9 Bannerman Street, North York, Ontario M6L 2S5 Telephone: 416.393.5358 Fax: 416.397.6315 December 2012 PRINCIPALS’ MESSAGE Quote of the month – Ubi Caritas et amor, Deus ibi est – Where there is charity and love, God is there. As we enter the season of Advent to prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus, it is rather suitable that this month’s virtue is CHARITY. Many of us are engaging in the mad rush to purchase gifts to put under the tree on the 25th, but let us be mindful of the fact that charity is not always about giving material things. Our quote for the month is “Where charity and love are, God is there”. As St. Thomas Aquinas described it “Charity is friendship first with God and secondly with all who belong to God." (2a2ae, 25,4). How can we practice charity and generosity in our community without necessarily giving material things? This month at St. Fidelis Catholic School we will be demonstrating charity by some very important events, such as the selling of candy grams and cookie sales with proceeds going to grocery vouchers which will be distributed to needy families in the community. This project has been initiated by the Student Council/ Me to We Ambassadors and their teachers in co-operation with Father Mose and the St. Fidelis Parish. Mme Stalteri has joined forces with the grade 6 classes in a cross curricular endeavour to adopt an elephant in Kenya. Bravo!!! In addition to this, St. Fidelis will be joining the Free the Children’s “We Create Change” campaign. This initiative has set a goal of providing 100 000 people with clean water for life in developing countries and is one of Canada’s largest penny drives. We thank our Intermediate students and their teachers for helping our school “Be the Change” that will make a difference for those in need. This past Sunday marks the first Sunday of Advent. Discussing the meaning of Advent is of great importance to us as a Catholic community. Not only is it a time of new beginnings and the official start of the Church’s calendar. It is a reminder of who we are as God’s children; a reminder of our core beliefs as Catholics. We are a people of Hope to whom God has made a solemn promise. During Advent, we read in the Bible about God’s promise to send a great Light in the darkness, to give sight to the blind, to fill us with hope, peace, joy, and love. We believe that God’s promise was fulfilled in the birth of his Son, Jesus, born of Mary in Bethlehem. We believe that Christ is a Light for the world. Advent is a time of quiet, joyful preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth and also a time to remember that we wait for Christ to come again at the end of time. At the same time anticipation and excitement for upcoming Christmas celebrations are also in the air. It is so wonderful to hear the Primary classes preparing for the upcoming Christmas concert and to see how staff and students are diligently preparing for other events such as Spirit Week as well as school presentations, events, and excursions. Overall, it is undeniably one of the “most wonderful times of the year” as it is characterized by so many layers of meaning and sentiment for all of us, regardless of age. We wish all of our community and their families a HOLY AND HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEASON and PEACE AND BLESSINGS to everyone as we look forward to a fabulous new year!! Mr. M. A. Caccamo Mrs. M. Aloisi PRINCIPAL VICE PRINCIPAL Principal: M. Caccamo St. Fidelis Parish: 416.247.8741 Pastor: Father M. Gasparini Vice-Principal: M. Aloisi Trustee: Sal Piccininni 416.222.8282 extension 2660 Secretary : A. Moscar Superintendent: Doug Yack 416.222.8282 extension 2267
Transcript
9 Bannerman Street, North York, Ontario M6L 2S5
Telephone: 416.393.5358 Fax: 416.397.6315
December 2012
PRINCIPALS’ MESSAGE
Quote of the month – Ubi Caritas et amor, Deus ibi est – Where there is charity and love, God is there.
As we enter the season of Advent to prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus, it is rather suitable that this month’s virtue is CHARITY. Many of us are engaging in the mad rush to purchase gifts to put under the tree on the 25th, but let us be mindful of the fact that charity is not always about giving material things. Our quote for the month is “Where charity and love are, God is there”. As St. Thomas Aquinas described it “Charity is friendship first with God and secondly with all who belong to God." (2a2ae, 25,4). How can we practice charity and generosity in our community without necessarily giving material things? This month at St. Fidelis Catholic School we will be demonstrating charity by some very important events, such as the selling of candy grams and cookie sales with proceeds going to grocery vouchers which will be distributed to needy families in the community. This project has been initiated by the Student Council/ Me to We Ambassadors and their teachers in co-operation with Father Mose and the St. Fidelis Parish. Mme Stalteri has joined forces with the grade 6 classes in a cross curricular endeavour to adopt an elephant in Kenya. Bravo!!! In addition to this, St. Fidelis will be joining the Free the Children’s “We Create Change” campaign. This initiative has set a goal of providing 100 000 people with clean water for life in developing countries and is one of Canada’s largest penny drives. We thank our Intermediate students and their teachers for helping our school “Be the Change” that will make a difference for those in need.
This past Sunday marks the first Sunday of Advent. Discussing the meaning of Advent is of great importance to us as a Catholic community. Not only is it a time of new beginnings and the official start of the Church’s calendar. It is a reminder of who we are as God’s children; a reminder of our core beliefs as Catholics. We are a people of Hope to whom God has made a solemn promise. During Advent, we read in the Bible about God’s promise to send a great Light in the darkness, to give sight to the blind, to fill us with hope, peace, joy, and love. We believe that God’s promise was fulfilled in the birth of his Son, Jesus, born of Mary in Bethlehem. We believe that Christ is a Light for the world. Advent is a time of quiet, joyful preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth and also a time to remember that we wait for Christ to come again at the end of time.
At the same time anticipation and excitement for upcoming Christmas celebrations are also in the air. It is so wonderful to hear the Primary classes preparing for the upcoming Christmas concert and to see how
staff and students are diligently preparing for other events such as Spirit Week as well as school presentations, events, and excursions. Overall, it is undeniably one of the “most wonderful times of the year” as it is characterized by so many layers of meaning and sentiment for all of us, regardless of age.
We wish all of our community and their families a HOLY AND HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEASON and PEACE AND BLESSINGS to everyone as we look forward to a fabulous new year!!
Mr. M. A. Caccamo Mrs. M. Aloisi
PRINCIPAL VICE PRINCIPAL
Principal: M. Caccamo St. Fidelis Parish: 416.247.8741 Pastor: Father M. Gasparini Vice-Principal: M. Aloisi Trustee: Sal Piccininni 416.222.8282 extension 2660 Secretary : A. Moscar Superintendent: Doug Yack 416.222.8282 extension 2267
the eco corner:
We Reuse,
We Recycle,
We Give! Please donate the following items to the
Office:
- eye glasses
- cell phones
- printing cartridges
- pop can tabs -and now…milk bags!!
THE WITNESS TO FAITH CROSS CELEBRATION
ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11TH
THE WITNESS TO FAITH CROSS WILL BE AT ST. FIDELIS! THIS
IMPORTANT CELEBRATION WILL BE MARKED WITH A CELEBRATION AND PROCESSION TO ST.
FIDELIS CHURCH WITH FATHER MOSE GASPARINI AND FATHER PHIL SMITH AS CELEBRANTS. THE
GRADE SIX TEACHERS, MS. QUERIN AND MS. DODARO, HAVE BEEN PREPARING DILIGENTLY FOR
THIS WONDERFUL EVENT. ALL FAMILIES ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND. THE PROCESSION IS SCHEDULED TO
BEGIN SHORTLY AFTER OPENING EXCERCISES WITH THE MASS BEGINNING AT 9:30 A.M.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR STUDENTS OF THE MONTH! ALWAYS REMEMBER TO LIVE BY THE GIFT OF OUR
VIRTUES:
How To Show Charity 1. Remember throughout Advent that Charity starts from the home and moves forward in all you do 2. Let the Christmas season create Charity in your actions throughout the year 3. If we expect other people to do charitable acts towards us, we must first remember to show generosity towards others 4. We should always remember those less fortunate than us, especially in a season filled with giving
CHARITY AT ST. FIDELIS St. Fidelis is participating in a number of events this month. Our Student Council/Me to We Ambassadors have begun with the following campaigns: “WE CREATE CHANGE”, as their International charitable project and the selling of cookies and candy grams, as their local charitable project, providing grocery vouchers for families within our own community. We congratulate these students who remind us that we have brothers and sisters all over the world who are in need. We thank the teachers, Ms. Burella, Ms. Galati, Ms. Celli, Ms. DeCarlo and Mr. Ruggeri, for their support in helping our students be global citizens and to BE THE CHANGE. We also look forward to Spirit Week, which
promises to be a wonderful time for all students! A heartfelt thanks goes out to our student leaders!!!
THE SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST: A CROSS CURRICULAR SOCIAL AWARENESS
PROJECT As a part of the French curriculum, the grade 6 students from Ms. Querin and Ms. Dodaro’s classes are learning about endangered animals. They will be given the opportunity to adopt a baby elephant in Kenya, Africa. After having visited the elephant orphanage myself, I realized the importance of raising awareness of the existing challenges in Kenya’s wildlife. Through different activities in class, the students will become sensitive to these issues and learn how the “David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust” helps save the elephant population in Kenya. Saint Fidelis students will play an important role in making a difference in a baby elephant’s life! For more information, please visit the following website: www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/
Merci, or as they say in Kenya, Asante sana! ---Madame Stalteri
***The St. Fidelis Kiss and Ride Program*** The St. Fidelis Kiss and Ride program has been in place for decades. Volunteers arrive every morning and evening to ensure that our students are dropped off and placed safely into their parents’ cars. This program under the guidance of Mrs. Palma, would not work smoothly without their volunteer hours. THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM ALSO DEPENDS UPON THE CO-OPERATION OF THE WHOLE ST. FIDELIS COMMUNITY. PLEASE FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE KISS AND RIDE PROGRAM AND THE DIRECTIONS OF OUR VOLUNTEERS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE A SAFE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE FOR ALL STUDENTS.
HOW CAN YOU HELP? St. Fidelis Catholic School prides itself on providing a safe environment for students. The purpose of Kiss and Ride program is to assist parents in dropping-off and picking up their child(ren) in a safe and organized manner.
1. If you live in close proximity of the school, we strongly encourage carpooling or even walking with your child in order to relieve the congestion during arrival and dismissal times.
2. Ensure that your child arrives not just minutes before the bell time. Leave extra early when the weather is unfavourable in order to avoid long lineups.
3. We also ask that you allow the school bus to pass when it is ready and signalling to leave. We continue to stress that you observe and obey the parking regulations.
4. For the safety of all children, please park on either Grovedale Ave. or Rustic Road and walk to
accompany your child(ren).
NOTE: PARKING OR STOPPING ON BANNERMAN STREET IS UNSAFE AND ILLEGAL.
5. Using staff parking spaces will only delay staff in attending to their duties. Do not use the
staff parking spaces.
6. We kindly ask that all drivers do their best to be patient and to respect the flow of traffic during arrival and dismissal times. Do not block the intersections at either end of Bannerman
or try to pass cars that are in queue. Above all, we must remember that following these rules and guidelines helps us remember that the key is:
SAFETY OVER CONVENIENCE We would like to give a heartfelt thanks to all of our Kiss and Ride Volunteers for their commitment to the safety of our students and for all of their hard work. Rain or shine, sweltering heat or bitter cold, snow, hail, wind… they put the safety of our students first! Thank you all!
SCHOOL BUSES Please note that if your child is registered to ride the school bus, he or she must ride the school bus and not take the liberty
to walk home on any given day. Any necessary changes to your child‟s transportation to and from the school must be
accompanied by a signed and dated parental note. Students who are registered to ride the school bus but consistently
choose not to, will end up forfeiting this privilege. Please also be reminded that students can only ride the school bus if
they have returned the permission form, signed by parents/guardians, granting permission to do so. We cannot allow
students to ride the bus if this form has not been returned. Please feel free to contact the school if you require further
information.
Bus Students: All students must be at their bus stop 15 minutes earlier. Students are asked to:
Follow all bus safety rules and be on time
Take the bus each day
Know their bus number
ANAPHYLAXIS IS THE MOST SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION AND IS POTENTIALLY LIFE
THREATENING
At St. Fidelis Catholic School several students have serious and/or life-threatening allergies to certain
foods. Foods that can trigger an anaphylactic reaction by consumption and contact are: traces of
peanuts and other nuts, fish and shellfish, sesame seeds, eggs, kiwis and seed and nut oils. DO NOT
send food products with these ingredients as trace amounts and cross contamination can cause serious
physical and emotional reactions and even death. Wheat is another food that can also cause these
adverse reactions upon consumption.
We ask that everyone practice extra care in checking all food items before they come to school. This is an adult
responsibility. Contamination from allergens can easily spread to desktops, all about the school (doorknobs, materials,
equipment, etc.,) and the buses. Speaking to your children about food allergies will help to educate your children about
cross contamination. We also ask that all treats such as chocolate or candy be kept at home. They are treats and do not
constitute any part of a nutritious snack and are not always nut-free.
We highly discourage the use of products that are imitations of foods that trigger life threatening anaphylactic reactions.
It sends the wrong message to students and, as imitation products so closely resemble the real thing, it can become
impossible to monitor and to ensure the safety of our students.
Please DO NOT bring in any type of food items for birthdays or at any time. We want these special days to be fun for all
children so we invite you to consider alternate choices for sharing. We also do not want anyone to feel obligated to
send any items to your child’s classmates. For those that wish to, some suggestions include: a book donation to the
class on behalf of the child celebrating their birthday, craft supplies for the class to share, a donation to a charity that
the school supports in your child’s name, a pencil, stickers, or crayons.
In addition to this, we would like for you to reinforce our message of not sharing food items. Although we promote
sharing, for example, of books, toys, ideas, materials, etc., the sharing of any food item is absolutely not permitted.
Frequent hand washing is also an important step in preventing cross contamination.
While we cannot guarantee an allergen free environment, together, we can do our best for the safety of all children at St. Fidelis. We count on the care of staff, parents, and students, in establishing a common understanding of the severity of anaphylaxis. Full community co-operation will help us prevent incidences of medical emergencies due to anaphylactic reactions.
SCHOOL SAFETY AND VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL In an effort to keep our students safe at all times, the following has been implemented:
All school doors are kept locked.
All visitors entering the school grounds and/or building, including parents/guardians, babysitters and
siblings, must first report to the office to identify themselves and obtain a visitor‟s badge.
THIS IS SCHOOL BOARD POLICY.
Parents are to drop off their children either at the Kiss „n Ride or at the start of the north
walkway when bringing them to school.
Children are to wait in the yard until their teachers come to pick them up when the bell
rings.
Parents are not to accompany their children inside or into the school yard.
After school, parents are asked to pick up their children at the front of the school. Because of the large
number of children and lack of supervision, children cannot wait in the main office to be picked up after school.
Dismissal is at 3:30pm and supervision is in effect until 3:40p.m. Please make sure that all children are picked
up on time.
When children are to be picked up during school hours, parents are asked to report to the office to sign their
children out; at that point, their child will be called out of class.
CELL PHONES AND ELECTRONICS: Please do not send your child(ren) to school with any electronic devices.
If you feel that your child needs to carry a cell phone to and from school, please note that it MUST be turned off and put away while on school property. If you have an urgent matter, we will be happy to get your child for
you. The school is not responsible for lost or stolen items. The rule remains: OFF AND INVISIBLE” THANK YOU FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION
SUCCESS CRITERIA….
…..Is a simple, yet important idea for the most current “buzz word” in education. It is based upon the following premise: STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ARE BETTER ABLE TO SUCCEED AT TASKS WHEN THEY HELP TO DETERMINE WHAT WILL HELP THEM ACHIEVE SUCCESS. Learning goals are established collaboratively by teachers and students. They are the curriculum expectations written in student-friendly language so that the students are clear about what they hope to achieve through the learning task. Success Criteria is also student-driven, and contains a list of established criteria so that each student knows what they have to do in order to be successful in meeting the particular learning goal. In the past, you may have noticed that teachers have been sharing samples of level 3 and 4 work (exemplars) as well as level 1 and 2 work to help students be able to discuss what makes a good response, a good writing or media piece or a good math problem solving answer. More info on co created success criteria will follow in the upcoming months. For info, visit: http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesAER/VideoLibrary/LearningGoalsSuccessCriteria/LearningGoalsSuccessCriteriaViewingGuide2011.pdf
DRESS CODE: EACH REGULAR DAY YOUR CHILD ARRIVE TO SCHOOL IN;
A PLAIN, SOLID WHITE OR NAVY BLUE TOP (with or without the St. Fidelis crest)
NAVY BLUE BOTTOMS (dress pants, casual pants, knee length skirts – no track pants, short skirts or tights)
***THESE SIMPLE ITEMS CONSTITUTE THE APPROPRIATE DRESS CODE FOR ST. FIDELIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL***
Dress Code items are available at: GINO’S FASHIONS (www.ginosfashion.com/uniforms) RJ McCARTHY’S (www.rjmmccarthy.com)
NAVY BLUE DRESS PANTS CAN BE FOUND AT THE CHILDREN’S PLACE, WAL-MART, ZELLERS, SEARS and m other retailers. TO VIEW THE APPROPRIATE DRESS CODE POLICY, PLEASE VISIT:
SOME VERY IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT DRESS CODE Appropriate Dress Code, adopted by the school last year, requires consistency and parental support to be effective.
Please purchase items that comply with the dress code. Note that the following are not in accordance with the dress code:
- black tights; students past grade 3 should not to be wearing tights; dress pants are the preferred item for all students
- shorts that are not navy blue
- jeans or white pants, track pants that are not navy blue.
- spaghetti strap tops
- flip flops or exposed toe shoes; proper footwear is necessary for safety It is very important that we all put in a greater effort to ensure that our students wear the appropriate dress code in a manner that is consistent, respectful and fair. Instances where dress code is not followed will be tracked and the Progressive Discipline Approach will be implemented for those who begin to demonstrate lack of consideration of this policy.
WE THANK YOU AND COUNT UPON YOUR SUPPORT FOR THESE AND ALL MATTERS.
The Intermediate Boys Volleyball Team competed in the Divisional Tournament held at St. Antoine Daniel
School on Tuesday, November 20, 2012. The boys competed in round robin games against five other schools
in their division. They displayed great sportsmanship and played well, winning 7 sets and only losing one.
They were able to make it to the final match, where they placed second, overall at the Divisional
Tournament. A big thank you to the entire team for a great Volleyball season and for representing St. Fidelis
proudly! We also thank our coaches, Ms. Bossio and Mr. Grossi for their hard work and dedication!
The Intermediate Girls‟ Volleyball Team also competed in the Divisional Tournament held at St. Antoine Daniel School on
Wednesday, November 20th
, 2012. They competed very well in all of their round robin games and played with great dignity
excellence and pride!! We thank the all of our athletes for a great volleyball season and we also thank their coach, Mr. Ruggeri.
The Sal Piccininni Indoor Soccer Tournament took place on Saturday, November 24th
at St. Basil‟s College.
We thank all of the parents, staff, friends and family members who were able to watch our Girls‟ and Boys‟
team play some very exciting games against several area schools. The Boys‟ team was able to make it to the
final game, coming second place in the tournament and the Girls‟ team made it to the semi finals. Once
again, we thank all athletes for giving it their all and for representing our school in an exemplary manner!
We congratulate the teams that won (St. Jude and Immaculate Conception) in the finals and were grateful to
have played against them! We thank Mr. Piccininni for such a fun opportunity to play a great sport. We
would also like to thank our teacher coaches for being so giving in their time and skill: Ms. Galati, Mr.
Grossi and Mr. Ruggeri!
CSAC – Catholic School Advisory Council Meetings
Monday, December 10th, 2012, 7:00pm, Library
Parent involvement is essential for our school to show continued success. Please strongly consider attending
this important meeting and becoming a participant of our Catholic School Advisory Council.
CSAC Meetings for all parents to attend will take place in the school‟s Library at 7:00pm on the following
dates:
Monday, December 10, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday, January 21, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Your participation at these meetings is most welcome and greatly appreciated!
The next CSAC Meetings will be taking place on Monday, December 10th
and on Monday December 17th
at
7:00pm in our school’s Library. All parents are encouraged to attend.
Invitation to Follow TCDSB and St. Fidelis Principal on Twitter
The Toronto Catholic District School Board is pleased to announce that you can now follow us on Twitter.
You can find us at https://twitter.com/#!/TCDSB. Please help us to spread the word to staff, parents, students and Catholic school supporters.
This is the official Twitter account of the Board, and will be administered in compliance with the Board‟s Acceptable Use Policy
http://www.tcdsb.org/policyregister/AUP/a29.pdf The Toronto Catholic District School Board Twitter account is managed by the Communications, Media and Public Relations Department. If you follow
us, you can expect a number of tweets each week covering some or all of the following:
Invitations to provide feedback on specific issues on which we are consulting our parents, staff and other stakeholders
Information from the TCDSB on key issues
News bulletins about school and board events
Occasional alerts of live coverage of events such as board meetings
Information on school closures or cancellation of school bus service
Special bulletins of an urgent nature impacting students, staff and their families
You can also follow the St. Fidelis School Principal on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/FIDELISprincTCD
TWO SHOES FOR ALL STUDENTS: ALL STUDENTS FROM GRADES 1-8 REMEMBER TO HAVE YOUR INDOOR AND
OUTDOOR SHOES READY FOR EACH DAY! BRINGING IN YOUR SHOES ALLOWS US ALL TO USE THE FIELD MORE OFTEN.
BOOTS MUST NOT BE WORN IN THE CLASSROOM. PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOUR CHILD’S BOOTS, ALONG WITH ALL OTHER CLOTHING ITEMS ARE LABELLED WITH THEIR NAMES IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE RETURNED TO THEM IF MISPLACED.
The Toronto Catholic District School Board is promoting the
elimination of the sale and distribution of bottled water in all of its schools, offices and at off-site events, when
tap water is available.
This is the result of a student-lead initiative brought to the Board of Trustees last year and passed at its
meeting on April 20, 2011. Our student leaders are engaged in Catholic social teaching by promoting peace,
justice and the dignity of all human persons in a caring community. Student leaders have investigated the
bottled water industry and have identified serious, life-threatening issues regarding the access to clean
drinking water in the Global South. As Pope John Paul II said, “water is a gift of God and right of all”. It is a God-
given resource that should be available to all individuals around the Globe. It is not a commodity to be bought
and sold, at the detriment of others.
The Toronto Catholic District School Board facilities provide free access to safe tap water. As you know, the
TCDSB Occupational Health and Safety Department regularly tests our tap water to ensure it complies with the
rigid standards set by the Ministry of the Environment.
Where and when it is feasible and safe to do so, we are asking our school communities and office staff to use tap water as
much and as often as possible. We encourage you to utilize canteens, pitchers and reusable water bottles and to review
their safe use with your children.
The Toronto Catholic District School Board community has an opportunity to embrace God’s gift of water as the shared
resource it is. It is our responsibility to ensure that it is cared for and shared equitably with the whole of our human family.
We can apply our Catholic social teachings and live our values by eliminating our use of bottled water. Students, parents
and staff who wish to bring bottled water into schools, offices or to Board-sponsored events, are entitled to do so. Water is
one of God’s most precious gifts the basis of all life. This gift of water is given to us by God--it is for everyone.
“Let everyone who is thirsty come, Let anyone who wishes, take the water of life as a gift.” Revelation 22:17
Parenting and Family Literacy Centres: Parenting and Family Literacy Centres are free school based programs for
parents, grandparents and caregivers with children from birth to six years of age.
The Toronto District School Board currently has 76 programs located in elementary schools across Toronto
Parenting and Family Literacy Centres offer a fun play based program that supports children’s early learning and
development and lays the foundations for successful transition to school. Qualified Parent Workers offer developmentally
appropriate activities that focus on engaging parents in their child’s learning. The centres provide opportunities for:
Parents and children to become familiar with their local school and establish positive home-school connections
Participation in a family literacy program that helps children develop and build essential literacy and numeracy skills
Families to receive information about community resources
Parents to discuss parenting concerns and seek referrals if necessary
Families to borrow books from a multi lingual book lending library.
Families with young children are invited to participate in a safe, nurturing, stimulating program where children can play and
learn and parents can connect with each other.
For more information please call Ruth Sischy at 416-394-2067 or Joanne Davis at 416-394-2144.
Monthly Update from the Board Introducing New Budget/Financial Reporting Tool TCDSB is pleased to announce the roll-out of another budget/financial reporting tool by which TCDSB is enhancing and
facilitating public accountability and transparency in our ongoing efforts to increase public confidence. To access
information about individual school budgets and financial information, please visit our website at and select a school from
SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM a message.) This will reassure the school that your child is safe. If a child is absent, then we will call home if we have not
been notified. When a student returns to school after an absence, he or she must bring a signed and dated parental or medical note to explain the reason. STUDENT ILLNESS OR ABSENTEEISM
If your child is to be absent from school for any reason, please telephone the school to inform the secretary before 8:30am of the day of absence. (We also have a voicemail box for your convenience to call at any time to leave
If your child has to leave during the day for an appointment, please send a signed and dated note requesting his/her dismissal and the time. For safety reasons, we strongly recommend that younger children not be allowed to go home on their own and should be picked up by an adult.
If children are not feeling well, please give them an opportunity to recuperate at home. It is assumed that if children are well enough to be at school, they are also well enough to take part in recess. Children need time to get some fresh air and stretch their muscles. If they are dressed properly, they will be able to do this in comfort, even on our cold Canadian winter days.
When a student arrives late for school, he or she must report to the office before going to class. If you or your child is having difficulty in arriving on time, please refer to the newsletter article entitled “Simplify Your Morning Routine” for some great advice for curbing habitual lateness.
Early Dismissal Students require a signed and date permission note from a parent or guardian in order to leave before dismissal. Please make arrangements prior to the school day if your child needs to be signed out early.
Inclement Weather On days when the weather is inclement, the students will be permitted to enter the building at 8:15 a.m. Decisions about early entry or indoor recess will be made on a day by day basis using Environment Canada information. We encourage students to dress according to weather conditions.
STUDENT ILLNESS OR ABSENTEEISM
If your child has to leave during the day for an appointment, please send a signed and dated note requesting
his/her dismissal and the time. For safety reasons, we strongly recommend that younger children not be allowed
to go home on their own and should be picked up by an adult.
If children are not feeling well, please give them an opportunity to recuperate at home. It is assumed that if
children are well enough to be at school, they are also well enough to take part in recess. Children need time to
get some fresh air and stretch their muscles. If they are dressed properly, they will be able to do this in comfort,
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.)
- Information will be shared electronically with 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)
- Twitter will also be used to provide updates throughout the day. Follow TCDSB on twitter. - 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 as an alert—this will appear on the
home page of the website as well as all school pages. - The Transportation Department will post this information on its website at http://www.schoolbus.to/c_home.asp
TAPCE Commissioning Ceremony: The Toronto Association for Parents in Catholic Education is holding its annual
commissioning ceremony and presentation of the Outstanding Principal of the Year Award on December 3rd.
Hand Washing Hand washing is an important way to reduce the spread of germs that can cause illnesses.
Teach your children when and how to wash their hands properly.
Always wash your hands
After you:
Sneeze, cough or blow your nose
Use the washroom or change diapers
Handle garbage
Before and after you:
Prepare or eat food
Touch a cut or open sore
Steps in proper hand washing:
Wet hands and apply soap
Lather for 15 seconds. Rub between fingers, back of hands, fingertips, under nails
Rinse well under running water
Dry hands well with paper towel or hot air blower
Turn taps off with paper towel, if available For further information, contact Toronto Health Connection at 416-338-7600 or visit www.toronto.ca/health.
TCDSB School Year Calendar 2012-2013
Number of school days 194 Number of professional activity days 6 Labour Day September 3, 2012 First Instructional Day September 4, Thanksgiving Day October 8, 2012 Christmas Break December 24,
-January 4, 2013
Family Day February 18, 2013 Mid-Winter Break March 11-15, 2013 Good Friday March 29, 2013 Easter Monday April 1, 2013 Victoria Day May 20, 2013 Last day of classes for elementary schools June 27, 2013
Six (6) professional development days for ELEMENTARY schools
November 16, 2012 Parent Teacher Conferences
December 7, 2012 Provincial education priorities
January 25, 2013 Assessment, evaluation and reporting
February 15, 2013 Parent Teacher Conferences
June 7, 2013 Assessment, evaluation and reporting
June 28, 2013 Provincial education priorities/Faith day
*************************************************************** A Christmas Prayer
Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the
shepherds, and worship of the wise men.
Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.
May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful
thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake.
Amen Robert Louis Stevenson
HOLIDAY DATES
The last day of classes before Christmas is Friday, December 21, 2012, with regular dismissal at 3:30pm. Classes will resume on Monday, January 7, 2013, at 8:30am.
