News

Hi Phoenix Families,

As a response to our increased enrolment at the school, the board has given us an additional teacher to reduce the class sizes in our Intermediate division. This has resulted in two grade 7 classrooms and two grade 8 classrooms. This impacted all of our Intermediate students as students who remained with their teacher were able to welcome those who were joining the class. We were also required to rebalance our Primary and Junior classes impacting less than 15 students’ placements. The new classroom communities met today after our Terry Fox Run and will continue on Monday morning for the remainder of the school year. If your child was impacted, you will receive notice by email this evening so you can discuss the new placement with them and partner with us as we celebrate the smaller class sizes and individualized attention this positive change brings. Thank you for your continued support.

Mr. Hunt and the Staff of St. Anne Cambridge

A Great First Week!

There were lots of big feelings as our students met their new classmates and teachers, but everyone did such a wonderful job. I snapped a few pictures during my walk-abouts of the school. Outside of these snapshots there was so much learning and community building. You would be so proud of the way your children welcomed each other and showed kindness throughout the week. We are off to a wonderful start.

Meet the Staff, Community BBQ & Book Fair

We hope to see everyone on Tuesday, September 19th for our BBQ. Staff will be at the BBQ, but they will also need to Eat too :). In order to give our staff a chance to eat and connect with you outside of the classroom, we have set times for staff to be in their rooms so you can be confident of when you can for sure visit your classroom teacher and know they will be in the classroom. Staff will be in their rooms at the following times:

5:00 – 5:45 Grade 1, 2 and 3

5:30 – 6:15 Grade 4, 5, and 6

5:45 – 6:30 Grade 7 and 8

6:00 – 6:45 JK and SK Staff

They will still be around the rest of the night, but they might be visiting with families outdoors or getting a bite to eat. If you have children in various grades, please plan your evening accordingly.

COST: The BBQ will be free and catered by a local company, Remember Me Catering. However, we are asking families to support our Terry Fox Run if they want to make a donation in lieu of paying for dinner. It is completely optional, but we know our families like to help where and when they are able to do so.

You will also be able to visit the Book Fair in the Library. Mrs. Raposo is excited to host and welcome all of you for this exciting event. You are welcome to purchase any materials that interest you at the book fair as well.

CSAC

Community BBQs would NOT be possible without the support of our parents on CSAC. CSAC stands for Catholic School Advisory Council aka Parent Council. They help our community use the fundraising money we raise to improve our school based on the needs that arise. They also share input and provide a voice for parents on things like the parking lot, student dress code or other challenging conversations that matter to our whole community. Whether it is sponsoring a community garden, supporting field trips, organizing community events or sharing thoughts and ideas with the principal, CSAC is open to all parents in the school. If you have any questions about being a part of this awesome group, please reach out to myself at ej.hunt@wcdsb.ca . Our first meeting is September 26th at 6PM at the school in the Library. After that we will adjust the time, date and format (in person or virtual) to meet the needs of the group. We would love for you to be involved if you are able.

Toonies for Terry

Our annual Terry Fox Run will be happening this Friday, September 15th.  We invite you to donate to this worthy cause when it comes through to your Cash Online. Terry’s Marathon of Hope has resulted in so much life-changing research to be funded. Terry Fox is a Canadian hero and we honour his legacy by carrying on the race he began long ago. Join with us and donate if you are able. We are planning on making part of our walk through the neighbourhood, so it is essential that you complete your neighbourhood walk Cashonline form so your child is able to complete the off-campus portion of the event.

This Week at a Glance:

Monday September 11th

• First Day of School for all of our JK and SK friends together! We are so glad each of you are here.

Tuesday September 12th

• Remember to complete all School Cash Online Forms, Medical Forms and Student Verification Forms. If you are having trouble, please contact the office.
  • These are VERY IMPORTANT as they ensure your child gets to fully participate in co-curriculars, ensures they are safe is there in a life-threatening medical condition we need to know about and verifies that your contact information is accurate at the office. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Wednesday September 13th

• Phoenix Spirit Wear Day: Dress in Red, Blue and Gold or some official St. Anne’s Spirit Wear Gear!
• 

Thursday September 14th

• Terry Fox run is tomorrow. Have you done your School Cashonline Forms? Considered Donating?

Friday September 15th

• Week 2 in the books. Reminder to make rest and wellness a priority for your family this weekend!

Important Upcoming Dates

Tuesday Sept 19 – Meet the Staff at our Community BBQ & Book Fair.

Tuesday Sept 26 – First CSAC (Catholic School Advisory Council) Meeting at 6PM in the Library at St. Anne. All are welcome!

Wednesday Sept 27– Rowan’s Law Day for Concussion Awareness (Wear Purple)

Friday Sept 29– Every Child Matters (Wear Orange at School)

Saturday Sept 30– Every Child Matters (Wear Orange in the Community)

Monday Oct 2 – Student of the Month Assembly: Focus is celebrating Collaboration

Thursday Oct 5 – Thanksgiving Liturgy at 2:15PM at St. Anne’s Gymnasium. All are welcome to attend.

Friday Oct 6 – P.A. Day No School

Monday Oct 9– Thanksgiving Holiday

Tuesday Oct 25 – Picture Day

Tuesday Oct 31 – Happy Halloween

Friday November 3 – Student of the Month Assembly: Focus is celebrating Digital Literacy

Sunday Nov 5 – ‘Fall back’ Daylight Savings Time Ends

Friday Nov 10 – Remembrance Day Liturgy

Saturday Nov 11 – Remembrance Day

Tuesday Nov 14 – Diabetes Awareness Day (Wear Blue)

Monday Nov 19 to 25 – Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week

Monday Nov 20  – Progress Reports Go Home

Thursday November 23– Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences

Friday December 1– Student of the Month Assembly: Focus is celebrating Communication

Friday Dec 22 – Last Day of School before Winter Break

Sunday Dec 24 – Christmas Eve

Monday Dec 25 – Christmas Day

Tuesday Dec 26 – Boxing Day

Monday Jan 1 – New Year’s Day

Monday Jan 8 – First Day of School in 2024

Tuesday Jan 9 – Student of the Month Assembly: Focus is celebrating Learning Partnerships

Friday Jan 19– P.A. Day

Tuesday January 30 – Primary Mass and Field Trip at St. Ambrose Church

Wednesday January 31 – Junior Mass and Field Trip at St. Ambrose Church

Thursday Feb 1 – Intermediate Mass and Field Trip at St. Ambrose Church

Friday Feb 2 – Groundhog Day

Friday Feb 2 – Student of the Month Assembly: Focus is celebrating Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship

Tuesday Feb 13 – Shrove Tuesday

Wednesday Feb 14 – Valentine’s Day

Wednesday Feb 14 – Ash Wednesday

Thursday Feb 15 – Term 1 Report Cards Go Home

Monday Feb 19– Family Day Holiday

Friday March 1 – Student of the Month Assembly: Focus is celebrating Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Thursday March 7 – Last day of school before March Break

March 8-15 – March Break

Monday March 18 – First day of school after March Break

Tuesday March 26 – Epilepsy Awareness Day Wear Purple

Thursday March 28 – Holy Thursday

Friday March 29 – Good Friday

Monday April 1– Easter Monday

Wednesday April 3 – Student of the Month Assembly: Focus is celebrating Discerning Believers

Thursday April 18 – Easter Mass at St. Ambrose Church at 10 AM. All are welcome to attend.

Friday April 19– P.A. Day

Friday May 3 – Student of the Month Assembly: Focus is celebrating Global Citizenship and Sustainability

May 5-10 – Catholic Education Week

Sunday May 12 – Mother’s Day

Thursday May 16 – Crowning of Mary Liturgy at St. Anne’s at 10:45 AM. All are welcome to attend.

Monday May 20 – Victoria Day

Saturday May 25 at 11AM at St. Ambrose Parish– Confirmation

Friday May 31 – PA Day

Monday June 3 – Student of the Month Assembly: Focus is celebrating Inclusion and Belonging

Sunday June 16– Father’s Day

Thursday June 20 – Closing School Mass at 10AM at St. Ambrose Parish. All are Welcome to Attend.

Friday June 21 – National Indigenous People’s Day

Tuesday June 25 – Term 2 Report Cards Go Home

Wednesday June 26 – Closing Assembly in St. Anne’s Gym: Focus is celebrating Self-Directed Learning

Thursday June 27 – Last Day of School for Students

Friday June 28 – PD Day

Welcome Back!

Hi Everyone,

The team at St. Anne Cambridge has been busily preparing for your return on Tuesday. We are very excited to welcome you on Tuesday and look forward to so many exciting days ahead. First off, please allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is E.J. Hunt and I am the new Principal of St. Anne Cambridge. I put my picture below so you know who to look for on day 1 if you have any questions or concerns. Please also show your children my picture and let them know who to look for if they need the principal on the first day. Students are always welcome to find me on the yard or visit the office to say hi or talk through a problem they are trying to solve. I look forward to getting to know all of our students and families over the coming years.

Part of the big smile on my face is that I have the privilege to lead the incredible staff at St. Anne. Mr. Sullivan, our Vice-Principal, and I have been working hard over the summer to assemble an outstanding team to serve this community. There are going to be many new faces to introduce over the next few weeks, but I am positive the additions to the team will add to the already fantastic crew of staff that you know and appreciate. The staff has also shared how incredible the students and families of St. Anne are, and I very much look forward to leading this community over the coming years. If anyone needs to reach out to me, my email is ej.hunt@wcdsb.ca . I will do my best to get back to you in a timely manner.

By now you should have received information about your line up location from your classroom teacher. It was sent through our student management system. This is the same program you registered on with all your contact information. If your contact information has changed and we need to update that so you can receive all of our communication, please contact the main office next week.

A HUGE SHOUT OUT…

To our amazing custodial team. Mr. Winsor and Mr. Parker have worked tirelessly this summer to ensure our school is looking beautiful. It is so clean and well kept. We are blessed to have such fantastic custodians in our midst. Thank you gentlemen for all of your hard work preparing the Phoenix Nest for our return.

For Day 1…

We are all meeting on Tuesday, September 5th on the black top between 9:10AM and 9:20AM. Parents are welcome to drop their children to the line location on Day 1 only. During pick-up and every drop-off and pick-up after that, parents must remain off the school yard. We will have plenty of supervision to ensure your children’s safety through out the year. As we navigate pick-up and drop-off, there may need to be adjustments to ensure student safety. Please send your child with a refillable water bottle, indoor and outdoor shoes, a back pack and lunch/snacks. Do not worry about spending money on school supplies. The school will take care of everything that is needed with classroom supplies that are provided. If there are specific supply requests from teachers, they will let you know. As a team, we try to keep these demands on families to a minimum.

Please let your child’s classroom teacher know if there are any medical updates (New allergy, heart condition, etc.). Anything that they need to know in order to keep your child safe, especially if you are new to the school or your child’s condition changed over the summer. Also, please remember to send any asthma puffers and EpiPens with the children and bring any oral medication that may need to be administered to the main office.

JK and SK Families: Your classroom teachers have reached out to you about your staggered entry schedule. No SKs will be present on September 5th and JK families have received invitations with their visit times.

Please Note From Day 1: One of my core values is inclusion. Everyone is welcome and there is always room for one more. If there is ever an activity that is offered or a field trip that you cannot afford, please do not sit and suffer in silence. Reach out to me privately and we will find a way to ensure your child takes part. We are a school family. Sometimes there is more month at the end of the money than there is money at the end of the month. As followers of Christ, we care for one another and we don’t leave anyone behind. Whether your child is just going into JK or finishing their time at the school, we all have value and bring so much to the community with our presence. Reach out if you are struggling and we will find a way to help. This is who we are.

Class Placements…

Classes have been set since last Spring. We always have enrolment fluctuations and there is a possibility we will gain a teacher and need to reorganize into smaller classes to serve your children better. This is the policy of the Ministry of Education and we are directed by the senior team at the board office. We won’t know for a few weeks if we are shifting into smaller classes, but I want you to prepare your children for that possibility. I am confident that all of our students will feel a strong sense of belonging and experience academic success in whichever teacher’s classroom they are assigned. Stay tuned for updates on staffing going forward.

Save the Date…

After we get through the first few weeks and classes settle out, we are looking forward to getting together as a school family. We would love for you to join us for our School BBQ, Book Fair and Meet the Staff Evening. It will be held on the Evening of Tuesday, September 19th . We look forward to seeing you there!

Attention Grade 8 Parents!

St. Ambrose will be running a youth group for high school students during the summer months! We will meet every other Tuesday from 6:30-8pm in the church hall beginning Tuesday, July 11^th. Students starting Grade 9 in September through Grade 12 are most welcome!

This is an opportunity for your child to grow in their relationship with Jesus, make new friends, and have fun! Encourage your son or daughter to join!

Elementary Youth Group

The St. Ambrose elementary youth group will continue to meet through the summer months on Thursdays from 6:30-8pm in the church hall. Students beginning Grade 6 in September are most welcome to join beginning Thursday, July 6^th!

If your child will be new to the youth group, kindly arrive a few minutes early to complete a registration form.

If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Kwiecinski, Coordinator of Youth Ministry, by phone at 519-621-2013 or by email at youth@stambrosecambridge.ca.

I pray that everyone have a restful and fun summer break!

God Bless,

Sarah Kwiecinski

Good morning,

Unfortunately, Environment Canada continues to issue a Special Air Quality Statement that covers all of Ontario, including Waterloo Region.

In Waterloo Region the forecast for Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) levels for June 8, are forecast to be High Risk (7 to 8).  The government of Canada’s Air Quality Health Index Message is below as per a high-risk index.

As a precaution, to ensure student safety, the WCDSB Elementary Regional Track & Field event scheduled for today, Thursday, June 8^th, will be cancelled.

Thank you for your continued support and flexibility to ensure the safety of our students.

Environment Canada has issued a Special Air Quality Statement that covers all of Ontario, including Waterloo Region.

Smoke plumes from forest fires in northeastern Ontario and Quebec may result in deteriorating air quality in our Region through most of the week. Wildfire smoke can be harmful to a person’s health, especially those with pre-existing conditions. Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour and region to region.

In Waterloo Region the forecast for Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) levels for June 7, are forecast to be High Risk (7).

As a precaution, to ensure student safety, the WCDSB Elementary Regional Track & Field event scheduled for today, Wed. Jun 7^th, will be cancelled. The WCDSB will communicate plans regarding the rescheduling of this event, if possible.

We can’t believe June is here and we only have a few weeks of school left. Please see the attachment for our June Newsletter and continue to follow D2L or Google Classroom for classroom updates.

St. Anne Newsletter – JUNE 2023

St. Anne School Staff

The yearbook is now officially for sale for the 2022/23 school year.

It can be purchased on schoolcash online for $21.
Yearbooks have to be pre-ordered by May 30/23. What a great way to commemorate your school year.

It will feature photos of everyone from Jk-Gr 8.

Order yours today!

Hello Families,

As many of you are aware, there has been a police presence in the surrounding neighbourhood throughout the night and today.

Please know that WRPS have been in regular contact with the school. School grounds were searched and deemed clear and safe by WRPS. We thank the WRPS for their support and communication with the school.

We appreciate your support in assuring students that school has remained a safe place.

Thank you,

St. Anne School Staff

Phoenix Nation….

We have had Vick out to speak with kids and staff on a few occasions. She is amazing! Vicki is a gifted speaker with a powerful message on multiculturalism, equity and
social justice, who will engage you with strategies to support anti-racism in our
homes.

Vicki Olatundun

CPIC PRESENTS
VICKIOLATUNDUN
PARENTS, JOIN US FOR THIS FREE EVENT! LINK BELOW.
LOCATION: CATHOLIC EDUCATION CENTRE
35 WEBER STREET WEST, KITCHENER

May 31, 2023 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM