IT STARTS

in the Schools January 2017

UPCOMING EVENTS January 11 French Immersion Open House

7:00pm James Culnan Catholic School

605 Willard Ave., York, ON

416-393-5325

January 11 French Immersion Open House

6:00pm St. Leo Catholic School

165 Stanley Ave., Toronto, ON

416-393-5333

January 11 Extended French Open House

6:30pm

Nativity of Our Lord Catholic School

35 Saffron Cres, Etobicoke, ON

416-393-5288

January 11 Social Networking and Online Safety:

An evening for parents with Paul Davis

6:30 p.m.

Holy Child Catholic School

850 Humberwood Blvd., Toronto, ON

416-393-5433

January 12 Open House - Msgr Fraser College

(adult & alternative)

10:00am – 12:00pm

All Msgr. Fraser locations.

January 12 Night School Registration begins TCDSB Board-wide

January 13 Tamil Heritage Month Celebrations

9:00 a.m. Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary

School Cafetorium

959 Midland Avenue, Toronto, ON

416-393-5554

January 18 Kindergarten Registration Begins

10:00 a.m. TCDSB Board-wide

January 18 Extended French Open House

7:00pm

All Saints Catholic School

1435 Royal York Road, Etobicoke, ON

416-393-5290

January 18 Extended French Open House

6:30pm Our Lady of Grace Catholic School

121 Brimwood Blvd., Scarborough

416-393-5372

January 19 French Immersion Open House

6:00pm

Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic School

10 Japonica Rd. Scarborough

416-393-5273

January 19 French Immersion Open House

6:30pm St. Agatha Catholic School

49 Cathedral Bluffs Dr. Scarborough

416-393-5302

January 19 Extended French Open House

7:00pm Blessed Sacrament Catholic School

24 Bedford Park Avenue, Toronto

416-393-5226

January 19 Extended French Open House

7:00pm St. Timothy Catholic School

25 Rochelle Crescent, North York

416-393-5298

January 23 Extended French Open House

6:30pm

St. Clare Catholic School

124 Northcliffe Boulevard, York

416-393-5214

January 24 Extended French Open House

6:30pm St. Gregory Catholic School

126 Rathburn Road, Etobicoke

416-393-5262

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

powerHOUSE Food Drive The “powerHOUSE” food drive is

an example of the wonderful work

that Social Justice Committees in

TCDSB schools are doing. The

Power House Food Drive directly

supports Michael Power-St. Joseph

neighbourhood families in need, as

well as other needy families in the

GTA. Global News (Edmonton)

featured the powerHOUSE food

drive as an example of social justice initatives taking place in Canadian Catholic Schools. Students at

Michael Power/St. Joseph were interviewed and shared their personal experience and feelings about this

wonderful social justice initiative at their school. Click here to view photos.

Anti-bullying Magic Show at

Josyf Cardinal Slipyj The Anti-Bullying Magic show came

to Josyf Cardinal Slipyj School on

Friday, November 25th. Brent and

Sarah, the two magicians, shared

personal stories on being bullied and

how they believed in themselves and

found their own magic to deal with

bulling. The students were engaged

and inspired, and left the show with lessons learned. Click here to view photos.

Fresh from the

Farm Fundraiser During the Autumn

season, the Catholic

School Parent Council at

St. Teresa C.S decided to

try a new fundraising

initiative that would not

only raise funds for their

school community, but

encourage local farming

by providing fresh food

to the community. The quality of food received was outstanding and the ease of the fundraiser was

significant. This will definitely be an ongoing fundraiser for the school who expects to triple their orders

next year. Click here to view photos.

St. Alphonsus students donate Mittens to St. Michael's Hospital Maternity Ward

The Kindergarten

students at St.

Alphonsus School

have shown their

kindness and

generosity during

this time of giving.

They have made a

donation of baby

mittens and baby

socks to St.

Michael's Hospital

Maternity Ward this

Christmas. Click here to view photos.

Our Lady of

Lourdes

students visit

City Hall Click here to view

photos.

Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts Share the Sounds of Christmas Students from

Cardinal Carter

Academy for the

Arts brought the

sounds of

Christmas to the

Yonge-Sheppard

Centre on

December 8th.

Click here to view

photos.

Ribbon Cutting

Ceremony for New

Play Structure St. Martin de Porres

celebrated the official

opening of the new

playground at the school on

Friday, December 9th with

area MPP and Minister of

Education Mitzie Hunter

along with Associate

Director Rory McGuckin,

Trustee Nancy Crawford and Superintendent Shawna Campbell. Click here to view photos.

St. Rose of Lima

Advent Mass

Parish schools came

together on December

2nd to celebrate Advent

Mass together at their

parish.

Click here to view

photos.

Faith Day at St.

Jerome The staff of St.

Jerome put their Faith

into Action on

December 2nd by

making and

delivering almost 250

sandwiches to those in

need in downtown

Toronto. The school

thanks their

community partners who donated the food in order to make this day possible. Click here to view photos.

Social Networking and Cyberbullying Presentation at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Thanks go PROGrant

initiative, Paul Davis visited

St. Kateri Tekakwitha to

speak with the Junior and

Intermediate students on

Social Networking and

Cyberbullying. Later on in the

day, Mr. Davis delivered a

presentation to parents that

included safety precautions

they should be taking to

protect their children. Students from neighbouring schools St. Gerald and St. Matthias attended the

sessions throughout the day. Click here to view photos.

National Day of

Remembrance

and Action on

Violence

Against Women Madonna students

commemorated the

National Day of

Remembrance and

Action on Violence

Against Women.

Students wore body

posters honouring victims, supporting survivors, and recognizing role-models who are advocating for

change. On their backs were posters that included facts and quotes about the issue. Student Services hosted

an assembly for Gr. 11/12 students, in partnership with T.E.A.R. (teens ending abusive relationships) and

the Gr. 12 religion classes ran a candle-light vigil and prayer sharing testimonies of women whom they

honoured on their posters. Click here to view photos.

Senator Tobias Enverga visits

St. Joseph's College School On November 25, 2016 the

celebration of ESL Week at St.

Joseph’s College School culminated

in a luncheon and multicultural show

in which ESL students displayed

their many musical and other artistic

talents. Senator Tobias Enverga and

Mrs. Rosemer Enverga participated

in the festivities. Click here to view

photos.

MPSJ Art Display at

the Legislative

Assembly of Ontario Students from Michael

Power/St. Joseph’s grade

ten art class will have their

art works on display at

Queens Park through to

March 2017 as part of the

Youth Arts Program. On

the evening of November

30th, the MPSJ students, along with many students from across Ontario, were welcomed by the Speaker

of the House, the Honourable Dave Levac, at a reception in the main lobby of the Legislative Building.

This is the second year that the school was invited to participate in this exhibition which collaborates and

displays art works from youth from across the province, showcasing their creativity and diverse artistic

abilities, throughout the Legislative Building. The Youth Arts Program was started in 2012 in order to

celebrate the incredible artistic talents of young Ontarians aged 12-18. Click here to view photos.

Family of Schools – Youth Ministry Program St. Norbert and St.

Robert Catholic

Elementary Schools,

along with Madonna

Catholic Secondary

School began their

joint vision for

celebrating the year

of parish with Father

Gigi and the St.

Norbert parish

community. A series

of events began on

Saturday, December 10th, after mass, to celebrate the family of schools through youth ministry. Grade 7

and 8 students from St. Robert and St. Norber participated with Madonna high school students in a variety

of team building activities, faith-based games, and learning about the Advent season. It was fun-filled

evening for all adults and students who participated. Click here to view photos.

Calvacade of Lights St. Francis of Assisi Choir

performed at the Annual

Cavalcade of Lights on

College Street on November

30th, 2016. It was a great

evening full of fun, laughter

and good cheer and a great

way to kick off the Christmas

season. Click here to view

photos.

Sacred Heart

Loves Winter On December 12,

2016 Sacred Heart

celebrated the first

snow fall of

December by building

a snowman. Students

were invited to

organize team and

compete to create the

best snowman by the

end of lunch recess. Students used their collaborative skills and team building skills to come up with ideas

and utilize prior snowman making strategies. It was the greatest 40 minutes in Sacred Heart lunch recess

history as students embraced collaboration, sharing and of course winter. Click here to view photos.

Fashion Takes Action

at St. Alphonsus The Grade 6 and 7 classes at

St. Alphonsus Catholic

School had the wonderful

opportunity to participate in

the “Fashion Takes Action”

Program, this December.

Students learned about the

fashion industry, its global

implications and set a goal of

identifying how they can each

make a positive difference

with daily actions at home

and when they shop. The students had an authentic experience with using fashion as a vehicle to explain

current global environmental and social issues. They were highly engaged throughout the day and were

rewarded with a hands on activity, where they were able to turn an old t-shirt into a book bag.

St. Sebastian Students & Staff featured in Ministry Video Series

Students, staff and parents at St.

Sebastian Catholic Elementary

School were involved in the

filming of two video series

highlighting exemplary learning

practices by the Ontario

Ministry of Education. In the

videos, the teachers, parents and

educators from St. Sebastian

spoke about the importance of

student voice and advocacy in

establishing a Culturally

Responsive Teaching and Learning Environment. Click here to view photos.

Romero students create Magic at Christmas Blessed Archbishop

Romero’s SHSM students

built a working Ferris

Wheel for the 2016

Christmas season. They

worked collaboratively,

overcame obstacles and

made modifications along

the way to make it all work

properly. This build

encompassed all the

aspects of the 21st Century

Learning Model and the students learned the skills that they will need to thrive and succeed in today’s

work world. This project is a huge accomplishment on many levels as it showcases a level of workmanship

and skill level that is well beyond their years. The students are to be congratulated for their dedication,

focus, attention to detail and workmanship. Click here to view photos.

Ontario Pro-Con Debate Forum Workshop at Loretto Abbey

After a day in the classroom,

groups of students from

TCDSB, TDSB and

independent schools headed

to Loretto Abbey for the

annual Ontario Pro-Con

Debate Forum workshop.

The event was held on

Wednesday, November 30 at

the Abbey. This year about

60 students from Senator

O’Connor, Loretto Abbey,

Bloor Collegiate and De La Salle College registered to attend one of five workshops presented by some

of the most talented debaters in the league. Workshops included Writing the Constructive Speech, Public

Speaking Skills and Cross-examination Strategies. The afternoon also saw a spirited model round of

debate followed by questions from interested onlookers. Click here to view photos.

Congratulations to the 2016 “Yes I Can” Award Winners The Ontario Council for

Exceptional Children held its 60th

Annual Special Education

Conference December 2-3, 2016 in

Toronto. The annual “Yes I Can”

Awards ceremony which

recognizes students with

exceptionalities who shine in their

community took place during the

conference. Among this year’s

“Yes I Can" Awards recipients

were three TCDSB students. Viola Devine, teacher at Our Lady of Victory Catholic School received the

Teacher of the Year Award and Kathy Adamcyk, Retired Teacher, was awarded the President's Award to

a CEC Member. Click here to view photos.

MPSJ Residential School

Awareness Initiative Micheal Power/St Joseph's Grade 12 drama

class created a powerful awareness piece on

the Residential school system with creative

movement, choral speaking, spoken word,

mask work, monologues and song.

Debwewin: Honouring the Truth created an

awareness of the cultural genocide of

Indigenous people by the Residential

School System in Canada. In these

Residential schools, education was used to

force assimilation, deny rights and silence

the voices of seven generations of

Indigenous people. Debwewin was a

dramatic Showcase that used education to

speak the truth, honour the stories of

survivors, and work towards

Reconciliation. Students did extensive

research and based their work on stories of

survivors. Click here to view photos.

Bringing Joy to

Others St. Jerome's grades 5/6

and 6/7 classes opened

their hearts and shared

their voices with the

seniors at Downsview

Retirement Residence

through a visit and choir

performance. Click here

to view photos.

D’Arcy McGee’s

Baskets of Love “Baskets of Love” culminated

with the wrapping and

delivery of 16+ baskets of

food and other groceries along

with over $1000.00 worth of

Walmart Gift Cards to St.

Thomas Aquinas Church. The

staff and students of D’Arcy

McGee collected enough food

and money to support 8 families in St. Thomas Aquinas Parish this Advent Season. This is truly

representative of what ‘Year of the Parish” and the Virtue of Charity is all about. Click here to view

photos.

MPSJ International

Students Association

Skate at Nathan

Phillips Square

The Michael Power/St.

Joseph International

Students Association

visited Nathan Phillips

Square for a skate and their

annual Christmas

celebration. Click here to

view photos.

Christmas Greetings from across the TCDSB We are pleased to share with

you this video featuring

Christmas and Advent

celebrations that took place

across the TCDSB. Click here

to watch the video.

Students get into the Spirit of Giving Blessed Archbishop

Romero’s SHSM and

Technological Education

students made Christmas

tree ornaments for

approximately 135 Junior

Kindergarten students at St.

Bernard's C.E.S. On

December 19th, Mr. De

Santis took 22 of his

students to St. Bernard's to

not only personally deliver the ornaments but to also spend the day helping the JK's decorate them to take

home and hang on their own tree. Click here to view photos.

St. Elizabeth School partners with local Police

Division for Charitable Toy Drive Click here to view photos.

Raptors All-Star brings Christmas Cheer to TCDSB students Toronto Raptors All-Star Kyle Lowry,

along with his wife, Ayahna, selected

26 students from St. Paul Catholic

School as the recipients of this year’s

“Holiday Assist”. Lowry’s annual

Holiday Assist brings cheer to youth

between the ages of six to 13 years old.

The event was held Wednesday,

December 21st. Students began their

morning with a nutritious breakfast.

Much to their surprise, Kyle Lowry

arrived during the breakfast and

brought t-shirts and gift bags filled

with Raptors swag for each of the

students. Following breakfast,

everyone boarded a coach bus called

Lowry’s Holiday Express and made their way to Toys R Us where they were greeted by cheering staff

and volunteers from Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. and Toys R Us. Each student received a

cart to fill with toys to bring home, totaling $300. The entire community is grateful to the Lowry family

for their generosity during this Christmas season. Click here to view photos.

Star Wars Storm Troopers join Chaminade Students for Breakfast Chaminade College students were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by Star Wars Storm Troopers as they

arrived at school on December 20th. 501st Legion's Storm Troopers arrived in full Star Wars gear to help

serve breakfast. School

Resource Officer, P.C. De

Quintal, better known as

“Star Wars Cop” on Twitter

and in real life, uses his life-

long love of Star Wars to

promote the importance of

proper nutrition to the

students in his school and the

positive effects of proper

nutrition on student

achievement and well-being. Through various Star-wars themed kitchen tools including a Darth Vader-

shaped toaster, lightsaber kitchen tongs and Star Wars aprons, P.C. De Quintal aims to engage students

in a unique breakfast that is sure to win the hearts of Star Wars fans alike. Click here to view photos.

““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 91,000 students from

diverse cultures and language backgrounds in 201 Catholic elementary and secondary

schools, serving over 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

January 2017

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