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October, 2016

St. Matthew

Catholic School

______________________________

Principal’s Message In the May and June school newsletters and in a letter issued in late June, parents/guardians

were informed that they would not be notified of their child’s classroom placement for the

2016-2017 school year until the first day of school in September, 2016 because class formations

are in a state of flux, depending on decreases or increases in school enrollment, until the first

day of school—and, perhaps, well into the month of September.

Classroom formations are not made “official” until September 30th, 2016 so that the school can

react to decreases or increases in the student population. Up until September 30 th, therefore,

students may be asked to leave one classroom for another, and teachers may be asked to change

teaching assignments and—unfortunately—possibly leave the school.

This September, St. Mathew Catholic School experienced a slight decrease in the enrollment of

students in the Early Learning Program (ELP) [Kindergarten]. As a result, one classroom was

closed. The students from the closed classroom were redistributed into the remaining three

classrooms. Enrollment in each of the three classrooms ranges from twenty eight to twenty-nine

students. The Ministry of Education has set the maximum number of students in an ELP class

at thirty. Another fall-out of the closure is the departure from the school of Ms. L. Calamia,

teacher and Ms. V. Mirabelli-Sorbara, Designated Early Childhood Educator. We most

sincerely thank them for their outstanding contributions to the St. Matthew Catholic School

Community.

As well, a handful of primary students were moved to minimize the number of primary classes

(Grades One to Three) exceeding twenty students. The Ministry of Education would like at

least ninety percent of primary classes Board-wide housing twenty students or less. An

outcome of this reorganization: the combined grade one/two class became a straight grade one

class. There is now only one combined class (grade four/five) at St. Matthew.

Some key September events: the Catholic School Parent Council (CSPC) elections took place;

the school community held its first (monthly) liturgy celebrating Friendship; staff and students

began preparing for October’s cross country meets; the CSPC began preparations for its

Halloween Dance-A-Thon.

The CSPC will be sponsoring a Halloween Dance-a-Thon, which is its major fundraiser for the

year. The Halloween Dance-a-Thon will take place on Monday, October 31. The CSPC has and

will be sending home materials such as sponsorship forms, summary of activities taking place

prior to the Dance-a-Thon, prizes to be awarded, etc.

A reminder that on Halloween, students are not to bring to school any candy to share with their

classmates and friends. This is in keeping with the school’s mandate, under Sabrina’s Law, to

(Principal’s message continued on next page.)

St. Matthew

Catholic School

18 LAVENDER ROAD TORONTO, ONTARIO

M6N 2B5 Ph. 416 393 5240 Fax: 416 397 6101

Principal: Mr. L. Pennacchio

Vice-Principal Mr. P. Di Nizio Superintendent: Mr. M. Caccamo Ph. 416 222 8282 ext. 2267 Trustee: Mr. S. Piccininni Ph. 416 512 3403 Parish: St. Matthew Catholic Church 706 Old Weston Road, Toronto, M6N 3B8 Ph. 416 653 7191 Fax: 416 654 2288 CSPC Chair: Ms. C. Da Mota CSPC Vice Chair: Ms. C. Avdoulos Ph. 416-222-8282 ext. 88240 CPIC (Parent Engagement--TCDSB) www.tcdsb.org/cpic OAPCE Toronto (Provincial Voice for Parents) www.tcdsb.org/oapce-toronto Enrollment: 550 approx.

Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m. to P.m. 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. _______________________________

Catch the spirit!

3:30 p.m.

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Principal’s message contd.

control foods that may contain harmful allergens

that may be harmful to some students.

Any candy brought to school will be sent to the

office, and then returned home with the student at

the end of the day.

As well, students are not to bring any toy weapons

that form a part of their costume. No weapons,

even toys, are allowed on school premises.

Costume masks inhibit the vision of the wearer,

which poses a safety risk. Masks, therefore,

should not be brought to the school.

Recently a clown craze has manifested itself first

in the United States and now in Canada. People

dressed as clowns appear at various locales, and

their demeanour frightens onlookers. One day, in

the first week of October, rumours of the

appearance of a clown in the school’s parking lot

frightened many students. The parking lot was

searched thoroughly and no clown or evidence of

a clown’s presence at the school was found. Later

that evening, news reports described the arrest of a

clown who had turned up at an elementary school

in Toronto.

Needless to say, the presence of people in clown

costumes or the possibility of costumed clowns at

the school has the potential to make students

anxious at best and freighted at worst.

We ask therefore, that no adult or student come to

the school in clown costume.

There is no need for students to recruit sponsors

for the Dance-a-Thon by going door-to-door,

standing in front of businesses asking for

donations, etc. Indeed, such activities may put

students at risk. Generally, students solicit

sponsors from family and friends.

The CSPC uses the funds raised through activities

such as the dance-a-thon, monthly lunches, and

other fundraisers held throughout the year to

support student learning and enhance school life.

On Halloween morning (Dance-a-thon day),

parents, guardians and caregivers are invited to

come to the school and watch their children

participate in the annual costume parade around

the track in the school yard. Parents, guardians

and caregivers are free to take pictures, but are

reminded that they can only publish, in paper or

electronic format, photographs of their children.

Afterwards, parents, guardians and caregivers and

their guests are invited to partake of some light

refreshments.

The blessings of food, friends, family and

freedom are all gifts from our Creator God.

During this season of Thanksgiving, we are urged

to take some time to remember our blessings and

give thanks.

This Thanksgiving season, I encourage you to give

thanks at Sunday worship. Fr. Andre and Fr.

Augustine of St. Matthew Catholic Church and all

the pastors and priests of our neighbouring

parishes will be delighted to lead you in worship;

and, most important, to bear faith and witness to

Christ through the Eucharist.

Catholic School Parent Council

You will be kept informed of the

dates of our regular Catholic School

Parent Council (CSPC) meetings, and

of all important issues, discussions

and outcomes pertaining to and arising from those

meetings. The CSPC is the means by which you,

the Parent/Guardian, have an opportunity to voice

your opinion and to influence school operations.

The next two meetings of the CSPC: Tuesday,

October 11 and Tuesday, November 1. Meetings

are held in the school’s staffroom and begin at

approximately 6:00 p.m. Please do join us!

Catholic School Parent Council Executive

Elections

Elections for the executive of

the St. Matthew Catholic School

Advisory Council took place on

the evening of Wednesday,

September 21.

The following individuals were

elected as voting members of

the Council:

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Ms. C. Avdoulas, Ms. C. Da Mota, , Ms. C.

Ricardo, Ms. L. Greco Narvaez, Mr. D. Olmedo,

Ms. S. Salazar, and Ms. J. Sousa Coutinho

Council members elected the following officers:

Ms. C. Da Mota (Chair), Ms. C. Avdoulos

(Vice-Chair), Ms. L. Greco Narvaez (Treasurer),

and Mr. D. Olmedo (Secretary).

Congratulations to all members for their election!

Catholic School Parent Council

Halloween Dance-a-Thon

This year, the Catholic School

Parent Council’s major

fundraiser will be a Halloween

Dance-a-Thon to be held on

Monday, October 31.

The Dance-a-thon will take place in the school’s

gym, and a professional disc jockey will be

spinning the tunes! The DJ is Justin Machado,

who will be providing services such as: a digital

club sound system, intelligent lighting, dance

posters, and a song request system open to the

students. Justin may be reached at

justin_machado@hotmail.com.

Students are welcome to come to the school in

their Halloween costumes.

On the morning of the dance, there will be a

costume parade in the school yard;

parents/guardians are invited to participate in or

view the parade. (Parents/guardians are reminded

that they are not to take photographs of other

students without the permission of those students’

parents/guardians. As well, parents/guardians do

not have the legal right to publish in hard copy or

electronic form or in any other format the image

of any child who is not theirs.)

This year, each classroom will be given a pumpkin

to carve. A pizza lunch will be given to the class

in each division whose pumpkin wins first place

honours. The pumpkins will be judged by the

members of the Catholic School Parent Council on

the morning of Friday, October 28.

The pumpkins will be on display near the office of

the school on Friday, October 28.

Parents/Guardians may bid on the carved

pumpkins the morning of Friday, October 28th.

Those persons with winning bids will be notified

in the early afternoon, and they can pick-up their

pumpkins at 3:30 p.m.

Dance-a-thon sponsorship forms were sent home

on Friday, October 14. The forms and all money

collected are due back at the school on Monday,

October 24.

There is no need for students to recruit sponsors

for the Dance-a-Thon by going door-to-door,

standing in front of businesses asking for

donations, etc. Indeed, such activities may put

students at risk. Generally, students solicit

sponsors from family and friends.

The prizes are as follows:

1) First Grand prize to the student who

raises the most money in the entire

school: Ace Aspire E15 Lap Top.

2) Second Grand Prize to the student who

raises the second most amount of money

in the entire school: Apple iPad Mini 2

16 GB. 3) Third Grand Prize to the student who

raises the third most money in the entire

school: Beats by Dre beats solo 2

headset.

4) A prize to the child who raises the most

money in their division:

Full Day Kindergarten: Leap Pad

epic.

Grades One to Three: iPod nano.

Grades Four to Six: Samsung

Series 4 LED T.V., 28 inches.

Grades Seven to Eight: Samsung

Series 4 LED T.V., 28 inches. 5) A pizza lunch to the class that raises the

most money in each division.

6) A pizza lunch to the class in each division

that wins first place for pumpkin carving. You

may bid on the carved pumpkins the morning of

Friday, October 28th. Those persons with winning

bids will be notified in the early afternoon, and

they can pick-up their pumpkins at 3:30 p.m.

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7) Three Daily Draw Gift Certificate Prizes:

iTunes or Tim Horton’s or Subway Sandwiches.

(One ballot for each ten dollars [$10.00] raised.)

To be eligible for all prizes, money and forms must be

returned to the school by Monday, October 24.

Any money and forms handed in after Monday, 24

October will not qualify for prizes.

Please note: Except for the daily gift card draws,

students are eligible to win only one prize. For

example, The student who wins the First Grand Prize

(the lap top) cannot win the prize for bringing in the

most money in her/his division.

Halloween week schedule

Tuesday, October 25 to Monday, October 31

· Daily Draws

Wednesday, October 26:

· Pumpkins for the pumpkin carving contest are

distributed to classrooms.

· (One class from each division [Full Day

Kindergarten, Primary, Junior, and

Intermediate] will win a pizza party for

originality in pumpkin carving and

embellishment.)

Friday, October 28:

· Carved pumpkins displayed near the school

office.

· Pumpkins judged in the morning;

parents/guardians bid on them and winner

announced in the afternoon.

Monday, October 31:

· 8:30 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.: Parade of children in

costumes on the track in the schoolyard.

Parents/Guardians Welcome!

Monday, October 31 Halloween Dance (-a-Thon)

in School Gym:

1) 9:00-10:00 Full Day Kindergarten at the Dance

2) 10:00-11:00 grades 1-3 at the Dance

3) 12:20-1:30 grades 4-6 at the Dance

4) 1:40-3:00 grades 7-8 at the Dance

Our Parish: St. Matthew Catholic Church

School Mass

The next school mass, a celebration of

Thanksgiving, will take place on

Wednesday, October 6 at 9:30 a.m. at

St. Matthew Catholic Church.

Parents/guardians and community

members are most welcome. Please

join us!

Key Award Winner

Note: The September newsletter inverted the first

and last name of the June’s Key Award winner,

Steve Fuentes Ceverino. Apologies to Steve!

The notice is reprinted below.

At the end of year school mass in June, it was

announced that Steve Fuentes Ceverino was the

winner of the Key Award!

The award was presented to Steve by his teacher,

Ms. E. Santoro. (Pictured above.)

The Key Award is presented to a Grade Seven

student who demonstrates leadership both within

the classroom and the school. The student’s hard

work, initiative and friendly demeanor make him

an inspiration to all who have the pleasure of

knowing him. The student volunteers time whole

heartedly to help his peers and the school

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community while striving to achieve academic

excellence.

Congratulations Steve!

Terry Fox Walk

On Thursday, September 29 the students and staff of

St. Matthew School participated in a Terry Fox Walk

to raise money to fight cancer. In so doing, they

followed in the footsteps of Canadian and world-wide

hero Terry Fox who inspired millions of people to take

up his cause to raise money to combat cancer.

The students and staff assembled in the school yard

prior to 9:00 a.m. and then walked the sidewalks

surrounding the school. Many community members

applauded the students during their walk.

On their return to the school, the students and staff

spelled out the name Terry.

A future newsletter will report on the total amount of

money raised for the Terry Fox Foundation.

Recognition for Being a Good

Shepherd

As Trustee Piccininni notes in this newsletter,

there have been and are continuing problems with

bussing: there are not enough bus drivers, bus

drivers come and go, and routes are constantly

being changed and revised, which cause confusion

for all.

Unfortunately, one afternoon a kindergarten

student was dropped-off at the wrong stop.

Fortunately, Alexis Pineda, her high school sister

and her friend found and escorted the kindergarten

student to the safety of a nearby Keelesdale Public

School.

Mr. Pennacchio cannot thank Alexis and her

friends enough for being Good Shepherds in this

instance! At the Friendship School mass held on

Friday, September 16, Alexis was awarded the

first Good Shepherd medal for Kindness of the

school year by Mr. Pennacchio and Fr. Augustine.

Mr. Pennacchio also extended his thanks to the

Principal and staff of Keelesdale Public School.

The Virtue for October: Gratitude

“Lord, your love

knows no bounds.

Fill my heart with

gratitude for the gifts

you lavish upon me

every day.” Psalm

23: 1-6.

Whenever we gather

as a faith community

to worship, we offer

thanks to our God.

The blessings of

food, friends, family

and freedom are all

gifts from our

Creator God. As we

prepare for the

celebration of

Thanksgiving, we

are urged to take

some time to

remember our blessings and give thanks.

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Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectation

for October: A Self Directed, Responsible

Life Long Learner

I AM A LEARNER FOR LIFE!

• I use my gifts and talents given to me by God

• I always do my best

• I build on my strengths and weaknesses

• I set goals

• I accept change

• I am proud of the good things I do

• I am thankful for the gifts of others

Because I am a learner for life, I can reach for my

dreams, by living my life like Jesus.

Monthly Good Shepherd and

Virtues Medals

A Good Shepherd medal for Kindness and a Board

Virtue of the Month medal is awarded to two

students from each classroom at the end of the

school’s monthly liturgy.

The medal recipients will be selected by their

classroom teacher and Designated Early

Childhood Educator (Full Day Kindergarten).

Staff members who are not classroom teachers

may nominate a Good Shepherd recipient. The

medal is specific to our school.

The Toronto Catholic District School Board’s

Virtues of the Month, on the other hand, are

Board-wide. The monthly virtues too dovetail

with the theme of Kindness. Each monthly virtue,

encourages us to build better relationships with

each other: September (Hospitality), October

(Gratitude), November (Peacemaking), December

(Charity), January (Courage), February (Love),

March (Forgiveness), April (Justice), May

(Compassion) and June (Faithfulness).

The two medals support the school community’s

overarching theme of showing kindness to all.

Good Shepherd Medal Recipients

for September

The following students

were recognized by their

teachers, Designated Early

Childhood Educators, and

school staff: Julio Calle,

Nuria Thomas Pinto, Sofia

Pereira, Filipe Pires, Johnny

Hart, Jason Dias, Maria

Luisa Saavedra, Abigail Pavao, Bella Jorge,

Beatriz Gomes Barbosa, Afonso Cabral Medeiros,

Karina Dos Santos Pereira, Lucas Pleitez, Lucas

Botelho, Victoria Da Silva, Melissa Andrade,

Ciara Lorenzo, Daniela Santos, Jayden Roberts,

Sara Da Silva Domingues, Felice Curameng, and

Beatriz Dos Santos Silva.

Below: Fr. Augustine and the Good Shepherd

medal recipients.

Virtue of the Month Medal Recipients

For September: Hospitality

The following students were

recognized by their teachers

and Designated Early

Childhood Educators:

Sofia Ferreira, Mateo Henry, Adriana Barros,

Lucas Carvalho, Carolina Lima Pereira, Sophia

Santos, Cristina Fernandes, Tomas Ferreira, Asiah

Guzzo, Gustavo Santos Silva, Mackenzie De

Barros, Montserrat Chuidian, Bruna Abreu,

Michael Padinha, Henrique Souza, Jacob Maltez-

Ferreira, Tiago Santos, Ana Branco Salada,

Ashley Da Silva, Filipa Sousa, Erica Azevedo-

Martins, and Kurt Nartia.

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Above: Fr. Augustine and the Virtue of Hospitality

medal recipients.

Halloween Candy and Food Treats

In keeping with the School’s

efforts to minimize the possibility

of anaphylactic reactions in

students, parents and guardians

are asked not to send candies and

other food treats to school this

Halloween

Halloween Safety Rules

Young children should always go trick-or-

treating with an adult.

Never trick-or-treat alone. Have at least 2

buddies go with you.

Plan your entire route and make sure your

family knows what it is.

Make sure that you are wearing a flame

retardant costume.

Wait until you get home and your parents

check your candy before you eat it.

Be very cautious of

strangers.

Accept treats only in

the doorway. Never

go inside a house.

Don't play near lit

jack-o-lanterns.

Visit only houses where the lights are on.

Walk on sidewalks and driveways.

Cross the street at the corner or at a

crosswalk.

Take a cellular phone with you, if possible.

Carry a flashlight

Here are some tips on street-proofing your

kids:

Talking To Strangers: Don't teach your child to

fear strangers, but strangeness. If a youngster can't

talk to strangers, who will they go to in an

emergency?

Trust Your Instincts: If someone doesn't make

you feel safe, it's OK to run away and tell an adult

you trust.

Vehicles: Never approach vehicles. In fact, if ever

approached by a vehicle, RUN in the opposite

direction that the vehicle is traveling and tell an

adult.

It's OK To Yell: If someone grabs your child,

they should hit, kick, and yell as loudly as

possible.

Password: Use a password that is easy for your

children to remember, so that if you must send a

friend or family member to pick them up, they will

know it's safe because that person has the

password.

Emergency Numbers: Remind children that in an

emergency, they can dial 911 or 0 from a public

phone booth, without any money.

Safety in Numbers: Children should always

travel in groups of 2 or more. Always take the

same route and check in when you arrive home, if

necessary.

Teach More Than Once: Start young, teach them

again and again - and practice dangerous

situations, modifying and adjusting to fit their

growing understanding.

Adults Don't Ask Children For Help: So if

someone does, it's a sign of danger. Run, and tell

an adult you trust.

People With Bad Intentions Don't Always Look

Like Bad People: Dangerous people can look

friendly. You know they aren't good people if you

feel badly when you're with them. Again, trust

your instincts.

Secrets: If someone tells you to keep a secret from

your mom or your dad, don't do it! Tell your

parents right away. That's a big sign of danger.

Ask First: Don't go anywhere, with anyone,

without your parent's permission.

Lost In A Store: If you get lost in a store you can

ask for help from a person in uniform who works

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for the store, or you can go to the till, or find a

woman - especially a woman with a child - and

ask for help. Don't ever leave the store with

anyone, even with the woman or someone else in a

uniform.

Christian Origins of Hallowe’en

Student Report Cards – Parent/Teacher

Interviews

One shorter, check-list report card (November,

2016), and two major report cards

(February and June 2017) will be issued this year.

Parent/teacher interviews are

scheduled twice during this

school year: 1) the evening of

Thursday, November 17 and

the morning of Friday,

November 18, 2016 and; 2)

the evening of Thursday,

February 16 and the morning of Friday, February

17, 2017.

If at other times, you have questions regarding

your child’s progress, please feel free to contact

the school and make an appointment to meet with

your child’s teacher.

Parents/Guardian should retain a copy of all report

cards for future reference. The originals of all

report cards are placed in the Ontario Student

Record (OSR) file.

TCDSB Monthly Update

October 19: Go Purple Day

October is Child Abuse Awareness Month.

October 19th has been set aside as a day

to raise awareness among students about the signs

of abuse and neglect, and what to do if they, or

someone they know, is being/or suspected of

being abused or neglected

https://www.tcdsb.org/Pages/October-is-Child-

Abuse-Prevention-Month.aspx #iBreaktheSilence

High School Open Houses

Grade 8 students and their families are invited to

learn more about their secondary school options at

open houses this fall. For a complete schedule,

see:

https://www.tcdsb.org/school/OpenHouses/Pages/

default.aspx

Interested in Parent Engagement?

Catholic Parent Involvement Committee Elections

Coming

October 3rd for Wards 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12

https://www.tcdsb.org/forparents/parentinvolveme

nt/cpicelections/pages/scheduled-cpic-election-

for-even-numbered-wards.aspx

October 5th for vacancies in Wards 1, 7, 11

https://www.tcdsb.org/forparents/parentinvolveme

nt/cpicelections/pages/election-to-fill-cpic-

vacancies.aspx

And October 17th for Parents at Large

Learn more about CPIC here:

https://www.tcdsb.org/FORPARENTS/ParentInvo

lvement/Pages/default.aspx

You Can Work Wonders with ShareLife.

During this Year of the Parish, schools are invited

to partner with their local parishes to see how they

can support the annual campaign, and help

ShareLife agencies work wonders.

http://www.sharelife.org/Public/Home.aspx

Secondary Night School, Saturday Language

Classes & eClass Registration

Continues until October 7th.

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Get detailed information online:

https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/Continui

ngEducation/Documents/flyer.pdf

Overseas Credit Courses in Italy.

Get all the information online:

https://www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDENTS/Opportun

itiesForStudents/Documents/SUMMER2017FLY

ER_3.pdf

Information Meetings October 4th and 5th

Celebrating the Year of the Parish 2016-2017.

The second year in our three year pastoral plan

focusing on "Together With One Voice:

Harmonizing our Faith Through Family, Parish

and School".

It is an opportunity to celebrate the important role

that our parishes play in our school communities

and in the lives of the students, staff and families

that we serve.

Let's celebrate the Family-Parish-School

partnership!

https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOur

CatholicCommunity/YearoftheParish/Page

s/Parish-Project.aspx

https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOur

CatholicCommunity/YearoftheParish/Page

s/default.aspx

October’s Virtue is Gratitude.

Find all the monthly resources associated with our

virtues of the month online

https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOurCatholi

cCommunity/VirtueoftheMonth/Pages/Default.asp

x

Upcoming Events:

October is…

Autism Awareness Month

https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/october-is-

autism-awareness-month.aspx

Hispanic Canadian Heritage Month

www.tcdsb.org

October 5th: Walk to School Day

http://www.saferoutestoschool.ca/internati

onal-walk-school-daymonth

October 5th: World Teacher’s Day

October 6: Rosary Day

https://www.tcdsb.org/board/nurturingourc

atholiccommunity/pages/rosary-day.aspx

October 7: System-wide Professional

Activity Day. No classes for students

October 10: World Mental Health Day

https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/S

pecialEducation/mhs/Pages/Default.aspx

October 11th: International Day of the Girl

https://www.tcdsb.org/Pages/International-

Day-of-the-Girl.aspx

October 11-25th: Elementary Cross

Country

https://www.tcdsb.org/programsservices/sc

hoolprogramsk12/healthoutdoorphysed/tdc

aa/pages/tcdsb-athletics.aspx

October 17th and 18th: Ontario College

Information Fair http://www.ocif.ca/

October 21st: Welcome Reception for

Newcomers to Canada

https://www.tcdsb.org/forcommunity/newc

omers/pages/welcome-reception-for-

newcomers-2016.aspx

October 22nd: Empowering Mothers in

Education--Spanish Speaking Advisory

Committee Conference

https://www.tcdsb.org/forparents/news/pag

es/2016-october-22-spanish-speaking-

advisory-committee-conference.aspx

October 26th: Early Childhood Educator

and Childcare Worker Appreciation Day

October 28th: An Evening to Feed the Soul

Gala in support of the Angel Foundation

for Learning

https://www.tcdsb.org/news/othernews/201

7/pages/An-Evening-to-Feed-the-Soul-

Gala.aspx

October 29th: Father Patrick Fogarty

Awards Dinner—celebrating excellence in

Catholic education across Ontario

https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/33rd-annual-

fr-fogarty-awards-dinner-saturday-october-

29.aspx

October 31st: Halloween. Learn about the

Christian origins of All Hallow’s Eve

https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOur

CatholicCommunity/News/2012-

2013/Pages/Halloween--Christian-

Tradition.aspx

Get all the latest news

Follow @TCDSB on Twitter to get the news as it

happens.

Subscribe to Enews to receive information via

email one or more times per week.

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https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscri

ption.aspx

Or visit the board’s website regularly at

www.tcdsb.org

Message from Trustee Piccininni

September has been a

challenging month for the

TCDSB as the board continues

to work through the issues

affecting our bus routes. I

would like to thank parents,

teachers and principals for their

patience and hard work during

this period. While the situation

remains fluid, we are seeing

improvement day by day and hope to see a return to

business as usual soon.

In the coming weeks the board will be undertaking

an in depth review of what happened, why, and

what can be done to ensure a similar situation does

not happen again.

On a lighter note, I would like to wish all of our

school communities a very happy Thanksgiving as

autumn approaches. Thanksgiving is a wonderful

time to reflect on our blessings and enjoy time well

spent with family and loved ones.

All the best!

Sincerely,

Sal Piccininni

Trustee, Ward 3

The Elementary Guidance

Teacher/Counsellor

What does an Elementary Guidance/Teacher

Counsellor do? The most significant role of the

Guidance Teacher/Counsellor is to be an advocate

for students as they strive to meet the demands

and challenges of their everyday school life. In

addition, the Guidance Teacher/Counsellor also:

assists with the personal and academic growth of

students; develops educational and career decision

making skills for students; promotes the

development of interpersonal skills among

students; and provides various services to the

community which will assist in the growth and

learning of all students.

For more information regarding the role of the

Guidance Teacher/Counsellor, contact the school

and ask for Ms. G. Figliano.

Prayer at Harvest and Thanksgiving

O God, source and giver of all things,

You manifest your infinite majesty, power and

goodness

In the earth about us:

We give you honor and glory.

For the sun and the rain,

For the manifold fruits of our fields:

For the increase of our herds and flocks,

We thank you.

For the enrichment of our souls with divine grace,

We are grateful.

Supreme Lord of the harvest,

Graciously accept us and the fruits of our toil,

In union with Jesus, your Son,

As atonement for our sins,

For the growth of your Church,

For peace and love in our homes,

And for salvation for all.

We pray through Christ our Lord.

Amen.