April 2016 - Halton Catholic District School Board

ST. MATTHEW CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
1050 Nottinghill Gate
Oakville , Ontario L6M 2G3
Phone : 905-847-0088
Fax : 905-847-1014
www.hcdsb.org/matt/pages/newsletter.aspx
APRIL 2016
PRINCIPAL: MRS. A. KORITKO
SECRETARY: MRS. S. VARRICCHIO
OFFICE ASSISTANT: MRS. M. BROPHY
SUPERINTENDENT: MR. C. CIPRIANO
ST. MATTHEW PARISH: FR. MARK GATTO (905) 825-0219
“ALWAYS TOGETHER IN CHRIST”
2015 report card data, concentrating on planning
and organizing in writing.
ADMINISTRATOR’S MESSAGE
We hope you were able to share a prayerful Lent and now
with spring in the air and the warmer weather coming our
way we are reminded of new life and new beginnings. As
we continue to celebrate the Easter season we share these
new beginnings within our school community.

The Catholic Social Teaching for this month is Promotion of
Peace which will be facilitated by our Gr. 2 staff and
students.
By June 2016 we will increase by 10% the number
of students achieving a score of 30 on Open
Response questions in the 2016 EQAO
assessment by focusing on selecting appropriate
evidence from the text and schema in order to
effectively communicate their understanding.

Our learning skill and work habits will focus on independent
work. The four work habits which we will address in more
detail each morning are:
1. Identifies, gathers, evaluates, and uses information,
technology, and resources to complete tasks.
2. Independently monitors, assesses, and revises
plans to complete tasks and meet goals.
3. Uses class time appropriately to complete tasks
4. Follows instructions with minimal supervision.
By June 2016 report card, 90% of our Level
1, 2 and 3 students will improve their
achievement in mathematics, by 1/3 of a
level, as measured by report card data

To provide a minimum of two opportunities by June
2016 for students to engage in 21st Century
Learning through the use of inquiry based tasks
that emphasize Critical Thinking.

Bullying Awareness by June 2016, we will increase
by 25% the number of students who actively
implement bullying awareness strategies through
Tier 1 approaches as measured through the PALS
pre- and post- surveys and the data from the Tell
Them From Me survey.

Special Education by June 2016, a Student
Success Model of Response to Intervention will be
implemented for school wide use. By June 2016
100% of the staff will know and use it.

Extended French - 100% of Extended French
students will speak French for 120 minutes / day,
excluding questions for clarification of subject
matter, by June 2016

Please see the attachment to the newsletter for the
final SIP goal. It is described in detail.
Our school community continues to remain focused on our
School Improvement Plan and our staff remains committed
to ensuring that our EQAO results show improvement.
In September we developed our School Improvement Plan
with staff from FDK to Grade 8. During our monthly staff
meetings, divisional meetings and professional learning
team sessions our staff use student work and benchmark
assessments to create instructional pathways for instruction
throughout the school year. Teacher moderation allows for
staff to assess student work and to develop the necessary
teaching/learning strategies needed to ensure the
improvement of student learning. In November we revisited
our school improvement plan to ensure we were in line with
our goals. We have made some adjustments as we
continue to see great improvement in our students in all
areas of learning.
St. Matthew Catholic School Improvement Plan includes the
following:

By June 2016 report card, 90% of our Levels 1, 2
and 3 students will advance 1/3 of a level in their
achievement in writing as compared to the June
We thank you for your continued support as we work
together as a Catholic School community to meet the needs
of all of our students.
LET’S CELEBRATE
OAKVILLE PUBLIC SPEAKING FINALS
Congratulations to Farrell Tunney who put forth an
outstanding effort as she represented St. Matthew Catholic
School at the HCDSB English Public Speaking Finals.
NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK
The week of April 11 – 15 is National Volunteer Week. In
appreciation of all the hard work and dedication shown by our
volunteers, St. Matthew Catholic School would like to thank
all our parent volunteers. We will be celebrating our
volunteers at our school mass on Wednesday, April 13 at
9:00 a.m. at which time Father Mark Gatto will bless our
special people. This will be followed by a Volunteer
Reception at the school.
Volunteers plant the seeds of kindness. Thank you
for all of the kindness you spread at St. Matthew
Catholic School.
STUDENT RECOGNITION—AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Each year, every school in the Halton Catholic District School
Board recognizes one student who has demonstrated the
importance of being a Catholic school student. The student
is chosen by the staff of the school and is one who has
demonstrated an excellent attitude and demonstrates
Catholic values on a daily basis. This student is an individual
who exhibits strong school spirit and is a builder of school
community.
This year we are pleased to say our recipient is Celeste
O’Brien. She will be honoured at the Board ceremony on
April 25, 2016 at Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School,
Burlington. Congratulations Celeste!
SPIRIT OF INCLUSION
The staff and students of St. Matthew Catholic School are
proud to have nominated Daniel Dickson for the Spirit of
Inclusion Award for the Halton Catholic School Board.
Daniel is recognized for his constant willingness to assist
other students who are in need. His bright smile lightens the
classroom and hallways of St. Matthew Catholic School.
Thank you Daniel for including others in all you do at our
school.
Extended French
Public Speaking
We wish all of the best to the following students who will
represent us on April 6 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic
Secondary School for the French Public Speaking:
FSL
Arielle Chan
Extended Junior
Alisa Kiss
Extended Intermediate
Jessica Smart
French Immersion
Celeste O’Brien
FSL+
Min Joon Kim
JUMP ROPE FOR HEART
Our Jump Rope for Heart Fundraiser
is approaching. This has always been
a very successful program at St.
Matthew Catholic School and our
students have raised significant funds
for the Heart and Stroke Foundation
over the years.
All students in FDK- Gr. 6 will participate in Jump Rope for
Heart and our Gr. 7 and 8 students will participate in Hoops
for Heart on Friday, May 13 as part of their Physical
Education program. Information and envelopes will be sent
home. We are looking forward to another successful
campaign and your continued support is always appreciated.
Thank you to Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Stollberg for
coordinating this most worthwhile event.
BATTLE OF THE BOOKS
Our Junior and Senior Battle of the Books
teams have been working diligently since
January to prepare for the battle which will take
place at the Oakville Public Library. Our Junior
team which consists of players from grades 3 to
5 will compete on Monday, April 4th, and our
Senior team from grades 6 to 8 will compete on Thursday,
April 7th.
Junior team members from Grade 3-5:
Daniel Duff, David S., Jin R., Irelyn F., Emma B.,
Anabella B., Katie B., Amani B., and Kyle S.
Senior team members from Grade 6-8:
Ethan C., Evika T., Carlee M., Caitlin B., Ben S., Victoria
P., Jessica S., Michelle R., and Celeste O.
Thank you to Ms. Hinton and Mme Campese for working
with our students.
ECO TEAM
FOCUS ON FAITH
Earth Day has become Earth Month at St. Matthew Catholic
School!
Once again, we would
like to thank all of our
hardworking Eco-team
members who help keep
our school clean and
green every day. The Waste-Free Wild Days program
continues to be successful as students are getting better at
placing waste in the proper bins. Remember to continue to
pack litterless lunches everyday!
As we approach Earth Day on April 22nd, we
will begin by having our Earth Hour on April
1st from 12:30-1:30 p.m. The Grades 3-8 will
have a special author, Mark Newman, in on
April 6th. He uses a graphic novel format to
teach about the problems of invasive species
in our Great Lakes and how we can help protect our water
systems. Earth Week will consist of a series of events,
including a community clean up and an assembly. Stay tuned
for more information!
BOOK FAIR
The St. Matthew Library Wizards will be working hard
throughout April to bring the book fair back to our school!
This year the fair will take place during Catholic Education
Week, and will be open Monday, May 2nd – Thursday, May
5th.
FDK and Primary students will have the opportunity to view
the display and write a wish list before coming to purchase as
a class, and all other students will be able to come and visit
at lunch and recesses.
Parents are also very welcome, and the library will remain
open until 8:00p.m. on Wednesday May 4th for those who
wish to stop by. Come on out and show your support!
UNSTOPPABLE GIRLS ON THE GO
The girls running group is back for the Spring
2016 program! It is open to girls in grades 5 to
6.
Our session will start April 11th and run
until June 1st (8 weeks) meeting every Monday and
Wednesday from 3:15 to 4:30 pm at the school. The cost is
$60.00 per child. We will be running in two separate races
one costing $20, the other $30. The first being April 24th at
Appleby College. The second on May 28th at Bronte Park.
It's a first come first serve basis, the last day for registration
is April 10th, 2016. If you have any questions, you can
contact Mme Slattery, Mrs. Parsons or Mrs. Caron the
head coaches at 905-847-0088.
LITURGIES
Gr. 2 Communion Retreat
April 5 9:30 a.m.
First Holy Communion
April 10 3:00 p.m.
Easter Mass
April 13 9:00 a.m.
Rosary Apostolate
April 28
Family and friends are always welcome to join us for our
liturgies.
Special thanks to the staff at St. Matthew Parish for their
continuous support in assisting our community spiritually.
CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK
During the week of May 2- May 6 Ontario Catholic school
Boards will be celebrating Catholic Education Week. This
annual promotion celebrates the distinctive contribution that
Catholic schools make to students, the community and
society.
Please refer to the brochure which you will be receiving in
the near future outlining the activities which will be taking
place throughout the day at our school.
SPIRITUALITY AND OUTREACH COMMITTEE
Lenten Kits for Kids: We are very pleased to share that 395
shoe boxes, filled by students were delivered to the
Canadian Food for Children, on Friday, April 1.
(www.canadianfoodforchildren.net). The kits are being
shipped to Honduras.
Thank you to our Gr. 6 students for helping to fill
Mrs.Flores and Mrs. Farrell’s vans to the brim.
I would like to thank all our parent volunteers and school
staff for helping us tape all these boxes.
Thank you for all your help and support.
Adriana Flores
PARENT INFORMATION CORNER
EDUCATION/HEALTHY SCHOOLS COMMITTEE
We are excited to welcome Cyber Safety Speaker PAUL
DAVIS to our school on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 7:00
pm.
PAUL DAVIS brings 26 yrs+ experience of IT knowledge and
expertise to his speaking engagements. PAUL DAVIS has
presented to over 252,000 students from Grade 4-12 from
Ontario, Alberta to Quebec and Nevada! All in just over four
years!
Relating to kids, as a father himself and to parents, as a
professional - both presentations are targeted so that each
audience leaves with a wealth of knowledge and
empowerment for their respective age level. Notable speaker
at various conferences, including the Ontario Provincial
Police Safety Conference, Department of National Defense
Conference, Canada Border Services/Pearson Airport
Conference and more.
Please RSVP, if you would like to attend, by Wednesday,
April 20, 2016 at the following website:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0b4cabaa28a6fb6-social
There will be babysitting available in the school library, so, if
needed, please be sure to specify number of children and
age.
YEARBOOK
Yearbook sales will begin this month. The design and
production of our yearbook is completed by our talented St.
Matthew Catholic School Students! Please support their
efforts as well as keep a record of treasured school
memories by purchasing a copy.
The yearbook committee also asks that you continue to send
in photos of school events to
stmatthewschoolyearbook@gmail.com
GRANDPARENT DAY
Grandparents Day will be on
Monday May 9th. Forms will go
out mid month.
On behalf of the St. Matthew Catholic School Community, we
hope that you will be able to attend this informative
presentation.
We are looking for volunteers to
help bake and serve
refreshments. If you can help,
please email me at
mliao3@cogeco.ca
St. Matthew Catholic School - Education/Healthy Schools
Committee
Rosa G. Verrico - Laura Robinson
EQAO UPDATE
As Catholic educators we continue to believe we are in
partnership with our parents. We educate our children in
academics, Catholicity and inclusion. We thank our School
Council who speak on behalf of our parent community and
who continue to work with us to support us in improving
student achievement through a number of school initiatives.
Grade 3 and 6 EQAO Assessments of Reading, Writing
and Mathematics Primary Division and Junior Division.
Similar to previous years, our Grade 3 and 6 students will
participate in the Education Quality and Accountability Office
(EQAO) Primary and Junior Division assessments of
Reading, Writing and Mathematics during the week of May
30 - June 10.
These EQAO assessments will continue to be administered
to all students in Grades 3 and 6. Students will be required to
complete three test booklets: one mathematics booklet, one
reading booklet and one writing booklet. The types of
questions in the booklets will be familiar to your child as they
are based on the kinds of work your child has been doing
throughout the year. The total amount of time that the
students will spend on the testing will be six hours that is
generally spread over the course of two or three days.
Sample questions can be viewed on the EQAO website at
www.eqao.com.
We ask that you make every effort to avoid holidays during
these days and to try to make sure your children are in
attendance each day during the assessment. In advance,
we appreciate your efforts in scheduling appointments
around this block of time. The EQAO assessment results
help us to continue to improve upon the quality Catholic
education offered to your children at St. Matthew Catholic
School.
Additional specific information regarding the assessments will
be sent home to our Grade 3 and 6 parents in the month of
May.
HEALTHY SNACK
On Tuesday, April 19th, we will be serving fruit and cheese
kebobs. Fruits are sources of many vital nutrients for our
bodies, such as vitamin C,
potassium, dietary fiber and folic
acid. By eating more fruits, you are
helping your body stay healthy and
reduce the risks of obesity and
many chronic diseases, such as
diabetes. If you are interested in
volunteering or have any healthy
snack ideas you would like to share, please email
Zsuzsanna Nucara zen1275@cogeco.ca
MOVING
Please inform our office if your children will NOT be returning
to St. Matthew Catholic School in September.
CROSS-BOUNDARY
If your child is a cross-boundary student, and you have not
completed your cross-boundary form for the 2016 school
year, please contact the school office at 905-847-0088.
PARKING
Just a reminder when parking in our parking
lot to please park in one of the allotted
spaces. There are many nights after school
when our students are in danger as a result of
vehicles parking along the walkway and in the no parking
zone. Please park in a designated parking spot or at the
church. Thank you for assisting with the safety of our
students.
FAMILY INFORMATION
Please notify the school office of any changes in your
work/home/cell telephone numbers, place of employment,
change of sitter or any such pertinent information. It is very
distressing, as you can well imagine, having difficulty making
contact in times of medical emergency, illness or school
closure.
Also, if you are planning to move and your children will not
be attending our school in September, please notify the
office as we are already organizing for next year.
ATTENDANCE
Thank you to all the parents who call into the school to report
their children’s absences. It helps us keep track of the
students and to keep our children safe. We have found that
on average we make only 5 phone calls a day to check on
children who are absent. Thank You!!!!!
Thank you also for making sure that the children arrive to the
school on time. It is important that they don’t miss the first
subject of the day. It is respectful to the teacher and the
other students to arrive on time and not disrupt the class by
walking in late. It is respectful to oneself to be punctual as it
shows that you are an organized, responsible student.
Please support us in our efforts to help your children develop
the traits of responsibility and organization by ensuring they
leave for school in enough time to arrive punctually.
SAFETY
A Please remind your children to stay away from lakes,
streams and ponds. Thawing conditions and rainfall
this time of year make these areas very dangerous for
our children. We cannot be too careful!
B We realize that to some it may seem like an “unwelcoming
stance” to insist that ALL VISITORS report their
presence and business at the school office, however,
hopefully, you can see that we have the safety and
security of all our pupils in mind with this procedure.
This is a standard practice in all our schools and we
thank you for diligently remembering to do this each
time you visit the school.
C Please have the students continue to wear their boots
during this weather. The children play outside and the
field is wet and muddy. Also, if there is a puddle
anywhere on the playground, a child will find it! It is
necessary for the students to have a pair of indoor
shoes or slippers to wear at school.
BICYCLE SAFETY
It’s that time of year again! With the mild
winter, some of the older children have
been out and about on their bicycles. With
spring upon us, more children will be out
on their bicycles, so now is a good time for
some reminders.
Please remind your child/ren that cyclists
are governed by the same rules as drivers,
and review safe cycling procedures at home. Be certain that
the bicycle is “road worthy” and that your child is able to ride
it in a safe manner. Teachers review these rules every year,
but you are more aware than we of the level of your child’s
cycling skills.
Students should record at home the serial number of their
bicycles. We request that ALL students LOCK their bicycles
in the racks at school to prevent loss. Students have been
reminded that they must not sit on another child’s bike while
it is in the racks, nor should they play amongst the bikes or
on the bicycle rack. To ensure safety of other students,
cyclists must walk their bicycles on school property.
BICYCLE HELMETS ARE MANDATORY AND STUDENTS
MUST WEAR A PROPERLY FITTING HELMET FOR THEIR
SAFETY!!!!
SKATEBOARDS/IN-LINE SKATES:
The use of skateboards, in-line skates and scooters are
strictly prohibited on school property! However, students
may ride them to school as far as the sidewalk out front.
Safety tips:
BE PROTECTED!
√ Wear an approved helmet.
BE HEARD!
√ By law, all bikes must have bells or horns.
BE VISIBLE!
√ Wear reflective armbands/tape and bright clothing.
√ A white front light and a red rear light or reflector are
required
when riding between 1/2 hour before
sunset and 1/2 hour after sunrise.
√ A bicycle must have white reflective tape on the front forks
and red reflective tape on the back forks.
BE ALERT!
√ Look for hazards such as sewer grates, car doors and
gravel.
√ Watch for vehicles about to pass you.
√ Stop before driving into the street from a driveway or lane.
BE SMART!
√ Know the rules of the road.
√ Obey all traffic lights and signs.
√ Use correct hand signals.
√ Ride on the right side of the street.
√ Ride single file.
√ Ride one to a bike.
√ Keep your bike in good repair.
By June 2016, 80 percent of our students achieving “G” or below, will improve their ability to manage their
own learning through focusing on their personal learning skills and work habits as measured by report card
data.
Strategies
Infuse Catholicity by connecting Ontario Catholic
Graduate Expectations into learning skills and work
habits
Professional Learning
Development of consistent
wording to use in classrooms
by division
Strategies for linking OCGEs
to Learning Skills
Monthly focus on one specific learning skill during
morning announcements, flyer, newsletter and
RAD Assembly
Focus on Faith Themes linked
to Learning Skills in Growing
Success
Concrete descriptive feedback peer and self –
assessment tools based on learning skills in each
classrooms
Developing understanding of
how to intentionally address
learning skills in staff
meetings , division meeting a
and PLCs
Focus on Growth Mindset in Improving Learning
Skills and Work habits
Resources (include consultant
and itinerant for all)
Board Document linking
Learning Skills to OCGE
CCC Planting Seeds for
Success
I Believe DVD
FoF themes
Growing Success Policy
Document
Edugains
Professional Collaboration
Student Reflection Tools
Peer Acknowledgment Tool
Descriptive Feedback tools
Teacher moderation of Assessment of Learning
Skills on Report Cards
In each class students will set goals for
improvement in work skills and learning habits,
based on report card data
Development of Valid Measurement tool for
Student Self- Assessment of Learning Goals to be
used for gathering reliable data
Staff Meeting, Divisions
meetings, PLCs
Development of strategies
for goal setting
Growing Success
Determination of criteria and
measurement format
Research and Development
Goal setting tools
SEAC SOUNDByTES
Raising awareness of the Special Education process at HCDSB
April 2016
MENTAL HEALTH AND SPECIAL EDUCATION
Children in today’s society face many stresses from a variety of sources that could have an
impact on their social and emotional development and academic performance at school.
Children with special education needs may be at greater risk for mental health issues given the
complexity of their needs and challenges across many areas of functioning.
In 2007, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of
Education began focusing and collaborating on student mental health and well-being at school.
Today, many schools have adopted strategies to help students who are impacted by stressful
life events to deal affectively with their challenges. HCDSB has implemented school based
mental health teams who seek to improve the quality of life for our student’s at risk and to
improve the general climate of schools. Teachers, principals and support staff are provided with
the information they need to support students with mental health problems through early
recognition and effective classroom strategies. For a student with an IEP, these strategies may
be included in their special education program.
If you are concerned about your child in terms of his/her negative thinking, feelings, mood and/
or ability to relate to others then you are encouraged to speak to your child’s teacher and/or
Special Education Teacher. Together, you and your child’s educators can put a plan in place to
address these concerns.
For further information on mental health in education please refer to “Supporting Minds - An
Educators Guide to Promoting Students’ Mental Health and Well-being”.
Submitted by Rhonda Quesnel, SEAC Member representing VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children