Weekly Dragon Nation Update! 
From the Principal’s Desk:
Thank you for making yourselves available for parent/teacher/student conferences. It was a great opportunity to celebrate your child(ren)’s growth and we look forward to strengthening that partnership between school, parish and guardian to challenge students to be the best version of themselves that they can be.
Yesterday marked the first Sunday of Advent. The Isidore community will be celebrating weekly every Wednesday at 8:40 for the next four weeks. Please feel free to join us!
Inclement Weather (Snow Days),
Moving forward, when WCDSB has a school closure due to inclement weather (Snow Day) , St. Isidore will also follow suit and be asynchronous. This is a change from past practice.
Christmas Angel Tree/Toy Drive:
We are in week two of our Christmas Angel Tree, 25th Anniversary campaign in collaboration with The Knights of Columbus. Cash (and toy). Donations can be made through School Cash Online from November 21 – December 7th. Families who wish to make a contribution, are encouraged to consider cash donations which the Knights of Columbus can direct to gap areas (often pre-teen and adolescent children) though toy donations are also welcome. Toy donations are to be dropped off at St. Luke School.
Umbrella Project: Do a family culture brainstorm
Creating a family culture is a great way to help your child start the journey of identifying with a bigger purpose. What do I mean by family culture? Culture is the behaviors that are characteristic of a group. This can encompass just about anything, from the types of foods you choose to the leisure activities you do together to the higher principles you value. Feeling like a part of something bigger helps us start to establish our sense of purpose.
Start purpose-month by brainstorming together all of the things that you value most as a family. You can do this on a white board or a big sheet of paper that allows space for everyone to write down their ideas. A few questions you can reflect on are: What characteristics do I have that I am most proud of? What brings me joy? What have I done lately that makes my life feel meaningful?
Here are a few examples that came up in my family: seeing the world, having new experiences together, enjoying healthy, delicious food, using generosity and kindness as much as we can, and supporting our friends and family. Once you have everyone’s ideas down, reflect on the ones that resonate most with everyone and put them somewhere your family can regularly see them.
The more multi-generational, the better, so don’t forget to include grandparents if they are able. If not, just take a few minutes to reflect on their sense of purpose as well. Culture can be passed down for many generations. In my family, a great example of this is generosity. Although my grandfather is no longer with us, he left a legacy of generosity and this family exercise has been a great way for me to share that with my children. Focusing on generosity helps me feel purpose in my day to day life and also makes me feel like part of something bigger that my family contributes to the world.
A child’s sense of purpose will continue to evolve over their lifetime, so this exercise should be fluid and open to change and input from your child over time. Remember, when children are committed to a culture/home they feel part of, they will want to help shape it in ways that will help them to excel. When identification with that group is lost, they can feel frustrated and withdraw, a situation seen often in teens. Make sure your child’s voice is heard when you work on your shared family culture
Chat soon,
Dr. Jen, The Umbrella Project
