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DECEMBER 13, 2009

The end of the first quarter was highlighted by the All Saints’ Day party, on Saturday evening October 31. 70 children, from pre-schoolers to high school children, entered into the contest to try and defeat Father by the good description of a saint that he could not guess. Some succeeded, others failed.

A view of all the saints on the stage at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, after each child presented his saint. enlarge

The next day, Sunday November 1, a ceremony was held for the children of the Eucharistic Crusade, giving eight children the chance to join and nearly 20 others the possibility to advance in rank from Page to Crusader or from Crusader to Knight or Handmaid.

The end of the First Quarter was on Friday November 6. However, it took a week or so to hand out the reports cards, since this was the first time that the school used computerized report cards, and all the glitches had to be ironed out. On Friday November 20 all the parents had the opportunity to meet with the teachers of their children’s major subjects, to everybody’s satisfaction.

The boarders had a fun excursion on Saturday November 14, consisting in a trip to Pinery Provincial Park, and a long hike along the waterfront of Lake Huron: - a last and pleasant taste of Autumn. On November 27, many of the children of the school and parish participated in parallel badminton and volleyball competitions - the badminton inside and the volleyball in very cool conditions outside.

A well earned break on the hike in Pinery Park.		The boys stop for a little recreation along the lake side during the hike.

Here is a Photo of the boarders on the edge of Lake Huron in Pinery Park on November 14.

At the beginning of December two fundraisers were winding up at the same time: the chocolate drive still continuing, with nearly all of the 250 boxes sold… but not quite. Likewise the raffle organized by the faithful in St. Catharines, which has been a good success. Meanwhile the students of the school organized their own fundraiser for the school, selling relish and pretty little carry bags and other items made in Home Economics class. The ladies also jumped onto the bandwagon, and held a bake sale on December 13, and some special hot sausages and peperettes. We are grateful for all the efforts made to keep the school going.

Meanwhile, we had a providential tragedy near the end of November: one of our two new (one year old boilers) nearly blew up. A little investigation from experts demonstrated that we were leaking water into the ground from the infloor heating pipes, thus constantly pulling in more water into the system and blocking the pipes with calcium and other residue. The heating coil on one boiler has had to be replaced, whereas we caught the other in time. The infloor heating to the hallway and to three classrooms is now turned off, making for somewhat more penitential conditions in the classrooms, but one that are no less apt for study, and certainly much better for the pocketbook, since our heat and water bills are greatly reduced. The school simply does not have the funds required to replace the in-floor heating by installing and connecting up hot water radiators to these three classrooms, and so this project will have to wait.

Procession of the Blessed Sacrament around the school property on the feast of Christ the KIng.		Four FIrst Communicants with Father Scott on the school steps after the Mass and procession for the feast of Christ the King,

Meanwhile, however, an exit door going out to the portable classrooms has been brought back into service, and much work has been done to repair the heat system for the gymnasium, and to bring back into service an old upstairs washroom that had fallen into disuse.

There was great excitement amongst the children when the first good snows of the winter arrived on December 10 & 11, with two days of blowing snow and large drifts, out of which the boys built all kinds of castles, forts, trenches, underground tunnels and cubby holes.

Mr. Stannus repaints Father May's office.

St. Nicholas (alias Mr. Marc Ratusz) together with Krampus and the children of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at the St. Nicholas party after Mass on Sunday December 6.

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