Yearly Archives: 2023

Good afternoon parents and caregivers.

At around 3:00 pm today, we received a phone call from police asking us to go into a Hold and Secure, which means everyone is to remain in the school building or their portable classroom until further notice.   Someone of suspicion had been spotted in the Resurrection School area and police were checking our trails for this person.  Police notified us around 3:30 pm that our school area had been cleared and that we could come out of our Hold and Secure.

Our students and staff were rock stars and listened to well to instructions.

Have a good evening.

Driving a bus full of students is not an easy job. Buses tend to be loud with many conversations taking place while the driver tries to focus on the traffic in front of him or her and make sure students remain safely in their seats. We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all our Bus Drivers today on “National Bus Drivers Day”.  You are sometimes the first smiling adult a child sees each morning and the last before they get home.  You always brave the weather to get our kids safely where they need to be, while being a shining example for students as you do it!  You are truly superheroes each day and we want to say THANK YOU!

A Special shout out and BIG thank you to Ms. Rowe, Ms. O’Leary, Ms. Kenning, Ms. Braendle, and Ms. Rodriguez for all you do! Our Kindergarten students are so blessed to have you educating them!  The staff and students at St. Dominic Savio School hope you have a wonderful day.

Good Monday Morning St. Dominic Dragon Community!

Last week ended with some lovely weather days allowing many classes to get extra physical fitness outside through DPA and gym class.  Friday brought about some extra fun excitement as all students gathered in the gym to watch Ms. Berg, Ms. McCallum and Ms. Carroll get pied in the face (a reward for our school meeting the Terry Fox fundraising goal of $1500.00 or more)! Congratulations to all students and families who contributed to meeting this goal for a good cause. Our dragon mascot also made his first appearance which elevated the energy in the gym.  It was a memorable day for all!

Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day is Tuesday, October 17th!

The staff and students of St. Dominic Savio School would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all our Early Childhood Educators today and on Tuesday which is Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day.  It takes a big heart to work with young children. We are thankful for your kindness, patience and efforts with our youngest learners.  Our students in Year 1 and Year 2 Kindergarten students learn and grow so much thanks to the work you do with them day in and day out.  Your endless patience, kindness, and enthusiasm with our youngest learners helps to create an environment that they want to be in, that their parents trust, and that builds the foundation for a wonderful educational experience for years to come.  We have 5 ECEs who work within the Extended Day and Kindergarten programs. We would like to recognize Ms. Rowe, Ms. O’Leary, Ms. Kenning, Ms. Braendle, Ms. Rodriguez for all they do! 

School Bus Driver Appreciation Day is Wednesday, October 18

Driving a bus full of students is not an easy job. Buses tend to be loud with many conversations taking place while the driver tries to focus on the traffic in front of him or her and make sure students remain safely in their seats. We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all our Bus Drivers today on “National Bus Drivers Day”.  You are sometimes the first smiling adult a child sees each morning and the last before they get home.  You always brave the weather to get our kids safely where they need to be, while being a shining example for students as you do it!  You are truly superheroes each day and we want to say THANK YOU!

Friday, October 20, 2023, is Canadian Library Workers’ Day

This Friday we also say a huge THANK YOU to all our Librarians and Librarian Technicians because it is “Canadian Library Workers’ Day”.  From cataloging so many books and resources, story time with classes, and supporting schools with technology and other resources, we say thank you to all of you. You are always ready to lend a helping hand and you all play valuable roles in our schools.  Thank you especially to Ms. Sathiaraj!  We hope you enjoy this day as it is dedicated to wonderful you!

October 31st – Halloween

On Tuesday, October 31st, students are welcome to come in that day in their Halloween costumes to enjoy a fun-filled day of dancing and class activities!  For students who do not want to wear costumes, they may instead choose to wear orange and black as an alternative.   As families begin to plan or create their costumes, please keep in mind the following:

• In our Catholic education community, we want to promote respect, inclusion, and empathy for all individuals.
• Costumes must allow the student easy, independent access to the washroom. This is especially important for students from kindergarten to grade 2.
• Costumes must allow the student to wear sufficiently warm clothing over or under the costume as weather/temperature dictates for outdoor recess.

Costumes must not:

• Impair vision.  Masks that cover the eyes are not permitted.
• Present a trip hazard to the wearer.  Students must be able to sit, walk, and move comfortably for the day.
• Represent disfiguring injury or, to put it bluntly, “blood and guts” as we have younger students who may be afraid.
• Include weapons or replica weapons!
• Require staff to apply or remove costume pieces and/or make-up.

It is suggested that students bring a change of clothes for the day so that if they are uncomfortable in their costumes, they can change.

Please remember that it is not necessary to send in treats for students as we have many students with food allergies.   If you would like to send something with your child, non-food items such as stickers, pencils, glow bracelets, etc. are preferred to share or hand out to friends.  If you were thinking of bringing food treats, they must be:

• • store-bought
  • labeled with the ingredient list
  • labeled as peanut/nut-free
  • individually wrapped

We do have multiple food allergies throughout the school, including but not limited to peanuts or tree nuts.   This is why we cannot share homemade treats/cupcakes/cookies etc.  Homemade treats cannot be passed out and will be sent back home.  Thank you very much for your understanding as we strive to include all of our school community members in the fun and joy of the Halloween spirit!

On Tuesday, October 31st, Student Council will be running a Halloween Just Dance Session in the gym for each grade division.  The schedule is as follows:

Kindergarten Dance -9:25-10:25 am

Primary Dance -10:55-11:55 am

Junior Dance -1:115-2:15 pm

Intermediate Dance – 2:40-3:30 pm

Glow sticks will be available through school “Cash Online” at a price of $1.00 for 2 glow sticks.  A limit of 2 glow sticks per child/ subject to availability.   Student Council will sort the orders and give them to teachers no later than Monday, October 30th.

“Free to Attend” – Level UP! Career Fair in the Skilled Trades for Parents and Guardians

Introducing Level Up! the Ontario-wide, multi-day career fair events that bring together the best in skilled trades professionals. Your child might not realize a career in the skilled trades is a great option for them to consider. This is your chance to help them explore the possibilities. Learn why the skilled trades are an ideal career for young people who are hard-working, hands-on, passionate, and committed to positively impacting society.

On the first day of each fair, parents and guardians are encouraged to attend an intimate evening event, which will include insights from and discussion with skilled trades and Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) representatives, as well as the opportunity to experience hands-on exhibits for yourselves. Enjoy interactive, hands-on experiences. Learn what’s next in the skilled trades. Speak to industry organizations, post-secondary institutions, businesses, associations and more.

Level Up Home Page

Dates:

• Level Up in Hamilton on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18
• Level Up in London on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2
• Level Up in Mississauga on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16

October as Autism Awareness Month, which aims to increase awareness and promote understanding and inclusion for people living with autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurological disorder that affects the way a person communicates and relates to the people and world around them. ASD can affect behavior, social interactions, and one’s ability to communicate verbally.  Please watch this short video, which aims to raise autism awareness among non-autistic audiences.

TVO Learn Mathify – Free Online Tutoring Gr. 4-12 – Math Support

TVO Learn Mathify provides FREE online math help for Ontario students in Grades 4-12. Students/families can use the link to access the math support: https://homeworkhelp.ilc.org/

Home and School Communication

Home and school communication are very important, please connect with your child’s teacher should you have any questions or concerns. Likewise, teachers will contact you directly if they have great success stories to share or any concerns as we value the home and school partnerships. If you are not sure how to contact your child’s teacher please log into their online D2L class or call the office.

Individual Education Plan (IEP) 

If your child has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) their documentation will come home this week. A reminder to our families to please review, sign the consultation page, and return to the school. Any questions can be directed to the classroom teacher, Ms. Paolo and/or Ms. Adeyemi our Special Education Teachers.

Community News: Annual Spaghetti Supper & Salad

Sunday, November 12^th from 5:00 to 7:00 in St. Mark’s Parish Hall (55 Driftwood Drive).  Sponsored by St. Mark’s Knights of Columbus.  Bring your family and friends for superb spaghetti, delicious salad, great dessert, hot and cold drinks and plenty of fun.  Don’t want to eat in the church hall?  Take-home will be available at 5pm.  Tickets will be on sale from Oct. 14 to Nov. 12 at the church after all weekend Masses.  Cost:  $15 Adult; $10 Child (4-12yrs); Free under 4yrs; Family $40 (2 adults/3 kids).  To reserve tickets, call John Deneau at 519-741-0434 or text 226-789-1094 or email jdeneau@sympatico.ca.  Thank you in advance for your support!

Have a divine week dragons!

Good afternoon, St. Dominic Savio Dragons!

If you have a student in our Extended Day program, please read the following information carefully as it pertains to the Christmas break and billing.  If you have any questions, please contact the office and we will direct you to the proper person to answer your questions.

Have a great afternoon!

Christmas Break Information

Good morning parents and caregivers.

We hope you have had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend so far and have enjoyed some extra time with family.

THANK YOU for your very generous support to our Thanksgiving Food Drive. Almost all classes were able to fill their BINGO food cards!  We collected over 20 big boxes of nonperishable food items.  Most of the items were delivered to the Food Bank on Thursday and no doubt made a difference to many families in the community.  Any late donations will be taken to the Food Bank on Tuesday.  THANK YOU!!

On Tuesday morning, students will participate in a Thanksgiving Liturgy with Deacon Phillip. It will be a wonderful way to end our Thanksgiving weekend and begin our school week. In the afternoon, an assembly will be held to recognize the student award winners of last month’s Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectation Winners of ‘I am a Caring Family Member‘. October’s focus of ‘I am a Responsible Citizen‘ will also be introduced for students to strive towards this month.

CSAC Meeting

Thank you to those who came out to our first Parent Council Meeting and who have given of themselves to be part of our Catholic Advisory School Council. Our first meeting demonstrated just how committed you are to the families of our school. I look forward to sharing all our great plans in upcoming updates.

Kitchener Public Library

Here are some of the super awesome programs and services offered at the Pioneer Park Library: Tween Scene Drop-In Program, Youth Drop-In Program and PD Day Programs. Please visit Pioneer Park Library – Kitchener Public Library (kpl.org) for more information.

Special Education

Individual Education Plans for Term 1 will be coming home soon.  You will find a Parent Guide here.  You can also find more information about the Special Education Program within our board at https://www.wcdsb.ca/programs-and-services/special-education/.-services/special-education/

Saturday Skills Builder Program

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board strives to create success for each and a place for all. St. Louis offers a program called Saturday Skills Builder and works with our day school elementary teachers to help students who need:

• more time and attention outside of school hours
• a different approach to learning
• to hear, see, and apply new knowledge more than once

Skills Builder is a literacy and numeracy support program for Gr 7 and 8 students attending ANY school within Waterloo Region.  If your child needs help to get through this transitional time and grades or study habits are suffering, encourage them to get the extra help they need.

Taught by Certified Intermediate teachers, Skills Builder will provide instruction and additional resources to assist with the skills and tasks that follow this year’s curriculum. For example, Skills Builder could prepare them for tests and assignments with a more solid understanding of concepts, math formulas.  When your child feels unsure and not following along in school, their confidence is affected.  Teachers make every effort to make this time on Saturdays, fun and engaging, using technology and online resources, videos, tactile activities, independent and group applications, appealing to every learning style.

Saturdays, 9:00am to 12:00pm 

October 21, 2023 to May 11, 2024

(No classes: Dec. 23, 30, 2023; Jan. 6; Feb. 17; March 9, 16, 30, 2024)

Registration Form

Community News:  

Attention Students in Grades 4 to 7

Sign Up

Parade Opportunity

Learning at Home

The Ontario Mathematics Curriculum can be found here.  If you have a child(ren) in Grades 6, 7, and 8 and are interested in Math Enrichment Activities, please see here.

Grades 7-10 Girls

Go ENG Girl @ Conestoga College is an exciting opportunity for grade 7-10 girls or non-binary youth and their parents/guardians to explore the field of engineering.  Come join us at Conestoga’s School of Engineering and Technology-Cambridge Campus, for fun, hands-on activities, inspiring guest speakers, and opportunities to connect with female engineering faculty, graduates, students, and professionals.  The Go ENG Girl event is free to attend.  Sessions are popular and often fill up, so be sure to register early to guarantee your spot: Go ENG GIRL @ Conestoga.  Mark Your Calendars for Saturday, November 12, 2022.

Halloween

Halloween is a fun and eventful occasion here at St. Dominic Savio Catholic Elementary School. In our Catholic education community, we want to promote respect, inclusion, and empathy for all individuals.  As our students and staff select Halloween costumes, we encourage everyone to reflect responsibly, be mindful of cultural appropriation, and create a welcoming school environment for all. All students are welcome to wear school-appropriate costumes. The costumes selected must be safe and not depict violence or gore. Face coverings, masks, weapons, and inflatables are not considered school safe. The costume should allow for movement and ease throughout the day. More specific details about costume selection will also be shared with students. Students may decide not to wear a costume. Anyone choosing not to wear a costume may decide to wear orange and black. This event is a fun-filled day for students to enjoy Halloween – on Tuesday, October 31st. Thank you for your support; St. Dominic Savio Families.

Catholic Graduate Expectation and Deep Learning Transferable Skill

October’s Catholic Graduate Expectation is to be a Responsible Citizen.  Students will engage in a range of classroom activities aimed at developing these skills throughout the month.

Transferable skills are the skills and attributes that students need in order to thrive in the modern world. Based on international research, the Ontario Ministry of Education has defined seven important categories of transferable skills – sometimes referred to as “competencies” – that will help students navigate the world of work and meet with success in the future.

During the month of October, as Catholics we will show transferable skills through collaboration, communicating, creating, innovating, solving problems in digital literacy, and being Responsible People.

Thanksgiving Prayer

Thank You, God, for all the wonderful blessings, for our daily meals, for clean drinking water and for sunlight, and for the cool breeze.
I’m thankful for my family, my friends, and my health. I’m thankful for my friends, to love and be loved. Thank You for this great country and for the freedom it offers.
I’m thankful to be alive and praise You for all these wonders. I’m thankful that You have been so gracious to give Your only Son to us who gave his life and bore the unbearable for us sinners.
On this Thanksgiving Day, I take the opportunity to give thanks for countless other things You provide us with on a daily basis.
Amen

Wishing you a prosperous week Dragons!

We wish all our students and their families a blessed Thanksgiving Weekend! A friendly reminder that there will be no school for students on Friday October 6th or Monday October 9th. Enjoy your long weekend!

The staff and students of St. Dominic Savio School would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all of the teachers today on “World Teacher Day”.  Without you, there would be no doctors, lawyers, CEO’s, engineers, authors … and the list goes on.   Today, we want to let you know that we recognize the sacrifices that you make in your personal time and your family time for our students.  We recognize the dedication that you demonstrate to your craft, inspiring students to understand an ever-changing curriculum and pushing them to learn more.  We recognize the genuine love you demonstrate for our students, as you take care of all our student’s needs – spiritual, emotional, and social.

Today we recognize YOU and the impact that you have on our world.  THANK YOU to all our teachers here at St. Dominic Savio School.  Keep changing the world!

The staff and students of St. Dominic Savio School would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all our Board Custodians and Maintenance Workers today.  Monday, October 2 is “National Custodial and Maintenance Worker Recognition Day”.  The role of the school custodian has changed immensely over the course of the past couple of years.  We can’t thank our custodial staff enough for their hard work, their dedication to the job and their continued role in the safety of all.

We would also like to thank the many board maintenance workers that work hard in all our schools, to keep things running smoothly.  Many times, your work is done in the early hours of the morning or the late hours of the evenings, and we don’t even see you in the building.  We do however, benefit from your hard work every day and recognize today, your important contributions to the success of our schools and our students.

THANK YOU to all of our Board Custodians and Maintenance Workers.

October has arrived with a beautiful entrance!  The warm sunshine and colourful trees with their glorious leaves; lures us to be outside amongst nature. The week ahead is forecasting very warm temperatures, ideal for lots of outdoor activities.

This past week we recognized National Truth and Reconciliation Week and Orange Shirt Day to honor and reflect on the history of residential schools and the survivors who live on today.  We, as a school, are committed to continuing these conversations to uncover truths and learn more about acceptance, forgiveness, and compassion for all.

Students also participated in our school-wide Terry Fox run.  A good time was had by all, and we manage to raise $1076.00 towards Cancer Research.  Thank you to all who contributed – know that you are making a difference!

We celebrated our first mass and liturgy of the school year.  Students were respectful and quickly remembered the routine responses and participated to the best of their ability. It was nice to be gathered as a whole community and powerful to pray together.

Today, Monday, October 2 is National Custodial and Maintenance Workers Recognition Day. 

We can’t thank our custodial staff enough for their hard work, their dedication to the job, and their continued role in the safety of all. Many times, their work is done in the early hours of the morning or the late hours of the evenings and goes without notice. THANK YOU!!

Welcome New Grade 5 Teacher!

We have a new teacher, Hilary Yousif, starting in the grade 5 class on Tuesday, October 3rd.  We thank Ms. Nicole Zuk (our music teacher) for starting our grade 5 students off in the right direction while we finished interviewing and hiring.  Please welcome Ms. Yousif if you happen to see her outside for duty.

Spirit Wear is still on Sale

Please take a look at the following link: Spirit Wear Order Form.  The Spirit Wear link will stay open until October 5th at midnight and then any orders will be processed at that time. We will let you know the expected date of delivery once we close orders on October 5th.  All orders are done online through the website:  Schooltee.com. Put in access code: STDO.KIT at the top of the page and start shopping!

Every Wednesday is School Spirit Day!

Thursday, October 5: World Teacher’s Day

On Thursday we say a huge THANK YOU to all St. Dominic Savio teachers on ‘World Teacher Day’.  It is a day to let our teachers know that we recognize their hard work, the sacrifices they make in their family time for our students. We recognize their professional dedication as they inspire students to learn and understand the ever-changing curriculum. We recognize the love and patience they demonstrate to our students as they take care of the spiritual, emotional and social needs of each child. On Thursday we recognize their impact and their efforts to make a difference for our students. 

CSAC Meeting on Tuesday, October 3rd

We will have our first CSAC (parent council) meeting @ 6:00 pm on Tuesday, October 3rd in the Learning Commons (library).  New members are always welcome, and no experience is necessary.  Come and find out what the parents in our community are doing to make our school a better learning place for our students.

October’s Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations and Deep Learning Skill

October’s Deep Learning Skill is Digital Literacy.  By focusing on the Ontario Catholic Graduation Expectations of being a Responsible Citizen, our students will learn how to treat and interact with others as Jesus would want them to.  They will also show their commitment to be peacemakers in a digital world and to stand up for what is right.   Students will join together to develop these skills throughout the month.

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month!

October is Cyber Security Awareness month, and you can be a Cyberhero! Throughout the month of October, we will learn more about digital wellness, cyber scams, and best practices for social media.

Professional Activity Day: Friday, October 6th

Just a reminder that this Friday, there is no school for students as it is a Professional Activity Day.  Here is a link to our Board’s school calendar.  The link also provides an outline of the professional development and training staff will be engaged in.   https://www.wcdsb.ca/our-schools/school-year-calendar/

Have a wonderful week Dragons and enjoy the blessing of the warm weather ahead of us!