DECEMBER, 2014
355 Annette Street, Toronto, Ontario M6P 1R3
Lorinda Mazza, Principal Dr. Jim Saraco Barbara Poplawski, Trustee, St. Cecilia Catholic Church Marisa Cicero, Olga Geryluk CSAC Co-Chairs) Victoria Purri, Vice-Principal Superintendent TCDSB, Ward 10 Father Joseph Tran, Pastor, Teresa Pavlin, CSAC Secretary
Maria Fauceglia, Secretary 416-222-8282 ext. 2486 416-512-3410, 416 -241-7130 416-769-8163 Sandy Moutinho, CSAC Treasurer Lisa Grise, Carole Mills & Graziella Zampini, Clerk Typists Vice-Principal’s Message St. Cecilia’s C.S.A.C. November was a very busy month at St. Cecilia’s. Dear Parents, We were honoured to have His Eminence Thomas Here is what’s coming up over the next few months: Cardinal Carter join us on the Feast of St. Cecilia and th Overpopulation: Exploring the Challenges and Solutions for St. Cecilia’s preside over a mass dedicated to the100 Anniversary Oversubscription of St. Cecilia C.S. It was truly a wonderful opportuni- Dec 10th, 2014 CSAC Meeting – A large portion of our December parent ty to have the students, staff, alumni and community council meeting will be dedicated to the topic of “Overpopulation”, a discus- of St. Cecilia celebrate together with a shared sense sion that will be led by our Principal, Lori Mazza. If this topic interests you, of pride and communion. please plan on attending. Everyone is welcome. The intermediate volleyball teams played well and the EQAO Student Math Test Results girls’ team won the Divisional championship and rep- January 14th, 2015 CSAC Meeting – The topic of St. Cecilia student EQAO resented our school at the Regional meet. Well done! scores (large scale, standardized testing for grades 3 and 6), specifically related This past month the primary students played intramu- to math, will be addressed at the meeting. If you are interested in better under- ral soccer and we look forward to the boys and girls standing the results, how St. Cecilia ranks and strategies in place to facilitate improvement, please come to the meeting. primary soccer teams competing with other schools. Social Media Safety for Students and Parents We have now entered the season of Advent, which is On February 4th, 2015 CSAC, thanks to a successful PRO Grant application, is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the sponsoring renowned expert Paul Davis to come and talk about social media celebration of the Nativity of our Lord, Jesus. The safety with St. Cecilia students and parents. During the day Paul will be ad- gradual lighting of the advent candles symbolizes our dressing the topic with students and in the evening there will be a session for hope and expectation of Our Saviour’s coming into parents. This is a very important issue - Paul will share a wealth of empower- ing information and valuable tips. Here is Paul’s website: http:// the world. The evergreen wreath represents the circle socialnetworkingsafety.net/sample-page/. Please plan to attend. of everlasting life. Advent is a season of prayer and awakens memories of goodness and opens the doors of hope. We wish to extend to all of you best wishes Wishing everyone a joyous and safe holiday season. of hope, joy, peace and love for the Christmas season Merry Christmas! and beyond. God Bless! Marisa Cicero & Olga Geryluk CSAC Co-chairs
Office Hours: SCHOOL HOURS 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Go to www.saintcecilia100.ca (416) 393-5218
to comment and contribute to our school’s School Website: 100th Anniversary. http://stcecilia.tcdsb.org
St. Cecilia Motto: Learning with Hearts, Hands and Minds - Growing in Harmony Page 2
Virtue of the Month: Charity C’est en revêtant le Christ que l’on peut le plus apporter de charité aux autres. Mère Teresa As we enter the season of Advent to prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus, it is rather suitable that this month’s virtue is CHARITY. Many of us are already engaging in the mad rush to purchase gifts to put under the tree on 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." (2a2ae, 25,4). How can we practice charity and generosity in our community without necessarily giving materi- al things? This month at name of school we will be demonstrating charity by preparing Christmas baskets for families in need.
Christmas Angel Programme As part of our commitment to nurturing our community through faith, hope and charity, and in conjunction with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, our school will help families in need celebrate Christmas this year. Families will be invited to donate items of new clothing, toys, food, and toiletries to our Christmas Angel Programme. Each class will be assigned one family to help. The deadline for sending in the items is Thursday, December 18th.
St. Jude Prayer for Advent Lord Jesus, your power is infinite, your glory, everlasting. Quietly you come, as a tiny baby. Ready my heart for the miracle of your birth. Bring light to this dark world, waiting silently for your warmth in the coldness of the night. Waiting is itself your gift, animating my heart with anticipation. Bless me with needed patience and faithful disci- pline to prayerfully prepare to welcome and greet you. St. Jude, eternal hope, let your holiness flow into me. May Christmas joy and burning love take root in me and grow until they bloom on Christmas Day, to carry joy to the world and inspire hope to renew the face of the earth. Amen.
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The St. Cecilia Catholic School’s Centenary Mass was a wonderful celebration. His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins presided and blessed the 100th anniversary plaque that is to be placed at the entrance of the school. His inspirational message was full of hope and praise for students, families, teachers and Catholic Education. Many thanks to all the people who worked endlessly to make this event possible. A special thank you to Mr. Tuzi and the Centenary Committee for their tremendous efforts and dedication. Page 4 Bullying Awareness & Prevention
November 17-21 was Bullying Awareness Week. The students engaged in whole school and classroom activities that were designated to raise awareness about bullying and the importance of nurturing a safe, positive, inclusive and accept- ing school climate. Members of the Safe School Team were invited to attend the annual ‘Bullying Awareness and Pre- vention Symposium’ where they participated enthusiastically in interactive presentations that promoted positive school climate and provided strategies for team-building. On November 21st Glee Club and Perseverance presented at our school’s anti-bullying assembly. Perseverance students worked together to dramatize scenarios of bullying incidents that happen in schools and came up with resolutions to the problem. Glee Club enthusiastically sang and danced to two inspirational songs, “Count on Me,” by Bruno Mars and “Put your hearts up,” by Ariana Grande, that both focused on how individuals can push themselves to be supportive and positive towards the people around them. Club members read stories and a poem to engage our school students to be more conscious of their interactions with each other. The Glee Club and Perseverance Club hope that this presentation will inspire students to be upstanders, not bullies, in every aspect of their lives. (Mrs. Kowalenko & Ms. Wallace)
TCDSB 2014—2015 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR
School Masses and Sacraments First Day of Classes September 2, 2014 Thanksgiving Day October 13, 2014 December 10 Advent Reconciliation Christmas Break Dec 22, 2014–Jan 2, 2015 December 11 @10:00am Advent Family Day February 16, 2015 January 16 @10:00am Courage Mid-Winter Break March 16–20, 2015 Good Friday April 3, 2015 February 18 @12:45pm Ash Wednesday Easter Monday April 6, 2015 March 10 @ 10:00 Lent Victoria Day May 18, 2015 March 25 Lenten Reconciliation Last day of classes June 25, 2015 April 9 @ 12:45pm Easter Mass PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY DAYS Saturday, April 11 Confirmation Nov 14, 2014 Parent-Teacher Conferences
April 24 @ 6:00pm Sacrament of Reconciliation Dec 5, 2014 Faith Day Jan 23, 2015 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting Saturday, April 25 First Holy Communion Feb 13, 2015 Parent-Teacher Conferences May 22 @ 10:00am Caregivers June 5, 2015 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting June 16 @ 6:30pm Graduation June 26, 2015 Provincial Education Priorities
June 25 @ 10:00am End of Year Mass Intermediate Volleyball The Intermediate Girls Volleyball team did an amazing job at Divisionals, with a close 2 point win in the finals. They moved on to Regionals and we won a good two sets and had a third place overall standing in our region. We would like to thank Mr. Bor- dignon and Mr. Thirwall for being outstanding coaches and helping us to succeed! Congratulations to the team members: Magda K, Olivia R, Ana G, Sophie H, Caroline P, Pamela D, Hayley M, Brianna M, Melissa L, Alessia B, Olivia O, Tiana M, Em- meline B, Angel S, Betty S, and Candus C. You all played very well and did your best. Go Tigers!!! (by: Olivia and Ana)
The Intermediate Boys Volleyball team competed at the Divisionals and displayed great sportsmanship and skill. Congratulations to the team members: Nikola , Yosef , Lucas, Connor, Liam, Jonah, Max, Carlos, Quintan, Sam, Phillip, and Dylan. Thank you to Mr. Thirwall and Mr. MacLeod for your all of your dedication to coaching this great group of boys!
St. Cecilia Choir Sings at the Legislative Assembly!
On Tuesday November 25th, the St. Cecilia Junior Choir had the opportunity to sing on the grand staircase at Queen's Park Legisla- tive Assembly. The choir sang Christmas carols beautifully for a half hour to parents, MPP's and staff members. The choir took a tour of the building after their performance. A special thanks to Mr. Treen for accompanying us on the piano! (Mrs. Spalding)
WE ARE ONE!! The intermediate students of both St. Cecilia and St. Rita Catholic Schools will receive these bracelets to remember their time spent together in friendship and community.
“On behalf of the Director, Associate Director, Trustee Poplawski and the Superintendent of Facili- ties, I want to thank the St. Rita and St. Cecilia com- munities for their patience, caring and hospitality during construction. You have truly demonstrated our Board’s goals of building nurturing and caring communities and living our values. Kindly accept these bracelets to be a visible reminder of the friendships and community that were developed and continue to be nurtured. I wish you all a blessed Christmas.” Dr. Jim Saraco, Superintendent of Achievement and Wellness Page 6 Artist in the School St. Cecilia’s grade six students are excited to be working with the artist, Maureen Walton, on a mural outside of the gym. Maureen collaborated with teachers and administration to put together a representation of Saint Cecilia, but also the school community. Images of students planting a seed, playing instruments, the original building, nature and of course our tiger, are all different aspects of the mural. Students have been using vibrant colours to reflect our vibrant and energetic team of students, teachers and parent community. This fantastic piece of artwork is a wonderful tribute to celebrate St. Cecilia’s 100th year and will be enjoyed by many students, teachers and community members for many years to come. Thank you to Maureen Walton for her inspirational art that she has shared with St. Cecilia’s. (Mrs. Kowalenko)
PARKING PROBLEMS Reminder: Our staff and teachers at St. Cecilia are continu- Friday, December 5 is a system-wide Professional Activity Day. ously experience difficulty obtaining a parking spot, especially in the morning in our school Christmas Break is from December 22-January 2. parking lot. Please do not use the staff parking Classes will resume on Monday, January 5, 2015. lot between 8:00am—3:30pm. Parents want- ing to drop-off or pick-up their children, must do so on Evelyn Avenue. Keep in mind that the St. Cecilia Church News area in front of the school is a bus-loading zone, please do NOT park in the bus loading zone – 21st Annual Christmas Bazaar & Raffle: PICK-UP OR DROP-OFF only please! Unau- Saturday, December 6th—9:00am - 1:30pm thorized vehicles will be TAGGED AND/OR TOWED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. Please do not block the parked vehicles or the First Communion Classes: north fence, this is a fire hazard. Please note that There will be no First Communion classes on December 21st. there is extra parking on Evelyn Avenue north of Classes will resume on January 11th. Annette Street and your children can cross safely with our crossing guard. Page 5 Harbourfront Centre Fun
On October 30th, the Grade 1 French Immersion classes went to the Harbourfront Centre where we participated in 2 fun workshops on working with clay and kite-making. The students had a great time making very unique clay masks and colourful kites. Our students had the opportunity to have both work- shops conducted in French! The teachers and stu- dents would like to thank the parent volunteers who helped to make this day a great success. (Mme. Czulo, Mme. Macri & Mme. Myrthil)
JK/SK Christmas Concert: Tuesday, December 16 @ 1:00 p.m. Christmas Concert (Grades –English SK, 1, 3, 6 and Instrumental Band): Wednesday, December 18 @ 6:30 p.m. at St. Cecilia Church Guidance Corner
We All Belong – Bullying Awareness Week Bullying Awareness Week was November 17th – 21st and it served as a reminder that the elimination of bullying behaviour will only occur if parents, students and staff work together. We encourage students to speak up if they are victims. We remind bystanders to stand up for those who are being bullied. And we remind par- ents to work in conjunction with the staff to settle any issues that may arise. And above all, we should always remember that “We All Belong”. Let us celebrate our differences and make everyone feel a part of our community. We all deserve to feel accepted.
National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women December 6th is Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. On this day 25 years ago, 14 young women at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal died because they were women. As well as commemorating the 14 young women whose lives ended in an act of gender-based violence that shocked the nation, December 6 represents an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on the phenomenon of violence against wom- en in our society. It is also an opportunity to consider the women and girls for whom violence is a daily reality, and to remember those who have died as a result of gender-based violence. And finally, it is a day on which communities can consider concrete actions to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. Season’s Greetings
Mr. Amato, the TCDSB Elementary Guidance Counsellors, and the Student Success team would like to wish the school community a Blessed Christmas and good wishes throughout the New Year. Page 8
Nominations Open for TCDSB Alumni and Monthly Update from the Merit Awards: Board Deadline January 16, 2015 December 2014 Do you know a member of our community who is a wit- ness to the gospel values of our Catholic faith and who is Reporting of cancellations or closures due to inclem- transforming the world through faith, innovation and ac- tion? Nominate them for an award: http://www.tcdsb.org/ ent weather Board/NurturingOurCatholicCommunity/ Winter weather arrived early this year. Please note that CatholicEducationWeek/Pages/AwardsNight.aspx any cancellations or closures due to inclement weather Catholic School Advisory Councils Invited will be reported before 7 a.m. Best place to get the info quickly is through Twitter @TCDSB (please follow to Training Session us), the board’s website www.tcdsb.org and the 24-hour Goal Setting, Multi-Year Plans, Making Meetings Matter telephone information line 416-222-8282 ext. 2873. December 3, 2014, 7-9 p.m. Catholic Education Centre, 80 Sheppard Avenue East
Details here: CSAC - December training flyer.pdf Policy Consultation Other Dates to Note The Board invites parents, students and staff to partici- December 3rd—International Day of Persons with Disabil- pate in a review of draft policies. Your input is encour- ities http://www.tcdsb.org/News/othernews/2014/Pages/ aged into the following policies: International-Day-of-Persons-with-Disabilities.aspx Draft Policy for Catholic School Advisory Councils December 5th—Board-wide Professional Activity Day (no (CSACs) classes for students) Draft Policy on Secondary School Admission and December 10th—International Human Rights Day http:// Placement www.tcdsb.org/News/othernews/2014/Pages/Human- Details are posted on the board’s website: http:// Rights-Day.aspx nd nd www.tcdsb.org/news/othernews/2014/pages/ December 22 to January 2 —Christmas Break consultation-csac-and-admissions-policies.aspx January 1st—International Day of Peace-“Slaves no more, We look forward to hearing from you. but brothers and sisters” http://www.tcdsb.org/News/ othernews/2015/Pages/International-Day-of-Peace.aspx
Kindergarten Registration Starts January TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES 2014 – 2015 2015 Please visit the board’s website at www.tcdsb.org to fill Ward 1 Joseph Martino out the application forms online, and find out more Ward 2 Ann Andrachuk about the registration process. Ward 3 Sal Piccinnini Ward 4 Patrizia Bottoni Registration (online and in person) begins at 10 a.m. Ward 5 Maria Rizzo on January 8th. Ward 6 Frank D’Amico Ward 7 Michael Del Grande, Chair Ward 8 Gary Tanuan High School Students Reminded About Ap- Ward 9 Barbara Poplawski plication Deadlines Ward 10 Angela Kennedy Ward 11 Nancy Crawford, Vice-Chair th University Application Deadline is January 14 Hanna McGroarty, Student Trustee http://www.ouac.on.ca/deadlines/ Chris MacDonald, Student Trustee College Application Deadline is February 1st http://www.ontariocolleges.ca/apply/important-dates Angela Gautier, Director of Education