MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAPLAIN
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Christmas Blessings Collection
I want to extend a Big Thank You for your support of our Christmas Blessings Collection. As a result of your generosity the Mother Teresa community was able to raise an incredible $8000 for this year's Christmas Blessings Collection. Due to this generosity we were able to sponsor 25 families in our community.
Thank you for all of your support!
As we enter into the month of February, we prepare ourselves for Black History, in particular the story of enslavement then and now; we will also be preparing for the season of Lent as Ash Wednesday is February 22, 2012. Lenten details will be forwarded in the next Constant Contact.
The grade 7 & 8 A.C.T.S Team (A Chance To Serve) hosted the other junior ministry teams across the board for a one-day Faith Mentorship Conference on Thursday , February 2nd . Our theme for the conference this year was Compassion. We enjoyed a full day of prayer, music, reflection and engaging activities for the participants.
The Desi Group will be re-grouping next week so that we can prepare for our Awareness day in May.
The Students Against The Axis of Evil (S.A.A.E) will be preparing for the Lenten season and for ThinkFast during Lent. These students have great ideas and a full agenda!
The B.U. Girls group (Be yoUrself) is regrouping and we will be planning a girls' overnight retreat here at school.
The Youth Ministry Program (board wide) is on May 3 and our students will be planning the full day. We have confirmed some amazing speakers.
The Inside Ride is a fundraiser for Children's cancers and we are forming a coordinating team to run this event. Stay tuned for details.
Please remember to keep our staff and students in your prayers as we enter this second half of the year.
Martha Dougherty
Chaplaincy Team Leader
Mother Teresa High School
823-1663 ext. 2019
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DR. EVA OLSSON SPEAKS
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| Dr. Eva Olsson is a Holocaust survivor who has dedicated her life to communicating a message of joy, hope and racial acceptance to young people of today's generation. The focus of her talk is about the effects of bullying and the importance of not being a bystander to injustice. Eva has given hundreds of lectures to students throughout central and southern Ontario. For more information go towww.evaolsson.ca |
SPEAK UP GRANTS
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We are very pleased to announce that Mother Teresa High School has received two Speak Up Grants. One being a $1000 grant going towards "Healthy Relationships - Equity and Inclusivity" as well as $1000 towards "Stand Up to Bullying". Well done!
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STAFF CHANGES
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Welcome all of our new staff for semester 2
Guy Lamarre Transportation Technology
Natalie Theriault HS French
Lisa Sgoifo HS Science
Adam O'Donnell, HS English and Religion
Jessica Sutherland HS English
and a welcome back to Colleen Coxall ,Meg Rose and Jackie Kinloch.
Our main office has had some exciting changes in 2012! One of our office administrators, Angela Bradley, has moved on to Immaculata High School in the Senior Office Administrator position. With that well deserved move we are very pleased to welcome Caterina Caminiti, who has joined us from the Board Office. Caterina is a welcome addition to the team and we look forward to her introduction here at Mother Teresa!
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THE STAND-UP TO BULLYING SQUAD
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The Stand Up to Bullying Squad (SUBS) will once again be raising awareness about Bullying by reminding everyone to be kind to one another during Kindness Week which runs Feb 13th-Feb 17th.
There are events throughout the week to help remind students to be kind not only for this week but as part of their everyday life.
Focusing on the Catholic Graduate Expectations:
"Community- Catholic graduates respect the rights, responsibilities and contributions of self and others."
"Stewardship for Creation-Catholic Graduates promote the sacredness of life"
"Dignity of the Human Person- Catholic Graduates demonstrate a confident and positive sense of self and respect for the dignity and welfare of others."
The week will start off with a door decorating contest as well as a Facebook campaign similar to Stand Up to Bullying week in November where the students profile pictures reflect kindness. A reminder to parents that this might be a good time to check out your child's facebook and other social media sites. Check out this link for helpful information about being cybersafe: http://www.be-cyber-safe.com/cyberproofing_parentresources.html
Temporary tattoos stating "Don't let people label you" and "MT Be Kind anywhere, anytime" created by one of our SUBS members, Toni Spinella, will be sold at lunch.
A tag-like game called "Smile, you have just been tagged" will start during the week. The idea is for students that have this card to do a random act of kindness and leave the card behind in hopes to start a chain reaction for the remainder of the year. Posters with Random Acts of Kindness ideas will be posted in each class.
Check out www.randomactsofkindness.org
Later in the month, on Wednesday, Feb. 29th, all staff and students are asked to wear pink. This is Pink Shirt Day. This commemorates the event that took place in Nova Scotia where one male student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. The following day, most of the school population showed up in pink to show support.
If your teen has a cell phone, then you need to know this...
Teens & Technology:
A presentation for parents about sexting, cyberbullying, safety and mental health.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
7 pm to 9 pm
Adult High School
300 Rochester Street - bus route 14 - Free Parking
No Registration Required - Ottawa Police.ca
12 FACTS on Cyber Bullying:
1. Nearly 35% of kids have been threatened online and almost one in five has had it happen more than once.
2. Among this percentage, being ignored and disrespected were the most common forms of cyber bullying.
3. Nine out of ten middle school students have had their feelings hurt online.
4. About 75% have visited a Web site bashing another student.
5. Four out of ten middle school students have had their password(s) stolen and changed by a bully who then locked them out of their own account or sent communications posing as them.
6. About 21% of kids have received mean or threatening e-mails.
7. The psychological and emotional outcomes of cyber-bullying are similar to real-life bullying outcomes, except for the reality that with cyber-bullying there is often no escape. School ends at 2:50 p.m., while the Internet is available all the time.
8. The primary cyber-bullying location where victimizing occurs, at 56%, is in chat rooms.
9. Girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims and perpetrators of cyber-bullying.
10. About 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten say it has happened more than once.
11. Cyber-bullying has increased in recent years. In a national survey of 10-17 year olds, twice as many children indicated they had been victims and perpetrators of online harassment in 2005 compared with 2000.
12. Cyberbullying CAN and DOES often lead to TEENAGE SUICIDE.......FACT!
(Information gathered from another Anti-bullying page)
Helpful websites for parents:
http://www.google.ca/familysafety
http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/cyberbullying.html |
SCHOOL PLAY
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The production of Jesus Christ Superstar was, to say the least, a hit! Family members, students, staff and members of the community flocked to see the performances.
To read the Cappies reviews please click on the link below.
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PUBLIC SPEAKING
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The Royal Canadian Legion will be holding Public Speaking contests and Mother Teresa is hoping to send many students from grades 9-12. If your son or daughter is interested in registering for this contest they should see Mrs. Birmingham or their home room teacher.
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SEMESTER 1 BUSINESS COURSE - BRINGING BUSINESS TO LIFE
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Mazes, Dragons, and Burgers
Bring Business Courses to Life in Semester One
by Jared Murphy (student)
Fun on the Farm...
Mother Teresa's students in the grade 11 and 12 business classes enjoyed a field trip to Saunders Farm to develop leadership skills and gain real business management knowledge. A threatening storm held off and students had the privilege of experiencing all the farm has to offer. The day consisted of outdoor activities and indoor presentations.
Students started off with "The Amazing Race" that was organized and run by the Business Leadership class. Six different challenges, including a blind-folded maze, were held across the 100 acre farm and were based on building and improving teamwork skills.
Next, the students went to a 180-year-old barn for a presentation by Mark Saunders who is a second generation owner and "Director of Fun" on the farm. Mark Saunders described how the family turned the farm into a family attraction 20 years ago and continued to grow and develop the business into the hugely popular attraction so many of us have come to know and visit. It currently attracts 60,000 guests during its 120 hours of operation in October. Saunders educated the students from a business perspective with specific examples of innovative ideas that have supported the farm's mission motto: "Play, Learn, Grow." He also taught the students that new business ventures take time to reachexpectations and shared his experience of ventures that were not successful but serve as examples to learn and move forward from.
Over a lunch period students were free to explore all the farm has to offer from the complex mazes to the giant bouncing pillows and a tractor ride.
Students ended the day with a motivational presentation from Blair Patacairk who is the Senior Director of Investment, and in charge of Global Marketing for the Ottawa Centre for Regional Innovation and has an extensive entrepreneurial background. Patacairk was awarded the top 40 under 40 award by the Ottawa business journal for his role in bringing the world renown computer company, Dell, to Ottawa. He outlined his business experiences starting from delivering papers as a child, to writing speeches for the mayor to his current employment at the OCRI. He taught the students that some of main things that separate people as exceptional business leaders are communications skills, passion, drive and vision. Students left inspired and motivated to pursue their dreams and passions in a career that not only benefits themselves but also positively affects those in the community surrounding their work.
Overall, the day was a success. Students learned valuable business lessons from experienced individuals and developed teamwork skills, all while having fun on the farm.
Dragons Fired-up for Mother Teresa Business Students ideas and innovation...
Mother Teresa Business students proudly represented their school as they took home first and third place prizes at the SIFE uOttawa Dragons' Den Competition held at Ottawa University. There were over 20 teams participating. Grade 10 Intro to Business class' Andrew Kidd, Ethan Kittner, and Alex Paquette pitched a First place business idea while Marketing class' Fares El Ghousin, Stephan Enaruna, Ahmed Mugamai, and Shane Samuel took Third place overall. Eric Esma talked his way to the Networking Award and says, "It was a really good learning experience. It improved our public speaking with a larger crowd. After the competition, we networked with the judges and they gave us useful tips for the world of business".
Learn by tasting!
Marketing and Business Leadership students learned the fundamentals of running and marketing a restaurant business first hand as they enjoyed a delicious meal at the brand new "The Works" Restaurant where they saw the management of the business in action and did some taste testing. The outing was followed by a personal and informative speech from the owner of the restaurant, Grant Webb, who shared with students his wealth of knowledge gained from his vast entrepreneurial and management experience. Students were left with insight for managing and leading a new business as well as a satisfied appetite and thanks to the great success of the student organized trip, it is set to be on the course menu for future semesters!
Accounting adds up!!
10 senior accounting students attended the No Limits conference held at Ottawa University. Here, over 20 Chartered Accountants shared their careers with us during round table discussions. The students were able to ask any questions they wanted to these successful professionals. A lot of students left this conference knowing what a CA was all about and how to go about becoming a CA. A lot of myths about "boring old" accountants were addressed and discarded. A few current CA students were also on hand to talk to the students about their school experiences. This is an annual conference open to any accounting student.
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GRADE 10 RELIGION CLASS MAKES A DIFFERENCE
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Mrs. Rivington's grade 10 Religion class prepared and delivered three crates of sandwiches and delivered them to Shepherds of Good Hope prior to going on Christmas Break. They were acknowledged by the Shepherds with a beautiful thank you letter. A quote from the letter received emphasizes many of Catholic Graduate Expectations. "It is always heartwarming when young people help make a difference in the lives of the disadvantaged and brighten their lives in knowing someone cares. You make our work possible and a joy."
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STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS
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A Pep Rally and Night at the Oscars will be hosted by our Student Council members this month. Night at the Oscars will be held on Friday February 17th.
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GRADE 7 & 8 STUDENT COUNCIL
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Throughout each day next week, Student Council had the great idea of the TEACHERS catching the students doing a KIND ACT for a classmate, other students or even their teachers! In addition to catching the students being kind, Intermediate Student Council is also encouraging all students and teachers to participate in the daily themes of Kindness Week: Monday February 13th to Friday February 17th
Monday Feb 13: Warm Fuzzies Day (say kind words to your classmates/teachers/other students) ALL WEEK!
Tuesday Feb 14: Valentine's Day! Wear Red, Pink, White
Wednesday Feb 15: Heart Day- wear a heart day (Student Council will distribute hearts to wear if you need one!! :)
Thursday Feb 16: Love your Team Day- wear a favourite team Jersey OR Titan wear day
Friday Feb 17: PJ Day
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TITAN SPORTS
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CONGRATULATIONS TO...
- The grade 7&8 girls Futsal team! They won the West End Final going undefeated in their tournament. On Friday they played the City Championship against Frank Ryan and lost a very close game 3-2. Congratulations Titan ladies we are very proud of the classy way you represented our school!
- The grade 7&8 boys Futsal team who are the City Champions after defeating Franco-Cite 3-2. Well done boys! We are very proud of you and your hardwork.
- To the Alpine Ski Team who competed on Friday, February 2nd in the All Catholic Ski Races. Bridget Hayes came home with a Gold Medal and Steven Stapleton, and Nicholas Laviolette finished in the top ten.
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SCHOOL SANCTIONED TRIPS & EVENTS
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Parents, please be aware that the only school sanctioned trip that took place during exam week was to Mont St. Anne and those students left Friday and returned Sunday with the teacher supervisors.
Semester 2 courses started on Monday February 6th and all students were required to be present unless the school had parental approval.
MARCH BREAK REMINDER:
There is a sanctioned Explorica Tours trip going to Paris and London over March Break that will see 4 students travelling with Mr. Pentlow. There is also a sanctioned trip to Costa Rica with Mrs. Ragaisis.
Parents please be advised that the school does not sanction any trips planned by students over the March Break.
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| UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES |
February 6th - Semester 2 begins
February 9th - Grade 7 & 8 report cards go home
February 16th - HS Semester 1 report cards go home
- Grade 7&8 Parent/Teacher Interviews
February 20th - Family Day NO SCHOOL (No Council Mtg)
February 22nd - Ash Wednesday - Lent begins
February 29th - Director's Forum - St. Paul High School
March 6th - Parent Night
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CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
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There will be no council meeting in February and the next catholic School Council meeting will be held on March 5th 2012.
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YOUR MENTAL HEALTH - IT'S WORTH TALKING ABOUT
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The Royal is pleased to announce a public information session on Wednesday February 22, 2012 at 7:00pm. This session will include an overview of the most common youth mental illnesses i.e. depression, anxiety, etc. as well as why it's important to talk to youth, practical tips on how to start and continue a conversation with youth, helpful resources, links and a Q & A period.
Admission is FREE!
Auditorium, The Royal
1145 Carling Ave.
Ottawa, ON
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DIRECTOR'S FORUM
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Please see attatched flyer for information on Motivating your Teen!
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CANADIAN BLOOD SERVICES
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Congratulations go out to Debbie McLaughlin and Margaret Burnett for their continued support with Canadian Blood Services and the blood drives they put together here at MT. These fabulous ladies were presented with a thank you and congratulations certificate for their contribution to the 22% increase in collections for the Partners for Life program.
Stay tuned for the next blood drive!
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FYI
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Please see the daily announcements for more news on "What's Happening at MT". Our Titans have amazing opportunities to stay busy and get involved!
Student Services - (613) 823-5033
Co operative Education - (613) 823-5032
Please feel free to use these numbers.
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