Students at Pius XII school celebrated World Smile Day on October 5th, 2012. On this day, people are called around the world to be thoughtful of others and use the power of a smile and a kind act to make a small difference in the world we live in. At Pius XII school, the hallways and classrooms were filled with smiles and ‘Caught in the Act of Kindness’.
Category: Schools
Learning about Aboriginal Culture at St. Bernadette
Students in grade 1 at St. Bernadette Catholic School gathered in a circle around Aboriginal Educator, Joel Agowissa recently. Joel is sharing his knowledge of aboriginal teachings and traditions with the students.
Thanksgiving at St. Andrew
On October 5, 2012, the students, staff and parents of St. Andrew school were led in a beautiful Thanksgiving prayer service by the grade 2 class and their teacher Mrs. Vervega. Every child in the class participated in some way to enhance this service. All were left with a warm feeling of gratitude and thanksgiving for all the wonderful gifts God has bestowed on us. St. Andrew School community wish parents, students and staff a blessed Thanksgiving.
St. Anne Angels Thankful for Their Many Blessings
Students, staff, parents, and the greater St. Anne Catholic School community joined together in a Thanksgiving prayer service. The school gymnasium was filled to capacity as Father Michael, parish priest of St. Kevin’s and Our Lady of Peace Parish, led everyone into prayer. Students listened attentively to the gospel’s message: let us be thankful for our many blessings. The walls of the gymnasium echoed the beautiful sound of children’s voices as the entire school joined together in prayer and song. The students willingly offered examples of things for which they are thankful: love, God, family, and food were at the top of the list. Father Michael reminded students that they should also be thankful for the gifts and talents each received from God.
Thanksgiving at Pius XII
Pius XII, Grade 1 students celebrated and learned about Thanksgiving as classroom teacher, Judy Bowes, taught the students about the importance of giving thanks, not just on Thanksgiving holiday, but on everyday. The students celebrated beginning with a procession, displaying artwork and dancing the ‘Circle of Friends’. Prior to celebrating with a healthy feast of cheese, crackers, fruit and vegetables, students expressed prayers of thanks – especially Mrs. Bowes for “letting us have a fun time celebrating Thanksgiving”.
St. Anne Leads the Way to Wireless Technology
Staff and students at St. Anne Catholic Elementary School in Hanmer are excited to showcase the new technology that recently rolled into their school. Last year, teachers in the Intermediate division submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Education to increase student achievement in writing. This proposal, with a focus on assessment for learning and the imbedded use of technology, was approved in February 2012. The $45,000 grant allows for the purchase of a 2 to 1 student iPad program.
The students at St. Anne Catholic School were fascinated when the new technology was finally incorporated into the classroom. Learners started the week with interactive math lessons delivered wireless through the magic of Apple TV. “It was so great to see our classroom go wireless! We were able to answer questions from our own group and our responses were projected on the large screen using our iPads. Everyone in the classroom was able to work together to solve group problems,” said Davey Meeks, Grade 8 student at the school.
Providing effective and timely feedback to students is a corner stone of the proposal. Each teacher received live scribe pens to help achieve this important goal. The pens allow for the delivery of interactive audio descriptive feedback. Students can now better understand how to improve their work and set next steps. “It was awesome to hear suggestions of how to improve my work. I can listen to suggestions over and over, and improve as I move along,” said Christopher Balaz, a student in Grade 8.
The Ministry of Education allotted a portion of the grant to be spent on the professional development of teachers and collaboration with community partner. St. Anne Catholic School is a dual track Kindergarten to grade 8 school, offering programs in both English and French Immersion, as well as the Full Day Kindergarten program.
World Teacher Day
Pius XII Catholic Elementary School Grade 2 student, Paige Del Pivo, wants to be a teacher when she grows up because “I get to read lots of books and I get to sit at the desk and check work to see if it is right or not”. October 5th is World Teacher Day and she told her teacher, Jennifer Lillie, that she is “the best teacher!”. We wish Paige all the best with her dreams to be a teacher when she grows up.
University Information Night – October 15, 2012
There will be a University Information Night on Monday, October 16, 2012 for all students interested in finding out more information about Ontario universities. Representatives from all 21 of the provinces universities will be on hand to answer any questions from prospective students including admission requirements, residence, scholarships, application processes and much more. Students and their parents or guardians will be able to attend three different presentations from universities that will be thirty minutes in length. After each presentation, a question and answer period will follow. This university information night was created to help students in their decision making process before they apply to universities beginning January 2013. This event will be taking place at Lockerby Composite School from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Buster the Bus at St. Bernadette
Buster the Bus paid a visit to St. Bernadette Catholic School on Wednesday October 3rd. All students gathered in the gym and participated in a presentation which focussed on the importance of bus safety. The presentation included Buster the Bus himself; a talking and moving bus, a sing-along, an interactive presentation, and a trivia game. The students at St. Bernadette loved learning about bus safety and are enthused about making the right choices while riding to and from school on the yellow school buses.