Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, a day when we celebrate the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by his cousin John the Baptist. As soon as Jesus was baptised, he came up out of the water. The heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove. Then a voice said from heaven, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased.”
Eternal Father,
who at the baptism of Jesus
revealed Him to be Your Son,
anointing Him with the Holy Spirit.
Grant that we may be faithful to our
call as Children of God, listening to
you, guided by Your Spirit, to fulfil our
unique and definite purpose.
Amen.
Dressing for the Weather
A reminder that with the snow and cold temperatures upon us, please dress children for the weather. Warm jackets, snow pants, scarves, hats, gloves and boots will keep children warm and ready to enjoy recess outdoors! Parents and guardians are encouraged to send extra clothing to school in the event that students need to change wet clothing.
Kindergarten Registration
Do you have a child or know someone who has a child who is eligible to register for Kindergarten this coming fall? If yes, please note that 2025-2026 Kindergarten registration at the York Catholic District School Board is now open!
Parents are invited to register online at: www.ycdsb.ca/admissions .
Active School Travel
For January, we have some tips for how to get outside and still have fun in the cold, including while you’re walking or wheeling to school or the bus stop.
Being dressed for the weather is the first step to enjoying the outdoors. See the attached communication for suggestions on how to stay warm!
YCDSB January AST Communication
Catholic School Council (CSC)
St. Mark’s CSC will open the following hot lunch orders this week. Visit www.school-day.com to place your orders!
Pizza Tuesdays:
ORDER #2: Pizza orders to be placed from January 15-22, 2025
DEADLINE TO PLACE ORDERS VIA SCHOOL DAY IS JANUARY 22ND at 11:59pm for lunches from January 28th to April 8th.
Astoria Greek Thursdays:
ORDER #1: Astoria Greek orders to be placed from January 17-24, 2025
DEADLINE TO PLACE ORDERS VIA SCHOOL DAY IS JANUARY 24TH at 11:59pm for lunches from January 30th to April 10th.
We thank our parent volunteers for their dedication to organizing and distributing hot lunches for our students to enjoy! You are appreciated!
Athletics
The St. Mark’s Knights of Columbus Stouffville Basketball Free Throw Competition will take place on Tuesday, January 14th, 2025 at St. Brendan CES. We wish our school grade winners the best of luck as they represent St. Mark CES at this competition. GO LIONS!!
Our junior girls and boys triple ball teams have been working hard to prepare for their upcoming tournaments on January 15th (boys) and January 16th (girls). We wish our students and their coaches best wishes for these tournaments! GO LIONS!!
TerraCotta Cookie Sales
We look forward to selling TerraCotta cookies as a special treat for students for Valentine’s Day and Easter Tuesday. Funds raised will provide a small subsidy for the Grade 6 Celebration Trip. A separate email will follow with information on how to order via School-Day.
Next Week’s Activities and Events
Here is a look ahead to next week…
Tuesday, January 14th:
– St. Mark Knights of Columbus Stouffville Basketball Free Throw Competition at St. Brendan CES, 9:30am
Wednesday, January 15th:
– Junior Boys Triple Ball Tournament at St. Mark CES, all day
– CSC Meeting at 6:30pm in the library; all parents/guardians are welcome to attend
Thursday, January 16th:
– Junior Girls Triple Ball Tournament at St. Brigid CES, all day
Friday, January 17th:
– PA Day (no school)
Upcoming Activities and Events
January 21st: Praying with the Rosary Apostolate, K-6 classes
January 21st: Grade 6 Carrying Holocaust Presentation, 10:00am in the Library
January 31st: PA Day (no school)
February 6th: Mass at St. Mark Parish, 10:00am
February 10-14th: Carnaval Week!
February 11th: Term 1 Report Cards available via Parent Portal, 4:00pm
February 12th: CSC Meeting in library, 6:30pm
February 13th: Skate Day, Primary and Junior Classes; time TBA
February 17th: Family Day (no school)
February 18th: Praying with the Rosary Apostolate, K-6 classes
February 24-28th: Anti-Bullying Week
Closing Prayer
During the month of January, let us conclude with our prayer for unity.
God of harmony and unity,
You want us all to work together to build Your kingdom.
May our ears hear Your voice clearly
May our eyes see Your beauty in all
May our understanding break down walls of fear and prejudice.
May we make our school and community
a place of friendship, a place of belonging,
a place of welcome,
where everyone feels safe.
where everyone has a place
where all are united in You, dear God.
Amen.
St. Mark, pray for us.
Wishing you a wonderful week!
Sincerely,
C. Quadrini, Principal