Madonna Catholic School News

Dear Madonna Catholic School Community,

What a wonderful week of learning and community at Madonna Catholic School! We are so grateful for the many opportunities that enrich our students' experiences.

A big thank you to Ms. McAra’s Grade 3 class for leading us in a thoughtful assembly about St. Anthony of Padua. Their presentation reminded us of his devotion to faith and service, inspiring us to reflect on how we can live out these values in our daily lives.

On Wednesday, our staff came together for professional development and collaborative planning. These moments allow us to grow as educators and ensure we continue to support our students in meaningful ways as we move into the second half of the school year.

Thursday was a truly special day as we welcomed Métis musician Brianna Lizotte and her partner Ethan Graves for an engaging presentation on Métis culture. Every student in our school had the opportunity to learn about the Métis people, the significance of the Métis sash, and participate in a traditional jig and wooden spoons lesson. It was a joyful, hands-on experience that deepened our appreciation for Indigenous culture.

We are incredibly blessed to have such rich and creative learning experiences at Madonna Catholic School! Looking ahead, next week will be a shorter one with classes from Monday to Wednesday. Be sure to check your child’s backpack for an exciting reading experience coordinated by our librarian, Mrs. Bonsant—we can’t wait to share more details! Stay tuned, Madonna!

Your Admin Team

Mrs. Cathy Hinger, Principal

Mrs. Fiona Wimmer, Assistant Principal

Wednesday, February 5

• EARLY OUT due to Staff Meeting students will be dismissed at 2:13pm
• SPIRIT DAY: Madonna Artic Games Day (see poster below for more details)

Thursday, February 6 - Teacher Convention - School Closed

Friday, February 7 - Teacher Convention - School Closed

Please take a moment to complete your next year intentions form available in the colored box when you first sign into your portal (as shown above). This provides important information to the school for next year's enrollment numbers. The link to the form is shown below.

Our Trustees have "Approved in Principle" the EICS calendar for the 2025-2026 school year. One key change you'll notice is that every Wednesday will now be early dismissal days to allow time for ongoing Professional Development for our staff. If you have any feedback about the calendar, please join us at the next School Council meeting on February 12th at 7:00 PM. We will collect feedback at this time to share with the Board.

As we plan for next year our intention at Madonna is to offer our full day kindergarten for both Mainstream and Cogito streams on the following days: Mondays and Thursdays (with alternating Wednesdays). Tuesdays and Fridays (with alternating Wednesdays). A fulltime kindergarten program is also available with a fee to be confirmed soon.

Our wonderful Prayer Club volunteers (Mary's Servants for Christ) were in our school Thursday. After the recess break was completed these OLPH church members brought a rosary for each student who is new to our school this year. This included our kindergarten students too - our Monday/Wednesday kindergarten students will receive their rosary on another day very soon.

In Ms. Gauthier's grade 4 class they read the book, “The Great Race” by David Bouchard with their art teacher Mrs. O'Brien. This told a story about how the animals came to be placed in the Chinese Zodiac. Students then made their own snakes for The Year of the Snake.

.

OLPH (Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish)

Masses at OLPH will be livestreamed. Please join using this link. https://www.facebook.com/olphsherwoodpark/videos/

Visit OLPH Website for more information about the parish and in regards to sacramental preparation.

Visit www.facebook.com/olphsherwoodpark