Holy Cross Catholic School 299A Donlands Avenue
Toronto Ontario M4J 3R7
Telephone 416-393-5242 Fax 416-393-5030
Principal Joseph Schnurr
Vice Principal Jennifer Brault
Administrative Assistant
Kim Paganelli
Superintendent John Shanahan
Trustee
Angela Kennedy
Parish Father Roselle R. Azares
Holy Cross Catholic Church 291 Cosburn Avenue
Toronto Ontario M4J 2M4
Telephone 416-421-5225
Hours of Operation 9:00 am—3:30 pm
Morning Recess
10:09 am—10:24 am
Lunch Hour 11:45 am—12:45 pm
Afternoon Recess 2:10 pm—2:25 pm
Next CSPC Meeting
Wednesday, February 17
at 6:30 pm in the Library
Room 101
Pizza Day
February 10
February 24
March 9
March 23
Holy Cross Catholic School News February 2016
Virtue: Love Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love,
a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. Blessed Mother Teresa
Welcome to a busy and exciting month of February at Holy Cross Catholic
School. Here are a few of the highlights:
February 1 to 3 Grade 6 to Claremont Outdoor Field Centre February 10 Ash Wednesday Mass at 9:30am Please join us. February 11 Valentine’s Dance February 11 & 12 Parent-Teacher Interviews February 17 Catholic School Parent Council Meeting (new date) February 18 Carnaval February 23 Family Skate Night Please note the change of date for our Catholic School Parent Council Meeting which is now on Wednesday, February 17th in the library. We would like to thank all of the parents who helped us to supervise students at the Toronto Maple Leafs outdoor Practice on January 11th. Please check out the following link for a summary of the day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-SE0a5G7ag May the peace of Christ be with all of us as we begin our Lenten journey in preparation for the coming of Easter.
February 12
P.A. Day
February 15
Family Day
Registration
has begun for
the 2016-2017
school year.
Registration is available through our
SOAR on-line registration system.
Registration is only required for NEW
students coming to Holy Cross Catholic
School for the 2016-2017 school year.
First year kindergarten registration is
open to children born in 2012.
The link to the on-line application
is: https://soar.tcdsb.org/
Login.aspx
Appointments are available on-line
through the SOAR registration system.
Thursday, February 11th
5:00-8:00 pm
Friday, February 12th
9:00 am-12:00 pm
Please remember to complete and return your
child’s blue conference form if you haven’t already.
Kindly advise the school ASAP if you require an
interpreter for your conference.
New P.A. Day added to the calendar
The Board has approved Friday, April
15, 2016 as a system-wide Profession-
al Activity Day.
The Lenten Season
The first day of Lent this year begins on February 18th, which is Ash Wednesday. It is the day when we choose to be
marked with ashes burned from last year's Palm Sunday palms. The ashes remind us of our frailty and sinfulness as we
enter the most holy season of the Catholic faith calendar.
Ash Wednesday is one of the rare times we are seen "marked" with the sign of our faith. The ritual of the
ashes is an invitation to all Catholics to receive the simple ashen cross on their foreheads and to wear it
proudly all day. If you are available, please join us for our school Ash Wednesday mass on Wednesday,
February 10th at 9:30 am.
Our virtue of the month for March is forgiveness, an appropriate focus during the season of Lent. During this Lenten
time, we also try to make sacrifices, to perform acts of charity (giving of our time, talent and treasure) and to focus on
prayer, in order to recall the life and death of Jesus.
During the Lent, all pizza orders are cheese only in support of the Lenten practice of abstinence
from meat. This is an excellent educational opportunity to talk to your child about the traditional
practices of our Catholic faith.
May we all take time during this season of Lent, to reflect on our lives and make some measure of
change for the betterment of ourselves and others.
Recognition Awards for December & January
Congratulations to the following students who received an award for the month of
December for demonstrating the virtue of Charity:
Ethan Vital, Nathan Vital, Fiona Dalipaj, Paola Gonzalez, Ethan Tang-Mah, Gabri-
ella Marrelli, Anabella Naranjo Alvarez, Victoria Macchione, Nicholas Sheppard,
Christian Josue, Jaden Pacheco, Giulia Cammisuli, Victoria Kane, Cristian Ve-
lasquez, Erin Folloso, Jacob Tang-Mah, Kieran Inniss, Maria Dodaj, Victoria Fermo, Mikhaila Cas-
tillo, Reina Ignacio, Jolene Libatique Antunes, Asia Ortiz, Justine Ovalles, Amoreena Taglioni,
Caroleen Talao, Sebastian Santiago
Congratulations to the following students who received an award for the month of January for
demonstrating the virtue of Courage:
Sara Antonio, Alexandra Ajayi, Gianna Sfiris, Angelo Haxhi, Vince Cammisuli, Vince Taglioni,
Nailah Duncan, Benedette Labang, Noah Mussie, Madison Taylor, Geiann Pervera, Cheraldine Ca-
randang, Kayel Bowen, Sky Ortiz, Mekhi Sweeney, Marco Prataviera, Michael Prataviera, Jenavie
Lazara, Shantel Loregnard Clinton, Alyssa Navarro, Jamal Simpson
Senior Kindergarten
&
Grade 8 Grad Photo Day
Friday, March 4, 2016
Catholic School Parent Council (CSPC)
Holy Cross Parent Council presents:
Family Skate Night Dieppe Park Tuesday February 23, 2016 6:30—9:00 pm.
Come out for a fun night of free skating and some treats!
Helmets required for all children on the ice.
Parent Council invites you to
sign up for their “Remind” ser-vice to stay in touch with what is
happening at Holy Cross.
To receive messages via text, text @1c3294 to (613) 900 0158
To receive messages via email,
send an email to [email protected]
(subject line can be left blank)
Upcoming
2016 CSPC Meetings
March 8 April 12 May 10 June 7
Cold Alerts & Weather Related Cancellations/Closures With the approach of winter weather, Twitter and the board website are the best sources of the latest infor-
mation relating to cold weather alerts, cancella-tions and closures. Get all the information here:
https://www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDENTS/HealthandSafety/Pages/Weather-Related-
Safety-Concerns.aspx
And remember to check the Toronto Student Transportation Group website for any school bus delays throughout the year. http://www.torontoschoolbus.org/
Inclement Weather
During times of inclement weather, the school will be open for supervised access at 8:45am and students will be permitted to enter the build-ing. Kindergarten and Grade 1 students will be escorted to class by a staff member or a stu-dent leader. Grade 2 to 8 students will proceed to class on their own.
TRUSTEES 2015 – 2016 Wards
1. Joseph Martino 2. Ann Andrachuk 3. Sal Piccininni 4. Patrizia Bottoni 5. Maria Rizzo 6. Frank D‘Amico, Vice-Chair 7. Michael Del Grande 8. Garry Tanuan 9. Jo-Ann Davis 10. Barbara Poplawski 11. Angela Kennedy, Chair 12. Nancy Crawford
Karina Dubrovskaya, Student Trustee Allison Gacad, Student Trustee
Holy Cross is Allergen Aware!
Please remember that all snacks and lunches for students must be nut free. We have several children in the school with life threatening allergies and we would like to ensure that they are not exposed to dangerous food items.
Snacks should not contain any type of nut product such as peanuts, al-monds, cashews, peanut butter, Nu-tella, etc.
Also, please remind your child to not share his/her snack or lunch.
Let’s all do our part to keep our students safe.
Bussing & Alternate After-School Arrangements
Please ensure that you contact the Secretary at the school office
by 2:30 pm daily to advise of any change in your child’s after
school arrangements. Please avoid calling during the AM/PM
recess and lunch periods as the Secretary is unavailable.
Your Child’s Immunization
Students must be up-to-date with their immunization or have a valid exemption form to attend school in Ontar-io. The required immunizations protect against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, and rubella, meningococcal and varicella (for students born on or after January 1, 2010). Important boosters are given to children in kindergarten and again during the high school years.
Please note that your doctor does not send the infor-
mation to Toronto Public Health.
Every time your child has an immunization, report the in-formation to Toronto Public Health by one of the following ways:
Online at www.toronto.ca/health and click on "Report your school-aged child's vaccine"
Fax: 416-338-2487
Mail a copy to:
Toronto Public Health, Immunization
235 Danforth Avenue, 2nd
Floor
Toronto, ON
M4K 1N2
For more information visit the website at Toronto.ca/immunization or call us at 416-392-1250. Interpreters are available Monday to Friday 8:30 a. m. to 4:30 p. m.
Student Mental Health and Well-Being
Newsletter
It is through kindness and helping
others that we show love. Researchers have found that watching someone
being kind triggers the same physiological changes in the brain as those triggered in the person being
kind. Dopamine levels rise in the brain and activate the brain’s pleasure
centers. Being kind and helping others makes us feel happy, decreases
depression by increasing our feelings of optimism, and improves overall health. Kindness also promotes social
connectedness. When we are kind to others we feel closer to them and they
feel closer to us, which leads us to perceive others more positively. It’s
also contagious! It can motivate others to be kind thereby creating a ripple effect throughout a community.
If we dedicate a few minutes each week to kindness we can greatly improve our
own well-being and those around us.
Encourage students to engage in
Random Acts of Kindness eg. pick up another student’s jacket that has
fallen on the floor, ask a student that has never played with you to join them at recess or during lunch, hold
the door open for someone.
Create a “saying” and make posters
that can be displayed in the classroom eg. “Kindness can change
the world”, or “Practice Random Kindness.” Display suggestions of what students can do to show
kindness to others.
Have students find quotes about
kindness and discuss what they mean, or write about them
Introduce a rule - Enter the room with a smile! Discuss the importance of spreading joy.
Words have power ~ form a circle and say one nice thing about the
student beside you, or celebrate a “say something nice day”. Share
your experiences at the end of the day.
Never underestimate the impact of a single act of kindness. (Information obtained from: Kid Activities|Random Acts of Kindness; and 10 Mindful Minutes by Goldie Hawn)
February, 2016
The Power of
Kindness
“Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love” ~ Mother Teresa. Our hope
is that you spread kindness and love
throughout your school and home.
;
February, 2016
Mental Health Initiatives 2015-2016 February is Psychology
Month Presentation for Parents,
Students, Educators Understanding Challenging
Behaviours in Children &
Adolescents and how to help
manage them
February 22, 2016
4:30-7:00pm
CEC 3rd floor
TCDSB Mental Health
and Well-Being Strategy
2015-18 approved, and on
our webpage!
Support for schools in
developing a mentally
healthy classroom. See
Supporting Minds on the
Ministry’s website and
edugains.ca
Feb, 12th Student Success
PD day-many Mental
Health Offerings e.g.
safeTALK, FRIENDS,
and Mindfulness
Feb. 18th Stop the Stigma
ele. student symposium
for 9 pilot schools
SAFE TALK suicide
awareness workshops
for staff available via
PAL, April and May
Loving-kindness mediation “is the simple practice of directing well-wishes towards other people.” This can be done with students of all ages. Most children “are good at using their
imaginations to send love and well wishes.” Research has shown that this type of mediation “increases positive emotions” and “changes the way people approach life for the better.”
Have students sit comfortably with their eyes closed and imagine what they wish for in their life. Formulate wishes into three or four phrases. For example, “May I be healthy. May I be
happy. May I be filled with peace.” Loving-Kindness meditation is a repetition of these phrases, but directing them at different people.
Begin by directing the phrase at yourself eg. may I be happy
Then direct the phrase toward someone you feel thankful for.
Visualize someone you feel neutral about –people you neither like nor dislike. This
will encourage students to stop and think about how quickly we are to judge people as either positive or negative in our lives.
Visualize someone you don’t like or who you’re having a difficult time with eg.
someone who is teasing or bullying you. You often feel empowered when you send love to someone who is being difficult.
Direct the phrase towards everyone universally, “may all beings everywhere be happy”.
Watch a 3-minute video on how to use this Loving-Kindness meditation with children (Sylvia Boorstein at www.greatergoodparents.org)
This meditation was obtained from Christine Carter, Ph.D. from www.greatergood.berkeley.edu
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is
not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Loving-Kindness Meditation
;
February, 2016
Fostering The Family: The TCDSB Pastoral Plan 2015-18
“Together With one Voice:
Harmonizing Our Faith Through
Family, Parish, and School” 2015 -
2016 focuses on the FAMILY
Practice Random Acts of
Kindness in your home
Write a note of
appreciation to a family member
Give a hug…just because
Do a chore without someone asking you to
do it
Say “I Love You”
Suggested Readings and Websites:
Books:
Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein
Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Fumi Kosaka
How Full Is Your Bucket? By Tom Rath and Mary
Reckmeyer
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
The Power of Kindness for Teens – true stories written
by teens from Guideposts
Pay it Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Websites:
www.actsofkindness.org
Download an Educator’s Guide ~ Kindness in the
Classroom as well as posters, bookmarks (K-12)
www.kidactivities.net/category/random-acts-of-
kindness.aspx
A Laugh A Day…
Patricia Marra-Stapleton, Psychological Associate/Mental Health Lead
Marci Buhagiar, Psychologist; [email protected]
Add “making someone
laugh” to your to-do list
every day. Go out of your
way to make at least one
person laugh every day.
Tickle them
Tease them
Tell a joke
Tell a story
(www.randomactsofkind
ness.org)
TCDSB SPECIAL SERVICES – PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
FEBRUARY IS PSYCHOLOGY MONTH
PSYCHOLOGY PROMOTES SUCCESS
Dr. Mary Anne McCarty-Mayor Memorial Symposium
Presentation for Parents, Students and Educators
UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGING
BEHAVIOURS IN CHILDREN AND
ADOLESCENTS AND HOW TO HELP
MANAGE THEM
February 22, 2016, 4:30-7:00 p.m.
Catholic Education Centre, 3rd Floor, 80 Sheppard Avenue East
Presenters: Rita Alekian and Grace Labao-Martins
(TCDSB Psychology Department)
Behavioural difficulties are an ongoing challenge and an increasing concern
for teachers, parents, and school staff. Understanding these challenging
behaviours is key. Identifying and addressing the underlying factors that are
triggering the behaviours, and determining the overall functions/purpose of
the various behaviours are critical in order to get to the root of the problem
to best help/support these students. Strategies in the classroom and at home
will be discussed to address the behaviours and to facilitate more prosocial
ones.
No pre-registration required
For more information contact TCDSB Psychology Department
https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SpecialEducation/psychology/psychology
Month/Pages/Psychology-Month.aspx?l=1453124935728
Dr. Maria Kokai, Chief Psychologist 416 222-8282 x 2626
.
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
African Heritage
&
Psychology
Month
1 Claremont Outdoor Field Centre-Gr. 6
Electricity Worshop Gr. 5 (PM) Skating Gr. 7/8 (AM)
2 Claremont Outdoor Field Centre-Gr. 6
Skating Gr. 5/6 (PM)
3 Claremont Outdoor
Field Centre-Gr. 6 Allan Gardens –Gr. 3
4
Queen’s Park-Gr. 5
5
Skating Gr. 5 & 6/7 (AM)
6
7
8
Skating Gr. 7/8 (AM)
9 Rosary Apostalate
Report Cards Go Home
Skating Gr. 5/6(PM)
10
Mass 9:30 am
Pizza/Civvies Day
Cree Elder Clayshirt Gr. 7/8 (PM)
11
Valentine’s Day Dance
5:00-8:00pm
12 P.A. DAY NO SCHOOL
9:00am-12:00pm
13
14 15 NO SCHOOL
16 Spinclusion (PM) Gr. 2/3 & 5
Skating Gr. 5/6(PM)
Int. Boys’ Divisional Basketball
17 CIVVIES DAY In support of Angel Fdn
W5H Junior Preliminary
Int. Girls’ Divisional Basketball
CSPC Meeting –6:30pm
18
19 Skating Gr. 5 & 6/7 (AM)
Kids/Cops/Computers Lunch & Learn Gr. 7 11:45-12:30pm
Scientist in School Gr. 5/6 (AM) & Gr. 6/7 (PM)
20
21
22 Skating Gr. 7/8 (AM) ShareTech Team Tournament—Gym 12:05-12:45pm
23 Skating Gr. 5/6(PM)
ShareTech Team Tournament—Gym
12:05-12:45pm
at Dieppe
Park
24
Pizza/Civvies Day
ShareTech Team Tournament—Gym 12:05-12:45pm
25 26 Skating Gr. 5 & 6/7
(AM) Ontario Science Centre Gr. 2
27
28 29 Skating Gr. 7/8 (AM)
MARCH 1
Skating Gr. 5/6(PM)
2
3 Concours Oratoire at CEC (AM) - Mdm Paixao
4 Skating Gr. 5 & 6/7
(AM)
Graduation Photo Day
SK’s & Grade 8’s
5
February 2016 Virtue of the Month: Love
Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another.
Thomas Merton