Welcome to October!
This month, we celebrate the virtue of compassion. Through compassion we understand each other more deeply. May we bless one another with the gift of compassion.
God of compassion,
Help us to grow in kindness and concern for others.
Help us to listen and help others when they need it.
We know that this brings us closer to You.
Amen.
Terry Fox Run
Thank you to all families who gave generously to our school’s Terry Fox Run, either via an online or monetary donation. We raised $1194.00! All donations will support the Terry Fox Foundation and their efforts to raise much-needed funds for cancer research. Well done St. Mark Lions!
Thanksgiving Food Drive
This week, from October 7th to 11th , St. Mark CES will host its annual Thanksgiving Food Drive to assist families in need. All food donations will support the Whitchurch Stouffville Food Bank. Families are invited to donate non-perishable food items. A newly updated list of the most needed items is shown below:
We hope to collect 750 items to help our neighbours in need this Thanksgiving. Thank you for giving generously to support our food drive!
Catholic School Council
St. Mark CES with the Catholic School Council is pleased to start our hot lunch program!
We will begin with pizza from Pizzaville. Pizza days will take place on Tuesdays.
There will be three opportunities this school year to order pizza.
ORDER #1: Pizza orders to be place from October 6-16, 2025
DEADLINE TO PLACE ORDERS VIA SCHOOL DAY IS OCTOBER 16TH at 11:59pm
Pizza Tuesdays from October 21st to January 13th (no pizza December 23rd and 30th)
ORDER #2: Pizza orders to be place from January 5-14, 2026
DEADLINE TO PLACE ORDERS VIA SCHOOL DAY IS JANUARY 14TH at 11:59pm
Pizza Tuesdays from January 20th to April 7th (no pizza March 17th)
ORDER #3: Pizza orders to be place from March 22-April 1, 2026
DEADLINE TO PLACE ORDERS VIA SCHOOL DAY IS APRIL 1ST at 11:59pm
Pizza Tuesdays from April 14th to June 23rd
Parents/guardians may select from the following options:
– cheese slice, $2.50 per slice
– pepperoni slice, $2.50 per slice
Please note that the deadline for each order is FINAL. No exceptions will be made.
We invite you to place your order for ORDER #1 using School-Day beginning tomorrow, Monday, October 6th. Don’t forget the deadline for ORDER #1 is October 16th, 2025.
Thank you for your support of our hot lunch program! Please stay tuned for more information on other hot lunch options!
Active School Travel
International Walk to School Month (IWALK) is an annual event that takes place in October to raise awareness about the benefits of walking and other types of active transportation to get to and from school.
Please see the link to this month’s newsletter that includes more information about the IWALK initiative.
October AST Communication - IWALK
Let’s get active and support the IWALK movement! GO LIONS!!
YCDSB Eradication of Poverty Fundraiser
On Friday, October 17, 2025, students and staff will mark the International Day of the Eradication of Poverty with the York Catholic District School Board’s second annual Fundraiser! Food insecurity is a growing reality in York Region and has become an obstacle to school attendance. Last year, thanks to the generosity of school communities across the York Catholic District School Board, $41,115.25 was raised. 100% of the funds were used to support families in need. These funds have been instrumental in supporting regular student attendance by reducing barriers.
You are invited to support our school’s Loonie/Toonie Jersey Day Fundraiser on Friday, October 17th. Our goal is to raise $400 to help support YCDSB families in need.
Thank you for your support of the YCDSB’s Eradication of Poverty fundraiser.
Halloween
In anticipation of the fun and excitement, as well as the need for caution associated with celebrating Halloween at the end of this month, parents and guardians are asked to review the following information.
Culture is NOT Costume: Students are asked to refrain from wearing a costume that represents a cultural group or ethnicity.
Masks as Part of a Costume are Discouraged: Wearing masks that conceal one’s identity can compromise the safety of our community. We should always be identifiable in our community for the safety and comfort level of others in the community. Please have children leave masks at home.
Awareness of Costume Appropriateness is Important: Costumes that are not appropriate to the moral tone of our Catholic Schools are discouraged.
Awareness of Fear and Evil: Ghoulish costumes are discouraged as they can terrify younger students, students with special needs, or students with phobias.
We Must Be Trauma Sensitive: There may be members of our communities who have traumas that can be triggered by certain costumes.
When in Doubt, Think Saint: Halloween precedes All Souls and All Saints Days. Students are encouraged to dress as saints or religious figures.
We look forward to a fun Halloween Spirit week that will take place October 27-31. Information regarding our themed-days and Halloween Dance school-based fundraiser will be shared in the upcoming week. We look forward to a fun-filled Halloween Spirit week!
TerraCotta Cookie Sales
Don’t forget, TerraCotta vanilla cookies for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter are on sale! Funds raised for this school-based fundraising initiative will help subsidize the Grade 6 students’ end of year celebration and Marlies Game trip.
TerraCotta cookies will be delivered to students on the following dates:
Vanilla Pumpkin Cookie – October 29th, 2025
Vanilla Snowman Cookie – December 11th, 2025
Vanilla Heart Cookie – February 13th, 2026
Vanilla Butterfly Cookie – April 29th, 2026
Don’t forget to visit www.school-day.com to place your order!
Please note that this is the only opportunity to order cookies for this school year! The deadline to place orders is Thursday, October 16th, 2025 at 11:59pm.
Thank you for your support!
Next Week’s Activities and Events
Here is a look ahead to next week…
October 6th-10th: Thanksgiving Food Drive
Monday, October 6th:
– All About Anxiety Workshop, Session #3 (Remisiar), 8:30am
– Grade 4 CCAT (Day 1), 10:00-10:30am
Tuesday, October 7th:
– All About Anxiety Workshop, Session #3 (Gordon), 9:50am
– Grade 4 CCAT (Day 2), 10:00-10:30am
Wednesday, October 8th:
– All About Anxiety Workshop, Session #2 (Harrison), 10:00am
– Grade 4 CCAT (Day 3), 10:00-10:30am
Thursday, October 9th:
– All About Anxiety Workshop, Session #2 (Skeats), 9:50am
– CSC Meeting in the library, 6:30pm
Friday, October 10th:
– Last day to bring in items for our Thanksgiving Food Drive
– Thanksgiving Liturgy, 12:30pm in the gymnasium; families are welcome to attend
Upcoming Activities and Events
October 13th: Thanksgiving Day (no school)
October 15th: All About Anxiety Workshop, Session #3 (Harrison), 10:00am
October 16th: All About Anxiety Workshop, Session #3 (Skeats), 9:50am
October 17th: Loonie/Toonie Jersey Day – YCDSB Eradication of Poverty Fundraiser
October 21st: Praying the Rosary with the Rosary Apostolate
October 23rd: Picture Day
October 24th: PA Day (no school)
October 28th: Grade 4 STREAM Centre Visit (Musa) at All Saints CES, all day
October 27th-31st: Halloween Spirit Week
October 31st: Halloween Dance and Fundraiser
Closing Prayer
On Tuesday, October 7th, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The month of October each year is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary.
The Rosary is a beautiful way of praying with Mary. Last week, our Rosary club started to gather together to pray the Rosary, Kindergarten to Grade 6 classes will begin praying the Rosary with St. Mark Parish Rosary Apostolate members this month, and families are invited to pray the Rosary in a special way this month — it is a way to come together and draw our hearts closer to Mary and Jesus as well as to one another.
In honour of this month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, let us pray:
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed are thou among women and
Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now and
At the hour of our death.
Amen.
St. Mark, pray for us.
Wishing you a blessed week!
Sincerely,
C. Quadrini, Principal