 towards this worthy cause.
MTB Arts & Sports
“HEROS”
This year, we will be producing an original play called
“Heroes”. It is based on an idea from a younger student
“Why don’t you ever do a play about superheroes?” and
written by three grade eight students and Mrs. L. Coo.
The play will be presented on Wed., May 9 (2 p.m. and
7p.m.) and Thurs., May 10 (7 p.m.) and will feature
performances by several classes, including Mrs. Dias,
Mrs. Bissonette, Ms. Theriault, Mrs. Newman, Ms.
Garagan, Mrs. Montevirgen, Mrs. Coo and Mr. Hughes’
classes, as well as some senior students. Mark these
dates on your calendar. Tickets will be available in late
April.
New this year and very proud of them. Our hockey team
won the South Simcoe Regional Tournament and have
been invited to show their skills at the County finals
(quater-finals on Apr. 3 and semi-finals on Apr. 4)
Thank you to all the parents and coaches who have
supported our first ever hockey team.
Basketball Champions
Our basketball teams continue to
make us all proud. At our regional
tournament held at Holy Trinity HS,
both our Senior Boys and Senior
Girls Basketball teams played with
skill and won the overall champion
titles. Way to go Tigers! We look forward to cheering on
our Junior teams as they prepare for their games and
regional tournament.
Important Safety Issues
MTB Parking Lot Closures
Each day the parking lot is closed to all traffic (Board staff,
buses, taxis, and cars with handicap designations are
excepted) from 8:35 am to 9:00 am and again from 3:00
pm to 3:30 pm. This procedure is in
place to ensure the safety of all of our
students. Parents are able to park in
the lot outside of the closure times,
provided there is space. Vehicles
parked in our parking lot from 8:359:00am and 3:00-3:30pm will need to
stay parked until all buses have left and a teacher has
given them permission to exit. Orange pylons are set-up
during these times to help manage the flow of traffic.
Please note, it is never permitted to park in the Bus/Fire
route or to leave cars unattended blocking cars in our lot.
Parking is available on the street.
Mind the Gap
At the end of the day, parents and guardians are
requested to wait for their children up on the sidewalk.
This will allow for buses, and taxis to safely access the
school driveway. Also, make sure that younger students
are being monitored closely. And never cut through traffic
or between the buses. Safety is everyone’s responsibility.
Skateboards, ect.
Good weather is upon us, and many
children wish to bring their skateboard,
scooter or in-line skates to school.
These items, while presenting a speedy
alternative to walking, present a safety
concern in the schoolyard. Therefore, we
recommend that these items not be
brought to school.
From the Desk of Mr. McDade
Safe Cycling
Please review safe cycling procedures at home. Please
be certain that the bicycle is road worthy and always wear
a helmet while cycling. Also,
students use bicycles at their own
risk. The school does not accept
responsibility for damaged or
stolen bikes.
Students should record the serial
number of their bike at home. All
students are reminded to chain
their bike to the rack on the North side of the school
beside the storage shed.
Community Matters
Bradford Boundary Review 2011/2012
As you may be aware, there is currently boundary review
for all Bradford area Catholic School in order to
accommodate for future growth within our community.
Each school, as well as community members has been
able to contribute to this process through boundary
meetings and two open houses. The proposed scenarios,
along with feedback from each school communities, will
now be presented to the Board trustees for final approval
and decision on boundaries. Photocopies of the proposed
scenarios are available at the school office.
Immunization Updates
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is required by
law to keep complete immunization records on every
school-aged child in Simcoe County and the District of
Muskoka. Unfortunately the health unit does not receive
immunization information directly from doctor’s offices; it is
the parent’s responsibility to give all immunization
information to the health unit. If your child’s immunization
record is not complete, you may receive a notice from the
health unit requesting dates for immunization or proof of a
valid exemption. You will also be advised that your child
may be suspended from school if the health unit does not
receive this information. Please check to make sure that
your child’s immunization information is up-to-date and
that the health unit has record of it. If you have any
questions or concerns, please call Your Health
Connection at (705) 721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520.
School Council Committee
At our last meeting, we discussed the following: current
financials, dance-a-thon, boundary review, yard
improvements, school hockey team, spirit days and grant
ideas. Our next council meeting is scheduled for
Tuesday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. All parents are welcome to
come and join us. Our council chair is Mr. Ben.
Safe Schools Team
Our school is committed to a safe and inclusive school
environment because we believe that safe schools are
needed for student success and academic achievement.
We are committed to providing all students with the
supports they need to learn, grow and achieve.
Safe School Team 2011/2012
Administrators: Mr. McDade, Mme Legault
Teaching Staff: Mrs. Bissonette, Mrs. Newman
Parent Representative: Mr. Ben
Community Representative: Constable Aschwanden,
Constable Hurley
Non-Teaching Representative: Mrs. Bauer
For this reason, each year our Safe Schools Team meets
to discuss issues regarding the safety and well being of
our students. Topics of discussion include: anti-bullying
programmes, school climate survey, lock-down and
evacuation procedures, by-laws and parking issues.
Lent is a liturgical season that lasts 40 days until Easter. It
is a time of penance, prayer, fasting and alms giving. The
colour of the season is purple and signifies penitence,
suffering and humility. During Lent, we enter a special
time of renewal and getting closer to God, our Father, so
let us journey together.
For Lent we renew our baptismal vows and remember that
God loves us so much that He sacrificed His only Son
Jesus for our salvation. Let us be grateful for Christ’s love
and His giving of Himself for us. We wholeheartedly love
God and others as we remember to enjoy, appreciate and
celebrate each other’s differences! We ask God to help
us show our love for Him and reach out to others by way
of faith, truth, compassion,
service, family, forgiveness,
justice, hope and love.
May God bless you and yours!
Mr. McDade
Kindergarten Registration
Starting Kindergarten is an exciting and special time for
parents and children. Our entire school community looks
forward to welcoming our youngest students as they begin
a lifelong journey of faith-filled learning.
To help parents and students get ready for this important
milestone, our Board has developed a fun and informative
package, including a parent booklet, child’s activity book
and DVD. We encourage parents who are looking to
register their child for Kindergarten to drop by the office to
pick up their copy of the package. You can also find all of
the information on our Board and school websites.
Kindergarten Registration
If you have a child who will be
4 years old by December 31,
2012 you can call the school
to make an appointment to
register your child starting in
February. Day and evening
appointments are possible.
The following documents are
required to register your child:
child’s birth and R.C. baptismal certificate, health card,
immunization record, parent’s R.C. baptismal certificate,
and current home tax receipt.
We are here to answer questions and help you prepare.
Please contact us for more information.
Events & Dates
April 3
April 11
April 12
April 18
May 9-10
GOTR / GOTrack begin
Family Photo Day
Domino’s MTB Fundraiser
Chess Tournament
Heros
Catholic Values
Each month, our school celebrates our Catholic Values
through our actions and words.
March
April
Witnesses of our Faith
Stewarts of the Earth