Principal:

Mr. M. Kuntz

Vice-Principal:

Mr. M. Murphy

Superintendent:

Mrs. F. Pilon

Secretaries:

Ms. D. Brown,

Mrs. M.J Bastien,

Ms. M. Martin Nichols

Director of Education:

Mrs. C. Montreuil

Trustee:

Mr. N. Bethune

School Council Chairs:

S. Devries, G. Deakin

St. Mary’s High School

555 15th Street, East, Owen Sound, Ontario N4K 1X2

Phone: 519-376-4278 Fax: 519-376-0793 E-Mail: smhs@bgcdsb.org April 2015

MUSTANG NEWS

Page 1

Check us out on the web at http://smhs.bgcdsb.org

The verses below reportedly were written on the wall of Mother Teresa’s home

for children in Calcutta, India, and are widely attributed to her.

Some sources say that the words below were written on the wall in

Mother Teresa’s own room.

In any case, their association with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of

Charity has made them popular worldwide, expressing as they do, the spirit in

which they lived their lives.

(They seem to be based on a composition originally by Kent Keith, but much of the second

half has been re-written in a more spiritual way.)

DO IT ANYWAY...

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine

enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

SOURCE: http://prayerfoundation.org/mother_teresa_do_it_anyway

(The Prayer Foundation)

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Important Dates to Remember...

Wednesday, April 1……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...………...School Council Meeting

Friday, April 3rd ~ Good Friday

Monday, April 6th ~ Easter Monday

Wednesday, April 15…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Early Dismissal (1:10pm)

Sunday, April 19 to Wednesday, April 22…………………………………...St. Mary’s Leadership Camp at Muskoka Woods

Tuesday, April 28…………………………………………………………………………….Midterm Report Cards sent home with Students

Wednesday, May 6……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Early Dismissal (1:10pm)

Monday, May 19 ~ Victoria Day

Friday, June 5 ~ PD Day

Friday, June 19…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......Period 1 Exams

Monday, June 22……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Period 2 Exams

Tuesday, June 23…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Period 3 Exams

Wednesday, June 24…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Period 4 Exams

Friday, June 26 ~ PD Day

Friday, June 26……………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………..…………...……..Graduation 7pm

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE In order to ensure a safe learning environment, the use of video surveillance is in

effect at St. Mary’s High School and on many of its school buses. The video images are

collected under the authority of the Education Act S. 170 and will be used to reduce/

prevent property vandalism, theft and violence and to ensure the safety of students.

SCHOOL COSTS

Our school recognizes that expenses for such things as field trip costs

and other school fees can cause unnecessary stress in some households.

If you find yourself in this position, please contact Mr. Kuntz (by phone

or note) to see what arrangements can be worked out. Confidentiality

will be maintained.

Early Dismissal Days

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

School ends at 1:10 p.m.

PD Days ~ Friday

Friday, June 5, 2015

Friday, June 26, 2015

SCHOOL WEBSITE

The school website contains a great deal of information about

school programs, course assignments, etc.

Check it out at http://www.smhs.bgcdsb.org

REPORTING ABSENCES

If you know that your son or daughter will be away from school, PLEASE CALL and let us know.

Messages can be left 24-hours per day at (519)376-4278.

Mustang News

Guidance News ...

COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS All students are required to complete 40 hours of volunteer community involvement prior to graduation.

The form to record these hours and the list of eligible activities is available in the office. Students are

encouraged to hand in these completed sheets to the guidance office as they complete their hours.

Page 3

SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES

Many scholarships and bursaries are available to students heading off to post-secondary schools. For more details check out

the web-sites:

http://www.scholarshipscanada.com or http://www.studentawards.com or http://www.millenniumscholarships.ca

Many of the universities and colleges also list scholarships and bursaries in their guidebooks which are available in the

guidance office.

GRADE 9 REGISTRATION FOR SEPTEMBER 2015:

Grade 9 Course Option Sheets are now due at St. Mary’s High School. If you have not already submitted your Option Sheets,

we encourage you to do so as soon as possible so that we can begin planning our timetable for the fall. If you have any

questions, please contact the Guidance Department at 519-376-4278.

If you know of a current Grade 8 student interested in coming to St. Mary’s in September, please pass this information

along to them.

Current Students should have made their course selections for 2015-2016. If you have not done so, please see Guidance

ASAP.

MID-TERM REPORT CARDS:

Mid-term report cards will be sent home with students on Tuesday, April 28, 2015. If you have any concerns regarding your

child’s progress, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.

SUMMER CO-OP:

St. Mary’s will offer students the opportunity to earn up to 2 co-op credits this summer (if there is sufficient interest). This

opportunity may be of interest to students who are having difficulty fitting co-op into their regular timetable, to students who

would like to complete a co-op placement in a field where more opportunities exist for placement during the summer months

or to students who have fallen behind in accumulating their 30 credits required for graduation.

If you are interested in applying for Summer Co-op, please leave your name with Mrs. Bastien in the guidance office.

LITERACY TEST

The literacy test was written on March 26th. Results will be available sometime in June. They will be mailed home once we

receive them.

REMIND - FOR SMHS Parents and Students

Would you like to receive a text message or e-mail when there are bus cancelations or a reminder about

school wide events such as Parent Teacher Interviews?

To receive messages via text, text @smhspar to (519)488-6890 on your cell phone. You can opt out of

messages at anytime by replying, 'unsubscribe @smhspar'. (Note: Standard text message rates apply

when texting.)

Or to receive messages via e-mail, send an e-mail to smhspar@mail.remind.com. To unsubscribe, reply

with 'unsubscribe' in the subject line.

What is REMIND and why is it safe?

REMIND is a one-way text messaging and e-mail system. With REMIND, all personal information

remains completely confidential. The school will never see your phone number, nor will you ever see

ours. Visit: remind.com to learn more.

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Forgiveness

Being forgiving is giving someone another chance after they

have done something wrong, knowing that everyone makes

mistakes. It is making amends instead of taking revenge. In

the words of Mother Teresa,

“It is by being forgiving that one is forgiven.”

And be kind to one another,

tender-hearted, forgiving one another,

as God in Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4.32)

Four students from St. Mary’s competed in the following areas:

John Bulsink

1st in Auto ~

Advances to Provincials in

Waterloo in May

Lucas Bulsink & Evan Lougheed

These gentlemen did very well in Small Powered Equipment ~

Lucas advances to the Semi-Finals in Barrie in April

Luke Vansligtenhorst

Competed in the Welding Division ~

Job well done, Luke!

Congratulations to all participants!

SKILLS CANADA COMPETITION

On Friday, March 27th the Auto and Electrical Wiring Competition was held in the

St. Mary’s shops.

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Chaplain’s Message

April 2015

Welcome to the Easter Season!

With longer and warming days we can feel a rejuvenated spirit within the walls of St. Mary’s. The

resurrection of Jesus brings that feeling of a new and fresh start to many of us. After such on cold

winter it is important for our spiritual health to embrace spring and the Easter season. Try to enjoy

spending time outdoors to embrace the new life of the season.

Semester 2 classes have all completed their opening celebration at St. Mary’s church. We began the

semester with a Liturgy celebration and we were able to present the Gospel in a creative

tableaux. Thank you to the musicians, Mrs. Gariepy’s class as well as Brynn Douglas-Strange, Paige

MacKinnon, Chiara Cruze, Natasha Legasse and Michael Sweeney for their contributions.

The month of April is also the beginning of our class retreats. The grade 9 classes will all attend a day

at the Parish Hall with a focus on positive self image. Mid-month our grade 11 classes will go to

Waterloo to a Hindu Temple and a Sikh Gurdwara to further develop their understanding of World

Religions . At the end of the month our grade 10 classes will visit Silver Lake, near Sauble Beach for

retreat days with a focus on Relationships.

This month we will continue to build on the Catholic Graduate Expectations and our Catholic Culture of

Deep Caring (Virtues). For the month of April the virtue in focus is Forgiveness.

Our Saint of the month is Jesus. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the most powerful

example of Forgiveness the world has ever known, and the cross upon which he bore our sins in the

greatest reminder of just how much our loving God longs to heal, forgive and restore

us. (www.bgcdsb.org)

Let Your Light Shine—Mr. Mike Kirby

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FREE MATH HOMEWORK HELP

Every grade 7 to 10 student in the Bruce-Grey Catholic

District School Board has created their own username

and password while registering onto Homework Help.

Students simply log-on to Homework Help at homeworkhelp.ilc.org and use an

interactive chat room to obtain personalized one-on-one tutoring from a

certified Ontario math teacher. The entire session is recorded and stored in

the student’s online locker to allow the student to review what they have

learned.

This service is anonymous and the students are unable to chat to each other, making it a safe online

environment.

Chats take place Sunday to Thursday between the hours of 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.

If any student has forgotten their username and/or password, they can re-register using their Ontario

Education Number (OEN) and date of birth. This number can be found on old report cards or by contacting

the school.

Parents are encouraged to visit the site and log on as a guest to see how the service works.

GRADE 9 EQAO MATH STUDENTS

Students taking Grade 9 Applied or Academic Level Math this

semester will be writing the EQAO Math Assessment during

the week of June 8th.

JUNE EXAMS

The Semester 2 Exam Schedule will be as follows:

Friday June 19 Period 1 Exams in the morning

Monday June 22 Period 2 Exams in the morning

Tuesday June 23 Period 3 Exams in the morning

Wednesday June 24 Period 4 Exams in the morning

Attendance for exams is mandatory. Please do not book appointments on these dates.

Graduation will be held on Friday June 26th.

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Bus Cancellations

Winter weather is here. In the event of inclement weather please listen

to our local radio stations for bus cancellations or check the websites:

www.brucegreyschoolbus.ca. or http://stscgbzone11.wordpress.com

INCLEMENT WEATHER PLANS-What will you do if your bus is stranded in Owen Sound?

Students and parents are encouraged to develop contingency plans in the event that school buses get

stranded in Owen Sound at the end of the day due to inclement weather.

Do you have a relative or friend in Owen Sound that can take you in for the

night if your bus is unable to leave Owen Sound? Over the past number of

years we have had a few occasions when some buses were unable to leave

Owen Sound due to road closures. Although such an occurrence is rare, it can

happen, so we need to be ready for such an event.

Please note that with 745 students, it is impossible for everyone to make

multiple phone calls to develop a plan at the last minute. Please develop a plan

in advance so that you will know what you are going to do in such an event.

If you live in Owen Sound and your family is willing to take in a billet in such

circumstances please let the school know. Also, if you live outside of Owen

Sound and don’t know anyone in the town please let the school know so that

we can help you develop a plan.

TRANSPORTING EQUIPMENT ON SCHOOL BUSES

•Musical Instruments May be transported in cases only and shall be kept

on the student’s lap.

•Skates All skates transported shall have the blades

suitably protected with guards and shall be tied together or be in a

suitable equipment bag. The skates shall be placed on the floor at the

student’s feet.

•Hockey Equipment Hockey sticks may only be transported with the approval of the school

Principal and Bus Operator. Hockey equipment may not be transported on

a school bus on a home to school route. On a charter basis, hockey

equipment may be transported if it is stored in the storage space

underneath the bus or inside, provided it does not block any exits or the

aisle of the bus.

•Skis, Poles & Snowboards May not be transported on a school bus on a home to school route.

•Skateboards May not be transported on a school bus.

•Laser Pointers May not be transported on a school bus.

•Animals May not be transported on a school bus.

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BLUEWATER REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR

Do you plan to enter a project in the Bluewater Regional Science Fair? If so, please see Mr. Lacey as soon

as possible so that he can complete the registration process on your behalf.

OFSAA SWIMMING RESULTS

St. Mary’s swimmers performed well at the OFSAA Swimming

Championships held in Toronto on March 3rd and 4th.

Robyn Barnes finished 19th in the province in the 100 meter

breaststroke and 27th in the 100 meter individual medley. The

boys’ relay team consisting of Ben Nicholls-Harrison, Peter Baker,

Michael Hatcher and Noah Patrick finished 12th in the 4 x 100

relay and 15th in the 4 x 50 medley relay.

Congratulations!

JUNIOR GIRLS VOLLEYBALL BAA CHAMPIONS

(Correction to team list)

Congratulations to the Junior Girls’ Volleyball team who captured the

BAA Championship. Team members include:

Natalie Brick Rachel Cassidy

Jena Cook Lillian Harshman

Shanah Hofer Gabby Jex

Rebekah Kellendonk Demeter Lockyer

Kathryn Schreiber Natasha Szulist

Karly Thacker

The team is coached by Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Blackwell.

FIELD LACROSSE

Early morning practice, Tuesday and Thursday

has begun.

All new players (boys & girls) are welcome to

join.

See Mrs. Nesbitt (girls) or Mr. Jones (boys)

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All Visual, Media and Photography Arts

students are invited to participate in this

unique extracurricular opportunity

involving Visual, Media and Photograph

Arts on Friday April 10th 2015.

No Refunds. (Rain or Shine)

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is an

unforgettable learning destination for

children, youth and adults. Its mission is

to provide a top quality, world class

aquatic life facility that will foster

environmental education, conservation,

and research, while simultaneously

providing entertainment for visitors of all

ages.

The Aquarium is a 12,500 square-metre

(135,000 square-foot) awe-inspiring at-

traction with more than 5.7 million litres

(1.5 million gallons) of water depicting

marine and freshwater habitats from

around the world.

Guests will view over 16,000 animals,

including fan favorites such as sharks,

jellies, rays, and green sea turtles. Also

on display are Touch tanks include:

Whitespotted Bambo Sharks,

Brownbanded Bamboo Sharks,

Spotted Eagle Rays,

Atlantic Stingrays, Cownose Rays.

Students are expected to make arrangements to get picked up on return to the school as there will be no late

taxis available. Return to the school will be approximately 7:30PM. Students are also reminded to bring funds

for lunch and dinner.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me at the school, (519) 376-4278.

Mr. Arnett

Visual, Media and Photography Arts Field Trip

When: Friday, April 10, 2015

Where: Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, Toronto

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Cost: $40

(Admission $18 + Transportation Costs)

No Refunds—Rain or Shine

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Page 10

STUDENTS - PLEASE TAKE THIS NEWSLETTER HOME FOR YOUR PARENTS TO

READ EACH MONTH!

GO MUSTANGS GO!

SPRING CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

The spring sports season is rapidly approaching. Stay tuned to morning announcements or talk to the

teacher in charge to find out more details regarding start dates and try out dates.

Girls’ Soccer - Ms. Nicholson

Badminton - Mr. Connoly &

Mr. Solinger

Boys’ Soccer - Mr. Azevedo

Girls’ Rugby - Mr. Werger &

Mrs. Douglas

Field Lacrosse - Mrs. Nesbitt &

Mr. Jones

Mountain Biking - Mr. Hannusch

Track and Field - Mr. Kirby, Mme. Fitzsimmons and Mr. Solinger