12/17/2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:
 


What a wonderful morning we had on Thursday, December 16th, when Mayor Jim Watson, Counselor Jan Harder and our Trustee Alison Baizana joined us for a pancake breakfast hosted by our Chaplain, Martha Dougherty, to honour the three winning homerooms that brought in the most money for our Christmas Outreach Project. As a school we raised over $6500 in cash and over $1500 in Canadian Tire money. Many thanks to all of you for your support! Congratulations to Mrs. Jewitt, Mrs. Bell-Dagenais and Mr. Linke's homerooms for raising the most donations. We are honoured to be the first school visited by Mayor Watson since being elected to his position in the fall Municipal elections.

It is with mixed emotions that I also share with you the departure of our Head Office Administrator, JoAnne Andrechek, who has been promoted to Executive Assistant for the Superintendent of Student Success Elementary effective January 3rd, 2011. We wish JoAnne all the best and thank her for her years of dedication to the Mother Teresa community.

On behalf of the staff at Mother Teresa High School I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very blessed and happy Christmas. May you and your family share the joy of each other's presence and take time to reflect on your blessings as we head into a new year. Thank you for your support for the Mother Teresa school community and we look forward to serving our parents and students throughout 2011.

Updates from our High School Departments

Business Studies:

The Business Education Department has had a busy semester to end the 2010 calendar year. The junior classes were busy running the school Tuck Shop; learning about customer service, cash and inventory control. The senior classes planned their import/export endeavour with a high school in Spain. During the second semester, our school will export a product to Spain which the Spanish students will market within their school community. We will, in turn, import a product from Spain which we will offer for sale here. Mrs. Morency's Business Management Class will be the project leads and are tasking out duties to the International Business class, the Marketing class, and the Accounting class. Why not learn from a valuable "hands on" experience?? Look out for a product from Spain in the second semester.

Science Department

The new Environmental Studies Course was introduced by Ms. Soprovich this semester. The Grade 11 and 12 participants have been busy around the school collecting data from each classroom. The waste audit information will be submitted to the Center for School Innovation. As a Certified Gold Eco Friendly School, the students understand the relevance of environmental stewardship. The students have also investigated the benefits of converting methane gas into energy at the Carp Landfill and have visited a dairy farm in Cobden where brothers Paul and Fritz Klaesi are using a bio-digester to harness the energy from animal waste. The farm is actually returning energy to the grid and providing heat and electricity to the local community!

http://www.farmcentre.com/News/TodaysStory/Article.aspx?id=d001e71e-beec-4176-82e5-ddfc66e623e4

Student Services:

The MT Study Survival Guide is posted on the Student Services website. This is a two-page brochure that offers useful tips as students begin to prepare for exams. Students applying to College and/or University should try to complete their applications over the holiday. Deadlines and related info are posted on the website.

The website is found at:

www.mths.ca --> Departments --> Student Services

Religion Department:

The Grade 11 students taking World Religion this semester will be visiting four houses of worship on Wednesday, January 5, 2011. This all-day visit reflects the different religions they have studied: Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Catholicism. Today, with the increase in the speed of travel and pluralism in our neighbourhoods, we have a great need to become aware of the traditions, responses and aspirations of all people. To understand the world through an understanding of our fellow human beings must be one of the aims of education.

English Department:

Say it Out Loud Writing Contest -- 500 word short story -- Due week of January 3, 2011

Shakin' It With Shakespeare Dramatic Presentations -- December 16 -- Grades 9 & 11; January 21 -- Grades 10 & 12

Updates from our Grades 7&8 Curriculum Areas

Intermediate English

All Grade 7/8 students will begin, with assistance from their teachers, planning their speeches in January. Some of the Grade 8 classes will be participating in Literature Circles in the new year as well. In Literature circles, small groups of students gather together to discuss a piece of literature. Literature circles provide a way for students to engage in critical thinking and reflection as they read, discuss, and respond to books.

Intermediate Mathematics

Select grade 7 and 8 students who excel at math will be competing in the Mathematica Centrum National Contest in April.

Teachers are integrating SMART technology into their classes and, as time passes, are becoming more effective at using the technology to enhance student learning.

The four Grade 8 Immersion Classes were fortunate to have the opportunity to celebrate a Mass in French thanks to the efforts of our chaplain Martha Dougherty who arranged to have Père Albert come and celebrate with the students. The students did us proud with their behaviour, participation and readings. While preparing for the Mass it was discovered that the students of these classes are good and willing singers. They can count on more opportunities to let their voices rise in song in French class in the New Year.

Madame Delorme's Immersion History students were able to practice their speaking skills by preparing and presenting dialogues based on aspects of life in the Colony of British Columbia in the years prior to Confederation. They'll be debating the pros and cons of Confederation in the New Year.

Intermediate Geography

This January in Geography the students will be completing work on Natural disasters. They will be completing a natural hazards brochure as a culminating task.

Intermediate Science

Grade 7: In January, students will be working on building solar heaters using recycled pop cans.

Grade 8: Mid-December, some Grade 8 students had the opportunity to participate in an interactive workshop on "Organ Systems" from Let's Talk Science presenters.

All Grade 7 and 8 students will also begin the planning stage of their Science Fair Project. Science Fair will take place during Education Week in May. More details to follow on Science Fair in the New Year!

Remembrance Day Contest Winners

For over 50 years, the Royal Canadian Legion has sponsored an annual Poster and Literary Contest that is open to all Canadian students. The youths that participate in the contest help to foster the tradition of Remembrance amongst Canadians. For the past several years, Mother Teresa students have participated and excelled in all categories. Due to this tradition of excellence, this year we had more entries than ever. Mother Teresa students were once again in the winner's circle.

The poster contest has two divisions: Colour and Black & White. Zone winners for Branch 641 were:

Senior Colour Posters:

1st place: Sony Subedi

2nd place- Raechel Padua

3rd place - Toni Spinella

Intermediate Colour Posters:

1st Place - Anna Ryt

3rd Place - Madelaine Migrino

Senior Black and White Posters:

1st place - Maria Rokita

Intermediate Black and White Posters

1st place - Sabrina Ducharme

2nd place - Raquel Oleskin

3rd place - Drew Finlay

Senior Poetry:

1st place - Katherine Barker

2nd place - Alicia Roy

3rd place - Shannon Kettles

Intermediate Poetry:

2nd place - Matthew Fernandez

3rd place - Mark Pharoah

Winners have been invited to an awards ceremony at the Royal Canadian Legion. The first place entries will now progress to the Provincial level. Thanks to ALL students who put in an entry, to the teachers who participated, and congratulations to all of this year's winners. We thank you for placing the importance on spreading this important message and taking the time to remember those who have served our country.

7/8 Play "Paper or Plastic"

Mr. Todd Stuart successfully brings together three generations for a night of hilarity in his directorial debut of "Paper or Plastic".

Play Review by: Richard J. Burns

The evening opened with an upbeat, fully choreographed dance routine, followed by an all-girl quartet. Sorry Britney and Lady Gaga - there was no lip synching here. And to say these young women had genuine talent and a natural flair is a gross understatement.

The two-pronged opening act set a jovial tone and the audience was left brimming with anticipation of what was to come. The laughs were genuine, plentiful and continued whole-heartedly throughout the show. Even more impressive was the talent and nerves of steel of the young performers. Despite technical glitches early on, these young adults were professional through and through. If they were nervous, they definitely were not showing it.

The play opened with the lead actress landing a job in a local grocery store under the guise of an indifferent and obnoxious store manager. From here, hilarity ensured and did not stop until the curtains were closed a little over an hour later. What wonderfully colourful characters we were introduced to, from the "Boy with the Dog" to the "Burnout Kids", and of course the rather strange young man who enjoyed taunting cashiers by purchasing one grape at a time. And who could forget the unfortunate woman in need of a box of Listerine. The highlight of the play for many was the "Dancing Gorilla Wants a Porkchop" scene. Did it make sense? Absolutely not. Did it make the audience (including this author) break out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter? Indeed.

Christmas & New Year's Day Masses

St. Patrick of Fallowfield

Christmas Eve:

4:00pm

6:00pm

7:45pm

9:30pm

Midnight

Christmas Day:

10:30am

12:00Noon

New Year's Eve:

5:00pm

New Year's Day:

11:00am

St. Andrew Parish

Christmas Eve:

5:00pm

7:30 pm

Christmas Day

10:30 am (no 5:00pm Mass)

New Year's Eve

5:00 pm

New Year's Day

10:30am (no 5:00pm Mass)

Sincerely,

Mrs. Norma McDonald
Principal
Mother Teresa High School

12/07/2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:
 


Unfortunately, due to inappropriate comments that were made in a classroom at our school yesterday afternoon, a rumour has been circulated indicating that a student made a remark about seriously harming other students. This situation has been thoroughly investigated and dealt with by our administration team. There is no threat to the students and staff at our school due to these comments made in the classroom yesterday. We have met with all who were involved in the classroom situation and will continue to provide support to ensure these types of comments are not made in the future. Because this situation was discussed on our school buses and posted on Facebook last evening, it has certainly caused undue stress to our community, for which we are very apologetic. We have responded to countless phone calls and inquiries at our school this morning and have involved our School Resource Officer.

Should you have any additional concerns, I would be very pleased to answer any of your questions.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Norma McDonald
Principal
Mother Teresa High School

12/06/2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:
 


Thursday, December 2nd, we ushered in Advent at Mother Teresa High School with our Advent Liturgies featuring song, music, scripture, narration, drama, and a wonderful showcase of the inclusive nature of our Mother Teresa community. Many thanks to our incredibly talented students who were able to bring to life our Chaplain, Martha Dougherty's, vision of a modern-day adaptation of the Christmas Story. Our students connected on a level that made it very meaningful to them.

I wish everyone a very blessed and meaningful Advent Season!


Christmas Basket Collections

This year Titans are challenged to raise a minimum of $4000 for families in need of financial support at Christmas. We are also collecting a minimum of $1000 in Canadian Tire money. Both cash and Canadian Tire money will be converted into gift cards and families will be free to shop for themselves. Please support our collection efforts and remind your children to contribute to their homeroom envelope.

The two homerooms that collect the most cash and Canadian Tire money will be invited to a pancake breakfast with Mayor Watson and Councilor Jan Harder on December 16th in our Atrium.

Parents as Partners in Education

I would like to share a note with you regarding a valuable resource for parents in our community known as Parents as Partners in Education. At my previous school I had the pleasure of delivering a number of the Parents as Partners in Education workshops to our parent community and would like to share a brief description of these sessions.

The complete set of Parents as Partners in Education workshop material is now available on the Board website. It's listed as a menu item under the NEWS & PUBS tab. View it here: http://www.ottawacatholicschools.ca/content.php?doc=6954

Parents as Partners in Education is a series of 15 workshops developed by our board with funding from the National Office of Learning and Literacy. The goal of the program is to help parents with the challenge of supporting their children in school from Kindergarten to Grade 8. The workshops are presented in plain language, so they are especially beneficial for parents with literacy and language barriers. CSPA has encouraged school councils to consider offering these workshops as a means of supporting and encouraging parent engagement.

QSP Fundraiser

The School Council's major fundraiser of the year, our QSP Magazine Sales Campaign, continues. Although we have finished collecting hard copy orders, we encourage you to continue selling through the online program. Sales right up until the end of January will be totaled and top-selling students will be eligible for prizes!

Remember, shop and order online at www.qsp.ca using our Group ID #10887.
Thank you for your continued support!

Yearbook Sales

Although the Early Bird offer is over, yearbook order forms are still available in the office and will be accepted until December 17th. The price is $45.00, plus an additional $5.00 if you want your book personalized. Completed forms and payment can be submitted to the yearbook staff outside the Cafetorium during both lunches.

Don't be disappointed by missing the December 17th deadline!

OSAID Region 9 Conference

On Wednesday, December 1st, Mother Teresa's OSAID (Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving) group hosted the Region 9 Conference for schools across the Ottawa area. OSAID is a group of Ontario students taking a stand against impaired driving whose main focus is to raise awareness about impaired driving and the devastation that it can cause. It does this by organizing activities that provoke discussion among students.

The conference had 60 representatives from schools across Ottawa who either already had an OSAID chapter or were hoping to start one. There were guest speakers, workshops, leadership games, and brainstorming sessions. Guests included motivational speaker Matt Evans and OPP officer Guy Prevost. The conference was very well received and the Mother Teresa community is very proud of all the organization and effort our students and staff put in to make this event a success!

Grade 12 students Emily MacDonald, Sarah Lalonde, Erika Huntley, Eleanor Miller and their staff advisor Marlena Kowal were particularly instrumental in organizing this event.

For more information about OSAID, please visit www.osaid.org

Christmas Outreach Project

On Friday, December 3rd, 34 Mother Teresa students from Grade 7 to 12 took part in a Christmas Outreach Project at Dr. F.J McDonald Elementary School. Under the leadership of Ms. Burnett, Mr. Buccino and Mrs. Landry, the students created a Christmas store with beautiful gift items donated by Mother Teresa staff and friends which could be purchased for a dime by each of the elementary students.

Congratulations to all of our "shopping assistants", gift wrappers, raffle and snack attendants, and of course, our Christmas singers and talented musicians. You truly gave the gift of yourselves to these young children and afforded them the wonderful opportunity to bring home gifts to their family members this Holy Season.

Mother Teresa herself would be so very proud!

Upcoming Dates

December 9: 7/8 Festival of the Arts

December 13 & 14: 7/8 Immunization Clinic

December 13 to 16: Grad Photo Retakes

December 17: Last Day of Classes

MT Live Talent Show

On Friday, December 3rd, Student Council hosted its second annual MT Live talent show which featured a showcase of student talent from Grade 7 to 12. Spectators were wowed by amazing vocals, killer dance moves, tense drum battles, and wicked jam sessions. As an added bonus, over $2,000.00 was raised for future student council events and for our Advent Christmas Collection.

The event was a huge success in large part due to the wonderful efforts of our co-chairs and MCs, Chantale Desjardins and Monica Mendoza.

Thank you to all family and friends who supported our budding stars!



Sincerely,

Mrs. Norma McDonald
Principal
Mother Teresa High School

11/23/2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:
 


This past week was a very busy one here at Mother Teresa High School as we celebrated Bullying Awareness Week with special events and presentations; distributed report cards to all students Grades 7-12 on Thursday, November 18th; and hosted Transport Canada's National Day of Remembrance on Wednesday, November 17th.

This week began with a visit by Max Keeping to our Broadcasting classes on Monday morning and Grades 7&8 parent-teacher Interviews are scheduled for Wednesday, November 24th.


National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims

Wednesday, November 17th, was a huge success as we hosted the Federal Minister of Transport, the Honourable Chuck Strahl, who spoke to our Grades 10, 11 and 12 students about the importance of road safety. Other speakers included Ottawa Catholic School Board Director of Education, Julian Hanlon; President of the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), Steve Martin; President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Denise Dubyk; Executive Director of Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving, Anne Leonard; and our own regional representative for OSAID, MT student Emily MacDonald.

It was my privilege to deliver a tribute to Christian Williams, our grade 12 student who was killed in a road crash on June 22nd, 2010, and to have the Williams family present with us for the event. We also remembered the sister of our staff member Norm Duhamel. Lyn Duhamel was killed in a road crash in May of 2010 when she was cycling with triathlete teammates southeast of Montreal.

In addition to the assembly, all students from Grades 7-12 had an opportunity to visit thirteen interactive kiosks displayed by road safety providers, as well as the "Choose your Ride" exhibit in front of our school. MADD also held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Minister of Transport to launch their Red Ribbon Campaign for this year.

The day was a huge success! Please click on the following link to see some photos from the day:

(https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BxJplyUFPhf-NTQ4ZWYxOTAtYWM0OC00MjM4LWE4ZTctMmMyM2NkYTUxZWM
0&hl=en)

Grade 7&8 Parent-Teacher Interviews

Our students received their Progress Reports last Thursday, November 18th, and hopefully you have had a chance to review the new style of report card used for our Grade 7&8 students' first reporting period. Interviews with your children's teachers are scheduled for this Wednesday, November 24th, beginning at 2:30pm. An interview request form went home with the Progress Reports.

Please make sure you sign up for an interview time with the teachers you would like to see. All interviews will be held in the cafeteria gym.

The University & College Application Process Has Begun

Our graduating students have received handouts explaining how to apply to college as well as usernames and passwords for applying to university. Please check the Student Services section of our school website for these handouts as well as important related information.

www.mths.ca --> Departments --> Student Services

Teen Truth Live Assembly

This Thursday, November 25th, all MT students will be participating in an assembly on the topic of bullying presented by Teen Truth Live. Grades 9 and 10 will take part during Period 1, Grades 11 and 12 during Period 2, and our Intermediate students following their lunch break during Periods 5 and 6.

Please see the following link for more information on Teen Truth Live. Last year they presented to our school on the topic of body image.
http://teentruthlive.com/programs/bully-school-violence/

MT Live

Friday, December 3rd, from 7pm to 9pm, our Student Council will be hosting a talent show to showcase the many talented students we have attending our school. Students will be auditioning this week in the Multipurpose Room for the opportunity to perform. Signup sheets for auditions are posted outside Room 305.

Yearbooks on Sale

Yearbooks went on sale this Monday, November 22nd priced at $45. The early bird special price in effect from November 22nd to December 3rd is $40.

Yearbooks can also be personalized with the student's name for an additional $5. Order forms were distributed during homeroom on Monday. Cash or cheques, payable to Mother Teresa High School with a note of the student's name, homeroom and yearbook made on the memo line, will be accepted during both the high school and intermediate lunch breaks.

Orders for yearbooks cannot be accepted after the Christmas Break.

Christmas Hampers and Breakfast with Mayor Jim Watson

By Chaplain Martha Dougherty

Every year our school community demonstrates its generosity and compassion through Christmas hampers. This year we are shaking things up and changing the way we support families in financial need. Beginning on Wednesday December 1st, all homeroom classes are challenged to raise a minimum of $64. Yes, just $64! If all our 64 homerooms raised $64, we would easily meet our goal of $4000. This money will be converted into Walmart gift cards. The more money we raise, the more money we can give to our families.

The two homeroom classes that raise the most money will enjoy a special breakfast in the Atrium on Thursday Dec 16th. Our special guest that morning will be Mayor Jim Watson and members of the media.

So remember, Advent collection for Christmas begins school wide on December 1st! We are well into Advent preparations this week.

First Intermediate National Capital Championship Since 2003!

Congratulations go out to Mlle. McMurchy and the members of our Grade 7&8 Girls' Volleyball Team on their National Capital Championship win last Monday, November 15th against St. Patrick's Intermediate School. Members of the Mother Teresa team are: Emily Ferguson, Hilary Freake, Madison Graves, Julia Hallarn, Morgan Hector, Karina Katsepontes, Elizabeth Kelly, Nina Klajic, and Serena Weaver. The girls won five of their six regular season games before going on to win the quarter finals, the semi finals and the final game that was played at home.

Congratulations to our girls' team! We are so very proud of their accomplishments!

Read-A-Thon for our Grade 7&8 Students

On Wednesday, November 24th, students in Grades 7&8 have the opportunity to spend the day in the library with visiting author Max Turner, along with food, prizes and great reading materials.

Students can pick up pledge sheets in the library.

On Wednesday morning, students taking part report to their homerooms for attendance and then proceed to the library following the announcements. Many thanks to our teacher-librarian, Mrs. Harrington-Veryard, for organizing this event.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Norma McDonald
Principal
Mother Teresa High School

11/16/2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:
 


This is an important message for parents/guardians of our Grades 7 and 8 students.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 17th, Mother Teresa High School is hosting the National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims. Because of the schedule for the day, there will be no access to cafeteria service for Grade 7 and 8 students tomorrow. Students will be eating lunch in their classrooms and there will be no opportunity to purchase food.

Please ensure that all Grade 7 and 8 students bring a lunch to school tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Norma McDonald
Principal
Mother Teresa High School

11/09/2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:
 


The practice of lockdown and secure school protocol is mandatory as part of the Safe Schools legislation throughout the province of Ontario. Similar to fire drills, we are required to practice these emergency procedures throughout the school year. This Friday, November 12th, at approximately 9:00 am we will be practicing a lockdown drill with our students. We are requesting that any students signing in or out of our building please make arrangements to do so prior to or at the end of our practice drill. Our external doors to the school will be locked at this time preventing access to our building.

Our lockdown practice will take approximately thirty minutes and should be finished by 9:30am. Our School Resource Officer, Constable Sherry Jordan, as well as two additional Ottawa Police Officers will be present for the lockdown drill. Expectations for the drill have been reviewed with our staff and both students and staff will be notified over the PA system that this is a practice drilll. If your child has any special needs that need to be addressed throughout the practice drill, I urge you to bring these to the attention of his/her teachers and/or administration.

We are requesting that you take some time to review this information with your child, as it is important for him/her to remain calm and understand the purpose of the drill. Our staff has been instructed to leave classroom lights on for the practice drill but this would not be the situation if it were an actual emergency. Please also encourage your child to refrain from using his/her cell phone during such emergencies. We understand this is a natural reaction when children find themselves in an emergency situation but often false information is relayed that can cause unnecessary panic.

Thanks very much for your assistance with this matter. We continue to do our best to provide all our students with a safe learning environment. Please do not hesitate to contact the school should you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Norma McDonald
Principal
Mother Teresa High School

11/05/2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:
 


New Progress Report for Grades 7/8

As many of you already know, throughout Ontario this year our Grade 7/8 students will be bringing home Progress Reports in November instead of the traditional report cards. These Progress Reports will not contain assessment marks but will give a description of the student's progress to date. This will lead to the first formal report card which wil

l be issued at the end of January. By using the Progress Report, the Ministry of Education is hoping that students will be able to set goals to achieve between November and the firs

t report card in J

anuary.

Due to some technical issues with the vendor, there was a delay in the availability of the Progress Reports. They will be issued to students on Thursday November 18, 2010. Grade 7&8 Parent-teacher interviews will follow on Wednesday November 24, 2010. Along with the Progress Reports, students will bring home a sheet where parents can request interview times with their child's teachers, if they wish to do so.

The following link wil

l allow you to access the ch

anges to the Grade 7&8 Report Card that are in alignment with the Ministry of Education's Assessment and Evaluation policies. Please click on the link to

view the Ministry's explanation for changes to the first reporting period for our intermediate students.

This link, http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/reportCard.html, has the brochure translated in 22 languages.

Pastoral Perspectives

By Martha

Dougherty, Chaplain

Advent b

egins in 23 days. Yikes! Are you prepared? I'm not. While our community has been stepping up to the challenges of hunger, bullying and inclusion, we haven't begun to think about the real chances of Jesus showing up at the front door. Our Advent celebration will be on Thursday, December 3 and you are all invited to join us in preparing for the celebration of the birth of Christ. This year we are taking to heart Mother Teresa's prayer of the poor. The nativity story will be seen through a more modern lens, one that allows us to imagine what would happen if Joseph and Mary were in exile today.

ACTS is ready to run. A Ch

ance To Serve (ACTS) is the youth justice program at the intermediate level. Remind your sons and daughters that it is not too late to get involved. Our first three projects inclu

de:

• Life before Profit - Access to safe drinking water for everyone
• Child Soldiers - What the heck is going on?
• Human Rights Day - Write for rights!

December will bring Advent Celebrations and our Christmas Collection.

Youth Ministry has been launched and we are changing our name. Stay tuned for that update. This group of students will begin with the Life before Profit project as well and will tackle it at a different level. This grou

p is meeting next week to confirm the programs and action we want to address throughout the year.

This is a special school because of the authentic care and compassion demonstrated every day by staff and stud

ents. I ask that you continue to hold us in your prayers, especially our caretakers who truly are proud of this school and want everyone to feel good about being here. These are good people who care about the quality of life we share in the community.

This past week has been busy and productive. The annual Youth Ministry Institute took place at St. Paul University on Wednesday. Students from across the Board gathered to learn

about being prophets in the 21st century. We explored media, faith and culture and reflected on the voices of influence in our lives. On the bus returning to school at the end of the day, students told me that they felt inspired.

Also this week, some Intermediate students began the ACTS (A Chance To Serve) group. We will be meeting every Tuesday at

lunchtime in the chapel. Our first major campaign is Child Soldiers. Students will learn that prayer and action are powerful forces for change.

The Youth Ministry te

am is launching a justice campaign on Water: Life before Profit. Our Eco Club has been doing a great job in promoting water as a natural resource to be protected and we will look at the issue from a faith perspective.

I am happy to extend an invitation to you for an evening of reflection on Thursday, December 2 at 7 pm. Reverend Cherwick, an Eastern Rite priest and a parent in our community, will lead this reflection. The reflection will last for one hour and will be followed by refreshments. A free-will donation to our Christmas collection would be appreciated. I do hope that you will plan to join us.

Mother Teresa HS Cha

pel

Spirituality of Icons:

An Advent Reflection

Thursday December 2, 2010 from 7 pm to 8 pm

Peace Martha

We will be exploring each

of these topics and then in January this team will assist in the Grade 7/8 retreats.

Bus Passes for Yellow School Buses

Over the past two weeks, bus passes have been issued to all students who have a spot on our yellow school b

uses. It is important that all

students who ride on a s

chool bus carry their pass with them and have it available to show the driver upon request. We have instituted this as a school as it will prevent students from riding our yellow school buses if they are not assigned a seat on the bus fro

m the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority. As many of you know, I have played a role in assigning extra seats on our buses through Seat Availability applications and this helps to ensure fairness in assigning seats that are actually available on our buses.

Tuck Shop News

Titan Wear will once again be on sale and scheduled to arrive before Christmas. Order forms went home with your children and were due back last Friday, October 29. If you have missed this deadline, you can still send in the form or contact Mr. Len Baldin as he has ordered extra items. You can view the clothing in colour and access an order form from the Mother Teresa website under "our school" and "tuck shop". All the ordering instructions are on the order form. Sample clothing is available to try on in Room 216 before school, during lunch, and after school. Call Mr. Baldin if you want it to be a surprise for Christmas for your Titan!!

Walter Baker Sports Centre 30th Anniversary Celebration

City councillor Jan Harder extends an invitation to all Barrhaven families to celebrate Barrhaven's important community space and the legacy of its namesake, on Sunday, November 7th, 2010, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at 100 Malvern Drive, Nepean.

Don't miss the official ceremonies at noon:

• Speeches from dignitaries, full colour piper, time capsule, cake cutting, free hotdogs and more!

Attractions include...

• Magic Midway's Inflatable Obstacle Course!
• Roaming clown performers and mascots!
• Pottery painting, crafts, storytime and magic show!
• Free fitness classes: Yin Yoga, Kettle Bells, Drums Alive, Drum Fit for Kids, Zumba and Personal Training Services!
• FREE swimming and public skating from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Media Literacy Week

By Michele Pierce, Guidance Counselor

Parents - The Internet - e-Parenting Tutorial:

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/internet/eparenting.cfm

In e-Parenting Tutorial: Keeping Up with Your Kids' Online Activities, Alice, a witty and cyber-savvy mom, takes parents on a tour of the many different Web environments and activities that are popular with children and youth. Along the way she poses questions for parents to answer and gets perspectives from an Internet expert and her children on the pluses and challenges of digital life. The tutorial includes five modules: "Online Research and Homework", "Online Relationships", "Inappropriate Content", "Online Marketing", and "Too Much Time Online". After completing the modules, parents are given an opportunity to work with their kids to develop a list of family rules for Internet use at home.

Summary of the Content:

1. Online Research & Homework:
   It talks about on line research, Wikipedia and plagiarism.
   
   
2. Online Relationships:
   Cell phone features (sexting, bullying, building empathy), social networking (privacy settings, student control info shared), online games (avatars, chats), instant messaging (keeping history, cyber bullying, registering for IM, choosing passwords, knowing all your contacts), webcams (potential for recording)
   
   
3. Inappropriate Content:
   Pornography, violence, gambling
   
   
4. Online Marketing:
   Privacy policy & protection, immersive advertising, advergames, junk food & the internet
   
   
5. Too Much Time Online:
   Online games (dopamine, confidence, duration), multitasking, Internet obsession

It is about a 30-minute interactive presentation. There are printable tips for parents as well and a parent-child agreement.

Bullying Awareness Week: Nov 15-19 & 25

By Tammy Coyle, Guidance Counselor

Mother Teresa High School is very fortunate to have a very active Stand Up to Bullying Squad led by our senior students who take on the challenge of stopping bullying at our school. We have organized a Bullying Awareness Week that will include the following activities that feature an exciting line-up of guest speakers and presentations.

Monday, Nov 8th: Grades 7-12

Deadline for Short story contest: This contest is a one-page short story about being bullied, bullying someone or witnessing bullying. Students are to submit their entries to Student Services.

Monday, Nov 15th: Grade 7s

A presentation for all our Grade 7 students with our School Resource Officer, Constable Sherry Jordan, in the multi-purpose room during 7&8 Period 1.

Tuesday, Nov 16th: Grades 7-12

All Homerooms will receive a Stop Sign and directions for the activity. Have students write what they want to see stopped. Stop Signs will be posted in homeroom classes.

Thursday, Nov 18th: Grade 9s

A presentation by Ottawa 67s coach, Chris Bryne, focusing on goal-setting and overcoming obstacles.

Mon-Thurs, Nov 15-18th: Grade 8s

All grade 8 classes will be visited by the Stand Up to Bullying Squad. Information about types of bullying, what to do as a victim, bystander, and bully will be presented with discussion and questions.

Thursday, Nov 25th: Grades 7-12

An interactive, multi-media presentation by Teen Truth Live on the topics of School Violence and Bullying, Grades 7-12, Periods One, Two and Four.

School Council QSP Campaign

The Mother Teresa Catholic School Council would like to remind you that the QSP magazine sale campaign is still in full gear! Please check out the hundreds of selections to choose from at www.qsp.ca and don't forget our group ID# is 10887. Remember, Christmas is fast approaching and you can send these magazines as gifts anywhere in Canada - it's fast and easy. Thank you for your support.

National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims - National Event- November 17th

We have been honoured by being chosen as the site for the National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims for 2010. In memory of our Grade 12 student, Christian Williams, lost to a road crash on June 22nd, 2010, we are hosting this 2010 Day of Remembrance in conjunction with the Federal Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Chuck Strahl.

A formal ceremony including, speeches from Minister Strahl; Steve Martin, President of the Canadian Council Motor Transportation Administrators; Denise Dubyk, President of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD); and Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving (OSAID), represented by our own students, Emily MacDonald and Sarah Lalonde (OSAID representatives for the Ottawa region), will take place at 12:30 pm that day.

Exhibitors will be present in our school throughout the day with kiosks set up in our atrium. Students will have an opportunity to see displays from MADD, OSAID, Canadian Automobile Association, Distractions Undermining Motorist Behaviour Car (DUMB Car), Canadian Council Motor Transportation Administrators, SMARTRISK, Ottawa Police, and the Ontario Provincial Police. Outside on our front lawn that day we will have the "Choose Your Ride" campaign that has been arranged by MADD.

You can view this information at:

http://www.occid.org/arrivealive/choose.html

Our students will be provided with an opportunity to receive information on road safety throughout the day and it will be a major event with media coverage.

Grade 12 Graduation Photos

This past week our graduating students have been having their grad photos taken during school time. This has been featured in our oral and written announcements instructing them to drop by Student Services to pick up the information pamphlet from Edge Imaging on the grad photo sessions. On that pamphlet it has instructions to visit their website at www.bookmygrad.ca. It also highlights our school code and information on the three choices of packages.

Whether or not you want to order a photo package, graduating students need to have their photo taken for the graduation composite for the school. We have added three additional dates as there are still students who need to have their photos taken. If your graduating son or daughter has not taken part in these photo sessions, please visit the website to book an appointment time for the following dates and times:

December 13th, December 14th and December 15th from

2:45 pm to 8 pm

High School Report Cards

High School Semester 1 Interim Report Cards will be going home November 18, 2010. Please note that they will be withheld if students have outstanding books, course fees, and student fees.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Norma McDonald
Principal
Mother Teresa High School

11/02/2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:
 


Today, Tuesday, November 2nd, at approximately 11am, at the request of the Ottawa Police, I placed our school into Secure School protocol. Based on a 911 call that originated with a neighbor, the Ottawa Police informed us that there were suspicious individuals reported to be present in Utman Park, across from Mother Teresa High School on Longfields Drive, and we locked our doors as a precaution.

After a thorough investigation by the Ottawa Police, it was determined there was no reason for concern and we removed the Secure School protocol. The duration of the Secure School protocol was forty minutes. Students cooperated fully and we were pleased at how quickly and efficiently we were able to secure our building.

Mother Teresa High School remains safe and secure. Thank you to our School Resource Officer, Constable Sherry Jordan, who joined us immediately upon learning of the 911 call across from our school, and to the Ottawa Police Service for their quick response.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Norma McDonald
Principal
Mother Teresa High School

9/13/2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:
 


Parent Volunteer Day:
Forms for the Volunteers In Action Workshop taking place at the Derry Byrne Resource Centre, on Wednesday, October 20th, from 9:15am to 2:15pm (Basement of Pope John XXIII School) are available in our Main Office. Registration forms must be returned to your home school by October 5th.

Workshops that day include:

Reading with Children

Learning With the Brain in Mind

Best Practices for School Councils

How Can I Help Children Learn a Second Language?

The Home-Parish-School Relationship

Children With Special Needs

Today's Mathematics

Volunteers in School Libraries

(Free lunch included and door prize)

Pastoral Perspectives:

A beautiful start to a new year. This school community really is blessed with caring and helpful people. I have had the pleasure of meeting many students and I feel even more affirmed in my call to be here.

Format for Eucharistic Celebrations:

New this week is the change in format for Eucharistic celebrations. We are shifting from large-school Masses to religion-class Eucharistic Celebrations in the Chapel. Fr. Jessimar, Fr. Amesse and Fr. Freely have agreed to participate in this endeavor and I am searching for a French-speaking priest to celebrate with the French Immersion classes. Along with our smaller Mass format we will be having large- school Liturgies of the Word that will incorporate the arts and the abundance of talent that exists in our student and staff population. We will be letting you know the dates for our Masses and liturgies as soon as the schedule is finalized.

From week to week I will keep you posted as to what is happening in and around the Chapel. I am also looking forward to meeting you at the many opportunities throughout the year. If you have a question about the Chaplaincy Program here at Mother Teresa, please let me know and I will be pleased to answer the questions through this newsletter.

Every Friday you will receive an update on what I'm doing as well as an answer to one of your questions. Please forward questions, comments, etc. to martha.dougherty@ottawacatholicschools.ca

I look forward to chatting with you.

Peace,

Martha

Upcoming Dates:

School Photo Day

Wednesday, September 15th

Student photos are mandatory as the photos are used for Student ID cards as well as yearbook pictures. Student ID cards are necessary to sign out books from the school library. A reminder to our new students (especially Grade 7's) that whether you plan to purchase a photo package or not, you need to be photographed. If you plan to purchase a package, payment is to be made the day of the photo. Extra packages are available in the Main Office. Photo Re-Take Day is Wednesday, October 13th.

School Program Night (Meet the Teachers)

Thursday, September 16th

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

School Council Meeting and Elections

Monday, September 20th

7:00 pm

School Library - 2nd Floor

Student Fees Due

Friday, September 24th

Grade 12 Graduation Ring Sales

Monday, September 27th and Tuesday, September 28th

Engineering for Girls:

Ms Curtis, Grade 7&8 teacher at MT, would like to share this opportunity for girls in Grades 7-10 who may be interested in learning about the world of Engineering. It is taking place at Carleton University on Saturday, October 16th.

Email address to register: http://www.ospe.on.ca/goenggirl

• Go ENG Girl is an exciting opportunity for Grade 7-10 girls across Ontario to visit their local university to learn about the wonderful world of engineering: "A Caring Profession." Join us for fun hands-on activities, informative parents' sessions and engineering student exhibits. Learn from women professionals, academics and students.
• For girls Grades 7-10 and a parent. (Parents do not need to register separately.)
• Admission is FREE.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Norma McDonald
Principal
Mother Teresa High School

9/9/2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:
 


Our first few days of school have been a very positive start to the 2010-11 school year! We continue to be higher in student numbers than projected; we will be just below 1500 students this year, an increase of 58 students from this time last year and we continue to have calls for registrations. Thank you for the opportunity to work with your children and I will continue to send you weekly updates as often as I can.

School Board News:
We have included the Welcome Back Message from our new Director of Education, Julian Hanlon. Also included are "Quick Links" to the following websites: (Please click on the link under the column Quick Links to your left.)

• Welcome Back message from Julian Hanlon, Director of Education.
  Director's Message
• OSTA Website: You can check your child's bus routes and transportation information for our Board's schools at the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority website.
• The Ottawa Catholic School Parents' Association (CSPA) provides support and information to parents. Please visit the CSPA website to learn more.
• Election Information - School Zone Maps: Ottawa's municipal election takes place on Monday, October 25. You can find your school zone and learn which candidates are running for school board trustee. (See School Board Website)
• Direction of School Support: Check your school support status prior to the election. If you have moved since the Municipal Election in 2006, you may not be registered as a Catholic school board supporter. (See block below.)
• Continuing & Community Education Programs: The Continuing Education website has information on adult learning opportunities, including language and computer training programs, dance, wellness and more. Copies of "The Connections" program guide was distributed last Sunday, September 6 to Ottawa Citizen subscribers, or through Flyer Force on Thursday, September 2. (See School Board Website)
  

Pastoral Perspectives:
Transitions are never easy. Starting over in a new school community is often exciting and at the same time nerve-racking; new culture, new traditions, new names and new faces. Then there is the community watching and wondering what the "newbie" is planning to start or change or re-do. We've all been there, right?

Well, first of all, we gathered as a staff community and prayed. As Mother Teresa said, "It all begins with prayer." She also said, "Our vocation is not our work. Our vocation is to love Jesus Christ." As Catholic educators, we are privileged to be able to celebrate our faith through our work. One thing I have learned is that this community truly embraces the loving presence of the Holy Spirit. Through this newsletter, I want to share with you all the ways that our school does express our deep faith in God.

One tangible and obvious way of expressing our faith is by giving the chapel a facelift. As of Wednesday morning, the chapel was painted and the carpets cleaned. Over the next two weeks, you will notice a change in and around the chapel environs. It is only fitting that we celebrate the 100th birthday of Mother Teresa with a fresh face. Program Night is scheduled for September 16, and I do hope that you will stop by the chapel.

Martha Dougherty

Mother Teresa High School iPhone App:

Mother Teresa Catholic High School has gone to the next step to allow students and parents the ability to hold school information in the palms of their hands. Mother Teresa has introduced for the first time in schools servicing the Ottawa area (and it is believed the first in Canada), their very own school iPhone app.

This application allows users to access the daily morning announcements, weekly e-newsletters sent by the principal, the school activity calendar, the student handbook, location of school, contact information and other educational information. This app is the latest development for our school that prides itself on being technologically literate for its students. Many teachers have course websites and this September all students and staff will have access to wireless internet everywhere in the school.

The MTHS iPhone app shows the school's continuing commitment to working with the students, parents and other educators in an increasingly wireless environment. The hope is that parents and students will not only use this app to keep up to date about what is going on in the school, but that students will use other apps in the classroom to enhance their learning. Many students already have either iPhones or iPod Touches that they use constantly throughout the day to access information and to stay in touch. The goal with a wireless school and the school app is to help teach students how to properly use modern technology in useful, meaningful and beneficial ways.

The next step in the development of mobile apps for the school is to develop a Blackberry version, due to the widespread use of the device by parents who work in the Ottawa area. It is also hoped that the Grade 12 Computer Class will help improve the app or even come up with their own apps that might help their fellow students or the community at large.

Thanks very much to Technology Teacher, Patrick Coxall for spending part of his summer developing this new tool for Mother Teresa!

MTHS for the iPhone is available at
http://apps.mths.ca or just search for "MTHS" on the Apps Store.

Emergency Response Focus Program at MT:
This semester marks the inaugural class of the Emergency Response Focus Program at Mother Teresa High School. These students will explore the careers of First Responders (Police, Fire, Paramedic) through a variety of lab activities, theory classes and physical training sessions. Students will get the chance to certify their St. John Ambulance First Aid and CPR (Level C), partake in Self-Defense workshops, and attempt the standardized physical tests for each profession. The Focus program has aligned itself with the Duke of Edinburgh Award program, recognized worldwide for developing student leaders, and will prove an asset to our students as they pursue their career paths.

The Focus Program students will be encouraged to take part in fundraising activities to support our Ottawa Area First Responders (The Big Pull and 9-Run-Run).

As defending champions in the High School Division, Mother Teresa will be returning to Mooney's Bay on September 25, 2010 to take part in the 4th Annual Big Pull Tug of War Competition. All of the teams taking part are "pulling together" to raise money for The Ottawa Mission Stepping Stones Program.

If any members of our Mother Teresa Community are directly involved with Police, Fire, or Paramedic Services and would like to volunteer, please contact Dean Prigent at Mother Teresa.

High School Girls Hockey Team Tryouts:
Girls hockey team try-outs will begin this Friday, September 10th and next Monday, September 13th at Walter Baker A from 3pm-5pm. Try-out schedules will be handed out at the rink on Friday. All girls Grades 9-12 are welcome; full equipment is needed. Transportation to try-outs is the responsibility of the parents.

• September 10th - Walter Baker A - 3pm-5pm
• September 13th - Walter Baker A - 3pm-5pm
• September 16th - Walter Baker A - 3pm-5pm
• September 20th - Walter Baker A - 3pm-5pm
  

Direction of School Support:
By registering your child into an Ottawa Catholic school, you have chosen to support Catholic education through direction of your school support.

When you designate yourself as a separate school supporter, there is no financial benefit to our Board. Instead, you help foster a strong political voice through your elected representative (trustee) in ensuring your rights to a Catholic education for the young people in our province.

Your education taxes, at a rate mandated by the Province, are pooled with those from all taxpayers in Ontario. The money is then redistributed equally on a per pupil basis to all school boards in Ontario. As a residential English separate school supporter, the assessment section of your tax bill should read as follows...


If "ES" does not appear and you are eligible and wish to be designated as a separate school supporter, please call the Ottawa Catholic School Board's Admissions Department at 613-224-4455, ext. 2283, or e-mail Admissions@ottawacatholicschools.ca. We'll help you through the process.

If you do not have children in our school system, you can still choose to support the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Catholic homeowners and tenants are eligible to designate their support. In the case where one partner is non-Catholic, then an Assessment Lease form is also required. School support cannot be divided between two school boards.

Application for Direction of School Support
Separate School Assessment Lease Form

Both of the above forms should be completed and mailed to the:
Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC)
P.O. Box 9808, Toronto, ON MlS 5T9
Phone: 1-866-296-6722

Question: How do I know that I am on the voter's list for the next municipal election on October 25, 2010?

Answer: Call MPAC toll free at 1-866-296-6722. If you provide them with your date of birth and your address, they can tell you if you are on the voter's list, and can also tell you if you are designated as a Catholic school supporter.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Norma McDonald
Principal
Mother Teresa High School

8/30/2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:
 


I have just completed my first week back in my school since July 8th and thought I would share with you some information that I hope you will find useful for the start up of the 2010-11 school year. Much has been happening at Mother Teresa High School over the summer. We have had solar panels mounted on our roof that will generate power to operate systems at our school while giving back to the hydro grid. To commemorate the 100th birthday of Mother Teresa, local artist Elizabeth van Beek has created a stained glass installment for our Career Centre off the Atrium. Flooring has been replaced in our main office and library, the stage floor has been resurfaced, and our chapel is scheduled to be repainted next week. Our building looks amazing thanks to our caretaking staff and our school board's Facilities and Planning Department. Special thanks to Chris Murphy, Roy Pellatt, Thomas Burke, Mike Spiers, Jeff Dunn, Ray Monette, David Brose and Phil Kelly for attending to so many projects at our school over the summer months!

New Start and End Times:

School Bell Schedule

8:35 a.m.	Warning bell
8:40 a.m.	Homeroom begins
8:50 a.m.	End of Homeroom - HS Period 1 & 7/8 Block 1 begins
9:40 a.m.	End of 7/8 Block 1
10:05 a.m.	End of Period 1 (High School)
10:10 a.m.	Period 2 begins (High School)
10:32 a.m.	End of 7/8 Block 2
10:38 a.m.	End of 7/8 Break
11:25 a.m.	End of Period 2 High School lunch begins
11:30 a.m.	End of 7/8 Block 3
12:10 p.m.	High School lunch ends
12:15 p.m.	Period 3 begins (High School)
12:22 p.m.	End of 7/8 Block 4 - 7/8 Lunch Begins
1:06 p.m.	Warning Bell - end of 7/8 Lunch
1:08 p.m.	End of 7/8 Lunch - Block 5 Begins
1:30 p.m.	End of Period 3 (High School)
1:35 p.m.	Period 4 begins (High School)
1:58 p.m.	End of 7/8 Block 5
2:50 p.m.	End of day dismissal for all students

School Year Calendar

School begins this year for students on Tuesday, September 7^th. If your child is returning to Mother Teresa but will not be present on the first day, please call the school and let us know your child's start date.

Please click on the link provided below to view the entire year calendar as well as school and board contact information. Hard copies of this school board calendar will be made available to our students through their homeroom teachers the first week of school.

http://www.ottawacatholicschools.ca/media.php?mid=52451

Pastoral Perspectives

It is with pleasure that I introduce to you our new school chaplain, Martha Dougherty, who will be providing you with her "pastoral perspectives" this year.

Hello, fellow Titans! I was thrilled when I was told that I was indeed being posted at Mother Teresa High School. This school community is known throughout the Board as a place where hospitality and collaboration abound. I feel blessed to be your new Chaplaincy Team Leader and I am looking forward to meeting all our parents at the many events this year.

The school Board pastoral theme this year is from 1 Corinthians 12:12. "Though many, we are one body in Christ." This theme will be a rich source of faith development.

As well, this year is the 100th birthday of Blessed Mother Teresa and we will be celebrating her throughout the entire school year. Each week I will drop you a line to let you know what is happening around the chapel as well as the programs that are upcoming. We have much to celebrate!

Cheers,
Martha

Yellow School Bus Transportation

Students who are within the designated walk zone to their school may apply for transportation if there are empty seats on a school bus route. Beginning September, 2010, applications will no longer be reviewed by the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA). School principals will now authorize and assign empty seat requests for their students based on the following criteria:

Ø Date of the application

Ø Special needs of student

Ø Distance from school (farthest to closest)

Ø Grade level (priority given to younger students)

Ø Daycare provider

Ø Siblings attending the same school

The procedure to follow:

1. Parents/guardians must complete and sign the OSTA Application for Empty Seat Form.
2. Each application is received by our school, dated and kept on file until October.
3. Any available seats will be assigned after October 1^st, 2010.
4. Assigned seating will be given for the current school year only.
5. No special bus routes or stops will be created for empty seat riders.
6. OSTA reserves the right to withdraw approval at anytime based on changing student numbers and route efficiency requirements.

Please note that there are very few seats available on many of our bus runs. We will do our best to accommodate special requests but will not be able to confirm any possibilities until after October 1^st. If you wish to speak to someone at our school about transportation needs, please direct your preliminary inquires to Christine Thuesen in our main office.

Website Information

Once again I am encouraging our Mother Teresa community to check our school website (www.mths.ca) for valuable information. Our daily announcements, course information, graduating student scholarships and much more is available throughout the website. Please stay informed!

Outstanding Fees/Textbooks

Please remind students in your home who have outstanding course fees, textbooks or course materials that need to be returned from previous years to bring these items to our main office prior to the beginning of the new school year. All 2010-11 textbooks and other course materials will be withheld until these items are settled. Thank you for your support with this matter.

Report Card Pick Up

Our school has been open throughout the summer months for students who wish to pick up their report card from the 2009-10 school year. Students who have not yet picked up their report card are encouraged to do so this week August 30th to September 3rd.

Our office hours for this week are 8am to 3:30pm Monday to Friday with the exception of Tuesday, August 31st, when there will be a power outage from 8am to 9am, and on Thursday morning until noon when our office staff will be attending our first staff meeting.

We are requesting that students not come to the main office the first week of school, September 7th to September 10th, requesting last year's report cards due to the volume of requests for the start up of the new school year.

Thank you again for your support.

Technology Updates

Our school is now wireless and with this brings a new level of responsibility on the part of our students with respect to their personal electronic devices. I am requesting your help in discussing the following with your children to ensure they understand the appropriate use of cell phones and the many electronic devices they may own.

Students will now be allowed to use them in their classrooms if they are being used to enhance learning in the classroom. They should not be used for texting, personal phone calls, filming or photographing their peers or staff, or for accessing social media sites unless under the direction of their teachers. Our 21st century learners are very adept at the use of electronics but also need to be taught their appropriate use. We will be addressing this with our students throughout the year but really appreciate your support in sharing the ground rules for use in schools. As we open up accessibility we also recognize the need for teaching our students some social and educational etiquette around the use of electronics.

More information on this topic is also available in the student agendas that will be distributed the first week of school.

Upcoming Dates

Welcome BBQ for all new students September 1st 10am-noon
School Photo Day September 15th
Program Night (Meet the Teacher) September 16th 6:30pm-8pm
School Council Meeting/Elections September 20th 7pm-9pm

Back to School Safety Meeting

Councillors Jan Harder & Steve Desroches are hosting a safety awareness meeting with guest Speaker, Chief of Police Vern White.

Tuesday, August 31st

Mother Teresa High School

440 Longfields Drive, Barrhaven

6pm to 8:30pm

For more information please contact:

Andrea Ward

613-580-2424 ext 13162

andrea.ward@ottawa.ca

Topics Covered:

- Speeding

- Helmet Safety

- School Safety

- Traffic

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Norma McDonald
Principal
Mother Teresa High School