Volume 22, Issue 1, Feb. 2015 www.tcdsb.org/lorettoabbey | 1

Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School Newsletter

Table of Contents: 2 Chaplaincy 2014-2015 | Co-op at the Abbey 3 The Arts Department 4 “That’s Christmas to Me” Concert | Double Blue Basketball 5-6 Physical & Health Education and Sports Teams 2014-2015 7 Cross Country 2014-2014 8 Social Science Department News 9 English Corner | ELL Christmas Party 10 International Exchange with Groupe Scolaire Sophie Barat of

Malabry-Châtenay (Paris), France 11 Loretto Abbey’s Successful 9th Annual Pasta Night 12 Teddy Bear Fundraiser | Letter to Ms. Cordeiro’s Homeroom 13 Multicultural Club Clothing Drive | L.E.E.D. at the Abbey 14 DECA | Pictures with Santa 15 Arts Department Trip to New York 2014 | Hour of Code

16 Correction to June 2014 Newsletter – Chaplaincy Article

ello everyone

and I trust the New

Year has brought peace, joy and good health to all members of the Loretto Abbey community. The first part of the school year has been filled with many memorable events and activities or “life outside the classroom”, combined with our dedication to academic excellence. During the month of September, our energies were focused on welcoming our Grade 9s via Camp White Pine, organized by our student council with our senior students (previously trained at Camp Olympia Leadership event) as camp counsellors and peer mentors. We celebrated our first school mass with a focus on The Angel Foundation: Loretto Sisters Charity and were very pleased to announce our fundraising efforts brought $26,000 to our school charity. Congratulations to everyone in our community for this wonderful accomplishment especially in this TCDSB Year of Charity. As we moved into October, we prepared for our Post-Secondary Information Evening, Grade 8 Information Evening, and Take our Kids to High School / Work. Our Grade 12 students were busy applying to university and / or college as we approached December, with our first report card and Parent Teacher Interviews. Preparation for students writing the Grade 10 Literacy (OSSLT) Test in March have begun with an After School Literacy program in place for those students who wish to solidify their literacy skills. Along the way, we held our Halloween for Hunger, Annual Pasta Night, Christmas Music Concert, Christmas Baskets, Christmas Assembly and now are approaching preparations for our January 23 Mary Ward Mass and our April 13 Mass with Cardinal Tom Collins as the celebrant. The constant dedication of our excellent teacher advisors and your daughters have all made these events successful and part of our school tradition and history.

Our athletic teams have participated in various sports including basketball, cross country, tennis and currently, we have teams participating in curling, downhill skiing and snowboarding, ice hockey, swimming, volleyball, and our soccer and track and field teams have already started their indoor training. Our School Learning Improvement Plan (SLIP) is posted on our school website with a focus on Literacy for our English Language Learners, English as a Second Language and International Students, Numeracy, specifically for our Grade 9 Mathematics program, and our Credit Accumulation and Graduation Rates. We continue to incorporate Learning Goals and Success Criteria into our academic programs, specifically, with our Grade 9 curriculum moving forward to our Grade 10 curriculum. I am very blessed and grateful to work with groups of dedicated and compassionate parents, be it on the Parent Council (CSAC), Friends of Loretto or Music Parents’ Association (LAMPO). These parents work on your behalf to enhance your daughter’s educational experience. Please consider being a member of any one of these organizations!!! A reminder to everyone in all that we do, to always to remember the words of Mary Ward “to do good and do it well”.

Thank you, Anita Bartolini, Principal

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Chaplaincy 2014-2015 Ms. D. Parente

significant part of spiritual formation here at Loretto Abbey has always been our annual retreats. The need for opportunities for

prayer, reflection, and action has never been greater than it is today. Such an experience in the past school year was the Gr. 9 Retreat and Orientation at Camp White Pine, in Haliburton, Ontario. Here, students were given actual evidence of the commitment, initiative, and compassion of our Student Council, Loretto Leaders, staff facilitators, and administration. The Gr. 10 and 11 Retreats also deepened our awareness of who we are by virtue of our relationship with God. In these spiritual opportunities, students reflected, dialogued, and developed goals for school initiatives, both local and global. By building such interpersonal relationships, LAT students will become beacons of hope in our world. Mary Ward, who advised “that women in time to come will do much”, continues to inspire and challenge today. Other spiritual experiences, including liturgies and the celebration of the Eucharistic, have contributed to spirituality here at Loretto Abbey. Father

Delaney, the Religion Leadership classes, and the Music, Drama, and Arts Department have participated in these experiences, making them richer. This year, Loretto Abbey is fundraising for The Angel Foundation For Learning. As Jesus asks us to love one another as he loves us, this fundraising project is one that the LAT community is proud to be a part of. We wish to thank the students, staff, and parents of the Loretto Abbey Community for their generous efforts in funding our projects. We hope to respond to Jesus’ call to serve others and embody the philosophy of Mary Ward who asks that we serve God, our Mother, with great love and liberty of mind.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope

and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13

Co-op at the Abbey Lisa Lagani, Co-op & Business Teacher

hank you to all the grade eleven and twelve cooperative education students who participated in the fair on Thursday January 22nd. Students had the

opportunity to showcase their work experiences and speak to the staff and students about the coop program offered at Loretto Abbey. Amanda Theriault is a grade twelve coop student working at Mt. Sinai Hospital in the Audiology department. She has the opportunity to incorporate her knowledge of science into work related experiences which she is thoroughly enjoying.

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The Arts Department Mrs. N. Benotas, Arts Department Head

t seems we only just began assigning instruments to the fresh grade 9 students, and suddenly everything has flown by so fast! Even the great performance of this year - the Christmas concert -

is already history. The grade 9 students have just begun getting accustomed to high school life, while for the grade 12 girls, every passing event is beginning to be a reminder that their parting with the school is fast- approaching. The last "open house” performance, the last School Advent Mass of 2014, the last Christmas concert – make them realize that time passes faster than we sometimes want it to. This year the grade 10 and grade 11/12 drama students are very ambitiously preparing for the upcoming SEARS Festival. To better prepare students for the upcoming festivals, the drama teachers organized and enriched the curriculum with interesting activities. For grade 10 students, Ms. M. Pereira organized a Neutral Mask and Movement workshop. Grade 11 and 12 students went on a field trip to see Smith Gilmour’s production of “Take Me Back to Jefferson”. The performance gave the students an opportunity to see a minimalist theatre production. Grade 12 visual art students displayed their artwork during the Advent season, focusing on social injustice through social activist art. Grade 10 students developed their skills in soap stone carving. Senior Visual Art and Music students went on an educational trip to New York City in November, and got to experience the MOMA, a Broadway show, and a Jazz dinner, just to name a few. LAMPO (Loretto Abbey Music Parents Organization), under the leadership of Sofi Mondesir, have been a great support and continually help with fundraising activities. They are great advocates for music and art!

Drama, visual arts, and music students always keep close contact with their teachers and their peers, with whom they share their ideas and visions, and learn in a unique way about themselves and the world around them. Art is ideas and emotion, art is creativity, and art is performance and expression. The Arts Department of Loretto Abbey is blessed with passionate, enthusiastic, and hardworking teachers: N. Caetano, N. Hollington, A. Muia, M. Pereira, G. Racioppo, and C. Sanguigni. A great part of their success is the ability to have students connect the visual art, drama, or music they study to their own lives, experiences, cultures, and society. In addition, their in-depth knowledge of the Arts allows for many cross-curricular connections that have students learning about themselves and relating to the arts and the world around them in interesting and profound ways.

The New Year is promising to be rich with new and very interesting activities, performances, trips, festivals, and excursions. One of the upcoming highlights will be the Loretto Abbey Arts week in April 2015. On behalf of Arts Department teachers, I wish you all of God’s blessings and a very prosperous New Year.

“Music praises God. Music is well or better able to

praise Him than the building of the church and all

its decoration; it is the Church’s greatest

ornament.”

Igor Stravinsky

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“That’s Christmas to Me” Concert Nikki Malunas, Grade 12, Music Council President

his year’s Christmas Concert, “That’s Christmas to Me”, showcased the wonderful instrumental and vocal talent of the grade nine to twelve music students. Thank you to LAMPO for their organization of the bake sale, and to the Loretto Abbey staff, administration, and Loretto Sisters for their continuous

support of the arts. As well, thank you to the 2014-2015 Music Council for organizing the concert. Most importantly, thank you to Mrs. Benotas and Mrs. Hollington for all of their tireless efforts.

This being my last Christmas concert, I will cherish the four years I’ve been in the music program and I hope to see you all in April at our annual Spring Concert. Valeria Diaz, Grade 12, Music Council Vice-President hristmas was in the air at the Abbey during its annual holiday concert “That’s Christmas to Me”. The two-day event, from December 11 to December 12, showcased

the instrumental and vocal talent of the music department from all grades. As a backdrop to Christmas classics being played, the concert had a video concept that impressed both students and parents alike: a compilation of music students sharing the meaning of Christmas. With their thoughtful responses, students instilled the holiday spirit in everyone, conveying the timeless idea that the holidays are truly a time to celebrate the birth of Christ and the charity that comes with it. To convey all the meaningful messages, the concert ended with family pictures of the music students. They reminded the audience of the importance of appreciating and celebrating with kin during the most wonderful time of the year. The Abbey girls made Mary Ward proud, shining a light on the legacy she wished to leave behind: one of women doing wondrous things. The audience left, deeply moved and ready to get into the Christmas spirit with family and friends.

Double Blue Basketball Olivia Panici, Student

rom September to November, the Varsity Girls’ Basketball Team proved that age is not a factor in gameplay. The team faced-off

against tough competition in the Senior TCDAA “B” division, with half of the members being in grade 9. The team fought throughout the regular season extensively with the outcome of games coming down to the last minute on multiple occasions. Through the sprints at practice and numerous free throws, the girls showed that they had the determination needed to be successful. It was through the support of the Abbey girls at

home games and the amazing school spirit, shown by the spectators and the girls, that they were able to be successful with a 3-4 record. The season came down to an intense game against Bishop Marrocco, with the girls continuing to show their great Abbey spirit. A special thanks to their coaches, Ms. Chiera, Ms. Ghazarian, and Mr. Andreacchi for supporting the girls throughout the season. The future of the Abbey Basketball team is looking better than ever and they hope to have an even better season next year!

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Physical & Health Education and Sports Teams 2014-2015

1. Physical education students with motivational speaker Tania Archer. Tania, a past national-level sprinter, addressed the

Physical & Health Education students on October 10 on the importance of setting goals in life. Her inspirational talk was well- received by all who attended the assembly.

2. Sprinter Tania Archer

3. Grade 10 PAF201 (Fitness and Individual Activities) students power-walking in the Hogg’s Hollow neighbourhood when

the colours of the leaves were spectacular! 4. The group of grade 10 and 12 students who performed a variety of fitness and dance routines at the grade 8 open house event on November 4.

5. A member of the TDCAA Senior Girls A Team, Grace Gu (centre) ranked third at the OFSAA Table Tennis

Championships held in Markham in October.

6. The Grade 12 PSE4U1 Exercise Science class enjoyed observing the motor skills of baby Christian Muia.

7. Grade 9 PPL101 Sabrina Lumia and Claudia Timachy practicing their self-defense moves

8. PPL101 Grade 9 Physical Education students participating in self-defense with guest instructor Richard Verlaan

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9. Field hockey players Emma Della Rocca, Karen Penaranda (goalie), and Joanne Chang play together to defend the goal area 10. Claire McGivney playing field hockey in the Quarter Finals game against St. Joe’s Morrow Park 11. Two field hockey teams who competed at the Sunnybrook Park tournament 12. Junior tennis team champions 13. Grade 10 PAF201 Dianne Du rock climbing at True North Climbing Inc., located in Downsview Park 14. Senior tennis team champions

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Cross Country 2014-2015

Mr. A. Cluff and Cross Country Coaching Staff

t was an absolutely outstanding 2014 Cross-Country Season for Loretto Abbey. With 66 registered runners, we were the BIGGEST team in the TDCAA and we were also the BEST!!

To open our competitive season, we participated in the SACRED HEART INVITATIONAL MEET in Woodbridge. This was followed by the Pre-OFSAA MEET at Waterloo University where our Junior Girls surprised many by

winning a Team Bronze Medal. The next competition was the annual Neil

McNeil BOARDWALK RELAYS at Ashbridges Bay, where we placed three Teams within the top 10, including 2nd Place Overall among the 90 teams that participated. At Centennial Park for the TDCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS on October 24th, Loretto Abbey won the Overall Girls’ TDCAA title with incredible team performances in

every age group.

Stella Adamo’s 2nd Place finish led our Midget team of Clare O’Shea, Kiera McDonald, Anastasia Messina, Meghan O’Shea, and Ruthie Plante to TDCAA Gold. These Grade Nines qualified for OFSAA and placed a respectable 17th in the Province.

The Junior Girls team of Enza Gualtieri, Ava Rodrigues, Sydney Grier, Jade Watson, Allyson Eastmure, and Rachel Smith also finished 1st at the TDCAA finals and qualified for OFSAA where they ran extremely well and placed 4th in Ontario.

Our Senior Girls ended their season with a 3rd place finish at the TDCAA finals with skillful performances by Emma Harris, Jackie Douglas, Calvi Leon, and Shae Turner. Emma Harris had the standout race of the day with a 19:57 5km personal best to capture silver and individually advance to OFSAA where she placed 70

th.

Members of the 2014 Abbey Cross Country Teams are: MIDGETS [22]: Stella Adamo, Campbell Barker, Sydney Chin, Elizabeth

Cordinho, Selina DeLuca, Kathleen Hart, Felicia Holmes, Carolyn Lee, Jennifer Lopes, Laura Lowden, Lianna Marraffino, Kiera McDonald, Anastasia Messina, Natalia Olszewski, Meghan O’Shea, Clare O’Shea, Chiara Paterna, Adrianna Pilieci, Ruthie Plante, Natasha Prystay, Diana Pulcini, Lauren Rego

JUNIORS [17]: Danielle Calderone, Allyson Eastmure, Alexia Graziano, Sydney Grier, Enza Gualtieri, Lauren

McCulloch, Isabel Maddocks, Julia McDonald, Olivia Muccin, Jacqueline Pinnington, Juliana Quintero, Ava Rodrigues, Rachel Smith, Ariana Troiani, Jade Watson, Kiana Webber, Lolita Zanko

SENIORS [27]: Tasha Behruz, Nicole Calderone, Brittany Caranci, Katie Chan, Jenny Chen, Andrada Cretu. Natalie

DiCiantis, Asucena DiGiovanni, Jackie Douglas, Kelsey Eakin, Rachel Firth, Shea Gentile, Eden Gough, Emma Harris, Serena Haslam, Olivia Lancefield, Megan Lapschies, Calvi Leon, Albina Mamonkina, Laura Murphy, Alexis Ostrowski, Martina Pandolfi, Ghislaine Stepanian, Alyssa Tobin, Shae Turner, Paige VanKlavern, Abigail Wooldeab

Coaches, Ms. Sena, Mrs. Pollard, Ms. Steele, Mr. Bregin, and Mr. Cluff, offer congratulations and thanks to all runners

for their efforts and remind them to keep active in their off-season, possibly by joining The Abbey’s Indoor Winter Track and/or Spring Track and Field teams to be ready for next September.

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Social Science Department News Mr. H. Cappadocia, Social Science Department Head

he 2014 school year has been packed with exciting activities and learning opportunities. Miss Riggin brought Grade 12 History students to the AGO for an exhibit on Michelangelo entitled “Quest

for Genius”. In addition, history students benefited from the addition of Victoria Giovinazzo, an Abbey Graduate now pursuing her teacher training at the University of Ottawa. We wish Victoria well in her next placement.

In December,

Geography students

travelled to Costa Rica to study in the Land of Volcanoes. While in Costa Rica, these 23 students had the opportunity to study five different Volcanoes and learn what makes them so fascinating and dangerous, all at the same time. Over a nine-day trip, students extensively hiked volcanoes and rainforests, and on their adventure encountered Howling Monkeys, Sloths, Toucans and even a Boa Constrictor. Costa Rica is a country dedicated to the preservation of its environment and students were able to participate in ecological footprint-reducing activities and stay in a hotel made

exclusively from recycled and reclaimed materials. For those that participated, memories and friendships were made that will last a lifetime.

I would like to thank the teachers in the Social Sciences department for all of their hard work, enthusiasm, and continued dedication to the students of Loretto Abbey. All of the above aforementioned activities would not be

possible without them.

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English Corner Mr. A. Cluff, English Department Head

t’s been an action-packed fall for the Loretto Abbey English Department. On September 24th, ninety-six students travelled to Stratford to see

“King Lear.” Starring famous actor, Colm Feore, this was the Festival’s best play of their season. The Grade 12’s agreed it was fantastic and a big help with their current English Studies. Congratulations to Grade 11, Ghislaine Stépanian, who won our school’s Shakespearean Recitation Contest in October and went on to represent The Abbey at “Shakespeare On The Platform” on November 14th. This annual event is sponsored by the English Speaking Union of Canada and held at the prestigious Toronto Arts and Letters Club.

The Literacy Committee successfully sponsored a practice or “mock test” for the Grade 10 OSSLT in early January.

-UPCOMING EVENTS-

• The 2015 OECTA Young Authors Contest is looking for student submissions of original short stories, poetry, drama, and non-fiction. Submissions, limited to 3000 words, are to be made to English Teachers before the February 13th deadline.

• During March Break, 12 Abbey students

are travelling to England with Ms. Caprara and Mr. Cluff. Stratford, Warwick, Stonehenge, and the many major sights in London are on the extensive itinerary. It is still possible for students to join this trip. Please see Mr. Cluff without delay.

• The OSSLT (Literacy Test) will be written by

all Grade 10 students on Thursday March 26th. The Abbey posted the best results in our Board last year. If there’s any room for improvement, we intend to find it!

ELL Christmas Party

Ms. S. Avondo

he ELL Christmas Party was a great success. The 60 students in attendance had fun building and decorating gingerbread houses,

eating, taking pictures, chatting, and hearing Mrs. Goodman’s Christmas stories. They also loved the gift of red LAT mittens from Mrs. Bartolini. School and Christmas spirits were high!

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International Exchange with Groupe Scolaire Sophie Barat of Malabry-Châtenay (Paris), France M. A. Tommasone

or two weeks during the month of October, 21 of the finest students in Loretto Abbey’s French program joined Mr. Tommasone and Mrs.

Tonelli in hosting students from Groupe Scolaire Sophie Barat of France for the first of leg of a 2-week international exchange. The overall experience was an absolutely unforgettable success! Students were very happy to meet and greet their French counterparts after learning about them by way of questionnaires during the spring and summer period. From October 11 to 24, 2014 the French spent two splendid weeks in our homes, our school, and our Toronto neighbourhoods. While in Toronto, the French group attended some classes and visited a number of Toronto’s best attractions: The CN Tower, Casa Loma, The Ontario Science Centre, The ROM, The Toronto Zoo, Centre Island, Niagara Falls, and many more. The French students were also part of Thanksgiving celebrations and a special Halloween costume party and dance at the Skylounge on the 38th floor of the Toronto World Trade building. Many heartfelt thanks and congratulations go out to all of the Abbey participants, their parents and families, the school administration, Student Council, the school choir that sang at our opening mass, and to Father Joseph Delaney who bookended the opening and closing ceremonies with the celebration of the Eucharist in the school chapel. It was an amazing 14 days thanks to each and every single one of you!

The following students of FSL are participants in this 2014-15 exchange and are looking forward to resuming the exchange for two weeks during the March Break period of 2015 in and around Paris and Marseille: Campbell Barker, Muriel Barker, Jeanelle Bertheau, Miranda Bundgard, Katie Chan, Mikhaela Connell, Angie de la Cruz Perez, Rachel Firth, Eden Gough, Paula Jaramillo, Selam Haile, Martha Kilian, Jacqueline Pinnington, Lauren MacCulloch, Juliana Quintero, Jacqueline Rodrigues, Alyssa Tobin, Julia Swist, Sarah Swist, Anisha Vijh and Samantha Wagner

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Loretto Abbey’s Successful 9th Annual Pasta Night

n the evening of Thursday, November 13th,

students on Loretto Abbey’s Build 2 Learn team hosted yet another fantastic

fundraising event, developing leadership skills while working to benefit the community. $4500 was raised through the generous contributions of students and their families, staff, and local businesses. Under the incredible leadership and direction of Ms. M. Pereira and Ms. G. Racioppo, the teacher-moderators of the Build 2 Learn Club, this year’s Pasta Night was a great success! Enthusiastic teachers led the kitchen crew and wait staff delivered a fabulous pasta dinner to those who came out to support this fundraising event. A large raffle of donated prizes increased excitement and live music, courtesy of Mr. M. Petrillo, inspired some dancing. Along with the members of the Build 2 Learn Club, The Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, another dynamic student group at Loretto Abbey, also provided support, helping to make the night a triumph. The charitable contributions collected will benefit The Angel Foundation for Learning, a TCDSB initiative that provides support for vulnerable students through nutritional, educational, and spiritual programs. Energized by the success of this year’s Pasta Night, the students are already gearing up for next year’s 10th anniversary event.

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Teddy Bear Fundraiser Madeleine Multari, Student

his holiday season Loretto Abbey took part in the “Friends Helping Sick Kids” annual Sponsor a Bear Christmas fundraising drive. This

foundation was created by the parents of a former patient at Sick Kids Hospital in order to help raise money for the Haematology/Oncology department at the hospital. The money raised goes towards supporting education, treatment and research in the field of Haematology/Oncology. Each homeroom at Loretto Abbey collected money to purchase stuffed bears that are being delivered to children who are spending time in the hospital this holiday season. Each bear cost $30.00. $7 went to the craftsmanship of the bear and the remaining $23 from every bear sold is donated directly to the hospital. In true Loretto Abbey spirit, we rose to the occasion and our school raised over $1400.00 for research at the hospital and provided 49 bears. Personally, I

was amazed at how the school rallied together and in just 3 short days we raised enough money to buy 49 Christmas bears. These 49 bears will make 49 patients a little merrier this Christmas because thanks to the generosity of the Loretto Abbey school community they will have a cuddly friend for the season.

To: Mrs. Cordeiro’s Homeroom Hello, My name is Tyler. I am 7 years old. I have a twin brother named Connor. Before Christmas my brother had a fever and was sick for 3 days. I got the same as him. But after 4 days I was not getting better. My mom and dad took me to sick kids Christmas morning. I got a CT scan and was told I had a sinus infection that went behind my eye. My eye was swollen shut. I was hospitalized for 7 days. Christmas morning Santa came to visit me in the emergency room and brought me my Teddy Bear – Which I named “Merry Christmas”. That made my day. I found out this bear had been donated by your classroom. It was so thoughtful and made my day a little brighter. I got fantastic treatment at sick kids and all the time “Merry Christmas” was on my bed, when I wasn’t cuddling him. Thank you so much for donating my teddy bear, it made my Christmas. Grade 2 – St. Josephine Bahkita C.S. – Brampton, Ont.

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Multicultural Club Clothing Drive Valeria Diaz and Valery Ravera

iving at the Abbey is a tradition practiced all year round which is why the students decided to take on an exciting initiative to

help the less fortunate. The Multicultural Executive team is a group of eleven dedicated students that strives to encourage cultural expression at Loretto Abbey. Not only does the club organize Multicultural Night, but it also works to showcase the importance of giving. This year, the dedicated students held a clothing drive from Monday, October 20th to Friday,

October 31st. Students were asked to bring in gently-used clothing to be donated to St. Vincent De Paul.

Thanks to the generosity of the Abbey community, the

multicultural executive team successfully collected over 50 large bags of clothes. Through this successful initiative, students truly demonstrated the vision of Mary Ward, that women in time to come will do much.

L.E.E.D. at the Abbey Welcome!

would like to take this opportunity to welcome all the new gifted students and their parents to the Loretto Abbey Gifted program, L.E.E.D.

L.E.E.D. is an acronym for what Loretto Abbey would like every gifted student to achieve and aspire to; Leadership, Enrichment, Experience, and Development. The start of this school year our students have already participated in a variety of exciting events, such as planning Awards Night, DECA regional competition, Women in Capital Markets conference, CSUNA (Catholic Student United Nations Assembly), Judging the Elementary School Debates, and as always assisting/volunteering with a variety of school events. We have had a Gifted Students Christmas Breakfast where every student got to have a healthy breakfast, as well as meet their fellow gifted students. I have also created a Gifted Counsel which consists of one or two gifted students from every grade level, who will be continuing to plan team building events and activities for the gifted students. List below are a few of the upcoming events, which I will be encouraging your students to participate in and I look forward to an exciting second half of the school year. Mrs. Cordeiro

-UPCOMING EVENTS-

Elementary School Debates – January 30th;

Perspectives – February 19th

Waterloo Unlimited – Grade 10 Program deadline to apply is March 10th.

Duke of Edinburgh program – assembly in early February

Math contests – continuous through the Math Department

Young Authors awards – February 13th deadline – please see your English teacher or Mrs. Cordeiro

Ropes – Research Opportunity Program in Engineering at Ryerson - Applications are due April 1, 2015 please check the website or come see Mrs. Cordeiro.

U of T – Mentorship programs in Medicine and Law Applications become available in late January early February – see Mrs. Cordeiro

National Biology Competition o Registration beginnings on January

26 – March 6th. o Competition Date: April 30th.

Physics High School CAP Exam

Registration begins in March.

Chemistry Olympics information to come.

Journey of Discovery – April 21st & 22nd – more info to come.

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DECA Enza Cammalleri

oretto Abbey's DECA chapter has been very busy in the past few months. Our first competition was on November 14th at Mary

Ward C.S.S.. Students competed in a variety of categories including marketing, business administration and management, finance, financial literacy, and hospitality and tourism. A special congratulations to our new members and grade nine competitors who competed in the principle events! Way to go! Also, congratulations to Tiffany Yeung and Enza Cammalleri who each placed in the top ten within their categories! Congratulations to all competitors for their efforts! Those who competed at the regional

competition and qualified for the provincial competition will compete in early February for the chance to qualify for the international competition

which will take place in Orlando, Florida.

Loretto Abbey’s DECA chapter also hosted their second annual Christmas party to celebrate the team's hard work and achievements. In addition, the team designed and received their new team sweaters. They really bring the team together and look very sharp! Our plan for the new-year is to focus on the upcoming provincial competition!

Pictures with Santa Kassandra Neranjan

y beard was a mess, my sleigh faced a rough landing on the rooftop, and a few of the reindeer were sick; but we made it in time.

Never have I missed an opportunity to help support the Empowered Student Partnership’s annual Christmas Charity event, “Pictures with Santa”, fundraising for the Christmas Wish Foundation! This year was just as successful as always. All the girls from the Nice List showed up to have their pictures taken with me on December 11th and 12th. Through this initiative, the ESP Program at Loretto Abbey was able to raise $547.00 to provide Christmas presents for children in need. There is no better way to capture the spirit of Christmas than to

ensure everyone has a joyous holiday. My friends at the North Pole would like to thank the Loretto Abbey Community for their ongoing, generous support and hope to see you all once again next year. From Mrs. Claus, the elves, reindeer, and myself, continue to make a difference and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Sincerely, Santa Claus

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Arts Department Trip to New York 2014 Rosemary Jose, Grade 12, Music Council Stage and Sound Manager

uring the first week of November, a bus full of excited senior art and music students from Loretto Abbey, supervised by Ms. Nijole Benotas, Ms. Nina Hollington, Mr. Carlo Sanguigni, Ms. J. Caprara, and Ms. Anita Bartolini, visited New York City. In three days, students embraced the city’s art scene and immersed

themselves in the busy, fast-paced lifestyle. The jam-packed itinerary included numerous events that allowed students to experience the both the culture and nature of the arts in the city.

Students visited Times Square where they were surrounded by bright lights and gigantic billboards, watching thousands of people walk to their destinations. Later, in order to get to know the city, students walked through Central Park and took a tour of the Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts, home of the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Ballet, The Julliard School, and much more. Visual Arts students were also able to visit the Museum of Modern Art. At the end of one of the very busy days in NYC, students enjoyed dinner at a jazz club that featured professional jazz musicians. A scenic walk on the Hudson Bridge provided students with a stunning night view of New York City’s bright lights. On Broadway, Rodgers and Hammerstein's award-winning “Cinderella” musical showcased beautiful music, comedic dialogue, wonderful acting, and award-winning costume design.

Overall, the three days spent in New York were an incredible experience that complemented studies in both music and visual arts. It was a time of joy and learning, spent with friends making memories that will be remembered forever.

Hour of Code Mr. F. Vegura, Business Studies Department Head

he computer has become an essential tool used in everyday life. People who create, run, or manage computer hardware and software in today's modern

society are in high demand and there is a movement to promote careers in this field. Code.org created videos and interactive online activities as a means to present students with the basic concepts of computer programming in a fun way. Many Abbey students, including Business and Technology classes, participated in the Hour of Code. Students interested in computer programming should consider Loretto Abbey’s Computer Science courses, where they learn web programming in grade 10 and iPhone/iPad app creation in grades 11 and 12.

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16 | www.tcdsb.org/lorettoabbey Volume 22, Issue 1, Feb. 2015

Correction to June 2014 Newsletter – Chaplaincy Article

Due to a formatting issue in the June 2014 Newsletter, some of the contributions to the school charity from the various school events did not appear properly. As a result we are printing a correction. Please refer to the list below;

Beginning Balance $0.90

Build to Learn 4, 638.00

Because I am a Girl 180.75

ESP 2, 176.30

Fashion Show 1, 000.00 Loretto Abbey Toronto Students 1760.00 Multicultural Show 2, 000.00 Mr. Muia’s Leadership Classes 1, 034.85 Music Dept. 3, 000.00 Staff Civvies 310.00 Student Council Charity Cup 5, 200.00 Student Council Multicultural Picnic 3, 700.00

Total $ 25, 000.80

Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School

101 Mason Boulevard, North York, Ontario M5M 3E2

Tel.: 416-393-5510

Fax: 416-397-6137