St. Augustine CES
April 2017 Newsletter
Message from the Principal
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
As we make the transition from winter to spring there are many things happening at St. Augustine Catholic
Elementary School. This year, our grade 7 and 8 students are participating in the I Cubed Invention Convention.
On Thurs. April 13th grade 7 and 8’s will present their inventions. Students from grade 3 to 6 will be invited to
view the work of our intermediate students. Badminton will be starting soon for those students who will be
competing in our Monsignor Doyle Family of Schools tournament. Our Folk Dancers are also practicing for our
Cambridge Folk Dance Festival which will be occurring during Catholic Education Week in early May.
In addition, please keep our grade four students in your prayers as they write the Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test
at the end of April.
Our Catholic School Graduate Expectations that we are focusing on are I am a Team Player and I Care. We will
be assisting our students in putting faith into practice both at school and at home. This is a life long process that
we will continue to reinforce and practice. Please remember our grade 2 students who will be receiving the
sacrament of First Holy Communion on Sunday April 30th at 1:00 pm at St. Gregory Church. This is a very
special time for the first communicants and their families.
In an effort to help our environment, to reduce traffic outside the school at entrance and dismissal times and to
promote healthy active living for our students, all of the non-bus students at St. Augustine CES will be challenged
to walk to and from school for the entire month. Studies have shown that daily physical activity is beneficial to
students’ learning. Please support this initiative by encouraging your child(ren) to walk to school.
At the beginning of May the students and staff will be participating in Catholic Education Week (May 1 - 5).
This year’s theme is Catholic Education: Walking Forward Together. We invite everyone to join us. You may
want to mark your calendar for our annual Mission Day will take place on Friday, May 5th in the afternoon.
Please look for more information coming home later this month.
Enjoy this blessed Easter Season,
Yours truly,
Terri-Lynn Geisel
Important Dates in April
April 4-6:30 p.m. Catholic School Council Mtg.
April 7-PD Day, no school
April 14-Good Friday Holiday, no school
April 17-Easter Monday Holiday, no school
April 20-Fancy Day
April 29 and 30-Confirmation Enrollment Mass
April 30-1 p.m. Grade 2 First Holy Communion
25th Anniversary
Celebrations Update
May 18, 2017
We are in the final planning stages of preparing for this milestone
celebration. We will have three food trucks to choose from, a variety
music playing from the last 25 years, challenging competition games
as well as carnival games, an assembly with inspirational speakers,
cake and more. As you can imagine it takes a lot of people to run a
successful event so…
We need your help!
1. We need volunteers to help out throughout the celebration. There is a need for help setting up prior to the
event as well as cleanup afterwards. We also need people stationed and running games for the duration of the
evening. This is a great opportunity for high school students to obtain volunteer hours. Those who stay for the
entire duration (to the end of cleanup) will also receive a goodie bag for their commitment. Being able to help
out just for a couple of hours is also welcome – just let us know. Please let Evelina Turney at
evelinas701@hotmail.com or Tracey Babineau at traceylsmnk@rogers.com know that you can volunteer and
for how long by April 5th.
2. We also need your help spreading the word! This is a community event and therefore everyone is invited!
So tell your relatives, neighbour’s and friends to join us. We especially want to make sure that everyone who
has attended or been involved with the school in the past, present and future come out and celebrate with us.
In May we will be sending out the agenda for the 18th so that you can plan your evening with family and friends.
Find out about the games and other details though twitter in the weeks leading up to the event as well.
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I am writing to let you know that Mrs. Ertel will be retiring. Her last day will be Friday, April 28, 2017.
She will be retiring after a prosperous career in education as a school librarian. Congratulations are
extended to Mrs. Ertel and her family as they pursue personal interests. Mrs. Ertel has left her mark in a
positive way with many students and families during her time at St. Augustine CES.
Please be advised that Mrs. O’Hagan has been hired as the new librarian for St. Augustine and will
begin her assignment on Monday, May 1. Prior to Mrs. Ertel’s departure, a day will be planned to
have Mrs. O’Hagan in the library. This will allow the students an opportunity to get to know Mrs.
O’Hagan. This transition day will also allow Mrs. Ertel to familiarize Mrs. O’Hagan with some of the
routines and procedures already in place.
Please know that both Mrs. Ertel and Mrs. O’Hagan are committed to making the transition as smooth
as possible for the students. Mrs. O’Hagan is very excited about having the opportunity of getting to
know your son/daughter. Please feel free to introduce yourself to Mrs. O’Hagan when you are in the
school community.
I know that the students have enjoyed their time with Mrs. Ertel and I am confident that they will easily
and quickly enjoy getting to know Mrs. O’Hagan. Congratulations to Mrs. Ertel on her retirement, we
will miss her greatly.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Yours truly,
Mrs. TL Geisel
April’s Math Focus: Connecting
Many people find today’s math confusing and do not understand why they need to learn some of the
subject matter that is required. Students need to see math as more than a
series of isolated skills and concepts, and that they can use their learning in
one area of math to help understand another, or even another subject.
Students learn best when they can connect new concepts with what they
already know, and then connect these ideas to real-world situations. In your
child’s math classroom, students:

make connections between knowledge and skills, and prior learning

make connections between math and other subjects

apply mathematics to contexts outside of mathematics

make connections between different representations, e.g., numeric, graphical and/or algebraic
Intermediate student solving a real life time problem.
Making the connections between the mathematics that students study and its application in their
everyday lives helps students see how useful and relevant it is in
the world beyond the classroom.
You can help at home by asking the following questions while your
child completes their homework:

How can you relate your understanding of … to this problem?

When could this mathematical concept be used in daily life?

What connection do you see between this problem and …?

Describe the connections you see between … and …
Grade 2 students solving a real life sorting problem
Coming Soon:
Representing in Mathematics
Primary students connecting Geometric concepts to real life items.
Making Smart Choices from the Kids’ Menu
Going out to a restaurant can be a fun opportunity for kids to learn about different foods and eat in a new
environment. Unfortunately the options on the kids’ menu can be very limited and usually don’t offer up much
nutrition. Here are some ideas to help make healthier choices when eating out:

Choose a restaurant with a kids’ menu that offers more than the standard fare. Many only have nutrient-poor
choices like fries, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, pizza or pasta with butter.

If you do choose an item from the kids’ menu, ask for veggies, rice or baked potato on the side instead of fries. You
can also ask for fewer fries, or half fries and half veggies as other options.

Consider ordering an appetizer for your child instead of a kid’s meal. Fresh spring rolls, quesadillas, bruschetta or a
salad with grilled chicken could be healthier options.

A regular entrée might be large enough to share between you and your child (or between two children). Consider
options like a vegetable soup and sandwich, a stir-fry or grilled salmon.

Bypass the sugary drinks and order water or milk to drink.

If the meal comes with dessert, ask for extra spoons for sharing or substitute a fruit salad.
Restaurant meals tend to be high in fat, sodium and sugar so try to limit eating out to no more than once a
week (or 2 to 3 times per month). When you have indulged in a less than healthy restaurant meal, focus on
healthier fare with lots of vegetables for the rest of the day. For more smart solutions when eating out with
kids visit EatRight Ontario at: https://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Child-Toddler-Nutrition/You-can-ask
----for-healthy-foods-for-your-kids.aspx
Try this recipe for a kid-friendly and healthier twist on egg fried rice, a popular restaurant dish.
Egg Fried Rice
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups (500 ml) brown or basmati rice, dry
6 cups chopped vegetables (carrot, green onion, broccoli, celery, cabbage, mushrooms, etc.)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) canola oil
4 eggs
6 Tbsp (90 ml) low sodium soy sauce
Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large wok or non-stick fry pan over medium-high heat. Add chopped vegetables and stirfry until crisp tender, approximately 10 minutes.

Remove vegetables from pan and set aside. Add eggs to pan and scramble while cooking.

Once eggs are cooked add rice, vegetables and soy sauce to pan and combine well.
(This recipe meets the criteria for Maximum Nutritional Value for an entrée.)
St. Augustine CES
NewsletterApril 2017
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
There will be no school on Good Friday or Easter Monday. We wish all of our families a Blessed Easter.
Sat
1
Catholic School Council Mtg is the first Tuesday of each month-all are welcome.
Don’t forget to dress up in your fancy clothes on April 20th!
2
9
16
3
10
17
4
5
Catholic School
Council Mtg. 6:30
p.m.
Mr. Sub Lunch
11
12
13
14
Pizza Lunch
Holy Thursday
Good Friday
19
20
21
22
Boston Pizza
Lunch
Fancy Day
Wear Green
for Earth Day!
Earth Day
26
27
28
29
18
Easter Monday
No School
23
24
25
First Holy
Communion
Mass 1 p.m.
7
8
PD Day
No School
Pizza Lunch
30
6
15