“Let us learn from the strong and helpful faith of our Mother Mary in order to become living signs of God’s mercy.” – Pope Francis

It’s the last week of May! We are heading into the homestretch of the school year and we will continue to have many opportunities to grow and learn together over the next few weeks. We are called to meet and accompany our students and families in their journey. We do this through the creation and promotion of a school environment that reflects the reality of the Church as a community that nurtures human dignity and is dedicated to both spiritual and human development for all. What a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the uniqueness of every individual that we welcome into our community.

Please refer to events, information, and reminders below. 

Thank you …

  • This Friday, WCDSB is proud to acknowledge Educational Assistants and Child Youth Care Workers Day. This day is devoted to appreciating, celebrating and honouring the daily impact they make on student success.  Please join us in celebrating EA/CYCW Appreciation Day by letting our team, here at Saint Timothy know how important they are to us.
  • to our Cross-Country Team who will have the opportunity to participate in WCDSB’s Cross Country Meet on Wednesday, June 5th.  A big shout out to the coaches for all their time and commitment to our students. Enjoy the run.
  • to our student-athletes as they prepare for our AA Track and Field Meet on June 11th at Resurrection High School. Thank you to our coaches for all your support and time.
  • our School Council for recognizing Thursday, May 30th as Staff Appreciation Day.  Your acknowledgement of our hard work and dedication is deeply appreciated and means a great deal to all of us.
  • to all our students who are sharing their gifts, talents and leadership skills to make our school a better environment for learning. We know you will continue this trend in June! Lastly, thank you to all of our parents and guardians for offering your support and appreciation for the good work we are doing at the school. It means so much to our staff, and most importantly, to our students. I am very much looking forward to the final month of the year and treasuring every moment of the privilege to serve the Saint Timothy Catholic School Community.

School Highlights

  • Please click on the link for this week’s St. Aloysius Catholic Church bulletin – HERE
  • June is designated as Pride Month in Canada, and on Saturday, June 1st, we will join other schools across our district in raising the Pride (Rainbow) flag outside of our school building. The Rainbow flag will fly for June as a visible symbol of our commitment to nurturing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environment where every student and every member of the community is valued, and respected.
  • Indigenous History Month: June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, with special recognition dedicated to National Indigenous Peoples Day, which falls on June 21st. On this day and throughout June, we celebrate the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, their vibrant and distinct cultures, and their beautiful languages. This is an opportunity for Canadians to learn about the history of Indigenous Peoples, and further embrace the opportunity to learn more about their identities. For our classrooms, students will be learning about Indigenous perspectives on treaties, Indigenous leadership, resistance, resurgence, brilliance, and creativity.
  • Our Grade 6 students will begin writing the EQAO assessment this week (parents already received more detailed communication regarding the assessment). The types of questions included in the EQAO e-assessment will be familiar to our students as they are based on the work they have been doing throughout the year. Sample assessments are available on the EQAO website for Grade 3 students and Grade 6 students. The EQAO assessment results help us to continue to improve upon the quality of Catholic education offered to your children. For more information please visit here. We wish our students all the best as they show what they know!
    Tips to Help Your Child –
    Maintain a Positive Attitude: Encourage a positive outlook towards the tests. Avoid putting too much pressure on your child, as this can lead to anxiety.
    Ensure Rest and Nutrition: Ensure your child gets enough sleep and eats a healthy breakfast on the days of the test. Physical well-being can significantly impact performance
  • Celebration of Cultures: Thursday, June 13th – We look forward to celebrating the rich tapestry of the Saint Timothy community. The day will feature gallery walks where displays are prepared by students to learn about their cultures.  There will also be food of different cultures so we can taste the delights from many places across the globe. We are looking forward to hosting this event.
  • Please see the attached poster from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We will be teaming up with them to support those in need in other countries.  This is a wonderful opportunity for us to make a positive impact.  All items can be dropped off at school until June 14th.  Thank you for your generosity and kindness.    Pencil Case 2024
  • Bike to School Week June 3rd to 7th: You can also register your child using the following link and win some cool prizes – ly/BTSW2024  Register today and keep biking to school!

Important Reminders

  • A reminder that Friday, May 31st is a PA Day for Report Card Writing. There is no school for students on this day.
  • National Accessibility Week​ is an opportunity to celebrate the valuable contributions of Canadians with disabilities. During this week, we also recognize the efforts of individuals, communities and workplaces that work to remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion.
  • Parents we ask that you continue to check closets, trunks, under beds, etc. for any schoolbooks and Chromebooks that may be hiding and return them to us as soon as possible. The more we receive back, the fewer we have to replace.  By working together to locate missing textbooks and library books, we are able to responsibly minimize costs to the school.  All library books are due back Friday, June 7th so that we can conduct an inventory.
  • Welcome To Kindergarten: If you are a parent of a newly registered Junior Kindergarten student, we hope you are getting VERY excited to start at Saint Timothy in September! As the end of the school year approaches, we know that you may have many questions as to what September will look like.  We would like to invite you all – families of new JK students registered in September – to our annual “Welcome to Kindergarten Night”.  We will all have a chance to talk about expectations, let you know what to expect, tour a kindergarten classroom, and see some areas of the building.  It is always a wonderful night where you can meet future classmates, see your teachers, and get any questions you may have, answered. Please join us in the school Learning Commons on Thursday, May 30th, 2024 at 6:00 pm.  We will gather together in prayer and then begin exploring! We look forward to seeing you there!  Welcome to the TIGERS Community!
  • Later this week, we welcome Inuk Knowledge Keeper Darlene Schaffer who will be teaching students about Inuit history and Inuit in the present day.

WCDSB Updates

Please visit our School Board Website for updates and recent information.  Here is the link: http://www.wcdsb.ca

Learning At Home: The most important things that parents can do to support their children’s reading and writing, from birth onwards, are to share lots and lots of books and stories with their child and to always make book-sharing an enjoyable experience.

Math Survey:  Schools offer a variety of opportunities for parents to learn more about how to support their children: for example, events related to mathematics may be held at the school (e.g., family math nights); teachers may provide newsletters or communicate with parents through apps or social media; and school or board websites may provide helpful tips about how parents can engage in their child’s mathematics learning outside of school and may even provide links where they can learn more or enjoy math activities together.
The following brief survey will assist our school district in gathering data about how parents/families feel in terms of being informed about what their children are learning in math, how parents/families feel about supporting their children’s learning in math, and about parental access to math learning resources at home.
Thank you in advance for your consideration and participation.
→ https://bit.ly/SupportingMathAtHomeSurvey2024  This survey will remain open until June 14, 2024.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding the collection of this information please contact K-12 Mathematics Coordinator, Board Math Lead, Petra LeDuc at petra.leduc@wcdsb.ca , 519-578-3660 extension 2415.

PD Day Camps:  PD day and summer programming is being offered to children aged 5-12 in collaboration with Laurier’s Psychology and Kinesiology Departments.
On the May 31st PD Day, we are hosting Science Discovery Day, held at the Laurier Science Building. From 9 am to 4 pm, young scientists will dive into research experiences, exploring the wonders of the brain and body. They’ll enjoy psychology labs, a science-themed scavenger hunt, workshops, and engaging with peers. There are few spots left—register now to secure your spot!
Looking ahead to summer, don’t miss our BrainWorx Summer Experience—a week-long adventure held at Laurier. BrainWorx attendees will enjoy science workshops, a juggling class, and research experiences, all while having fun with sports, and crafts, and making new friends.
Posters for both BrainWorx programs are attached and contain further information. If you have any questions or would like to register, please email Sydney Austin, BrainWorx Laurier Coordinator, at brainworxlaurier@gmail.com. 
BrainWorx-Laurier-Poster
PD-Day-Science-Discovery

Saint Timothy Family Carnival

St. Timothy Catholic Advisory School council is excited about our Family Carnival on Wednesday, June 19th from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. You can look forward to;

  • Games such as guessing jars, Big Jenga, Can Jam, Duck Hunt and Big Jena
  • Raffle prizes and class-themed baskets
  • Face painting
  • Star Wars Character
  • Presentations and interactive workshops such as Kitchener Fire Department and Reptile Guys
  • Inflatables
  • Food truck treats such as Megacone, The Serial Griller and Fo Cheesey
    and a great opportunity to connect with neighbours and friends.

Please order your tickets on School Cash On-Line… tickets pre-ordered will be sent home with your child(ren).  Food trucks will not be accepting tickets since this will be on-site sales.
Package 1 – 10 tickets for $10.00
Package 2 – 20 tickets for $15.00
Package 3– 50 tickets for $30.00

Thank you for your donations thus far.  Keep them coming including the class-themed baskets. We welcome all contributions (e.g. movie certificates, sporting event tickets, snacks, sidewalk chalk, etc.)  If you are able to volunteer to help or have older children seeking volunteer hours towards OSSD, please reach out to yvette.thorne@wcdsb.ca

Promoting Health/Well-Being:   Growing our Gratitude

Gratitude is the act of showing appreciation and being thankful.  Research shows that people who practice gratitude – who think about the good things in their life – are healthier and happier!

Gratitude helps:

  • Improve social connections and relationships
  • Protect from stress and increases resilience
  • Boost energy levels
  • Increase self-esteem
  • Adds a sense of meaning

 Before Teaching Gratitude

  • Start by explaining that there is physical health and mental health.
    • For example, you might say something like: “When your throat hurts or you break a bone, you go to the doctor. Our throat and bones are part of our physical health. We do things to stay physically healthy, like eating foods that are good for us. Can you think of other things that help us stay physically healthy?”
    • Children may have ideas like exercising, brushing teeth, wearing sunscreen, etc.
  • Follow up with that while we may feel physically well one day, we might have an ache or pain or sore throat another day.
  • Explain to them that the same thing happens with our thoughts and feelings. Our thoughts and feelings make up our mental health.
    • Ask your child about times when they feel excited and happy and times when they may feel sad or confused. Be sure to share your own examples.

Remember that all feelings – excited, worried, happy, scared, unsure – are okay. One way to promote our mental health can be to remember what we are grateful for. https://www.onoursleeves.org/mental-wellness-tools-guides/helping-kids-stay-positive/gratitude-in-kids

Mabel’s Label Fundraiser

Click HERE and enter “St. Timothy Catholic Elementary School (Kitchener)” from the drop down list to support our school when you buy labels through MABEL’S LABELS.

Upcoming Dates To Note
https://sttimothy.wcdsb.ca/calendar/ (please use this address to access our school calendar)

Tuesday, May 28th               Pita Lunch:  Order at https://pitapitstanleypark.schoolfuel.ca
Wednesday, May 29th         School Spirit – wear our school colours or spirit wear             EQAO Grade 6             Pizza (pre-ordered)          Inuk Knowledge Keeper Darlene Schaffer Presentation
Thursday, May 30th              Welcome To Kindergarten Night 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.                  EQAO Grade 6                Inuk Knowledge Keeper Darlene Schaffer Presentation
Friday, May 31st                   Professional Development Day  – no school for students                    EA and CYCW Appreciation Day
Tuesday, June 4th                Pita Lunch:  Order at https://pitapitstanleypark.schoolfuel.ca
Wednesday, June 5th          Cross Country Meet at the University of Waterloo                   School Spirit – wear our school colours or spirit wear            Pizza (pre-ordered)
Friday, June 7th                    Popcorn (pre-ordered)     Library Books Are Due Today

Wishing you a blessed and wonderful week. Please follow us on X formerly known as Twitter @sttimothy3 to see all the amazing happenings at Saint Timothy.

Respectfully yours,
Albert Simoes, Principal