St. Ambrose Catholic School Newsletter 20 Coules Court, Etobicoke, Ontario, M8W 2N9
Telephone: (416) 393-5259 Fax: (416) 393-5039 Visit us: http://stambrose.tcdsb.org and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stambroseces
St. Ambrose Parish Superintendent: D. Yack 416-222-8282 ext. 2732 Principal: K. Van Dinter Fr. Donatello Iocco Trustee: A. Andrachuk 416-512-3402 Secretary: E. Silva (416) 251-8282 CSAC Chair: B. Minor
DECEMBER 2015
Principal’s Message
As we begin the Advent season, let us reflect on
Christ’s presence in our lives and in the lives of
others. At St. Ambrose School, the month of
December will focus on creating an atmosphere of
preparation by touching the lives of those most in
need and giving back to the community through a
variety of community service initiatives. Our Me to
We team will be organizing Christmas Baskets for
families in need and we will be collecting reading
books and chocolates for the Catholic Children’s
Aid Society. On Monday, December 7th, we will be
celebrating this special advent season with our
Family Advent Liturgy at St. Ambrose Church.
During this Advent season, as we prepare
ourselves to live out the virtue of charity, let us
show the same selfless giving of ourselves for the
betterment of others as Jesus did for all of us.
On behalf of the entire staff at St. Ambrose, I
want to extend warm wishes to you and your family
during this season of Christmas!
Katherine Van Dinter Principal
A Christmas Prayer By Nancy Brummett
I said a Christmas prayer for you
Because the season’s near,
I didn’t ask for riches
But for something much more dear.
I asked for joyful gatherings
With your family all around,
And for carols to inspire you
With their old familiar sound.
I asked for quiet moments
In your heart on Christmas morn,
For a special time to celebrate
The Savior who was born.
I asked for friends to send their best
That you might know they care
I asked for peace and love and hope
And I know God heard my prayer.
May the spirit of Christmas
Bring you peace.
May the gladness of Christmas
Bring you hope
And the warmth of Christmas
Bring you love.
AMEN
Prayer for Charity
O Lord, give us more charity,
more likeness to you. Make us
kindly in thought, gentle in
word, generous in deed.
Teach us that it is better to
give than to receive, better to
forget ourselves than to put
ourselves forward, better to
minister than to be
ministered to. And to you,
the
God of love, be all glory and
praise, now and forever.
Amen.
By Henry Alford
Virtue of the Month: Peace
The Virtue Award for the month of November goes to the student(s) in each
class that are usually calm, level-headed when under pressure, generously forgive
others, and promote and practice conflict resolution.
CLASS TEACHER STUDENTS
ELP/1 Ms. Kwiatkowski Alyssa C., Jaden D. &
Jordan B.
ELP/2 Ms. Bureau Jan P., Amelia H. & Emily M.
ELP/3 Ms. Van de Coevering Luca B., Meghan S.
1 Ms. Russo Raquel C., Antonio P.,
Aneta C.
1 Mrs. Vieira Elizabet C., Alexander A.
2 Ms. Gacad Anthony C., Lola C.
2/3 Ms. McKeon Scott C., Jordyn P.
3/4 Ms. Sztuka Juliana M., Angie D.
4 Ms. Czarnecki Jacob D., Kaylee P.
5 Ms. Pappano Karolina P., Sammy T.,
Robert Z.
6 Ms. Ursini Christian B., Erika E.,
Isabella A.
6/7 Mrs. Birt Mya C., Brian A.
8 Ms. Berardi Lucas D., Hailey R.
8 Mr. Roque Grace N., Drazen M.
The Catholic Community Award for December: CHARITY
The criteria for the Virtue of Charity:
students who demonstrate generosity with their time and energy students who participate in school wide initiatives related to charity students who lend a helping hand students who give to others without expecting anything in return
As we enter the season of Advent to prepare our hearts for the birth
of Jesus, it is rather suitable that this month’s virtue is CHARITY.
Many of us are already engaging in the mad rush to purchase gifts to
put under the tree on December 25th, but let us be mindful of the
fact that charity is not always about giving material things. Our quote
for the month is “Where charity and love are, God is there.” As St.
Thomas Aquinas described it, “Charity is friendship first with God and
secondly with all who belong to God.”” How can we practice charity and
generosity in our community without necessarily giving material things?
Lets’ make this the challenge that we all strive to achieve for the
month of December!
Sweet Read
Spread the gift of literacy! During
this Christmas season, St. Ambrose
students are asked to participate in
a “Sweet Read” initiative. Our
students help to brighten another
child’s day and increase literacy in
our community with their donations
of new books and peanut-free
chocolate treats. It is a true
display of “Christmas Spirit”. From
Monday, December 7th through to
Friday, December 11th, students can
drop off their wrapped donations
(in clear cellophane), around the
Christmas tree. All proceeds will be
given to the Catholic Children’s Aid
Society.
Our Angel Tree
In the spirit of giving, St. Ambrose
will be participating in collecting
food items and Christmas gifts in
support of the St. Vincent de Paul
community Christmas Hamper
program from December 3rd
through to December 14th. We will
be providing for some needy
families in our community. Each
class will be given one or two
families in need to support. Please
know that your generous donation
enables families in need to find
something special under their own
Christmas tree and to enjoy a
special Christmas dinner. This is an
excellent opportunity for our
students to give witness to our
Catholic social teaching, by giving
freely without expecting anything
in return. An angel with the
student’s name and the family
number they have supported will be
placed on our Angel tree. Thank you
in advance for your continued
support!
Candy Grams
With Christmas fast approaching,
the Student Leaders will be selling
Candy Grams with little “Candy
Gram messages” attached from
Monday, December 7th to
Wednesday, December 16th at a
nominal cost of 1 for 50 cents or 3
for $1.00. Candy grams will be
delivered on Friday, December 18th.
All proceeds will support Grade 8
graduation activities. We thank
Metro (at Lakeshore and Parklawn)
for donating the candy canes for
this fundraiser.
‘A Christmas Carol’ Play
On Tuesday, December 15th, students
from K- Gr. 8 will be watching “A
Christmas Carol”, performed by
Dufflebag Theatre. This hilarious
rendition of Charles Dickens' classic
tale A Christmas Carol, will be
brought to life with the help of
audience members who
spontaneously participate, playing
the main parts. We thank Mrs. Gillis
for arranging for this performance
sponsored by Prologue to the
Performing Arts!
Family Advent Liturgy
On Monday, December 7th, the
feast of St. Ambrose, we will be
having our Family Advent Liturgy at
St. Ambrose Church. Our
celebration will begin at 6:40 pm
with carol singing followed by the
Family Advent liturgy at 7:00 pm.
The theme for our liturgy is the
Nativity of our Lord. Students will
be dramatizing the story of the
birth of Jesus in scripture and
song. All classes will be involved
with this celebration.
Since we are celebrating the Year
of the Family, all students will be
seated with their families during
the celebration. Students will be
called up to the front of the church
when their class is performing.
A light reception will follow in the
gym at St. Ambrose Catholic School
compliments of our CSPC. Parents
are welcome to bring treats to add
to the food table. Please contact
Mrs. Minor at [email protected]
for more information!
We hope you are able to attend!!
INDOOR SHOES In order to keep our students warm
and comfortable and to help keep
their workplace clean, please ensure
that your child has a pair of
“indoor shoes”. It will reduce the
amount of dirt and mud brought
indoors. It will also assist our
custodial staff in keeping our school
clean. These extra shoes serve many
functions, safety being the primary
one. Students will not track water
into classrooms, hallways and
stairwells making them potentially
slippery and dangerous. Also, during
fire drills or in case of a fire,
students need to be able to exit the
building quickly; they will not have
enough time to stop and put on their
shoes. Students are not permitted
to be in sock feet in the classrooms
or anywhere in the school. Indoor
footwear is expected for all
students.
VOLLEYBALL TEAMS
Congratulations to the
Intermediate Boys Volleyball and
Girls volleyball teams! They
represented St. Ambrose with class
and showed excellent
sportsmanship throughout the
tournament. Their hard work and
commitment during practices paid
off! They all improved their game,
leadership abilities and their team
work. They stuck together,
encouraged each other and helped
each other out. In the end their
determination, grit and skill made
them a force to contend with right
down to the wire. Special thanks
to Mr. Roque and Mrs. Bureau
for coaching the volleyball
teams this year!
Winter Weather
It is that time of year when students need to be reminded of
the necessity of dressing properly
for the weather (mittens, hats,
scarves, boots, etc.). Labelling items would be helpful, as many
boots and mittens look very
similar. Many items make their way to the Lost and Found and are
often not claimed.
Except under inclement conditions, students go outside during recess
and lunch hour. Children who are
too ill to go outside should be
resting at home and should not
be at school.
Last Day of Classes The last day of classes before the Christmas holidays is Friday, December 18th, 2015. Dismissal will be at the regular time of 3:00 p.m. Classes will resume on Monday, January 4th, 2016.
.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL PARENT
COUNCIL (CSPC) NEWS
GINGERBREAD MAKING AND
PHOTOS WITH SANTA!
Mark your calendar! Please join us
for some Christmas music and
holiday cheer! Decorate a
gingerbread house and take a
professional photo with Santa
(taken by BrightPics) on Thursday,
December 10th from 6:00 pm –
8:00 pm!
CSPC Christmas Social
Please join us for some festive
cheer at The Pickle Barrel
beginning at 6:30 pm. Please
RSVP to Mrs. Minor at [email protected].
Samko Fundraising Event
Need to do some Christmas
shopping? Shop at the Samko
and Miko Toy Warehouse sale
located at 77 Fima Crescent
(Horner and Kipling) as well as
the Richmond Hill location
from November 25th to
December 6th. Please mention
to the cashier that you are
fundraising for St. Ambrose
Catholic School and Samko will
stamp “Fundraiser” on the back
of your receipt. Then, please
turn in all stamped original
receipts to the school by
December 18th, 2015 and the
school will get 10% of your
pre-tax sales.
Happy shopping!
Winter Safety
In anticipation of the arrival of our first significant snowfall, students are reminded that there is to be no snowball throwing, kicking of snow, taking hats, etc. Please take this opportunity to discuss these behaviors with your child (ren) in the interest of student safety.
Transportation in Inclement
Weather Cancellation of school bus transportation or school
closures due to inclement weather will be reported
through the following
vehicles:
News releases to all media
outlets in Toronto (note: although the news release
is provided to the media
outlets, there is no guarantee that all
television and radio
stations will broadcast the information in a timely
fashion). Communications will
endeavor to send an email to everyone on exchange to advise them of any cancellations or closures.
Communications will also endeavor to send out the information electronically
to E-News subscribers
(Note: If you do not already
subscribe to E-News, but
wish to do so, please visit
our website at
www.tcdsb.org and click on the E-News icon on the top
right hand side of the
homepage)
Updates will also be posted on the Board‟s 24-hour information line, 416-222-8282, ext. 2873.
The information will also be posted on the Board‟s website at www.tcdsb.org or www.tcdsb.org/weather.htm
Me to We News
The Me to We team continues
to collect money during our
Christmas civvies day to support education in Kenya.
Our goal is to reach
$1,000.00 to help build schools and libraries, support teachers, provide chairs, notebooks and pencils so that children can have the opportunities they deserve. We have collected over $501.05 so far and hope to reach our goal by June. We thank you for your support in this very worthwhile project.
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration will begin for all
Elementary Schools on Wednesday, January
13, 2016 at 10:00 am EST.
Parents/guardians with children born in 2012
or earlier and who will be enrolling in
Kindergarten, have the opportunity to apply
on-line using the “Student On-line Admission
and Registration” platform known as S.O.A.R.
and found at the following link:
http://soar.tcdsb.org
Parents will be able to complete an
application for registration from the
convenience of their own home, the office, a
public library, or anywhere there is internet
access, 24 hours a day. The on-line
application also offers access to translations
in different languages with built-in help
functions and features.
Alternately, families may choose to register
in person at our school. We will begin to
accept registrations at 10:00 a.m., on
January 13, 2016.
As part of the registration process, school
staff will meet with parents. These
meetings may be scheduled on the electronic
application or in person at the school.
During the meeting, school staff will verify
the original documentation required for
registration. This consists of a Baptismal
Certificate, Birth Certificate and/or
Passport, Immunization record, proof of
residence and Application for Direction of
School support.
Applications to register children in grades
other than Kindergarten can also be
completed on the online S.O.A.R. application.
Please share this information with any
parents/guardians with school aged children
in the community.
As in previous years, an extensive
promotional campaign will be launched
throughout the City of Toronto, with paid
advertisements in the local media, posters in
public centers, through the board website
and on vinyl banners for display on school
property.
We will be hosting a Kindergarten
evening Registration session on
Tuesday January 19th from 4:30
pm – 9:00 pm.
For further information, please contact our
school office at 416-393-5259. For general
inquires or further information you may
contact 416-222-8282 extension 5314 or
visit our website at www.tcdsb.org
TCDSB Monthly Update
December 2015
Kindergarten Registration Starts January 13, 2016 The Toronto Catholic District School Board invites families with children born in 2012 to register for Junior Kindergarten
beginning Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 10 a.m. EST.
Registration options:
Online: Parents will be able to complete their application online beginning at 10 a.m. EST on January 13, 2016, at
SOAR.tcdsb.org, and follow up with a visit to the school to present the required documents. The online application is
available at: https://soar.tcdsb.org/Login.aspx
In Person: Parents can register at their local school with the required documents beginning January 13, 2016 at 10 a.m. EST.
To accommodate the busy schedules of parents, all elementary schools will host an evening registration session during the
month of January. Parents are asked to contact their local Catholic school for specific dates and times.
Registration documents:
• Child’s Birth Certificate or Passport/Immigration documents if child was not born in Canada
• Child's Catholic baptismal certificate (or proof of Catholicity of parent)
• Proof of residency in Toronto (some examples: a lease agreement, utility bill)
• Immunization Record
Information is available by telephone at 416-222-8282 ext. 5314, or by visiting https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/EarlyYears/KindergartenRegistration/Pages/default.aspx
French Immersion and Extended French New for September 2016, French Immersion begins in Junior Kindergarten
The Extended French Program is offered to students beginning in grade 5 at several TCDSB sites. Interested parents are
encouraged to attend an information evening to learn more about the program. Please note dates, times and locations for
sessions planned for December through to February: https://www.tcdsb.org/News/othernews/2015/Pages/French-Immersion-
and-Extended-French.aspx
Resources for Students Heading to High School Helping students prepare for high school
https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SchoolProgramsK12/GuidanceCoopEd/Transition%20to%20High%20School/Docu
ments/AFTER%208%20TRANSITION%20GUIDE%202015.pdf
Transition Guide for Parents is available in several languages
https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SchoolProgramsK12/GuidanceCoopEd/Transition%20to%20High%20School/Page
s/default.aspx
For High School Students Preparing for Graduation Check out this website http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/graduate.pdf if you are unsure of all the requirements for
graduation.
Application Deadlines for Post-Secondary Studies January 16, 2016--Deadline to submit your completed University application to the OUAC.
http://www.ouac.on.ca/deadlines/
February 1, 2016—Application deadline for community colleges http://www.ontariocolleges.ca/apply
Celebrating The Year of the Family Visit the website for resources https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOurCatholicCommunity/Year-of-
Family/Pages/default.aspx.
Toronto Catholic Family Film Festival Coming April 21st Top 10 Films will be screened at the festival to be held at Cineplex Cinemas, Yonge and Dundas. Check out the trailer
for the festival: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UTLQ61tntVM&feature=youtu.be
And all the other information and resources: https://www.tcdsb.org/tcff
Film submissions accepted until February 19th.
Play it Forward The pilot project involves schools who are engaging in a charitable initiative focusing on helping a family, locally or
abroad, and sharing their experiences via Skype with one of their partner schools. The initiative blends the Year of the
Family with our ongoing focus on living our Catholic values by putting faith into action.
On December 7th, St. Sebastian, Fr. Serra and St. Anselm will engage in their first online chat discussing what they have
done, and will be doing for the Year of the Family.
https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOurCatholicCommunity/Pages/Play-it-Forward.aspx
Archdiocese of Toronto’s Project Hope A reminder to all that the Archdiocese of Toronto has passed the midway point of its 100-day “Project Hope” $3 Million
Emergency Refugee Resettlement Campaign. The goal is supporting the settlement of 100 refugee families within the
Greater Toronto Area as soon as possible. Schools are encouraged to partner with their local parish to raise funds for this
worthwhile effort. Get more information online: https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/project-hope.aspx
Upcoming Events Advent Begins November 29th
Resources online here: https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/season-of-advent.aspx International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December 3rd
https://www.tcdsb.org/news/othernews/2014/pages/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities.aspx
International Human Rights Day, December 10th
https://www.tcdsb.org/News/othernews/2014/Pages/International-Day-of-Persons-with-Disabilities.aspx
Christmas Break: December 21-January 1 inclusive (Classes resume Monday, January 4th
Eastern Rite Christmas January 7th
Visit the TCDSB Website www.tcdsb.org to get all the news and information from around the board, including
athletics, news for parents and students.
Follow the board on Twitter @TCDSB to get updates as they happen.
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