IT STARTS

in the Schools

March 2015

UPCOMING EVENTS

March TCDSB Board-wide Celtic Canadian Heritage Month

March 2 TCDSB Board-wide TCDSB Appreciation Day for School

Support Staff

March 2 St. Malachy Catholic School

80 Bennett Road, West Hill

416.393.5336

Musical artist Maestro Fresh Wes speaks to students about resilience and

persistence in attaining their goals

10:45 a.m.

March 2-6 Mary Ward Catholic Secondary

School

3200 Kennedy Road, Scarborough

416.393.5544

Gender Justice Week

A week dedicated to raising awareness and

celebrate the importance of inclusion of all

students particularly the equality of

women. There will be morning reflections,

prayers, and lunchtime activities to

highlight awareness.

March 2-9 TCDSB Board-wide TDCAA Indoor Soccer

March 2-31 TCDSB Board-wide TDCAA Badminton

March 3 St. Martin de Porres Catholic School

230 Morningside Avenue, West Hill

416.393.5286

TCDSB Chess Tournament

Girls Only (Grade 1-8)

East Region

9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

March 3 TCDSB

80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto

416.222.8282

TDCAA Hockey Championships Day

Location: Mastercard Centre

400 Kipling Ave. Etobicoke.

8:45 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

March 3 TCDSB

80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto

416.222.8282

2015 Ordinandi Luncheon and Dinner

Location: Pearson Convention Centre,

2638 Steeles Avenue East, Brampton.

8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

March 4 Catholic Education Centre

80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto

416.222.8282

Junior W5H City Championships

Elementary students from across the

TCDSB compete in general knowledge

quiz competitions.

9 a.m.

March 5 St. Bede Catholic School

521 Sewells Road, Scarborough

416.393.5425

TCDSB Chess Tournament

Open Individual (Grade 1-8)

East Region

9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

March 6 TCDSB

80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto

416.222.8282

International Women’s Day event

Hosted by TCDSB Trustee Jo-Ann Davis

and MP Carolyn Bennett.

Students from Loretto College and St.

Joseph’s College will be participating.

9 a.m.

Location: North Toronto Secondary School

March 6 TCDSB Board-wide World Day of Prayer

March 7-8 TCDSB

80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto

416.222.8282

2015 TCDSSI Swim Meet

Location: Etobicoke Olympium

Hosted by St. Edward Catholic School

March 7th: 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

March 8th: 11 a.m.

March 8 TCDSB Board-wide International Women’s Day

March 10 TCDSB

80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto

416.222.8282

Voices That Challenge

Secondary School Student Leadership

Conference

Location: St. Michael's College

Keynote Speaker: Spencer West

March 10 Michael Power/St Joseph High School

105 Eringate Drive, Etobicoke

416.393.5529

Mother Daughter Wellness Tea

An International Women’s Day event to

collectively empower and remember

women’s accomplishments worldwide.

6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

March 11 St. Margaret Catholic School

Beatrice Campus, 50 Ameer Avenue,

North York

416.393.5249

Extended French Information Evening

6:30 p.m.

March 11 TCDSB Board-wide Autism Awareness Dance Day

Last year, more than 15,000 staff and

students joined as a community to perform

a board‐wide dance in honor of Autism

Awareness Day. This year the TCDSB is

looking to break that record.

March 12 St. Charles Garnier Catholic School

20 Stong Court, Downsview

416.393.5363

Brain Day Presentation

An informative neuroscience presentation

for students where trained volunteers with

an understanding and passion for injury

prevention bring the hands-on program to

the classroom. Includes activity booklets,

helmet fitting tips, and Jello Brains.

Grades 3-4: 8:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Grades 4-5: 12:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

March 21 TCDSB Board-wide World Down Syndrome Day

March 21 TCDSB Board-wide International Day for Elimination of

Racial Discrimination

March 22 TCDSB Board-wide World Water Day

March 25 St. Alphonsus Catholic School

60 Atlas Avenue, York

416.393.5326

TCDSB Chess Tournament

Girls Only (Grade 1-8)

South Region

9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

March 25 TCDSB

80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto

416.222.8282

TDCAA Boys

Basketball Championships

Location: Seneca College

4 games: 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m.

March 26 St. Alphonsus Catholic School

60 Atlas Avenue, York

416.393.5326

TCDSB Chess Tournament

Open Individual (Grade 1-8)

South Region

9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

March 27 TCDSB Board-wide TCDSB Earth Hour

On March 27th schools are asked to turn off

lights for one hour.

10 a.m. – 11 a.m.

March 27 St. Jude Catholic School

3251 Weston Road, North York

416.393.5279

Freeze Out Bullying presentation by the Freestyle Soccer team

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

March 27 St. Leo Catholic School

165 Stanley Avenue, Toronto

416.393.5333

Presentation of Underground Railroad

Drama and music portraying the struggles

of Black settlers from the southern U.S.A.

in Eastern Canada

1 p.m.

March 30 St. Frances de Sales Catholic School

333 Firgrove Crescent, Downsview

416.393.5366

TCDSB Chess Tournament

Girls Only (Grade 1-8)

North Region

9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

March 30 –

April 3

Father Serra Catholic School

111 Sun Row Drive Weston

416.393.5391

Lenten Walk in the school gymnasium.

Each class will put together a display

representing a Station of the Cross.

March 30 Catholic Education Centre

80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto

416.222.8282

OAPCE Toronto Meeting

March 31 Marshall McLuhan Catholic

Secondary School

1107 Avenue Road, Toronto

416.393.5561

History Meets Humanity Student

Conference

A conference on WWII in Asia

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

March 31 St. Conrad Catholic School

5 Exbury Road, Toronto

416.393.5396

TCDSB Chess Tournament

Open Individual (Grade 1-8)

North Region

9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

March 31 Monsignor John Corrigan Catholic

School

100 Royalcrest Road, Rexdale

416.393.5399

TCDSB Chess Tournament

Open Individual (Grade 1-8)

West Region

9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

March 31 Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton

Catholic Secondary School

1515 Bloor Street West, Toronto

416.393.5545

Grand Opening of the Learning

Commons

2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

April TCDSB Board-wide Hispanic Canadian Heritage Month

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

The Catholic Parent Involvement

Committee Speakers’ Series: An Evening

with His Eminence Cardinal Collins On February 24th the TCDSB community gathered to

celebrate the liturgy with His Eminence Cardinal

Collins, followed by a keynote address on

strengthening the Catholic home, school and parish

bond. The school band and choir from Marshall

McLuhan Catholic Secondary School joined in the

celebration.

Father Patrick Fitzpatrick Recipient of OCSTA Special

Award TCDSB takes great pride in Fr. Patrick Fitzpatrick’s many

accomplishments while with the board, which includes the

establishment of a Catholic Teachers’ Centre, devoted to adult faith

formation and spiritual leadership. As an educator and Head of

Religion, and later Chaplain at Neil McNeil High School, he provided

mentorship and guidance to our students. TCDSB was pleased to

honour Fr. Pat with the Award of Merit last year for his service to

Catholic education and to the Catholic community.

O'Connor Grad Becomes First Female President of La Salle

University La Salle University in Philadelphia has made history by choosing a laywoman

as its new president. Colleen Hanycz, a graduate of Senator O'Connor College

School, is the new president.

(Photo courtesy of La Salle University)

21st Century Learning at St. Francis

Xavier St. Francis Xavier Catholic School students in

Grade 4 took the Social Studies curriculum into

the 21st century with the use of new iPad minis!

Carnaval Celebrations Across the TCDSB "Hot Chocolate and Croissants" and "Carnival of Hearts Dance” at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School.

St. Fidelis Catholic School heated up the cold winter with traditional Carnaval celebrations, complete

with a visit from Bonhomme.

St. Leo Catholic School

held their first annual

French Cafe during the

Carnaval du Quebec

week, with the Gsrade 8

waiters dressed up with

les berets, les foulards,

and aprons. The Grade

8s served a variety of

French delicacies.

Marlies Health Action Day Thousands of TCDSB students

were at the Ricoh Coliseum on

February 25th for the annual

Marlies Health Action Day to

support the Angel Foundation for

Learning. It was an exciting day

for the children, and a donation of

more than $13,000 was given to

the Foundation to support student

nutrition programs. A winning

combination!

Giving the Gift of Love During the month of February, Sacred Heart's Me to

We Leaders and Sacred Heart's School Spirit Squad

teamed up to sell Valentine Cookie Grams to raise

money to show love to the global community.

Sacred Heart raised enough funds to purchase 10

goats for families in developing countries. Way to

go Sacred Heart!

St. Columba Believes in Angels St. Columba participated in Believe in Angels

Week and the Board Wide Civvies Day,

February 9-13.

Students raised money for the Angel

Foundation through Civvies Day donations

and from the sale of Valentine Candy-Grams

organized by the Grade eight class and the St.

Columba Leadership Team.

TCDSB schools celebrate the Lunar New Year Across the Board, students rang in the Lunar New Year with music, dancing, traditional presentations

and lots of food! Here are photos from a few schools:

Prince of Peace Catholic School students ushered in the Year of the Sheep.

TCDSB's active Vietnamese Saturday school community at James Culnan pulled out all stops at their

New Year Festivities at Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton CSS.

St. Ignatius of Loyola students celebrated the New Year with a lesson making traditional dumplings.

With the help of a number of volunteers, including students from Francis Libermann, the children were

able to make and sample some delicious treats.

African Canadian Heritage Month across the TCDSB During the month of February, TCDSB schools celebrated African Canadian Heritage through

informative presentations, art, music and dance.

The students at St. Dorothy Catholic School greeted

the Premier of Ontario with an African welcome song

in recognition of African Canadian Heritage Month.

Premier Kathleen Wynne, TCDSB Chair Michael Del

Grande, Director of Education Angela Gauthier, MPP

Shafiq Qaadri and Superintendent of Education

Adrian Della Mora visited a Grade 6-7 class where

students were learning about Martin Luther King and

other notable historical figures.

Montreal Alouettes footballer and former

TCDSB student, Andrew Lue, spoke to students

of Prince of Peace as part of African Canadian

Heritage Month celebrations, encouraging them

to work hard to reach their goals.

Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whiteley visited Blessed

Margherita of Citta di Castello Catholic School to promote

African Canadian Heritage Month. Their performance was

entitled Sugar and Gold and dealt with the Underground

Railroad in Canada.

The Michael Power/St. Joseph School Theology

Department and student executives moderated a

series of inspiring events for “Celebrating Black

Heritage” during the month of February,

including a personal screening for students and

staff of the film entitled “Mighty Jerome” (by

Reel Canada) followed by a Q and A with the

film’s director, Charles Officer.

Click to watch CTV News coverage of the

event.

Human Anatomy Outreach

Program On Tuesday February 10th,

Madonna Health and Wellness

SHSM students travelled to the

University of Guelph to participate

in their Human Anatomy Outreach

Program. Led by fourth year

students in the Department of

Human Health, the Madonna SHSM

students were able to further

explore, in depth, the structures and

functions of the body. The guided

activities also emphasized the

impact that their lifestyles choices

can have on their bodies. This

SHSM Reach Ahead provided the

girls with an opportunity to take the next steps along their chosen pathway and investigate a sector-

related program at the university level.

Chaminade College Student Featured in Volunteer

Magazine

Congratulations to Tristan Tiburcio, student from Chaminade

College School, featured in a recent edition of Humber River

Hospital's volunteer publication, for the work that he has been

doing at that facility.

St. Maria Goretti Students Participate

in Good Eats and Great Cooking at

George Brown College On Tuesday February 24th, a group of 25 Grade

seven and eight students from St. Maria Goretti

Catholic School travelled to George Brown

College St. James Campus for a day of Good Eats

and Great Cooking! Thanks to funding from the

School College Work Initiative and the efforts of

George Brown College staff students had a fun-

filled day of cooking activities. Students learned

life skills by exploring nutritious food alternatives

and understanding the importance of healthy

eating habits.

Shrove Tuesday at Blessed Mother Theresa

Catholic School The breakfast was hosted and prepared by the school's

chaplaincy team for staff. Student leaders led staff through

prayer and reflection asking what would be given up during

the Lenten Season, and announcing the initiative to do acts

of kindness for the community.

Student Led Learning Walk at St. Andrew Catholic School Students walked Director of Education, Angela Gautier with excitement and an understanding of Mental

Math strategies from K - 8. Given the high ELL population this strand helped St. Andrew's students

actually understand and not just memorize. Teachers taught Mental Math with excitement, which in turn

transferred to their students and they felt re-energized about math too!

Blessed Cardinal Newman Students at

Cinefranco 2015 Approximately 250 students had the opportunity to attend

Cinefranco, which is Toronto's French answer to TIFF.

Cinefranco has both an adult and a youth film festival every

year, and it showcases French language films from around

the world. Newman students saw two inspiring films

highlighting various aspects of human rights and a wonderful

time was had by all. Vive le cinema Francais!

TCDSB Schools Raise Flag for 50th Anniversary A number of schools, including Our Lady of Victory (left) and St. Fidelis Catholic Schools (right), held

ceremonies on February 12th to celebrate the 50th anniversary of National Flag Day.

Reading for Love of It Winner Congratulations to Franca Spina, teacher at St. Andre Catholic School, recognized at Reading For the

Love of It Banquet for contributions in the classroom.

Skype Meets Social Studies:

International Education TCDSB students participated in a Social

Studies project with their school counterparts

in Jamaica. The project was organized

through the TCDSB Community Relations

Department. The aim is for students of

participating schools to learn from and

exchange information about each other’s

culture. Immaculate Heart of Mary students

were one of two groups to participate on

February 11th. Their partner in Jamaica was

Franklin School. St. Dominic Savio "skyped"

with Whitfield School and, on February 12th,

students at St. Thomas More interacted with their counterparts at Islington High School in Jamaica.

Schools interested to participate in this project can contact Community Relations Department, or call

Jody Huang at extension 2682 or jodelyn.huang@tcdsb.org.

Before You Send, T.H.I.N.K.! In February, members of the Safe and Accepting Schools Team at St. Francis

Xavier Catholic School kicked off the T.H.I.N.K. campaign with the Grade 6 to 8

students explaining the importance of "Before you send, T.H.I.N.K.!" At the end

of the presentation, each student received a T.H.I.N.K. cell phone band provided

by the TCDSB Safe Schools Department.

Josyf Cardinal Slipyj Day Students and staff at Josyf Cardinal Slipyj Catholic School marked the birthday of His Eminent

Beatitude Josyf Slipyj with a special cultural celebration including traditional costumes, music and

dance performances and of course a birthday cake.

Golden Apple Award Teacher of the Month Congratulations to Mrs. Loriana Romano of St. Roch Catholic School, Golden Apple Award Teacher

for the month of December. Her OMNI TV profile can be viewed here:

http://www2.omnitv.ca/goldenappleaward/player_omni_goldenapple.shtml

Interactive Family Math Night It was a fun and informative evening of math activities

designed to remove intimidation for parents and

encourage family involvement in the application of math

in everyday challenges. Families from across the

TCDSB were invited to attend and learn about the

importance of math from a variety of speakers, including

Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield, and TCDSB

officials. TCDSB Math Coordinator, Kathy Kubota-

Zarivnij spoke to parents about mathematics, and then

families were encouraged to participate in a variety of

hands on activities.

Celebration of Life, Athletic Awards St. Jude Catholic School celebrated the Arts with student

performances, a performance by the Fr. Henry Carr Drumline,

and recognition of school athletes.

Winter dance-a-thon at Our Lady

of Wisdom Catholic School On February 20th, thanks in large part to

the collective efforts of members of the

CSAC and the parent community and the

amazing talents of DJ Trevor, students,

their parents and staff danced away the

winter blues brought on by frigid

temperatures and participated in the long

awaited February Dance-a-thon, as they

engaged in a fun, aerobic way to

demonstrate school spirit and fundraise

for a worthy cause.

Pancake Tuesday at Christ The King On Tuesday February 17th, parent volunteers

prepared and served a pancake breakfast to Christ

The King students and staff for Shrove Tuesday.

The students and staff were very appreciative of the

yummy pancakes and creative maple syrup designs!

Playing With The

Masters: Encore Band

and Senior Band

Performance at Saint

Basil the Great College

School The St. Basil Senior Band

performed with the masterful

players of the Encore band,

setting the age of performers on

stage from 16 to 90. John

Liddle, who has 57 years of trumpet expertise, conducted the group with flair – filling the theatre to

maximum capacity. Songs included pieces from the movie, “Frozen,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” jazz

standards such as “St. Louis Blues,” “Lassus Trombone,” and rockin’ tunes such as “Dancing Queen”

(ABBA), “Hound Dog”, “Stand By Me”, a Kiwanis piece, Lindbergh Variations,” and the great circus

arrangement, “Fidelity March.” Everybody left the concert with two feet off the ground, humming all of

the wonderful tunes they heard.

Bucket Fillers at St. Francis Xavier Members of the Safe and Accepting Schools Team at

St. Francis Xavier Catholic School kicked off the

"Bucket Filler" initiative with the Kindergarten to

Grade 5 students. The bucket represents one’s mental

and emotional self. When the bucket is full, the

individual feels more confident, secure, calm, patient

and friendly. When the bucket is overflowing, the

individual experiences an intense happiness that can

spread to those around you. When the bucket is empty,

it contains few, if any, positive thoughts or feelings,

and an individual can easily become sad, negative,

insecure, nervous, angry, depressed or ill. Each class received a bucket to collect “Bucket Filler” notes

that will be read over the morning announcements every Friday.

Australian Catholic Visitors at Blessed

Cardinal Newman On February 9th Blessed Cardinal Newman Catholic

High School hosted a delegation of Australian

Catholic visitors. David Condon, Director of Catholic

Schools, Father Jim Griffin, Chair of the Catholic

Schools Council, Diocese of Lismore and Gary Reen,

Head of School Evangelization and Catechetical

Services, Catholic Schools Office Lismore learned

about some of the Catholic education programs and

initiatives at Newman and how they connect with our Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations.

TDCAA Competitive Curling 2015 Congratulations to Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts, Girl's Curling Champions!

And to Bishop Allen Academy, Boys' Curling Champions!

Bishop Allen Volleyball Team

Wins All Catholic Title Congratulations to Bishop Allen’s

senior girls` volleyball team, which

captured the All Catholic title for the

second year in a row. The 36-team

event was a real challenge featuring

many strong teams, some of which had

several year-five players on them. This

was an amazing feat for the team which

represented the school, board,

community, and city with class.

Intermediate Boys Basketball

Tournament St. Andrew's School and Albion

Neighborhood Services co-hosted an

intermediate boys basketball

tournament. Visiting teams included St.

Charles Garnier, St. Bernard, St.

Gregory, Holy Child, and St. Pius X.

St. Andrew's School won the

tournament!

Crusaders Capture 5th Consecutive

TDCAA Championship The TDCAA 'AAAA' Boys

Basketball Championships were played in a

packed gymnasium at Seneca College on

Wednesday, February 25th. The Father Henry

Carr Sr. A Crusaders came out on top, making

this their 5th consecutive TDCAA 'AAAA'

Championship and their 8th in the last 10 years.

Up next is intense preparation for the upcoming

OFSAA 'AAAA' Championships in Windsor,

Ontario from March 8th – 11th.

Toronto Marlies Share Anti-Bullying Messages Toronto Marlies’ Patrick Watling, number 21 and Eric

Knodel, number 45 and Mascot Duke visited St. Francis of

Assisi School. They shared their professional hockey

journey, and message of anti-bullying with students in an

interactive assembly.

Marlies Player and Grad Visits

St. Gregory Matt Finn, a former St. Gregory student who

was a second round draft pick of the Toronto

Maple Leafs, visited the school on February 11th

to talk to the students. He is presently playing

with the Marlies.

McLuhan Student Wins Gold Medal in Boxing Congratulations to Grade 10 student Michael Cabatuan

(sometimes called Cabato) from Marshall McLuhan

Catholic Secondary School for winning a gold medal in the

60kg class at the Canadian Junior Boxing Championships in

Quebec. He was named the City TV athlete of the week.

Here is the story:

http://www.citynews.ca/2015/02/02/athlete-of-the-week-

mike-cabato/

Harlem Globetrotters Visit TCDSB Schools CityTV hosted a Live Eye report from St. Bernard Catholic School (left) on February 3rd, with two of

the Harlem Globetrotters. The players and Jenn Valentine spent the morning talking about what is new

with the Globetrotters, their SPIN program (Some Playtime is Necessary), educating both kids and

viewers about bullying prevention, and interacting with the students through tricks and drills.

Members of the Harlem Globetrotters visited St. Vincent de Paul (right) on February 4th. They were

filming a promotional video with CTV for the Santa Claus parade. During a break, they visited with

students, much to their delight!

iLITE Leadership Conference Blessed Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School

was one of the venues where elementary student

leaders in the making gathered for the annual iLITE

leadership conference. A full day of guest speakers

and workshops took place to help students hone their

leadership skills.

Grade 6 students learn about the

Catholic Graduate Expectations Circling Our Angels of Hope is a collaboration

between three charities – The Angel

Foundation for Learning, Meagan's Walk and

L'Arche – to teach Grade 6 students about the

Catholic Graduate Expectations. During the

month of February, Student Leadership training

days were designed to teach practical ways to

fulfill the expectations and included ideas on

how the schools can fundraise for any and all

of the charities.

Student Success Learning Session Principals Anne Bellissimo, Patricia Greco, Chiara

Mondelli and Marilena Antonini attended a Student

Success Learning session led by Patricia Marra-

Stepleton. Principals and teachers looked at strategies

to help students who are struggling with anxiety.

Recognizing and Responding to Mental Health

problems was the focus of the in-service. Practical

classroom strategies allowed the day to be very

informative.

Experiential learning opportunities at

Harbourfront Centre Co-op On February 13th, secondary school teachers took part in a

board wide/city wide PD day. Some teachers ended up at

the Harbourfront Centre learning about all the great

experiential learning opportunities that they offer

students. Part of the day included a Pathways Panel and

two TCDSB co-op students, Angelica Lopez and Adwoa

Agyemfra, presented.

Me to We - Free the Children Fundraisers Student Leaders at St. Jerome school organized two

important events in February to raise funds for Me to We-

Free the Children. Profits from the sales of ‘What Would

Jesus Do’ bracelets and Beef Patty Lunches will go to

support needy communities overseas.

Loran Scholarship Congratulations to Aaron Benwic, Marshall McLuhan CSS student, for

receiving the Loran Scholarship! The Loran Foundation selects 30

Scholars each year on the basis of character, service and leadership

potential. This year, they received 3,800 applications from all over

Canada and interviewed 400 semi-finalists in 22 cities. Seventy-six

finalists were invited to national selections, which took place on February

6th and 7th. Each Loran Scholar receives a Loran Award valued at up to

$100,000 over four years, including a summer program, annual retreats

and one-on-one mentorship. Loran Scholars may attend any of our 25

partner universities.

First Day of Class at St. André

Catholic School Students and staff were excited to begin the

first day of classes at the newly built St.

André Catholic School when it opened its

doors on February 5th, 2015. As Director of

Education Angela Gauthier suggested in her

remarks to the community, it was the

celebration of a marriage and a birth. The two

school communities of St. Gerard Majella and

St. Philip Neri have come together to form the

new school community of St. André, and

everyone involved is looking forward to

creating many wonderful new memories.

Toque Tuesday 2015 Students and staff at St. John's have once again taken

on the plight of the homeless, raising money through

the sale of toques. This year's total is in excess of $500.

Exploring the SciFi of Fitness at George Brown

College On Wednesday February 25th, forty SHSM sport students from

Archbishop Romero, Chaminade, Marshall McLuhan and St.

Basil's travelled down to George Brown College's Waterfront

campus, to participate in the SCI-FI of Fitness. Jason Burnett,

one of Canada's Olympic medalists, began the day with a truly

inspiring motivational keynote address. Students then

participated in a captivating lecture, led by Professor Carolyn

Deeth, which showcased highlights from the Fitness and

Health Promotion program. The day ended with 2 active

sessions, led by George Brown students, in their new state of

the art facility.

TCDSB W5H Regional Champs Congratulations to the Junior W5H regional champions.

North Region: Regina Mundi East Region: St. Maria Goretti

South Region: St. Michael’s Choir School West Region: Nativity of Our Lord

Good luck at the City Championships on March 4th!

Valentines For Vets Each year, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) invites Canadian

schools, individuals and organizations to make Valentines for

Vets. VAC then distributes the valentines to Veterans in long-

term care facilities across the country in time for February

14th. This year several classes at Father Serra Catholic School

created beautiful valentines complete with messages of

gratitude, which were shipped to Ottawa for dispersal to the

veterans.

McLuhan Music Wins Gold, Silver, and Bronze On February 9th, both the Marshall McLuhan Concert Band and the Junior Concert Band competed at

the Ontario Band Association Music Festival in Richmond Hill. 160 schools compete at this event every

year. This year the Junior Concert Band was awarded High Bronze and The Concert Band was awarded

Gold. Along with this accomplishment the Concert Band also won an invitation to compete at the

Nationals for the second year in a row. Ralph Alconcel won the Music Leadership award for the

Concert Band and Aysha Shanmugasundaram won the Music Leadership award for the Junior Concert

Band. Congratulations to them and to all the musicians. While the OBA hosts the festival for Concert Bands, Humber College’s Next Generation Jazz Festival

acts as the Regional MusicFest qualifier for the Nationals. The McLuhan Jazz Band won Silver at their

performance on February 19th and also won an invitation to perform at the MusicFest Nationals in May.

Northern Spirit Games 2015 The Toronto Catholic District School Board held its

10th Annual Northern Spirit Games in February.

Each of the five sites for the Games hosted 300

students in grades 4, 5 and 6 with a grand total of

over 1400 students participating in these annual

athletic, cultural and spiritual celebrations. The

students were taught ten indoor and outdoor

activities based on traditional First Nations, Métis

and Inuit games, which focused on physical

strength, agility and endurance. Each day’s

activities were run by trained secondary student

leaders from the hosting school.

Pan Am ParaPan Am Games Student Day at Downsview Park: February 25th The TCDSB hosted an action-packed, multicultural, multimedia event aimed at raising the Pan Am and

Parapan Am spirit for students at The Hangar in Downsview Park. Over 500 students and educators

from the TCDSB, Dufferin/Peel Catholic DSB and Halton CDSB participated in “Pan Am Celebration

Day”. Students participated in the some of the activities included within the PPAKids program

including: Sitting Volleyball, giving students the challenge of the parasport; Fast Break Lacrosse

introducing lacrosse skills; and Athletics Relay using a giant “hop scotch” grid made of hoola hoops to

test accuracy, agility and teamwork.

See more photos: http://www.tcdsb.org/News/othernews/2015/Pages/PanAm-Games-Student-Day.aspx

TCDSB & ALPHA Education Sign

Memorandum of Understanding On February 9th the Toronto Catholic District School

Board and ALPHA Education (Association for

Learning and Preserving the History of World War II in

Asia) held a press conference to sign a Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU). The TCDSB and ALPHA

Education will be working together to support

educators to deliver a more inclusive world history

curriculum, including the atrocities of WWII in Asia.

Working together, both parties aim to teach students

about peace and reconciliation and encourage them to become global citizens in our culturally diverse

society.

Francis Libermann students at Reach Ahead

Activity On February 20th, twenty-eight of Francis Libermann’s

Energy SHSM students spent the day participating in a

reach ahead activity hosted by the University of

Toronto’s Electrical Computer and Engineering

Department. Students took part in a lecture in which they

learned about the different aspects of engineering.

Afterward, they were involved in an hour-long panel

discussion with four first-year engineering students to

discuss what the transition between high school and

university is like, reasons for choosing particular areas of

study and schools, and career options after university. Students then had the opportunity to work in one

of the labs where they learned about the basic principles of electromagnetic field theory. They were

then challenged to take these ideas and apply them in the creation of simple direct-current electric

motors. Students found the day very valuable in terms of helping to inform their post-secondary choices

and are looking forward to applying what they learned in their secondary science classes.

Project Smile Launch at Marshall McLuhan In the Lenten Season, Marshall McLuhan students will turn

their focus once again to reaching out to those in need. Their

Lenten charitable campaign is entitled “PROJECT SMILE,”

supporting WomenAide, a non-profit group, whose mission is to

donate “goods-in-kind” to women and children who have

suffered abuse. SMILE stands for “Show Mercy In Lenten

Efforts” and will focus on the collection of dental care products

for women’s abuse shelters: toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental

floss and mouthwash. The campaign officially launched on

February 18th at Ash Wednesday Mass and will end April 2nd.

““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

March 2015

Toronto Catholic District School Board, 80 Sheppard Ave. E., North York, ON M2N 6E8

phone: 416-222-8282 website: www.tcdsb.org email: webmaster@tcdsb.org