Yearbook Order Forms
Yearbook order forms are being sent home today. Each book is $23.00. Please make cheque payable to Our Lady of Mercy School and return orders and payment to the school office by Friday, March 9th, 2012.

CEC Conference
Reminder that there is no school Thursday, Feb. 16th and Friday, Feb. 17th as teachers will be attending the Catholic Educator’s Conference.

Registration Meeting
The registration meeting will be held on February 28, 2012 at 7:00pm in the school gym. Registration packages for the 2012- 2013 school year will be handed out at the meeting. Those attending the meeting will have priority given to them in regards to the participation program. For any families unable to attend the meeting, the packages will be sent home the following day with the eldest student.

What is TravelSmart for Schools?

The TravelSmart program now being delivered to Our Lady of Mercy Elementary is a whole school sustainable and active transportation program that educates students about the impacts of transportation to our health and the earth. It is also a student leadership program offered to select students in grades 5-7. This program is sponsored by TransLink and is fully funded so there is no cost to participating schools.

Deliverables include:

• One youth engagement facilitator to work with grade 5, 6 or 7 student leaders for one hour per week for 8 weeks.
• A performance by DreamRider Theatre group “Keep Cool” about climate change
• We are a TravelSmart School” 3’X9’ banner to be attached to fencing outside of the school
• Pledge to TravelSmart for each student
• A customized map to assist families in forming walking school buses and bike trains to your school
• A 1-hour bike safety course for grades 2-5

Students have conducted whole school assemblies where they have performed skits, rap songs, and hosted a TravelSmart Game show. They have also developed and planned active transportation days and interdivisional challenges. Other projects have included making movies, posters, and publishing the TravelSmart Magazine. The TravelSmart leaders will be encouraging Our Lady of Mercy students to walk, cycle, carpool and take transit whenever possible.

Dates To Remember

Feb. 8 Skating Grades 2, 4, 6
Feb. 9 Primary Hip Hop Performance at 1:00pm
Feb. 10 Grade 7 Grad Photos & Team Photos
Feb. 16 – 17 Catholic Educators Conference
School Closed
Feb. 25 FHC Mass #3 at 5:00pm
Feb. 29 Pink Shirt Day

Registration Meeting

The registration meeting will be held on February 28, 2012 at 7:00pm in the school gym. Registration packages for the 2012- 2013 school year will be handed out at the meeting. Those attending the meeting will have priority given to them in regards to the participation program. For any families unable to attend the meeting, the packages will be sent home the following day with the eldest student.

Primary Hip Hop Performance

The primary students (Kindergarten – Grade 3) will be putting on their hip hop performance on Thursday, February 9th at 1:00pm in the school gym.

Pink Shirt Day

Wednesday, February 29th is Pink Shirt Day. Students and staff are asked to wear pink and to bring in a toonie. If the student is unable to wear pink, full uniform is required.

Pink shirt day was originally started as a protest against a bullying incident at a Nova Scotia high school (Central Kings Rural High). The original event was organized by David Shepherd and Travis Price, two senior students who took a stand against a freshman student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. They bought and distributed 50 pink shirts to students who also took a stand against bullying. This act of leadership provides a great example to our OLM students.

TravelSmart

The TravelSmart program now being delivered to Our Lady of Mercy Elementary is a whole school sustainable and active transportation program that educates students about the impacts of transportation to our health and the earth. It is also a student leadership program offered to select students in grades 5-7. This program is sponsored by TransLink and is fully funded so there is no cost to participating schools. See the attached flyer for more information.
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