ZOOM INBuilding a New Foundation at OLV

Provincial GoldOLV is Green

Vision 2020NCDSB Focus for the Future

VictoryVoice

MAGAZINEISSUE ONE

Victory’s WayOLV - Past, Present,and Future Glory

vA New Era Begins

United people from different places

V is for VictoryFriends 4ever

never give up!CatholiCityCommunity Our lady Of victOry, pray fOr us

Peace Bridge

Fort EriE, ontario

central ave.

St.Michael

Breakfast program

Eco

we are the champions

Thin

k bi

g

Live, Love, Learn

StationS of the croSSsmartboard

world wide web

Four Square

flag footballsoccer

badminton

ketchup club

O’ca

nada

OUr fathersmile

olv

ReseaRch

faith

bump

Terry fox

together as oNevictory vocalists

holy childhood walk

CONTACT

Our Lady of Victory Catholic Elementary School

10 High StreetFort Erie, Ontario

L2A 3P7905.871.3092

Niagara Catholic District School Board427 Rice Road

Welland, Ontario905.735.0240

www.niagararc.com

Wow! What a rewarding and busy year at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Elementary School !

I am so pleased and blessed to have the opportunity to principal this great institution of learning, faith and friendship.

Over the course of this 2010/ 2011 school year, students have achieved numerous successes in academics, athletics, and environmental awareness. As always, we never underestimate our calling to continue to grow in our relationship with God. We are blessed to have the privilege of offering a Catholic education to our students. I know that I speak for all staff when I say that everyone at Victory is so very proud of each and every student. We all know that it is through the efforts and successes of our students that our future will be bright and based on the students who attend OLV…I think we all will need sun glasses because things are looking very bright !

Not only are there great things happening inside of our two schools, but there are also very exciting things happening outside with the construction. What a gift to be able to start the fall of 2011 in a newly renovated and constructed Our Lady of Victory School. Although we already have a successful instrumental music program in place at OLV, you have to know that rev of the high pitched drills, the tamping of the earth, the pouring of the cement and the roar of the machinery is truly music to our ears.

As principal and supporter of our first ever magazine, “Victory Voice”, I am very thankful for the efforts of all students and staff who have helped put this inaugural issue out into our community so that we can share some of the great things happening at Our Lady of Victory and Niagara Catholic. We hope that you will enjoy the feature articles.

Sincerely,

Theresa Murphy Principal/ Our Lady of Victory Catholic Elementary School

ZOOM IN Building a New Foundation at OLV

VISION 2020NCDSB Focus for the Future

PROVINCIAL GOLDOLV is Green

VICTORY’S WAYPast, Present, and Future Glory

CONTENT

VICTORY VOICE TEAM

EditorTheresa Murphy

Research and DevelopmentTony Basilone

PhotographyAlana Wood

Design & Layout InCenterDesign

ContributorsStephanie Boland

Rachel ChaRachel BlairAlexi Doan

Brooke Simons

4|5

6|7

8|9

people from different places

Friends 4ever

Community Our lady Of victOry, pray fOr us

central ave.

StationS of the croSS

OUr fathersmile

holy childhood walk

10|11

When the opening bell rings for classes to begin a new school year in September 2011, Our Lady of Victory Catholic Elementary School in Fort Erie, will finally be “united” as ONE family under ONE roof. What started out as a dream for this tight-knit and diverse community along Central Avenue in Fort Erie, more than 10 years ago, will soon play out as a reality for generations of future staff and students. There have been many discussions and many people need to be thanked for their involvement in making this dream come true.

When a community meeting was called at Our Lady of Victory in the early fall of 2009, people were tingling with excitement at the possibility of the good news announcement. Mr. John Crocco, Director of Education for the Niagara Catholic District School Board, stood with a gleaming smile in front of the eager audience. His announcement was to bring a feeling of relief and joy to those in attendance. Fort Erie’s largest and oldest Catholic grade school – comprising of two buildings - Our Lady of Victory Junior and Our Lady of Victory Senior, would be “united” for the first time ever!

For those near and dear to OLV, the anxious times of moving from the junior school to the senior school will soon be replaced with new emotions of togetherness and pride of a new school. No longer will students need to shuffle through the snowy or rainy months to attend an event in either the junior or senior school. All will be together.

With careful planning, the architect, Mr. Emilio Raimondo and the construction firm TR Hinan have teamed up to design a state of the art “Victory.” The banging of hammers and the hum of machinery is now accepted white noise at OLV. As of May 2011, the construction is zipping along, with a steady flow of workers, trucks and supplies on-site daily. The knocking down of past walls is slowing giving way to the building blocks of a new foundation. The design will include four state of the art Kindergarten classrooms to celebrate the official beginning of full day kindergarten for all four and five year old students. OLV will be the only school in Fort Erie to

offer the ELKP program in the fall of 2011.When the staff and students arrive for classes on that first day of school next September, they will see the newness of the building, smell the fresh paint, and experience a state of the art learning environment. The 4.6 million dollar grant by the Ministry of Education has allowed for the building of ten new eco friendly classrooms - white-boards and all – including a science lab, a music room, an administrative office space, a new library information centre, a computer lab and an improved gymnasium.

Mrs. Theresa Murphy, Principal of Our Lady of Victory is eager to “unite” as one Victory. In a recent interview with Victory Voice, she stated, “we already share one faith and one name so it makes perfect sense to share one building. The benefits of having all students under one roof will allow all students to interact, learn and share with one another. I am honoured to be the Principal of this historic moment as OLV is united.”

Once the last brick is set and the final brush stroke made, Our Lady of Victory will start on a new course. New beginnings will lead to future successes. In addition to the recent groundbreaking ceremony on June 25th of last year, preparations are already in place for an official unveiling ceremony of one Our Lady of Victory Catholic Elementary School in September 2011. Stay tuned for news as it happens at OLV! Finally, OLV is “UNITED!”

Building a New

Foundation

at OLV

ZOOM IN

A new hallway begins to take shape at OLV

If you close your eyes and open them in the year 2020, what do you see for our schools and education? This is a question that is very close to the heart of Mr. John Crocco.

On a cold and snowy day in February, we were delighted to have Mr. Crocco Director of Education for the Niagara Catholic District School Board sit with us and enlighten us with his vision for the future. He calls it “Vision 2020”. Clever is his analogy to having perfect eyesight. He means now as well as in the future. He was inspired by many things to create this focus, including these questions; where are we (NCDSB) going? More especially where is Catholic education going? Mr. Crocco carefully explained that he wanted to include trustees, principals, teachers, parents, and students to solicit their ideas because it was important for him to make this initiative a collaborative vision. And collaborative it was, with 160 discovery sessions focusing on defining what Niagara Catholic should be like in 10 years. Mr. Crocco stated, “This vision belongs to everyone.”

Mr. Crocco believes Vision 2020 is going to improve Catholic education and will be implemented in our community successfully. After listening to everyone’s feedback he stated, “we have achieved a direction, with many goals.” Some of the possibilities include: supporting technologies with wireless access, encouraging more students to attend our Catholic schools, having graduates stay connected to the Niagara Catholic family, and continuing to provide innovative programs and services for all students and schools. Mr. Crocco believes the main goal for 2020 is to provide a safe, rewarding, and faith-filled environment where all students can grow and learn. He said, at Niagara Catholic “It doesn’t matter who you are. All are accepted as part of our family.”

We asked Mr. Crocco if there is something that needs to have more focus at Niagara Catholic. He replied that we really need to continue to focus on our “soft skills” and not just the hard skills that we teach so well. He went on to explain that it’s the interpersonal, faithful, problem-solving, social justice, soft skills that make Niagara Catholic second-to-none.

Written by Rachel Blair – Special Correspondent to Victory Voice

Director of Education, John Crocco Niagara Catholic District School Board

Mr. Crocco wants everyone to know that anything is possible and it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from, as long as you believe in yourself and work for it. He told us a story about a graduate of Niagara Catholic who worked in a doughnut shop as a student and had never thought about becoming a pastry chef. She attended college, kept working her way up in this field and is now currently the Head Pastry Chef in a restaurant in Sydney, Australia. Mr. Crocco said that many graduates of Niagara Catholic have become mechanics, models, NHL hockey players, doctors and business people…anything they set their mind too. Mr. Crocco values staying in touch with the graduates and asks all graduates to provide their e-mail address, so they can continue to share their stories.

After learning what Vision 2020 has to offer, we wanted to know how students, parents, administration, clergy, and community could help with the implementation of Vision 2020. Mr. Crocco said that we should stay focused on the plan, always look for what we can do to improve, keep talking about what can be improved and keep contributing ideas. And that is just what is happening. Mr. Crocco told us that 24,000 students, parents, and teachers are still contributing ideas. Mr. Crocco also suggested that we need to continue to communicate what we are doing, perhaps by creating posters stating, “Building a Strong Catholic Identity”, “Advancing Student Achievement” and “Making Community Connections.”Mr. Crocco believes that “challenges equal opportunities.” The most rewarding experiences he has had as the Director of the Niagara Catholic District School Board is being with students. He said that there is no better place then to start off a day than with students. And true

to his word, every Wednesday and Friday morning, Mr. Crocco attempts to visit a school or two where he enjoys spending time with students. Throughout this interview, Mr. Crocco had a sparkle in his eye when he talked about the students. Mr. Crocco believes that “miracles happen every day in our Catholic schools.”

Mr. Crocco believes the biggest strength of the Niagara Catholic District School Board is the people: students, staff, and parents. He is very proud of Niagara Catholic

in every way! He listed academic, athletic, and faith experiences as sources which give him “so much pride.” He reminded us again of the importance of nurturing the soft skills of each student in our Board. The example of students from Niagara Catholic travelling to third world communities to bring Good News and hope to the less fortunate is a visible way that Niagara Catholic students are giving something back. Mr. Crocco stated,

“Exploring the world is important. It is an amazing way to learn new things.” He is so very happy that the students of Niagara Catholic have opportunities like this.Mr. Crocco ended our interview by saying how “blessed” he was to have the privilege of his job, his vocation. He told us that the reason that his job is “so amazing” is because “there is great news everyday.” As reporters working on this feature article for our small OLV community magazine, we are eager to see how Vision 2020 will unfold not only for our school but for future generations of Niagara Catholic students. He concluded our discussion by reminding us, “that at Niagara Catholic, we are in the business of ‘nurturing souls and building minds of students.’”

A sapling is planted a message of peaceis shown for all to see.

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OLV once again “golden” in Ontario Eco School Certification

Everyday we are seeing signs of environmental awareness in our world. The various governments of all nations have put together global initiatives that aim to keep the world cleaner and greener.

The Province of Ontario has put forward a goal for all schools to achieve a “gold medal standing” in regards to protecting our planet and ensuring its longevity for our future citizens.

Our Lady of Victory is shining through in the area of environmental awareness. For the second straight year, OLV has received a Gold Medal Standing and is officially certified as an Ontario Eco School. Through the efforts of the Eco Team at OLV, school-wide practices such as: Litter-less Lunch Tuesdays, ensuring that lights and computers are turned off when not in use, an established recycling program and ensuring that a green learning space is readily available for our students to enjoy, is all second nature within the walls of Our Lady of Victory. Miles Roszel, a grade two member of our Eco Team, is very pleased with the effort of his classmates in regards to our Litter-less Lunch Tuesdays. “Litter-less lunch makes our lunch nice and clean because we don’t have to throw out garbage.” With young minds grasping the concept of going and staying green, OLV, and our future leaders are sure to make a positive environmental impact on our planet.

The creation of our outdoor classroom is one goal that we continue to work on as we create a green space for learning fun. We also work on keeping our yard clean. In this way, our students gain a better understanding of our Gospel Value - Stewardship.

At OLV, we are blessed with two large trees in one of our grassy areas and we are currently working on increasing the number of trees on our property to provide us with additional shaded areas. With the dedication and help of OLV’s Eco Team, four more trees have been planted this year.

OLV intends to go even further into the world of Eco awareness with the unification of both schools next September. White Boards in all new classrooms, the installation of new tinted windows should help to save on heating costs and keep our classes cooler in the hot weather.

OLV is proud to lay claim to the following mission statement: We are called to be stewards of God’s creation by always working to reduce, reuse and recycle. OLV is proud to be going GREEN !

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Provincial Gold

VictorysWayPast, Present and Future Glory

VictorysWayThere is a certain level of expectation for excellence as a member of the school community at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Elementary School in Fort Erie, Ontario. Excellence- VICTORY’S WAY – took its first breath in the hallways of this school’s modest beginnings in the fifties and sixties and is now whistling along with the unification of the two schools in the fall of 2011. Excellence is just VICTORY’S WAY. The staff is committed to its vocation and mission to provide the best Catholic education possible as they nurture the minds, hearts and bodies of every student who walks through the school doors.

OLV was proudly named after the “Battle of Lepento” in 1571, where a ship fleet of the Holy League patrolled the Mediterranean Sea, ensuring that this area did not become an uncontested highway for enemy forces. The Holy League credited their marine victories to the Virgin Mary. The name Our Lady of Victory has been associated with success, winning and the competitive spirit ever since that famous battle. One can see the beginning of VICTORY’S WAY.

Fast forwarding to 2011, OLV has been a model of consistency in all areas of competition. Students, staff and community members new to OLV as well as those engrained in the school since JK, can sense the feeling of achievement in the hallways, classrooms and on the sports fields. Whether it is four –square, wall soccer, pick up basketball, touch football, or the first place successes of any of our sports teams, OLV not only loves to win; OLV strives to win, works to win and most of all -expects to win! This is just VICTORY’S WAY! And why not, as there is so much God-given talent in the students that all it takes is a dedicated coach, a teacher mentor and enough parental support to nurture talent into success. OLV has this winning combination – it is VICTORY’S WAY.

Excellence does not come easy – don’t kid yourself…perfection is God’s business. With each practice, drill, workout and game, OLV exemplifies true athletic dominance mixed with the friendly spirit of competition. That is just VICTORY’S WAY. To support the young, athlete dreams, OLV strives to offer various events, activities and guest speakers who can make real connections for our students to the world of professional sports.

In early May of 2011, OLV had the privilege of having 5 current Canadian Football League (CFL) players and one prospect visit the school. On the request of current Edmonton Eskimo kicker, OLV student teacher and former OLV graduate Derek Schiavone, a group of his athletic peers joined Victory for a day of discussion and fun.

CFL pros – Schiavone, Tyler Scott (Edmonton), Noel Prefontaine (Toronto), Chad Rempel (Toronto), Chris Greaves (Winnipeg) and 2011 CFL prospect John Surla were on hand before a packed house in the gym giving life lessons and experiences that have helped them achieve athletic success. The overall theme of this “chalk talk” was the importance of education, and how it is very essential to achieving athletic success. Once the discussion was finished, the CFL “PROS”, along with three students (Dylan Maulucci, Austin Greaves and Brendan Hum) were off to the field to play a friendly game of touch football against a group of “JOES” – aka OLV staff.

With students waving banners and cheering on their favourite teacher or pro, all of those involved were treated to a day filled with great memories that no one will soon forget. After a game filled with trick plays, eleven touchdowns and a lot of friendly competition, the students had the unique opportunity to seek autographs from their gridiron heroes– some of the teachers even signed a few. Producing these unforgettable moments are just VICTORY’S WAY of showing the students what dedication to a dream can do.

Final score of the game: JOES 42 – PROS 35….In case anyone was wondering!

VictorysWayPast, Present and Future Glory

VictorysWay

Pictured above - OLV plays host to PROS vs. JOES.

UNited Our Lady of Victory, Pray for us.v