Grade 8 Photo Day is coming!
Date: March 20
Location: OLOL Gym
Please see the attached flyer explaining what to expect and how to prepare. Proofs will be sent to the school approx. 2 weeks after photo day for distribution. No money is collected up-front or by the school: Grade 8 Photo Day
Hello! Please ask a friend to help you translate this information. Thank You!
ሰላም! በጃኻ ነዚ ሓበሬታ እዚ ንኽትትርጕሞ ኺሕግዘካ ንፈታዊኻ ሕተቶ ። የቐንየለይ!
Dear Flames Families,
As we move into March, we look forward to the signs of spring and continuing our journey through the liturgical season of Lent. Lent is a time of prayer and preparation for Easter, the holiest of the liturgical seasons. Students and families are encouraged to think about how they can prepare for this special time in our faith lives.
Did you know that Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ is the Religious Education program endorsed by the Catholic Bishops of Ontario and developed in collaboration with Catholic educators from across Canada that we use daily in our schools. The program is based on the Catholic Elementary Curriculum Policy Document for Religious Education, Grades 1-8 and Catholic School Kindergarten Program.
Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ has a variety of Lent and Easter resources to help bring meaning to this faith-filled celebration of this holy season. Check it out to continue learning about Lent and Easter at home! https://www.pearsoncanadaschool.com/catholic-resources/products/GIFGIC.html
THIS IS WHY WE ARE HERE:
During the Month of March:
March’s OCGE focus is on being a Discerning Believer. Students will join together in a faith celebration Friday to kick off this month’s theme and will then engage in a range of classroom activities aimed at developing these skills throughout the month.
Being a Discerning Believer: I AM A BELIEVER!
Because I am a believer, I will live my life like Jesus.
During the month of March, as Catholics we will show transferable skills through being a Discerning Believer formed in the Catholic Faith Community who celebrates the signs and sacred mystery of God’s presence through word, sacrament, prayer, forgiveness, reflection, and moral living.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership in cultivating a dynamic and enriching educational experience for your child.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
NUT FREE Policy
A reminder that Our Lady of Lourdes is a NUT FREE school. This means that any product that contains ANY TYPE of nut cannot come to school. THIS INCLUDES NUTELLA which is a chocolate hazelnut spread. Please help us keep everyone safe at school by keeping all nut products at home.
OLOL Spiritwear
Online store closes WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 29th! Please go to the website below and enter the access code.
Website: www.schoolschooltee.com
School Access Code: OLOL.WAT
Please see the instruction sheet Our Lady of Lourdes Spiritwear Poster for further details about how to place your order.
School Council Dates
Weather permitting, meetings take place in the school library at 6:00pm and all caregivers are welcomed to attend!
February 27, 2024 (online)
April 9, 2024
May 6, 2024
WCDSB & School Dates:
March 8 – 15th – March Break
March 29th – Good Friday
April 1st – Easter Monday
April 19th – PA Day – CHANGED to APRIL 8th (please see message below)
May 8, 2024-June 12, 2024 – Grade 3 & 6 EQAO
May 20th – Victoria Day
May 31st – PA Day
June 25th- Term 2 Reports
June 27th- Last Day of School
June 28th – PA Day
School Testing Dates:
Please call Our Lady of Lourdes Parish for more information or for information on baptism, sacramental or mass times
Please note that the Professional Activity (PA) Day, initially set for April 19, 2024, has been rescheduled to April 8, 2024. This adjustment is to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students and staff due to the Total Solar Eclipse expected on April 8, 2024.
It is important to remember that directly observing the Sun can lead to severe eye injuries, particularly during a solar eclipse.
For safe observation of a solar eclipse, it’s essential to use eye protection specifically designed for this purpose (conforming to the ISO 12312-2 standard). Regular sunglasses do not offer adequate protection for your eyes. Moreover, attempting to view any phase of a solar eclipse through the camera of a smartphone, a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without attaching a special solar filter to the front of the device can result in significant eye damage.
Total Solar Eclipse Safety Tips
A total solar eclipse is a rare and exciting natural phenomenon. However, it is crucial to view it safely to prevent any damage to the eyes. Here are some tips for safely experiencing the solar eclipse:
We hope these tips are helpful for you and your family to safely experience this spectacular event. For more safety tips and information, please visit https://opto.ca/eye-health-library/solar-eclipse-safety.
Please refer to www.wcdsb.ca for the most up to date news.
Here’s to another great week!
Hello! Please ask a friend to help you translate this information. Thank You!
ሰላም! በጃኻ ነዚ ሓበሬታ እዚ ንኽትትርጕሞ ኺሕግዘካ ንፈታዊኻ ሕተቶ ። የቐንየለይ!
Dear Flames Families,
Although February is a short month, many great things are happening in our school and communities. We celebrated our 100th day of school; we celebrated Shrove Tuesday with our pancake breakfast, we came together in community to begin Lent, and report cards went home! We continue to learn about the contributions of Black excellence in our communities past and present. With Family Day weekend here, we are wishing everyone a beautiful family weekend!
A VERY special thank you goes out to our parent volunteers for leading our Shrove Tuesday breakfast! Our whole school community thanks you for your early morning arrival and cooking over those hot griddles…and then the clean up! Thank you very much for helping us break bread together as a school!
Student Pick up & Drop Off
We understand that there are times when students need to be dropped off or picked up throughout the school day. Please remember to contact the classroom teacher or the main office if you will be picking your child up prior to the end of the school day. When picking or dropping students off at the main doors, we ask all families to please remain at the front door or in the front foyer. If your child needs assistance getting to their classroom a staff member will happily assist.
OLOL Spiritwear
Great news! Our online store is open for Spirit Wear orders. Please go to the website below and enter the access code.
Website: www.schoolschooltee.com
School Access Code: OLOL.WAT
Please see the instruction sheet Our Lady of Lourdes Spiritwear Poster for further details about how to place your order
Family Day
A gentle reminder – Monday February 19 is Family Day. All schools are closed for the holiday.
School Council Dates
Weather permitting, meetings take place in the school library at 6:00pm and all caregivers are welcomed to attend!
February 27, 2024 – Online
April 9, 2024
May 6, 2024
March 8 – 15th – March Break
March 29th – Good Friday
April 1st – Easter Monday
April 19th – PA Day – CHANGED to APRIL 8th (please see message below)
May 8, 2024-June 12, 2024 – Grade 3 & 6 EQAO
May 20th – Victoria Day
May 31st – PA Day
June 25th- Term 2 Reports
June 27th- Last Day of School
June 28th – PA Day
School Testing Dates:
Please call Our Lady of Lourdes Parish for more information or for information on baptism, sacramental or mass times
Please note that the Professional Activity (PA) Day, initially set for April 19, 2024, has been rescheduled to April 8, 2024. This adjustment is to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students and staff due to the Total Solar Eclipse expected on April 8, 2024.
It is important to remember that directly observing the Sun can lead to severe eye injuries, particularly during a solar eclipse.
For safe observation of a solar eclipse, it’s essential to use eye protection specifically designed for this purpose (conforming to the ISO 12312-2 standard). Regular sunglasses do not offer adequate protection for your eyes. Moreover, attempting to view any phase of a solar eclipse through the camera of a smartphone, a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without attaching a special solar filter to the front of the device can result in significant eye damage.
Total Solar Eclipse Safety Tips
A total solar eclipse is a rare and exciting natural phenomenon. However, it is crucial to view it safely to prevent any damage to the eyes. Here are some tips for safely experiencing the solar eclipse:
We hope these tips are helpful for you and your family to safely experience this spectacular event. For more safety tips and information, please visit https://opto.ca/eye-health-library/solar-eclipse-safety.
Please refer to www.wcdsb.ca for the most up to date news.
Here’s to another great week!
The Staff at OLOL
Hello! Please ask a friend to help you translate this information. Thank You!
ሰላም! በጃኻ ነዚ ሓበሬታ እዚ ንኽትትርጕሞ ኺሕግዘካ ንፈታዊኻ ሕተቶ ። የቐንየለይ!
Dear Flames Families,
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ~ John 15:12
What a beautiful passage from the Bible to reflect on as we head into school this week and celebrate both Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. Although, it is not only on Valentine’s Day we are reminded to share kindness. We need to recognize and acknowledge the inherent goodness in each other on a daily basis. Being inclusive at Our Lady of Lourdes means we try to make every day like Valentine’s Day by teaching and learning about how to always offer kindness and respect to each other and ourselves, too.
We show our appreciation for our school community by using kind words, keeping our school clean, making safe choices at recess and a commitment to come to school each day ready to learn and contribute. Sharing of our hearts and spirit in our community is evident through our many students who are recognized with our ‘Blazing Flames’, the supportive acts of our staff, and our many parent volunteers ~ just to name a few.
Student Pick up & Drop Off
We understand that there are times when students need to be dropped off or picked up throughout the school day. Please remember to contact the classroom teacher or the main office if you will be picking your child up prior to the end of the school day. When picking or dropping students off at the main doors, we ask all families to please remain at the front door or in the front foyer. If your child needs assistance getting to their classroom a staff member will happily assist.
OLOL Spirit Wear
Great news! Our online store is open for Spirit Wear orders. Please go to the website below and enter the access code.
Website: www.schoolschooltee.com
School Access Code: OLOL.WAT
Please see the instruction sheet Our Lady of Lourdes Spiritwear Poster for further details about how to place your order.
Shrove Tuesday: February 13th!
Shrove Tuesday is this coming Tuesday, and we can’t wait to serve up some delicious pancakes. Many thanks to our parent volunteers who will be mixing, flipping, and delivering the pancakes to classrooms. Students will still need to bring a lunch, drinks, and snacks for the afternoon. We will be serving President’s Choice Original Pancake Mix with No Name syrup.
Valentine’s Day
The season of Lent is coming which includes two special days in February, and we would like to let you know in advance how we are navigating them at Our Lady of Lourdes. Valentine’s Day, which promotes the indulgence of sweet treats, clashes with Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and abstinence. Therefore, will celebrate Valentine’s Day on Tuesday February 13th and we will observe Ash Wednesday on Wednesday February 14th.
Ash Wednesday
Each year, on Ash Wednesday all schools begin the Lenten season with a liturgy. In our Catholic faith, Ash Wednesday is a day of prayer and reflection with the intention of growing closer to God. We will join Father Rafal at the Church, who will lead us in our Ash Wednesday liturgy this week and help us celebrate Ash Wednesday as the first day of LENT.
“Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel”
Lent is a time for the friends of Jesus to prepare for Easter. During the 40 days of Lent, we prepare for Easter by taking time to be quiet in our hearts, by praying, doing good deeds, being forgiving and asking for forgiveness. We will receive ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday to remind us that we need to try to be more like Jesus.
Report Cards
Term one report cards will be sent home on Thursday, February 15th. If your child has an Individual Education Plan, the IEP for term two 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 or how you can support your child’s learning at home.
Family Day
A gentle reminder – Monday February 19 is Family Day. All schools are closed for the holiday.
School Council Dates
Weather permitting, meetings take place in the school library at 6:00pm and all caregivers are welcomed to attend!
February 27, 2024
April 9, 2024
May 6, 2024
February 15th – Term 1 Reports
February 19th – Family Day
March 8 – 15th – March Break
March 29th – Good Friday
April 1st – Easter Monday
April 19th – PA Day
May 8, 2024-June 12, 2024 – Grade 3 & 6 EQAO
May 20th – Victoria Day
May 31st – PA Day
June 25th- Term 2 Reports
June 27th- Last Day of School
June 28th – PA Day
Please call Our Lady of Lourdes Parish for more information or for information on baptism, sacramental or mass times
Please refer to www.wcdsb.ca for the most up to date news.
Here’s to another great week!
The Staff at OLOL
Great news! Our online store is open for Spirit Wear orders. Please go to the website below and enter the access code.
| Please see the instruction sheet Our Lady of Lourdes Spiritwear Poster for further details about how to place your order.
Keep an eye out for paper copies of these instructions coming home tonight! |
Don’t miss out!
Hello! Please ask a friend to help you translate this information. Thank You!
ሰላም! በጃኻ ነዚ ሓበሬታ እዚ ንኽትትርጕሞ ኺሕግዘካ ንፈታዊኻ ሕተቶ ። የቐንየለይ!
Dear Flames Families,
Every February, people in Canada are invited to participate in Black History Month festivities and events that honour the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities. OLOL encourages every member of our community to take part in celebrating Black history, culture, and achievements not only this month but throughout the year. Within our school community we will have age appropriate opportunities to learn more about equity, diversity and inclusion.
We are also halfway through our school year. With report cards coming home later this month it is a great time for a mid year check-in and an opportunity to encourage your child to more engage in his/her own learning. Keeping in mind that children (and adults too) feel successful when they accomplish goals it may be a good time to work with your child to set some small and attainable goals for both home and school!
Winter Walk & Roll Day!
Winter Walk & Roll Day is the first Wednesday of February every year, and it celebrates the health benefits of movement to improve children’s’ mobility and health. Students are encouraged to ask for caregiver permission first, dress for the weather & understand special winter tips. Winter Walk and Roll Day is scheduled for Wednesday, February 7th! Learn more here: WWD24-Poster
Valentine’s Day & Ash Wednesday
The season of Lent is coming which includes two special days in February, and we would like to let you know in advance how we are navigating them at Our Lady of Lourdes. Valentine’s Day, which promotes the indulgence of sweet treats, clashes with Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and abstinence. Therefore, will celebrate Valentine’s Day on Tuesday February 13th and we will observe Ash Wednesday on Wednesday February 14th.
Grade 4-8 Survey
Before the March Break, the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) will be conducting school climate surveys to collect information from students and families. While the Ministry of Education requires all school districts to conduct these surveys (Education Act s.169.1(1)(a), (a.1), (a.2) and PPM 145), we are committed to providing a safe, caring, and inclusive place for everyone in our schools
Attached you will find details related to the survey: WCDSB-MDI-Notice-of-Collection-2024-Family-Letter
School Council Dates
Weather permitting, meetings take place in the school library at 6:00pm and all caregivers are welcomed to attend!
February 13, 2024
April 9, 2024
May 6, 2024
February 15th – Term 1 Reports
February 19th – Family Day
March 8 – 15th – March Break
March 29th – Good Friday
April 1st – Easter Monday
April 19th – PA Day
May 8, 2024-June 12, 2024 – Grade 3 & 6 EQAO
May 20th – Victoria Day
May 31st – PA Day
June 25th- Term 2 Reports
June 27th- Last Day of School
June 28th – PA Day
Please call Our Lady of Lourdes Parish for more information or for information on baptism, sacramental or mass times
Please refer to www.wcdsb.ca for the most up to date news.
Here’s to another great week!
The Staff at OLOL
