December 2016

Pope John Paul II Senior Elementary School

Website: http://www.tbcdsb.on.ca/johnpaul

MISSION STATEMENT We, the staff and students of Pope John Paul II Senior Elementary School, will work in a

cooperative partnership with the home, church and community to encourage all to grow in faith, knowledge, skills and self-discipline within a Christ-centered environment so as to become

positive contributors to society.

Principal’s Message

Our past few months have been very productive for students and staff at PJP II. Now, as we enter Advent, the season of hope, we wish you and your family peace, joy and many blessings. During this special season and the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations, we must be careful to not lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. As Christmas began in the heart of God, let us complete that love by extending our hearts to others. May the peace and blessings of Christmas be yours and may the coming year be filled with happiness.

CHRISTMAS CHEER DRIVE This year's Christmas Cheer Drive is well on its way! Our school's theme this year is to Flip for Food. For every 5 non-perishable food items brought in, students will be entered into a draw to compete in a water bottle flipping competition. Each landed flip will enter their name into a draws for great Christmas prizes. Students have set a goal to collect 2500 non-perishable items for individuals and families in our community. We ask the support of our PJPII families to help us reach our goal and fill our boxes that are located in our school's foyer. We welcome donations of can goods and non-perishable items, which can be dropped off at our main office by December 9th. YOUR SUPPORT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Advent Mass With the Holy season of Advent upon us, we are involved in preparation for the coming of Christmas. Pope John Paul II Senior Elementary Advent Mass will be held at the school on Wednesday, December 21st at 12:30 p.m. Msg. Stilla will be our celebrant. All are welcome to attend.

Telephone/Parents/Students Parents and Students are reminded to make end of day, or family/social arrangements the night before. Parents should not be asking the school to pass on information or calling students out of class for family information/business. If there is an emergency, we will do our best to assist. Your co-operation will certainly help in the operation of the school.

Lunchroom Supervisors Needed Pope John Paul II is currently looking for lunchroom supervisors for 11:10-12:00. Applications can be found on the TBCDSB website. If you have any questions, please contact the school at 623-2324.

Christmas Break

December 26th – January 6th, 2017

School Resumes January 9th, 2017

December’s Virtue: Humility “In humility, we depend on God, the Giver of all good gifts, and in humility, we share our giftedness with others.”

Parent Council Meeting: Monday, January 30th, 2017

at 5:00 p.m.

December 2016

Le Tours de Magie

Au cours des trois dernières semaines, notre classe d'immersion française 710 étés donnés une tâche de mémoriser, de préparer et de jouer trois tours de magie. Merci à notre enseignante de salle 710, Madame Mullins, de nous aider avec notre vocabulaire et de nous aider avec des mots on ne savon pas. Notre classe talentueuse a vitrine leur extraordinaire don avec trois tours de magie avec quelque faux devant toutes la classe. Les tours de magie notre classe a joué, à les costume incroyable tout le monde a porté, Merci à notre étudiant de 7-10 pour l'effort est énergie que tout le monde à mettre dans le spectacle et pour fabriquer un grand succès. By: Rosemary Tarzia

Giving Tuesday We all know about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but have you heard of the Canadian movement Giving Tuesday? This is a day where you should be thinking about others and or donating to a good cause. Well, Ms. Poluyko’s two homeroom classes are going to be a part of this wonderful movement. The kids of classes 8-7 and 8-8 brought in items to make a “winter survival kit” for the homeless of Thunder Bay. They will be donating these kits to the Shelter House. The kits include earmuffs, gloves, toques and socks. The classes total came to 100 whole packages! We hope to see many more kind things like this happen at PJPII. By: Ryan Doucette

December 2016

Scientists at Work

Students in the Lifeskills class explored Oobleck with Mrs. Kelly. Applying pressure to the mixture increases its viscosity (thickness). A quick tap on the surface of Oobleck will make it feel hard, because it forces the cornstarch particles together. But dip your hand slowly into the mix, and see what happens—your fingers slide in as easily as through water. Moving slowly gives the cornstarch particles time to move out of the way. What a great way to learn about liquids and solids.

Jaguar Varsity Volleyball On Wednesday, November 30th, both the girls’ and boys’ varsity volleyball teams participated in the final Volleyball Tournament at the Lakehead University Fieldhouse. All teams demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and tenacity. A special thanks to the coaches: Ms. Poluyko, Mr. Pucci, Mr. Hiscox, Mr. Kruger, Mrs. Henderson and Mr. Cano.

December 2016

Inclement Weather Procedures Weather conditions during the winter season may cause bus problems or cancellations. We remind all parents/guardians that in the event of emergency school closure, students will be sent home. All students are expected to have a plan (access to the home or neighbours). Please discuss this with your children. Due to the number of students and the need to send students home quickly, students will not be able to phone and make plans when the school is closed. In the event of inclement weather please do not call the school regarding school closure: all radio stations will broadcast this information or check the TBCDSB’s website at www.tbcdsb.on.ca and click on ‘Student Transportation’. We need all phone lines open for emergency use. Weather conditions may occasionally result in the cancellation of rural buses only. When this occurs, the following routes are affected:

South 33 South 34 South 36 South 38 South 41 South 43 South 44 South 45 South 56 South 65 South 66 South 67 South 75 South 76 Fort William First Nation Bus Should a rural bus be cancelled in the morning, it will not be running in the afternoon. Therefore, if you bring your child to school in the morning it is your responsibility to take your child home. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Mr. Tracz’s class 8-9 from Pope John Paul II is excited to build a school garden. They created a video starring Piper Plavins and Ryan Erven and entered a tbaytel contest for a grant. The film was shot by Seth Boland. Class 8-9 was excited to find out they got the grant of $1,250! This school garden will create many different opportunities for the Jaguars of Pope John Paul II! By: Piper Plavins

Mathematics Competition

Congratulations to all the students who competed in the Caribou Mathematics Competition on Thursday, November 17th, 2016. Listed below are the names of the top 5 Grade 7 and Grade 8 students from Pope John Paul II. Grade 7 Grade 8 1st – Adam Tassone 1st - Lindsay Humeniuk 2nd – Carson Power 2nd – Erik Makela 3rd– Luka Plesa 3rd – Jordan Malench Tied 4th– Anderson Ventrudo Tied 4th – Zachary Pylychuk Will Sault Claudia Lombardo 5th - Olivia Boon 5th – Abi H.

Bullying Prevention Week

Bullying Prevention Week, Nov. 14th-18th, gave us an opportunity to work together and get involved in the issue through education and awareness. Our Safe & Accepting Schools Team developed a great list of activities throughout the week. A special thanks to Sam, Danica, Elizabeth and Konner. Thanks also to Mrs. Brizi (parent) and Mrs. Jackson (staff rep) for their contributions. The Bullying Prevention Plan can be found on our school website.

Blue persians were sold and all profit was donated to the Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force.

As a sign of solidarity, staff and students dressed in blue.

Representatives from the City of Thunder Bay were here to present a Respect Campaign. As well, Constable Grieves delivered a Social Media

presentation.

Classroom quilts were created with messages of peace and friendship.

Student Artwork Calendar Contest

Pope John Paul II is pleased to announce that Michael Saw has been chosen as one of the winner’s in Lakehead University’s Student Artwork Calendar Contest. Michael’s artwork is featured in Lakehead University’s 2017 calendar. Congratulations Michael!

On the Bus – A Message from

www.ststb.ca (807) 625-1660 As winter approaches and the cold, ice and snow conditions in the Thunder Bay area are something we should all be accustomed to, it is important for parents and students to remember to dress warmly and think wisely, especially when it comes to waiting for a school bus. Student Transportation Services of Thunder Bay (STSTB) reminds everyone they should be prepared for potentially bad weather conditions: 1. Parents/guardians always make the final decision as to whether or not it is safe to send their child to school. 2. It is always the Parents/Guardians responsibility to get students safely to and from their assigned bus stop. 3. School buses could experience delays due to traffic and hazardous road conditions during severe weather. 4. Some side roads in rural areas may not be plowed and operators will have to make minor route adjustments in these areas when picking up and dropping off students. 5. Students should be well prepared for being out in inclement weather and have very clear instructions on what to do if the school vehicle does not arrive. Younger children should be escorted to their bus stop and parents/guardians should remain with them until the bus arrives. Parents should have back-up arrangements in case of an emergency. 6. Bus delays of 15 minutes or more can be confirmed through the Parent Portal at www.ststb.ca Inclement Weather - “To Run or Not to Run Buses”? There may be times when the weather will cause school bus and special vehicle transportation to be cancelled. STSTB works cooperatively with bus contractors and the School Boards to ensure that our approach to transportation during inclement weather is coordinated and designed with the safety of students our first priority. Listed below are some of the key factors in the inclement weather process. • STSTB adheres to the policies in place that consider most common contingencies and can be found through the School Board or STSTB websites. • There’s a chain of command, involving both School Board and bus company officials making active evaluations of current and forecasted weather and road conditions. • School Board policy will be followed in the event inclement weather conditions arise, based on the best available data. • Due to STSTB’s large geographic service area, several weather-related decisions may have to be made. In some instances, the weather conditions may be poor in one area of the jurisdiction and safe for transportation in another. • Every effort will be made to communicate a decision to cancel busing as well as reflect the most accurate information in a timely fashion: Announcements regarding the cancellation of school bus and special vehicle transportation will be broadcast starting by 7:00 a.m. on local area radio stations.

• The www.ststb.ca and School Board websites will have information regarding any school vehicle cancellations posted by 7:00 a.m.

• You can call 625-1661 to access a pre-recorded message which will be posted by 7:00 a.m. during inclement weather.

• If transportation is cancelled in the morning, afternoon transportation will not operate.