Home & School March 2018 ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 287 IMPERIAL RD. S. GUELPH N1K 1Z4 519-821- ATTENDANCE LINE: (519) 821-9169 WHOSE HOUSE? OUR HOUSE! Lent On February 14th, we gathered as a school community to celebrate Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is a season of penance, reflection and fasting, which prepares us for Christ s Resurrection on Easter Sunday. We will be celebrating our next school mass on Tuesday, May 15th. Parents and extended family members are most welcome to join us. Sacrament Information for Gr. 2 Students On Saturday, April 14th at 11:00 am the grade two students will celebrate their First Reconciliation at St. Joseph Church. First Communion for our grade two students will take place on Saturday, May 5th at 11:00 am at St. Joseph s Church. Please keep our grade two students in your prayers as they prepare for and fulfill these holy sacraments. Kick off March Break with a Movie Night Family Movie Night will be held on Friday, March 9 th. The doors will open at 6 pm and the movie will start at 6:30 pm. This is a free school event and all children MUST be accompanied by an adult. Popcorn will be made available for purchase for $1.00. Please bring the correct change if possible. Science Fair MARCH BREAK Monday, March 12th to Friday, March 16th inclusive. "The students participated in a guided inquiry process to complete a personally designed science experiment following the Scientific Method. Congratulations to all students including our finalists moving onto the WWRSEF in April. Colin C. & Joshua C. "The Secret Behind Boiling Water Anja K. & Aleah D. "Purple Produce" Brooklyn S. & Karleigh D. "Soak it Up" Aidan D. & Mason B. "Naturally Clean" Haley S. & Georgia B. "The Test for the Mess" Kate D. "Expired Experiment" Matthew B. "Long Live the Flowers" Eryn L. & Paige A. "Mild Medium Old, Which one will Mold?" Kate H. & Abigael T. "Berry Gross" Gella O. & Olivia J. "Dabbled with an Apple" St. Patrick s Day Dance St. Francis will be hosting a St. Patrick s Day Dance on Wednesday, March 28 th for students in Grades Jk - 8. Through the leadership of our students in Grade 1/2, we are asking for a donation of $1.00 to support Hope House. ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.aspx
March 2018 Page 2 HOME & SCHOOL NEWS Thanks! A special thank you to our many parents who have offered their time to volunteer and assist at the school. A special thank you goes out to Maria Gazzola and Shellie McGarr for their dedicated support on pizza days. Your time and efforts are very much appreciated. We would also like to thank Paula Lannutti for organizing our Pancake Day again this year, and the many parents who helped make the day a success. Library News March will kick off our 4th annual Winter Reading Challenge! Students will be invited to track their reading from March to May, and submit ballots at the library for a chance to win prizes at our next Scholastic Book Fair, May 21-25th. The more you read, the better your odds of winning! Students who wish to participate should inquire at the school library or check the library's webpage for more details https://wellington.insigniails.com/library/home Brad Cremasco, St. Francis School Librarian Oral Communications Congratulations to all our finalists in the Oral Communication festival that was held on January 31st in our school gymnasium. Our junior finalist was Erika L. with her speech on The Bermuda Triangle. Our intermediate finalist was Zack S. with his speech on What it is like being a Red Head. These two participants did a fantastic job and we wish them much success when they represent St. Francis at the board finals that will be held at St. Michael School on February 6th. We commend all of the students for presenting their speeches. Junior Finalists Ava B. The Clinic Shawn B. The Bermuda Triangle Christian A. FIFA World Cup James F. Global Warming Faith S. Life Cycle of a Cat Vivian H. Stress Jessica B. Book Wonder Erika L. The Bermuda Triangle Intermediate Finalists Colin C. Competitive Sports are Good for You Anja K. Time Passes Zack S. What it is Like Being a Red Head Alexandra R. Top 5 Reasons Speeches are the Worst Matthew B. If Wishes Came True Jadienne S. What it s like Being Fun Size Next Parent Council Meeting Monday, April 9 th at 6:30pm
March 2018 Page 3 HOME & SCHOOL NEWS Girls Basketball The St. Francis girls basketball team had a great season this year. We are truly proud of their sportsmanship and how well they represented the St. Francis community at the tournament at St. Ignatius. The girls won many of their games this season and built confidence in their abilities. The team missed out on the championship game by only one point! Great season ladies! Boys Basketball The St. Francis Boys basketball season just wrapped up. After 2 months of practicing and exhibition games the team concluded their basketball season with the large school tournament at St. Ignatius School. The Falcons came out of the gate flying and won their first two games, but unfortunately lost the final round robin game. They finished the round robin with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. This record was good enough to earn them a spot in the Championship game. After a tough start in the first half and being down by 14 points, the boys battled back and tied the score with 33 seconds remaining. Unfortunately, the boys were not able to play spoiler and did end up losing the game by two points. Final score 32 vs. 30 for Holy Trinity. The boys showed tremendous determination, heart and passion throughout the season. They made outstanding improvements in all areas of their game. Coach Chisholm is proud of the resiliency and sportsmanship the boys displayed all season. Congratulations Falcons on a fantastic season! Best Wishes Mrs. McElhone! We extend our very best wishes to Mrs. McElhone as she begins her maternity leave. This is such a wonderful time for your family... congratulations!!!
March 2018 Page 4 HOME & SCHOOL NEWS MY.2 CENTS Mike McCuen child and youth worker She keeps taking my stuff and going into my room!!! Mom, she is bugging me again!!! Dad, He hit me first!!! Does this sound familiar? If you have more than one child it should and it is known as Sibling Rivalry. Sibling conflict is very common and it has been around forever. Although sibling rivalry can be upsetting for parents it can be beneficial for your children in developing important social skills such as conflict resolution, comprise, and negotiation skills. This feuding also can assist you in teaching your children the important lesson that the world is not always fair place. Below you will find some tips and suggestions on how to help you children through their almost every day conflicts with one another. Let them work it out Remember the purpose of sibling rivalry is to learn how to resolve conflicts with one another. Let your kids work out their disputes themselves. Give them direction when necessary, but try to give them as little guidance as possible. Motivate them to resolve the conflict Coach your kids, and give them ideas on how to resolve their conflict. My favorite is, one divides and the other decides, if they are permitted to share the last can of pop have them decide who is going to divide the pop and who gets to choose first, this will eliminate the HE GOT MORE THAN ME fights. If your kids are fighting over a toy you can take the toy away and explain to them that you will give it back once they have come up with a plan on how they are going to share it, you will be surprised how quickly your kids will work it out together. Be the Parent Although these conflicts are common you as a parent can do your best to prevent them from occurring in many different ways such as: setting clear and consistent family rules and consequences if they are broken, make sure kids have their own space, give your children the one to one attention they each need (to avoid them competing for attention), have fun together as a family. Your duty as a parent is to help your children solve and work through their problems in an acceptable form; it is not your job to solve their problems for them. Allowing your children to work through their conflicts on their own will assist them in dealing with the possible bigger ones they may face in the future, with the knowhow and confidence that they will need to be successful. Resource: Anthony Kane MD, Dan Harkness PhD & Jennifer Pendly Phd On Wednesday March 28, Mike McCuen our Child and Youth Worker is offering the opportunity for parent meetings from 9:15 to 1:30. These will be private appointments. If you are interested in meeting with Mike, please contact him at michael.mccuen@wellingtoncdsb.ca to book an appointment.
March 2018 Page 5 HOME & SCHOOL NEWS Intramural Schedule SUN MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SAT 1 2 3 Grade 5 Chuck the Chicken 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Grade 2 Fireball Grade 3 Owl Grade 6 Grade 7 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 MARCH BREAK 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 FDK Duck, Duck, Goose Grade 1 Rock, Paper Scissors Grade 4 Jewels Grade 5 Chuck the Chicken 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Grade 2 Fireball Grade 3 Owl Grade 6 Grade 7