1

Gospel Virtue - COURAGE

“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!”- Psalm 31:24

_____________________________________________________________________________

Principal’s Message

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Our Gospel virtue for January is Courage. Very appropriate indeed! Holy Scripture tells us: “Be

strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God,

my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of

the temple of the LORD is finished”- 1 Chronicles 28:20. In the middle of this long, bitterly cold

Canadian winter with short days and long dark nights, we need courage to wake up each day,

brace the weather conditions and face each new day at school, work and home with courage,

hope, optimism and a bright smile. Let us encourage and support one another in our journey.

We thank Police Community Liaison Officers Terri Pencarinha and Michael Skelhorne for their bountiful Christmas presents that they so joyfully delivered to many of our students from Fa-ther Christmas.

Thanks to Ms. LeBlanc Carr and her grade 7/8 students for organizing a very successful annual

Christmas Bazaar. The Bazaar gave our primary and junior children the opportunity to pur-

chase gifts at discounted prices for their siblings and parents. The Bazaar raised $1, 287.85.

This money would be recycled to support student programs, performances, author visits, etc.

Once again, in the interest of student safety, I want to emphasize that the classroom teacher

is NOT expected to celebrate student birthday parties or other celebrations with food in the

classroom. Due to the number of students with allergies it becomes dangerous to bring out-

side food even if it is from a ‘nut free facility’. Students are also not allowed to share their

snacks and food with their classmates. Please respect the school policy. If you have any ques-

tions, please do not hesitate to address them with me.

Kindergarten registration for 2017-2018 commences on January 18, 2017 (See Page 2 of this

newsletter for details). Please forward this information to family and friends. For all other in-

formation please frequently check the Toronto Catholic District School Board website:

www.tcdsb.org

On behalf of Rev. Fr. Ben Ebcas, the staff and I wish you and your family

a very Happy New Year in the words of Holy Scripture: “May the Lord

bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gra-

cious to you. May the Lord show you his favour and give you his

peace” – Numbers 6:24-26.

God bless you.

Sharon Garlow

125 Glenmount Ave.

Toronto, On

M6B 3C2

Phone: 416-393-5265

Fax: 416-393-5754

____________________

Principal:

Sharon Garlow

Secretary:

Franca Di Pasquale

____________________

School Start Time: 9:00

School End Time: 3:30

____________________

Superintendent:

Michael Caccamo

Phone: 416-222-8282

ext. 2667

____________________

Trustee: Maria Rizzo

Phone: 416-222-8282

ext. 3405

____________________

Parish:

Our Lady of the

Assumption Catholic

Church

Pastor: Fr. Ben Ebcas

OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION CATHOLIC SCHOOL

JANUARY 2017 NEWSLETTER

2

Congratulations to our students for

demonstrating the Gospel virtue of

Charity in December.

Althea Lim - JK, Mrs. Raso

Lucas Valderrama - JK, Mrs. Szakola

Gina Maccarone - SK, Mrs. Pena-

Vital

Marco Rivera - Gr. 1, Ms. Maguire-

Sleath

Katrina Coleto - Gr. 2, Ms. Pilato

Carina Amador - Gr. 2, Ms. Furiato

Alicia Pierre - Gr. 3, Ms. Aksin-Costa

Denzel Tanglib - Gr. 4, Mr. Sgambel-

luri

Joel Konadu - Gr. 4, Mrs. Rozowski

Noah Romero - Gr. 5, Ms. Cardone

Kierra Tabafa - Gr. 5, Mrs. De Goias

Marie Degawan - Gr. 7, Mr. Ciraco

Gypsy Sarian - Gr. 7, Ms. Sergnese

Jessica Rudio - Gr. 7, Ms. LeBlanc Carr

Carl Ancheta - Gr. 8, Mrs.

Nicholson

THE GOSPEL

VIRTUE AWARDS

The Gospel Virtue Award is a monthly

award given to students who may not

be otherwise recognized for their con-

tributions to our school community.

These students nurture our communi-

ty in a quiet, gentle manner.

Criteria for the Virtue of Charity

Award:

students who demonstrate gener-

osity with their time and energy

students who participate in school

wide initiatives related to charity

students who lend a helping hand

students who give to others with-

out expecting anything in return

Criteria for the Virtue of Courage

Award:

students who confront fear

students who persevere despite

difficulties

students who stand up against

bullying and mistreatment of oth-

ers

students who embark on new pro-

jects/are willing to try and learn

new things

KINDERGARTEN

REGISTRATION

2017

Online Kindergarten Registration for

the 2017-2018 School Year

The Toronto Catholic District School

Board invites parents to please regis-

ter their child online starting on

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at

10:00 a.m. After you have registered

your child online, please call the

school at 416-393-5265 to book an

appointment.

Parents/guardians with children born

in 2013 or earlier and who will be

enrolling in Kindergarten, have the

opportunity to apply online using the

“Student Online Admission and Reg-

istration” platform known as S.O.A.R.

and found at http://soar.tcdsb.org

Parents will be able to complete an

application for registration from the

convenience of their own home, the

office, a public library, or anywhere

there is internet access, 24 hours a

day. The online application also

offers access to translations in differ-

ent languages with built-in help

functions and features.

As part of the registration process,

school staff will meet with parents to

verify the original documentation

required for registration. This

consists of a Catholic Baptism Certifi-

cate, Birth Certificate and/or Pass-

port, Immunization Record, proof of

residence and Application for Direc-

tion of School Support.

For further information, please

contact our school office at 416-393-

5265.

GOSPEL VIRTUE

AWARDS

SCHOOL MASS

2017

Please join us to celebrate the

Holy Eucharist.

Date: Monday, January 23rd

Time: 9:45 a.m.

Location: OLA Church (weather

permitting)

3

Toronto Public Health

Tips for Avoiding the

Spread of Flu and Other

Viruses:

Get your flu shot

Wash your hands often

Cover your cough/sneeze

Do the knuckle bump instead of

shaking hands

Stay home if you are sick

BRING YOUR OWN BOX OF

TISSUES to school

We will soon be practicing our lockdown drill. A lockdown is initi-ated when there is a danger in the school building. There will be 4 lockdown drill practices over the school year. A lockdown is initiat-ed by announcing “Lockdown” 3 times over the announcements: “Lockdown, Lockdown, Lock-down”.

New this year will be to practice a lockdown when students are at recess. When students are outside in the yard at recess and a lock-down is initiated, students do not go back inside the building because the threat is inside the school.

After consulting with the Safe School Team we will inform you about an alternative site in the event a Lockdown takes place during the recess.

SCHOOL LOCKDOWN DRILL IT’S FLU SEASON

DRESS FOR THE COLD

WEATHER

Winter is here. Students are

not dressing appropriately.

During winter, students go

outdoors for recess, except on

days when there is an Adviso-

ry Weather Alert from the

School Board.

Parents please ensure that

your child is dressed warmly

with a: jacket, hat, gloves/

mitts, scarf and boots. To

prevent slips and falls in the

classroom we ask that you

send a pair of indoor shoes.

Boots will not be worn inside

the classroom.

Thank you for

your co-

operation.

FORTHCOMING STUDENT

ASSESSMENT DATES - 2017

CAT-4 and EQAO dates have not

been finalized as yet. If your child is

in one of these grades please do

not schedule a vacation during this

time.

Grade Type of

Assess-

ment

Assessment

Dates

4 OLSAT-8 February 2nd

3 and

6

EQAO Between

May 29th

and June 6th

2, 5

and 7

CAT-4 Between

May 29th

and June 6th

IMPORTANT DATES 2017

Family Day February 20

Mid-Winter Break March 13–17

Good Friday April 14

Easter Monday April 17

Victoria Day May 22

Last day of classes for elementary

students June 29

Professional Activity (PA) Days 2017

January 20: Assessment, Evaluation

and Reporting

February 17: Parent-Teacher Confer-

ences

June 9, 2017: Assessment, Evaluation

and Reporting

PEDICULOSIS

Pediculosis, commonly known as

lice, continues to be a common

problem in school.

Children are reminded not to

share caps or hats, combs and

brushes, or other hair accesso-

ries.

Parents are encouraged to check

scalps regularly, seek medical

assistance and use preventative

measures to ensure that their

child does not contact lice.

4

STUDENT VOICE STUDENT VOICE

From our Student Leaders...

This year, our school started participating in the ECSLIT Program, or Elementary Catholic Student Leadership Impact Team. It's

really fun being in it. Our team consists of 4 grade 8s and 4 grade 7s. Every month, we go to the Catholic Education Centre for a

meeting. There we listen to speakers and play games, which we can bring back to the school to organize events or talk about

different issues or topics. In the middle of the month, we all have an online conference on skype and we talk about more there.

It's a really fun and educational experience.

Every month, we have a project to complete. Our latest project is to get postcards signed to support $2.65 billion from the Cana-

dian Government going to family owned farms to help them with climate change. By doing this, we have a chance at bringing the

postcards to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself!

When I was invited to be on the Leadership team, I was thrilled. I love being a team leader in different school events. The whole

team loves it! - Carl Joseph Ancheta, Grade 8 – Mrs. Nicholson

MATH WEBSITES FOR PARENTS & CHILDREN

thinkMATH@home: Helping Your Child Learn and Love Mathematics

It is common knowledge that parent's/guardian's attitudes toward mathematics has an impact on children's atti-

tudes towards mathematics. For More info: http://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SchoolProgramsK12/

Numeracy/thinkMATH@home/Pages/default.aspx

Practise. Practise. Practise. With unlimited questions in more than 2,500 skills spanning junior kindergarten to grade 12, there is always

something new and exciting to learn on IXL. Thanks to vibrant images, colourful illustrations and meaningful con-

tent at every turn, learning has never been just so much fun. For more info: http://ca.ixl.com/math/

Free Math for Everyone!

Prodigy is a free, curriculum-aligned math game for Grades 1-8, used by thousands of schools and parents across

North America with over 300 math skills. For more info: https://prodigygame.com/Parents/

5

Dr. Hazel Stewart Director, Dental & Oral Health Services Dr. David McKeown Medical Officer of Health

Toronto Public Health Dental and Oral Health Services 12 Flemington Road, 2nd Floor Toronto, ON. M6A 2N4 Tel: 416-338-2025 School Year: 2016-2017

Dear Parent/Guardian: School Year: Toronto Public Health (T.P.H.) provides dental programs to children from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. To identify children with oral health problems, a screening program is offered to students in accordance with the Ontario Ministry of Health requirements for mandatory health programs. The screening is an assessment by a dental hygienist using sterilized instruments. The dental hygienist will assess the need for topical fluoride, scal-ing, sealant and any other obvious dental needs. As a follow up to the screening, only parents whose children are identified as requiring dental services will be notified. A note to that effect will be sent home with your child/ren for your information and action. You may also receive a phone call from T.P.H. dental staff to assist you in accessing care. Please be advised that this screening assessment does not replace the dental examination done by a licensed den-tist. If you do not wish your child/ren to be screened, please inform the school. For additional information, please contact us at the phone number listed above or visit us at http://www.toronto.ca/health/dental/children_youth.htm. Dr. Hazel Stewart Director Dental and Oral Health Services

6

January 2017 Update from the Board

Kindergarten Registration Begins - January 18, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. Imagine the Possibilities Apply online at soar.tcdsb.org For Info: https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/EarlyYears/Kindergarten/KindergartenRegistration/Pages/default.aspx

French Immersion and Extended French The Toronto Catholic District School Board offers French Immersion and Extended French programs at several TCDSB sites. The French Immersion program is offered to students beginning in Junior Kindergarten. The Extended French Program is of-fered to students beginning in grade 5. Interested parents are encouraged to attend an information evening to learn more about the program. Please note dates, times and locations for sessions planned for January through to March available on the French Immersion and Extended French sites. Information: (416) 222-8282 ext. 2540 or https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/EarlyYears/KindergartenRegistration/Pages/French-Immersion.aspx.

Audited Financial Statements For the fiscal year ending August 31, 2016 http://www.tcdsb.org/board/financialstatement

Cold Alerts and Weather-Related Cancellations/Closures Check: Twitter and the board website are the best sources of information relating to cold weather alerts, cancellations and clo-sures. Get all the information here: https://www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDENTS/HealthandSafety/Pages/Cold-Weather-Alerts.aspx and here https://www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDENTS/HealthandSafety/Pages/Weather-Related-Safety-Concerns.aspx Also check:Toronto Student Transportation Group website for any school bus delays throughout the year. http://www.torontoschoolbus.org/

Toronto Catholic District School Board is declaring Friday, May 5, 2017 as Parish Family Day. His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Collins will be in attendance at the first board meeting in January (Thursday, January 12 th) for a special presentation of the Proclamation. The meeting is open to the public, and will be broadcast live via the board’s website at https://www.tcdsb.org/LiveAtTCDSB/Pages/Default.aspx. A special Parish Family Day Celebration will be held at the Catholic Education Centre on Friday, May 5th, 2017 to showcase student work focusing on the many ways that our parishes and our parish priests contribute to our schools and communities. Students are invited to create a short video, or piece of original artwork, write a short story, poem or letter, or express them-selves in any way artistically to highlight the relationship that the students have with the local parish and/or the priest/pastor at their church. Completed projects should be submitted via email to parish.project@tcdsb.org. Deadline for submissions Friday, April 7, 2017 January 2017 Schedule of Board and Committee Meetings

January 11 SEAC

January 12 Student Achievement and Well Being

January 16 Catholic Parent Involvement Committee

January 18 Governance and Policy

January 19 Corporate Services, Strategic Planning and Property Committee

January 26 Board

January 30 (OAPCE) Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education, Toronto

OLA SCHOOL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY - LUNCHTIME SUPERVISOR NEEDED

Requirements: love children a caring adult willing to work from 11:45 to 12:45 Monday to Friday police clearance

Please call the school (416-393-5265) for an appointment with the principal.

7

Wards

1. Joseph Martino

2. Ann Andrachuk

3. Sal Piccininni

4. Patrizia Bottoni

5. Maria Rizzo

6. Frank D’Amico (Vice-Chair)

7. Michael Del Grande

8. Garry Tanuan

9. Jo-Ann Davis

10. Barbara Poplawski

11. Angela Kennedy (Chair)

12. Nancy Crawford

Student Trustees

Karina Dubrovskaya

Rhea Carlisle

TORONTO CATHOLIC

DISTRICT SCHOOL

BOARD TRUSTEES

2016 - 2017

Follow TCDSB on Twitter - Get all the latest news and information from

the Board, by following @TCDSB on Twitter or via Email: subscribe to our digital

ENews service https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscriptionsubscription.aspx