Monthly Archives: February 2023

February 28, 2023

All Student transportation cancelled, all schools are open

• Due to the current road conditions, ALL SCHOOL BUSES, TAXIS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION ROUTES operated by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board and Waterloo Region District School Board are cancelled.
• All Public and Catholic Schools are OPEN.
• All Extended Day Childcare Programs are OPEN.
• Louis online, daytime, and evening classes are open at all locations.

Guardian’s, please remember if you choose to drop your child off at school that you will need to make arrangements for their pickup after school as there are no buses running.

“David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied [for wearing a pink shirt]…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school. ‘I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders,’ says Mr. Price, 17, who organized the pink protest. ‘Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.’ So Mr. Shepherd and some other headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out message to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag. As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled. The bullies were never heard from again.”

— GLOBE & MAIL

Please join us on Friday, February 24, 2023, for Monsignor Haller’s Pink Shirt Day!!

Preventing+Bullying+Tips+for+ParentsCaregivers+Tipsheet

Thursday February 23 – All Schools are Closed

• 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 and child care centres co-located in schools are CLOSED.
• All programs and services offered by St. Louis Continuing Education and Adult and Learning Centres are cancelled

February 17, 2023

All Student transportation cancelled, all schools are open

• Due to the current road conditions, ALL SCHOOL BUSES, TAXIS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION ROUTES operated by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board and Waterloo Region District School Board are cancelled.
• All Public and Catholic Schools are OPEN.
• All Extended Day Childcare Programs are OPEN.
• Louis online, daytime, and evening classes are open at all locations.

This is just a reminder that the Region of Waterloo Public Health will be coming to Monsignor Haller tomorrow, Friday February 17 for the Grade 8 Catch Up Clinic. Parents/guardians must complete the consent form for their child to be vaccinated. The online consent form link is: https://surveys.regionofwaterloo.ca/gr8consent

Letter_to_Parents_Guardians_Grade_8_

Printable consent form:

Consent Form

On Tuesday, February 21st, staff and School Council will be making Pancake for all students and staff at Monsignor Haller.  Please remember to pack a plate and utensils for your child if you would like them to have pancakes.

A reminder: Valentine’s Day is next week on Tuesday, February 14th. We will celebrate the day by having a St. Valentine Spirit Day and dressing in Red, White, and Pink! We are able to return to some traditional card/treat exchanges for this special day. If you are planning on bringing in a treat for classmates, please note that non-food items are encouraged, but any edible treats should be prepackaged and clearly labeled nut-free. THANK YOU for reminding the students that at school this day is about kindness and friendship – and being mindful of others when celebrating this day with others in our community. We encourage that younger students just sign them with their name and not address the Valentines specifically to make distribution easy.  Check with your child’s teacher to confirm the number of students in the class to ensure no one is left out.

As the Grade 7 School Immunization program was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Region of Waterloo is collaborating with schools to provide Grade 8 students an opportunity to catch up on the Meningococcal vaccine (Men-ACYW-135).

Please review the attached information and sign the consent form if you wish for your Grade 8 child to receive the vaccine. A paper copy will also be sent home with your child today.

Consent Form

Letter_to_Parents_Guardians_Grade_8_

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is next week on Tuesday, February 14th. We will celebrate the day by having a St. Valentine Spirit Day and dressing in Red, White, and Pink! We are able to return to some traditional card/treat exchanges for this special day. If you are planning on bringing in a treat for classmates, please note that non-food items are encouraged, but any edible treats should be prepackaged and clearly labeled nut-free. THANK YOU for reminding the students that at school this day is about kindness and friendship – and being mindful of others when celebrating this day with others in our community. We encourage that younger students just sign them with their name and not address the Valentines specifically to make distribution easy.  Check with your child’s teacher to confirm the number of students in the class to ensure no one is left out. 

Shrove Tuesday/ Pancake Breakfast

On Tuesday, February 21st, staff and School Council will be making Pancake for all students and staff at Monsignor Haller.  

Black Heritage Month Continues… 

Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month events and festivities that honour the legacy of Black people in Canada and their communities.

The 2023 theme for Black History Month is: “Ours to tell”. This theme represents both an opportunity to engage in open dialogue and a commitment to learning more about the stories Black communities in Canada have to tell about their histories, successes, sacrifices, and triumphs.

No matter where you live, we invite all Canadians to learn more about these communities, and how they continue to help shape Canadian history. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month.html

Report Cards

Term one report cards will be sent home Friday, February 17th. These reports are the assessment and evidence of learning collected and documented from September until now. Letter grades are given for students in grades 1-6 and percentage marks are given for students in grades 7-8. Teacher comments focus on your child’s strengths and next steps for learning improvement. Kindergarten students will also receive their term one Kindergarten Communication of Learning highlighting key learning and next steps in learning. If your child has an Individual Education Plan, the IEP will be sent home along with the term one report card. Although formal interviews occurred in November, please feel free to connect with your child’s teacher if you have concerns or questions about your child’s progress.

Math

Parents can make a big difference in their child’s learning by talking with them about what they are learning at school. In the 2020 curriculum, there are relevant, real-life examples that help connect math to everyday life, such as developing infographics, creating a budget, e-transfers, and learning to code. Families can support their child’s success by finding ways to make a connection between what is being learned at school and outside the classroom. We want to help and provide valuable information and ideas for supporting their learning at home.

Umbrella Skills

February Umbrella Skill: Resilience

 What will resilience do for my child?  

Help them bounce back from challenges stronger than they were before. 

What is resilience?

Why do some people get knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever? It’s their resilience. Over time everyone will face a range of obstacles and difficulties; it’s part of life.

Resilience allows us to adapt or even feel stronger and happier after these times. It helps us to feel less like the victim of our own story and more like the hero.

When it comes to resilience, practicing helps. With every storm you successfully weather, your resilience gets a bit better and the more we do that, the stronger we get.

Listen as I introduce this important Umbrella Skill of Resilience. 

Make connections

Friends and other social supports improve resilience. Much like your umbrella protects you from the rain, having many strong umbrellas around you is necessary when the rain is too much for you to handle alone. Does your child have multiple friend groups? Maybe one at school, one in the neighbourhood, one with family friends? Help them find opportunities to make new friends and mentors and strengthen the connections they already have. This will add to the network of people they draw support from and who they in turn are able to support. Encourage them to be a friend, to get more friends.  

Chat soon, 

Dr. Jen, The Umbrella Project

Date: TONIGHT – Tuesday, February 7

Time: 6-7pm

Place: Haller school library

Join us!

We’d love to hear some of your ideas for fundraising and events for the school community!

Attendance commitments are appreciated but not required.

We hope to see you there!