St. Norbert Catholic School

60 Maniza Road

North York, Ontario

M3K 1R6

Telephone: 416-393-5309

Fax: 416-393-5187

———————————————

Rosa-Maria Tucci, Principal

Louisa Mirabelli, Head Secretary

Michael Caccamo, Superintendent

416 222 8282, ext. 2267

Patrizia Bottoni, Trustee

416 512 3403

Mrs. Diana Biancolin

Council Chair

Tel: 416-222-8282 ext. 88309

csac.stnorbert@tcdsb.org

St. Norbert Catholic Church

Fr. Gigi Philip

100 Regent Road

North York M3K 1H3

416-636-0213

School Hours of Operation:

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Lunch: 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

CPIC (Parent Engagement--TCDSB)

www.tcdsb.org/cpic

OAPCE Toronto

(Provincial Voice for Parents)

www.tcdsb.org/oapce-toronto

February Edition 2017

TRUSTEES 2016 – 2017

Wards

1. Joseph Martino 4. Patrizia Bottoni 7. Michael Del Grande 10. Barbara Poplawski

2. Ann Andrachuk 5. Maria Rizzo 8. Garry Tanuan 11. Angela Kennedy, Chiar

3. Sal Piccininni 6. Frank D‘Amico , Vice-Chair 9. Jo-Ann Davis 12. Nancy Crawford

Karina Dubrovskaya, Student Trustee Rhea Carlisle, Student Trustee

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

Catholic School News

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As noted in February’s school calendar, February is indeed an eventful month

filled with many important activities and celebrations: African-Canadian Heritage

Month, Kindergarten Registration, Valentine Day dance, and Pancake Tuesday,

just to name a few. We extend our sincerest appreciation to all staff members, par-

ents, volunteers and student leaders who continue to work diligently for the better-

ment of our school community and all its members.

During the Month of February, we recognize and celebrate the virtue of Love and

we remember that love not only inspires the practice of all other virtues, but it is

also the form and completion of all the other virtues. No other virtue can be genu-

inely manifested without love.

Student success continues to be a priority for staff. We are completing Report

Cards for Term 1 and look forward to sharing them with you on Tuesday, Febru-

ary 14th so we can communicate the progress of your child. Please schedule your

interview time for Term 1 to discuss your child’s progress if you feel a meeting is

necessary at this time.

We appreciate the ongoing support of the St. Norbert community! Together

we foster a love for learning and collectively, we develop a strong and caring

connection between home, school and church for the benefit of all our learn-

ers. On behalf of Trustee Bottoni, Super intendent Michael Caccamo and the

staff at St. Norbert School, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a

love-filled Valentine’s Day, and a very safe and enjoyable Family Day weekend!

Yours in partnership,

Ms. Rosa-Maria Tucci | Principal

S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol

D E CE M B ER :

December and Jan uary

Student s

of t he Mon th CONGRATULATIONS t o t h e fol lowin g s t u -

dents . In the month of December, they displayed

the V irtue of Charity . In the month of January ,

they displayed the V irtue of Courage .

TCDSB Faith and Character Development

Monthly Themes

Virtues of the Month

September Hospitality February Love

October Gratitude March Forgiveness

November Peacemaking April Justice

December Charity May Compassion

January Courage June Faithfulness

Love can be shown in many ways.

Here are four examples: Let your actions be guided by the idea that God says we should love one another as He loved us.

Jesus said we should love our enemy.

The Bible has examples of how Love is al-ways patient and kind.

Live your life in a way that makes others know you are a follower of Christ.

Mr. Quattrociocchi &

Ms. Tantalo-Forte

ELP/1 Giacomo M.

Ms. Caruso-Muccin ELP/2 Natalia E.

Kendall W.

Ms. DiSabatino-Drago ELP/3 Antonio M.

Serena D.

Mrs. Piane 1 Sofia L.

Lily M.

Mrs. Bonanno-Sofras 1 Anastacia A.

Mrs. Mete 2 Not available at time of printing

Mrs. Eastin

(Mrs. Garofalo)

2/3 Not available at time of printing

Mrs. Palarchio 3 Maiya K.

Julian B

Mr. Devine

(Ms. Durante)

3/4 Nicola C.

Mrs. Losiggio 4 Julianna G.

Ms. Vitale 5/6 Aaron A.

Ms. Tobia

(Mrs. Rubino)

5/6 Kessily M.

Mr. Leo

(Ms. Perricone)

7 Roger Mar S.

Andrew U.

Ms. D’Alfonso-Gentilin 7/8 Petar Z.

Natassia D.

Ms. Dey-Brugnano 7/8 Paul P.

Matthew I.

French Department Vanessa K. (2)

Laura S. (3)

Alex d. S. (7)

Gabriel d. S.(5)

Italian Department Thomas F. (6)

The Virtue for the month of February is:

Love

“For God so loved the world, He gave it His only son.”

(John 3:16)

S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol

J an ua r y :

S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol

Mr. Quattrociocchi &

Ms. Tantalo-Forte

ELP/1 Sebastiano F. G.

Ms. Caruso-Muccin ELP/2 Michael L.

Aydan A.

Ms. DiSabatino-

Drago

ELP/3 Sienna D.

Vivian R.

Mrs. Piane 1 Anthony S.

Ryean Miley C.

Mrs. Bonanno-Sofras 1 Alessia M.

Ms. Piedrahita

(Mrs. Mete)

2 Szvetlana L.

Kyle L. P.

Mrs. Eastin

(Mrs. Garofalo)

2/3 Not available at time of printing

Mrs. Palarchio 3 Rosabelle M.

Elisa P.

Mr. Devine

(Ms. Durante)

3/4 Eienne Kate

Mrs. Losiggio 4 Ascher T.

Ms. Vitale 5/6 Victor N.

Ms. Tobia

(Mrs. Rubino)

5/6 Luca P.

Mr. Leo

(Ms. Perricone)

7 Vanessa M.

Ms. D’Alfonso-Gentilin 7/8 Trisha M.

Jhamaica V

Ms. Dey-Brugnano 7/8 Emily T.

Karl M.

French Department Madeline F.(3)

Michael d. G. (6)

Andrew U. (7)

Maiya K. (3)

Italian Department Nathaniel K. B. (3)

St. NORBERT Catholic School

Advisory Committee

Pancake Tuesday On Tuesday, February 28th, CSPC will

be serving pancakes to the students.

Thank you to all the parents who

have volunteered to assist! Thank

you also to the various local businesses for donat-

ing Pancake Mix, and Maple Syrup for this event.

Hot Lunch Programs

Kids LOVE FOOD4STUDENTS! Take a break by or-

dering from our school’s unique, fresh-served, eco

-friendly lunch program! To view the school’s

menu and meal schedule, click on ‘place your or-

der’ at http://www.food4students.com or contact

Alfonso at 416-318-4871 or

contact@food4students.com.

Cancellation Policy: If your child will be away at

lunchtime on a Food4Students lunch day (Mon &

Thurs), please contact Food4Students directly by

phone/email/website before 7:00am and a credit

will be applied to your online account. Bon appétit!

Term 2 “Pizza Lunch Wednesdays” Order

Forms have been sent home with the stu-

dents. Please return with payment if you wish

to continue with this order in Term 2.

Dear Parents,

CSPC would like to thank the parent community for their ongoing support and donation to the voluntary “Activity Fee.” The “Student Activity Fee” is the main method of fundraising, and it provides the children with many valuable programs and activities through-out the year.

Upcoming events:

We will be hosting a Pancake Tuesday event for the students on Feb 28th

1st annual movie night at the school coming up, Fri. May 26

Annual school BBQ - Thurs. June 8th

Stay tuned for more details

The next CSPC meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 6 , 2017. Parents are always welcome and encouraged to attend.

S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol

FIRST COMMUNION

St. Norbert & Other Schools

May 06 (Sat) – 2:00 pm

Photo Times:

12:00 pm-1:00 pm - Individual Photos

1:30 pm - Group Photo

CONFIRMATION—Grade 7

St. Norbert & Other Schools

June 3 (Sat) - 2:00 pm

Photo Times: 1:30 pm - Group Photo

St. Norbert Parish News DATES FOR SACRAMENTS

Kindergarten Registration September 2017

The Toronto Catholic District School Board invites families with children born in 2013 to register for

Kindergarten (September 2017)

Registration options:

1) Online: Parents will be able to complete their ap-plication online at: https://soar.tcdsb.org/Login.aspx. A follow up with visit to the school to present the required documents will be scheduled following the online application.

2) In Person: Parents can register at their local school with the required documents.

Parents will need to schedule their in-school ap-pointment for registration with the elementary school online or with the school Secretary - be-fore visiting the school.

Please be aware that the online registration begins the process, but registration can only be confirmed by the school with an in-school appointment with the Secretary.

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 St Norbert Catholic school in Janu-ary for specific date and times.

The following documents are required at the time of registration- (to be given to Secretary at in-school appointment):

1. Birth Certificate (Certificate of Citizenship or Land-ed Immigrant Status) .

2. Catholic Baptismal Certificate

(or proof of Catholicity).

3. Immunization Record.

4. Assessment Form for Catholic School Support. 5. Proof or residency in our school’s Catchment Area (Utility Bill that will be confirmed by Assessment De-partment).

Registration packages will also be available for pick-up at the school office. Appointments can be sched-uled at this time for return of completed forms along with original documents.

Information is available by telephone at 416-222-8282 ext. 5314, or by visiting:

www.tcdsb.org/kindergartenregistration

PUNCTUALITY

Punctuality is a characteristic and life

skill we strongly encourage at St. Norb-

ert. It is important that a child develops

this responsibility early in life for it will serve him/

her well in years to come. For all aged children, it

is the responsibility of the parent(s) to ensure they

get to school on time.

Students must arrive to school before the 8:30am

bell, and be present, in-line with his/her class,

when the school bell rings at 8:30am.

A student is not permitted to use the main

door to access his/her classroom unless they

are late. All students entering the front door at

8:30am or later are considered late and will re-

ceive a late slip.

Punctuality is one of the many duties of a pu-

pil, as outlined in Regulation 298 of the Educa-

tion Act. A pupil who is frequently late can be

said to be in “habitual neglect of duty” and can

be referred to the school principal and/or

school social worker if the problem persists.

Thank you for your support in addressing this

matter with your child!

S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol

SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM -

STUDENT ILLNESS, ABSENTEEISM or

LATENESS

Lateness:

In the morning, if your child arrives to school after the morning bell, or enters from the front office because the class lines have already entered the building, he/she is con-sidered late. There is no leeway time given. School begins promptly at 8:30 am.

Your child will need to report to the secretary to receive a late slip. A late slip is generated and the student may then proceed to his/her classroom.

Absenteeism:

If your child is to be absent from school for any reason, please telephone the school to inform the secretary be-fore 8:30am of the day of absence.

(We also have a voicemail box for your convenience to call at any time to leave a message.) This will reassure the school that your child is safe.

If a child is absent, then we will call home if we have not been notified. When a student returns to school after an ab-sence, he or she must bring a signed and dated parental (or med-ical note if appropriate) to explain the reason.

If you are picking up your child early, please send a note to your child’s teacher. Please be sure to report to the office to sign them out. If your child is returning before the end of the day, please sign your child back in at the office.

IMPORTANT: If you are planning a family vacation, or your child will be absent for an extended amount of time, it is the parent’s responsibility to let the school know. Forms must be completed in these circumstances that will remain part of your child’s student records.

Illness:

If children are not feeling well, please give them an oppor-tunity to recuperate at home. It is assumed that if children are well enough to be at school, they are also well enough to take part in recess.

Children need time to get some fresh air and stretch their muscles. If they are dressed properly, they will be able to do this in comfort, even on our cold Canadian winter days.

Also, please ensure we have a current emergency number where you can be contacted.

Thank you!

DRESS CODE AND

STUDENT UNIFORM

Students of St. Norbert School are to

dress in the school’s appropriate dress

code or uniform, which consists of the

following (examples):

*a solid navy blue bottom: pant, kilt, tu-

nic, skirt (with shorts underneath), track

pants, shorts, capris, or crop pant; *a

plain white or navy blue shirt or top; and,

*a white or navy blue sweater or pullover.

Some examples of items NOT ALLOWED

are: leggings, jeggings or tights (lycra or

spandex type pants), spaghetti strap or

tank tops, jean/denim material, white

pants, black pants, pants with stripes in

any colour, and short-shorts. Students

must also wear proper footwear. Flip flops

and crocs are not safe for school, and

are therefore not allowed.

It is essential that all students follow the

school’s dress code at all times. The

Uniform Policy is strictly enforced.

We wish to send a consistent message to

all students that the uniform policy will

be strictly enforced.

For older students, please remind them

that it is their responsibility to ensure

they come to school in dress code and

you may refer them to the school stu-

dent agenda.

Please note - you can request a copy of

the St Norbert Uniform Policy

(Revised April 2016) in the Office.

Thank you!

L U N C H T I M E R U L E S A N D L U N C H

P R O G R A M S

To further ensure student safety, students will not be permitted to leave school property to purchase a lunch at a neigh-

borhood food establishment unless they are signed out and accompanied by the parent or guardian of the child, or an authorized adult. The responsible adult must have previous written consent from the parent, a record of which must be on file in the school office.

Children going home for lunch should leave the school no later than 11:15am and return to the school yard no later than 12:15pm.

If your child eats lunch at school, please ensure that he/she brings a lunch to school every day.

For those odd times when students do forget their lunch, we ask that a lunch be brought in, be clearly marked and left on the lunch table outside the main office by 11:00am. Students can pick up their lunch during the lunch period. Parents/Guardians will not be permitted to drop off lunches in the classrooms, nor will students be permitted to pick up their lunches during class time. This is to minimize disruption during important instructional time in the classroom.

S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol

ANAPHYLAXIS ALERT Allergen-Aware Environment

Please take special note that we have children in

our school who have a very serious, life-threatening

allergy to tree nuts, peanuts, all nut/peanut prod-

ucts, sesame, and all seafood products, called Ana-

phylaxis. We are notifying all parents that students are

not to bring any nuts, peanuts, peanut

butter or any food containing nuts or

peanut products such as peanut oil, sesa-

me seeds, etc., as well as any seafood

products to school.

PLEASE DO NOT bring any personal baking or oth-

er treats to the school to share with the class. Do not

send cookies/other snacks to school without a label in-

dicating they are nut-free.

Also, parents should not bring fast food lunches from

locations that make food items with sesame/peanut oil,

and that may use sesame bread/bagels for hamburgers

or sandwiches. Please note that Hummus contains sesa-

me seeds. Also, not all pizza is nut free—please ask the

establishment you purchase your pizza from for details.

Although the school will endeavor to be as vigilant as

possible - ultimately we expect parents to ensure the

safety of the food sent to school with their child. If

food is found to contain any of the allergens listed

above, parents will be called to bring a safe food item

to school instead. Please avoid WOW Butter or Choco-

late Philadephia Cream Cheese spread. These food

items create a tremendous amount of anxiety for the

students with allergies in the class, as they resemble

peanut butter and Nutella hazelnut spread, respectively.

Anxiety is very real in children, and may cause symp-

toms that mimic an allergic reaction. If there is any

chance of confusion or uncertainty in your child’s food

choice, please ensure these food items are clearly la-

belled.

This attention to food choice is important to ensure the

physical safety, welfare and mental well-being of all

our children. Please respect the need to refrain from

sending such products to the school.

THANK YOU!

SCHOOL HOURS

General Entry: 8:30am (Including JK/SK)

Morning Session 8:30am – 11:15am

Morning Recess: 10:12am – 10:27am

Lunch: 11:15am – 12:15pm

Afternoon Session: 12:15pm – 3:30pm

Afternoon Recess: 1:40pm – 1:55pm

General Dismissal: 3:30pm (Including JK/SK)

McDonald’s Canada Update On January 17th, 2017, McDonald’s Canada introduced a new allergy statement that indicates all products on their menu “may contain or come into contact with peanuts, tree nuts, or other allergens”. Please avoid sending McDonald food items to school with your child. Food from this restaurant is not safe for the students in our school with related allergies. Thank you.

S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol

MEDICATION

Principals, teachers and support staff of the

TCDSB are not permitted to administer any type

of prescription medication during the school

day, unless we have written, authorization signed by you the

parent, and the prescribing physician. The forms to dispense

any medication must be updated on a regular basis and are

available from the school principal. Please be advised that

staff in TCDSB schools will not dispense non-prescription

medications to students.

Students who require an Epi-Pen must have 2 Epi-Pens at

school. One to be kept in the office and one to be kept with

the student at all times. Students that require “puffers”

should have one at school and at home.

All medications will be stored in the main office. Please noti-

fy the school if your child suffers from any type of allergy.

HOMEWORK

The assignment of homework will vary according to grade level, student achievement and teacher expectations. All students are required to complete at home any work that they did not finish in class. We strongly encourage that parents motivate children to read on a nightly basis. Activi-ties, such as reading, playing, outings, hobbies, games and family discussions provide children with the foundation and background necessary to facilitate learning in the classroom. Students should review the day’s work to promote learning.

Homework is the responsibility of the students, and parents are asked to provide a supportive environment in which to work. Organizational and time manage-ment skills are learned in the elementary grades. Agendas are necessary to help students improve their organizational skills and to keep parents informed.

Please ask your child’s teacher to outline routines and procedures in retrieving missed school work in the event your child is absent.

Please avoid calling the Office to make these arrangements.

PARKING, PICK -UP

and DROP -OFF

Maniza Road:

Please be reminded that Maniza Rd prohibits

stopping as well as parking, and it is a TTC route as

well. Traffic Police may be planning a blitz in the

near future. Traffic tickets may be issued at any time.

Parking Lot:

A reminder to all that the school parking lot is for

staff members only. A sign posted at the entrance of

the parking lot does remind visitors not to park in

the lot. We remind all parents and visitors not to

use it for pick-up/drop-off, as we do not have enough

spots for staff.

There is absolutely NO PARKING in the handicap

space in the parking lot of the school unless you are

visiting the school and you are an appropriate user for

the parking spot. The handicap space must be kept

available.

School Year Calendar 2016-2017

Number of school days 194

Number of Professional Activity Days 7

Labour Day September 5, 2016

First Instructional Day September 6, 2016

Thanksgiving Day October 10, 2016

Christmas Break December 26, 2016–January 6, 2017

Family Day February 20, 2017

Mid-Winter Break March 13–17, 2017

Good Friday April 14, 2017

Easter Monday April 17, 2017

Victoria Day May 22, 2017

Last day of classes for elementary students June 29, 2017

Seven (7) Professional Activity (PA) Days

for ELEMENTARY schools: October 7, 2016 Provincial Education Priorities

November 18, 2016 Parent-Teacher Conferences

December 2, 2016 Provincial Education Priorities/Faith

Development

January 20, 2017 Assessment, Evaluation & Reporting

February 17, 2017 Parent-Teacher Conferences

June 9, 2017 Assessment, Evaluation & Reporting

June 30, 2017 Provincial Education Priorities

Calendar information is posted on the board’s website at www.tcdsb.org.

REPORTING OF CANCELLATIONS OR

CLOSURES DUE TO 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.)

Updates will also be posted on the Board’s 24-hour information line, 416-222-8282, extension 2873.

The information will also be posted on the Board’s website at www.tcdsb.org or www.tcdsb.org/weather.htm.

The Transportation Department will post this in-formation on its website at: http://www.schoolbus.to/c_home.asp

Information, including safety tips and up to the minute reports on cancellations or delays can be found online here:

https://www.torontoschoolbus.org/

SCHOOL SAFETY: PARENTS AND

VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL

In an effort to keep our students safe at all times, the

following safety precautions have been implemented:

All school doors are kept locked.

All parents and visitors entering the school grounds

and/or building (including parents/guardians,

babysitters and siblings) must first report to the of-

fice to identify themselves and obtain a visitor’s

badge. THIS IS SCHOOL BOARD POLICY.

Parents are to drop off their children at the entrance

gate when bringing them to school.

Children are to wait in the yard until their teachers

come to pick them up at the bell.

Parents are not to accompany their children inside.

For older aged students: after school, parents are

asked to pick up their children at the fence located

by the school yard. Children are not to wait in the

main office after school. Please make sure that all

children are picked up promptly at dismissal time.

If you are picking up your child during school

hours, please report to the office to sign your child

out; your child will then be called out of class.

S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol

Appropriate Winter Clothing

All students are expected to dress appropri-

ately for the weather conditions. We ask

that students keep an additional pair of

shoes at school for indoor purposes. For safety reasons,

students should be wearing boots or outdoor footwear

in the winter and running shoes indoors.

Conditions warranting indoor recesses

Children need an opportunity to get exer-

cise and free play time outdoors; however,

weather conditions sometimes warrant that

indoor recesses, lunch periods and pre-

entry periods be considered necessary for student and

staff safety. Rain, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, ex-

treme winds and extreme cold. Cold weather: when

temperature and/or wind-chill factor indicates –20°C or

lower, children may remain indoors due to risk of frost-

nip and frostbite. A reminder to everyone that students

who are well enough to be at school are well enough to

go out for recess.

We do not have personnel to supervise students who

wish to stay in for recess due to illness. If they are

too ill to go out for recess, then they should be home

for the day.

SCHOOL BUSES

Please note that if your child is registered to ride the school

bus, he or she must ride the school bus and not take the lib-

erty to walk home on any given day. All students on

buses must ride the buses to/from school every day.

If there is a to be a change to your child riding the

bus on any particular day, please send note to of-

fice or call school before 2:00pm. Bus attendance is

part of our regular safety routine.

School Bus Information:

Attridge: 905-764-6662 (PM)

Stock West: 416-244-5341 (AM/PM)

Switzer-Carty: 905-361-1084 (PM)

Please call bus company first if the school bus

is late to arrive.

S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol

Grade 7/8 Ballroom Dance

The students have had 4 lessons so

far, and they are doing quite

well! Great comments are being

expressed by both students and

teachers.

They will be performing for the school and their

parents at the end of the program.

We are looking forward to an evening at the

ball!

Mrs Guido’s Italian Class (Mrs Caruso-

Muccin/ ELP) making “pasta” with stu-

dent leaders from Grade 4 class (Mrs

Losiggio).

Boys’ Junior Volleyball Team Girls’ Junior Volleyball Team

Monthly Update from the Board February 2017

Toronto Catholic District School Board has declared Friday, May 5, 2017 as Parish Family Day.

A special Parish Family Day Celebration will be held at the Catholic Education Centre on Friday, May 5th, 2017 to showcase student work focusing on the many ways that our parishes and our parish priests contrib-ute to our schools and communities.

Students are invited to create a short video, original song or piece of original artwork, write a short story, poem or letter, or express themselves in any way ar-tistically to highlight the relationship that the students have with the local parish and/or the priest/pastor at their church.

Completed projects should be submitted via email to parish.project@tcdsb.org.

Deadline for submissions Friday, April 7, 2017.

Let’s continue to celebrate our parishes!

We Want to Hear Your Views Watch for community consultations coming soon for:

Parent and Student Bill of Rights

2017-2018 Budget Consultation

Details coming soon. Visit www.tcdsb.org in February for details.

February is Psychology Month The Psychology Department of TCDSB invites the community to explore and discover the many different ways psychology can help improve our everyday life and overall well-being, and balance the many roles and responsibilities we have. Psychology is for every-one!

HELP YOUR CHILD FLOURISH:

HOW TO ACHIEVE MENTAL HEALTH

A presentation for parents and educators on:

February 22, 2017, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Catholic Education Centre, 3rd Floor,

80 Sheppard Avenue East

Learn more about the programs and services provid-ed by the Psychology Department, TCDSB https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SpecialEducation/psychology/Pages/default.aspx

S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol S t . N OR BER T s c h o ol

February is National Inclusive Education Month Learn more about the TCDSB’s Catholic Equity and Inclu-sive Education Policy: https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/Policies/Pages/hm24.aspx

February is African Canadian Heritage Month Celebrating the rich history, tradition and contribution to Canadian culture, literature, science, medicine, technology and the arts. February 10—Mass and Cultural Expose at St. Mother Teresa Catholic Academy, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. https://www.tcdsb.org/FORCOMMUNITY/HeritageCelebration/AfricanCanadianHeritage/Pages/default.aspx

Student Voice - Minister’s Student Advisory Council Seeks Applicants

Students in grades 7 to 12 are eligible for consideration. Deadline is February 9th. http://edu.gov.on.ca/eng/students/speakup/msac.html

Other Opportunities for Students Kayak Kids Illustrated History Challenge—deadline June 1 https://www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDENTS/OpportunitiesForStudents/Pages/Kayak-Kids-Illustrated-History-Challenge-.aspx

Weston Youth Innovation Award encourages & recog-nizes young Canadian innovators http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/innovationaward

Autism Ontario offers three exciting scholarships http://www.autismontario.com/client/aso/ao.nsf/web/Education+Scholarships

Overseas Credit Courses: https://www.tcdsb.org/programsservices/continuingeducation/secondarycreditcourses/overseas/Pages/default.aspx

Summer Jobs with City of Toronto—Deadline for applica-tions February 14th. http://www1.toronto.ca/

Ready to Pick Your High School Courses? The 2017-2018 Course Calendar is available online: https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SchoolProgramsK12/GuidanceCoopEd/Documents/TCDSB-ProgramAndCourseCalendar-2017-2018.pdf

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The Importance of Visualization in Mathematics

By Gary Swain, Ed.D.

Take a moment and think about the number “12”. In mathematical thinking, we might

say that “12” is an abstraction of a certain number of “things”. You might, for example, have twelve garden

tools, marbles, or most anything. Thinking a bit more deeply, we might come to visualize “12” as con-

noting/representing various things from our own life experience. We might visualize the face of our daugh-

ter, born on the 12th, a chicken (based on dozen eggs in a cartoon), or, for that matter, the classic War mov-

ie of the 60’s, “The Dirty Dozen”. We hold an understanding of “12” that is both common (mathematically

speaking) and unique to our experience.

More and more, researchers are identifying a clear link between abstract mathematical concepts and con-

crete experiences; that is, between mathematical ideas and our experience of them. Researchers at Stan-

ford University have identified visual components of the brain that are active during mathematical thinking.

These visual-spatial mechanisms work in conjunction with rather than separate from more abstract, sym-

bolic components of our brains. Teacher can create concrete experiences in classrooms that allow students

to have greater visual deposits or referents from real world experiences for mathematical understanding.

A key strategy in linking our experience and mathematics is “concrete fading”. Concrete fading seeks to

connect the concrete and abstract. In doing so, it eliminates many of the negatives associated with each.

While concrete experiences activate learning through real events (like playing with blocks, creating models,

or modeling patterns), students can get lost in non-essential information in the experience. This can nega-

tively influence their abilities to transfer their learning to new situations. A simple example: “adding” 3 bin-

go markers to 6 applies to more than just bingo markers, a detail that might be lost on some younger learn-

ers. Through a middle phase, a pictorial or representational step, concrete fading moves from concrete to

abstract with pictorial representations of the earlier concrete learning experience. In this case, bingo mark-

ers may be drawn on a page with the use of “+” and “=” signs. In this way, both the abstract concept (like 3

+ 6 = 9) and its early representations in experience are held in mutually supportive ways. Research confirms

that early representations of the abstract concept are held in memory by the student and are activated

when students engage in problem solving, especially when the problems are unique and challenging. Re-

searchers note as well that concrete fading is not just for younger learners but applies to all learners of all

ages in all areas of mathematics.

We know that mathematical learning is a complex task requiring a balance of many effective strategies.

These include: clear objectives and learning goals, timely feedback, shared and guided mathematical learn-

ing, independent practice, as well as problem solving. Concrete fading is another key strategy in making

mathematical learning better for our students.