Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019 Page 1 of 9 PASTORAL PLAN School: School Mission Statement: Religious Education, through liturgies, catechism, daily prayer, the sacraments and good works, creates a Christian atmosphere, which permeates our school community. Students are provided with the opportunities to achieve success in the basic skills, concepts, and attitudes. These opportunities will allow them to be lifelong learners. The school must be a safe place that nurtures learning. Self-esteem is crucial to the healthy development of each child. We believe that children can learn and that failure is only a starting point for further learning. An orderly, focused school atmosphere provides the framework for self-directed learning. Promotion of a friendly interchange among students and adults will lead to mutual understanding and harmony within the school community. We believe that the child, as learner, is the central focus of all our endeavors. We recognize that we all have special gifts and talents to share. School Motto: Go Make a Difference.
Transcript
Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019
Page 1 of 9
PASTORAL PLAN
School:
School Mission Statement:
Religious Education, through liturgies, catechism, daily prayer, the sacraments and good works,
creates a Christian atmosphere, which permeates our school community.
Students are provided with the opportunities to achieve success in the basic skills,
concepts, and attitudes. These opportunities will allow them to be lifelong learners.
The school must be a safe place that nurtures learning. Self-esteem is crucial to the healthy
development of each child.
We believe that children can learn and that failure is only a starting point for further learning.
An orderly, focused school atmosphere provides the framework for self-directed learning.
Promotion of a friendly interchange among students and adults will lead to mutual
understanding and harmony within the school community.
We believe that the child, as learner, is the central focus of all our endeavors. We recognize
that we all have special gifts and talents to share.
School Motto: Go Make a Difference.
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Our Parish: St. Anthony of Padua
Pastor: Rev. Joseph Pham
Parish website: www.stanthonyofpadua.ca
Message from the Pastor:
Dear Friends in Christ, As we begin a new school year, let us keep in mind the importance that our schools represent to
our Catholic community. They are the institutions upon which our academic, spiritual and Catholic values are developed and nurtured. As I address this pastoral letter to you, I write these words hoping that together, we will continue to make an earnest effort to render our schools what they should actually be. I thank God for the success of the last school year. For those who do not know me, or are new to the parish, I wish to introduce myself to you. My name is Father Joseph Pham, and I am the Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church. This is my fourth year in the parish, and I thank you for your prayers and the support you have rendered to me during the past year. We are also served by Fr. David Gikonyo, our Associate Pastor. Father David originally comes from Kenya and he has been working in the Archdiocese of Toronto in the last 6 years. You will see him coming to visit your schools and celebrating the Holy Eucharist with you. I ask that you would welcome Fr. David to our community. Please pray for Fr. David and me so that we can continue to serve you faithfully.
As we approach the month of November, things have already started to get busy here at the parish, and I am sure the same is true for you at home. Here at our parish community of St. Anthony of Padua, we believe that the Lord is always present among us. Jesus gathers us together as a family every Sunday so that we can be fed by His Word and Eucharist. Indeed, the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life”. We gather to be nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist so that we can be living examples of Jesus to our brothers and sisters. At St. Anthony of Padua Church, we really encourage our families to attend Mass on Sunday. Our weekend Masses are: Saturday 5:00 PM, Sunday 8:15 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM and 12:30 PM. Besides coming to Mass on Sunday, I also encourage your family to spend a few minutes daily to pray together. When the family prays together, it brings them closer together. We invite the Lord to come into our family and share with us our joys and sorrows. As parents, you are called to be examples of faith to your children. I strongly believe that the parents are the first teachers of faith to their children. Children look up to their parents for spiritual guidance and faith.
I also ask you to consider joining our parish ministries. Here at St. Anthony of Padua we have so many different ministries you can join: Youth Group, Choir, Lector, Eucharist Minister, Altar Server, Pastoral Care Team, Hospitality Committee, Ushers, Teacher Volunteers, just to name a few. It is important to share your talents and blessings with the parish community. Together we can turn our parish into a place of love where all people are welcome.
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This year, thanks to many volunteer teachers, we have a tutoring program at our parish which runs every Saturday from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM before the Saturday 5 PM Mass. You are invited to bring your children from grades 2-12 for help in Math, English, Science and French. I can always use more teacher volunteers. If you can help us for one hour a week on Saturday afternoons, we would really appreciate it.
Every Tuesday we also have Mass with confession and with a devotion to St. Anthony of Padua, our parish Patron Saint. I invite you to join us as we give praise and thanksgiving to God and ask St. Anthony of Padua to intercede for us.
We need to come together as a family so we can help build up this parish together. Together we can make a difference, with the help of God. I ask you to please keep me in your prayers and may God bless you and your family always.
Fr. Joseph Pham
Message from the Catholic School Council: The Lester B. Pearson Catholic School Council proudly supports faith formation for our
community. We collaborate with the school in order to support faith formation. Our Council
has supported various activities to raise funds for local charities, sacramental gifts and retreats
for our students.
Catholic Education Week Theme: Living as Joyful Disciples
May 5 – May 10, 2019 is Catholic Education Week.
Sub-Themes:
Monday: Rooted in Prayer
Tuesday: Living in Community
Wednesday: Doing Justice and Creating Hope
Thursday: Journeying Together in Faith
Friday: Sharing the Good News
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Throughout Catholic Education Week, we ask you to reflect on the significance of Catholic
education’s presence and contribution in our Church, and in our society.
During Catholic Education Week we plan to have:
School liturgies
Parents/Guardians will visit classrooms
Principal and Vice Principal will promote Catholic education at Lester B. Pearson Catholic School
Staff Retreat
Faith Formation:
Forming ourselves in our Catholic faith is a foundational element in helping each of us
understand and live in the example of Christ.
Activities that support both adult and student faith formation:
Morning Prayer reflection written by students
Land Acknowledgement every morning in recognition that we are a Treaty people
Weekly scripture study: Scripture passage is read each week on the announcements and teachers are asked to lead a discussion with their students around how this scripture passage relates to them in their own lives and discuss ways that we can live out the message in the scripture in our community.
Scripture passage of the month posted to the school website
Catholic Leadership Team
Student and Adult Faith Ambassadors initiatives
Staff liturgies
Sharelife Events for staff (e.g. Wilf Hartzeburg Walk Run Roll, Sharelife Gala etc.)
Staff Stations of the Cross Retreat
School Masses (end of year mass to take place at St. Anthony of Padua Church)
Sacramental Retreats
Confirmation Preparation classes at St. Anthony of Padua Church
Confirmation service projects
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First Holy Communion and First Confession Preparation Classes
St. Anthony of Padua Youth Ministers visit school and provide sacramental instruction
Missionary Visits
Rosary Apostolate
Virtues assemblies
Health and well-being initiatives aligned to our Faith
Girls’ Night In
Scared spaces within classrooms
Food Drives
Mitten Drive
Cookie Sales – funds to support needy families in our Parish
Dr. Simone Collection in April
Sacramental Preparation:
As Catholics, we understand sacraments to be "outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace."
Together in partnership with our parish, we support the preparation of God’s children in
receiving the sacraments.
Event Grade 2 Grade 7
Sacrament of Reconciliation January, 24th, 2019
First Holy Communion Sunday, May 19th, 2019
Confirmation Saturday, May 4th, 2019
Liturgical Celebrations: The Liturgical calendar is marked by the gathering in community to
celebrate the Eucharist and share in prayer.
Celebration Date
Opening Mass and Thanksgiving Sept. 25th, 2018
Advent Mass Dec. 7th, 2018
Lenten Mass March 26th, 2019
Year End Mass June 12th, 2019
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Social Justice / Outreach Activities / Charities:
Catholic Social Teachings of the Church root our actions in supporting human dignity and the
preferential option of the poor which calls us to serve the most vulnerable in the world.
ShareLife activities (Staff and school-wide spirit events)
family members, responsible citizens and discerning believers formed in the Catholic faith
community.
Create classrooms that focus on OCSGE and Virtues education
Build awareness of OCSGE at Virtues bi-monthly assemblies
‘We Can Make a Difference’ campaign (Students do 10 hours of community Service)
Share the word of God daily through our Family Life program
Provide varied spiritual, academic and social opportunities for students
Focused scripture study based on the virtue of the month. All teachers are asked to present a school-wide monthly scripture passage to discuss and develop understanding of application of Jesus’ teachings through scripture
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Celebrating Virtues:
A virtue is a habit or established capacity to perform good actions according to a moral
standard. When we practice these virtues we strengthen them and thereby make the presence
of God more and more visible in the world around us.
We practice the virtues at our school by…
Adults modeling our Catholic faith and Virtues
Virtues education is celebrated during morning announcements, classroom activities
and at bi-monthly assemblies
Virtue posters and altar display Display of monthly Virtues on school monitor
Virtue Certificates
Monthly scripture passage study focused on the specific virtue of the month on
school website
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Visible Signs of our Faith:
Through symbol and service, we are instruments of God’s love whose work within our
communities stands as a witness to our faith.
Our call to discipleship and service are evident throughout Lester B. Pearson Catholic School. These visible reminders help us to focus our learnings and interactions on the key tenants of our shared faith.
Each classroom has a clearly identifiable sacred space in a prominent place that serves as a focal point for prayer and reflection. These sacred spaces reflect the liturgical season, and are equipped with items that assist in intentional prayer.
The Catholic Graduate Expectations are posted throughout the school and are a focus for all students and staff
Monthly posting of scripture passages to the school website
The Catholic identity of our school is clear upon entry to the building as we have an altar and sacred space that is set up in the foyer
We will continue to recognize over the announcements each morning that we are a Treaty people and we respect and honour these treaties of our fellow Indigenous brothers and sisters. We have posters throughout the school honouring these treaties and delivering the message that we are all stewards of the earth
Statue of our Patron Saint Teresa in school garden and banner in the foyer
Our students serve as witness to our faith by devoting time to community service
