Kindergarten

Registration

begins January 17th, 2018 10:00a.m.

All Saints Chronicle

November / December 2017 1435 Royal York Rd., Toronto ON M9P 3A7, Phone: (416) 393-5290 Fax: (416) 397-6139

Principal: A.J. Bria ; Vice Principals: A. Ricci, D. Munro; Secretary: R. Paparo, Clerk Typist: P. Augurusa Superintendent: F. Cifelli 416 222-8282 ext. 2732, Trustee: J. Martino 416 512-3401 CSPC Chair: A. Elliott

All Saints Church: 1415 Royal York Rd. Toronto ON M9P 3A7; Phone: (416) 244-3066; Pastor: Fr. A. Glaba

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

Administrator’s Message

“For God so loved the World, that he gave

His only begotten son, that whatsoever

believeth in Him should not perish but

have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Advent, which begins on November 29, is a tremendously important part of the Catholic Church year. The first Sunday of Advent marks the start of the liturgical year and, of course, leads up to Christmas Day. As we prepare ourselves for this very special time in our faith expression, let us always remember to give thanks for the many gifts with which we have been blessed. December is a month of celebration and prayer. Jesus reminds us that it is in giving and sharing that we truly receive. The entire staff at All Saints, wishes our students and their families a Holy and Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with renewed hope and peace. May the spirit of Christmas bring peace to the hearts of everyone! As administrators and faithful servants of the school and community, we continue to look forward to working with all students and stakeholders towards a successful 2015/2016 school year in teaching and learning with a focus placed on academics and the “Family” in this first year of our three year commitment to Nurturing Our Catholic Community. Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to all.

Administrator’s Message “For God so loved the World, that he gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 Dear Parents/Guardians, Advent, which began on December 3rd, is a tremendously important part of the Catholic Church year. The first Sunday of Advent marks the start of the liturgical year and, of course, leads up to Christmas Day. As we prepare ourselves for this very special time in our faith expression, let us always remember to give thanks for the many gifts with which we have been blessed. December’s virtue of the month is Charity. Jesus reminds us that it is in giving and sharing that we truly receive. The entire staff at All Saints, wishes our students and their families a Holy and Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with renewed hope and peace. May the spirit of Christmas bring peace to the hearts of everyone! As educators and faithful servants of the school and community, we continue to look forward to working with all students and stakeholders towards a successful 2017/2018 school year in teaching and learning with a focus placed on academics and the “School” in this third year of our three year commitment to Nurturing Our Catholic Community. Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year. A.Bria, D. Munro, A. Ricci

Catholic School Parent Council News (CSPC) The next CSPC meeting will be taking place on Monday, January 22, 2018. at 7:00 pm in the staffroom. Everyone is welcome. If any parents are interested in receiving information from the parent council please contact CSPC Secretary at allsaintscspc@gmail.com On behalf of the All Saints Catholic School Parent Council, we would like to take this opportunity to wish our parent community, children and staff the warmest greetings of the Season. May you have the Spirit of Christmas which is Peace, the Gladness of Christmas which is Hope and the Heart of Christmas which is Love and may 2018 be a Safe, Happy and Successful Year. Thank you for all the continued support that you provide throughout the course of the school year. Together, as a community, we are able to create and foster an environment that will help our children reach their full potential. God bless you! Catholic School Parent Council

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

TRUSTEES 2017-2018

1. Joseph Martino 416-512-3401

2. Ann Andrachuk 416-512-3402 3. Sal Piccininni 416-512-3403

4. Patrizia Bottoni 416-512-3404

5. Maria Rizzo – Vice Chair 416-512-3405

6. Frank D’Amico 416-512-3406 7. Michael Del Grande 416-512-3407

8. Garry Tanuan 416-512-3408

9. Jo-Ann Davis 416-512-3409

10. Barbara Poplawski - Chair 416-512-3410 11. Angela Kennedy 416-512-3411

12. Nancy Crawford 416-512-3412

Joel Ndongmi 416-512-3417 (Student Trustee) Rhea Carlisle: 416-512-3413 (Student Trustee)

International Language Classes

New students are welcome!

Dear Parents:

Did you know that the TCDSB International Languages Dept. is offering International Language classes for JK to Grade 8 students at your children’s school on Saturday mornings from 9:30am to 12:00pm?

We are accepting new students so please call or visit the school on Saturday mornings at 9:30am for more information.

We are also able to offer new International Language classes provided that we have at least 23 students interested.

Please call us at 416-222-8282 ext. 2495 for more information.

Hours of Operation

8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

School starts: 8:30 A.M.

Morning Recess: 10:12 A.M. – 10:27 A.M.

Lunch Hour: 11:15 A.M – 12:15 P.M.

Afternoon Recess: 1:40 P.M. – 1:55 P.M.

School Dismissal: 3:00 P.M.

Important Dates:

Dec. 5th All Saints School Advent Mass 9:30 a.m.

Dec. 6th Award Assembly Grades 4 – 8 @ 9:00 a.m.

Grades 1 – 3 @ 12:30 p.m.

Dec. 12th Kindergarten Christmas Concert @ 9:30 a.m.

Dec. 15th Civvies Day (Sick Kids Hospital)

Dec. 22nd Crazy Christmas Sweater Day. Last Day!

Jan. 8th Welcome Back to School!

All members of the All Saints School Community will celebrate Advent

Mass on December 5th at 9:30 a.m. in the parish church.

Junior Kindergarten Pre-Registration For September 2018

Begins January 17, 2018 @ 10:00 am

All Saints Catholic School Welcomes You and Your Child

All Saints Full Day Kindergarten

Registration for September 2018

Please register at

http://soar.tcdsb.org

Your child must be born in 2014 and be 4 years

old by December 31, 2018

School Web Site Visit us at our website for news and

information about what is happening at All Saints Catholic School or follow us on Twitter. You can log in at:

http://www.tcdsb.org/schools/allsaints/Pages/defa ult.aspx Twitter Account: @AllSaintsTCDSB

MASSES SUNDAY MASSES Saturday: 5:00 pm

Sunday: 8:00 am (Italian), 9:30 am, 11:30 a.m. WEEKDAY MASSES

Monday to Saturday 8:15 a.m. First and Last Friday 7:30 p.m.

For complete and updated information about events happening at All Saints parish please

visit: http://allsaintsrc.org/

If you received a letter from Toronto Public

Health, please update your child's immunization record with us using one of the

following options:

x Phone: 416-392-1250 x Online reporting x Fax: 416-338-2487

If your child does not have all the needed vaccines, please contact your health care

provider.

Lunch Policy Children may remain at school for lunch if: there is no one to care for them at that time; they live approximately 1.5 km from the school; they are bussed to school. Students who stay for lunch are not permitted to leave the school grounds unless they are picked up and signed out by a parent/guardian. Children who eat lunch at school must follow the lunchtime rules and the directions given by the lunchroom supervisors. Students who do not abide by the rules will lose their lunch privileges.

Lunch Drop Off Table

If you are dropping off your child’s lunch, please put it on the lunch table outside the main office. Clearly label your child’s lunch. Please do not drop off lunches at the classroom door as it is disruptive to lessons and does present a safety concern.

Safe SchoolsVisitors to the School Toronto Catholic District School Board policy

states that all visitors to the school MUST report to the office. This is foremost to ensure the safety of all students. In an effort to promote the

independence of the students and to ensure the integrity of programs by minimizing interruptions during class time, we request that students arrive prepared for the school day with all the items they require (i.e. homework, lunch, physical education clothing, musical instruments etc.). If you would like to contact your child’s teacher, you may do so through the school office. Please try to make after school arrangements before school. Allergen Aware Please take special note that we have children in our school who have very serious allergies to nut products. According to Sabrina’s Law, we must make every effort to maintain a nut free environment in order to help keep these children safe. We ask that you not bring in or send in any food items to be shared with other students in the class. Please note that baked goods and treats are not permitted for birthday celebrations. Please consider other options that do not involve any food. We apologize for the inconvenience; however, we are certain you will agree that these measures are necessary in order to ensure the safety and welfare of our children. Personal Property The school does not take any responsibility for the loss or theft of personal items brought onto school premises by students. The school will therefore, not reimburse or replace lost or stolen articles, under any circumstances. This will include all articles of clothing (label items with a marker); personal school supplies such as fancy or expensive pens, markers, binders and pencil cases, etc.; simple or electronic toys; calculators, laptops, iPod’s, CD’s, etc. Please note that collector cards of any kind are not permitted in addition to all cell phones and any other social media devices. These items will be immediately confiscated by staff and brought to the Principal’s attention. We ask both parents and students for their full co-operation in this matter. (Please note that the Board’s insurance policy does not cover property owned by staff or students).

Safe Arrival and Departure We continue to remind you to contact the school before 8:30 a.m. if your child is going to be absent from school. If we are unable to take your call, you can leave a message on our answering machine. Please ensure that we have a current emergency number where you can be contacted. If you are picking up your child early, please send a note to your child’s teacher. Please be sure to report to the office to sign them out. If you are returning before the end of the day, please sign your child back in at the office. All students on buses must ride the buses to and from school every day. Reporting of cancellations or closures due to inclement weather Cancellation of school bus transportation or school closures due to inclement weather will be reported through the following vehicles: News releases to all media outlets in Toronto (Note: although the news release is provided to the media outlets, there is no guarantee that all television and radio stations will broadcast the information in a timely fashion.) Communications will endeavour to send an email

to everyone on exchange to advise them of any cancellations or closures. Communications will also endeavour to send out the information electronically to E-

News subscribers (Note: If you do not already subscribe to E-News, but wish to do so, please visit our website at www.tcdsb.org and click on the E-News icon on the top right hand side of the homepage). Updates will also be posted on the Board’s 24-hour information line, 416-222-8282, extension 2873. The information will also be posted on the Board’s website at www.tcdsb.org The Transportation Department will post this information on its website at http://www.schoolbus.to/c_home.asp

You can also visit the following TWITTER FEEDS for information: @TCDSB @AllSaintsTCDSB

Inclement Weather

On days when the weather is inclement the students may be permitted to enter the building at

8:15 a.m. on such days, the recess periods may be indoor and those students who stay for lunch will be supervised in the building. Weather conditions must be particularly severe, cold weather alone does not warrant an early entry into the building or indoor recess periods. Those decisions will be made accordingly. We believe that children profit greatly from recess breaks as they get out into the fresh air and burn off some energy in play activities. This will make them more alert and ready to continue their studies when they come in. It is important for children, particularly the younger children in the primary grades, to come to school dressed properly for the weather. A reminder to everyone that students who are well enough to be at school are well enough to go out for recess. We do not have personnel to supervise students who wish to stay in for recess due to illness. If they are too ill to go out for recess, then they should be home for the day. This will allow for quicker recovery and less teaching and learning time lost to illness. Attendance, Punctuality and Preparation The Education Act states that students must attend school regularly and punctually. Parents are to notify the school (416) 393-5290 of a child’s absence. You may call anytime and leave a message on the answering machine. Students who arrive late for school must check in at the main office to ensure safe arrival and to help in keeping accurate attendance profiles. Attendance referrals will be sent to the Social Worker. Students are expected to arrive prior to the bell. All students are to arrive prepared to work and learn. Preparation includes the completion of daily assignments that are done to the best of the individual student’s ability. Preparation also implies that the student devotes appropriate time to study in advance of test situations. Parking A reminder that the school parking lot is for staff only. Please do not use it for parking as we do not have enough spaces for staff. Our students have

been instructed not to enter the parking lot for safety reasons. Father Glaba has graciously volunteered the use of the church parking lot for our parents. Please observe and respect the “In” and “Out” flow in the church parking lot. There is absolutely NO PARKING in the handicapped spaces at the front of the school. The fine is substantial and we need to have those spaces clear for their appropriate use by those that need them. A reminder to all that Renault is strictly a “Drop Off Kiss and Ride”, and there is absolutely

no parking permitted within the sign boundaries. Everyone is encouraged to use the drop off area in the school parking lot. Police and Parking Enforcement have assured us that

Renault will be closely monitored for proper use. Medication Principals, teachers and support staff of the

TCDSB are not permitted to administer any type of prescription medication during the school day, unless we have written, authorization signed by you the parent, and the

prescribing physician. The forms to dispense any medication must be updated on a regular basis and are available from the school office. Please be advised that staff in TCDSB schools will not dispense non-prescription medications to students. Students who need “puffers” should have one at school and at home. All medications will be stored in the main office. Please notify the school if your child suffers from any type of allergy.

A Matter of Safety Now that the winter season has arrived, there are a few issues that need to be addressed. 1. Please ensure that your children

are dressed appropriately for the cold weather. They should also have mittens or gloves, a hat, a winter coat, boots and possibly a scarf. Unless we have extreme wind chill factors, children will be out for recess. Label your child’s belongings to avoid any mix-ups with other children.

2. We strongly encourage you to send a pair of shoes to be kept at school so that children can wear them after removing their boots. Children will not be allowed to wear their boots inside the classroom. If your child wears his/her running shoes to school, they will have to be removed before entering the rooms. Therefor a second pair of running shoes should be used for gym classes. No outside shoes are to be worn in rooms.

3. Snow pants are also encouraged. It is impossible to keep young children off the snow. Snow pants will keep them dry outside.

4. Please reinforce what we are emphasizing at school; that is, that snow must remain on the ground. Once snow is picked up, it is easily made into a snowball and thrown at others. Snowball throwing can lead to serious injury.

Curriculum

Progress Reports

Progress reports were sent home on November 14, 2017. We hope all of you had a chance to meet and speak with your child’s teacher for a Parent-Teacher Conference on the evenings of Wednesday, November 15th and Thursday, November 16th, 2017. If you have not seen your child’s teacher, please feel free to contact the teacher for an appointment. Please note that communication is very important regarding your child’s progress. Remember if you are unable to make a phone call, another effective tool of communication is your child’s agenda. Please check your child’s agenda on a nightly basis and sign it as a confirmation that you have seen your child’s agenda. This will certify that your child has completed all required homework to the best of his/her ability and is therefore ready for school the next day. Thank you for your support in setting up your children for academic success. Library News

The Scholastic Book Fair’s “Kingdom of Books” was launched on November 13th, 2017. For four days the Fair provided hundreds of

cool reads and was a fantastic celebration of books and reading. This year’s Fair sold close to $8,000.00 worth of books! All profits will be put towards purchasing new learning materials. Thank you for your Support!

All Saints Chess Club

All Saints is excited to continue the chess club for the eighth year. The All Saints chess club of forty-five students from Grades 1-8 meet during lunch on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with our chess coaches Ms. Natalia Khoudgarian and Mr. Goran Milicevic. Students hone their understanding of chess rules, strategies and notation and apply learned skills while participating in a ten week in-class tournament. The beauty of the Chess Club is that students enjoy themselves while becoming better problem solvers, critical thinkers and independent decision makers. In Spring 2018, we look forward to representing All Saints at the TCDSB tournaments!

A.Valaitis

The Book Fair would not have been possible if not for the wonderful parent volunteers who worked tirelessly to make the event a huge success. Thank you for helping make our students lifelong readers – we couldn’t do it without your help! Again, thank you to everyone for making this year’s Scholastic Book Fair the most successful in All Saints School history! Ms. Belvedere Library Technician

All Saints 2017 Cross Country Team This September, shortly after students were back into school routine, students began preparing to take part in the Fall Cross Country Meets. Practices and early morning try-outs began during our outdoor DPA program. The enthusiasm and interest from the students who tried out for, and participated in, the Cross Country practices was outstanding.

The students who represented our school at all of the Cross Country meets did so with an eager and positive attitude. They competed with a tremendous amount of effort, dedication and perseverance. The Divisional Meet took place on Tuesday, October 13th, 2017 at Centennial Park. All Saints finished in first place at the Divisionals. At the Divisionals, 68 students advanced to the Regional Meet, which took place the following week on Thursday, October 19th, 2017. All Saints were finalists at the Regionals.

At the City Cross Country Finals, on Tuesday, October 24th, 2017, at Earl Bales Park, 20 students from our school participated. We are proud of the continued progress that we have made again this year in the area of Cross Country, and we look forward to another excellent season during the next school year!

The students who ran at the City Finals are: Aiden Galluzzo, Ryan Armour, Jason Belluzzo, Isabella Centritto, Ainsley Somerville, Hazel Yaromich, Cassandra Cescon, Naiyah Elder,Thomas Perzia, Francesco DiFonzo, Michael Perzia, Natalie Gagnon, Madeline Pelosi, Izaac Batey, Angel Boyaca, Andrew Menezes, Ricardo Nava Raso, Simona Faienza, Madison Ferrer, and Alex Mathias. We would like to thank all of the students from grades 3 to 8 who tried out for the Cross Country Team this season. You should all be commended for your perseverance and hard work in attending the early morning practices. A very special thank you to all of the dedicated coaches who trained the students this year! We are also very grateful to all of our parents for their continued support, by attending the Cross Country Meets and always cheering us on! The members of this year’s team are: Romin Fernandez, Samuel Spyropoulos, Aiden Galluzzo, Masi Cianfarani, Simon Gallippi, Ryan Armour, Gianluca Belperio, Lincoln Obress, Nathan Pelosi, Arianna Faienza, Kylee Cabrera, Carissa Piccolo, Alyssa Al Hariri, Belle Esposto, Olivia Grisolia, Sarina Gallippi, Sierra Pacheco, Bianca Corbo, Aidan Pacheco, Alexander Sarosiek, Andres Valderrama, Lucas Cappella, Ian Hobdari, Jason Belluzzo, Jacobo Tamayo, Damian Cappella, Selina Grgic, Lorena Brotto, Isabella Centritto, Igne Naujalyte, Ainsley Somerville, Hazel Yaromich, Lauren Capone, Cassandra Cescon, Stephanie Soscia, Katharina Varqas, Julia Pizzonia, Georgia Pagliaroli, Naiyah Elder, Sarah Mafrici, Avery Murray, Pamela Lazarte, Alanna Stalteri, Sebastian Nava Raso, Thomas Perzia , Nathan Rakic, Luca Bova, Francesco Di Fonzo, Francesco Mastrogiovanni, Ethan Molla, Michael Perzia, Jayden Danga, Alexa Armour, Victoriana Belperio, Chloe Fronczak, Maja Monahan, Angela Pannella, Elise Piccolo, Emily Rakic, Iris Spyropoulos, Emma Wong, Matteo Calabrese, Giacomo Di Stefano, James Dundek-Johnston, Dmytro Gandabura, Julian Mandarino, Xavier Maringola, Alexander Sabatin, Mauro Serrano-Verdejo, Daniel Sinopoli, David Worku, Amelia Campoli, Sarah Carvalho, Chiara Di Fonzo, Natalie Gagnon, Kejsi Musta, Dalia Oliveira, Emilia Pires, Madeline Pelosi, Polina Stokoz, Joel Agyei, Izaac Batey, Angel Boyaca, Vincenzo Corbo, Jose Garzon, Tomas Gallippi, Andrew Menezes, Ricardo Nava Raso, Johann Solomon, Nicole Belluzzo, Simona Faienza, Madison Ferrer, Nadia Guido, Celeste Moriana, Mikayla Menezes, Sophia Perzia, Gabriella Pizzonia, Tyler Koo, Alex Mathios, Grant Monahan, Martin Naydenov, Matthew Rakic, Esteban Rodriguez, Denis Samuel, and Joel Zewge.

GIRLS’ INTERMEDIATE VOLLEYBALL The Girls’ Divisional Champions played at the Regional Finals on November 15th at Michael Power. They faced teams from Monseigneur John Corrigan, St. Ambrose and Our Lady of Victory in the first round. The team started off quickly and defeated MJC by a score of 25-15. In the next set, a few mental errors led to a 25 – 22 loss. This would prove motivation for the rest of the day. In their two remaining first round matches, All Saints outscored St. Ambrose by scores of 25-16 and 25-3 and defeated Our Lady of Victory 25 – 14 and 25 – 22. This moved the girls into the semi-finals against St. Clement. Against St. Clement. The team rode service aces and thunderous spikes to wins by scores of 25-8 and 25-22. This set the stage for the finals against Our Lady of Peace. The girls came out swinging in the fight for the championship. They combined a consistent, aggressive attack along with super defence to win the Regional title by scores of 25 – 18 and 25 – 17.The victory was complete team effort, from the players on the court to the girls cheering their teammates from the bench. City Finals On Friday, November 24, the girls’ volleyball team competed at the city finals at the Pan-Am Centre in Scarborough. The girls faced teams from St. Richard, Pope John Paul and St. Conrad in the round-robin portion of the tournament. In their first round-robin match, the girls were able to ride steady defence to two straight victories over Pope John Paul by scores of 25-17 and 25-20. St. Conrad was the opponent for the girls’ second game. The girls displayed grit in winning both set 25-17 and 25-23. In the final match of the round robin, the girls played their rivals from St. Richards. The team had some difficulty defending against the squad from Scarborough and dropped both sets by scores of 25-16 and 25-15. Finishing with a record of four wins and two losses, the girls qualified for the semi-finals against Blessed Sacrament. The girls got off on the right foot in the semi-finals and took down their opponents by winning game one 25-18. In game two, the girls got behind early but fought back in a see-saw battle. They could not, however, mount any sustained serving runs and lost by a score of 23-25. In the decisive third set, the power hitter from Blessed Sacrament heated up and our girls did all they could to defend against her powerful spikes. The girls could not, however, overtake Blessed Sacrament and were defeated 15-9. The girls should be congratulated for their second straight third place finish at the city finals. We look forward to May when tryouts for next year take place. The team members are: Mackenzie Pancer-Cinque, Nadia Guido, Maria Acosta, Mikayla Menezes, Vanessa Macedo, Madeline Pelosi, Sarah Carvalho Silva, Kelly Cabrera, Christina Burnett, Amelia Campoli, Yeva Tiku, Victoria Inadagbo, Sienna Cappella, Naiyah Elder, Ella Branska-Thomas, and Katrina Martin. BOYS’ INTERMEDIATE VOLLLEYBALL The boys’ intermediate volleyball team hosted the divisional round at All Saints in early November. The team faced stiff competition from four other schools: Nativity of Our Lord, St. Andre, Father Serra and Josef Cardinal Slipyj. Having only been together for a few weeks, the boys tried their best to play competitively against more experienced teams. The games were difficult but the team persevered the best they could. In the end, the team fought hard but did not make the playoff round. The boys should be proud of their efforts as they represented the school well. The team members are: Tristan Nguyen, Daniel Boza, Michael Grande, David Maksuti, Ezra Marino, Jason Agyei, Camillo Mazzucco, Lucas Newell, Samuel Desta, Izaac Batey, and Tiago Veloso.

Lost & Found Articles We would ask that you encourage your child to check the lost and found articles at school if they are missing articles of clothing. The pile of lost clothing in the lost and found has been increasing. If these articles are not claimed by December 15th, they will be donated to charity. You may also call the school and make an appointment to come and check the lost and found articles.

Parish News All Saints Parish is a hub of activity for any age group to participate in. Newsletter Issue No. 2 (please pick up a copy in the parish lobby) has a summary of scheduled activities up until the end of December 2017. Please note that the Children’s Choir has now restarted, there are various Youth Groups (Edge etc.) that anyone can join and the Altar Servers have now formed a group that meets monthly. Jesus welcomes everyone into His home. If you want to “see” Jesus, just drop into our parish and the Lord will greet you! He is seen in other places as well! Scripture and the church teach us that God is present in others, in the poor, and in the image and likeness that looks back at us in the mirror. Church is a great place to see and meet Jesus. Come on in and find out what God has waiting for you!

Shoe Box Drive In partnership with our parish, All Saints School participated in Operation Christmas Child from October 18th to November 10th. Students and their families brought in toys, school supplies and other items needed to help bring joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world. All Saints is a truly caring and giving place. Student representatives were very proud to deliver almost 250 shoeboxes full of items to All Saints Church. Thank you to everyone for their contributions.

Eco Schools The green team is pleased to announce that we will be recycling any used markers in our colour cycle program. Students are invited to bring in any used markers and put them in our color cycle boxes located around our school. We hope to collect around 5000 used markers for our program.

Monthly Update from the Board

December 2017 Parents Urged to Check Their Liability Insurance Coverage At the October 19, 2017 Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees, the Board resolved that all parents of the Board should be advised to consider contacting their home insurance providers to determine the adequacy of their home insurance coverage to cover claims arising out of injuries caused by their child at school. The reason for the Board of Trustee direction is that there have been a few instances recently where legal action has been initiated for personal injury or other harm to a student allegedly caused by another child. A brief consultation by parents with their insurance provider is advised so parents can assess the adequacy of their insurance coverage if they are sued for personal injury or other harm allegedly caused by their child at school. Inclement Weather Protocol With the approach of winter and the associated ice and snow, there is always a possibility of school bus cancellations or delays, as well as cancellation of programs and services such as evening classes or permits. Your best source of information is via Twitter @TCDSB. For those who are not on Twitter, please tune in to local television and radio networks for updates. Other good sources of information are:

x TCDSB’s website www.tcdsb.org x Toronto Student Transportation Group website https://www.torontoschoolbus.org x TCDSB 24-hour Telephone Information Line: 416-222-8282 ext. 2873 x Or if you wish to receive updates right to your email, subscribe to enews:

https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscription.aspx Angel Foundation for Learning Through the Loretto Fund and the Social Work Emergency Fund the Angel Foundation supports TCDSB students who are new comers to Canada by helping to offset the costs for items such as school supplies, uniforms, field trips, groceries or other necessities to help them settle into school and life in Canada. You can help support families who have come to Canada in search of peace donations to The Angel Foundation for Learning. To learn more about the work of the Foundation, visit http://www.angelfoundationforlearning.org/ Christmas Holidays The last day of classes before the Christmas break will be Friday, December 22, 2017. Schools will reopen on Monday, January 8th, 2018. Administrative offices will be closed from Saturday December 23rd through to Monday, January 1, 2018. SAVE THE DATE! Kindergarten Registration Begins January 17th at 10 a.m. Visit www.tcdsb.org for details. New French Immersion Programs Coming September 2018

We are pleased to share that following the successful community consultation, the Toronto Catholic District School Board is moving forward with the implementation of French Immersion Programming for September 2018 at the following schools: x St. Mary Catholic School x St. Alphonsus Catholic School Registration will begin in January 2018. The introduction of enhanced programming at TCDSB schools is one aspect of our Long Term Program Plan (LTPP). Increasing the number of French Immersion programs available in our schools is a part of the LTPP and the Board’s ongoing responsibility to offer dynamic educational opportunities to its students across the City of Toronto. Visit www.tcdsb.org for information about further expansions of the French Immersion program. TCDSB 2017-2018 Awards Season has begun! Nominations are welcome for the annual TCDSB Alumni Award, Award of Merit and Friends of Catholic Education Award which will be presented at Awards Night on May 7, 2018. Deadline: third Friday in January (January 20).

x TCDSB Alumni Award: Open to TCDSB alumni who are still active in the Catholic community and who have distinguished themselves in their career or accomplishments.

x TCDSB Award of Merit: Open to former staff, parents and trustees who have made outstanding contributions to the TCDSB and to Catholic education (can only be considered for award after a three-year period has passed since departure from the TCDSB)

x Friends of Catholic Education Award: Open to members of the general public (individuals or organizations) who have accomplished extraordinary service to Catholic Education but who may not be Catholic.

For nomination forms and information, visit: www.tcdsb.org/awardsnight December’s Virtue is Charity Find all the resources related to the monthly virtue, as well as other resources to support faith development and Religion and Family Life on our website here: https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOurCatholicCommunity/Pages/Default.aspx TCDSB Celebrates Advent and Christmas Visit the board’s website for the latest news and information from TCDSB schools including food and clothing drives, Christmas baskets for needy families, Christmas concerts and other special events. https://www.tcdsb.org/news/othernews/2018/pages/Advent-and-Christmas.aspx REMINDER: Spotlight On Your School Submissions of short videos and original songs to celebrate your local school are due February 23rd. Details for this Year of the School activity can be found online https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOurCatholicCommunity/Year-of-the-School/Spotlight-on-your-school/Pages/default.aspx