IT STARTS in the Schools

May 2015

UPCOMING EVENTS

May TCDSB Board-wide Asian Canadian Heritage Month 80 Sheppard Avenue East, 416.222.8282

May TCDSB Board-wide Speech, Language and Hearing Month 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 416.222.8282

May 1 Blessed Sacrament Catholic School Family of Faith Picnic Lunch 24 Bedford Park Avenue, Toronto In support of Blessed Sacrament Church. 416.393.5226 11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m.

May 1 Chaminade College School 50th Anniversary 490 Queen's Drive, Toronto Dinner Dance Gala 416.393.5509 6:30 p.m.

May 1 St Fidelis Catholic School Rosary Celebration with the Rosary 9 Bannerman Street, Toronto Apostolate in the school gym. 416.393.5358 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

May 2 St. Richard Catholic School 50th Anniversary 960 Bellamy Road North, Scarborough 1 p.m. – Mass at St. Rose of Lima Church 416.393.5301 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Open House

May 2 Madonna Catholic Secondary School FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy 20 Dubray Avenue, Downsview Tour at Madonna CSS 416.393.5506 On a coast-to-coast trip across , the Trophy Tour will make a stop at the school. 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

May 2 St. Jane Frances Catholic School Engaging Spanish Speaking Parents 2745 Jane Street, Conference and Celebration 416.393.5296 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.

May 3 St. Andre Catholic School Blessing and Opening of School 36 Yvonne Avenue, North York 2 p.m. 416.393.5410 May 3 Brebeuf College Order of St. Jean de Brebeuf Mass and 211 Steeles Avenue East, Willowdale Awards Luncheon 416-393-5508 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

May 3-8 TCDSB Board-wide Catholic Education Week 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 416.222.8282

May 3-9 TCDSB – Board-wide Children’s Mental Health Awareness 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto Week 416.222.8282

May 4 TCDSB – Catholic Education Centre TCDSB Awards Night 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto Celebrating the accomplishments of 416.222.8282 leaders in our Catholic community. 7 p.m.

May 4 Madonna Catholic Secondary School Intermediate W5H 2015 Tournament 20 Dubray Avenue, Downsview City Championship 416.393.5506 7 p.m.

May 4 St. Ambrose Catholic School Hana’s Suitcase, a presentation on 20 Coules Court, Etobicoke tolerance and acceptance by Holocaust 416.393.5259 survivor, George Brady. 12:15 p.m. - 2:15 pm

May 4 Father Serra Catholic School Living Rosary 111 Sun Row Drive, Weston Volunteers present to students on the 416.393.5391 meaning of the rosary and then the students pray the rosary as a large group in the gym. 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.

May 4 St. Jude Catholic School Marian Celebration of the Rosary 3251 Weston Road, North York 9 a.m. 416.393.5279

May 4 TCDSB – Board-wide Summer School Registration Starts 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 416.222.8282

May 4-8 Woodbine Centre Shopping Mall Woodbine Centre Festival of the Arts 500 Rexdale Blvd, Etobicoke Celebrating Excellence in the Arts during TCDSB: 416.222.8282 ext. 2688 Catholic Education Week, with musical performances at the Centre Court, Woodbine Centre Shopping Mall. May 4: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. May 5-8: 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. May 7: 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

May 4-12 TCDSB – Board-wide TDCAA Girls Soccer 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 416.222.8282

May 4-14 TCDSB – Board-wide TDCAA Boys Soccer 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 416.222.8282

May 4-25 St Fidelis Catholic School Grade 6 Ballroom Dancing Lessons 9 Bannerman Street, Toronto Coordinated with instructors from Join the 416.393.5358 Dance Canada Mondays: 8:35 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Fridays: 10:30 a.m. – 11:20 a.m., 12:15 p.m. – 1:05 p.m.

May 4-21 TCDSB – Board-wide TDCAA Girls Softball 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 416.222.8282

May 4-21 TCDSB – Board-wide TDCAA Boys Baseball 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 416.222.8282

May 5 St. Cyril Catholic School Family Social Media Night 18 Kempford Boulevard, Willowdale Presented by Teen Social Media Expert 416.393.5270 Patrick Mott 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.

May 5 St Fidelis Catholic School Money Mentor$ – Workshop for 9 Bannerman Street, Toronto Parents 416.393.5358 Information, strategies, tips and tools to help support students as they learn about money, its value and how to manage it well. 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

May 5 St. Jude Catholic School Intermediate Spoken Arts Festival 3251 Weston Road, North York Students from each class compete in a 416.393.5279 public speaking contest. 12:45 p.m. – 3 p.m. In the gymnasium

May 5-14 TCDSB – Board-wide TDCAA Rugby 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 416.222.8282

May 6 TCDSB – Catholic Education Centre TCDSB Chess Tournament 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto TEAM Chess City Finals 416.222.8282 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

May 6 TCDSB – Board-wide Spring Walk and Roll to School Day 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 416.222.8282

May 6 St Fidelis Catholic School Volunteer Appreciation Tea 9 Bannerman Street, Toronto For all parent volunteers 416.393.5358 2 p.m. in the Library

May 6 St. Jude Catholic School Social Networking Safety presentation 3251 Weston Road, North York for parents 416.393.5279 Presented by Paul Davis 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.

May 6-7 St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School Joy of Spring Concert 116 Fermanagh Ave., Toronto May 6: FDK- Gr. 4 students perform 416.393.5227 7 p.m. in the school gym. This concert will include choral performances. May 7: Gr. 5 -8 students perform 7 p.m. in the school gym. This concert will include strings, Orff Instruments and poetry.

May 6-21 TCDSB – Board-wide Elementary Track and Field Regionals 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. 416.222.8282

May 7 TCDSB – Catholic Education Centre Province-wide Student Mass followed by 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto a Peace Walk 416.222.8282 Celebrating Catholic Education Week 10 a.m.

May 7 Madonna Catholic Secondary School Fair Trade for Life Fashion Show 20 Dubray Avenue, Downsview Organized by the Social Justice Club, the 416.393.5506 event is to raise awareness around the issue of Fair Trade and Sweat Shops 7 p.m.

May 7 St. Jude Catholic School Spoken Arts Festival 3251 Weston Road, North York Students from each class compete in a 416.393.5279 public speaking contest. Primary: 8:45 a.m. – 10 a.m. Junior: 12:45 a.m. – 3 p.m. In the gymnasium

May 7 Annunciation Catholic School Mental Health Awareness Evening 65 Avonwick Gate, Don Mills A parent engagement evening hosted by 416.393.5299 the Catholic School Parent Council 7 p.m. in the school library

May 7 St. Clare Catholic School Art Show titled ‘Give’ 124 Northcliffe Blvd., York 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. 416.393.5214

May 7 St. John Paul II Catholic Secondary Chill Fair and Wheelchair School Tournament 685 Military Trail, Scarborough Students host an awareness-raising fair 416.393.5531 with community representatives. Staff and students also compete in a wheelchair basketball tournament with proceeds going to Variety Village. Chill Fair: 11:10 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. Wheelchair Basketball Tournament: 1:20 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

May 7 St. Bartholomew Catholic School Early Learning Team from St. 51 Heather Road, Agincourt Bartholomew Recognized by The 416.393.5334 Learning Partnership Award presentation at 7:15 p.m.

May 7 St. Agatha Catholic School Art show and Family BBQ 49 Cathedral Bluffs Drive Scarborough 5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. 416.393.5302 May 8: Art show, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

May 7 St. Conrad Catholic School OAPCE-Toronto Hosts Parent Mass 5 Exbury Road, North York and Resource Fair 416.393.5396 Celebrating Catholic Education Week Celebrant: Cardinal Thomas Collins 7 p.m.

May 8 Epiphany of Our Lord Catholic Recycling Technology for Students and Academy the Environment 3150 Pharmacy Avenue, Agincourt Celebration to thank donors reBOOT 416.393.5378 Canada and Electronic Recycling Services 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

May 8 St Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic Parent and Community Forum School for the Chinese Community 75 Alexmuir Boulevard, Agincourt Celebrating Asian Canadian Heritage 416.393.5381 Month 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

May 8 Monsignor Percy Johnson Catholic 30th Anniversary High School Mix and Mingle Pub Night 2170 Kipling Avenue, Rexdale 7 pm to Midnight 416.393.5535

May 9 St. Kevin Catholic School 50th Anniversary 15 Murray Glen Drive, Scarborough Mass at Precious Blood Church 11 a.m. 416.393.5300 BBQ and Open House 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

May 9 St. Cecilia Catholic School 100th Anniversary 355 Annette Street, Toronto Open House 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. 416.393.5218

May 9 TCDSB – Board-wide Megan's Walk 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 8:30 a.m. – 11:45 p.m. 416.222.8282

May 10-16 TCDSB – Board-wide Respect for Life Week 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 416.222.8282

May 12 St Francis Xavier Catholic School Family Math Night 53 Gracefield Avenue, Toronto 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. 416.393.5271

May 13 Michael Power - St. Joseph High Navigating The Teenage Years School Presentation for parents, including 105 Eringate Drive, Etobicoke, information booths and resources 416.393.5529 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

May 14 TCDSB – Board-wide World Catholic Education Day 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 416.222.8282

May 14 St. Francis de Sales Catholic School Afternoon Tea for Seniors 333 Firgrove Crescent, Toronto The Intermediate Choir Club hosts a tea 416.393.5366 for Seniors from a retirement home, singing and serving baked sweets and tea. 1 p.m.

May 15 Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School Secondary Students’ Symposium 2 St Andrew's Boulevard, Weston Celebrating Asian Canadian Heritage 416.393.5525 Month 9 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.

May 15 University of Toronto Our World, Our Responsibility: Food UTS Science Building for Thought, Fuel for Action 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough Environmental conference hosted by St. John Paul II Catholic Secondary School. 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

May 20 TCDSB – Catholic Education Centre Catholic School Parent Council 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto Appreciation Mass and Celebration 416.222.8282 5:30 p.m.

May 22 York University, Asian Heritage Month Festival 2015 Accolade East Building, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre 4700 Keele Street, Toronto

May 23 St. Jane Frances Catholic School 50th Anniversary 2745 Jane Street, Downsview Mass at 11 a.m. 416.393.5296 School celebration and Open House from 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

May 23 James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic Engaging Spanish-Speaking Parents High School 2015 Conference 1440 Finch Avenue West, Downsview 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. 416.393.5527

May 23 James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic Parent and Community Forum High School for the Filipino community 1440 Finch Avenue West, Downsview Celebrating Asian Canadian Heritage 416.393.5527 Month 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

May 25 Father Serra Catholic School Maori Dance Troupe Presentation 111 Sun Row Drive, Weston A New Zealand Dance troupe will be 416.393.5391 presenting to Grades 4-8 the customary dances of the Maori Peoples. 9:30 a.m.

May 26 TCDSB – Board-wide Elementary Track and Field Finals 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. 416.222.8282 At Varsity Stadium

May 26 Mary Ward Catholic Secondary Mass and Cultural Expose 3200 Kennedy Road, Scarborough Celebrating Asian Canadian Heritage 416.393.5544 Month 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

May 26 The Hangar at Downsview Park TCDSB Special Needs Mini Olympics 75 Carl Hall Road, Downsview Celebrating inclusion and friendship 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

May 26 St. Thomas Aquinas Welcome to Kindergarten Family 636 Glenholme Avenue, Toronto Orientation 416.393.5236 6 p.m.

May 27 Columbus Event Centre OYAP Leadership Conference Villa Charities 8:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. 901 Lawrence Ave. West

May 27 Chaminade College School IGNITE Digital Media Showcase 490 Queen's Drive, Toronto Presented by Chaminade College School 416.393.5509 At SilverCity Cinemas, Yorkdale Print gallery opens at 6 p.m. Film screening at 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

May 28 St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School Welcome to Kindergarten Night 116 Fermanagh Ave., Toronto 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. 416.393.5227

May 30 Annunciation Catholic School 50th Anniversary 65 Avonwick Gate, Don Mills Mass at 10 a.m. at Annunciation of the 416.393.5299 Blessed Virgin Mary Church School celebration and Open House from 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

May 30 Epiphany of Our Lord Catholic Parent and Community Forum Academy for the Tamil community 3150 Pharmacy Avenue, Agincourt Celebrating Asian Canadian Heritage 416.393.5378 Month 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

June 3 La Victoria Banquet Hall Bowling Banquet for Students with 69 Milvan Drive, North York Multiple Exceptionalities 11:30 a.m.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

TCDSB Celebrates Autism Awareness Day Thousands of students and staff from across the Toronto Catholic District School Board participated in the annual dance for Autism awareness on March 11th. This provided some insight into Autism, and served as a great lead up to the celebration of Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd. The Board was pleased to present its 5th annual Autism Awareness Evening on April 1st. “Nurturing Gifts: Making Contributions to our Communities” is an evening dedicated to promoting the gifts, and talents of our students with Autism. Students from across the board shared their talents in a variety of areas including poetry, dance, instrumental music, construction, origami and magic. The keynote speaker was Jeannine Dupuy, from Famous People Players, who spoke about fostering and developing talents. This was followed on April 2nd, with schools and offices raising a flag for Autism Awareness. At the Catholic Education Centre, senior officials from the Board, along with members of the Special Education Advisory Committee, and a student with Autism, raised the flag at 10 a.m.

Madonna Celebrates Autism Day Students from Dante, St. Basil's and St. Mary's visited Madonna Catholic Secondary School to celebrate with Madonna students. The day was filled with activities, lead by the Madonna Student Leaders, Teachers and Educational Assistants. There was also a special presentation from Reptilia, with students delighted to handle the reptiles. Together all celebrated not disabilities but all exceptionalities!

Proaction Cops & Kids annual fundraiser On Friday, April 24th, the St. Cecilia "Push Pawns not Each Other" Chess Club, participated in the Proaction Cops & Kids annual fundraiser event. This organization pairs police officers with students, to establish positive relationships between cops and kids at risk in order to strengthen the community today and for the future by creating an environment of mutual respect and understanding. At the event, students discussed how this program has helped them become better citizens and truly embody Catholic Graduate Expectations. They spoke with Police Chief Mark Saunders, Former Police Chief Bill Blair, and former TFCs soccer player Dwayne De Rosario about the positive impact this program has had on them and discussed how the program at their school has helped them develop leadership skills, understanding, make responsible decisions, and much more. They played chess with various guests including Dwayne De Rosario. A special thank you to Officer Eric Berridge for bringing this program to the school.

Successful Fundraiser for Free The Children Two years ago Kathy Banfield, Blessed Sacrament's principal, went on her second trip to the Masa Mari of Kenya to help build a school and teach. When she came back, a school presentation was facilitated for the students. In the spirit of the school's mission (home of the champions in all we say and do) the student leadership team from Blessed Sacrament Catholic School under the direction of Amy Cerre and Anna Wantuch, teacher leads, took action! They committed to raising awareness and dollars to support the build of a classroom for girls to attend school. They raised $10,000 in 15 months through dance-a-thons, candy grams, selling paper bricks, etc. On Friday, April 17th the entire student body gathered for the announcement and when the words were spoken they erupted with joy as the Mascot, Ryan Steven, and Alexandra Troiani, a representative from the student leadership team, stormed into the gym with the cheque. The school was honored to have Greg Rogers present to receive the cheque and speak to the importance their work in promoting Catholic Graduate Expectations.

Inside Ride at Brebeuf The Inside Ride event, coordinated by Nick Galatianos, was a great success, with students and staff at Brebeuf College raising over $20,000.

Recognition of Continuous Support and Dedication towards the Teaching of the Italian Language On April 25th, Centro Scuola e Cultura Italiana presented Michael Caccamo, principal of St. Fidelis Catholic School, with a recognition award for his dedication to teaching of the Italian Language.

New Learning Commons Opens Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School celebrated the opening of the new Maria Pereira Learning Commons. Named for a former principal at the school, the Learning Commons will be a wonderful place for students to gather, to learn, to research and to study.

Dante Representing Toronto in the Sears Drama Festival Congratulations to who, for the third year in a row, will be one of two schools representing the Toronto region at the Provincial Showcase of the Sears Ontario Drama Festival. Dante’s original 2014-15 production of Death of an Era will soon be scheduled to perform during the Provincial Festival Showcase, which runs from Wednesday, May 6th -9th in Hamilton. The Showcase is being held at Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School in Hamilton.

Interaction 2015 On April 22nd and 23rd the University of Guelph hosted “Interaction 2015”, 2 days geared towards providing students with the opportunity to explore academic disciplines and student services led by faculty, staff and students. This proved to be an excellent reach ahead opportunity for our Specialist High Skills Major programs. SHSM students from Archbishop Romero Sports and Madonna’s Health & Wellness sectors attended. Students were greeted and began their day with “University 101”, an intro session that was extremely valuable and answered many of the participants’ questions about life after high school at a university. The SHSM students selected from a variety of interactive sessions including: Careers with the Health & Performance Centre, Psychology, Neuroscience and Drug Addiction, DNA Extraction Laboratory and Exercise is Medicine.

SHSM Industry Design Workshop at GBC On Friday, April 24th, Arts & Culture SHSM students from Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton, along with ICT SHSM students from Marshall McLuhan, had the opportunity to participate in a special Industry Sector Workshop day through the School of Design at George Brown College. Morning workshops included: Interaction Design Charrette, Develop Your First Video Game, Surrealist Design, and Portfolio Design & Your Personal Brand.

Blessed Mother Teresa Students at the Weber Grill Academy Forty Hospitality & Tourism Specialist High Skills Major students from Blessed Mother Teresa had the opportunity to take their grilling skills to another level at the Weber Grill Academy in Vaughan. Throughout this hands- on training, students received specific instruction from Grill Specialist and celebrity chef. Michael P. Clive, and were able to enjoy their delicious creations at the end of the session. After some instruction about the preparation of the grills, students learned to truss a chicken to prepare it for rotisserie grilling. Students mixed up a rub for pork shoulders and placed them in the smoker. Students then learned to “commit to the flip!” when making their own personal grilled pizzas. The meal ended with mini pulled-pork sandwiches, prepared in advance thanks to the Weber chefs, and hot-off-the-grill banana boats for dessert. This was truly a one-of-a-kind culinary experience for the SHSM students – many thanks to the Weber Grill Academy for their hospitality!

Hispanic Canadian Heritage Month Mass and Expose At St. Basil-the-Great College School, April 23rd

Designing our Virtues St. Robert Catholic School and Cardinal Carter Academy formed a partnership in designing and painting all 10 Virtues in recognition of St. Robert's 50th Anniversary. St. Robert will proudly display these virtues in their school.

Minister Visits St. Andrew’s Child Care Centre St. Andrew’s Child Care Centre welcomed Minister of Education Liz Sandals on April 29th for an announcement regarding additional capital money for new childcare spaces. Among those on hand for the announcement were Superintendent of Education Della Morra, Principal Debby Culotta, Superintendent of Early Years Cristina Fernandes and Marilyn Rodrigues-Wright, Sr. Manager of Childcare Services.

Invention Convention Canada's youngest inventors were featured in the 18th annual Invention Convention hosted by the Learning Partnership. Investigate! Invent! Innovate!™ program enables students in Grades 7 and 8 to learn essential applied science, math and technology skills. Students invent or innovate a product to solve an everyday issue or problem in their lives. Their invention and invention process is showcased at school and city-wide "Invention Conventions". Students from St. Jane Frances, St. Leo, St. Maria Goretti, and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Catholic schools were among the participants.

Mary Ward TEJ Students Win Second Prize in Mechatronic Car Contest On Saturday April 17th, Mary Ward Computer Engineering Technology students Kevin Pirabaharan and Olivia Yeung took part in the Mechatronics Car Contest organized by Professional Engineers Ontario, Scarborough Chapter. They won the second prize of the performance award in the senior category.

St. Kevin Teacher Wins Math Award Congratulations to Najwa Chalabi, a teacher from St. Kevin Catholic School, recipient of the OAME Award for Exceptional and Creative Teaching in Elementary Mathematics for 2015. This award recognizes an exceptional and creative elementary teacher, who demonstrates excellence in mathematics education and contributes to the overall development of students.

TCDSB teacher wins Harry Jerome On April 25th, Wendy Jones, CYW at St. Maria Goretti Catholic School, won a Harry Jerome Award recognizing excellence within the African-Canadian community.

Launch of New 3-Year Pastoral Plan "Together With One Voice - Harmonizing Faith in our Families, Parishes and Schools" Representatives from students, parents, staff, parishes from across the Board, as well as Catholic partners were in attendance on April 22nd for the launch of the new 3-year TCDSB pastoral plan. Cardinal Thomas Collins delivered the keynote address.

TCDSB Celebrates Excellence in Education The Toronto Catholic District School Board hosted the annual Innovative Exemplary Practice Awards, on April 22nd, to celebrate best practices and excellence in Catholic Education. The event focused on the recognition of new projects and initiatives that support the diverse learning of TCDSB students. Congratulations to this year’s winners: St. Andrew Catholic School Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School St. Francis de Sales Catholic School James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic Secondary School St. Wilfrid Catholic School Loretto Abbey St. Raymond Catholic School Senator O’Connor College School St. Joseph’s College School Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School Francis Libermann CSS Holy Spirit Catholic School St. John Paul II Catholic Secondary School Blessed Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School St. Rose of Lima Catholic School Click here for project details.

Father Henry Carr Students Wins Future Aces Citizenship Award and Scholarship Congratulations to Damilola Ola-Adigun from Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School, one of the winners of the Future Aces Citizenship Award and Scholarship. Sixty outstanding students from across the country were honoured this year for exhibiting citizenship qualities in their communities through extensive community service, volunteerism and humanitarian causes at a special celebration on April 24th.

Anniversary Celebrations

St. Mary of the Angels 100th Anniversary Dante Alighieri Celebrates 40th Anniversary

St. Timothy's 50th Anniversary

Students Author Book for Pan Am Athletes Students at St. Michael Catholic School have been involved in a very exciting project this school year with Jamii Esplanade and the Pan Am/ParaPan Am games. The students in grade 7 and 8 are “authors” of a book. Each student wrote a short portrait of one person currently living in one of the 41 countries participating in the Games. The book is entitled FORTY ONE. Copies of the book will be given to all of the athletes and coaches from the 49 different countries that will be here for the games. The book launch took place April 14th at the St. Lawrence Hall.

St. Brendan Celebrates Fundraising Success St. Brendan Catholic School celebrated its successful fundraising efforts for Free the Children at a special assembly on April 10th. The students, staff and parent community surpassed their goal of $4,000. The assembly introduced students to the final activity--the Water Walk, giving a voice to those marginalized and are unable to speak for themselves, and in particular African girls who are unable to attend school because they must walk 20 km a day to fetch water for their family. After a brief presentation and preamble the students and staff embarked on their own water walk through the community to symbolize their understanding and to raise awareness. Later that morning, they assembled in the gymnasium for a brief presentation highlighting the success of their fundraising efforts. The administrative team were duct taped to the wall by students – a commitment that was made by the team if the fundraising goal was met.

City Raises Flag for Pope John Paul II Day The choir from St. John Paul II Catholic Secondary School was invited to participate in the first ever flag raising ceremony at Toronto City Hall to celebrate Pope John Paul II Day on April 2nd. The day was proclaimed by the City after both the Canadian and Provincial Governments moved to recognize the day annually.

Students and Teachers Work Together The Catholic Education Centre welcomed grade 5 students and teachers for a collaborative session hosted by the board’s 21C department on making simple circuits. The session was held in partnership with Maker Kids.

History Meets Humanity Student Conference TCDSB Secondary students attended the conference “History Meets Humanity” on March 31st at Marshall McLuhan C.S.S. The conference emphasized the importance of developing global consciousness and intercultural competencies in our youth. Critically understanding history, specifically WWII in Asia history, plays a part in expanding their horizons in understanding humanity, war, and social justice. Beyond learning more about the atrocities and human rights violations from WWII in Asia so that they have a more global perspective on the significance and causes and effects from WWII, it is hoped that students will be inspired to engage in any issue that speaks to them. The conference is a joint venture with ALPHA (Association for Learning and Preserving the History of WWII in Asia) whose mission is to promote the learning and critical understanding of the history of WWII in Asia and the atrocities of war, to affirm the values of justice, peace and reconciliation from a humanity perspective.

CHAIR-ity Project The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need. Charity is giving oneself to help others in many ways. Providing a safe place where one is cared for and, most importantly, accepted is a very significant act of charity. The Arts Department, Leda Miles and the Safe Schools Department, Monica Zimmerman collaborated on presenting this project. All schools were asked to create a chair that ties in with the year of charity and represented that we are safe, caring and accepting schools. There were about 100 chairs on display at the Catholic Education Centre, demonstrating a sense of community from all TCDSB schools.

Top Fundraisers Noted The Terry Fox Foundation released its annual list of schools who participate in the annual fundraising run this year. Congratulations to all our schools for opening up their hearts and helping out with a worthwhile effort. Click to see the list of our top fundraising schools.

Girls Invitational Hockey Tournament Approximately 140 young women from elementary schools in the Toronto Catholic District School Board participated in this year’s girls’ invitational hockey tournament on April 28th. The puck dropped at 9:00 a.m., with Wendy Baker, a bronze medalist at the 1987 PanAm Games, and a torch bearer for the upcoming PanAm Para PanAm Games this summer (Wendy currently teaches at St. Gabriel Catholic School). Students in grades 5 to 8 competed throughout the day at Don Montgomery Arena, 2467 Eglinton Ave E. Toronto. Congratulations to Our Lady of Sorrows (Marie Philip Poulin Team) who won the final game 2 to 1. Finishing second was a blended team (Hayley Wickenheiser Team) made up of players from Fr Serra, St John XllI, All Saints, St Benedict, St Elizabeth and Our Lady of Victory.

Elementary Hockey Finals Results: Game 1) Our Lady of Fatima 3 vs St. Conrad 2 Game 2) Canadian Martyrs 5 vs St. Jude 2 Game 3) St. Agatha 6 vs St. Norbert 1 Game 4) St. Robert 3* vs St. Denis 2 (*In Shoot-out) Game 5) St. Gregory 2* vs Our Lady of Sorrows 1 (*In Shoot-out) Game 6) Our Lady of Peace 3 vs St. John 0

Goretti Teacher Receives Spirit of Cricket Award from Mayor John Tory Mayor John Tory presented St. Maria Goretti Teacher Dr. Rawle Biran with the Spirit of Cricket Award. Pictured in photo is Mr. Biran with the Mayor and TCDSB Coordinator of Health and Physical Education Nick Biagini.

Dr. Biran teaches grade 7, and he has been coaching cricket since 2003. He has played for most of his life, including during his Master and Doctorate programs at Loughborough University in England.

Our Lady of Lourdes at CP24 showcasing the BOKS program On April 22nd students from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School visited the CP24 Breakfast studio to demonstrate the BOKS physical activity program. Students had a lot of fun meeting the hosts of the Breakfast show, as well as CFL star Jon Cornish

BOKS Rocks at St. Wilfrid Catholic School Football players from the CFL visited St. Wilfrid Catholic School today to celebrate the BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success) program with the students. BOKS is a physical activity program, administered twice daily, aimed at enhancing academic performance and the overall health of kids through physical activity. Students were delighted to meet the CFL stars, have their questions answered, and join in some physical exercise together.

St. Michael Celebrates with the Jays Students and staff at St. Michael Catholic School were pleased to welcome Ace the Blue Jay, and a number of members of the Jays organization on April 21st, for a special rally to prepare for the ball game the next night. With the support of TCDSB's Partnership Development Department, St. Michael's won the Ultimate Field Trip Contest sponsored by the Blue Jays organization. The school received 150 free tickets, bus transportation and dinner on game night, as well as shirts, hats and other prizes. Students were taught the official song and dance for the 7th inning stretch so they would be ready for the big game.

Cheerleading Grand Champions The Blessed Cardinal Newman cheerleading team participated in the Ontario Cheerleading Federation National Championships on April 18th -19th at the Powerade Centre in Brampton. The team exceeded all expectations and won Grand Champions of the High School Division. The girls are certainly to be commended for a job well done.

Father John Redmond's National Cheer Champions The 2014-2015 Redmond cheer team is made up of 26 dedicated student athletes from grades 9-12. This team is highly committed and practices early mornings twice a week. Their first competition of the season was the Ontario Cheerleading Provincial Championships in February where they were awarded with a Provincial Championship Title in the High School Novice division! This team continued practicing hard in preparation for the National Championships this past weekend where the team performed two solid, crowd pleasing runs of their routine and ultimately were named as the 2015 OCF National Champions (High School Novice division). This is the first National Title for the cheer team in the history of the program so we are extremely proud of this accomplishment. GO REDHAWKS GO!

St. Thomas More students go to basketball camp with Steve Nash On April 15th, 2015, students from St. Thomas More Catholic School participated in a basketball skills camp with NBA superstar Steve Nash. The camp was hosted by Tangerine Bank and Canada Basketball as an initiative of the #BrightWayForward program, offering students the opportunity to engage in hands- on basketball skills while building confidence and life skills. Students were thrilled to meet the Canadian basketball star and receive pointers on improving their game and scoring success, both on and off the court.

NBA player Sim Bhullar pays tribute to Father Henry Carr CSS On April 23rd, newly-signed NBA player Sim Bhullar returned to his former high school, Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School, to present them with his autographed NBA jersey. Toronto-born Bhullar joined the , making him the first player of Indian descent to play basketball in the NBA. He is grateful for the coaching and support he received while at Father Henry Carr CSS and says the lessons learned during his time there have played a big part in his current success. “I know Father Henry Carr is a part of this jersey and me," Bhullar said. "Hopefully you guys will hang this up and look at it as a symbol of anything is really possible. As long as you put your heart and mind to it, you can pretty much conquer anything," he said as he presented his autographed jersey to his high school coach Paul Melnik. Students and staff were excited to welcome Bhullar, along with Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia, who brought with them 12 autographed for the school. Both spoke about using persistence and discipline to achieve their goals. Bhullar answered questions and signed autographs to the delight of the students.

Table Tennis ... A Golden Season for Blessed Cardinal Newman The 2015 season was yet another successful one for the Newman table tennis team. The juniors fought hard to retain the Overall TDCAA Junior Table tennis Championship. Our Mixed Doubles team of Isaac Townsend and Annabelle Rodriguez dominated their draw to win the Gold medal. Justin Moleta and Vanessa Dickson came fourth. Our Girls Singles player, Olivia Kavanaugh, smashed her way to win the Silver medal. Finally, Our Boys Doubles team of Josh Piansay and Brian Paul won the Bronze medal, and Adam Muldoon and Adam Vandanbroek came fourth. Their performances together brought home Newman’s second consecutive TDCAA Junior Table Tennis Championship. The senior team also performed well with our Mixed Doubles teams of Diego Voliere and Cassie Shi placing 4th and Kaelan Estabrooks and Louise Roxas claiming the Bronze medal. Our boys singles players were stellar as they consistently played at a high level, with Ivan Seva placing 4th and Boris Gao overshadowing everyone to claim his second TDCAA Gold medal. Our Girls Doubles team of Kat McNeilly and Daria Mancino made it to the semi-finals of their draw. The whole team played extremely well and their performances, combined with the junior team, help launch Newman to its 4th Overall Table Tennis Championship. Congratulations on a great season!

Vanier Drum Line wins Prestigious US Bands Competition On the Weekend of April 11th, 2015, a convey of trucks, busses and cars made their way to Lehigh University near Philadelphia to compete in the prestigious US Bands Competition. The Jean Vanier team competed in the 1A Marching (Scholastic) category and bested five American high schools, winning the gold by a fraction of a point. The students presented a tribute to the beauty of mathematics, manifested in both dance and sound, and performed their piece against an elaborate tarp displaying a Fibonacci sequence. Click here to view the video of their award-winning performance.

Bring Your Own Beat On Saturday April 18th, 2015, Francis Libermann's dance crew, VZA, competed in "Bring Your Own Beat", the GTA's largest dance competition for secondary school students. Ms. Elizabeth Llanera (teacher at Libermann and VZA's director) always wanted a crew to do a Missy Elliot tribute; they made her wish come true and rose to 1st place out of 16 teams. They were also awarded Best Mix, Crowd Favourite and Best Male Performer (Isaac Asare). The road to victory was an uphill climb; they created their own choreography, had morning and afternoon practices, and participated in two other competitions (one of which was TCDSB's Notre Dame Dance Off). Their achievements are a prime example that dedication, perseverance and putting your heart and soul into something you're passionate about will bring success! VZA stands at 17 members strong: Isaac Asare (crew captain and choreographer; he is also the recipient of TCDSB's Dance Off Graduate Scholarship), Raphael Ajon, Sheena Atendido (choreographer), Kimberly Bacnis, Alexa Buenbrazo, Kristen Canizares (choreographer), Chloe Goy, Syntheya Leslie, Danielle Meuret, Jazmine Natividad, Ferdinand Orlain, Justine Rosario, Julia Sulit (choreographer), Zandy Sunga, Clarisse Mae Tiu (choreographer), Neil Quigaman, and Arianne Villamor. View the championship performance with the following link: http://youtu.be/djJGJBrlLMo

TEAMS Math Olympics Congratulations to all the grade 7 and grade 8 students who participated in the TEAMS Math Olympics held on Saturday, March 28th, 2015 at Madonna Catholic Secondary School. Over 120 mathletes from the TCDSB and the TDSB took part in the event and they enjoyed the day immensely! It was exciting to see students engage in individual and collaborative mathematics problem solving activities. Six students from the TCDSB placed Gold, Silver, and Bronze at the TEAMS Math Olympics. In addition, three students placed in the runner up category. Twelve grade 7 and grade 8 students from Toronto schools (TCDSB and TDSB) will advance to the Ontario Mathematics Olympics – OMO 2015 - which will be held at Carleton University, in Ottawa, Ontario from Friday, June 5th to Saturday, June 6th.

Annual French Public Speaking Contest Concours d’art oratoire 2015 TCDSB students participated in Le Concours et Festival d’art oratoire, the annual French public speaking competition in the beginning of March 31, 2015. The contest was held in the Catholic Teachers Centre at 80 Sheppard Avenue East and featured students in Core French, French Immersion, Extended French and Francophone categories. Click here for results.

TCDSB Chess Tournaments 2015 The Girls Chess City Finals were held at St. Timothy Catholic Elementary School on April 9th, 2015. Congratulations to St. Raphael placing first followed by Holy Spirit, St. Demetrius, St. Roberts and St. Cyril ranking among the top in the city this year. For a complete list of rankings click here. Over 30 schools competed in the Open Chess City Finals at St. Timothy Catholic Elementary School on April 10th, 2015. Congratulations to Our Lady of Guadalupe placing first followed by St. Raphael, St. Roberts and Josyf Cardinal Slipyj ranking among the top in the city this year. For a complete list of rankings click here. The 2015 TCDSB Team Chess City Final is scheduled for May 6th, 2015 in the Atrium at the Catholic Education Centre, 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto.

Elementary Vocal/Instrumental Music Festival at the CEC

Spreading the Words Across Canada, 40% of high-school aged youth have low literacy levels (Statistics Canada). On March 23rd, 2015, it was this startling statistic that caused the grade-nine 'Take Action Team' at Father John Redmond C.S.S. to make a change. The group decided to launch a book drive which they called “Spread the Words.” Running for two weeks, the initiative raised awareness about illiteracy and collected an incredible total of 2053 books to be donated globally.

Experimental Learning... Lifelong Learning Co-op teachers had the opportunity to attend the annual Ontario Cooperative Education Association (OCEA) Spring Conference, “Experiential Learning …Lifelong Learning”. Experiential Learning begins as early as in kindergarten and extends right through secondary school and into the rest of our lives. Some of our TCDSB teachers demonstrated their leadership skills and expertise by delivering some of the conference workshops. Others were able to interact with teachers from across the province to share and learn from each other.

SWAC Alumni Mixer On Wednesday April 1st, the School Within A College (SWAC) program at George Brown College hosted the first ever SWAC Alumni Mixer. The morning was organized in partnership with George Brown’s Community Partnership Office and Santina Bruno-Damiani, SWAC teacher from Msgr. Fraser Isabella. The mixer provided a rare opportunity for current and past SWAC students to come and reconnect. A student panel of past graduates shared their experiences in SWAC and how the program had profound impact on their lives. Over and over the audience continued to hear how thankful the students were for the opportunity. Those in attendance were incredibly moved by the students’ words. Many of the SWAC graduates have gone on to pursue educational opportunities at College as well as University. The relationships and friendships developed will be long lasting and held close to each person. Congratulations to all the past and present SWAC students who were there to celebrate and thank you for bringing new ideas and excitement to planning for future SWAC opportunities. With each year the program continues to grow and more students are earning a diploma as a result.

St. Fidelis Grade 3 Dance Workshop To enhance the dance curriculum, the grade 3 students of St. Fidelis Catholic School participated in a Dance Workshop on Tuesday March 31st. During the workshop, students explored easy hip hop styling and choreography. Students created dance pieces using a variety of forms and elements.

FIRST Robotics Founder Woodie Flowers Commends St. John Paul II’s Robopanthers at UOIT St. John Paul II’s Robopanthers could barely contain their excitement this past March, when FIRST Robotics co-founder Woodie Flowers paid a visit to the team at their regional competition at the University of Ontario - Institute of Technology. Flowers, walking around the pit area of the competition, stopped abruptly when he saw the team working so intently and effectively. He then ventured into the pit to get a better look at the robot, and congratulated the team on their level of expertise and their hard work. For the team members, it was an inspiring moment; it’s not every day you get to rub elbows with the founder of a program that has expanded to 19 countries and nearly 3000 teams. This year’s challenge, known as Recycle Rush, required robots to pick up and stack towers of tote boxes and plastic bins. SJPII students began prototyping different designs in January, eventually settling on a powerful chain-driven elevator lift shortly before the exam break. This year brought a heightened level of challenge when a set of grease-less track sliders was found to cause severe jamming problems. The Robopanthers were forced to address the limitations in their design and make a last minute materials change. At the competition, the strong team spirit, years of expertise, and creative problem solving skills prevailed. The Robopanthers managed to solve their design issues and get their robot cleared by inspection. Captain Macmar David Marcelino stayed calm on the field during qualification matches, driving the team to a strong 27th place showing. Team photographers captured all the drama at the event, from the rapid repairs of the pit crew in between matches to the lively group of SJPII students cheering from the stands.

21C Innovators: iLEAP Initiative This year in Area 1 and as part of the 21C Innovators work, Superintendent Adrian Della Mora introduced the iLEAP initiative. Ileap stands for: Innovative Local Exemplary Academic Practices. 14 proposals were received of which four successful proposals were selected and did receive a $500 award to support their work. Through community partner, Ward Funeral Home, TCDSB generously received the financial support for this initiative. The recipients are:  Cosimo Di Iorio, - St. Basil the Great Catholic School - Baren’s Den  Loriana Romano - St Roch Catholic School - Genius Hour, Student Led Classroom Inquiry Process  Diana Bruni – Transfiguration of our Lord Catholic School - Kindergarten Reading Smileboxes/Ipad use  Jeffrey Gerardi - St. Stephen Catholic School- Junior Division Book Club Click here to read details for each proposal.

““IT STARTS IN THE SCHOOLS” is published monthly throughout the school year. Events, locations and times are subject to change. For more information, call 416-222-8282 Ext. 5314. This publication can be found on the Internet at www.tcdsb.org, see “news”.

The Toronto Catholic District School Board educates more than 92,000 students from diverse cultures and language backgrounds in 201 Catholic elementary and secondary schools, serving close to half-a-million Catholic school supporters across the City of Toronto. As the world’s largest publicly funded Catholic school system, we educate students in an inclusive learning community rooted in the love of Christ, where they are challenged to grow in grace and knowledge and to lead lives of faith, hope and charity. At Toronto Catholic we transform the world through witness, faith, innovation and action.

Toronto Catholic Schools May 2015

Toronto Catholic District School Board, 80 Sheppard Ave. E., North York, ON M2N 6E8 phone: 416-222-8282 website: www.tcdsb.org email: [email protected]