Advent Week 3 : Joy
God of joy,
We praise you during this Advent season and always.
Fill us with gladness throughout the journey.
May we follow in the joyful steps of the shepherds,
May we share in the jubilant song of the angels.
May our joy grow with each passing moment.
We ask this through your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Celebrating the Christmas Season at St. Kateri Tekakwitha! : The holiday spirit is alive and well at our school! This past week, students and families enjoyed the Catholic School Council’s Ribbons and Bows event—thank you to all the volunteers who helped make it a success. We also wrapped up the week with a magical Primary Christmas Concert. A big thank you to our staff for preparing the students to shine and share their holiday cheer. It’s such a joy to see our school community coming together to celebrate this special season!
Cell Phone Use at St. Kateri Tekakwitha CES: A reminder that students are not permitted to use cell phones during the school day unless a staff member has given permission for learning, health, or special education needs.
If your child brings a phone to school: Phones must be turned off and kept out of sight throughout the instructional day. /If a staff member sees a phone out, the student will be asked to put it away. /If it happens again, the phone will be sent to the office and held until the end of the day. /Continued issues will result in the phone being kept in the office and only returned to a parent/guardian, and further steps may be taken using progressive discipline.
If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call the main office at 905-471-4477, and we will ensure the message is passed along. We kindly ask parents and guardians to review these expectations with their children and help us maintain a positive, distraction-free learning environment.
Fragrance/Scent-Safe School :We are pleased to share that St. Kateri Tekakwitha is a fragrance/scent-safe school. To help keep our school environment healthy and comfortable for everyone, we kindly ask that all staff, students, and visitors refrain from or minimize the use of scented products while on school grounds. Scented products may include: perfume, cologne, hair spray, lotions or creams, body sprays, essential oils, air fresheners, and aftershave. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all members of our school community.
🎭 Matilda Theatre Trip – Important Details: All students in Grades K–8 will be attending a performance of Matilda at the Markham Flato Theatre on Friday, February 20, 2026. This trip supports our Arts curriculum and gives students the opportunity to experience live, professional theatre. Families can make payment via School-Day.
Free Parent EQAO Webinar – Winter 2026: Free, live webinar where EQAO staff will discuss math questions that Ontario students encounter when they participate in Ontario’s large-scale assessments. EQAO staff will show how these math questions help assess the skills students are learning in their math classes. Webinar dates: January 28, 2026, starting at 12:30 pm /January 29, 2026, starting at 12:00 pm. Click here for registration.
Free live webinar about how EQAO assesses students’ reading skills at key stages of their education. Participants will hear how these reading passages and questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Webinar date: January 20, 2026, starting at 6:00 pm. Click here for registration.
📅 Important Upcoming Dates
December
10 CSC Ribbons and Bows Event 12 Primary Christmas Concert – New Date/ Time: 1:15pm 17 Mass @9:30am / Tree Class Challenge
18 SBA Christmas Band Concert 19 Last Day of School before the break/ 12 Days of Fitmas & Caroling Event
January
5 First Day of Class 14 Jr. Boys Volleyball Tournament @ St. Julia 16 PA Day 30 PA Day
Thank you once again for your ongoing partnership.
Yours in Catholic Education,
Marc Caruso
Principal