This

Christmas, try to end a quarrel.

Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion, and replace it with trust...

Write a love letter. Share some treasure. Give a soft answer. En-

courage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Find the

time. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Listen. Apologize if you were wrong. Try to understand.

Flout envy. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else; Appreciate. Be kind; be

gentle. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more. Deserve confidence. Take up arms against malice. Decry

complacency. Express your gratitude. Go to Church. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child or a senior.

Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your

Love, yes please do speak your love. Speak it again. Speak

it still once again.

Newsletter Date: December 1, 2014 Volume 4. Issue 4

St. Pius X Newsletter

December 2014

St. Pius X Catholic School 71 Jane Street

Toronto, ON, M6S 3V3 Phone: 416-393-5237

Fax: 416-397-6084

Principal: L. Sposato

Vice-Principal:

A. Iwasykiw

Secretary: S. Pereira

Clerk Typist:

O. Bono

Superintendent: Dr. J. Saraco, 416-222-8282

Trustee:

Barbara Poplawski, 416-512-3410

Parish:

St. Pius X Catholic Church 2305 Bloor St. W.

416-767-1859 Fr. MK Park

Masses:

Saturday 5:00 pm Sunday 9:00 am

11:00 am

Entrance and Dismissal:

9:00 am Entry 10:42 am Recess

11:45 am Lunch Hour 12:45 pm Entry 2:10 pm Recess

3:30 pm Dismissal

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

The Advent Season is upon us and with it, we begin to pre-pare for the festivi-ties of Christmas. Advent is a season in which, among other things, we slow down, listen and live. It is a time of introspection,

prayer and prepara-tion; a time of joyful waiting and watch-ing. We reflect on the wonderful ways in which God has touched our lives and we marvel at the miracle of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Let us encourage our children to pre-pare for Christmas and celebrate the

blessing of the sea-son in a thoughtful and prayerful way, that we might focus on and recognize the fulfillment of God’s promise to His people.

Sincerely,

L. Sposato Principal

school. During the meeting, school staff will verify the original documentation re-quired for registration. This consists of a Baptismal Cer-tificate, Birth Certificate and/or Passport, Immuniza-tion record, proof of resi-dence and Application for Direction of School support. Applications to register chil-dren in grades other than Kindergarten can also be done 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 ex-tensive promotional campaign will be launched throughout the City of Toronto, with paid advertisements in the local media, posters in public cen-ters, through the board web-site and on vinyl banners for display on school property. For further information, please contact our school office at (416-393-5237). For general inquires or further information you may contact 416-222-8282 extension 5314 or visit our website at www.tcdsb.org

JK Registration Registration for Junior Kinder-garten (September 2015) will begin on Thursday, January 8th, 2015 at 10:00 am. Parents/guardians with chil-dren born in 2011 or earlier and who will be enrolling in Kindergarten, have the oppor-tunity to apply on-line using the “Student On-line Admis-sion and Registration” plat-form known as S.O.A.R. and found at the following link: http://soar.tcdsb.org Parents will be able to com-plete an application for regis-tration 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 ap-plication also offers access to translations in different lan-guages with built-in help func-tions and features. Alternately, families may choose to register in person at our school. 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

Advent Mass

St. Pius school will be pray-ing as a community at our Advent Mass on Friday, De-cember 19th beginning at 9:30 am at St. Pius X Church. Please join us in celebrating this season of

anticipation!

JK/SK Christmas Concert

This year’s JK/SK Christmas Concert will be taking place on Friday, December 12, 2014. This concert will be performed during the day in our school gym. Ms. Sousa/Ms. Daye and Ms. Baxter/Mrs. Da Costa’s classes will be performing at 9:30 am. Ms. Cioffi/Mrs. Natal and Ms. Barbosa/Ms. Dempsey’s classes will be performing at 10:15 am. Due to the limited gym capacity space, we are asking parents to attend only their child’s performance. We extend an invitation to our JK/SK parents to join us

as you are able.

From the Office

“Where

there is

charity and

love, God is

there

Ubi Caritas

et amor,

Deus ibi

est.”

Page 2 St. Pius X Newsletter

CSAC Christmas Bazaar

This year’s CSAC Annual Christmas Bazaar on No-vember 28th proved to be lots of fun for children, and adults alike, everything from fun activities to a selection of

gifts and baked goods. Ms. Iwasykiw, myself and some very special parent leader elves had lots of fun with the Elves for the Day winners, Spencer, Nathan, and Alexis, as we cheered on their gingerbread deco-rating skills. As difficult as it was, we showed great resis-

tance and only did some

quality taste control. Lots of heart filled thanks to all our CSAC members and volunteers for all their hard

work.

Special and warm thanks go to our parent coordinators, Ms. Noble and Ms. Manicat-Emo, who dedicated count-

less number of hours of their personal time in the organi-zation of this traditional event. A great success and

enjoyed by one and all!

St. Vincent de Paul We would like to acknowl-edge and thank the St. Vincent de Paul chapter

at St. Pius X Parish. They generously donated funds to support our Extra/Forgotten Lunch Program for St. Pius students. Please note that all snacks provided by the Office Staff are peanut

free.

Veteran Presentation

“At the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month...these historic words signified the end of The Great War or World War I, as we know it, and the beginning of a world-wide day of remembrance. This year marked the 100th anni-versary of World War I. On November 12th, St. Pius welcomed a female Army Cap-tain to speak to our grade 5-8 students. She shared many stories and her experiences serving within the Canadian mili-tary. Many thanks to Ms.Jennifer Janke-Wasiuk for organizing this memorable speaker for us.

Christmas Carolling at Runnymede Healthcare Our St. Pius school choir has been invited to partici-pate in a special Christmas carolling event at the Runnymede Healthcare Centre on Thursday, December, 18 at 7:00 pm. The children will be re-hearsing at St. Pius X Church on December 15th, 7:00-8:00 pm. What better way to bring to life the Christmas spirit.

“The

contributions

of Parent

Volunteers

enrich the

life of our

school and

students.”

Page 3 Volume 4. Issue 4

St. Pius Me to We Committee Initiative

The St. Pius Me to WE Committee had an exciting few months. On October 1st, some of our students had the opportunity to attend the Me to We Gala, where Olivia Mastraccci was awarded the Governor Gen-eral Award for student volunteer. She went above and beyond in her commitment to Me to We. On Octo-ber 2nd a group of our volunteers attended We Day at the Air Can-ada Centre. Among the speakers were Katie Couric, Chris Hatfield and Nelli Furtado. We also enjoyed performances by R5, Hedley and

Kardinall Offishall. Our Students were inspired by the messages

delivered throughout the day. On November 5th, the St. Pius Me to We Committee held their first Gently Used

Book Sale. A Big thank you to all the gener-ous families

that donated their used books. The used book sale was a huge success, raising close to $1000, all monies going to the school we are

hoping to build in Haiti. On November 18th, the grade 3 to

8 classes were inspired by Alexan-dra Dyment. Alexandra is an out-reach speaker from Free the Chil-dren organization. Last year she spoke to over 20,000 students across Ontario, sharing her experi-ences and knowledge about Free the Children and inspiring youth to make a difference. Alexandra has been to over 36 different countries and spent half of her summer in Kenya this past year. She believes strongly in the idea that life should be about giving back. She encour-aged our students to leave their mark. Our students were moved by the message they heard and have been inspired to help make a

difference. Thank you for your continuous

support! St. Pius Me to WE Committee

games. They can pretend to be someone your child knows. Our students have yet to develop the maturity to manage interactive technologies independently (Face Book was never intended for this age group!). Monitor your child’s computer use; have access to your child’s e-mail account; screen text messages; view social networking site postings. Protect your child. To assist our students in learning how to engage appropriately with the technology in their lives, our school is committed to continue working in partnership with our school Officer liaison, guidance councilor, and TCDSB Safe

Schools Department.

Cyber bullying The challenges that our young people face are vastly different from those of our childhood. One of the most painful for the victim, as well as one of the most prob-lematic to address, is that of cyber bullying. By definition, cyber bully-ing is when one child targets an-other child using interactive tech-nologies. It can be a hateful mes-sage to your child, anonymous or signed. It can be a bashing web-site where other kids can vote for the ugliest, fattest, most unpopular kid. They can steal or guess your child’s password. They can hack into your computer. They can torment your child on website

Electronic Devices Parents we ask you to kindly review with your children the use of Personal Electronic De-vices (PED) on school property. When not in use for educational purposes, PEDs should be turned off and properly secured to avoid damage or theft. Schools cannot assume any liability for devices that are damaged or lost. If students are repeatedly not following this rule, even though they have been advised, parents may be asked to pick up the PED from

the school.

and/or enhancing our cur-rent Bullying Awareness, Pre-vention and Intervention Plan. We can make our school (and our world!) a better place when everyone becomes responsible to put an end to bullying. When we work together and stand up strong against bullying, we become “UPSTANDERS”, cre-ating communities that are stronger, safer, and supportive. We must encourage our young people and provide them with the tools and support that they need to ensure that they can play a positive role in prevent-

ing and responding to bullying in their classrooms, schools and community. We are all called to action by safely report-ing incidents of bullying to the caring adults in our homes and our Catholic school communi-ties. Our Safe School Team, led by Ms. Brissette, Jack, Angus and an active team of leaders are putting words into action. Stay tuned for more details to follow. We must stand up to bullying to enjoy a safe, welcoming learning envi-

ronment. We are UPSTANDERS!

Bullying Awareness and Prevention Symposium

The St. Pius Safe School Team is raising awareness about the problem of bullying in our soci-ety. The theme of this year’s full day Symposium is, “We Are Safe, Caring and Accepting Schools”. It is designed to raise awareness about bullying and the importance of nurturing safe, positive, inclusive, and accepting school climates in our communities. The strategies delivered will assist our school leadership team in developing

Page 4 St. Pius X Newsletter

“Greater peace

and harmony is

achieved when

we all make

the decision

to be

UPSTANDERS.

St. Pius X Junior Boys’ Soccer Team On October 7th, the Junior

Boys soccer team partici-

pated in the South Region

soccer tournament at James

Culnan. Our boys played with

heart and showed great

sportsmanship. The boys

played 4 games and lost in

the championship game to

St. Cecilia. Coming in second

place. We are very proud of

the dedication and team play

the boys showed. Special

thanks to the coaches Ms.

Brissette and Ms. Karvonen.

St. Pius X Intermediate Boys’ Volleyball Team

The intermediate boys vol-leyball team worked hard over several months of practice which lead to a great season. The boys played in several exhibition tournaments, including a first place finish in the con-solation round at the Catholic Cup. The boys placed first in their divi-sional tournament and sec-ond in their regional tourna-ment. The boys moved on to the city's where they met

some strong teams and finished third in their pool, leaving them sixth place in the city. The boys are very proud of their accomplishments and are already setting goals for next season. The team members are: Matthew, Simon, Levent, Alex, Nolan, Julian D., Elijah, Julian V., Endre and Davis. A BIG thank you to the coaches Mr. Vale and Mrs. DaSilva.

Many people commented on their positive attitude and sense of fun, even when the competition was fierce!

Special thanks to Mrs. Agres, who dedicated many hours to working with and challenging the girls to continue to improve their game. The members of the team are:

Aleiah, Julia, Rachel,

St. Pius X Intermediate Girls’ Volleyball Team

The girls intermediate vol-leyball team won the City Championship on Novem-ber 26th. The girls defeated St. Brendan in the final, and St. James in the semi-final. The team demon-strated a great amount of dedication and love of the game of volleyball over the past year and have set a wonderful example of team spirit and sportsmanship.

Caroline, Cassandra, Hannah, Teresa, Jessica, Victoria, Sarah, Olivia N,

Olivia M., Mackenzie.

Many thanks to Mrs. Agres, and assistant coach Mr. Barber. A thank you to Mr. Vale for his as-sistance, and to all the

parents for their support.

A truly memorable season!!!

All Proceeds will go to-wards the costs in-

curred in the produc-tion of the play.

The cast has been working hard to prepare for our eve-ning performance on Tues-day, December 16th at 7:00 p.m. in the school gym. Tick-ets will be sold at the door starting at 6:30 p.m. at a cost of $5 for high school students and adults, and $2 for chil-dren of elementary school age or younger. Ticket sales will be used to cover further

expenses related to costumes and sets. There will also be two school performances to give all students the opportu-nity to watch the play and see the hard work of all our tal-ented cast and directors. We will have one school perform-ance on Thursday, Decem-ber 11th at 1:00 pm. Our second school performance will be on Thursday, Decem-ber 18th at 1:00 pm. Thank you from directors, Ms. Ku, Ms. Barbosa, Ms. Oliveira, and Ms. Cioffi.

St. Pius X School Play: A Christmas Carol You are invited to our

school production

Tuesday, December 16

@7:00 p.m.

St. Pius X School Gym

Admission fee: Adults - $5.00

Child(12 and under)-$2.00

“Whatsoever

you do to

the least of

my people

that you do

unto me”.

Page 5 Volume 4. Issue 4

we practice charity and generosity in our com-munity without necessar-

ily giving material things?

Let’s make this the chal-lenge that we all strive to achieve for the month of

December!

Prayer -

Lord, teach me to be

generous. Teach me to serve you

as you deserve; to give and not count the

cost; to work and not ask for

reward, except to know that I am

doing your will. Amen. (St Ignatius of Loyola)

As we enter the season of Advent to prepare our hearts for the birth of Je-sus, 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 the 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

Virtue of the Month - Charity

St. Pius X Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 4: December 1, 2014

We’re on the web!

www.tcdsb.org

St. Pius X Catholic School 71 Jane Street

Toronto, ON, M6S 3V3 Phone: 416-393-5237

Fax: 416-397-6084

Upcoming Events

December 1, 8, 15, 2014 Advent Para-liturgy

Dec. 2nd & 3rd, 2014 Confessions with Fr. Park at school in the AM

December 5 , 2014 Board-wide PA Day (NO

classes for students) December 12, 2014

JK/SK Christmas Concert at 9:30 am or 10:15 am

December 16, 2014 A Christmas Carol Play

@ 7:00 pm in GYM December 18, 2014

Christmas Carolling 7:00- 8:00 pm at Runnymede Healthcare Centre

December 19, 2014 Advent Mass 9:30 am at St. Pius X Church and

Christmas Sing-a-long - PM

December 22, to January 2, 2015 Christmas Break

January 5, 2015 Back to School

Stay in Touch Follow us on Twitter, or subscribe to E-News. Visit our website

www.tcdsb.org for more.

CSAC Website

Please visit the CSAC web-site www.spxcsac.com for CSAC news and events, committee updates, volun-teer opportunities and help-ful resources for parents and students. Remember to visit the CSAC eStore to order SPX logo’d navy & white apparel! Follow us on

Twitter @ SPXCSAC!

Stay in Touch To receive regular updates on news and events from the Board, including urgent information about school bus cancellations and school closures, subscribe

to E-News: https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscription.aspx or follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/TCDSB Visit our website frequently for news and information at www.tcdsb.org. Tune in for live webcasts

of monthly board and committee meetings at http://www.tcdsb.org/LiveAtTCDSB/Pages/

Default.aspx

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

TRUSTEES 2014-2015

Wards 1. Peter Jakovcic, 416-512-3401 2. Ann Andrachuk, 416-512-3402

Chair 3. Sal Piccininni, 416-512-3403

Vice-Chair 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, 416-512-3409 10. Barbara Poplawski,

416-512-3410 11. Angela Kennedy, 416-512-3411 12. Nancy Crawford, 416-512-3412 Hannah McGroarty, Student Trustee

Chris MacDonald, Student Trustee Student Trustee, 416-512-3413

Angela Gauthier, Director of Education 80 Sheppard Ave. E.,

Toronto, ON ∙ Website: www.tcdsb.org