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ISSUE 1
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
2008
Message from Administration
4525—49 Street N.W.
to St. Vincent Families
Calgary, Alberta
T3A 0K4
Phone: (403) 288-8141
Dear Parents and Friends of St. Vincent de Paul School: WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE
We would like to thank all of the parents that joined us at our Opening
Staff List........................... 2
Celebration at St. Luke’s Parish. It is always great to have the entire school
community together to celebrate our faith. We extend our thanks to Father Homework Tips ............... 3
David for his message about our patron Saint. Counselor’s Chat ............ 4
Library/Athletic................ 5
October is a very busy month with many events and activities planned. Check
LINKages/Charity ............ 6
the calendar of events in this newsletter.
Academics ..................... . 7
All parents are welcome to join us at our next School Council meeting on School Council/Nurse... . 8
October 8th at 9:15 a.m. School Calendar.............. 9
Email form…………….…10
Here’s to a great month!
Sincerely,
Luigi Fortini Alex Kingston Feedback Question
Principal Vice-Principal
How was your child’s start
up this year?
Call us or e-mail us at
st.vincent@cssd.ab.ca
CALGARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
FALL 2008 NEWSLETTER Page 2
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SCHOOL
STAFF LIST
2008 – 2009
ADMINISTRATION
Principal ....................................................... Luigi Fortini
Vice Principal ................................................ Alex Kingston
Counselor ....................................................... Nicole Lefaivre
HOMEROOM TEACHERS ADDITIONAL TEACHERS
Kindergarten (a.m. only) .............................. Lori Bothwell Elementary Music ............................................Adeline Ridley
Grade 1 ............................................................ Marlana Gordon Art ......................................................................Andrea Dosne
Grade 1/2 ........................................................ Diane Stinert Foods & Fashion ..............................................Silvia Ghidina
Grade 2 ............................................................ Erin Kolla Applied Technology........................................Pat Graham
Grade 3 ............................................................ Maria Venturo Jr. High P.E........................................................Lisa Guderyan
Grade 4............................................................. Sandra Sambucci Band…………………..………………Malcolm Mackenzie
Grade 4 ............................................Angela Sirianni-Kinnaird Elementary........................................................Crystal Bertsch
Grade 5 ............................................................ Claire Hlousek Junior High........................................................Jennifer Quong
Grade 6 .......................................................... Ian O’Neill E..S.L. Teacher..................................................Elisé Saraceni
Grade 7DOS ................................................... Andrea Dosne
Grade 7JAM ..................................................... Shannon James
Grade 7NIC ..................................................... Paul Nickerson
SUPPORT STAFF
Secretary.......................................…………Jan Moskwa
Grade 7WHI.................................................... Raquel Whicker
Clerk Typist..................................…………Lesia Hildebrandt
Librarian ........................................…………Michelle Catonio
Grade 8MAR.................................................... Daralee Martell
Special Ed. Assistant....................……Louise Crowe-Swords
Grade 8RYB..................................................... Peter Rybicki
Special Ed. Assistant....................………….Barbara Fiselier
Grade 8TOM................................................... Erin Tomaszewski
Special Ed. Assistant....................………….Donna Charron
Grade 8WOIT................................................. Greg Woitas
Special Ed. Assistant....................………Phyllis Kruszelnicki
Special Ed. Assistant....................…………Colleen L’Henaff
Grade 9BOL .................................................... Karin Boldt
Special Ed. Assistant....................…………Jill Wyatt
Grade 9MIL ...................................................... Robert Miller
Grade 9SIR ....................................................... Mary Sirianni
Grade 9TATE .................................................. Stephanie Tate
Grade 9VIN...................................................... Brad Vinnell Noon Hour Assistant.................………….Beril Kenny
Noon Hour Assistant.................………….Pauline Malig
ES1 ............................................................. ……Stephanie Shlahetka Noon Hour Assistant.................…Michelle White-Hanson
ACADEMIC SUPPORT TEACHERS CARETAKING STAFF
Resource Support........................................... ..Brenda Sledzinski Head Custodian...........................………….Mike Pritchard
J.H. Learning Support ..................................... ..Nancy Schmaltz Night Custodian ..........................………….Stephen Au
Night Custodian ..........................………….Anna Bindas
Please note: All staff can be reached by e-mail as everyone is
online. Feel free to contact the staff electronically as follows
(all lower case):
first.lastname@cssd.ab.ca
(e.g. luigi.fortini@cssd.ab.ca)
FALL 2008 NEWSLETTER Page 3
NEWS ABOUT STUDENT ABSENCES HOMEWORK TIPS
Parents please note: When your child is late or absent Homework is a fact of life. Here are some positive reasons for
from school the office must be notified prior to their doing homework.
absence/late with the student’s name, homeroom and
reason for absence. Feel free to • Homework encourages you to practise skills you
call the office the evening before have not fully mastered.
and leave message on the • It gives you opportunities to review skills you might
answering machine or in the forget.
morning before class begins. It is • It enriches your store of general knowledge.
imperative that we are contacted • It teaches you responsibility.
prior to their absence otherwise • It allows for tasks that are too time consuming to
time is wasted trying to locate finish during regular school hours.
So stop making excuses
them.
and
Also, if you need to take your child out of school during JUST DO IT.
the day, please write a note in their agenda and have them Make homework your first priority before TV, time with
waiting at the office for pick-up. Paging the classroom for your friends, extracurricular or even a job.
your child interrupts class instruction. Remember to sign
your child out in the “Student Sign-out Book” before Parents are encouraged to access our Homework
taking them out of the school. Hotline at: www.cssd.ab.ca/schools/stvincent
PLEASE NOTE Although many students define homework as “the work
not completed in class”, there are many activities that
In response to the increasing number of families who are can be considered homework. Activities such as
schedule vacation s or student activities during school reading, playing scrabble, certain card games,
days, please note this clarification regarding attendance educational computer games, word games, memory
and the student’s responsibility for catching up on the games, and number games are different ways of
concepts that are missed during absences. reinforcing your child’s learning.
Any student who is absent due to vacation or a non-school
Time Management Skills
activity during school days is recorded as having an
unexcused absence in the student’s permanent record. If
• Look at the big picture and plan accordingly.
the student is going to miss school for a vacation, the
Meals, sleep, family time, recreation time and study
parent/guarding must discuss the rationale for the
time are all important.
absence with the principal.
• Prioritize your work.
It is unreasonable for parents to expect that when • Do the hardest tasks first when you are fresh and
students miss school for an extended period of time, they ready to work.
will be able to catch up in all areas when they return. • Make efficient use of class time.
Teachers are not responsible for assigning homework prior • Leave room for the unexpected – be flexible.
to the student’s absence, although they may choose to • Back plan – start with the due date and plan what to
indicate the concepts that will be missed during unexcused
do on each of the days leading up to the final due
date.
absences. Students will be held responsible for catching
• Think up ways to speed up the process of some
up on the work they have missed upon their return to
tasks, particularly if it is a task you do often.
school.
If you have any questions, please contact the school at If you have any questions or concerns, please contact
403-288-8141. me at St. Vincent de Paul School at 403-288-8141.
Mr. L. Fortini Mrs. A. Kingston • Ms. Nicole Lefaivre, Counselor
Principal Vice-Principal
FALL 2008 NEWSLETTER Page 4
Counsellor’s Chat SCHOOL COUNSELLOR ACCESS:
Students and parents can make an appointment to see me. If it
with Nicole Lefaivre is an emergency I will see you right away. If not, I will see you
as soon as possible.
School Counsellors Are:
Professionals who are trained to help others realize the full CONTACT:
potential as human beings by helping people to:
St. Vincent de Paul School at 288-8141 if you would like any
further information.
• relate effectively with others
• maximize their academic potential
• deal effectively with personal
problems which impede educational CCAT TESTING—Grade 4 and 7
achievement, career development
In October, our Grade 4 and 7 students will be writing the
and social growth Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test (CCAT). These written tests
• acquire the knowledge, skills, will be administered beginning October 15 under the direction of
attitudes and habits necessary Mrs. Lefaivre, our school’s Guidance Counselor. It will not be
for the world of work necessary for students to study special material prior to the test.
• provide information regarding
available education and treatment The purpose of the test is to provide further information for
services making professional educational decisions regarding
• help students assess strengths and individualized instruction and screening for further assessment
develop a positive attitude and/or intervention.
• help students transition into junior
W
and senior high school
elcome back! It’s that time of the year
again. Time to organize yourself so you
get your homework done, make all soccer
What Does a Counsellor Do? practises and games plus get to your guitar
lesson on time. Noting that students who take an
organizational approach to studying generally do better, St.
Consult with school staff and parents Vincent de Paul staff is attempting to teach organizational
regarding: skills through the health curriculum. One such teaching
venue is the school agenda. The successful
• attendance implementation of the planner will result from a team
• academic achievement approach. Active support of staff, parents and student will
• student physical and emotional well being yield the best result.
• school adjustment
• conflicts between home and school • Students are encouraged to enter all assignments,
• the school resource team record personal and social information and
commitments in order to avoid conflict.
Coordinate: • Parents can be actively involved in the education
• the guidance and counselling program
process of their child by reviewing the agenda with
• educational and occupational information them and sharing strategies on how to use it
• special programs effectively.
• community resources
• individual and group counselling • Teachers can actively encourage the use of the
• referrals to system personnel agenda for assignment and record keeping.
• high school registration Through consistent use, the daily planner can help
• community of caring reinforce the teacher’s instruction, stimulate development
of student’s organizational plan, and expand study skills.
CONFIDENTIALITY:
Agendas are available for students from grades one to nine.
In general what the students say is kept confidential unless the If a student should lose their agenda, there is a $10.00
student is in danger to their person or others.
replacement cost.
FALL 2008 NEWSLETTER Page 5
LIBRARY NEWS ATHLETIC NEWS
Wake up . . . READ . . . make coffee . . . READ . . . sit outside
September is done and Vikings athletics is in full swing. The
on the deck . . . READ . . . off on the
180 runners that will represent St. Vincent at the Cross-
boat . . . READ . . . drink lemonade . . .
READ . . . throw some food on the BBQ . .. Country Championships are in the midst
READ . . . sit on the swinging chair . . . of their final preparations before race
READ . . . get PJ’s on . . . READ . . . sleep.
day. The big event takes place on
That was a typical summer day for me Monday, October 6. The location is
(well, maybe not everyday)! How many books did you read
Canmore Park, which is on the west side
this summer??
of 10th Street N.W. across from
It was a slow start for the library this year . . . Many
Confederation Park. Grade 9 boys run
apologies . . . But we are now up and running full steam
ahead. All your children get to enjoy our library at least first at 12:00 p.m., followed every 15
one period in a 6-day cycle. This is great news for me!! minutes by the next group, finishing up with the Grade 7
Unfortunately, I am only here at school until 2:00 p.m.
Girls at 1:15 p.m. We need at least 18 parent volunteers, so
everyday so there are a few classes I
look for a permission slip to come home with your runner this
don’t see regularly. For the new students
at our school, our library is open every week.
day at 21:15 for our use to catch up on
Volleyball season is also in full swing. The
homework, study or read a book.
Senior Boys team, coached by Mr. Rybicki,
Every year I organize a Book Fair and
Book Swap. This year we will again host Owl’s Nest sport a 6-1 record, their only loss coming
Bookstore for our Book Fair. The Fair coincides with our in a hard fought battle in the finals of the
November/December Parent-Teacher interviews. Please St. Joan or Arc Tournament. The girls are
make sure you stop by the library to check out the amazing
currently 6-0, having won the St. Joan of
titles.
Arc Tournament, defeating St. Greg’s 2-0
Also, sometime in early Spring we will have our 4th Annual
in the final. The Vikings are at the Bishop
Book Swap and Sale. Date to be announced.
Carroll feeder school tournament this
I hope all of you have an amazing year and travel through
many exciting pages!! coming weekend, and our 15th Annual Viking Invitation begins
on Monday, October 6 here at the school. The girls play on
Good reading to you.
Thursday, October 9, the boys on Friday, October 10, and
* Mrs. Catonio
Librarian the playoffs go on Saturday, October 11. Go Vikings!
Also, look out for an information package that
will be going home in the next couple of weeks
regarding Karate. Every three years our
Junior High students receive instruction from
PAPER RECYCLING VOLUNTEERS the Goju-Kai Karate School. The cost is $20
per student and they will receive six full
Thank you to those parents who have come forward to help
out with our school’s paper recycling. So classes of instruction. This unit begins on
far we have two volunteers who come on November 19 and runs until December 6. It is
Fridays to collect our paper recycling; an awesome opportunity for many to try something new!
although we could always use mare hands
Until next time...
to help. If you are interested, please
contact Ms. Whicker at the school. Mr. B. Vinnell
Physical Education Coordinator
FALL 2008 NEWSLETTER Page 6
LINKages SCHOOL WEAR
This year St. Vincent de Paul students will
The LINKages program is off to a great have the opportunity to order school hoodies.
start The program coordinators had a
The hoodies will be black with a full zipper and
very hard time choosing the 26 orange writing. They will have the Viking
students who would be partnered with crest on the front and the word “Vikings” on
12 seniors. I would like to take this the arm. The cost per hoody will be $35 each.
time to say “thank you” to all who Order forms will be going out on October 2,
applied. If I could have taken all or you in the program I 2008.
would have…
The schedule this year is as follows: HELP THE NEEDY
St. Luke’s “Help the Needy” Food Bank drive is beginning at our
Oct. 7—training at school school on October 1. Students are asked to bring in items for
Oct. 21—orientation at Brentwood our Thanksgiving donation. We ask that all donations be at the
school by October 9. Our Leadership students, with the help
Nov. 4 —1st visit
of Miss Martell, will be collecting the items from the classes
Nov. 25—2nd visit and preparing our donations.
Dec. 9 — 3rd visit
Here is a list of some of the needed items.
Jan. 6 — 4th visit
Jan 20 — 5th visit Cold Breakfast Cereal (Box Macaroni
Feb. 3— 6th visit Hot Breakfast Cereal (oatmeal) Spaghetti
Feb. 17— 7th visit
Packages Hot Breakfast Spaghetti Sauce (can/jar)
Mar. 3 — 8th visit
Pancake Mix Canned Fruit
Mar. 17 — 9th visit
Pancake Syrup Canned Fruit
Apr. 7 — 10th visit
Apr. 28 — 11th visit Jello Powder/Puddings (box) Rice (1 kg)
May 12 — 12th visit Wind-up and Farewell Peanut Butter Sugar (small)
Jam Cake Mix (box)
Visit day is on Tuesdays. Pick up at St. Vincent is 10:45 Crackers (box) Coffee (300 gm) or Teabags
and pick up at Brentwood is 12:00. The program runs
Packages Dried Soup Noodles Fruit Juices (1L)
approximately one hour.
Soup (cans) Bathroom Tissue (rolls)
Vegetables—Variety (cans) Toothpaste (tube)
Pork ‘n Beans (cans) Handsoap (bar)
LUNCHROOM NEWS Cooking Oil Shampoo/conditioner
Due to health and safety concerns, we unable to Tuna Laundry Soap (3 kg)
offer student access to Salmon Dish Detergent
microwaves or hot water at
Sardines Cookies
lunch time. Please take this into
account when planning and Canned Ham School Snacks
preparing lunches for your Canned Meat Kraft Dinner
children. Sorry for the Hamburger Helper
inconvenience.
FALL 2008 NEWSLETTER Page 7
MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST STRATEGIES JUNIOR HIGH ACADEMIC
Ten Steps to Success! RECOGNITION CRITERIA
1. Make sure you nave studied. If you are prepared, it will Based on feedback from parents and
reduce STRESS! students, as well as information from our
2. Read all of the choices, even if one seems correct right feeder high schools, we have undertaken a
away. revision of our criteria for academic
3. Eliminate the answers that are wrong. Try to get a recognition awards. For the 2007-2008
“good” 50/50. school year, the standard for students to receive
Academic Recognition Awards is as follows:
4. Choose the best answer. Sometimes more than one
answer can be correct, but one will be a best choice. ⇒ In the five core subjects (Religion, Language
5. Don’t get bogged down on one questions or you may not Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social
finish the test. After a couple of minutes ‘flag’ the Studies) – no mark below 80%
question and move on.
⇒ In all subjects – no mark below 70% and no
6. Go back to the flagged questions and complete those. work habit rubric assessment of less than VG
7. If you don’t know an answer, try to take an educated (very good).
guess.
It is hoped that this new criteria will simplify the process
8. DON”T leave blanks unless the teacher says it is right
for recognizing solid academic performance and will
minus wrong.
clarify the expectations for students. Recipients of
9. Take a few minutes to check your answers and eliminate Academic Recognition Awards will be recognized at
careless errors. student assemblies after each reporting period. We will
10. Rule of thumb: Your first answer is usually right! continue to recognize student achievement in athletics,
arts and non-academic areas via our year-end awards
celebration in June.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
St. Vincent de Paul Administration
The Health and Safety Committee is
hosting Child Safe Canada to offer
“Home Alone Safety” program on
October 28 and 29. It will run over the
lunch hour. Forms will be sent home
with students aged 10+ (younger siblings
7+ may also register).
The Red Cross Babysitting Program will be offered January
19-23 and will also run over the lunch hour. Participants must
be at least10 years old to register. Forms for this program
will be sent out in the New Year. PARKING LOT
If anyone has questions or concerns, feel free to contact Parents please refrain from picking up or dropping off
Alyson Laursen at alaursen@shaw.ca or Celeste Zimmerman at students in our parking lot. It is a very unsafe practice.
celestezimmerman@shaw.ca. Also, keep crosswalks and “no
stopping” zones clear. The Calgary
Police Service has been contacted
regarding these matters. Tickets
may be issued.
FALL 2008 NEWSLETTER Page 8
VOLUNTEER CORNER SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
There are many ways for you to become an involved parent School Council is delighted with the great response to our
at St. Vincent de Paul. Room reps are still needed for “parent input initiative”, becoming known as our PIPEline
several classes and, as more programs get under way, your (Parents Inspiring Parent Engagement) line of
help will definitely be needed. Please contact your communications.
homeroom teacher, your classroom representative or the To date we have received responses from almost 300
school office for more information. families, with a few more forms trickling in every day.
Thank you so much to all of the parents who have been
Some of the opportunities include assisting with paper
willing to provide their contact information so that we might
recycling (one/week), Linkages (senior’s program), Run Club,
assess parent opinion as needed throughout the coming year.
special lunches, as well as other lunch hour programs.
An overwhelming majority of parents have provided email
Kerri Paviglianiti contact information which we anticipate will make our
Volunteer Coordinator communication easier and save trees. We are working
diligently to have our electronic PIPEline up and running soon.
Thanks again to all of you!
HOJA Cathy Heatherington
On October 9th, we welcome HOJA, the Canadian a cappella School Council
group to our school. This group tours across Canada, sharing
songs and a message. CDs and posters will be available for
THE PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE
purchase during the lunch hour from Oct. 10th – 17th. Each
CD is a cost of $10.00 and posters are $2.00. The IN YOUR SCHOOL
performance will run from 2:00 -3:00. We welcome you to Hello! My name is Elizabeth Keys and I am
join us for the performance and look forward to a great pleased to be the public health nurse in your
afternoon. child’s school this year. I work for the
Calgary Health Region out of the Northwest Community
More information is available on their website
Health Centre and have a wide scope of practice, which
www.fatcatuniverse.com
includes working with various NW schools and in the well
child vaccination clinics at our health centre.
What does a school nurse do?
Participate and partners with the school in health
promotion activities
Provides support to teachers and families in health
related issues
Immunizes for prevention of contagious diseases
● Grade 9 students can expect letters and consents
to be sent home closer to November/December
I invite you to contact me at any point through the year with
your ideas on how we can support a healthy school
environment. Thoughts, questions or concerns are welcomed
via email or my private voice mail.
Being healthy makes learning easier and more enjoyable!
Mrs. Elizabeth Keys, RN, BN
Public Health Nurse
Northwest Community Health Centre
Phone: 403-943-9774
Email:
Elizabeth.Keys@calgaryhealthregion.ca
St. Vincent de Paul
SCHOOL CALENDAR
2008-2009
OCTOBER
6-11 Vikings Invitation Volleyball Tournament
7 LINKages training—11:00a.m.-12:00p.m. in Library FAITH DAY CELEBRATION
8 School Photos Monday, November 3, 2008
8 School Council Meeting—9:15 a.m. in Library
10 Thanksgiving Celebration at 9:30 a.m. in Gym
On Thursday, November 3, 2008 all
13 Thanksgiving Day Holiday - No Classes
21 LINKages orientation at Brentwood Seniors Residence employees of the Calgary Catholic School
28-29 Home Alone—12:00 p.m. in library District will be attending our annual District
Faith Day celebration.
NOVEMBER
3 Faith Day - No Classes - District Wide
4 LINKages—First visit The theme of this celebration is “Called to Peace and
5 School Council Meeting—9:15 a.m. in Library Justice and Led by the Good Shepherd: We love!” This
7 Remembrance Day Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. in Gym is a wonderful opportunity for District staff to come
10 Professional Development Day - No Classes together as one and celebrate our faith journey. On
11 Remembrance Day – No Classes Faith Day there will be no classes for students of the
25 LINKages
Calgary Catholic School District.
28 Report Cards Sent Home
DECEMBER
3 School Council Meeting—7:00 p.m. in Library
4 Advent Liturgy at 9:00 a.m. in Gym
4 Parent/Teacher Interviews - Classes as usual during the day.
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
5 Parent/Teacher Interviews - No Classes for students.
9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
1:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
9 LINKages
11 St. Francis Drama Production, “What If” - 10:45 a.m. in gym
19 Christmas Holidays Begin - Noon Dismissal
JANUARY 2009
5 School Re-Opens
U of C Gifted Centre
30 Professional Development Day - No Classes (K-9) Super Saturday Programs
FEBRUARY The University of Calgary is excited to announce
4 School Council Meeting—9:15 a.m. in Library their Fall line-up for SUPER SATURDAYS
12 Teachers Convention - No Classes
starting in October.
13 Teachers Convention - No Classes
16 Family Day Holiday - No Classes Programs will run for 6 weeks on Saturday
25 Ash Wednesday Liturgy – 9:30 a.m. in gym
afternoons at the U of C (in the Education
MARCH 2009 Bldg.) and they are offering something for all
4 School Council Meeting—7:00 p.m. in Library
grade levels from Grades 2-9.
13 Report Cards Sent Home
19 Parent/Teacher Interviews - Classes as usual during day Dreaming in Colour (Gr. 2-3)
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
MatheMAGICS (Gr. 4-6)
20 Parent/Teacher Interviews - No Classes for students
9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Amazing Animation (Gr. 4-6)
1:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Art of Spilling (Gr. 7-9)
APRIL Historical Halloween Party (Gr. 7-9)
1 School Council Meeting—9:15 a.m. in Library For more details and to print a registration
9 Passion Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. in Gym
9 Easter Holiday Begins - Noon Dismissal form, visit the link at:
20 School Re-Opens http://gifted.ucalgary.ca/children
MAY
1 Professional Development Day (No classes)
6 School Council Meeting—9:15 a.m. in Library
14 Marion Celebration at 9:30 a.m. in Gym
18 Victoria Day - No Classes
JUNE
3 School Council Meeting—9:15 a.m. in Library
29 Year End Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. in Gym
29 Last day for students - Full day of classes - Report Cards
Please note: Dates and events are subject to change.
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