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Sunday 20 April 2014

St. Patrick's Blog Week of April 22nd 2014


St. Patrick's Blog
Week of April 22nd 2014


Easter Celebration
Our Holy Week observance at St. Patrick’s culminated in a very moving Holy Thursday presentation on the theme of Jesus’s last supper with his disciples.  Students presented each of the dinner participants with thoughts from their own perspective on this very meaningful event.  We witnessed the worry of Jesus, the misguided approach of Judas, and the conflict exhibited by Peter.  A big thank you to the students who gave of their time preparing and presenting, as well as Mr. Kozak and Mr. Leury who put in a great deal of time setting up the presentation.  The event was extra special in that we were able to access the theatre in what we are calling “building 3” that is owned by the Federal Government.  Through a partnership, the custodians of the government buildings have been very accommodating in allowing us to borrow the theatre space as well as the second gym in the area.  The theatre setting provides a very professional setting for our dramatic productions, and we look forward to using it more in the future.  Parents and Guardians will have a chance to see the space during Education Week activities (May 5th to 9th).

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Me to We day
A group of approximately 50 students traded the classroom for the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata on April 9th to celebrate the National Me to We Day - a celebration of the charity work that students engage in both locally and internationally at St. Patrick’s School.  Many schools in the greater Ottawa region joined a large group from St. Pat’s to hear a number of guest speakers thank students for their participation, but also to encouarge them to find further challenges where help is needed.  We heard from Martin Luther King III as he encouraged us to take a stand as his father had.  Craig and Marc Kielburger, the co-founders of We Day celebrated the youth movement and challenged us to continue working hard.  We listened to Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan and National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo – National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations who both provided inspirational messages of participation and further work.  Our students left feeling exhausted but further enagaged, and brought back the idea for our “We are Silent” day which we observed on April 16th where students were silent in between classes and at lunch to honour different issues such as poverty, rights of women, etc.  We are proud of the work our students do!

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Grad Photos
Grade 8 students brought home information sheets regarding our “graduation” photos that will be taking place this week.  All students will have their picture taken for our grad composite picture - there is no initial fee for students to have their picture taken.  Additional information will be made available for parents/guardians to purchase pictures later in the spring.  Please review the sheet for clothing expectation information for students on the day they will be having their pictures taken.


Grade 8 Trip to St. Brigid’s
On May 28th, 29th and 30th, all grade 8 students will be travelling to St. Brigid’s for our annual school trip.  The format for the St. Brigid’s camp experience has changed somewhat - we are making this activity our year end celebration as a group of grade 8 students.  Information sheets will be going home this week outlining further information for parents/guardians.  The camp is subsidized by the Catholic Education Foundation of Ottawa, which allows us to provide the 3 day experience at a greatly reduced price of $75 per student which includes activities, accommodation and all meals.  If you have further questions about the camp please contact Mr. Walman at the school.


Shamrock Boys’ Basketball team goes to finals
Our St. Pat’s boys played in a hard fought final basketball game on Thursday, April 17th against a tough Notre Dame team.  The boys worked hard against a much bigger Notre Dame group, however, weren’t able to come out on top.  Congratulations on a great season boys, and I know you’ll be back challenging next season!  Special thanks to Coaches McKinnon and Card - great work!

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Have a great week;
Sean Kelly

Sunday 6 April 2014

St. Patrick's Blog Week of April 7th 2014

St. Patrick's Blog
Week of April 7th, 2014


Lenten Journey
We continue to discuss the themes of this holy season of Lent with our students as we journey toward Holy Week.  We challenge students to use this time for reflection and an examination of their approach to spiritual renewal.  The rich Gospel stories from the last few weeks have provided Jesus’ ministry as a strong example of what we should be striving toward as a community.
Father Greg has been in to the school offering students an opportunity for confession ahead of our Easter season.  We thank him for his time.


Mr. Nihmey - Presentation on Mental Wellness
Chris Nihmey, a graduate from St. Patrick’s Intermediate as well as one of our regular guest teachers, brought his message about mental wellness to our grade 7 & 8 students this past week.  Mr. Nihmey spoke of his own struggles with a bipolar condition, as well as the need for understanding and compassion for those suffering from mental struggles.  Chis has written a book chronicling his challenges entitled: Two Sides To the Story.  Our students were encouraged to have a discussion with their families about the topic, and certainly to see anyone in our student services department if they have further questions.
You can get additional information at Chris' website: http://chrisnihmey.com/



Lockdown Drill
St. Patrick’s practiced a lockdown drill this past Friday afternoon at the school.  The call was made in between periods 5 and 6, creating some challenges for students who were not yet in class.  Our students and staff reacted very well to the drill during this unstructured time.  Students who were not near their regular classrooms knew to report to the nearest class or safe area.  Staff ensured that students quickly moved from the hallways and had a place to locate themselves during the drill.  The process took less than half an hour, and students were released from secure schools as soon as we had visited every area of the school.  Our School Resource Officer Stephanie Lemieux and Constable Kevin, who assisted with the drill, had great things to say about our student and staff reaction.


School Council Meeting
The St. Patrick’s School Council met this week and discussed school budget issues, a volunteer survey to be sent out in September of next year, as well as the issue of family engagement within our community.  We are already beginning to plan our Grade 8 Closing Ceremony, and our school council is a huge supporter of this event.  More information to follow soon.


Top Marks Uniform Fittings
A reminder to all of our community that students and parents currently at St. Patrick’s, or those coming in September can place uniform orders in person with our Top Marks company this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (April 8th, 9th and 10th) at the school from 3:30 to 7:30PM.  Students can be measured for uniforms to make sure everything fits!  Call the school if you have any questions.


Have a great week;

Sean Kelly