Schools.hcdsb.org

St. Vincent News
1280 Braeside Drive, Oakville L6J 2A4 Telephone 905 849 0777 February 2012 Principal’s Message
February marks the halfway point of winter and is the beginning of our preparation for Easter with Ash Wednesday falling
on the 22nd of the month. As we prepare for Lent again this year Mr. Oswald, our Catholic School council Chair and I
will be presenting to all students prior to the kick off of our Lenten project in support of Bethany Kids Hospital and
Joytown School for Disabled Children. It is with your support that the physicians, nurses, and counselors continue to
restore hope and dignity to the children of East Africa.
Reports go home this month as we continue with the reporting system that was implemented last year across the province.
Teachers have been working on reports and look forward to sending them home on the 17th of the month. Our primary
students have been working with their teachers on the diagnostic reading reports which we use for programming and
planning while teachers support differentiated instruction for all students in the classroom. Our Grades 4-8 write,
rehearse, and present their faith-based speeches in preparation for our school-wide competition on February 24th.
After some pre-season basketball tournaments, our boys and girls teams begin inter-school play this month and we look
forward to a great season for both teams while our boys and girls play hockey together in upcoming tournaments. Our
lunch time programs continue in full swing. Our Concert and Jazz bands prepare for upcoming performances, the choir
works hard each week, and our extra-curricular activities continue to make the school a vibrant and exciting place to be.
We continue to thank you for your support of all of our programs and initiatives here at St. Vincent.
Sincerely,
Mr. B. Browne
Faith Focus

First Reconciliation Saturday February 25th @ 10am – Our Gr. 2 students will receive the Sacrament of First
Reconciliation on Saturday February 25th at 10am at St. Andrew Church. This important day is the first of the two
Sacraments that our Grade 2s will be receiving this year as they prepare for their First Holy Communion later in the
spring. Thank you to Mrs. Szpiech, and Miss. Stromski for their work preparing our students for these Sacraments again
this year.
Priests Visit February 9th – Father Thomas and Brother John will be visiting classes and connecting with our students on
the yard on Thursday February 9th. We always appreciate their visits and connection between our school and St. Andrew
parish.
Grade 8 Confirmation Retreat – Tuesday February 14th – Our Grade 8s will be at St. Andrew on February 14th to pray
and reflect on their upcoming Confirmation. We thank Mr. Sutherland, Mrs. Becker, Father Coughlin and Father LeBlanc
for their faith leadership as our Grade 8s prepare for this important Sacrament.
Shrove Tuesday Pancakes! – We enjoy having parent volunteers in the school on Shrove Tuesday each year to help flip
pancakes for our students on the day before Lent. Organized annually by Mrs. Glinski and her class parents, this is a
wonderful community event to celebrate together before Lent begins. Students are asked to donate $2 each for pancakes
and all funds raised will go toward supporting Bethany Kids – our Lenten fundraising project. We look forward to a
wonderful syrupy Tuesday the 21st!
Ash Wednesday Mass – Wed. Feb. 22nd @ 1pm in the Gym – We look forward to celebrating mass as a community on
Wednesday the 22nd as Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Father Coughlin will say mass and distribute ashes that afternoon
at our community mass hosted by Mrs. Morson and Miss. Stromski’s classes. As always, all parents and community
members are welcome and encouraged to join us for our mass!
Faith-Based Speeches – Once again this year, our students have been encouraged to write speeches for the annual speech
competition that make a connection to our faith or the Focus on Faith themes either from their grade or any other. Each
grade has a specific Focus on Faith theme such as Human Dignity, Promotion of Peace, etc. and students are writing their
speeches with faith-based topics in mind. This perspective is not meant to limit the choice of topics but rather to have our
students think and reflect about how almost any topic can be connected to our faith and to link it in some way. It is
amazing how many unique and creative approaches our students are taking. Students present their speeches in class and
each class from Grade 4-8 send one representative to the school-wide competition on Friday February 24th.
Academic Focus
JK/SK Advance Registration for September 2012 – Thank you to Mrs. DiRisio, Mrs. Hughes, Kelly Demmings and
our parent volunteers for the wonderful welcome experienced by all parents who came to register for JK at St. Vincent for
the 2012 school year. It provided a wonderful opportunity to welcome new parents to our community for the next
generation of St. Vincent students.

French Immersion Registration – The French Immersion location in south Oakville is St. Joseph School. Any Gr. 5
student interested in registering for French Immersion must do so personally at St. Joseph school on Tuesday February
21st between 9am and 5pm. Registration is on a first come, first served basis. The board will be providing transportation
to any students interested in attending French Immersion at St. Joseph School.
Cover to Cover Reading Program – This annual event encourages friendly competition between classes with the goal of
having as many students reading as possible! The progress of each class is tracked on the Literacy Committee bulletin
board outside of the office. It is fun to read and our students prove this every year with their participation! Thanks to our
wonderful Literacy Committee for continuing to organize this event each year.
Cultural Committee News – Performances and Lunch Programs – We hosted an amazing dance performance from
the AKA Dance Company called “Superheroes in the School” and “Kobe Cowgirls” at the end of January. We have a
French performance by Miss. Besser’s favourite historical singer Mike Ford coming up on the 24th of this month and
further shows scheduled in April and May. These performances are funded by our fall fundraiser and students attend and
enjoy at no additional cost as a result!
Lunch Time and After School Programs – Over the lunch hour Mrs. Wilson continues to run our Battle of Books teams
as well as the Red Maple and Silver Birch Book Clubs, Mad Science is starting up again on Wednesdays at lunch, Mrs.
Bird is running a Lego club on Wednesdays and Mr. Albani’s Lego Robotics club takes over the library on Fridays. Mr.
Miguel’s Junior Band takes over the stage after school and he also has the Chess Club up and running on Thursdays after
school. There is so much happening around the school that we hope students take advantage of the many exciting and
enriching opportunities that are offered.
Gr. 3 Trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village – February 8th – Our Gr. 3 students will travel to Black Creek Pioneer
Village for a day of pioneer experiences and history.
Instrumental Music Program – The Grade 7s and 8s continue to learn their instruments in their class bands while the
Concert Band, Junior Band and Jazz Band work hard over lunch and after school. Thanks to Mr. Miguel, the music
program continues to transform our school in such a positive way.
Birthday Book Program for February – Ella Demmings, Clare Rayment, Katie McKinney, Zoe Leonard, Marissa Chiu,
Payton Leonard, Aidan Kealey, Daniel Molinaro, Cameron Currie, Hope Rieckelman, Emma Parrott, Sophie Parrott
Athletics
Vikings Basketball – Both our boys and girls teams participated in the pre-season tournament action. They played hard
and represented St. Vincent with pride and dignity. Our students are consistently lauded for their excellent play,
sportsmanship, and conduct whenever they are representing us. The season gets underway in February so we wish our
teams the very best. A special thanks to Mr. Sutherland for coaching our boys and Miss. Besser who is leading the girls
program with the help of Miss. Milano and Mr. Merrigan for their hard work and dedication on behalf of our students. Go
Vikings!
Hockey – The St. Vincent Vikings hockey team is in its fourth year under the leadership of Mr. Albani this year. Our
team this year consists of both boys and girls again and they look forward to competing in three tournaments this year.
Our team looks forward to another successful season. Go Vikings!
Community Focus
Babysitting for Bethany for a Valentine’s “Date Night”! – Our Gr. 8s have picked up on this event that was initiated
last year by continuing to offer babysitting services in support o Bethany Kids Hospital – our Lenten fundraising focus.
On Friday February 17th, our Gr. 8s are offering parents a Valentine’s “Date Night” by providing baby-sitting services
for the night here at St. Vincent School. The students are asking that parents of the students being baby-sat make
donations which will all go directly to Bethany Kids. Parents are invited to drop off children at the school on Friday the
17th any time between 6pm-10pm where Gr. 8 volunteers (supervised by parents and Mr. Browne) will babysit for the
evening. Parents are asked to have their children fed before dropping them off. Peanut free snacks and refreshments will
be provided. Date and Time – Friday February 17th from 6-10pm. The Cost – as a fundraiser, there is no “cost” per se,
but parents are encouraged to contribute as much as they think is appropriate (or as much as they can!) as a donation to
Bethany. How To Register – simply send an email tstating the number of children, their names
and ages, approximate time they will be dropped off and picked up, and allergies, a contact number and any other
pertinent information. Drop your children off at St. Vincent and enjoy and evening out with your spouse while supporting
Bethany Kids! Though registration can take place the night of, for planning purposes for our students, we encourage you
to register now!

Family Pasta Night “Les Beaux Arts to St. Vincent!”– February 8th – 6pm – 8pm – Our Fifth Annual Pasta Night
returns on February 8th for an evening of fun, fellowship, and food at our St. Vincent! As Lent is just around the corner,
we continue to celebrate in style by hosting this special community evening. This year’s theme is “Les Beaux Arts de St.
Vincent” which incorporates a Gr. 8 Art Auction into the evening (more information below). Ticket order forms have
been sent home and will likely sell fast once again so don’t delay and return yours as soon as possible to avoid
disappointment. We have sold out these past two years before the date! A special thank you to Mrs. Shelley Prater
(Dennis) and her wonderful organizing committee for what will no doubt be another night to remember.
Les Beaux Arts de St. Vincent – This theme for Pasta Night refers to the arts focus of the evening. Our Gr. 8s have been
working with Miss. Soares to produce works of art that will be available for purchase via silent auction on Pasta Night.
All funds raised go toward supporting our Gr. 8s with their fundraising efforts for the Quebec Trip in May. Thanks for
supporting the arts and our Gr. 8 students!
Pasta Night and the Environment – We will continue to support our green initiatives we started last year with our
organic waste collection, recycling programs, and compostable materials. Our organizers are intentional about the
creation of as little waste as possible for this dinner from the table clothes to the cutlery, plates, and glasses. We thank our
organizing committee for making this commitment to setting an example of how we can re-think our consumption and
waste.
Sweethearts for Sick Kids, Luke’s Legacy – Sunday February 12th from 11am until 4pm at Whole Foods. It’s fun,
sticky, and sweet! Customize a confection for a good cause and donate while you decorate! In December 2007, the St.
Vincent community lost a son, brother, and friend when Luke Holmes lost his battle with Hypoplastic Left Heart/Critical
Aortic Stenosis. He was treated at Sick Kids from the time he was 2 days old and showed strength, courage, and
determination in every battle he fought. This event always takes place on or around Luke’s birthday and this year on
February 12th at Whole Foods, you can decorate a heart shaped “Tickle Your Tummy” cookie in support of the Cardiac
Critical Care Unit of Sick Kids Hospital in memory of Luke. The suggested donation is $5 per cookie.
Special nut-free “celebrity” cookies will be auctioned off again this year. Once again the sliding scale of celebrity status
has been invoked to include Mr. Browne in the celebrity cookie category, but other celebrities will be lending their time
and talents to the event as well to be announced soon. There will be a signed bat and ball from Jose Bautista from the
Blue Jays as well! Once again this year, Turtle Jacks has partnered to support this event by agreeing to donate 10% of all
sales on Thursday February 16th as they host Luke’s Legacy Day at the restaurant so be sure to make Thursday dinner
plans at Turtle Jacks to continue to support this event.
Forms will be sent home and there is the opportunity to order cookies “to go” this year if you can’t make the event but
want to send your support. Please make time on the 12th to decorate and donate in support of the very worthwhile work
taking place at Sick Kids. For more information, please contact Carolyn Holmes at
Boomerang Lunches are Back! – On Wednesdays during the month of February, students will be encouraged to pack
“boomerang lunches”. The idea of this kind of a lunch is that anything that the student brings with him or her that day
goes home with them as well. Our goal is to generate no waste on each boomerang Wednesday day! To accomplish this,
students can bring lunches in Tupperware containers or any other storage container that can be brought home, washed,
and reused again rather than throw away packaging. We are aiming to reduce waste and also encourage thoughtful
reflection by our students on how they can contribute. Our Eco Club is organizing this initiative (thanks to Mrs. Milner
and her team!) and they will remind students over the announcements throughout the month.
PA Day Friday February 3rd – No school for students on the 3rd.
Family Day Holiday – Monday February 20th – No school for staff or students.
Yearbook Committee - The Yearbook Committee is already hard at work on the 2011/12 book but we need your pictures
to make this year's book the best one ever! The Yearbook Committee strives to include multiple candid pictures of every
student and cover as many school events as possible. But without great pictures, there wouldn't be a yearbook. Last
year's book contained over 800 candid pictures (in addition to the individual and grad pictures from Pegasus) selected
from more than 4000 pictures! This year, we hope to have the same daunting task of going through so many wonderful
pictures.
Please send us pictures of your child(ren)'s classroom events, parties, trips as well as school-wide activities, presentations,
fundraisers, etc. Pictures can be emailed to Alicia Cestra at [email protected]. The pictures will also be share with our
School Historian for display within the school. The Yearbook Committee would like to thank the teachers and parents
who have already submitted pictures and we look forward to seeing many more awesome pictures from our talented St.
Vincent community. Keep snapping!

Kiss and Ride and the Bus Lanes – Thank you for your continuing support and patience with drop off and pick up times
here at school. The safety of all students, staff, and the community continues to be our priority, particularly during these
busy times of day. Despite the plethora of January snow, we have been able to keep our maximum parking spots through
strategic plowing which helps tremendously. While at times lines form during these busy times, they are usually very
brief as everyone continues in an orderly fashion. If you are planning on dropping your child off at the curb, please
remain in the lineup as it does move quickly rather than pulling out and trying to pull back in again close to the front.
There are many students or parents who have parked and may be walking through the lot. Your assistance with this
continues to make these busy times run smoothly and safely. Thank you also for refraining from entering the front of the
school during these busy times as they remain for the exclusive use of the buses as they come and go with our students
each day.
Driving Out of the School Parking Lot – There are two stop signs on the way off the property. Thanks for being
mindful of both – especially the one at the sidewalk – so you are prepared to stop safely should you need to. Your
cooperation will help ensure the safety of our students and those from neighbouring schools.
Outstanding Milk Orders? – Any remaining milk orders should be returned to the office as soon as possible for this
term in order to ensure that your son or daughter will receive milk until the end of the year.

Source: http://schools.hcdsb.org/vinc/Lists/School%20Announcements/Attachments/204/February%202012%20Newsletter.pdf