ST. ANSELM CATHOLIC SCHOOL 182 Bessborough Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G 4H5 TEL: (416) 393-5243 FAX: (416) 397-6320 Website: www.tcdsb.org/stanselm @stanselm_cs FEBRUARY 2017 Principal Mr. R. Walo [email protected]Administrative Support Staff Mrs. C. Bright Mrs. L. Commodari Superintendent Mr. J. Shain (Interim) (416) 222-8282 ext.5371 Trustee Angela Kennedy (416) 512-3411 [email protected]CSPC Chair Mrs. A. O’Leary [email protected]Parishes St. Anselm Parish 1 MacNaughton Road (416) 485-1792 Pastor: Father Jozef Vano St. Edith Stein Catholic Church 16 Thorncliffe Pk. Drive (416) 696-8427 School Hours 2016-2017 8:30 to 3:00 p.m. AM Recess: 10:15 a.m. Lunch Hour: 11:15 – 12:15 PM Recess: 1:40 p.m. PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE During February, we innately think about Valentine’s Day and all of the festivities associated with this special day. Valentine’s Day is the celebration of Love and in John’s Gospel, we are reminded of how much God loves each and every one of us, “For God so loved the world, He gave His only son.” John 3:16. As we focus on the vir- tue of love, let us remember that love not only inspires the prac- tice of all other virtues, it is foundational for all of the other vir- tues. Parents are invited to join us at our February Mass, celebrat- ing the Virtue of love, on Wednesday, February 22nd at 9 a.m. In the upcoming month, teachers have planned various activities in their classrooms that center on the virtue of love. Also, in Feb- ruary, we acknowledge African Canadian Heritage Month. Afri- can Canadian Heritage Month refers to the stories, experiences and accomplishments of people of African origin. At the end of February we enter into the penitential season of Lent. In an effort for all of us to become closer to God and in prep- aration for Lent, we are also pleased to announce that we will begin the Rosary Apostolate program in the month of February. Members from the program will be visiting St. Anselm once a month to pray the rosary with each class. There are so many addi- tional benefits that we gain by praying the rosary and we are hap- py to provide our students with this opportunity. The program will run for 4 months until May. On Tuesday, February 28th, the last day before Lent, students will be treated to pancakes. This last ‘indulgence’ of eating richer, fat- ty foods, is a sign of what will be sacrificed in the 40 days ahead in Lent. A very sincere thank you to the number of parent volun- teers who will assist in making and distributing pancakes to the students. All the very best in the month ahead! R. Walo VIRTUE OF THE MONTH: LOVE
Transcript
ST. ANSELM CATHOLIC SCHOOL 182 Bessborough Drive, Toronto, Ontario,
During February, we innately think about Valentine’s Day and all
of the festivities associated with this special day. Valentine’s Day
is the celebration of Love and in John’s Gospel, we are reminded of
how much God loves each and every one of us, “For God so loved
the world, He gave His only son.” John 3:16. As we focus on the vir-
tue of love, let us remember that love not only inspires the prac-
tice of all other virtues, it is foundational for all of the other vir-
tues. Parents are invited to join us at our February Mass, celebrat-
ing the Virtue of love, on Wednesday, February 22nd at 9 a.m.
In the upcoming month, teachers have planned various activities
in their classrooms that center on the virtue of love. Also, in Feb-
ruary, we acknowledge African Canadian Heritage Month. Afri-
can Canadian Heritage Month refers to the stories, experiences
and accomplishments of people of African origin.
At the end of February we enter into the penitential season of
Lent. In an effort for all of us to become closer to God and in prep-
aration for Lent, we are also pleased to announce that we will
begin the Rosary Apostolate program in the month of February.
Members from the program will be visiting St. Anselm once a
month to pray the rosary with each class. There are so many addi-
tional benefits that we gain by praying the rosary and we are hap-
py to provide our students with this opportunity. The program
will run for 4 months until May.
On Tuesday, February 28th, the last day before Lent, students will
be treated to pancakes. This last ‘indulgence’ of eating richer, fat-
ty foods, is a sign of what will be sacrificed in the 40 days ahead in
Lent. A very sincere thank you to the number of parent volun-
teers who will assist in making and distributing pancakes to the
students.
All the very best in the month ahead! R. Walo
VIRTUE OF THE MONTH:
LOVE
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR... Hello from the Parent Council! A few updates about celebra-tions and initiatives below. Have a wonderful February! Valentine’s Day - We’re very excited to be providing a DJ for the students for the Valentine’s Day dance. With all their hard work, we think it’s important to also make time for fun (and with great music!). Black History Month - Each year, we fund presentations for the students in honour of Black History Month. We are VERY excited to be providing the kids with a visit from Maestro Fresh Wes on Feb. 23rd. We think parents may be even more excited than the kids! Skating - CSPC sponsored skating will be taking place again at Leaside Gardens on Feb. 10th and 24th. Pancake Tuesday – Pancake breakfast will be taking place on Feb. 28th. While CSPC covers the associated costs, one of our mandates this year is to find ways to give back to communities in need. We are going to ask that students bring a voluntary do nation that day (if possible). We will then be asking the Student Council to provide a proposal on how we can give the funds to a charitable cause. Charitable Giving - Keeping with our Charity mandate, we are asking for a parent volunteer (or a team) to lead our Charitable Giving initiative this year. This individual (or team) would re view various causes and provide a recommendation to CSPC on which charity/ies we could support, along with recommended investment levels. We don’t expect this to be a huge undertak ing, so please consider contacting me to volunteer ([email protected]). ECHOage – A reminder to consider this when planning your next Birthday Party. We’ll be sending out a more detailed re minder about how it works, but it’s a great way to give back to the school while also allowing your child to choose 1 or 2 big gifts (rather than several small birthday presents). We raised
almost $3,800 through this in 2016.
Curling Night - Mark your calendars and book your babysit
ters….Curling night is booked for Sat, March 25th! This is a fun
annual social night for parents – beginner curlers welcome!
Playground Revitalization – On Jan 30th, we received official
approval from the board to move forward with this project,
which St. Anselm parent, Chris Burkett, is leading. More info to
come as we get moving on this important initiative.
AGNES MCPHAIL SPEECH COMPETITION On Wednesday, February 22nd, two student finalists from Grades 6-8, will be representing St. Anselm at the Agnes McPhail Speech Com-petition at the East York Civic Center at 7 p.m. We wish all of our finalists the very best at this
tournament and a special thank you to the Junior and Intermedi-ate teachers for spending the time teaching and reinforcing ef-fective public speaking skills - a valuable skill.
SKATING AT LEASIDE GARDENS Students in Grades 1-8 will be skating on the following dates in February:
Friday, February 10th Friday, February 24th
Grades 1 to 4 will skate from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Grades 4/5 to 8 will skate from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Parent volunteers are asked to meet the children at the Arena 15 minutes prior to their child’s start time.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES Parent teacher conferences are an important component of ongoing home-school commu-nication and involvement in your child’s learning. The purpose of Term 1 confer-ences is to gain a deeper understanding of progress to date and to devise an action plan to ensure stu-dents reach their full potential. Parents are kindly asked to select an interview time at www.sacs.teacherinterview.com. Interviews will be held in the evening on Thursday, Febru-ary 16th and during the morning on Friday, February 17th. FDK AND NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION
During the week of February 8th, par-ents who are currently on the Priority 1 or 2 waitlist, and have submitted all necessary documentation, will receive
an update on their child’s registration status. Please note: Waitlist #3, 4 and 5 parents will receive notification at the end of April.
GRADE 8 GOOD SHEPHERD INITIATIVE Thank you to Mrs. Sparrey (retired St. Anselm Teacher and Parishioner) and the Grade 8 students for bak-ing a variety of items for The Good Shepherd refuge. The Grade 8s will be baking in the Par-ish Hall every Wednesday during the months of February and March. This has become a tradition for Grade 8s and we thank Father Vano and Mrs. Sparrey for providing our students with this faith-filled experience.
MASS OF THE ANOINTING On Saturday, February 11th, some of the Grade 8 students,
will be involved in the Mass of The Anointing after the 5:00 p.m. Mass. The students will help serve dinner and will assist with the clean up. Thank you to Mrs. Sparrey and our Grade 8s for this wonderful act of charity.
NAVY BLUE AND WHITE DONATIONS Our gently used clothing drive has been a tremendous success this year and we thank everyone for their ongoing support. As we continue into the winter months, there is a huge need for navy blue sweaters and hoodies. If you do have any that you have outgrown, we would gladly accept them and forward them to other schools in the city that are less fortunate. The do-nation bin is located in the front entrance of the school.
ECHOAGE Our gratitude is extended to the following student(s) for making a donation to St. Anselm in lieu of a birthday gift through EchoAge: Charlotte DeMelo. Parents are invited to use the code $20GIFT when registering for their next party. An additional $20 will be applied to the account.
St. Anselm PAGE 2
CURRICULUM HIGHLIGHTS Mrs. Paiano/Mrs. Lavelle’s Full Day Kindergarten Class We will begin the month of February by celebrating our 100 day of school! The children will be involved in an activity where they will be creating their 100 day posters. In this activity the children will be learning to count objects by 10 all the way to 100. The Kinders will also be creating a t-shirt with short sentences on what they enjoy about school, and illustrating and writing their favourite memories of school. We also dedicate the month of February to the virtue of love. The students will be read various stories about love as part of our Literacy component. The children will be asked to illustrate and write one thing that they love about one of their friends in the class. In Word Study, the students will be learning the sounds O, U,L,F. We will focus on the word families _og, _all, and un. We will also learn the sight words that, ran, all, you, do, In Mathematics, we will be focusing on Data Management. The children will be sorting and collecting data to create and interpret two and three column picture graphs. We will also be focusing on Spatial Sense. The kinders will be identifying, describing and comparing 3-D shapes. Lastly, in Number Sense, the children will be recognizing and counting numbers to 10, recognizing and describing visual patterns of numbers to 10, and counting and comparing sets to 10. We will also continue to inquiry on snow, and the children will be involved in various snow activities. Finally, during the month of February, we will begin our “Show and Share”. On the day that your child is student of the day, your child is welcome to bring in something of importance that they wish to show and talk to their peers about. We look forward to a wonderful month of fun and learning!
Mrs. L’Abadie/Ms. Huggins’ Full Day Kindergarten Class This month the students look forward to many exciting activities. The month of Febru-ary is dedicated to the virtue of love and this relates to Valentine’s Day. We will also celebrate Black History Month and Family Day. Hence, activities in the classroom will focus on these topics. We will continue with “Show and Share” and will complete our
inquiry on the “Ocean”. In Mathematics, we will be focusing on Graphing (Data Management). Students will sort, classify and make representations of their observations. They will also respond to and pose questions about data collection and graphs. We will also be focusing on Exploring 3-D Shapes (Geometry Spatial Sense). Students will de-scribe, sort, classify, build and compare three-dimensional figures. In Language, we will continue with the Jolly Phonics (Ff, Bb, ai, Jj), news and reading, rhymes, finger plays and stories relating to topics for the month. The students will write Valentine’s Day cards and messages to friends and family members. They will also write in their journals about their daily experiences and interest. Have a happy Valentine’s Day and Family Day weekend!
Mrs. Dalla Giustina’s Physical Education Classes In Physical Education, we have been playing Net and Wall games such as Volleyball and Four Square. Stu-dents have been exploring various ways to send a ball as well as the tactics associated with these types of games. We have been discussing questions like "How much force do I need to send this ball to my opponent?" and "Where should I aim to send it to help my team be successful?" Our next step, in February, will be to look at the characteristics of Invasion/Territory games. What they have in common and what strategies we use to be successful.
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Mrs. McFarquhar’s Senior Kindergarten and Grade One class During the month of February, in mathematics, students will explore money. We will work on identifying and describing various coins (e.g., nickel, dime, quarter, toonie and loonie) and representing money amounts to $.20. Using coin manipulatives, students will add and subtract money amounts to $.10. In Language, students will be given opportunities for creative writing. We will work on our retelling skills by identifying the main idea and a few elements of texts (e.g., narrative: characters, setting, problem/solution). The letters and sounds for the month are: l, f, b and ai.
Miss McLoughlin’s Grade 1Class The month of February kicks off with Ground Hog Day on Thursday, February 2nd. We are hoping for an early Spring! In Religion, the students are learning how the Church welcomes new members into the Church family at the sacrament of Baptism. Through stories about Jesus such as the Wedding at Cana,
we are learning to compare what families are like with what Jesus said and did. Our class will be leading the school mass on Wednesday February 22nd at 9:00 AM. All parents and caregivers are welcome! The virtue for the month of February is LOVE. In keeping with this month’s virtue, we will emphasize how we
can show love by caring for the needs of others. A class list of names will be sent home to help the children pre-pare their Valentines. In Mathematics, our unit exploring mental math strategies for addition and subtraction facts will conclude in ear-ly February. The next unit of study will be 2-D and 3-D Geometry. We have two more skating excursions to Leaside Memorial Gardens arena this month on February 10th and February 24th. In Math, we’ll study 2D geometry, including area and symmetry. Our lessons will connect to our virtue as we consider the heart – a perfect shape for exploring symmetry – and the capacity of LOVE. The cold of winter will not overtake the warmth of our hearts.
Ms. Messner’s Grade 2 Class In February the virtue of the month we will be celebrating is love. On Feb 14th we will celebrate Valentine’s Day with a dance and various activities (a class list will be sent home for Valentine’s Day cards). In Religion we will be learning about how God created us male and female and rela-tionships and families. We will begin preparation for first reconciliation which is on March 28th at 7:00 pm at St. Anselm Church. In Language Arts the students will continue to participate in shared and interactive reading and writing and our weekly word study. In Math, we will be finishing up our unit on non-standard measurement and then focusing on exploring 2-D and 3-D shapes, place value and greater numbers including (100 hundred charts and working with different types of coins) through games and various activities. We will be celebrating being at school for 100 days. In Science we will continue to explore and learn about daily and seasonal changes and water, air and the environment.
M. Era and Madame Marrelli’s French Classes
This month M. Era and Mme. Marrelli’s grade 2/3 and 3 classes are preparing to rock it out to some French music at Gregg LeRock’s concert February 16th. This is a great opportunity for our students to listen, sing and dance to French songs in an authentic setting while, at the same time, learn some new vocabulary! Some of the songs include vocabulary about family, clothing and justice and grammar concepts related to articles, verb conjugations and sentence structures.
Ms. McMahon’s Grade 1/2 Class A great big Happy Festive February! Isn’t it ironic that the shortest month is one the busiest months of the whole school year?! We begin with Groundhog Day on Feb. 2nd when we learn whether we will be putting away our wintry woolies for an early spring or pulling on more layers to get through another six weeks of winter. And, if the latter is true – no matter! This weather-theme flows nicely into our Science units on weather, wind, and wa-ter – for both grades 1 & 2. We will examine the Science of Snowflakes and how, like people, “No two are alike.” Gong Hey Fat Choy! We salute the Chinese culture by exploring New Year’s traditions, including special foods, gifts, and decorations. 2017 is the Year of the Rooster, an animal on the Chinese zodiac praised for its traits of ambition, honesty, and independence. Naturally, February’s Virtue of Love provides many reading, wr iting, and communicating oppor tuni-ties across the curriculum for both grades. February is also Black History month when we will study some of the key figures that brought about change and equality, including Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks who stood up and spoke out, as well as South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, who led a peaceful protest that highlighted the power of forgiveness. Miss Napoli’s Grade 2/3 Class
Our Grade 2 and 3 students have had a great start to 2017 over the past month! We returned ready for a new year of learning and special events that included meeting our business partner Jenees Jegatheeswaran, an inquiry project on the Aurora Boreal-is (Northern Lights), creating our first Google Slides presentations, skating on Fri-days along with the many other extra-curricular programs at school. We will be tying many of the exciting themes and holidays present in the month of
February into our classroom curriculum in the following ways: In Math, we wrapped up 2-D Geometry and focused on the attributes of various polygons. We are just beginning to take a closer look at Chapter 6: Place Value (2) and Adding and Subtracting with Greater Numbers (3). We will be revisiting money amounts, specifically through an entrepreneurial lens in order to prepare for our EA project - including money math, goods & services, supply & demand and budgeting. This aligns with recent improvements planned for financial literacy programs for students across Ontario. In Science, we will continue to work on our Movement and Strong & Stable Structures Units where both Grade 2s and 3s will be examining the fea-tures and needs of playground structures and combine their learning by bringing together knowledge of both simple machines and stability. In Language Arts, we have been focusing on parts of speech. Students are beginning to recognize different forms of writing, how to categorize data in their readings and how to draw out main ideas, details and key
words using various strategies. We will shift gears and look at how to closely read and identify different features of a text. In Religion, our focus will be on February's virtue of the month (Love) and reinforced through Unit 3: "Jesus Guides Us" and in Fully Alive, Theme 3: "Life Begins in Love" (2) and "We Grow
& Change" (3). Our class goal is to continue to be loving, caring and compassionate to one another and to others in our community. We will continue reflecting on the dialogue needed to exemplify the virtue of Love in our daily lives by focusing on Jesus' teachings. Keep up all of your hard work, Grade 2s & 3s! We
have a fun-filled month ahead of us!
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Ms. Wilson’s Learning Center Math - This month, the Grade 6 students will explore the strand of Measurement. Specifically they will be applying the rules for calculating areas of parallelograms and triangles as well as de-termining missing dimensions using area formulas. A additional resource to provide reinforce-ment is the Nelson student help website. Here students will find extra practice questions directly related to the chapters they are working on. A good place to review prior to quizzes/tests. http://www.math6.nelson.com/studentcentre/studentcentre.html In connection with supporting students overall development as learners, an interesting video to watch is Carol Dweck and John Mighton’s discussion on the critical importance of a growth mindset for students' success in math. Carol Dweck Ph.D., is one of the world's leading researchers in the field of motivation and is the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Her research has focused on why people succeed and how to foster success. John Mighton is the founder of Jump Math. This conversation took place at the MathConnect Conference in Calgary on February 2, 2013, co-hosted by The University of Calgary, Department of Education and JUMP Math. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx4FZ0UK_nc Visual Arts - This month, the resource room will offer the oppor tunity for students to apply the creative pro-cess to produce artwork that communicates feelings around self-identity using elements of visual arts (line, shape, colour). The students will be creating their self-portraits using a variety of techniques. Upon completion of the por-trait, the student’s will be asked to come up with one word that they feel best reflects how they see themselves. Language Arts - Reading Club - The enthusiasm for the Forest of Reading program continues as evidenced in our weekly meetings where students share their thoughts and opinions on the novels being read. On Friday, February 17th the students will have the opportunity to participate in a virtual visit with the author of “Everyday Hero” Kathleen Cherry.
Mrs. Connally’s Grade 3 Class The Grade 3s in Mrs. Connally’s class are looking forward to lots of fun as we celebrate friendship in February. In Religion, we will continue to learn about relationships and send heartfelt messages to special people who help us on Valentine’s Day. We are also practicing to be ambassadors of mindful-ness endeavouring to be present to others, calmly talk out our differences and be grateful for God’s bounty.
To round out the month, we will take our turn leading the student body in morning prayers. In Language class, we will focus on responding effectively to reading so that we can communicate our understanding of the plight of refu-gees, both today and in the past. Later in the month we will read the novel, Freezing Moon, which is about a pioneer family settling in Upper Canada. In Science, we will study the importance of soil and welcome a scientist to our class-room on February 15th.
We will do some spectacular 2-D and 3-D art that enables us to practise skills learned in our upcoming measurement
and geometry units. Thank you parents for the opportunity to skate twice this month and for the delicious pancakes
we will enjoy on February 28th.
Mr. Wilson’s Grade 4 Class Hi Everyone! It’s hard to believe but, Spring is almost Sprung! We’re now into February and visions of March Break are dancing in our heads! Here in Room 222, we are as busy as ever. In Math, we are moving on to our 6th Chapter, “Multiplication and Division”. In Language Arts, our focus continues to be Grammar and the finer points of Writing and the Writing Process. We have also begun to look at different forms of “Media.” Science see us exploring “Pulleys and Gears” and in Social Studies, we have just completed our unit of “Canada” and we are just beginning to investi-gate “Ancient Civilizations.” God Bless!
Mrs. Angelone’s Grade 4/5 Class Greetings from grade 4/5! On Tuesday February 21st, students will be going to the ROM. Grade 4’s will partici-pate in an exhibit tour about Ancient Greece’s Civilization and a lab. The grade 5’s will participate in an exhibit tour about First Nations and Early Europeans in New France and Early Canada and a lab. In Math, the grade four students will begin chapter 8: Area. Students will measure area with the appropriate unit, and investigate how changes in a shape affect perimeter and area. The grade 5 students will also begin chapter 8: Area. Grade 5 students will estimate and measure areas of 2-D shapes, and develop and use a rule for calculating areas of rectangle. In Social Studies, grade four students are learning about Early Societies. Grade four students are learning to investigate ways of life and relationships with the environment in two of more early societies (3000 BCE–1500 CE). Grade 5 students are learning about First Nations and European Explorers in New France and early Cana-da. Students will learn about contributions First Nations had made in Canada. As well, investigate the relation-ship between European Explorers and First Nations, understanding their connections and consequences. In Language, students are enjoying reading Holes by Louis Sachar. While reading this novel students continue to extend their understanding of a text by using reading strategies of inferring and making connections.
Mrs. Whyte’s Grade 5 Class
Grade 5’s are excited to be half way through the year! Students will show love this month by looking for opportunities to show kindness in class, and around the school, and by collecting new and gently used books to donate to The Children’s Book Bank. We will deliver our books on February 7th. Please join us if you can! It’s a very special place. In Math, students will explore Area, 3-D Geometry and 3-D Measurement in activities with our math buddies, using technology, and manipulatives. In
Language, students will peer tutor Ms. McMahon’s class about non-fiction conventions (e.g., captions, tables, and print) and elements of a story (e.g., plot, characters, and setting).
This month, Grade Fives have another book report based on a novel, and they are encouraged to find a book by a new author. Students will also present Underground Railroad plays to other junior classes this month, and have another opportunity to flex their drama muscles! In Science, we will explore Structures and Mechanisms, and Unit 2: First Nations and European Explorers in Social Studies, beginning with a focus on First Nations Peoples in Eastern Cana-da. We will participate in a lab, and tour, on the topic of First Nations Peoples at the Royal Ontario Museum on Feb-
ruary 21st. Permission letters will go home in the next few weeks. February should be an eventful month!
The Children’s Book Bank
Please send gently used and new books for The Children’s Book Bank. Mrs. Whyte’s class is visiting The CBB on February 7th. Please drop your books off outside Mrs. Whyte’s room, and they will be delivered for you! Thank you for your generosity, The Children’s Book Bank is a unique charity that serves children from around the city. Thank you for putting your faith into action to benefit children.
Junior Wellness Club
Ommm…in our Health discussions, students expressed the desire for a Wellness Club to help them cope with the stress they feel at times. So now, during last recess, students enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of Room 305. Here stu-dents take time to read, rest on pillows, or quietly work on homework. In this quiet space junior students watch or listen to a virtual fireplace, fish tank and nature videos. Many thanks to students who have donated stuffed animals to this club. We are looking for more donations of pillows, so please consider us when you are redecorating. Remember that all junior students are welcome! Namaste…
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Ms. Napao’s Grade 6 Class
In math, we are starting our next measurement strand- Chapter 8: Area. Some of the unit goals include identifying relationships between and among linear and square metric units, express area measures using more than one unit, and develop and use rules for calculating the areas of parallelograms and triangles.
In Language Arts, we will learn how to Write a Report. In a factual report, we share important information with others. A report might explain about whales, how bees make honey, an amusement park, or any other interesting topic. The students will be tying in what they have learned in our Social Studies unit about Globalization In Science, the Grade 6’s will start the Bio Diversity unit in science this month. Some of the overall objec-tives include: Understanding of living things vs. non-living things, Tree Classification, the 6 Kingdoms and Animal Classification.
Mr. Nespolo’s Grade 6/7 Class As term 1 is wrapping up, February marks the start to the second half of our school year. We look forward to continuing to grow in our success. In Mathematics, the grade 6’s will be starting chapter 7, 2-D Geometry, as they will be studying properties of angles and classification of triangles and polygons. We will then be moving to chapter 8, Area, as we continue to apply multiplication strategies and measurement of 2-D surfaces. The grade 7’s will also be starting chapter 7, 2-D Geometry, focusing on translations, reflections, rotations and tessellations. We will then be moving to chapter 8, Variables, Expressions, and Equations, as they continue to create and solve equations based on different patterns. In Language Arts, students will continue writing their speeches as they prepare for their presentations for the Agnes McPhail public speaking competition. Students have picked and selected their own topics rang-ing in wide variety and have been doing research to fully develop and support their arguments and posi-tions. In Reading, we will be continuing with extending understanding of texts. This month, we continue at Leaside Memorial Gardens with 2 more skating sessions. February 20th repre-sents ‘Family Day’. Let us take the time to spend together and be appreciative of those we love. We also celebrate the virtue of the month, love. “All you need is love, love is all you need” The Beatles.
Miss MacDonald’s Special Education Class
This month we will be learning about the virtue of love. Students will reflect on their love for their family and friends through reading and writing activities, and as we celebrate Valentine’s day! We will also be making our very own love themed Pop Art. In functional literacy, along with daily reading and writing activities, the students will continue to work on procedural writing. They will be sequencing instructions, writing recipes, and mak-
ing grocery lists for their life skills cooking lessons. We will continue to learn about preparing healthy snacks and also warm ourselves up with a hot chocolate treat. In functional numeracy, students will contin-ue to work on identifying and counting coins/bills, and using money to practise buying groceries (both in our class and during local shopping excursions). We will also continue to enjoy skating at Leaside, therapy dog visits on Wednesday’s, and yoga on Friday’s!
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Mrs. Gundy’s Grade 7/8 Class We have reached the halfway point of the school year. Time sure does fly when you are having fun. Speaking of fun, the grade 7s had an amazing time at Lake St. George. As you can see from the pic-tures, they made some great memories. Thanks for representing St. Anselm so well and being such a great group of students. Let’s shift our attention to the really fun stuff, curriculum. In math, the 7s will be completing their tessellations and turning their focus to integers, a concept that is introduced for the first time. My bet is that we will have some positive and negative reactions to chapter 6. The 8s will also be covering integers and expanding on what they learned last year by multiplying and di-viding integers, with a strong focus on order of operations. For language highlights, please see Miss Kor-czynski’s. Both the 7s and 8s will be wrapping up history mid-month and beginning geography. In science, the grade 7 students will be challenged to build a thermos with only four items. The thermoses will be tested in class to determine which group had the least amount of heat loss. Alternative forms of energy, specifically renewa-ble energy sources will also be studied this month. The grade 8s will continue with their unit on cells, study-ing osmosis and diffusion. There is the possibility for some rather fun dissections before this unit wraps up. A reminder that February skating sessions will be held on February 10th and 24th.
Miss Korczynski' s Grade 8 Class
Welcome to February! Here are some highlights for what to expect in our classroom this up-coming month. In Gr. 8 Language, we are going to start our creative writing unit; students will be working with various prompts to create short stories based on topics of their choice. Ms. Gundy's Gr. 7's will be starting their novel study of Maniac MaGee. We will also wrap up speeches with the school level competition on February 7, in preparation for the annual Agnes Macphail Speaking Contest, taking place at the York Civic Centre towards the end of February.
This month, we are also going to transition into our other social studies subject, Geography. Students will begin their studies by investigating global settlement through the evaluation of patterns and sustainability. Specifically, the focus will be on population growth. For Science, students are going to continue their Water Systems unit by discussing natural and human factors affecting water supply, water quality, and water treat-ment. Please see Ms. Gundy's highlights for an update on Math. In Fully Alive, we will be studying and evaluating various social justice issues in connection with theme 5, which focuses on stewardship and being a member of human society. During Health and Physical Education the focus will be on fitness and healthy living; students will continue to learn about developing healthy eating habits by referencing various nutritional guides and participating in a kickboxing unit to get those heart rates up! In addition, the St. Anselm Student Council will also be host-ing a Valentine's Day Dance and selling candygrams.
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Mrs. Blanchet’s Learning Centre February has long been considered the month associated with Love. So it is only fitting that the Virtue of the Month be Love as well. This month we are reminded that our love for others is a reflection of Jesus’ love for us. In the TLC we will be expressing our love of learning while exploring transformational geometry and nu-meracy in the intermediate grades and measurement, geometry and numeration in the junior grades. Intermediates students have been working hard organizing some very challenging topics into wonderfully articulate speeches and the Junior grades have been working on paragraph development and will be continuing our novel study of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. February is also Psychology month in the Toronto Catholic School Board. There are many activities going on this month for parents and staff including HELP YOUR CHILD FLOURISH: HOW TO ACHIEVE MENTAL HEALTH February 22, 2017, 4:30-6:30 p.m.Catholic Education Centre, 3rd Floor,80 Sheppard Avenue East. For more information, please feel free to contact http://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SpecialEducation/psychology/psychologyMonth/Pages/Psychology%20Month.aspx. This month I would like to highlight anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. According to the Chil-dren’s Mental Health website, Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry or unease. When the level of anxiety is great enough to interfere with a child or young person’s everyday activities, it is called an Anxiety Disor-der. About 6% of children and youth have an anxiety disorder that is serious enough to require treatment. Anxiety disorders have very complex origins. They can be the result of genes, the home, neighbourhood, or school environments, or other settings. It is important to note that being nervous about one single event such as writing a test or reciting a speech in front of an audience is considered a typical reaction. There are many kinds of Anxiety Disorders: Separation Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disor-der, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Selective Mutism to name a few. One example of an idea you can try at home to assist with worries or anxiety, is to try a WorryBox or Worry Journal. When a child is struggling past a particular worry, have them write it down in the journal or a sticky note to put in the box. Set aside a specific time to sit with your child and discuss the worries that are in the journal or box. This will give them the feeling of comfort knowing that their worries are being acknowledged as something that is valid, but also that they will have an opportunity to discuss those worries. This may help them to focus beyond the worry as they will know it will be addressed at some point in the day and that they can carry them around outside of their thoughts. For more information on Anxiety in Children and Ado-lesents please visit, http://www.kidsmentalhealth.ca/parents/anxiety.php. or http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/taming_the_monsters As always feel free to contact me through email at [email protected], through ClassDojo IM or follow me on Twitter @stanselmtlc.
Angela Gauthier, Director of Education 80 Sheppard Ave. E., Toronto, ON ∙ Website: www.tcdsb.org
COURAGE VIRTUE LEADERS The following students were acknowledged for their incredible leadership in demonstrating COURAGE in the month of January: Giacomo B, Jared W, Cali V, Symone S, Peter M, R.D. P, Julia G, Sydney F, Cassie S, Mattea C, Emma W, J.P. C, Ava P, Neala M, Alexandra A, Kyle C, Kate M, Nina M, Victoria K, Johnny R, Jeremiah V, Stephanie B, Dalica G, Jozofi-na M, Simone DeM, Matthew D, Naomi, W, Lauren H, Tristan H, Cambry B, Jace L, Alejandro M. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FREE THROW COMPETITION UPDATE Congratulations to all students who par-ticipated in the Knights of Columbus Free-Throw Competition on Saturday, January 23. St. Anselm students compet-ed against a number of other TCDSB schools. A spe-cial thank you to Mr. Wilson for coaching the students at the competition. Congratulations to the following students: 1st place: Owen F, Hannah F, Thomas F. 2nd place: Sean S, Alejandro C. 3rd place: Holden W. Students who finished in 1st place will go on to com-pete at the Provincial Championships on February 25th. Good luck to all! FOREST OF READING PROGRAM
Students in Grades 4-6 will continue to meet each week until April to discuss their books, engage in real-life conversations with the authors and will have the oppor-tunity to vote on their favorite title at the
end. All nominated titles are works written by Cana-dian authors and the reading list may be found online at www.accessola.org. This year’s winner will be an-nounced at the ‘Festival of Trees’ which the students will attend and is held at The Harborfront Center in mid-May. Thank you to Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. McFarquhar for all of your leadership with this worth-while literacy program.
PANCAKE TUESDAY On Tuesday, February 28th, students will be treated to delicious pancakes as we cel-ebrate Pancake Tuesday. Pancakes will be distributed to children in the St. Anselm Parish Hall. Please notify the office if
your child has any food allergies. A very sincere thank you to all of the volunteers for assisting! Parents inter-ested in volunteering are asked to contact Bronwyn Gray at [email protected] DRESS DOWN FOR CHARITY On Wednesday, February 8th, St. An-selm will be involved in the TCDSB board-wide civvies for charity day. All monies collected through dress down do-nations will go toward The Angel Foundation for Learn-ing. The Angel Foundation for Learning is a charitable organization that serves the needs of students in the To-ronto Catholic District School Board. The annual ‘Believe in Angels’ week runs from February 6th - 10th. Please visit: www.angelfoundationforlearning.org.
HOCKEY TEAM
The St. Anselm Hockey team begins their practices on Thursday, February 2nd at Leaside Memorial Gardens. The team consists of boys and girls in Grades 6-8. Players may store their equipment in the front foyer. Thank you to the CSPC for
covering the costs for ice rental at Leaside Gardens.
UPCOMING EVENTS IN MARCH March 1 Ash Wednesday Mass at 12:30 p.m. March 13-17 March Break March 25 CSPC Curling Night March 28 Grade 2 Reconciliation
