Principal’s Report – Thursday, November 26

 

 

1. Orkidstra – We have started this program at St. Anthony.  The Orkidstra program is based on a program started in 1997 by Dr José Antonio Abreu.  The Venezuelan program has helped thousands of children in underprivileged areas to acquire instruments, receive music training and experience the joy of playing and singing with others in orchestras and choirs. Today El Sistema involves over 400,000 children and young people and it has inspired programs all over the world. Ottawa’s OrKidstra music initiative is the oldest of such programs outside of South America.  We have 14 students enrolled in the program and we are very excited to have this program here at St. Anthony.

2.  November 30th Assembly – We Help Each Other – On November 30th, we will be hosting Pierangela Pica and Angela Ierullo and other organizers of the St. Anthony Gala.  The Gala raised $25,000.00 for the school’s greening project in September.  The assembly gives us the opportunity to thank Pierangela for creating our school song – We Help Each Other.  We are playing this song every day at school to get ready for the assembly.  Angela Ierullo will also be honoured for all the work she did organizing the Gala Fundraiser.

We Help Each Other

Step by step You’re one of a kind

Day by day

Keep that in mind

We help each other

Each time you start

Along the way

A brand new day

Building tomorrow

Put out your hand

Reach for the stars

Hang on to mine

Be true to yourself

We’ll help each other

Shine wherever you are

We’ll be just fine

CHORUS

This is your time Your roots are your gift

This is your place  To share everyday

We are a family You make a difference

Stand tall with pride Along the way

It’s your community You are an ocean

Whatever tomorrow brings Of colour and light

You can do anything You are the music

Just believe in yourself  Making everything bright

And hold onto your dreams

Music and Lyrics by Pierangela Pica   Musical arrangement by Rob Clarot

   Copyright 2015

3.  Technology – We have received a $3000.00 grant from Telus to purchase materials for our makerspaces.  The money will be split between the learning commons maker space and the science makerspace.  We are very excited about this partnership with Telus and we hope this is something we can continue in the future.  We are in the process of purchasing more chromebooks with our own money.  We will not be receiving any computers from the board this year.

 

4.  Christmas celebration – we will be having a sing-along on the last day before Christmas.  This event will be planned by the teachers and the School Council – all parents are welcome to this event.
5. Future Programs – In February we will be starting the STARR Gymnastics program.  This is a great program for kids and every student will get four sessions with the STAR Gymnastics instructors.  After the program finishes, we will offer a lunch-time gymnastics program for students who would like to continue their gymnastics training.  The lunchtime program will be subsidized for all parents who require one.
6. Christmas Food Hampers – Holy Trinity High School will again be helping us by providing family support at Christmas.  This year, instead of hampers, we will be providing gift cards to families in need.  We will be contacting families over the next few days to find out what store they would like their gift card to come from.  If you are in need of some assistance, please let us know by calling the school.  We are also working to make sure all our students have the appropriate winter wear for the coming cold months.  If you need boots, hats or snowsuits, please let us know and we will arrange for you to get what you need.

Next School Council Meeting – January 21 6:30 pm, then February 18th at 6:30 pm

 Teacher’s Report

November Teacher Report – Parent Council, November 26, 2015

Girls and Boys Volleyball

• Both teams attended tournaments at St. George Catholic School and represented St. Anthony very well, both in terms of their skills (both teams won 5 out of their 7 games) and team spirit!

 

Pedestrian Safety Presentations

• A School crossing guard visited and reviewed the rules of street safety – in particular crossing at the lights, ensuring eye contact with drivers and staying within the white lines of the crossing area.

 

Remembrance Day Celebration

• Various classes presented poems they had learned, in both English and French. It was the 100^th anniversary of the poem “In Flanders Field” so special attention was given to this work. Mr. McGuire live-streamed the ceremony from the War Museum.

 

Waste Audit

• This week St. Anthony Catholic School held the first school wide waste audit for the 2015-2016 school year. With the help of several students and staff, we gathered garbage, recycling, and compost materials for a 24 hour period. We then weighed the clear plastic garbage bags and filled in the worksheets, assessing all the data visually. The results indicate that we are doing very well with the compost (food waste and organics measured at 90%) and recycling (paper, cardboard, and newsprint measured at 80%). Garbage was the area we can improve on this school year. In the garbage bags, we found materials that can be composted like food leftovers, pencil shavings. We also found “boomerang” items. These are things that students are encouraged to bring back home for recycling such as yogurt/fruit/jello cups, plastic spoons, and juice boxes. We will have another school wide waste audit in the winter months and hope to see some improvement in the area of garbage.
• Students from the Green Club will present the findings at our next assembly.
• Anthony is working on the eco-school application in the hopes of achieving silver status..or maybe even gold!

 

Looking at Pictures Presentation

• The Grades 1, 2, 3 /4 and 5 / 6 attended in-school presentation from a volunteer from the National Gallery of Canada. She lead us on an interactive journey towards greater art appreciation using a number of visual art reproductions borrowed from the gallery.

 

Upcoming Advent Liturgies

• 30 – 1:45 p.m.
• December 7: 10:00 a.m.
• December 14: 10:00 a.m.
• During Advent we have an outreach project – this year each class will make cards for the residents of St. Vincent Hospital – a long term care facility in our community. Representatives from each class will bring the school cards to the hospital and enjoy a sing-along with residents at some point during the final week before holidays.