Director's Video Summer 2013

WE WELCOME YOU SUMMER 2013 FROM OUTSIDE SAINT MICHAEL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL IN NIAGARA FALLS AS WE'RE ABOUT TO BEGIN A SEASON OF CONSTRUCTION THIS IS A SYSTEM CELEBRATION TODAY AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD ON TO THE LEGACY THAT IS SAINT MICHAEL THE BEST INVESTMENT A GOVERNMENT CAN MAKE IS IN EDUCATION THAT'S THE REALITY THAT'S THE FUTURE OF THIS PROVINCE THAT'S THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY THIS SCHOOL WILL HAVE MANY MORE EXPANSIONS AND I'M SURE IT'S GOING TO BECOME ONE OF THE BIGGEST SCHOOLS IN THE NIAGARA REGION. CONGRATULATIONS! WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT EVEN THOUGH WE MAY BE CELEBRATING THIS LOVELY BUILDING MADE OF CONCRETE, BRICKS AND MORTAR IT'S NOT THE BUILDING THAT MAKES SAINT MICHAEL'S COMMUNITY WHO THEY ARE BUT IT'S THE PEOPLE. IT'S THE RESULT OF STAFF AND STUDENTS GOING THE EXTRA MILE TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY OUR PASSION, OUR EXCELLENCE AND OUR COMMITMENT TO DOING OUR BEST. I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER MY SINCEREST THANKS FOR FINANCING THIS SPECTACULAR NEW ADDITION. THE PLANS FOR THE ACADEMIC EXPANSION OFFERS GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT SUCCESS. STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO SHARE THEIR GIFTS OR GO ON THEIR JOURNEY TO FIND THEIR GIFTS AND SHARE THEM WITH THE SAINT MICHAEL COMMUNITY. GRANT THAT THE UNDERTAKING WE ARE BEGINNING TODAY MAY PROGRESS DAY BY DAY TO ITS SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION. DRUMROLL PLEASE DRUM SOUNDS APPLAUSE AND IF THIS IS ONLY A TASTE OF WHAT'S TO COME WHEN WE HAVE OUR OFFICIAL BLESSING IN SEPTEMBER 2014 IT WILL BE ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR AND ONE OF THOSE VERY PLACES THAT WILL BE TRANSFORMED IS THIS HOSPITALITY/CULINARY ARTS ROOM AS WE EXPAND IT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS SAINT MICHAEL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL OPENED ON VALLEY WAY IN SEPTEMBER OF 1989. AS THE SCHOOL CONTINUED TO GROW IN POPULATION AND REPUTATION A NEW SAINT MICHAEL OPENED ON MCLEOD ROAD IN 2004. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE JOINED BY THE PRINCIPAL OF SAINT MICHAEL JIM WHITTARD HI JOHN. HOW ARE YOU? THERE WERE A COUPLE OF MAJOR EVENTS THAT YOU WERE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF TO SHARE. WE WERE JUST PRESENTED WITH THE PREMIER'S ACCEPTING SCHOOLS AWARD OR AS SOME PEOPLE TERM THE SAFE SCHOOLS AWARD TWELVE SCHOOLS ACROSS THE PROVINCE WON THIS AWARD AND THE FAMILY'S GOING TO GROW. WE UNDERSTAND THAT SAINT MICHAEL IS GOING TO HAVE A MAJOR CELEBRATION THAT YOU HAD AT THE END OF JUNE FOR $6 MILLION DOLLARS. WE ARE CURRENTLY ABLE TO HOLD APPROXIMATELY 1,000 STUDENTS BUT THAT'S WITH 10 PORTABLES SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET RID OF THOSE PORTABLES AND BRING ALL OF OUR STUDENTS INSIDE AWAY FROM THE SNOW AND THE SLEET AND THE POOR WEATHER. AND UM LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THEM IN SOME ENHANCED CLASSROOMS. WHAT AN EXCITING TIME PERIOD IN THE HISTORY OF SAINT MICHAEL AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEPTEMBER AS WE WATCH ALL CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING AND OF COURSE THAT CELEBRATORY EVENTS THAT WILL BE HAPPENING IN THE FALL OF 2014. THANKS, JOHN. APPRECIATE IT. WELL, IN LATE JUNE, NIAGARA CATHOLIC CELEBRATED OUR LONG-SERVING RETIRED STAFF AT THE ANNUAL SERVICE RECOGNITION DINNER. WE THANKED ALL THOSE WHO HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO WORKING IN CATHOLIC EDUCATION AND WISHING OUR RETIREES THE VERY BEST FOR A HEALTHY AND REWARDING RETIREMENT. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS JOINING NIAGARA CATHOLIC'S SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM. WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO WELCOME CARLO ARGHITTU AS THE NEWEST ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL IN NIAGARA CATHOLIC. WE ALSO HAVE ACTING PRINCIPAL APPOINTMENTS OF DEBORAH GUTHRIE AT ST. JOHN CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN BEAMSVILLE AND BRANKA JONES OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN ST. CATHARINES. I AM ALSO PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING APPOINTMENTS AS ACTING VICE PRINCIPALS EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 2013. JENNIFER DECOFF AT ST. ALEXANDER CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LISA INCAVIGLIA AT OUR LADY OF FATIMA CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN GRIMSBY AND JACQUELINE WATSON ST. ANTHONY CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN ST. CATHARINES. I INVITE YOU TO PLEASE CHECK THE MAIN PAGE OF THIS WEBSITE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF THE NIAGARA CATHOLIC ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS FOR 2013-2014. NIAGARA CATHOLIC HAS OBTAINED 100 PER CENT CERTIFICATION IN THE ONTARIO ECO SCHOOLS PROGRAM. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ACHIEVEMENT WHICH IS AN ALL-ONTARIO STANDARD. WHILE THERE ARE MANY STUDENTS WHO WILL BE ENJOYING THE FULL SUMMER AWAY FROM SCHOOL MANY WILL GET A HEAD-START ON THEIR SECONDARY EDUCATIONS OR UPGRADING THEIR MARKS THROUGH A VARIETY OF SUMMER PROGRAMS OFFERED BY OUR CONTINUING EDUCATION LEARNING CENTRES. FOR INFORMATION ON COURSE REGISTRATION, PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINKS ON THE MAIN PAGE OF THIS WEBSITE. WHILE MANY NIAGARA CATHOLIC STAFF ARE ENJOYING A WELL-DESERVED SUMMER HOLIDAY COLLEAGUES ARE HARD AT WORK AT THE CATHOLIC EDUCATION CENTRE PREPARING FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. SECONDARY SCHOOL OFFICES FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO REGISTER AND BECOME OF OUR SECONDARY SCHOOL FAMILIES CAN BEGIN ON AUGUST 19TH TO BE REGISTERED AND ORIENTATION. IF YOUR CHILD IS ENTERING GRADE 9 THIS SEPTEMBER PLEASE CHECK THE SCHOOL'S WEBSITE FOR THE DATE AND TIME OF THEIR GRADE 9 ORIENTATION. ELEMENTARY OFFICE STAFF RETURN AUGUST 26TH. THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER WE HAVE ALLOCATED $3.7 MILLION DOLLARS FOR RENOVATIONS TO PREPARE TO HE 14 CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT WILL ADD EARLY LEARNING KINDERGARTEN THIS SEPTEMBER AND ANOTHER THREE SCHOOLS WILL ADD FULL-DAY SENIOR KINDERGARTEN. A FULL LIST OF THE SCHOOLS OFFERING FULL-DAY EARLY LEARNING IS AVAILABLE ON THIS WEBSITE. IN ADDITION THIS VERY BUSY SUMMER NIAGARA CATHOLIC IS ALLOCATED $6 MILLION DOLLARS FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THIS SUMMER AT THESE VARIOUS SCHOOLS AS WE CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT WE MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS, STAFF AND OUR FAMILIES THROUGHOUT NIAGARA CATHOLIC. WELL A REMINDER THAT ALL ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WILL BE EXPECTED TO BE DRESSED ACCORDING TO THE ELEMENTARY STANDARDIZED DRESS CODE ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL THAT BEING SEPTEMBER THE 3RD . FULL DRESS CODE DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE BY CLICKING THE STANDARDIZED DRESS CODE SLIDE ON THE MAIN PAGE OF THIS WEBSITE. IF YOU REQUIRE REGISTRATION INFORMATION THIS SUMMER PLEASE CONTACT THE CATHOLIC EDUCATION CENTRE AT 905.735.0240 EXT 297 FOR ASSISTANCE AS YOU JOIN NIAGARA CATHOLIC FOR THIS COMING SEPTEMBER. RECEIVE UP-TO-THE-MINUTE INFORMATION BY JOINING NIAGARA CATHOLIC'S E-COMMUNITY AND FOLLOWING NIAGARA CATHOLIC ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. AS WE CONTINUE TO ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL SUMMER ON BEHALF OF KATHY BURTNIK OUR CHAIR OF THIS BOARD AND MAURICE CHARBONNEAU ALL OF OUR TRUSTEES AND STAFF THROUGHOUT NIAGARA CATHOLIC MR. WHITTARD AND I WISH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU A SAFE, ENJOYABLE AND RELAXING SUMMER WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. NIAGARA CATHOLIC IS BLESSED TO PROVIDE EXEMPLARY CATHOLIC EDUCATION FOR OUR 24,000 STUDENTS AS WE CONTINUE TO NURTURE THE SOULS AND BUILD THEIR MINDS THROUGH OUR EXEMPLARY STAFF IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PARENTS AND OUR PARISH PRIESTS. HAVE A MOST RELAXING SUMMER AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN THE FALL AS WE BEGIN A NEW SCHOOL YEAR.