Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Snow Glow


St. Kateri Tekakwitha School Council presents
A family dance

Come out to the SKT Gym on Friday, March 1st from 6:00-8:00pm with your family and friends for a night of exciting fun.  There will be a music and lights!
The admission is $2/child.  Please note that no child will be admitted without being accompanied by an adult.

Everyone is encouraged to wear white, so you can “glow” in the black light.

There will be the following activities:

  • A dance with a DJ
  • Colouring table
  • Button making  (50¢/button)
  • Raffle for prizes including Ottawa 67s tickets, ski tickets
There will be popcorn, baked goods, juice and water for sale.  Note that all the proceeds from the bake sale will be going towards buses for the end of year class trips.

We would also appreciate any donations of individually wrapped, nut free items for the bake sale.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer for the event, please contact the school council at: skt.council.ocsb@gmail.com

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Mabel's Labels Fundraiser



As a way to target the problem of lost belongings and a large lost and found bin, the SKT School Council is fundraising with Mabel's Labels, a company with all types of labels that are colourful, indestructible, easy-to-use and fun!

Iron-Ons, Stickies, Bag Tags, Allergy Alert labels & more!  Personalize your labels with names, nicknames, initials - whatever you choose.  Cool icons help even little ones identify their own belongings.  Dishwasher, microwave, laundry & kid tested!  Dispatched by Mabel's Labels within 24 hours!

Visit www.sktcs.mabelslabels.com to place your order to help us raise funds to support SKT.

About Mabel's Labels!

We are moms who were frustrated by the amount of stuff that left our houses, never to return.  After lots of research and testing we created the perfect fun, durable labels for the stuff kids lose!

Our sticky labels and clothing labels, which are dishwasher, microwave and laundry safe, are not only practical, but also designed to be very special to each child.  The labels are customized with a child's name, favourite mix of colours and an icon (animal, symbol, etc.).  We have also expanded our product line to include personalized stationary products, ID wristbands and household labels.

We strive to continuously design innovative labels for babies, kids and grown-ups alike.  You'll be amazed at what you can label!

Friday, February 8, 2013

SKT's School Yard Improvement Project

As mentioned in the January newsletter, the SKT School Council will be working to install a new play structure in the school yard for the Junior (Gr. 4-6) students.

Here is the presentation that was presented to council during the January meeting:

Playground Improvement Proposal

Here are some interesting facts that shows how important it is to improve the school yard with the new play structure.  The facts are organized in four different areas: Health, Growth and Development, Academic Performance and Anti-bullying Strategies.

Health

1.     Only 7% of Canadian kids attain the recommended level of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day.
      *Source: Colley,R.C., Garriguet,D., Janssen,I., Craig, C.L., Clarke, J., & Tremblay, M.S. (2011). Physical activity of Canadian Children and Youth: Accelerometer data from the 2007 to 2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Statistics Canada, Health Reports, 22 (1), Catalogue no. 82-003-XPE

2.    The proportion of Canadian kids who play outside after school dropped 14% over the last decade.
        *Source: Active Healthy Kids Canada. (2012) Is active play extinct?: The Active Healthy Kids Canada report card on physical activity for children and youth 2012, Toronto, ON

3.    Children are active for less than 14 minutes a day according to a study of 277 Montreal Schools

4.     Childhood obesity in Canada has tripled over the past three decades.
      *Source: Shilds, M. (2005). Measured Obesity: Overweight Canadian children and adolescents. Statistics Canada, Analytic Studies and Reports. ISSN: 1716-6713.

5.    26% of Canadian children are currently obese and 59% of Canadian adults are currently overweight or obese
         *Source: (Retrieved June 2012) (http://www.childhoodobesityfoundation.ca/statistics)

6.    Today’s Canadian children and youth are heavier, fatter, rounder and weaker than they were a generation ago.
        *Source: Tremblay, M. S., Shields, M. Laviolette, M., Craig, C. L., Janssen, I., & Gorber, S. C. (2010). Fitness of Canadian children and youth: Results from the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Statistics Canada, Health Reports 21(1), Catalogue no. 82-003-XPE.

 Growth and Development

7.    Over half of those aged 5-17 years old are not active enough for optimal growth and development
        *Source: (Retrieved June 2012) (http://www.heartandstroke.on.ca/site/c.pvI3IeNWJwE/b.3581729/k.359A/Statistics.htm Physical Education and Physical Activity: Results From the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2006. Journal Of School Health, 77(8), 435-463. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2007.00229.x)

8.    At a young age, physical activity contributes to healthy bone and muscle development
        *Source: (Published October 2007) (Lee, S. M., Burgeson, C. R., Fulton, J. E., & Spain, C. G.(2007). Physical Education and Physical Activity: Results From the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2006. Journal Of School Health, 77(8), 435-463. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2007.00229.x)

 Academic Performance

9.    Participating in regular physical activity has been linked to advances in academic performance in reading and mathematics, as well as noted improvements in discipline and self-concepts
        *Source: (Child and Family Canada, 2003).

10. Regular participation in aerobic activity increases blood flow to the brain and results in better memory retention.
        *Source: (Godman, H. (2011). Does Exercise Boosts Brain Power? http://www.livestrong.com/article/457161-does-exercise-boost-brain-power/#

 Anti-Bullying Strategies

11. Students report that the school yard is the most likely place for bullying.
        *Source: (Boulton, M. J. (1999). Concurrent and longitudinal relations between children's playground behavior and social preference, victimization, and bullying. Child Development, 70, 944-954.

12. Bullying that occurred in the school yard was observed by adults only l7%o of the time, and they intervened in only 23% of the observed cases
        *Source: cited in Sullivan, K. (2000). The anti-bullying handbook. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

13. When children are bored they may turn to bullying to make school more exciting
        Source: Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. Oxford, England: Blackwell Publishers.
         

Monday, February 4, 2013

Next Council Meeting is February 7th

Our next council meeting is Thursday, February 7th at 7pm in the Learning Commons at the school.

The Agenda for the meeting can be found here: Agenda for the February 7th meeting. Hope to see you there!