Monthly Archives: February 2023

Good morning again Wings,

Just a reminder that our front and back parking lots are not utilized for student dropoff and pickup (arrival and dismissal). The side parking lot is for Silverheights Neighbourhood Association only.

Please continue to respect this and ensure our student’s safety as we try to keep the traffic on the roads.  If you are dropping off students for school, we would ask that you use one of the side streets for this, as so many of you already do.

Thank you for your continued cooperation.

Saint Gabriel Staff

Good morning Wings,

Please note that buses are cancelled, however schools are OPEN.  Since buses are cancelled today, LunchBox orders scheduled for today will be cancelled also.  Please ensure your child brings a lunch today if you have ordered Quesada. The Lunchbox Support Team will process credits back to the family’s accounts for the cancelled lunch order(s).  Parents with lunch orders placed will be issued a full credit to their Lunchbox account within 3 business days. If a parent prefers a refund, they may contact Support to have the funds returned to their payment card.

Thanks everyone and be safe.

• Due to the weather conditions, ALL Waterloo Catholic District School Board and Waterloo Region District School Board SCHOOLS AND SITES ARE CLOSED
• ALL SCHOOL BUSES, TAXIS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION ROUTES operated by the WCDSB and WRDSB are cancelled.
• All before and after school programs at Saint Gabriel are CLOSED.
• All programs and meetings scheduled for Saint Gabriel School will be cancelled.
• LunchBox (pizza) orders scheduled for today will be cancelled.  The Lunchbox Support Team will process credits back to the family’s accounts for the cancelled lunch order(s).  Parents with lunch orders placed will be issued a full credit to their Lunchbox account within 3 business days. If a parent prefers a refund, they may contact Support to have the funds returned to their payment card. 

WCDSB has a long tradition of fundraising to assist relief efforts when natural disasters strike.

The devastation of the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria has once again called us to action.

While rescue and recovery efforts continue, it has already been confirmed that more than 35,000 people have died.

Many thousands more — including many current refugees — are in desperate need of shelter, food, clean water, and medicine.

Consequently, the Senior Team and Board of Trustees would like to invite all WCDSB students and staff to participate in a centralized fundraising campaign via the Canadian Red Cross (operating under the umbrella of the International Red Cross).

Donations of ANY AMOUNT will support the range of emergency services the Red Cross is delivering to those in need including interim housing, clothing, food, and other essential supplies.

All fundraising efforts will be collected centrally using the following link: Donations – Earthquake in Turkey & Syria

How to Participate:

The deadline to participate is Friday, March 10.

The link will deposit the funds into a central board office account.

Individuals can use their existing SchoolCash account or checkout as a Guest. A SchoolCash account is not required.

Thank you Pancake Volunteers!

Happy Shrove Tuesday Wings!

Parent Volunteers came into our school very early this morning to prep, mix and cook pancakes! They also delivered to over 500 students and staff by lunch hour 1200 pancakes!

The smell of pancakes in our school is amazing and hopefully here for the remainder of the school day! The students loved the maple syrup too! Truly Canadian all the way.

Thanks again to Karen Applebee, Mark Heinemann, Alex Varga Toth, Laurie Vescio, Brittney and Wally Butler,  for cooking, delivering and cleaning up the school and most importantly thank you to School Council for organizing such a fantastic event!

Good day Wings!

Just a reminder that Monday is no school as it is Family Day. 

Tuesday, school council will be providing pancakes to all students to mark Shrove Tuesday. School Council is asking students to bring in their own forks as we continue to be as eco-friendly as possible at Saint Gabriel School. Thank you again to our Catholic School Advisory Council for continuing with this Annual tradition as we look forward to the Lenten Season of 2023!

Have a great Family Long Weekend!

Good morning Wings,

Please note that buses are cancelled, however schools are OPEN.  Since buses are cancelled today, LunchBox orders scheduled for today will be cancelled also.  Please ensure your child brings a lunch today if you have ordered Subway. The Lunchbox Support Team will process credits back to the family’s accounts for the cancelled lunch order(s).  Parents with lunch orders placed will be issued a full credit to their Lunchbox account within 3 business days. If a parent prefers a refund, they may contact Support to have the funds returned to their payment card.

Thanks everyone and be safe.

Valentine’s Day – Tuesday, February 14th – Red, White, and Pink Day!!

Students and staff are encouraged to show their Valentine’s Day AND school spirit by wearing RED, WHITE, and/or PINK on Tuesday!

Term 1 Report Card Distribution – February 17th

On Friday, February 17th,  your child will bring home their Term 1 Provincial Report Card.  Please review the report card, keeping in mind the following information:

• Each report card should be viewed individually and not compared to others.  Please discuss the report card with your child and discuss their strengths and goals to improve learning in Term Two.
• If you wish to speak to your child’s teacher, please check the box on the fourth page and your child’s teacher will be in touch with you to schedule an interview.
• The Report Card is a copy of the original, which is stored in your child’s Ontario Student Record (OSR).  Please retain it for future reference.  The bottom portion of page 4 is to be signed and returned to your child’s teacher by February 24th. It will be attached to the original and retained in their OSR.

Some examples of learning goals your child may wish to consider are:

• I will take more of a leadership role in group/collaborative learning activities
• I will ask for clarification or assistance from the teacher when I am unsure of a new concept
• I will read on a nightly basis
• I will complete all assignments on time and to the best of my ability
• I will keep my workplace neat and organized
• I will reflect critically on my work to improve my learning
• I will stay in for extra help when it is offered
• I will keep a Growth Mindset, especially when it comes to learning something new

Lent

Each year, we celebrate the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday – the 7th Wednesday before Easter. Lent is a time devoted to Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving in memory of Christ’s fasting in the wilderness. The day before Ash Wednesday, we recognize Pancake Tuesday, also called Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday – a day when families traditionally would use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar before the fasting season – the 40 days of Lent.

Pancake Tuesday – Tuesday, February 21st

Thanks to our Catholic School Advisory Council, every student will receive two pancakes here at school next Tuesday! Students with gluten allergies or dairy allergies are being given pancakes that adhere to their dietary needs.

• students are typically outside for more than an hour each day (2 x 15 min recesses and a 40 min lunch recess)
• it is always better to come dressed/prepared for cold weather (wearing or bringing a winter hat and gloves/mitts) even if you think your child will be fine without the cold weather gear
• students will go outside for recess for a maximum of 15 min. if the temperature falls between -20 and -27 C (including wind chill).
• students will remain indoors during recess in the temperature, factoring in wind-chill, dips below -27

Hi Wings!

Plesae see attached news for the month of February:

• Black History and Black Heritage Month
• Volunteers needed for Shrove Tuesday
• Report Cards February 17th
• Parish Update – Reconciliation and First Communion
• Hot Lunches Reminder

February News