📅 This Week at SKTA! / Hot Lunch Update (Feb. 23 to 27)🌟
March at Our School
As we enter the month of March, we begin to notice the first distant signs of spring and continue our Lenten journey as a school community. Lent is a time of reflection, prayer, and renewal as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Easter, which we will celebrate on April 5.
Prayer for the Month – Perseverance: Our focus for March is the virtue of Perseverance. Families are invited to pray together using this month’s prayer resource.
Liturgical Life in March: March is dedicated to St. Joseph, the patron saint of Canada and a powerful model of faith, humility, and trust in God. This month begins during the Second Sunday of Lent, a season that calls us to deepen our relationship with Christ through prayer, fasting, and acts of generosity. Throughout March, students will engage in prayers and reflections that include the Stations of the Cross, helping them to walk more closely with Jesus on His journey.
We also recognize several important feast days this month:
- March 1 – Feast of St. David
- March 3 – Feast of St. Katharine Drexel
- March 17 – Feast of St. Patrick
- March 19 – Solemnity of St. Joseph, Patron Saint of Canada
- March 25 – Feast of the Annunciation
Virtue of the Month – Perseverance
In March, we reflect on the virtue of Perseverance, which is closely connected to the virtue of fortitude. Perseverance encourages us to continue doing good even when challenges arise. It reminds us that God walks with us through difficult moments, offering strength, hope, and love. This virtue helps guide us not only during Lent, but throughout life’s intellectual, emotional, and moral challenges.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Highlights: March also offers important opportunities for learning, awareness, and celebration:
- Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
- March 6 – World Day of Prayer
- March 8 – International Women’s Day (UN Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace)
Theme: “Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls.”
March 21 – UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day, celebrating the gifts and contributions of people with Down syndrome
- March 22 – UN World Water Day
We look forward to a meaningful month of faith, learning, and community as we continue our Lenten journey together.
YCDSB Lenten Mass Invitation: All members of the YCDSB community—including students, staff, parents, volunteers, parish staff, and community members—are invited to attend the Board Lenten Mass virtually. Participants may join from any location by clicking on the link provided.LINK.
YRPH Dental Screening Clinic: Please add the following date to your calendars, York Region Public Health will be conducting a Dental Screening Clinic this week at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Elementary School on March 5, 2026.
Free Parent EQAO Webinar – Spring 2026: Join us for a free live webinar about how EQAO assesses students’ writing skills at key stages of their education. EQAO staff will discuss writing prompts and questions from the reading component of the primary- and junior-division assessments and from the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. Participants will hear how these prompts and questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning. Webinar date: March 25, 2026, starting at 12:00 pm / Click here for registration.
CSC Hot Lunch – Term 2 Offering : Great news, families! The Catholic School Council is pleased to announce that Phase 2 of the Hot Lunch Program is now open on School-Day. Families who wish to participate are asked to place their orders by Friday, March 13, 2026. The program will begin the first week after March Break (March 16–20, 2026). Please take a moment to review the letter below for additional details.
Hot Lunch Order Form Letter for School Day 2nd Term March 2026
This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy convenient, nutritious lunches while supporting our school community. 👉 [Log in to School-Day and place your order today!]
Bus Safety Tips/Active Travel: “The wheels on the bus go round and round…” Walking to the school bus stop and riding the bus to school are considered important forms of active school travel. Students who live outside of the Non-Transportation Zone for their home school qualify for school bus service.
Walking to the bus stop and riding the bus provides a number of benefits including:
- Teaching children the value of time and being organized
- Keeping children active, which leads to strong physical and mental health
- Encouraging social interaction and improving and building social skills
- Keeping communities safe and reducing private automobile traffic congestion
- Reducing environmental air pollution
- Making school more accessible for all children
| Ministry of Transportation School Bus Safety Tips | |
| When you board or leave the bus | While on the bus |
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If your child does not qualify for the school bus, we encourage walking/cycling/scootering or parking a block away and walking the rest of the way. For those who can’t walk/cycle/scooter every day, choosing active travel once, twice, or a few days a week can still provide benefits.
| Important dates to mark on your calendars: March | |||
| 3 | Make Up Sushi Hot Lunch | 12 | YCDSB Board Lenten Mass @ 1:15pm LINK. |
| 4 | INT. Boy’s Basketball @ St. Katherine Drexel CHS | 12 | YCDSB Board Lenten Mass @ 1:15pm LINK. |
| 5 | INT. Girl’sBasketball @ St. Katherine Drexel CHS | 16 | March Break |
| 8 | INT. Boy’s Basketball @ St. Benedict’s CES | 23 | World Down Syndrome Day – Mismatch Sock Day |
| 9 | INT. Girl’s Basketball @ St. Julia Billiart CES | 31 | Passion of Christ @ 1:15 School Gym (Gr. 6 Performance) |
Yours In Catholic Education,
Marc Caruso
Principal