Princpal's Message

Dear Students, Parents/Guardians,

We welcome our families back to another school year, and extend a warm welcome to students and parents who are new to St. John The Evangelist Catholic Elementary School. We look forward to many exciting learning activities and events, and we ask God’s blessing for a successful year.

Our staff are committed to providing the best possible education for your child during the months ahead, whether that be in class, or in a virtual learning environment.

We know that the unique challenges presented by COVID-19 have been difficult for everyone, and most particularly our students. Please be assured that the health and well-being of our students and staff are vitally important to us. We are continuing to follow the direction of public health officials, the Ministry of Education, and our own Health and Safety Department, as well as the Board's Mental Health and Psychology teams.

We will continue the great work at St. John The Evangelist, focusing on student achievement and well-being, creating a safe and caring Catholic learning environment that is equitable and inclusive, and building good relationships with our parent community and parish. One of the initiatives we will be working on this year is implementing our new pastoral plan, Walking with Christ - with eyes of faith and hope, with hearts of kindness and love, with minds of justice and peace. Furthermore, each month we will continue to focus on a virtue to help students develop attitudes, qualities, and values founded on our Catholic faith and traditions. We will encourage our students to achieve our Catholic Graduate Expectations and mature into caring and responsible citizens who promote social responsibility, human solidarity, and the common good.

In a school community formed by Catholic beliefs and traditions, our mission is to educate students to their full potential. We believe that the education of our students is a partnership between parents, school staff, and the parish. The major purpose of a school is to help each student develop her/his potential as an individual and as a contributing member of a society who will think clearly, feel deeply, and act wisely. Together we will work to provide an excellent Catholic education for all our students.

The safety of all our children is our priority at St. John The Evangelist, and the development of students’ literacy and numeracy skills is the goal and focus of our programs. We believe that we are part of a learning community that must provide a secure environment, and foster character attributes such as courage, excellence, and compassion, while improving student achievement and well-being.

The Ontario Curriculum has been developed by the Ministry of Education to provide a challenging curriculum for each grade. In order for our students to do well and meet the expectations outlined in the curriculum, our dedicated staff identify our school's strengths and areas of need. We examine school data (Running Records, Ontario Comprehensive Assessments, Report Cards, etc.) and other assessment data (EQAO, CAT 4) to inform our instructional practices. The school uses the School Effectiveness Framework to guide and support school improvement and student success.

We also feel strongly that students need to develop organizational skills, time management strategies, study skills, and independent problem-solving skills as quickly as possible in their educational careers. Our explicit teaching through the Student Agenda will assist them in acquiring these essential life skills. Parents are invited to regularly review this planner with their child(ren) as one method of keeping fully informed about her/his academic progress. Your comments and suggestions are, of course, most welcome. We look forward to working with you and your children this academic year.

At St. John The Evangelist Catholic School, our Catholic School Parent Council (CSPC) works closely with staff to supplement and enhance our students’ academic, athletic, and spiritual school experiences. Meetings will be conducted virtually for this school year. Everyone is welcome to attend the meetings. The meeting dates and times will be published on our website, and in the monthly calendars and monthly newsletters. We will forward a meeting invite via school messenger to all families.

We also work closely with our school parish priest, Father Maderak, and this year will continue to celebrate mass virtually.

Finally, St. John The Evangelist is committed to promoting a healthy and active living and learning community, focused on building awareness around the importance of a healthy approach to life. One of the ways we provide this is by continuing to offer a morning snack to each student with the help of The Angel Foundation for Learning and through the support of sponsors and volunteers. As well, classes participate in Daily Physical Activities and Physical Education classes. Being active, eating well, and accepting themselves are keys to a child’s health and well-being. Parents and caregivers can play an active role in helping children develop healthy attitudes and habits that will last them a lifetime.

Please feel free to contact the school at any time with your comments, concerns, as well as your suggestions for improvement. As it has been so often said, "we are in this together", and we are confident that with your continued support the 2022-2021 school year will be a successful and enjoyable one for all of us.

We look forward to a great year of learning ahead.

May God bless us all as we journey together through this coming school year.