Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

PASTORAL PLAN

School: St. Jean Brebeuf Elementary School

School Mission Statement:

We, the St. Jean Brebeuf School community, bear witness and commitment to Jesus’ message of faith, hope and love. Together with our community and parish partners, we provide a welcoming and safe environment that promotes co-operation, respect for self and others, understanding and friendship as we strive for academic excellence. Together we strive to prepare our students for the future with a Christian education in the Catholic tradition.

School Motto: Faith - Community - Excellence

Our Parish: St. Anthony of Padua

Pastor: Rev. Joseph Pham

Parish website: www.stanthonyofpadua.ca

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Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

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. Fr. David Gikonyo is the Associate Pastor. You will see him coming to visit your schools and celebrating the Holy Eucharist with you. 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.

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

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Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

Message from the Catholic School Council:

St. Jean Brebeuf’s Catholic School Council for the 2018-2019 school year is a combination of parents and school staff working together in order to provide valuable experiences for our students in a Christ centered environment. The council meets to discuss school goals and initiatives. They help to organize and plan various fundraising initiatives and events.

Catholic Education Week Theme: Living as Joyful Disciples

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.

May 5 – May 10 is Catholic Education Week.

Our students and parent community will have opportunities to have true moments to celebrate the significant contribution that Catholic Education has made to the community, the province and to Canada, throughout the school year.

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.

At St. Jean Brebeuf School, we are called to affirm our Catholic Faith, in word and action and increase student knowledge, understanding and application of scripture. We recognize parents are integral in the development of their child’s faith. At St. Jean Brebeuf School, faith formation is developed daily through prayers, religious and family life lessons. The students will deepen their understanding of Scripture with the consistent use of our religious resources. Announcements incorporate daily readings, quotes from famous saints and messages about living the virtues. In addition, faith is developed in all our classrooms daily and all lessons are rooted in our Christian Faith. We are very fortunate to have monthly visits from the Rosary Apostolates.

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Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

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 Reconciliation Classes Nov. 10 and Nov. 24 at 9 a.m.Sacrament of Reconciliation January 24th, 2019First Holy Communion Classes January 26, February 23 and

March 16 at 9 a.m.First Holy Communion May 26, 2019Confirmation Preparation May 2, 2019 at 10:30 a.m.

Confirmation May 4th, 2019 at 11a.m.

Liturgical Celebrations:

The Liturgical calendar is marked by the gathering in community to celebrate the Eucharist and share in prayer.

Celebration DateOpening School Mass September 26, 2018Remembrance Day Celebration November 9, 2018Advent Mass December 6, 2018School-wide Confessions December 11, 2018Confessions at the church (mandatory for grade 7 students)

December 17, 2018, April 15, 2019

Ash Wednesday March 6, 2019Lenten School Mass April 25, 2019End of the Year School Mass June 6, 2019

Social Justice / Outreach Activities / Charities:Page 4 of 7

Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

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.

We value the involvement of community through partnership and collaboration. We work closing with St. Anthony of Padua Parish and the home. Our school participates in:

ShareLife Terry Fox Run Dr. Simone Food Drives for St. Vincent de Paul and Knight’s table Liturgies Remembrance Day Celebration and Collection Supporting the less fortunate Breakfast Program Coats for Kids Equity Initiatives

Recognizing Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations:

Framed by the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations (OCSGE), our graduates will be effective communicators, reflective thinkers, lifelong learners, collaborative contributors, caring family members, responsible citizens and discerning believers formed in the Catholic faith community.

All our school programs, classroom lessons, and initiatives are to develop a Catholic School Graduate. In our community the OCSGE are displayed in the school and in the classroom. We develop the expectations in our daily classroom lessons. In addition, we highlight many of the graduate expectations at assemblies and virtue liturgies.

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Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

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.

At St. Jean Brebeuf School, we have monthly assemblies to highlight the virtue of the month and students are recognized for exemplifying the virtue of the month. In addition, virtues are developed in students’ religion lessons.

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.

The front foyer is adorn with a beautiful wooden altar, a statue of Mary, a picture depicting our patron saint evangelizing, an open bible and fresh flowers. We also have a mosaic cross and rosary created by every student at St. Jean Brebeuf School in the front foyer. Walking in through the doors, the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations are displayed. A cross with the monthly virtue is also in the front foyer. A display case highlighting monthly virtues and other seasonally appropriate liturgical celebration also adds to the visibility of our faith. We have crosses, bibles, prayer tables in every classroom. Our statue of Mary is in the peace garden in the front of the building. We have a beautiful yellow “Buddy” bench in the school hallway, that was donated to the school from St. Anthony of Padua Parish. In addition, this year, our faith ambassadors are working on a quiet area for self-reflection and mediation, that will include, a prayer wall, altar and kneeling bench.

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Elementary Pastoral Plan 2018-2019

Resource List for Parents/Guardians:

Religious Education Curriculum - Ontario Religious Education Curriculum Family Life Curriculum - Ontario Family Life Curriculum

Fully Alive Program information - Ontario Bishops' information on Fully Alive

Resource List for Schools:

Board

Vocations UnitsWe have Vocations units as part of the Grades 2, 5, and 8 curriculum. The goal of these supplementary units is to deepen one’s understanding of God’s call – the “vocare” – to various forms of life within the Church.

History of the ParishThrough the resource book Our Story, Our Tradition, Our Journey, grade 7 students have the opportunity to learn about the history of our parish.

Enduring Gift Video

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