October 2015 Newsletter - St. Gregory Catholic School

St. Gregory Catholic School Newsletter
126 Rathburn Road, Etobicoke, Ontario, M9B 2K6
Telephone: (416) 393-5262 Fax: (416) 393-5189
Visit us: http://stgregorytoronto.com and follow us on Twitter @StGregoryCS
St. Gregory Parish
Fr. John Bertao
(416) 239-4831
Superintendent: Mr. D. Yack 416-222-8282 ext 2732
Trustee:
Mrs. A. Andrachuk 416-512-3402
CSPC Co-Chairs: P. Vokins /A. Grnak
Principal: J. Pannozzo
Vice Principal: A. Pires
Secretary: L. Querin
Clerk Typist: S. Shanahan
OCTOBER 2015
It was great to see
so many parents
at our Curriculum
Night which took
place on
Thursday,
September 24th.
The evening
included an opportunity to review
school policies, routines, expectations
and initiatives, as well as providing an
opportunity to meet teachers and
support staff. Thank you to our staff for
their informative sessions and
commitment to our students. Parents are
encouraged to maintain regular
communication throughout the year
with their child’s teacher. We
appreciate your support and we would
encourage you to contact your child’s
teacher at the school (416) 393-5262 if
you have any questions or concerns.
We encourage you to follow us on
Twitter for weekly updates on the
happenings for the week. Our account
is St.GregoryCS. This account is also
posted on the school website.
Parents are encouraged to view the
newsletter on the school website. It is
our goal to go paperless. Thank you for
your cooperation.
October will once again be a busy
month at our school. Please review the
attached calendar of events for this
month.
J. Pannozzo
Principal
Giver of all wisdom and greatest of all teachers,
Look upon our teachers with love
Grant them the resolve to nurture
our eager minds
And to never give up on us who fall
behind
Bless their hearts for they rejoice
when we succeed and encourage us
when we fail
And bless them with gentle patience
for the path of learning is never easy
Kindle a spirit and passion in them
It is the flame that ignites the love of learning in us
Help them see the potential in each student
Their belief in each and every one of us means much more than a grade
Instill in them a commitment to keep on learning
It shows us to not fear new knowledge and experiences
Inspire them to touch the future
They influence how big a dream we dream for ourselves
Bless our teachers who have
come before
For their work endures to this
day
Let the light of your example
shine upon all teachers
To build up with their words
To love with their mind
To share with their heart.
Amen
Say Cheese!
We will be taking
our school pictures
on Thursday,
October 8th.
“Elementary Progress Report Card”
will be directed home to you in midNovember providing checklist and
anecdotal information detailing your
child’s progress to that time.
Parent/Teacher interviews will be held
on Thursday, November 12th (5:00
p.m.-8:00 p.m.) and Friday, November
13th (8:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m.).
October’s virtue is GRATITUDE, how
apropos that we will be celebrating
Thanksgiving in just a few short
days. Our quote for this month is
“This is the day the Lord has made,
let us rejoice and be glad” Psalm
118:24. “Thanks” is a simple word,
but it is a precious fountain of faith
in God, and it fills our hearts with a
readiness to cherish everything we
have. Although the world is
currently experiencing economic
challenges, and we may have
difficulty saying thank you for some
of our hardships, sometimes this
can release us from that sense of
entitlement that can prevent us
from really seeing God’s grace in
our daily lives. The choice to be
grateful is not always without
effort. This month at St. Gregory
we will express our gratefulness
through our actions and mindful
reflection.
Two Provincial Report Cards will be
completed this year and sent home on
February 9th and June 27th
We will once again, be practicing
lockdown procedures with all of
our students. Our first lock down
drill will be held on Wednesday,
October 21st, 2015
As with our fire drills, this practice
allows all students and staff to
become familiar with the
expectations to ensure school
safety. If you have specific
questions regarding our
procedures, please do not hesitate
to call the school.
St. Gregory will be participating in
the Terry Fox Run on Wednesday,
October 7th (raindate Fri., Oct. 9th).
As a school, we will show our
support for Cancer Research by
walking in our neighbourhood,
donating a toonie and dressing in
Red and White in honour of Terry
Fox’s incredible journey.
The results of the CAT/4 testing for
our grade 2, 5 and 7 students (in 20142015) will be shared with students and
families shortly.
In addition, our school’s EQAO results
for 2014-2015 (grade 3 and grade 6)
will be available in November.
As the season
changes,
students need to
dressed
appropriately for
the weather.
Students will be
expected to
participate in
recess.
To ensure student safety,
students will not be granted
entry back into their
classrooms after the school
day. It is important for
students to be responsible
for collecting all their
homework before the end of
the learning day.
Are you in grades 7 to 10?
Need help with math
homework?
Then why not
get live,
online math
tutoring from
an Ontario
teacher? It's free and easy
to sign up.
Setting up your account To log in
and register, you'll need your
Ontario Education Number (OEN),
found at the top of your report card
near your name.
Visit this site for more information
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/elearning/
homework.html
OCTOBER is International Walk to
School Month.
Children and youth between the
ages of 5-17 need at least 60
minutes of moderate-to-vigorousintensity physical activity every day.
Walking to and from school can
help children reach these levels.
Unfortunately, only 31% of children
walk to school on a regular basis in
Toronto. Walking to and from
school helps students meet the
recommended daily amount of
physical activity, improves
community safety, promotes social
interaction, reduces traffic
congestion, and protects the
environment.
In the spirit of Gratitute, our
Thanksgiving Food Drive will
begin on Friday, October 2nd
and end on Thursday, October
8th. Please send non-perishable
food donations (i.e. baby food,
powdered milk and canned
fruit and vegetables) to support
families in need to the Toronto
Daily Bread Food Bank. We
thank Mrs. Brajuka and Mrs.
Botelho and their students for
kindly volunteering to help with
this worthy cause.
Prayer for Harmonizing our Faith Through
Family, Parish and School
Almighty and Ever-loving God,
We give you thanks
for the blessings of our Families, where the seed of faith is planted;
for the Body of Christ, the Church, where faith is celebrated;
and for our Schools, where faith is nurtured.
Lord, we believe that Catholic Education is at its best
when Families, Parishes and Schools
play, pray and work together
to spread the Good News to all.
Help us to imitate the unity of the Trinity
as we continue to grow in our faith and love towards you,
and to one another.
Through the guidance of the Holy Family,
the model of all Christian families,
and the intercession of all the Saints,
may our Families, Parishes and Schools
remain places where the Gospel is shared
with joy, courage and love.
We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.
October is AUTISM Awareness Month
The following are some websites that may be of interest
for those looking to learn more about autism:
Autism Ontario: www.autismontario.ca
Autism Canada: www.autismcanada.org Autism
Speaks: www.autismspeaks.org
Look forward to information on events being planned in
April for World Autism Awareness Day!
CSPC help its Annual General
Meeting this Wednesday past. As
part of the Agenda, elections
were held for the 2015-2016
council. Elected to the twenty
voting positions are:
Adam Grnak (Co-chair)
Phil Vokins (Co-chair)
Marjorie Bridger (Vice Chair)
Diana Marrone (Treasurer)
Dori Falcone (Secretary)
Vito Vaccarelli, Celia Goncalves,
Edward Filippozzi, Luana Fanelli,
Andria Dametto,
Susan Rowlison, Sherri Belton,
Maria Skinner, Dina Marrone,
Joanne Romano, Julie D’Aprile,
Anne Mishko, Daniela Balsamo,
Tanya Giaquinto, Sandy Gravina
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The most important role of the
elementary Counsellor is to be an
advocate for students as they strive to
meet the challenges and demands of
their everyday school life.
At St. Gregory Catholic School, our
guidance counsellor works to:
 Help with the personal and
academic growth of all students.
 Develop educational and career
decision-making skills among all
students.
 Promote the development of
interpersonal skills among all
students.
 Provide services to the school
community which will assist in the
growth and learning of all students.
Our Counsellor can help students to…
 Do Better in School
 Get Along with Others
 Cope With Changes
 Feel Good About Themselves
 Feel Good about Themselves
 Make Decisions
 Understand Feelings
What else does our guidance
counsellor do?
 Visits classrooms
 Teaches lessons about: respecting
yourself and other, identifying your
feelings, solving problems
peacefully
 Meets with students individually
and in a group for a variety of
issues such as: family changes,
grief/loss
 Facilitates in making friends and
building positive relationships
Anger/self-control, friendship
/social skills, self-confidence,
stress management, goal-setting
Meets with parents, teachers and
other school specialists
Helps the grade eight students
transition from elementary to high
school
How does a student see the guidance
counsellor?
 They request to speak to the
guidance counsellor
 The teacher requests it
 The principal suggests it
 Mom or Dad requests it
Please remind your children that:
All children have the right to feel safe
and happy at school; all children have
the responsibility to ensure that their
peers feel safe and happy at school!
TCDSB’s High
Schools are
hosting Open
Houses for
families with
students in grade 7 & 8. Please see the
attached list or the Board’s website.
October 13
St. Joseph's College School (Girls only)
October 14
Loretto College School (Girls only)
October 15
Marshall McLuhan Catholic School
October 21
Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts
Madonna Catholic Secondary (Girls only)
St. Mary Catholic Secondary School
St. Patrick Catholic Secondary School
October 22
Father John Redmond Catholic School
October 26
Msgr Percy Johnson Catholic School
October 27
Dante Alighieri Academy
James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic School
October 28
Father Henry Carr Catholic School
Michael Power/St. Joseph Catholic
October 29
Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton
St. Basil-the-Great College School
ST. GREGORY SWIM TEAM
The swim season is upon us and
we are starting to plan for the
TCDSB Swim Invitational Meet
scheduled for the weekend of
April 2/3 2016 at the Etobicoke
Olympium. A meeting to discuss
this year's Swim Team is
scheduled for Wednesday
October 7th in the Music Room at
7:00 p.m.
Please give some thought to how
you can assist - coaching,
administration, apparel,
communications, and swim meet
management assistance. It takes a
lot of work on behalf of parent
volunteers to make our team a
success. No previous swim
experience is needed, but your
enthusiasm is welcomed!
(Note – swim team is open to
students in grades 3 to 8.)
If you cannot attend the meeting
but are interested in being part of
the set of swim team volunteers,
please send an email to
[email protected] .
All visitors must report to
the office
upon entering
the school. A
sign-in
procedure is
in place for anyone visiting
the school at any time.
In keeping with past practice and
our efforts to reduce St. Gregory’s
imprint on the environment, we will
continue posting all monthly
calendars and newsletters on our
school’s website. Please visit
www.stgregorytoronto.com. The
newsletter contains upcoming
events, school initiatives and
reminders. Also, stay connected
and get weekly updates by following
us on Twitter _@StGregoryCS.
As school field trips are underway,
St. Gregory students are reminded to
represent their school proudly by
demonstrating respect and courtesy
and wearing their school uniforms /
team jerseys proudly.
St. Gregory’s QSP Fundraising
Campaign is well underway and
will end on Thursday, October
15th . Please continue ordering
magazines as our school
receives a portion of the total
sales and your family will enjoy a
year of reading!
October is Child Abuse
Prevention Month – a time
when we reflect on the
importance of reporting child
abuse and neglect.
While it is the legal duty of
doctors, teachers and others
who work with children to
report suspected child abuse,
it is important that everyone is
aware of the signs and knows
how critical it is to take action.
St. Gregory will be celebrating
Halloween on Friday, October 30th
by participating in a Halloween
Parade. Students are reminded
that costumes should be ageappropriate and must not include
accessories that are deemed
unsafe.
North York Little Prints
Daycare is offering Extended
Day Programs for
kindergarten to age 12
Our motto is “A community of
families growing together”
We are committed to
providing high-quality
children’s programs in a safe,
inspiring and nurturing
environment. Our staff of
Registered Early Childhood
Educators and Specialized
instructors lead active
programs enriched with art,
music, fitness and nature that
motivate children to explore
their talents and build
friendships. Our program is in
operation school days from
7:30 to 8:30 am and 3:00 to
6:00 pm. On non–
instructional days like P.A.
Days, Winter Break and March
Break the program runs from
7:30am – 6:00pm.
Please contact Pamela
Taskinen, Centre Manager for
further information at
416-236-8794 ,
stgregory@littleprintsdaycare.
com or visit our website at
www.littleprintsdaycare.com.
Printed September 10, 2015
Secondary School Open Houses for 2015
All Toronto Catholic District School Board secondary schools welcome grade 8 students
and their families to open houses each fall.
This is an opportunity to meet some of the staff, check out school facilities and learn
more about the various programs, services and activities as you prepare for Catholic
secondary school education.
Unless otherwise noted, all open houses begin at 7:00 p.m.
Confirm dates at the following link:
https://www.tcdsb.org/school/openhouses/pages/default.aspx
October 13
St. Joseph's College School
74 Wellesley Street West, Toronto
(Girls only)
October 14
Loretto College School
151 Rosemount Avenue, Toronto
(Girls only)
October 15
Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School
1107 Avenue Road, Toronto
October 21
Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts
36 Greenfield Avenue, North York
Madonna Catholic Secondary School
20 Dubray Avenue, North York
(Girls only)
St. Mary Catholic Secondary School
66 Dufferin Park Avenue, Toronto
Printed September 10, 2015
October 21
St. Patrick Catholic Secondary School
49 Felstead Avenue, Toronto
October 22
Blessed Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School
100 Brimley Road South, Scarborough
Blessed Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School
40 Sewells Road, Scarborough
Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre
28 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Way, Etobicoke
6:00 p.m.
October 26
Msgr Percy Johnson Catholic Secondary School
2170 Kipling Avenue, Etobicoke
October 27
Dante Alighieri Academy
Beatrice Campus, 50 Ameer Avenue, North York
Francis Libermann Catholic Secondary School
4640 Finch Avenue East, Scarborough
James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic Secondary School
1440 Finch Avenue West, North York
Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School
959 Midland Avenue, Scarborough
6:30 p.m.
October 28
Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School
1760 Martin Grove Road, Etobicoke
Printed September 10, 2015
October 28
Michael Power/St. Joseph Catholic Secondary School
105 Eringate Drive, Etobicoke
6:30 p.m.
Neil McNeil High School
127 Victoria Park Avenue, Scarborough
(Boys only)
Notre Dame High School
14 Malvern Avenue, Scarborough (Toronto)
(Girls only)
St. John Paul II Catholic Secondary School
685 Military Trail, Scarborough
October 29
Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School (Home of the Arts
School@Marrocco)
1515 Bloor Street West, Toronto
St. Basil-the-Great College School
20 Starview Lane, North York
November 3
Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School
99 Humber Boulevard, York
Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School
101 Mason Boulevard, North York
Please call the school 416-393-5510 for details
(Girls only)
Senator O'Connor College School
60 Rowena Drive, North York
November 4
Bishop Allen Academy
721 Royal York Road, Etobicoke
Printed September 10, 2015
November 4
Chaminade College School
490 Queen's Drive, North York
(Boys only)
November 5
Brebeuf College School
211 Steeles Avenue East, North York
(Boys only)
Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School
2 St. Andrews Boulevard, Etobicoke
Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School
3200 Kennedy Road, Scarborough
St. Joseph's Morrow Park Catholic Secondary School
3379 Bayview Avenue, North York
(Girls only)
TCDSB Monthly Update
October 2015
Open Houses in High Schools
Grade 8 students and their families are invited to check out their high school options. TCDSB
secondary schools host open houses in October and November.
http://www.tcdsb.org/school/OpenHouses/Pages/default.aspx
Principal of Excellence Award
OAPCE Toronto invites nominations for this year’s award, which will be presented at the 10th
annual Commissioning Ceremony on November 2nd.
http://www.oapcetoronto.ca/news/2015/6/23/oapce-toronto-principal-of-excellence-awardnominiation-open
Parent Involvement Week: October 24 – 30, 2015.
The Toronto Catholic District School Board is launching first Parent Involvement Week. This
initiative is an opportunity to recognize, celebrate and enhance the important role that parents
play at both the school and Board level. Educational research has consistently pointed to the
positive effects that parent engagement has on student achievement and well-being. The TCDSB
has partnered with the two parent organizations--the Catholic Parent Involvement Committee
(CPIC) and the Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education (OAPCE – Toronto)--to cohost a number of events that highlight the important role of parents in our schools, as well as to
provide opportunities for continued involvement, professional development and net- working. Let
us all work together for the success of our students!
For more information:
https://www.tcdsb.org/forparents/parentinvolvement/news%20and%20events/pages/tcdsbcatholic-parent-involvement-week.aspx
Newcomer Conference for Families New to Canada and International
Students
Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at 5:00 p.m., Catholic Education Centre, 80 Sheppard Ave. E.
The Director of Education and Chair of the Board invite our newcomer families, international
students, parent council representatives, homestay families and school staff to an informative
evening about our educational system and support services available in TCDSB schools. Guests
are invited to share a family meal with the Director and Chair and will be encouraged to
participate in an exchange of information in a relaxed, welcoming environment. Our staff and
representatives from various outside agencies will provide support and valuable information
regarding programs and services plus tips for navigating our Catholic education system. The
evening also encourages interactive discussions designed for staff and Parent Council members
on how to effectively engage our newcomer students and families in our schools and
communities. The event is one of several planned for Parent Involvement Week. Welcome to our
TCDSB family!
For more information and to register: http://www.tcdsb.org/forcommunity/newcomers
CPIC Elections (Catholic Parent Involvement Committee)
The Catholic Parent Involvement Committee (CPIC) is a parent-led and Ministry of Education funded,
parent volunteer organization within the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB). The focus
of the committee is to support student academic achievement through increased parent involvement.
Elections are being held on October 5th, 7th and 20th. Visit the Board’s website for detailed information.
https://www.tcdsb.org/forparents/parentinvolvement/cpicelections/pages/default.aspx
TCDSB Transportation Demand Management Plan Survey
The Toronto Catholic District School Board has approved a draft Transportation Demand Management Plan
and is seeking your feedback before finalizing the document. We want to know which recommendations
in the plan you feel are the most important to address the traffic management issues around our schools
and facilities.
The online survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TCDSB_TDMP
We look forward to hearing from you by no later than November 6th, 2015.
Parent Reps Needed
For Mental Health Advisory Council
TCDSB seeks 2 parent representatives to serve on the council (1 elementary and 1 secondary).
Application deadline is October 20th. Visit our website for detailed information:
https://www.tcdsb.org/FORPARENTS/Pages/Parents-Sought-for-Mental-Health-Advisory-Council.aspx
Safe Schools Advisory Committee
2 parent reps needed to serve on the committee; 5 meetings per year
Application deadline October 2nd.
https://www.tcdsb.org/FORPARENTS/Pages/Parents-Sought-for-Safe-Schools-Committee.aspx
Do You Know an Innovative and Outstanding School Principal?
Every year The Learning Partnership honours principals across the country who exemplify
excellence in public education.
Nominations for the 2016 Canada's Outstanding Principals awards are now open.
Submissions are invited from school boards, colleagues, parents, teachers, students and all community members.
https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/nominate-an-outstanding-principal.aspx
Toonies for Tuition
Toonies for Tuition Day is Tuesday October 6th, 2015! Download and print this poster to
display in your school or church, and start fundraising for our Catholic brother and sister schools
across Canada! The CCSTA Endowment Fund supports Toonies for Tuition fundraising
campaign as a means to support Catholic students in provinces that have no public funding for
Catholic schools. For fundraising ideas, click here. Toonies for Tuition Day takes place in
October. Please support the campaign in your school, office, or church. Get more information on
the CCSTA website: http://www.ccsta.ca/en/initiatives-en/toonies
Help Keep Our Students Safe
Here are some helpful videos from the City of Torontoregarding pedestrian safety:
Pedestrian Crossovers: https://youtu.be/NIt705Ty1K8
Pedestrian Countdown Signals: https://youtu.be/MTgOXxwrrIU.
Other Dates to Note:
October is...
 Autism Awareness Month
 Child Abuse Prevention Month
 Learning Disabilities Awareness Month
 Walk to School Month
 October 1—International Day of Older Persons
 October 5—World Teachers’ Day
 October 7—Rosary Day
 October 8—Early Childhood Educator and Childcare Worker Appreciation Day
 October 11—International Day of the Girl
 October 17--International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
 October 19-23--School Bus Safety Week (Bus Driver Appreciation Day October 21)
Check out the board’s website for details about these special days throughout the
year www.tcdsb.org.
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Looking for information about athletics? Schedules, results and news highlights are
available here:
https://www.tcdsb.org/programsservices/schoolprogramsk12/healthoutdoorphysed/t
dcaa/pages/tcdsb-athletics.aspx
Parents are encouraged to visit the Parent Portal for all the latest information
relating to Catholic School Parent Councils, Catholic Parent Involvement
Committee and OAPCE Toronto
https://www.tcdsb.org/FORPARENTS/Pages/default.aspx
Students are reminded that the Student Portal provides information about
scholarship and employment opportunities, volunteer opportunities and other news
for and about students https://www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDENTS/Pages/default.aspx
Remember to follow @TCDSB on Twitter for all the latest news and
important information throughout the year.
Or subscribe to ENews and regular updates right to your email:
https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscription.aspx