A Prayer for Thanksgiving
Loving God, we turn our hearts to you during this
time for giving thanks, mindful of your many gifts.
For each one, we are grateful.
For each one, we are blessed.
For each one, we are opened to the abundance of your love.
May this Thanksgiving day offer a reminder to be
generous with others, as you are with us.
We praise you.
We rejoice you.
We give you thanks.
Amen
On behalf of the Markham Food Bank, We would like to thank the St. Kateri community for their generous support of the Markham Food Bank.
We would like to wish all of our families and friends in the St. Kateri Tekakwitha community a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving. This is a great weekend to celebrate all the beauty in creation and the many gifts we have in our lives.
The Liturgical Calendar
October is one of the months set aside in the Church Calendar with special prayers devoted to Our Mother, Mary, since October is dedicated as the Month of the Rosary. The feast of the Holy Rosary is on October 7th. October finds us in the later part of Ordinary Time of Year A in the three year liturgical cycle. A series of important saint feast days are celebrated as we move toward the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls at the beginning of November.
The Virtue of Compassion.
This month we celebrate the virtue of compassion. In Luke’s Gospel we read, “Be compassionate as God is compassionate.” (Luke 6:17) Although we might first think of gratitude and thanksgiving as being most clearly important to recognize in October, compassion is also an associated virtue. We understand compassion not only as the ability to empathize with another person but also to act on behalf of that person. If we are truly compassionate then we will be able to express thanks or gratitude more genuinely for others because we truly care about them.
Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations
The Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations state that the student is expected to become a discerning believer formed in the Catholic Faith community who celebrates the signs and sacred mystery of God’s presence through word, sacrament, prayer, forgiveness, reflection and moral living.OCGE 1 Although this set of Graduate Expectations is celebrated this month, the entire school year is permeated with prayer and celebration.
Equity Events
October is Canadian Women’s History Month and Islamic Heritage Month. In addition, there are several important civic days of recognition: Thanksgiving, United Nations Day, International Day of Non-Violence, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and Hallowe’en. October is also Global Diversity Awareness Month where we pay tribute to the diverse minds and beliefs held by all cultures around the world. October is also National Employee Disability Awareness Month. October 5th is World Teachers Day.
Program for Academic and Creative Extension (PACE)
The York Catholic District School Board offers the opportunity for all grade four students to participate in a screening process for possible identification as a gifted student and participation in our Program for Academic and Creative Extension (PACE). The Screening Process for Entry into the PACE program is a three stage process, please see the letter for further details.
Free Parent EQAO Webinar – Fall 2023
Register for a free live webinar and learn about the EQAO Grade 3 and Grade 6 assessments and highlights from the 2022–2023 assessment results (followed by a Q&A with EQAO staff).
Choose one of the following webinar dates:
- October 17, 2023, from 3:30 pm to 4:15 pm
- October 19, 2023, from 6:30 pm to 7:15 pm
- November 7, 2023, from 6:30 pm to 7:15 pm
Registration: https://eqao.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RZfQnyoXTQq7IJC7iv9KtQ
SEAC
The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) is a group that provides important advice on special education to the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB). It is composed of representatives from the Board of Trustees, local agencies and associations that further the well-being of exceptional students in the YCDSB. SEAC makes recommendations on matters affecting the establishment, development and delivery of special education programs and services for exceptional students.
SVDP Winter Coat Drive- 2023
The York Region conferences of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Society(SSVP) along with the Salvation Army are working together again this year to make sure this important project continues. This fall St. Kateri Tekakwitha will be participating in the Winter Coat Drive.
For over 15 years SSVP has been organizing this initiative to help families in York Region who struggle to make ends meet through the long winter months. Our school community has always supported this project generously!
We hope that you can help us out by looking through your closets and donating any coats that are no longer needed by you or your family and your neighbours. We need coats in good condition for men, women and children…all sizes! Coats will be accepted until October 12th, 2023 at our school.
Please send all coats tied up in plastic bags for ease of transport. Thank you for sharing and for your ongoing support of the work of Saint Vincent de Paul in our community!
Halloween Fundraiser Information for Families – CSC
The Catholic School Council is excited about the return of the Halloween Dance Fundraiser to support our school community and enhance student learning at St. Kateri Tekakwitha by supporting a variety of initiatives and supplemental resources to support the school.
Please note: Individual cheques made payable to York Catholic District School Board for tax receipts must have the individual’s name and address on the cheque.
2023 Donation Form.doc Halloween Dance 2023.docx
ECO Challenge
Our school is participating in the Earth Ranger’s Battery Blitz Contest this October! Please send in old batteries so we can win money!
Our School’s Mission is to recycle as many used batteries as we can! Please send used batteries to school from now until November 3.
The schools that collect the largest volume of batteries (by weight) will win a cash prize – $5,000 for first, $3,000 for second, and $500 for third–seventh place winners. In addition, a $500 prize will be awarded to the school – outside of the top 7 – that collects the most batteries per student!
For more information, including contest rules and regulations, please visit: https://www.earthrangers.com/batteryblitzschoolcontest/For more information on battery recycling, visit: www.RecycleYourBatteries.ca
Blessed Frederic Ozanam Parish News
First Communion:
The First Communion Registration Day will be held on Saturday, November 18th at St. Brother Andre Catholic high school. Specific registration details will be shared with parents in the coming months via an email, which will be sent from St. Kateri, and through the BFO church website.
Parish Gala Information: Our Legacy Gala Flyer-8.5×11-digital (002).pdf
Cyber Awareness Month
Please visit the following link for strategies on how to protect your digital footprint.
Important dates to mark on your calendars:
October 9, 2023 Thanksgiving
October 10, 2023 World Mental Health Day – Wear Green – Spirit Day
October 11, 2023 School Picture Day
October 12, 2023 Cross Country at Bruce’s Mill
October 16 to 19, 2023 Gr. 4 CCAT testing
October 20, 2023 PA Day
October 21, 2023 Blessed Frederic Ozanam Parish Gala
October 31, 2023 Halloween Dance
November 11, 2023 Remembrance Day
November 14, 2023 Progress Reports go home
November 16, 2023 Parent/Guardian Interview Night
November 17, 2023 PA Day / Parent/Guardian Interview Morning
https://www.ycdsb.ca/strategicplan/ YCDSB Multi Year Strategic Plan Poster