Principal’s Message

May, 2013

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We were deeply saddened by the news of the recent death of James McKeddie, a student in grade 3 at our school. It is hard to express in words the tremendous loss that is being felt throughout the school com-munity. As difficult as it is for us, it is much more difficult for the McKeddie family. We would like to extend our sympathy and prayers to them during this time.

Yours in prayer, J. Pannozzo

Mr. Bruce Rodrigues

Director of Education

Father Serra Times

Father Serra Cathol i c School

111 Sun Row Drive, Toronto , Ontario M9P 3J3

Tel : 416-393-5391 Fax: 416 -397-6095

Principal: Mr. J. Pannozzo Vice Principal: Ms. J. Corsi

Admin. Assistant: Mrs. E. Barbaro Clerk Typist: Mrs. E. Simone

Superintendent: Mrs. L. Notten Trustee: Mr. P. Jakovcic

Parish Priest: Father Andrzej Glaba

CSAC Co-chairs: Roberto Berton and Dana Delle Cese-Ahluwalia

VIRTUE OF THE MONTH – MAY - “COMPASSION”

For the month of May we will be focussing on the virtue of COMPASSION. Our

quote is from John’s Gospel, ‖Jesus saw her weeping...his heart was touched, and

he was deeply moved.‖ John 11:33

True compassion is not always easy to practice as in the words of Jean Vanier

―Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in

brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish.‖ Who wants to go there when spring has

finally arrived and the sun is shining down on us. This is all the more reason to

show our compassion for those who cannot share in the light. For this month, Fa-

ther Serra Catholic School will be showing compassion by:

thinking about how words make people feel.

thinking about how actions make people feel.

understanding why someone is acting the way they do.

being considerate to other people.

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

TRUSTEES 2012-2013 Wards 1. Peter Jakovcic

2. Ann Andrachuk Chair

3. Sal Piccininni Vice-Chair

4. Patrizia Bottoni

5. Maria Rizzo

6. Frank D’Amico

7. John Del Grande

8. Garry Tanuan

9. Jo– Anne Davis

10. Barbara Poplawski

11. Angela Kennedy

12. Nancy Crawford Andrew Walker Student Trustee Elect

CHESS CLUB NEWS

On March 20th, Benjamin Biasi, Sidney Balili, Peter Zastawny, Trevor Tung and Max Nowak, represented Father Serra

C.S. at the Open Chess Tournament. The team placed 3rd overall. Benjamin (placed 1st), Sidney (placed 4th) and Max

(placed 2nd) went on to play at the Open City Tournament on April 5th. All players showed excellent sportsmanship and

are congratulated for their effort!

On Friday, April 26th, Father Serra’s Chess Club participated in the Team Chess

Tournament, the final tournament of the 2013 season. In all, we had 19 students rep-

resent Father Serra C.S. The Primary, Junior and Intermediate teams faced many

challenges against the skilled players, however, our teams

played exceptionally well and with good sportsmanship.

Congratulations goes out to the Primary Team (Michael Kim,

Felicia Caputo, Ella Candeloro, Mila Yadegari, Max Nowak

and Zack Frigo). Congratulations to the Junior Team (Noah Biasi, Jaden Carr, Adrian

Gri,Trevor Tung, Marco Buttigieg, Mikkel Frendo) for placing 4th overall. Lastly, congratu-

lations is in order for our Intermediate Team (Benjamin Biasi, Peter Zastawny, Alex

Olechnowicz, Nicholas Bellissimo, Sidney Balili and Leah Bergmanis) who came in 3rd place

and will advance to the City Tournament on May 8th at the Catholic Education Centre. The

Chess Club Membership would like to extend a big “thank you” to the Chess Master Goran; to

our parent drivers and volunteers; Mrs. Balili, Mrs. Zastawny, and Mrs. Gri. For the numerous

hours organizing and supervising, we acknowledge and thank , Mrs. Pimento and Ms. DiPlacido.

News of the In-School Chess Tournament coming soon!!

PAGE 2 FATHER SERRA TIMES MAY 2013

FATHER SERRA YEARBOOK—2013

Attention students, parents and teachers! The

2012/2013 yearbook is well underway and we need

your help! We are looking for pictures of all of the great

events we have had here at Father Serra so far this

year. We would also love pictures of you doing what

you do best – working hard in class activities or playing

in the schoolyard! If you would like to contribute, please

email them to giovanni.vennare@tcdsb.org. You are

also welcome to bring pictures on a CD or USB drive.

This year’s yearbook will include more colour pages

and lots of special extras! Each yearbook will cost $20.

Look for order forms coming soon!

Thank you,

Mrs. Cianfrini, Mr. Vennare

and the Yearbook Committee

EXEMPLARY PRACTICE AWARD

Father Serra Catholic School was 1 of 20 schools recog-

nized on April 23rd with the Toronto Catholic District

School Board Exemplary Practice Award at a special

ceremony at the Catholic Education Centre. This was

the 14th annual celebration of innovative and unique

initiatives and projects that enhance the overall learning

experience for students and reflect the Board’s mission

and vision of transforming the world through witness,

faith, innovation and action. Father Serra Student Leader

Program is designed to empower students to make

positive change in the world and in our community.

Thank you to Mrs. Lucia, Mrs. Salgadinho and the student

leaders for their commitment and hard work.

PAGE 3 FATHER SERRA TIMES MAY 2013

ST. FRANCIS TABLE

On Thursday, April 4 2013, 16 grade 8 Student Leaders went to St. Francis Table to

serve meals. When we arrived, we put on our aprons and got down to work. We were assigned

tables and together we served about 95-100 people! We all worked extremely hard, and, we can

honestly say that each and every one of the student leaders were touched and realized how fortu-

nate we all are. The St. Francis Table staff was so kind, grateful and very hard working, it’s

wonderful to know that they are all working for such a good cause!

It was amazing to see how grateful the less fortunate were to know that there is a place

where they can go and get a nice hot meal. It was an extraordinary experience and I know that

the volunteers at St. Francis Table were especially grateful to have us come out and help serve

the meals. St. Francis table was an amazing experience for all of the Father Serra Student Lead-

ers. We would all like to thank Ms. Lucia, Ms. Visic and Ms. Laviola for taking the time to take

us to St. Francis Table!!!

FATHER SERRA “GIVES FROM THE HEART”

On Friday, April 12, 2013 the staff and students of Father Serra Catholic School held its tenth annual dance-a-thon “Give from the Heart” in memory of Ian Macdonald a student who attended Father Serra. Every year a themed dance is organized and this year’s theme was “DISNEY”. Students were encouraged to dress in costumes based on Disney characters.

This year we raised a grand total of $10,700.00. CONGRATULATIONS for a job well done!

All money raised is donated yearly to The Lymphoma & Leukemia Society. The students at Father Serra

School have raised a total of $122,000.00 thus far. We still remain THE NUMBER ONE FUNDRAISING SCHOOL in all of Canada. This year we also received an Exemplary Practice award acknowledging Father Serra Catholic School and our wonderful community for our amazing fundraising, for all that they do.

We, the Student Leaders, would like to thank Mrs. Lucia. Without Mrs. Lucia’s strong commitment and efforts, this event would not take place! Also, thank you to the Father Serra Community for your continued generosity.

Father Serra Student Leaders

TEACH A MOTHER – CHANGE THE WORLD

On February 22, 2013 the Grade 8 Student Leaders had a dress down day fundraiser for

the Amarok Society. This organization provides education opportunities for Mothers in

Bangladesh. The Amarok Society teaches uneducated mothers how to read and write, and

then teaches the mothers to be neighbourhood teachers - educating their own and their neighbours' children every day in

their homes. Last year $1000.00 was raised at Father Serra for this worthwhile cause and the grade 8 students are hoping to

surpass that total this year. Students were asked to donate $2 for the SSS Day on February 22. The grade 8 Students Leaders

visited each class to give students some background information on Bangladesh and the important work being done by the

Amarok Society. Parents are encouraged to visit www.amaroksociety.org for further information.

AGENTS OF CHANGE IN SERVING OTHERS

MAY 2013 FATHER SERRA TIMES PAGE 4

JUNIOR GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

The Girl’s Junior Volleyball team had a very successful season. Practises took place

every day at lunch and the occasional morning held by Mrs. Lui and Mrs. Connolly. The

team strengthened their skills and were ready to compete at the Divisional Tourna-

ment. The tournament was held at St. Benedict’s Catholic School. We played strong

and hard and placed 1st overall! We added another pennant to our gym wall! This led

us to the Regional Tournament, which was held at Holy Child School. Here we played

as strong as ever but the competition was really tough. The team would like to thank

Mrs. Lui and Mrs. Connolly for the great coaching that encouraged our team to do

as well as they did. Also, thank you to the volunteer drivers who drove the

team to and from the tournament and cheered us on. The team members are:

Tessa Carr, Sabrina Pontello, Maria DiDomizio, Caitlin Galleto, Aura Gabrys, Emily Memme, Juliana Siracusa,

Hannah Szczepanowski, Ariana Novello, Kayla Wuebbolt, Isabella Vincent, Gabriella Peschisolido.

JUNIOR BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL

The Boys’ Junior Volleyball team had another successful year. At the divisional tournament, the boys’ finished in 1st place

defeating St. Benedict in the final! The following week, the team competed in the regional tournament at Our Lady of Victory

Catholic School. The boys’ played hard and demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and teamwork. Congratulations on another

successful year. The team members are: Stephen Giansante, Daniel Gervasi, Ante Hanzek, Francesco Giordano, Matthew

Brajuka, Michael Ancimer, Marcus Vescio, Alexander Isadori, Joseph Monardo, Matthew Memme, Adam Ciszek, Mikkel Fren-

do, Fabio Baramaj, and David Zivkovic.

The boys’ would like to thank Mr. Rivera and Mr. Russo for coaching the team again this year and to the parent drivers who

accompanied us to and from the tournaments.

Invitation to Participate in the TCDSB Budget Consultation

Watch for more information regarding the consultation process for the 2013-2014 TCDSB Budget. All stakeholders (parents, stu-dents, staff and Catholic school supporters) are invited to attend a special board meeting to hear delegations regarding the budget. This will take place on May 7th at 6:30 p.m. at the Catholic Education Centre, 80 Sheppard Avenue East. In addition, everyone will be able to access a video presentation on the board’s budget, and to provide input via an online survey which is available on the board’s website. Visit the board’s website at www.tcdsb.org for information and the survey.

Meet Your Trustee

TCDSB is pleased to announce the launch of Trustee websites. Meet your Trustee and stay in touch with what your local repre-sentative is doing in your community. Check them out at: http://www.tcdsb.org/Board/TrusteesoftheBoard/Pages/default.aspx

Monthly Update from the Board

TCDSB SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR 2013-2014

Number of school days 194

Number of Professional Activity Days 6

Labour Day September 2, 2013

First Instructional Day September 3, 2013

Thanksgiving Day October 14, 2013

Christmas Break December 23, 2013–January 3, 2014

Family Day February 17, 2014

Mid-Winter Break March 10–14, 2014

Good Friday April 18, 2014

Easter Monday April 21, 2014

Victoria Day May 19, 2014

Last day of classes ( elementary) June 27, 2014

Six (6) Professional Development Days for ELEMENTARY schools:

October 11, 2013* Designated by the Ministry

November 15, 2013 Parent-Teacher interviews/Faith Day

December 20, 2013* Designated by the Ministry

January 24, 2014** Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting

March 7, 2014* Designated by the Ministry

June 6, 2014** Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting

*These days have been designated by the Ministry

**These days have been designated for assessment, evaluation and

reporting

MAY 2013 FATHER SERRA TIMES PAGE 5

STUDENT(S) OF THE MONTH

The theme for APRIL was JUSTICE.

PARENTS AND SCHOOL WORKING TOGETHER FOR A

COMMON GOAL

Please visit the Father Serra Website at:

http://www.tcdsb.org/schools/FatherSerra.asp, to

view our School Learning Improvement Plan (SLIP)

Father Serra Tweets Follow us at: FatherSerraCS

The month of May promises to be

a very busy time at

Father Serra Catholic School.

We are asked to reflect on the

significance of Catholic Educa-

tion’s presence and contributions

in our church and in our society. Catholic Education Week

gives us an opportunity to celebrate the legacy of over 170

years of Catholic Education in the province of Ontario. It

provides a movement of invitation for

all of us involved in Catholic Educa-

tion to rededicate ourselves to the task

of preserving and enhancing the quali-

ty of our Catholic school system.

During Catholic Education Week,

May 6th to 10th, we will have special readings over the

P. A. system every morning reflecting the theme, Grow-

ing Together in Faith. We are also planning a school

wide activity. All students will be creating a leaf that

completes the statement: I grow in

Faith when…. These leaves will be

placed on the tree we have blooming

at the front entrance of the school.

Thank you to the following grade 8

students for helping us to bring our

―Tree of Faith‖ to life:

Azora De Filippis, Joseph Lauricella,

Alexandria Abbruzzino and Michel-

ine Magnone.

Mother's Day History

The origin of Mother's Day goes back to the era of an-

cient Greek and Romans. But the roots of Mother's Day

history can also be traced in the UK where a Mothering

Sunday was celebrated much before the festival saw the

light of the day. It is thanks to the hard work of the pio-

neering women of their times, Julia Ward Howe and An-

na Jarvis that the day came into existence. Today mil-

lions of people across the globe take the day as an op-

portunity to honor their mothers, thank them for their

efforts in giving them life, raising them and being their

constant support.

Happy mother’s day!

M. PALERMO-SARACO ELP

Sammy Primomo

Max Quinn

Michael Rende

J. SALVADORI ELP

Luca Pinto

Jacob Cowan

Peter Pashkewych

L. DI PLACIDO ELP

William Clara

Vanessa Ferreira

Anna Kurusenko

I.DROHOBYCKY (GR. 1)

Janae Beaton

Siera Frasca

L. PIMENTO (GR. 1)

Isabella Loschiavo

Leila Terceros

D. LLOYD (GR.1 AND 2)

Matteo Vena

Roman Sena

L. PESEGI-GALLUZZO (GR. 2)

Noah Bertola

Sophia Iantria

C. SPATARE (GR.2)

Michael Kardum

Bianca Opacak

James De Luca

Sofia Trimboli

Olivia Pellarin

K. CONNOLLY (GR. 3)

Lauren DeDomenico

Ethan Tutt

A. CIANFRINI (GR. 3)

Olivia Madden

Claudia Serpe

R. TROINA (GR. 4)

Madeline Tubaro

Justin Santos

R. ACHONG (GR. 4)

Jaden Carr

Paula Frigo

Gianluca Primerano

M. RUSSO (GR. 5)

Nicolas Pellarin

Nicolas Futia

Valerie Vengoechea

J. BERNECHE (GR. 5)

Samuel Franceschetti

Christian Persano

Dereck Pazmino Roman

Anthony Filice

M. MACDONALD (GR. 6)

Marco Buttigieg

Daniel Gervasi

Brianna Hawley

S. BELLISARIO (GR. 6)

Michael Mior

Aurora DaSilva

Matthew Cowan

G. LUI (GR. 7)

Nicholas Bellissimo

Carlo Liut

Sara Mastromarini

Eva Rende

R. GARGANO (GR. 7)

Andrew Rocto

Melany Pazmino Roman

Ann Zasowski

D. FARRELL (GR. 8)

Michael Franceschetti

Rebecca Borg

Carly McGuckin

Julia Stancati

M. TORRIERI (GR. 8)

Matthew Calderone

Mary Dominicis

Luke Sellitto