Principal Ms. L. Graham

Vice-Principal Ms. R. Bottero

Superintendent

Mr. A. Della Mora

Trustee Mr. F. D’Amico, CD

416-512-3406

Frank.damico@tcdsb.org

Parish Fr. Maderak

St. John the Evangelist 49 George St., Weston.

416-241-0133

Secretary

Ms. S. Lazar Clerk Typist

Ms. R. Cerasani

CSAC Chair Mr. D. Bennett

St. John the Evangelist

Catholic School

55 Pelham Ave.

Tel - 416-393-5244

Fax - 416-5032

School Hours 9:00 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.

School website:

http://www.tcdsb.org/schools/

stjohntheevangelist/Pages/default.aspx

School Blog: http://sjeschoolblog.blogspot.ca/ Twitter: SJECES

St. John the Evangelist Courage Excellence Compassion

To report an absence, please call 416 393-5244 (4:30 p.m. to 9:30 a.m.)

May 2015

As St. John the Evangelist is hoping to be an eco-certified

school, beginning January our newsletter will only available

by email (Laurienne.Graham@tcdsb.org) OR online at www.tcdsb.org/schools/stjohntheevangelist under What’s New.

EDUCATION WEEK—MAY 3—9TH

The Virtue for the month of May is COMPASSION.

For the month of May we will be focussing on the virtue of COMPASSION. Our

quote is from John’s Gospel, ”Jesus saw her weeping...his heart was touched, and he was deeply moved.” John 11:33 True compassion is not always easy to practice

as in the words of Jean Vanier “Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish.” Who

wants to go there when spring has finally arrived and the sun is shining down us.

This is all the more reason to show our compassion for those who cannot share in

the light. For this month, St, John the Evangelist students will be showing compas-

sion by taking the time to listen to our friends and classmates.

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST DRESS CODE

Looking forward to the end of the year, and more importantly next year, the

dress code needs to be highlighted and adhered to. Our dress code consists of

the following: white or navy top without logos, navy dress pants, skirt or jumper

(appropriate length), navy sweater. No stretch pants or leggings are to be worn.

During the warmer months, modesty dictates that tank tops and tops with spa-

ghetti straps are not to be worn. This is in keeping with the mandatory TCDSB

dress code found at www.tcdsb.org/FORPARENTS/Dresscode/Pages/default.aspx

Mark Your Calendars and Prepare to Celebrate

Catholic Education Week May 3-8, 2015 https://www.tcdsb.org/board/nurturingourcatholiccommunity/catholiceducationweek/

pages/default.aspx Please attend our Student-Led Learning Walk from Tuesday,

May5th—Friday, May 8th. Our students from K—6 will be focusing on the Ontario

Catholic School Graduate Expectations (OCSGE); our intermediate students will cre-

ate work around the theme of the Key Principals of Catholic Social Teaching (CST).

Revised Ontario Health and Physical Education

Curriculum

Many Catholic institutions, teachers, parents and students have been involved in

revising our Fully Alive program which was implemented between 2008 and 2015.

To quote a representative from the Archdiocese of Toronto: "Working with Min-

istry of Education guidelines, Catholic schools use the Gospel of Jesus and the

tradition of the Catholic Church as the starting point in our educational approach

to all content. The vast majority of the content required by the revised curriculum

is already covered within the Fully Alive program." Please see the responses from

two Catholic Institutions to many parents’ concerns about the new curriculum. It is

attached to this newsletter.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Chair - Mr. Bennett

Vice-Chair – Ms. Cesario

Treasurer – Mr. Banados

Secretary – Ms. Buttigieg

Our next CSAC meeting is Wednesday, May 20th

at 6:15 p.m. Please join us in the staff room.

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION TEA We held our volunteer appreciation tea on April

29th. The staff and students displayed their grat-

itude to those volunteers who have supported our

community. St. John the Evangelist School is dedi-

cated to Courage, Excellence and Compassion. Our

volunteers demonstrate all of these attributes.

CLASSROOM UPDATES We continue our regular reports on what we’re

doing in our classrooms.

Grade 3

In Grade 3, we continue to be excited about all

the new things we have learned and will be learn-

ing. In Math, our focus was on 3-D shapes. This

learning was paired by our wonderful trip to the

Ontario Science Centre. We learned how to have

fun with Geometry by discovering the wonder of

mathematics through puzzles and hands-on explo-

ration. We played with mirrors and marveled at

how 2D shapes transformed into 3D figures. In

Writing, we will be diving into the world of story

writing. We will be creating a new world within the

classroom full of adventure and excitement.

While in Reading, we are continuing to learn about

the Reading Traits with the focus on “prior

knowledge” which will in turn help us have a better

understanding of the texts we read and the sto-

ries we will write. Within our Language and Math

programs, the teachers are preparing the stu-

dents with the skills necessary for writing EQAO.

We will also be using previous sample tests to help

further prepare the students. In Fully Alive, we

are completing Theme Two – Living in Relation-

ships. We explored what it means to be human

and reinforced the importance of working togeth-

er and understanding our place within our families.

We will begin Theme Three – Created Sexual:

Male and Female. This theme will build on the pre-

vious themes and continues to explore the ques-

tion of what it means to be human. This curricu-

lum has been created by the TCDSB with input

from the Ontario College of Catholic Bishops,

teachers and parents. There is still more to come

during our home stretch, can’t wait!

Grades 4 and 5

Mr. Veleno’s and Mr. Perri's classes are currently

working on the Probability Unit in Math whereby stu-

dents determine, and communicate the likelihood of

occurrences expressed in words, fractions, and/or

percent. Students have also worked with spinners,

dice, playing cards and tree diagrams for the unit. In

Reading, non-fictional texts continue to be our shared

reading focus; students produce reading responses

based on implicit and explicit proofs as a vehicle for

extending their own understanding. In Writing, proce-

dural forms have been studied, specifically the imper-

ative structure of sentences found in how-to guides,

instructional manuals, cookbooks, etc. In Science,

Gears and Pulleys is our current unit of study. Stu-

dents have discovered everyday simple machines

around their homes and school, and can communicate

their efficiencies in providing a mechanical advantage

and the transference of force, or human effort. A

trip to Medieval Times will cap off an excellent month

of enrichment for your child!

Grades 5 and 6

The last two months have presented opportunities for

the students to develop in various areas. Work com-

pletion earned the students the opportunity to view

the film Ben Hur. The theme of forgiveness was ex-

plored and then applied in subsequent writing assign-

ments in which the students were required to provide

proof from the film to support their views. The same

support has been required as we begin to explore the

novel ‘Underground to Canada’ and students attempt

to account for the actions of the characters involved.

The focus in learning has shifted to the students as

they are expected to display the initiative and strat-

egies necessary in problem solving. ‘Banshos’, an activ-

ity in which students work together to solve particu-

lar math problems have been a staple of our math

program. This activity too requires that students be

able to account for their solutions. In Science, our

new I-pads have been employed to research various

means of generating electrical power. With EQAO

approaching, particular types of questions will be re-

viewed. In order to prepare for the test, students

are expected to begin to determine any areas they

themselves find challenging and to approach the

teacher for extra assistance.

FIRST COMMUNION AND CONFIRMATION Our students in grade 2, and those who had not yet

received the sacrament of the First Eucharist did so

at an 11:00 a.m. Mass on Saturday, May 2nd.

Our grade 8 Confirmandi will receive their sacrament

of Confirmation on either Tuesday or Wednesday

evening, May 12th or May 13th. Congratulations to all!

CHILDRENS MENTAL HEALTH WEEK MAY 3rd —9th 1 in 5 Ontario children and youth has a mental

health problem - That's about 500,000 kids. Dis-

orders range from anxiety, depression and con-

duct disorder to attention deficit hyperactivity

disorder, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and bi-

polar disorder. Left untreated, mental health dis-

orders can lead to school failure, family conflicts,

drug abuse, violence, and even suicide. The good

news is that help is available and treatment

works! Please see attached bulletin for more

information.

E-CURRICULUM CORNER In keeping with our 21C theme of exploring en-

gaging numeracy and literacy websites, this

month’s site is www.fun4thebrain.com which de-

livers fun and safe experiences for even the

youngest children. The website is suitable for K—

12 students, and has been recommended by our

Math department.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES Please do not allow your children to bring elec-

tronic devices to school unless they have been

requested for educational use. We have no way

of ensuring that they will not be stolen, damaged

or lost. The school cannot be responsible for stu-

dent’s electronic equipment.

Students may have a telephone at school for

safety reasons. As part of that same safety is-

sue, students are not permitted to use the tele-

phones during school hours, unless instructed by

the teacher for educational purposes. If you

need to contact your child, please call the office

and we will ensure that they receive any messages

you may need to forward. If students are using

their telephones during school hours, they will

be removed from them.

FOOD ALLERGIES As in the past, please note that we have a grow-

ing number of students in our school that have

severe, life threatening, allergies to peanuts

and nuts. This is a medical condition that causes

a severe anaphylactic reaction to specific foods

that can be fatal. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY

PRODUCTS THAT MAY CONTAIN PEANUT OR

NUT PRODUCTS TO SCHOOL.

WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN NIGHT Those students who are registered for JK in the fall

will attend the welcome night with their parents. Wel-

come to Kindergarten Night will be held on Wednes-

day, May 13th at 6:30 p.m. We hope all new junior kin-

dergarten registrants will come to find out what

school will be like for them in September.

Registration for next year’s kindergarten students

has begun. Visit the TCDSB website for details:

http://www.tcdsb.org/programsservices/earlyyears/

kindergartenregistration/pages/default.aspx

PAY IT FORWARD Our final Pay it Forward assembly was April 30th. Stu-

dents have been working on random acts of kindness

which makes our school so welcoming.

ECO-CERTIFICATION

Our Eco-Schools’ audit will be on May 7th. Many of our

students participated in the 20 minute clean-up

around our school yard on Earth Day. We also kept the

lights low, in the interest of energy conservation.

MAY IS SPEECH, LANGUAGE & HEARING AWARENESS MONTH Did you know that speech and language delays are the

most frequently reported problem in children? Early

speech and language development has a major impact on

future academic success. For example, research shows

that a child’s vocabulary when starting school is a

prime predictor of school success or failure. We also

know that early language skills are directly related to

later reading skills, and that children with poor lan-

guage development have difficulty using language to learn

math and science. If you have a concern about your

child’s speech or language, your school Speech-

Language Pathologist (SLP) can help! Speak to your

child’s teacher or school principal to find out more, or

contact the Speech and Language Department at 416-

222-8282, extension 2261.

COMBINED GRADE CLASSES Attached is a parent information pamphlet about com-

bined grade classes. The following are the considera-

tions: student academic needs, age, behaviour, devel-

opment, gender, learning style, physical maturity, so-

cial-emotional and special education need; the continu-

ity of the curriculum in regards to overall expecta-

tions; students will not be subject to combined grade

placement after two consecutive years; number of

students in each grade of the combined class.

St. John the Evangelist School Staff

2014—2015

Principal - Ms. L. Graham

Vice-Principal - Ms. R. Bottero

Secretary - Ms. S. Lazar

Clerk Typist –Ms. R. Cerasani

Ms. Dell’Angelo-Green (ELP1) Rm. 110

Ms. T. Trous (AM) &

Ms. M. Porretta (PM) ELP2 Rm. 111D

M. Eirica Perruzza (ELP3) Rm. 111E

Ms. G. Carbone-Silva—Gr. 1 Rm. 213

Ms. T. Buccitti—Gr. 1 Rm. 206

Ms. L. Waslenko—Gr. 1/2 Rm. 107

Ms. A. Del Zotto—Gr. 2/3 Rm. 204

Ms. J. Tanga—Gr. 3 Rm. 203

Mr. A. Veleno—Gr. 3/4 Port. 4

Mr. D. Perri—Gr. 4/5 Port. 9

Mr. P. Scully—Gr. 5/6 Rm. 212

Ms. A. Manuel—Gr. 6 Rm. 207

Ms. D. Del Zotto—Gr. 7/8 Rm. 212

Ms. L. Amaral-Nunes—Gr. 7/8 Rm. 208

Ms. C. Pasquali—Gr. 8 Rm. 210

Ms. Porretta – Special Education (Jr. AM) Rm. 209

Ms. Bottero – Special Education (Int. PM) Rm. 209

Ms. T. Pecile—5th Block (AM) Rm. 213

Ms. V. Giovenco—Jr. Literacy (AM) Rm. 219

Ms. S. Pol-Bodetto—French Rm. 211

Ms. C. Wolk—French (AM) Rm. 211

Ms. N. Da Silva—French & Library Rm. 205

Mr. D. Ricci—Vocal Music Port. 5

Ms. M. Fortades—Instrumental Music Rm. 112

Mr. J. Ludlow– Health & Phys. Ed. Rm. 120

Ms. Battaglino—E. A.

Ms. Merta— E. A.

Ms. Mudie—E.A.

Ms. Rizzardo – E.A.

Ms. Wachulka—E.A.

Ms. Machado—E.C.E.

Ms. Manimtim—E.C.E.

Ms. Neal—E.C.E.

Ms. Silva—CYW

Ms. Martins—Lunchtime Supervisor

Ms. Torre—Lunchtime Supervisor

Ms. Venturo—Nutrition Program

SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR 2014—2015 School Year Begins Tuesday, September 2,

2014

Thanksgiving Day October 13, 2014

Christmas Break Dec. 22, 2014 – Jan. 2,

2015

Family Day Feb. 16, 2015

Mid-Winter Break March 16-20, 2015

Good Friday April 3, 2015

Easter Monday April 6, 2015

Victoria Day May 18, 2015

Last Day of School June 25, 2015

Professional Activity Days 2014—2015 June 5, 2015 Assessment & Evaluation

June 26, 2015 Provincial Education Priori-

ties

TRUSTEES 2014 - 2015

Wards

1. Joseph Martino 5. Maria Rizzo 9. Jo-Ann Davis 2. Ann Andrachuk 6. Frank D‘Amico 10. Barbara Poplawski 3. Sal Piccininni 7. Michael Del Grande, Chair 11. Angela Kennedy 4. Patrizia Bottoni 8. Garry Tanuan 12. Nancy Crawford, Vice-Chair Christopher MacDonald & Hannah McGroarty, Student Trustees

Angela Gauthier, Director of Education 80 Sheppard Ave. E, Toronto, On. Website: www.tcdsb.org

BUSSING & STUDENT DROP OFF From time to time the bus may be late arriving at

your stop in the morning. If this occurs, we ask

that you contact the bus company directly to in-

quire about the bus, as they will have information

on all their routes. Our service provider is First

Student (905) 629-8200. If your child is not com-

ing by bus, he/she must be dropped off at the

main office after 8:45. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE

YOUR CHILD UNATTENDED AT THE BUS

STOP, PRIOR TO BUS ARRIVAL, OR IN THE

SCHOOL YARD. NO ONE WILL BE ON DUTY

AND WE CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

THEIR SAFETY.

SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR FOR 2015-2016 The school year calendar for 2015-2016 has been

approved. This includes the professional activity

days for elementary. The PA days for secondary

school should be approved soon. Check here for

information

https://www.tcdsb.org/school/SchoolYearCalend

ar/Pages/FutureSchoolYearCalendar.aspx

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Show Compassion by thinking about how your words make people feel.

May is Asian

Heritage Month

1 Civvies Day

$1

2 First Communion

3 4 5 6 7 Pizza Day Scientists Gr. 4/5 Perri

Eco-Audit

8 Gr.7 & 8’s

@ High Park

9

10 11 12 Gr. 8 Confirmation (Group 1) @ 7pm

13

6:30—7:30 pm Gr. 8 Confirmation (Group 2) @ 7pm

14 Pizza Day

Scientists—Gr. 2/3

15 16

17 18

Victoria Day NO SCHOOL

19 20 Track & Field

(Varsity) CSAC meet’g @ 6:15pm in library

21 Pizza Day Scientists Gr. 2/3 & 3

22 23

24 Show Compassion by thinking about how your actions make people feel.

25

Lunch

26

City Finals & Special Olympics Track &

Field @ Varsity

27 Track & Field

City Finals

& Special Olympics

(Varsity)

28 LAST Pizza Day Scientists — Intermediates

29 Our Marian Mass @ 11am (Gym)

30

31 1 2 Intermediate Boys Soccer Tournament

3 4 5

PA DAY No School

6

LEADERSHIP @ CAMP OLYMPIA

Mental Health Week ———————-

Book Fair May 4—8

Catholic Education

Week May 4—8

Student-Led Learning Walk

Cat Testing for Grades 2, 5 & 7 - May 4—11

St. John the Evangelist School Year of Charity

MAY 2015: COMPASSION OCSGE: A Collaborative Contributor: Because I am a team player, I know that “Together is Better” and we will live our lives like Jesus. CST: Option for the Poor & Vulnerable: Catholic teaching proclaims that a basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. We must put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.

EQAO Testing

May 28 to June 4

Revised Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum (2015) Responses from:

1) THE ARCHDIOCESE OF TORONTO

"While we have a responsibility to teach the curriculum set out by the Ministry of Education in education policy, we have always done so in a manner that conveys, respects and models Catholic principles to our students."

"Working with Ministry of Education guidelines, Catholic schools use the Gospel of Jesus and the tradition of the Catholic Church as the starting point in our educational approach to all content. The vast majority of the content required by the revised curriculum is already covered within the Fully Alive program."

"Although some of the content from the existing curriculum has been reassigned, with the expectation that it be delivered in earlier grades, we are confident the revised curriculum will be delivered within the context of our family Life program, in a way that is consistent with church teachings and our faith tradition."

2) THE INSTITUTE FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION (ICE)

"The Ministry of Education has been in conversation with the Institute for Catholic Education, and the political staff within the Ministry's office have similarly been in communication with the Catholic partner Associations (OCSTA, OECTA, OCSOA, CPCO, ACBO) at intervals throughout this process."

"The Ministry has committed to provide funding to support the development of specific resources and materials that will be appropriate for use in Catholic schools, and will support teachers as they implement the revised curriculum." “Teams are currently being assembled to develop supplementary resources and initial materials will be available for the start of the school year in September 2015.” (March 5th, 2015)

Please go to Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario Go to Fully Alive tab and you will find the updated curriculum.

TCDSB Celebrates Children’s mental health Awareness Week.

May 3-9, 2015:

Did You Know: 1 in 5 children and youth suffer from a mental health concern?

Children and youth can experience mental health concerns that range from mild to serious. For instance, some students may have a little anxiety when they are facing a test, while others may be very anxious about the same test. When an issue lasts for more than a few weeks, and interferes with the student’s daily life, then it becomes a concern that requires further help. Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health concerns for children and youth.

Click here for a Parent fact sheet on Child and Youth Mental Health& Mental Illness: http://www.cheo.on.ca/uploads/Mental%20Health/Mental%20Health%20and%20Illness%20Overview.pdf

http://www.camh.net/About_Addiction_Mental_Health/tips_for_parents_teens.html

5 tips to promote mental health in your child or youth

•Be positive role models. Children and youth need to see us express our feelings, talk over a problem with our partner, or see things from someone else’s point of view, Teach children how to reach out to others when they need help and support. •Promote a healthy lifestyle. Give healthy food, make sure children and youth get enough sleep and exercise. •Ask children and youth how their day went. Let them know when they’ve done something well (like trying hard, being patient or kind, or getting better at something). Focus on the effort, not always the result. If something is bothering or stressing them, ask if they need help to solve the problem. •Ask children and youth how they’re feeling about things. Some children and youth may not know how to express themselves. Help them with language to ‘name’ and express feelings (“OH, that must have been frustrating to have to wait so long…”) •Always take children’s and youth ‘s concerns and worries seriously. Children and youth may believe that their feelings don’t matter if we dismiss their feelings.

Classroom Activity for Children’s Mental Health Week:

Challenge your class to create a paper chain of “acts of kindness”! Encourage students to engage in acts of kindness with one another. Write / draw a picture of the act on a slip of paper, with a notation of how it felt on the opposite side. Gather slips into a paper chain and challenge a neighbouring class to create a longer chain by the end of the week.

Skype in the Classroom has launched the Just Say Hello Ambassador Project to help combat loneliness and isolation in schools. Participating classrooms have already made a real difference by creating opportunities to simply reach out and say hello in their

communities and around the world. You can get involved by sharing the Just Say Hello Ambassador Starter Kit.http://edu.skype.com/en-us/just-say-hello

Patricia Marra-Stapleton, Mental Health Leader, TCDSB patricia.marra-stapleton@tcdsb.org

TCDSB Policy S.24 Combined Grades: The Toronto Catholic District School Board promotes single grade classes where feasible. All combined (split) grade classes must meet Ministry and contractual guidelines in regards to total number of students assigned. When single grade classes cannot be achieved, the Board is committed to ensuring that classes are balanced and functional with consideration given to student academic needs, age, behaviour, development, gender, group dynamics, learning style, physical maturity, social-emotional and special education needs and the continuity of the curriculum in regards to the overall expectations. Wherever possible, students, will not be subject to combined (split) grade placement after two consecutive years. To read the policy and regulations in their entirety, please visit our website at: http://www.tcdsb.org/Board/Policies/Documents/S.%2024,%20Combined%20(Split)%20Grade%20Classes%20for%20Elementary%20Schools%20-%20October%202013.pdf

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES

2013 - 2014

Wards 1. Peter Jakovcic 416-512-3401 2. Ann Andrachuk 416-512-3402 3. Sal Piccininni 416-512-3403 4. Patrizia Bottoni 416-512-3404 5. Maria Rizzo 416-512-3405 6. Frank D’Amico 416-512-3406 7. John Del Grande 416-512-3407 8. Garry Tanuan 416-512-3408 9. Jo-Ann Davis, Chair 416-512-3409 10. Barbara Poplawski 416-512-3410 11. Angela Kennedy 416-512-3411 12. Nancy Crawford, Vice-Chair 416-512-3412 William Lawrence, Student Trustee 416-512-3413 Enrique Olivo, Student Trustee 416-512-3417

Angela Gauthier

Director of Education

Jo-Ann Davis Chair of the Board

Toronto Catholic District School Board

80 Sheppard Avenue east Toronto ON M2N 6E8

P: 416 222-8282 Ext. 2490

Email: webmaster@tcdsb.org www.tcdsb.org

Combined (Split) Grade Classes in

TCDSB Elementary Schools

Combined Grades in TCDSB

Elementary Schools—Our Philosophy:

Student achievement and well-being is the core pillar of the Toronto Catholic District School Board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan. Walk into any classroom, and you will find children at various stages of social, physical and intellectual development. No two children are exactly the same, even if they are the same age. Each child has unique learning needs—strengths and areas that need improvement. Learning styles and preferences are unique to each student. Teachers are trained to differentiate the instruction and adjust the learning program in the classroom to the needs of each student. In combined grade classes, teachers use evidence based strategies to teach the curriculum.

The Board understands that children learn continuously; their intellectual, social and personal development does not occur in compartmentalized, grade- specific segments. Our primary concern as advocates for children is to provide a stable, effective learning environment for all students in our care. Research has shown that achievement levels of combined grade class students are as good as and usually better than the achievement levels of students placed in single grade classes. Findings also show that children in classes where there is more than one age level learn to become more independent, responsible learners and develop a greater degree of social responsibility. Students in combined grade classes generally develop a greater sense of belonging, support and confidence.

“Research indicates that students in combined grades classrooms achieve the same level of academic results as

those in single grade classes. Some researchers believe that

this occurs as a result of student selection as well as

effective teaching.”

December 2007, What Works? Research into Practice Monograph #9,

Ontario Ministry of Education

The Benefits of Combined Grade Settings: Creates opportunities for students to

learn from one another Provides role models for younger

students Allows older students to get a clear

understanding of what they have already learned

Provides a curriculum suited to the needs of each student

Encourages students to work collaboratively

Fosters the development of confidence and independence

Teaches students to respect one another