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YEAR OF FAMILY March 2016 Sts. Cosmas and Damian
Catholic School News
At a Glance: Some
To Inform...ToEducate...ToInspire
Saints Cosmasand Damian
Catholic School 111Danesbury Avenue
North York, ON M6B 3L3 Telephone No.:(416) 393-5398
Principal:
Nunzio Del Giudice
Secretary: Florinda Lima
Superintendent: Gina Iuliano Marrello
416 222-8282 Ext. 2267
Trustee: Maria Rizzo 416 512-3405
Parish:
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church
416 787-0369
Father Mario Cafarelli
Saturday Mass: 5:00 p.m.
Sunday Mass: 8:00, 9:30, 11:00
and 12:30
CPSC Co-Chairs:
T. Dias and C. Dickinson Telephone: (416) 393-5398
Lunch: 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
QUOTES OF THE MONTH
“Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22)
VIRTUE OF THE MONTH: Forgiveness
Forgiveness: How timely that the virtue for this month is FORGIVENESS, not only because we are in the season of Lent but also because it is an important cornerstone of our faith and one that Jesus modeled for us in his life and death. We are reminded that forgiveness is a gift to ourselves as we let go of the burden of resentment when we forgive another person and it’s a gift to our children when we teach and model it to them. When someone you care about hurts you, you can hold on to anger, resentment and thoughts of revenge — or embrace forgiveness and move forward. By embracing Forgiveness you let go of grudges and bitterness, and welcome peace, hope, gratitude and joy.
Catholic Graduate Expectation: A Discerning Believer
Principles of Catholic Social Teaching: The Role of Government
Important Dates to Remember: Kindergarten Excursion to Famous Players Theatre Tuesday, March 2nd, 2016 Grade 7 Confirmation Retreat a.m. Thursday, March 3rd, 2016 Fundraiser Prize Draw @ 1:00 p.m. Thursday, March 3rd, 2016 Pizza Day Friday, March 4th, 2016 Friday, March 11th, 2016 Pasta Day Thursday, March 24th, 2016 Educational Support Staff Appreciation Day Monday, March 7th, 2016 Sts. Cosmas and Damian Rosary Day Monday, March 7th, 2016 Easter Bunny Pictures a.m. only Tuesday, March 8th, 2016 Grade 8 Graduation Pictures p.m. only Tuesday, March 8th, 2016 Confessions for Grades 3 through 8 students: p.m. Thursday, March 10th, 2016 Carnival Day! Friday, March 11th, 2016 Chocolate Fundraiser Civvies Day! Earth Hour 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Friday, March 11th, 2016 Curling Event Grades 1 – 6 Monday, March 21st, 2016 Int’l Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Monday, March 21st, 2016 World Downs Syndrome Day Monday, March 21st, 2016 Overnight Trip Presentation to Grade 8 Parents Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016 6:00 – 6:45 p.m. CSPC Meeting Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Communion Retreat @ St. Charles Borromeo Church Wednesday, March 23rd 2016 9:30 – 12:00 p.m. Holy Thursday Thursday, March 24th, 2016 Stations of the Cross Presentation Thursday, March 24th, 2016 Good Friday (Non-Instructional Day) Friday, March 25th, 2016 Easter Sunday Sunday, March, 27th, 2016 Easter Monday (Non-Instructional Day) Monday, March 28th, 2016 Graduation Photo Re-Take Day Wednesday, March 30th, 2016 Beaded Rosary Workshop for Communion Candidates Thursday, March 31st, 2016 Please see the monthly calendar for additional information and events.
Ms. Rita Commisso Retires from Sts. Cosmas and Damian C.S. On Monday, February 29th, 2016, after working as and Educational Assistant for 28 years, 24 of which were spent at our school, Ms. Commisso joyfully retired from her position. Many were on hand to celebrate this milestone in her life. God’s Blessings on Ms. Commisso for continued good health and joy as she enters this most joyful stage in her life.
Dear Parents The Church sets aside 40 days as a special time we call Lent. The word Lenten comes from the Anglo-Saxon words lencten, meaning “Spring”, and Lenctentid (Springtide) the word for “March”, which is the month I which the majority of Lent takes place. Lent is a time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation for the celebration of Easter. Penance and the recalling of our baptism are of particular importance during this time. Moreover, an emphasis is placed upon performing spiritual works, like attending the Stations of the Cross and Mass, celebrating the Eucharist as a community of Faith, taking the time for personal prayer and spiritual reading, going to confession, and offering gifts of time and love to others. February was an eventful month as our school celebrated Canadian African Heritage Month with daily morning readings recounting the significant moments of iconic individuals of African descent and many classroom displays which honored the many efforts of these individuals. Our community also demonstrated great support for our February Fundraiser. Much enthusiasm was shared by students as we met and surpassed our fundraising goal in support of Jersey and sports equipment for our school. Students, staff and teachers engaged in delicious classroom-based Pancake Day celebrations on Shrove Tuesday and received blessed ashes during an Ash Wednesday Liturgy, led by Father Mario. Many children are preparing to receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Communion through regular preparatory classes taking place at our school, and Communion Candidates actually celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation on February 23rd. Congratulations to our many Student of the Month and Random Acts of Kindness award recipients this month! February was also Psychology Month in our schools. Our CSPC Council organized a highly engaging presentation through The Psychology Foundation of Canada which focused upon “Stress in Children” and how to support our children through stress and anxiety. This coming month, we will be starting the final term of the school year. We will continue to work with our students to prepare them for the Sacrament of Communion and Confirmation. As well, we will be focusing on improving literacy and numeracy skills in preparation for the EQAO Provincial Assessments, scheduled to take place at the end of May and beginning of June. Also this month, Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School will be exploring the virtue of Forgiveness by encouraging our children to resolve their differences through dialogue and mutual respect for each other. We shall be guided by three principles: that the first step to forgiveness is to take responsibility for one’s actions; that if you want to be forgiven, you need to make sure you forgive others and that our actions are inspired by the idea that Jesus said “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone”. Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate, thank and say farewell to Ms. Rita Commisso. Ms. Commisso has worked for TCDSB as and Educational Assistant for 28 years in total, but 24 years at our school. She has been a dedicated, nurturing and passionate member of our support staff at Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School. Our community thanks Ms. Commisso wholeheartedly for her invaluable service to our community and wish her many blessed years of good health, happiness and joie de vivre in her retirement.
Best Regards N. Del Giudice
Catholic School Parent Council Meeting Our next Catholic School Parent Council Meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016 @ 7:00 p.m. This will be a regular monthly meeting. At our CSPC Meeting, held on Tuesday, February 9th, a motion was passed to accept the newly drafted Sts Cosmas and Damian CSPC Constitution and Bylaws. The motion was passed. We are now in a position to apply for licensing from the City of Toronto for raffle purposes. We invite all parents to attend the meeting and to become involved in the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School community. Please consider sharing your time and talents! World’s Finest Chocolate Fundraiser 2016 During the month of February, all student and staff of Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School were fully engaged in a Chocolate Fundraiser to support the purchase of new Jerseys and sports equipment for our school. We are pleased to report that this fundraiser was a great success and has far surpassed our goal which we had set in early February. We had wished to sell 200 boxes of chocolates by the end of the fundraiser. At last count, 240 boxes were sold, raising close to $11,000 in proceeds for our school! We thank the students and the community for the enthusiastic participation, support and generosity. Prizes were distributed to top selling students and classes on Thursday, March 3rd. Members of the CSPC Executive were on hand for the draws and announcements. As well, every child or family with more siblings who sold at least 10 chocolates received a chocolate bunny in recognition of their efforts. Congratulations to the following classes and students on your great support of our Chocolate Fundraiser:
• School Prize (if 200 boxes are sold) – 240 boxes were sold, so ***Chocolate Fundraiser Civvies Day: March 11th, 2016!****Well done everyone!
• Top Selling Class Prize - $350.00 towards excursion decided upon by teacher, class and principal plus a 5 pound chocolate bar! Congratulations Ms. Galgiardi’s Class ($1843)
• Second Place Class Prize - $250.00 towards excursion decided upon by teacher, class and principal plus a 5 pound chocolate bar! Congratulations Ms. Giuga’s Class ($1744)
• Third Place Class Prize – A 5 Pound Chocolate Bar! Congratulations Ms. Smith’s Class ($1717)
• Top Selling Family – One set of Beats Earphones! – Congratulations Aria Matos from Ms. Giuga’s Class!
• Each Case Sold – 1 chocolate bunny. Each 10 bars sold beyond case set = 1 chocolate bunny: distributed to all recipients on Friday, March 4th
• Yet another set of Beats Earphones! Congratulations to Christopher Pereira Ramos!
• $50.00 Indigo Gift Card! Congratulations to Logan Seifert from Ms. Hudolin’s Class!
• iTunes Gift Cards! Congratulations to Aria Matos-Jones (Ms. Giuga), Deanna Casa (Ms. Diaz), Daniel Casa (Ms. Smith), Katelynn Neto (Ms. Costa) and Kaycee Alvarado (Ms. B. Gagliardi)
• $25.00 Cineplex Gift Card! Congratulations to Emma Guiao from Ms. Smith’s Class!
• 6 Plush Animal Pillows! Congratulations to Mackenzie Rossit (Mr. Montanari), Ariel Silva-Reyna (Ms. Smith), Daniel Murray-Chin (Ms. Carogioiello), Massimo Calabro (Ms. Diaz), Maximiliano Perez Amndan (Ms. Giuga) and Hazel Melgar (Ms. Diaz)
Once again, thank you to all who participated and supported the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Chocolate Fundraiser and Congratulations to all winners. Parent Presentation on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016
On Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016, the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School Parent community was invited to attend a presentation on “Kids Have Stress Too”. Much information was shared by the representative from the Psychology Association of Ontario regarding childhood stress and the strategies which parents may instill in children to help them cope with stress in today’s world. Thank you to all parents who came out for this valuable presentation and thank you to the
CSPC for supporting the presentation. Parent Presentation on Tuesday, April 5th, 2016 We take this opportunity to advise the community of yet another presentation and workshop which our parents may attend. The “Money Matters” presentation will take place on Tuesday, April 5th, 2016, in our school gymnasium, between 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The presentation and workshop will focus upon personal financial planning and budgeting. We encourage parents to attend this second valuable presentation evening. We will offer childcare to facilitate attendance. More information will be forthcoming soon.
We remind the community that we continue to welcome new families into the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School Community. For registration purposes, parents are requested to bring the following documents: • Child’s Birth Certificate
• Baptism Certificate (Catholic)
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION CONTINUES!!
• Proof of Citizenship or landed immigration papers • Child’s Immunization Records • Proof of Residency (lease, tax or two utility bills, not a phone bill)
Parents can complete an application via the Board’s Online Registration Website: http://soar.tcdsb.org . Please call us in the Administrative office if any other clarification is required. As well, parents, if you are aware of any new families who may have moved into our community, please make them aware of our school so that we may welcome them in! Sts. Cosmas and Damian Enrolment for September 2016 As we begin to plan for the 2016 – 2017 school year, we look to you for your continued support and cooperation. If you are aware that you are moving and/or your child(ren) will be transferring to another school, please ensure that the office is informed. We are doing our very best to ensure that our enrolment numbers are as accurate as possible for the new school year. A gentle reminder that if you have changed contact phone numbers, please ensure that those changes have been forwarded to the office. As well, it would also be appreciated if you are able to inform the office regarding an updated email address for administrative communication purposes. Some families have been sent reminder notices to provide us with an active email address. Thank you for helping us maintain accurate and updated student and family information. Karate Program Graduation! From January 14th to March 3rd, over 60 students participated in the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School Karate Program, offered with the support of Norther Karate. Sensei Ricky Bonaparte and Sensei Vince Servello were consistently on-hand every Thursday for 8 weeks to actively engage and train the children in physical exercises and karate fundamentals. On Saturday, February 27th, 2016, all our karate participants attended a combined class and graduation ceremony at the Northern Karate Dojo site at 756 St. Clair Avenue West. where they were recognized for their efforts in the basic karate program. Many proud parents were in attendance to witness their children perform karate fundamental movements before receiving their Karate Diploma and new Karate Belts. Mr. Del Giudice was also present at this graduation ceremony to congratulate the children for their achievement, and also to receive a cheque from Northern Karate in the amount of
$3,033.50. As mentioned previously, in recognition of inviting Northern Karate into our school, Northern Karate committed to donating all proceeds back to Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School. Monies will be used to subsidize the purchase of new laptop computers for some of our classrooms. Congratulations to all students and thank you to all parents and Northern Karate for your support of our school.
We wish to make parents of all kindergarten children aware that the “Eye See…Eye Learn” program provides comprehensive eye exams by participating local optometrists to Junior Kindergarten children (Born 2011) across Ontario. The eye exams are covered under provincial health insurance (or OHIP) when you show your child’s health card. This means that there is no out-of-pocket costs for the eye exam. If the child requires a pair
of glasses, they will receive a complementary pair, donated by Nikon Lenswear, OGI and the participating optometrist. The value of the glasses is estimated at over $250.00. The Eye See…Eye Learn program was developed to raise awareness among parents of the importance of having children’s eyes checked when starting school. For more information on the Eye See…Eye Learn program please visit the following link: http://www.optom.on.ca/OAO/ESEL/aboutESEL.aspx
The Sts. Cosmas and Damian Media Club, under the direction of Mlle. Areias, has been very busy indeed all year and have completed the choreography of their film, “The New Juan”. This movie production focusses on the theme of Family and the Catholic Graduate Expectations. In recognition of the fact that one of the programs which we offer to our students is the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program, the children involved in the Media Club decided
quit appropriately that the whole film be created in complete silence. “The New Juan” short film has been submitted to the Toronto Catholic Film Festival given its Catholic content and context. Films are voted upon in various criteria. The top 10 films will be screened at the festival @ CINEPLEX (Dundas and Yonge Location). Please follow this link to view the film! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umApSKm3aiI. Congratulations to Mlle. Areias and the members of the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School Media Club on this admirable accomplishment. Excellent work! We encourage everyone to follow the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Media Club on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StsCosmasDamian
Sts. Cosmas and Damian Media Club:
“The New Juan”
Eye See…I Learn Eye Examination P
On February 14th, 2016, Mademoiselle Areias decided to spread a little love to Toronto’s homeless by organizing and leading a walk to give the Homeless basic necessities and some of her time. However, she couldn’t do it without the help of her students! Mr.
Montanari’s grade 8 students offered to help by writing letters to the homeless. The Homeless loved reading the letters titled “Dear Friend…” from the students. One Homeless lady said, “I love this! This just made my day!” after reading a letter from a student. Thank you to our grade 8 students for being wonderful role models and Catholic leaders and thank you Ms. Areias for embracing such a noble, worthy cause in Social Justice! A beautiful initiative indeed! Picture 1: Mlle. Areias and friend speaking with a homeless couple. Picture 2: Leaving our love at their feet. Homeless individual is sleeping. Picture 3: The homeless woman is reading a letter from one of our students.
The Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School community is pleased to share good news regarding a social justice initiative implemented by our grade 8 student, Grace Bresar. Grace was concerned for the safety and comfort of Syrian refugees in our cold Canadian winters and decided to organize a Winter Clothing Drive. She reached out to the school community, as well as her circle of friends and family, asking for the donation of new or slightly used winter clothing. Her 2 week clothing drive resulted in the collection of over 300 items. Grace contacted the Member of Parliament for her riding to ensure the clothing was directed to the Syrian refugee community. MP Marco Mendicino thanked the Sts. Cosmas and Damian community for their fundraising efforts. Follow the provided YouTube link to view and hear Marco Mendicino acknowledge Grace’s efforts and thank the Sts. Cosmas and Damian
community for our collective efforts in support of Syrian Refugees recently welcomed into Canada. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp3V_yCmzeY&sns=em
Easter will be celebrated this year on Sunday, March 27th,
2016. The Me to We Leadership Team of students and staff have been busy
EASTER BUNNY and ME TO WE
Join Forces!
Sts. Cosmas and Damian Collect Winter Clothing for Syrian Refugees
The Homeless Walk on February 14th 2016
planning more fundraising activities for Free the Children, the largest network of children helping children through education. This year, our Me to We Leadership Team is raising money for the Adopt-a-Village Clean Water campaign which helps support the construction of a water well in a rural village in Haiti.
To help reach this goal, the Me to We Leadership Team has organized an Easter Bunny Photo Day! The Easter Bunny will be at Sts. Cosmas and Damian on Tuesday, March 8th, 2016. Children will receive a 5 x 7 photo with the Easter Bunny, complete with backdrop and decorations, for a reasonable cost of $5.00 per photo. Individual, sibling and friend photos can be ordered. Please send in the photo form if you are interested in having your child photographed with the
Easter Bunny, along with the $5.00 cost per photo. The first Monday in March has traditionally been a day to show our appreciation for our Educational Support Staff in our schools. Educational Support Staff are dedicated individuals who offer tremendous contribution in supporting and nurturing student achievement and well-being. Our Support Staff are trusted adults who provide mentorship, inspiration, support and friendship to some of our most disadvantaged, challenging and vulnerable young children. They support learning, contribute to extracurricular activities in our school through coaching and supervision of many activities. They are Christian role models, nurturing and guiding our children to becoming the best they can be. To all our support staff, we thank you wholeheartedly for your energy, enthusiasm and love that you devote to our students and our school. Thank you to our Educational Assistants, Ms. Commisso (now retired), Ms. Botticelli, Ms. Bavosa and Ms. Spada. Thank you to our Child and Youth Worker Ms. Birkic. Thank you as well to our custodial staff, Mr. Porretta and Mr. Magtuba. We appreciate all of your work within our school and with our children, and we ask for God’s continued blessing on the invaluable work that you do each day.
Parents and members of the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School community may have noticed the recent installation of a clothing donation box at our facility. The clothing donation box is from the Canadian Diabetes Association, a recognized charitable organization. The donation program itself is called the “Clothesline” program. Clothesline has been collecting gently used clothing in support of the Canadian Diabetes
Association for 30 years. Clothesline is 100% not-for-profit and is 100% owned by the Canadian Diabetes Association. 100% of the proceeds from Clothesline go to fund Canadian Diabetes Association research, education and programs such as camp experiences. The program diverts more than 100 million pounds of clothing from Canadian landfills annually. It funds 12 medically-supervised summer camps in Canada for children with Type 1 Diabetes. Last year, Clothesline generated $8 Million in funding for the Canadian Diabetes Association to help the 10 Million Canadians affected by diabetes. Please support the program by donating gently used clothing only.
Educational Support Staff Appreciation Day
Canadian Diabetes Association
Clothesline Program
We are pleased to announce that our school has applied for and has received Government of Ontario funding to initiate a
Nutrition Program at our school. Essentially, this will allow our school to provide morning nutritional snacks to all our students at a very minimal, reasonable cost to families. Building a healthy school environment with an emphasis on healthy living will have a strong positive influence on our children’s attitudes, preferences and behaviors. Research demonstrates that student nutrition programs influence overall student health and improve learning and behavioral outcomes. In fact, students who eat breakfast most days earn higher marks in reading, math and science. The planned meal program for our school will meet important nutritional needs of students and research also demonstrates that improved health, learning and behavioral outcomes are particularly associated with healthy morning nutrition programs. It will consist of three food groups that will be delivered early in the day and will be provided to students within the classroom, just before morning recess. There will be a Nutrition Program Coordinator on-site every day who will be responsible for the daily task of receiving, preparing and distributing the nutritious snacks to all children. More information will be shared regarding our morning nutrition program in the coming months.
The Sts. Cosmas and Damian Random Acts of Kindness program recognizes students who treat others with kindness, respect, compassion and empathy. We have 10 Catholic Virtues of the Month which are celebrated on an ongoing basis. The Random Acts of Kindness program enables us to recognize when our children are treating others in the spirit of the Catholic Virtues. Congratulations to the following children whose Acts of Kindness were recognized by fellow students and Sts. Cosmas and Damian staff. Javany Watson Amy Costa Sweetzer Ticol Silvi Dervish Samantha Alvarez Sebastian Mancini Gianluca Sconza Andrea Marino Daniel Casa Brent Espiritu Callista Ginevro Rachael Zaja Andrew Berry Hazel Melgar Thomas Costa Angelica Wing Martins Madison Costa Mia Varonelli Diogo Dos Santos Congratulations as well to Anthony TJ Wooton, who was nominated for the Random Acts of Kindness Certificate twice! Well done Anthony!
Sts. Cosmas and Damian Morning Nutrition Program
Sts. Cosmas and Damian Random Acts of Kindness Program
On Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016, some Grade 7 and 8 students participated in the Annual Mathematics League Math Competition, under the guidance of Ms. Diaz. This is a national test where participants have to answer 35 multiple choice questions in 30 minutes. It is a very challenging test! A score of 12 correct answers out of 35 is considered excellent! Congratulations to the top 4 students in Grade 7 and 8: Grade 7 Students: Peter Dushniku – First Place, with an excellent score of 19/35 Brian Todi – Second Place Colin Linhares – Third Place Nicholas Ruilova – Fourth Place Grade 8 Students: Jacob Costa – First Place, with an excellent score of 18/35 Salvatore Maltese – Second Place Javelyn Wid Puso – Third Place Camille Abreu – Fourth Place Congratulations to all participants who took part in the Math League Competition, 2016 Traffic and Parking Concerns have been expressed about unsafe driver practices in our community. Our school facility is fortunate in that it is located in the heart of a residential community, surrounded by reduced speed roads, between 30kms – 40 km/p/h. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for drivers to
surpass such speed limits. Last month, at the cross walk on Roselawn Avenue, one of our students was struck by a vehicle that could not come to a full stop. Thankfully, the child is fine. Many cars do not come to a full stop at the stop sign at Lilywood and Danesbury Avenue. There are cars, within our very own parking lot, which speed into and out of our facility. We urge parents and members of the community to exercise much caution in the vicinity of our school and within the parking lot. Pick up and drop off times coincide with times when many children are present and crossing our streets. Residents are also asked to exercise caution when backing out of parking spaces and driveways. Please watch out for our children. As well, our parking space has been reduced by the accumulation of ice and snow. It is difficult to drive through when parents are dropping off children in the morning. We ask that you
drop off your children between 8:15 and 8:25 a.m. We encourage you to park your vehicles on Danesbury Avenue. We ask, and expect, that parking spaces not be used by parents. Parking spaces are strictly reserved for TCDSB staff members only.
Annual Mathematics League Math Competition
Technology Notice – BYOD – “Bring Your Own Device” In our effort to be in accurate alignment with our Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) practice at Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School, we wish to remind parents and students of our ongoing policy. Students are permitted to bring their own devices to school, however these devise can only be used under the direction and permission of the classroom teachers. Electronic devices are not to be utilized during unstructured, non-instructional times (recess, lunch or school bus). Thank you for your cooperation in this regard. SAFETY NEWS: Continuing our practice of including safety items or reminders in our newsletter each month, the following points are raised for parent awareness: Lates: All students, parents and guardians are reminded that if a student is late, he/she is to report to the office for a late slip. Once the slip is in hand, students are to make their way to their classrooms. We are kindly asking that adults remain at the office location, or leave soon after the child has been brought into the office. Walking students to class is not permitted. Many thanks for your cooperation. Dogs at Sts. Cosmas and Damian: Parents and students are reminded that dogs should not be brought to the school before, during or after school. Our facility is actually a dog-free facility. Signs are posted in many areas of our property. As wonderful as dogs are and as well trained as they may be, with the number of students in the area and the often unexpected movement of students, dogs can become overly excited and may react unexpectedly. We have many students that are highly allergic to dogs. As well, those dogs that are brought to our facility during late-afternoon and evening hours are leaving feces on our field area. This creates a very unhealthy environment for our students, for the field area is exactly where they spend their recreational time. The City of Toronto Bylaw Offices have been called to control and monitor this behavior. Parents and community members are urged to contact City of Toronto Bylaw offices if dogs are noticed on our school property. Parents in the School Yard: This is a simple gentle reminder that there should be no parents, including parent volunteers, in the school yard during the recess and lunch periods of the day. Parents are reminded that at no time should a parent of another child intervene with a child for disciplinary purposes. Such intervention should only be administered by school staff. Information about School Bus Delays: Traffic congestion and varying road conditions can impact on the flow of traffic in Toronto, and this is particularly true during the winter months when snow and ice can be a major factor. The Toronto Student Transportation Group is pleased to provide information about school bus delays digitally through their website at http;//www.torontoschoolbus.org. Click on the pink bar at the top of the homepage to get a listing of any bus routes that are being impacted.
On Saturday, March 19th, 2016, cities across Canada, and around the world, will turn off their lights for Earth Hour, a World Wildlife Federation campaign to raise awareness about climate change. From 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., we are encouraged to participate with millions of others across the planet in this historic event. If you would like more information, or to add your name to the growing list of participants, visit the website at: www.EarthHourCanada.org. Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School will be registering and celebrating our participation on Friday, March 11th, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.!! And don’t stop with turning off the lights. Think about what else can be done to reduce your carbon footprint like taking transit, unplugging unused electric appliances, and washing clothes in cold water! The list is endless and your actions will make a big difference. Make every hour Earth Hour with WWF! Working together to help Mother Earth!
Last month, we celebrated “Love” as the Virtue of the Month. With every new Virtue, our students and staff look to create student artifacts based on the Virtue of the Month. These artifacts are then collected and displayed in our front foyer display case. The Virtue of the Month for March is “Forgiveness”. Students from Ms. Faranda, Ms. Jaramillo, Ms. Hudolin and Ms. Hyrcyna’s classes came together to showcase their artifacts for “Forgiveness”. Beautiful art pieces of the 14 Stations of the Cross were carefully recreated. This display is a reminder to our students of Jesus’ struggles in life and his eventual forgiveness of his persecutors. It is also a prelude to our Stations of the Cross presentation happening later this month, on Thursday, March 24th, 2016.
Mr. Soncini, Mlle. Areias, Signora De Feo and Signora DiGregorio have focused upon the theme of “Carnival” during
Sts. Cosmas and Damian Catholic School Celebrates EARTH HOUR on Friday, March 11th, 2016
Virtue of the Month
Forgiveness
News From the French and Italian Programs
the month of February. Students were engaged in Visual Arts, Literacy and Dramatic Arts activities based upon “Il Carnavale” or “Le Carnaval”, celebrated in many countries at this time of year. Students in both French and Italian programs created beautiful Carnival masks and artwork, performed dramatic pieces and presented short passages.
Also from the French program, congratulations to two of our students from Sts. Cosmas and Damian for their participation in the TCDSB French Public Speaking Competition. Congratulations to Peter Dashniku for placing Second in the competition and congratulations as well to Dario Kaja for his strong performance. Mr. Soncini and Mlle. Areias also organized an excursion for many of our Grade 4, 5, 6 and 7 students to attend the Gregg Rock French Concert on Wednesday, February 17th, 2016. Students were very engaged in the program and
thoroughly enjoyed the cultural experience. Lastly, Mr. Soncini and Ms. Areias are currently organizing an engaging French Carnival and Culture Day, which is scheduled to take place Friday, March 11th, 2016.
Our School Learning and Improvement Plan continues to be implemented daily in support of Mathematics and Literacy Achievement. Recently, our Grade 7 and 8 teachers participated in the Student Success Learning Network Presentation at our local community high school, Dante Alighieri Catholic Secondary School. The professional meeting brought together area Catholic elementary school Intermediate and High School teachers and administrators to share best practices. Our team, consisting of Mr. Montanari, Ms. Diaz, Ms. Smith, Mr. Arrigo and Ms. Marino shared best practices in Mathematics for Bansho and Math Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Strategies.
Sts. Cosmas and Damian Academics and Improvement: Literacy and Numeracy
Our Literacy program is a broad-based, cross curricular program wherein our children practice their Literacy craft in reading, writing, oral and media by responding to and
producing artifacts in engaging ways. Mr. Gallardo has recently had his students analyze the various aspects of media in movie posters before inviting students to create their very own posters according to a set criteria. Ms. Diaz invited her intermediate students to choose newsworthy stories to analyze from a main idea perspective and present to the greater class, initiating many engaging conversations on challenging, social topics. Mr. Montanari had his students research the differences between Developed and Underdeveloped countries around the world, once again subject to certain criteria and learning goals and also had the projects presented to his Intermediate students. Students became aware of how fortunate they are to live in Canada, where we enjoy many benefits. Students in Ms. Sturino’s Grade 4 class researched Canadian Landform regions and were given the option of creating a travel brochure or an oversized postcard on a specific Canadian Landform region. Many interesting student artifacts were created and presented! Ms. Gagliardi’s Grade 6 class learned about many moments in history during Black History Month. Very engaging lessons presented on Martin Luther King before the children were asked to respond to his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Students were asked to focus upon what was most significant for them from Martin Luther King’s speech. Ms. Giuga’s Grade One class also heard and learned about Martin Luther King and his historical impact on realizing equality for all. The children wrote about their own personal dreams for their lives and created visual representations of themselves for the future!
Ms. Hyrcyna’s Grade One and Two students learned about penguins and winter. They created a wintery penguin scene and wrote about their favorite winter activities.
Students in Ms. Della Mora’s class completed written tasks on the possibility of living to 100 years old! The students also wrote about how to be respectful towards others and wrote about their new class pet, Max!
Ms. Hudolin had her students imagine that they were stuck in a snow globe and describe, using their most descriptive adjectives, what it would be like. Each child was photographed and placed in a make believe snow globe, which was pasted above their descriptive writing piece.
Ms. Marino had her students write thematic booklets and brief paragraphs on Valentine’s Day. She also had the students create artistic mathematics projects based on “Love Symmetry”.
Mr. Soncini had some students research and create projects on “Healthy Eating Choices”, in French. Students were also asked to present their French projects to classmates. Research shows that learning fluency in a second language actually supports fluency in English! Well done students!
Students in Ms. Jaramillo’s class were also asked to focused upon the Virtue of the Month for February, “Love”, and think about significant words symbolic of this virtue, before creating these fantastic digital visual arts student artifacts!
Ms. Sturino’s students were also asked to think about significant words which represented “Love” for them, before creating their own pieces of “Love” artwork.
Thanks to all students and teachers and staff for your fine work every day!
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church Information St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church reminds parents of Grade 2 and 7 children to contact the church office if they wish to register their child to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation or Communion. The Confirmation Mass for Grade 7 students will be held on Saturday, March 9th @ 2:00 p.m. The Communion Mass for Grade 2 students will be held on Saturday, March 16th @ 2:00 p.m.
As well, Father Michael wishes to inform our community that he will be preaching a Lenten Parish Mission at St. Charles Borromeo Church from March 7th – March 10th at 7:00 p.m. The topic will be “The Virtues”. Father Michael also wishes to make all in the community aware that the Lenten Parish Penance Service will take place on Thursday, March 17th at 7:00 p.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church.
TCDSB SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR 2015-2016 Number of School Days: 194
Mid-Winter Break March 14th – March 18th, 2016 Good Friday March 25th, 2016 Easter Monday March 28th, 2016 PA Day April 15th, 2016 Victoria Day May 23rd, 2016 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting Day June 10th, 2016 Last Day of School June 29th, 2016 Provincial Education Priorities June 30th, 2016
TCDSB School Year Calendar 2016 – 2017 Approved:
TCDSB SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR 2016-2017 Number of school days 194
Number of Professional Activity Days 7
Labour Day September 5, 2016
First Instructional Day September 6, 2016
Thanksgiving Day October 10, 2016
Christmas Break December 26, 2016–January 6, 2017
Start of second semester for secondary schools February 6, 2017
Family Day February 20, 2017
Mid-Winter Break March 13–17, 2017
Good Friday April 14, 2017
Easter Monday April 17, 2017
Victoria Day May 22, 2017
Last day of classes for elementary students June 29, 2017
Seven (7) Professional Activity (PA) Days for ELEMENTARY schools:
October 7, 2016 Provincial Education Priorities
November 18, 2016 Parent-Teacher Conferences
December 2, 2016 Provincial Education Priorities/Faith Development
January 20, 2017 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting
February 17, 2017 Parent-Teacher Conferences
June 9, 2017 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting
June 30, 2017 Provincial Education Priorities
…that together you may with ONE VOICE glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6
Forgiveness
There is nothing quite like, the power of forgiveness nothings so freeing as letting go of bitterness.
There nothing quite like, forgiving and forgetting undoing the damage done without doubt or regretting.
There is nothing quite like, a heart willing to believe the words ~ I am sorry so peace it can receive.
There is nothing quite like, mending hurt feelings resolving lifelong issues to bring inner healing.
There is nothing quite like, the attitude of humility letting go and letting God turn discord into tranquility.
There is nothing quite like, the power of God’s grace the pure joy of release when forgiveness we embrace
TRUSTEES 2015 – 2016, Wards 1. Joe Martino 416-512-3401 8. Garry Tanouan 416-512-3408 2. Ann Andrachuk, 416-512-3402 9. Jo-Anne Davis (Chair) 416-512-3409 3. Sal Piccininni 416-512-3403 10. Barbara Poplawski, 416-512-3410 4. Patrizia Bottoni 416-512-3404 11. Angela Kennedy 416-512-3411 5. Maria Rizzo 416-512-3405 12. Nancy Crawford (Vice Chair) 416-512-3412 6. Frank D’Amico 416-512-3406 13. Karina Dubrovskaya, Student Trustee 416-512-3413 7. John Del Grande 416-512-3407 Allison Gacad, Student Trustee
God Doesn’t Care
God doesn’t care about . . . our should have’s and only if’s He doesn’t nose around the past in our mistakes, He doesn’t sniff.
He won’t dig up the wild seeds, that in our life we have sown He only cares from our mistakes if in His wisdom, we have grown.
He doesn’t make our skeletons, come back to taunt or haunt us for when we confess our sins He throws them under the bus.
God doesn’t sit around stewing, over the errors we have made He doesn’t want our minds troubled or our hearts to be dismayed.
God only cares about our future, where we go from here and now and our should have’s and only if’s He no longer wants us to avow
TCDSB Monthly Update
March 2016
Board Approves Multi-Year Recovery Plan At the February 18, 2016 meeting of the Board, the Board of Trustees approved option 3 which proposes budget reductions totaling $28.4 million spread out over the next three years with the objective of not increasing the accumulated deficit in each year, and eliminating the accumulated deficit in the 3rd and final year of the Multi-Year Recovery Plan. The Board also approved a recommendation for the Director of Education to quantify additional cost pressures identified in the report, and address the $3.7 million additional bussing transportation costs for a total required expenditure reduction of $32.1 million in the annual budget planning and consultation process. Option 3 was selected by 47% of those who responded to the online survey. The MYRP is being submitted to the Ministry of Education at the end of February. A detailed budget consultation plan is in development and will be presented to the board for approval in March. Please stay tuned for details on how you can be involved in providing input into the budget setting process. www.tcdsb.org Registration Now Open! OAPCE Toronto Hosts 77th Annual Conference Different Gifts, One Voice: Living our Virtues in a Virtual World May 6-7th in Toronto All are welcome. Check out the website for all the information https://www.tcdsb.org/FORPARENTS/OAPCE-Toronto/Events/Pages/OAPCE-Conference-2016.aspx Register online here: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ec6a0r4n5fb01bdc&llr=57qgf7bab 2016 Lift Jesus Higher Rally Saturday March 5th, 2016 9:00-5:30 p.m. Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building, Lower Level, 255 Front Street West, Please visit: www.lift‐jesus‐higher‐rally.org for directions, hotels and other information. More information online: https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/2016-lift-jesus-higher-rally.aspx Reminders:
• March is Celtic Canadian Heritage Month • March 4, 2016 World Day of Prayer
• March 7, 2016 Education Support Staff Appreciation Day • March 8, 2016 International Women’s Day • March Break March 14-18, 2016 • March 21, 2016 International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination • March 21, 2016 World Down Syndrome Day • March 22, 2016 World Water Day • Good Friday March 25, 2016 • Easter Monday March 28, 2016 • New PA Day added April 15, 2016
For these and other events, visit the TCDSB website at www.tcdsb.org Follow @TCDSB on Twitter or subscribe to Enews https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscription.aspx to get all the latest news and information throughout the year.
imagination and creativity. When children use their creativity it enables them to explore new ways of doing things. It also helps children learn important social skills by working with others and compromising.
• Play helps children to be able to see someone else’s perspective or “walk in another’s shoes”. When they engage in pretend play they have the opportunity to think about what others would do or say. This helps children become more tolerant and empathetic of others and increases their ability to work with others.
• Plays allows children to explore various emotions and feelings. When they engage in imaginary play they are able to express themselves in ways they may not ordinarily be able to.
Allocate some time for children to have the opportunity to engage in some “playful” activities. You may leave some art supplies, puzzles, card and/or board games, dress up accessories or sports equipment in the classroom and allow them to be free to play.
Information obtained from: M. Hartwell-Walker, Ed.D; P. Gray, Psychologist; http://www.helpguide.org
Student Mental Health and Well-Being
Newsletter
Are you and your students feeling the mid-winter blues? Perhaps it’s time to incorporate play into your daily routine. Play, or free time for older children and adolescents is considered essential for physical, social, cognitive and emotional well-being. Play has an essential role in a child or adolescent’s development. Play gives children the opportunity to solve problems, get along with peers, to take control, and to develop resiliency. “Play is considered so important to child development that it has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child.”
• Play helps to reduce stress by releasing our body’s feel good chemicals called endorphins. This results in an overall feeling of well being.
• Play improves our cognitive abilities by utilizing the part of the brain that is responsible for planning and organization, managing time, deciding what is and isn’t appropriate, decision making, and regulating emotions.
• Encouraging children to engage in pretend play stimulates their
March, 2016
Play Offers More Than Just Fun
March
March, 2016
Mental Health Benefits of Prayer
During Lent we are encouraged to engage in almsgiving, fasting and prayer. Our focus this month is on prayer and it’s many benefits.
God is a source of comfort, strength and love for us. Through prayer we enter into a deeper relationship with God and gain a sense of attachment to Him. Many studies have shown that individuals who pray to a loving and protective God with whom they have a meaningful relationship are less likely to experience anxiety and stress. Prayer offers emotional comfort and reduces stress by:
• Offering a sense of comfort and hope. When you’re faced with life challenges, prayer offers a sense of comfort. Knowing that God listens to your prayers and that you don’t have to bear your burden alone offers a sense of hope. When you feel hopeful you gain strength and are encouraged to carry on.
• Creating a positive frame of mind. By giving thanks and expressing gratitude when praying it creates a positive frame of mind. When you purposefully engage in “thankful prayer” it reminds you of the many blessings you have, and as a result helps to decrease feelings of sadness.
• Stress Relief. Researchers have found that when focusing on other people through prayer it contributes to a “stress-buffering effect”. Reflecting on the welfare of others can reduce your own stress - it is in giving to others that we receive.
• Increases feelings of unity and trust. Praying together with a friend, your class, or as a community is an experience that brings people closer together. Prayer can help build relationships and feelings of social connectedness.
Engaging in daily prayer with students gives them the opportunity to deepen their relationship with God and their community. It also offers a sense of emotional comfort that everyone can benefit from.
Prayer is joy Prayer is love Prayer is peace. You cannot explain it you must experience it. It is not impossible. God gives it for the asking. “Ask and you shall receive.” The father knows what to give his children ---how much more our heavenly father knows - Mother Teresa
Information obtained from the following sources: www.spiritualityhealth.com; www.psychcentral.com www.psychologytoday.com; Catholic Book of Prayer – compiled by Ruth M. Hannon
March
March, 2016
Fostering The Family:
The TCDSB Pastoral Plan 2015-18 “ Together With one Voice: Harmonizing Our Faith Through Family , Parish, and School” 2015 focuses on the FAMILY
Play not only helps to develop cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills but also helps to strengthen family relationships. When you spend time playing together and having fun everyone in the family feels happy and positive about themselves and each other. Playing together as a family promotes cooperation and conversation as well as skills such as turn taking, following rules, problem solving, and being a good winner or loser. So turn off the computer screens, tablets or phones and engage in some “old fashioned” fun!
• Have a family game night. It’s important to make sure that the games are suitable for the youngest player.
• Listen to music, or make music together and sing along. • Build a puzzle together • Paint a picture • Play outdoors
Mental Health Initiatives 2015-2016
• TCDSB Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy 2015-18 approved Jan. 14, 2016 https://www.tcdsb.org/programsservices/specialeducation/mhs/pages/mental-health-strategy.aspx
• Support for schools in developing a mentally healthy classroom. See Supporting Minds on the Ministry’s website and edugains.ca
• Building partnerships with community agencies, families, and parishes
• SAFE TALK suicide awareness workshops for staff available via PAL
• Children’s mental health Awareness week May 1-6, 2016. Details soon
March
March, 2016
Suggested Readings and Websites:
Books:
Mattland by Hazel Hutchins and Gail Herbert. (ages 4 to 7)
Max’s Dragon by Kate Banks. (ages 4 to 8) Jullian Jiggs by Phoebe Gilman Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life by Peter Gray
Websites:
www.childdevelopmentinfo.com ( provides information related to child development, psychology, health, parenting, learning, media, entertainment, and family activities)
www.funattic (provides ideas for fun activities and games)
www.psychcentral.com
A Laugh A Day….
Patricia Marra-Stapleton, Psychological Associate/Mental Health Lead
Marci Buhagiar, Psychologist
March 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
3:30pm—5:00 Arts Express
2 9am Kindergarten—
Famous People Players Excursion
3 9:30am—Gr 7 Confirmation
Retreat
4 Pizza Day
5
6
7 Rosary Day
8 8:30am Easter Bunny Photos 12:30pm Grad Photos
3:30pm—5:00 Arts Express
9
10 1pm—Confession
Gr 3—Gr 8
11 CARNAVAL DAY
Pizza Day
12
13 14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22 3:30pm—5:00 Arts Express
Gr8 Overnight Trip Presentation 6pm
7pm—CPCS Meeting
23 9:30am Communion Retreat (St. Charles)
24 Pasta Day
25 NO SCHOOL
26
27 EASTER SUNDAY
28 EASTER MONDAY
NO SCHOOL
29 3:30pm—5:00 Arts Express
30 9:00am Grad Photo
Retake Day
31 9:30am Beaded
Rosary Workshop Gr 2’s
MARCH BREAK
Virtue of the Month—Forgiveness “To Err is Human, to Forgive is Devine” - Alexander
