Mississauga Living Arts Centre

In May, the primary classes had the opportunity to visit Mississauga

Living Arts Centre and participate in 2 separate workshops – art

(ceramics) and drama. Some students were introduced to

handling clay and transforming two pieces of clay into a beautiful

ceramic animal paper weight. The drama workshop introduced

the ‘neutral’ concept which entailed students to stand as neutral;

without any facial expression, movement or level. As the workshop

progressed, students worked in groups to produce 3 different

tableaus to their own chosen children’s story and music. It was

great to see the different levels, spacing, focal point, facial

expression and movement in all of the tableaus created by the

students.

St. Pius X Catholic School

71 Jane Street

Toronto Ontario MS6 3V3

Tel: (416) 393-5237

Fax: (416) 397-6084

Principal: P. Tari Vice Principal: J. Bucci Secretary: M. Maringola Superintendent: J. Wujek (416) 222-8282 ext. 5371

Trustee/Chair: B.. Poplawski (416) 512-3410 Parish: St Pius Catholic Church 2305 Bloor St. West Rev. B. Shea (416) 767-1859

CSPC Chair: D. Hough CPIC (Parent Engagement--TCDSB) OAPCE Toronto (Provincial Voice for Parents) www.tcdsb.org/oapce-toronto School Hours 8:45: Supervision beings 9:00: School bell rings 10:42-11:57: Morning Recess 11:45-12:45: Lunch Hour 2:10-2:25: Afternoon Recess 3:30: Dismissal

St. Pius X Catholic School News June 2018

Dear St. Pius X School Community, As we approach the final days of the school year, it is with great pleasure that I write this final newsletter before we break for the summer. Although the year has passed very quickly, I am proud of the many accomplishments that our students, staff and community have achieved. These successes have ranged from academic programs and extra-curricular activities to the different school initiatives that have taken place over the course of the year. Thank you to the St. Pius X staff for their hard work, dedication and commitment to the students and parents of St. Pius X Catholic School. They continue to rise to the many challenges, share their faith story and demonstrate a genuine passion for their call as Catholic educators. Thank you to our parent volunteers, both CSPC and those at large. The assistance that you give both in time and energy is most appreciated. Thank you to Fr. Brian Shea and the administrative staff at St. Pius X Catholic Church for their commitment to our school community, the children, their families, and staff at St. Pius X Catholic School. Fr. Brian’s monthly masses have moved everyone closer to our Catholic faith. I look forward to working with all of you again for the 2018 2019 school year. On behalf of the staff, I wish you all a fun-filled, safe, healthy summer break.

On behalf of St. Pius X staff, Happy Father’s Day to all of our fathers, grandfathers and uncles in the St. Pius X Community. We wish you a day filled with love, happiness and family. May God continue to bless all of our fathers.

P. Tari Principal

Text books, library books, materials, summer clean up As you do your summer cleaning for the month of June, please have a look for misplaced books. Even if they are from previous years, we would appreciate them being returned. School materials will be collected by teachers during the month of June. Students are reminded to clean out their desks and take all their personal belongings home. No personal items can be left at school over the summer months.

Report Cards will be sent home on Tuesday June 26th. Reports not sent home during the last week in June may be picked up by parents the first week in July or the last week of August 2018.

Grade 6/7 LITERACY/NUMERACY PROGRAM Dear Parents, just a reminder to send in your completed grade 6/7 Summer Literacy/Numeracy Program forms. Again this summer, from July 3-24. I will be summer school Principal here at St. Pius and we will make the summer program as educational and fun as possible!! P. Tari

St. Pius X Student News The Grade 2/3 class decided to take advantage of the nice weather and ate their lunches outside. The outdoor classroom served as the perfect area to have a picnic. Here’s to the great weather and of course great company. A. Miaco

ICE CREAM TRUCK On May 3rd and June 1st, the students, staff and parents enjoyed a great vanilla, chocolate or swirl ice cream cone. What a great way to enjoy a treat and community build at the same time!! P. Tari

On Friday May 11th we held one of our Film Nights here at St. Pius. The students from Grades 1-8 enjoyed “Trolls”. What a great tradition we are all building together here at St. Pius. Thank you to all the parents who trust their children to us and thank you to all the parents who continually help us out in order to make our Movie Nights a success!! P. Tari

PUTTING ON OUR DANCING SHOES Starting in April, students in grades 3/4 to 6 took part in weekly ballroom dance lessons here at our school. Under the masterful instruction of Ms. Alexandra Smith, they practiced various dances, such as the Cha Cha, Bachata, Merengue, Salsa, Waltz, Tango, and Swing. The children had the opportunity to demonstrate these skills at a special evening show organized for family and friends on Thursday, May 17th at 7:00 p.m. at Bishop Allen Academy. Thanks to those who attended. There was a great turn out for these entertaining performances! L. Oliveira

CYBER BULLYING

On Tuesday May 22nd our school liaison officer Janet presented to our grade 6-8 students on the topic of Cyber Bullying. The students learned a great deal about cyber bullying, its impact on ourselves and others and the law connected to cyber bullying. Thank you to Officer Janet for her partnership with our school and school community and her efforts to keep us all safe. P. Tari

On Thursday, May 31st, the Grade two students in Mrs. Chown’s and Mrs. Fatigati’s classes led our school community in praying The Rosary. It was a fitting way to conclude a month long devotion to our Blessed Mother. May is the month when Catholics traditionally focus on Mary, the Mother of Jesus. We also dedicated our prayers for the healing of Sebastian Peichl.The practice dates back at least 700 years and is still observed around the world today. May is seen as the beginning of new life and the start of summer, which makes this a logical time for the celebrations of Mary, who brought life into the world. Mary is everyone’s mother because she cares for all of us day-in-and-day-out without fail, interceding for us in even the tiniest matters. We are reminded that each time we say a Hail Mary; we give our Blessed Mother a beautiful rose! E. Chown

Order of Malta Hunger Patrol Every Friday our school does its part to prepare roughly 80 sandwiches which are distributed Saturday evenings by the Order of Malta Hunger Patrol to the homeless and needy. Thank you to the Betz family for donating bread, cold cuts and cheese slices which we use to prepare the sandwiches. P. Tari

The primary students and teachers had the opportunity to participate in Denise Wild’s Sewing Workshop. The enthusiastic team provided the classes with encouragement and guidance while everyone used a sewing machine. The students had a great time designing and sewing a top secret present to give on Mother’s Day. Everyone had a blast and we hope the mothers are rocking their new bags! A. Miaco

This month, the Grade 1 students started a lunchtime yoga class. During the five-week program, they learned to regulate their emotions, manage stress and practice calming strategies. The program focuses on students coming to know themselves in a safe space, calming and focusing the mind, and being part of a larger community. Children are supported in trying new things, reflecting on their thoughts and feelings about situations, and continuing to make mindful choices in a safe environment. M. David

On Saturday May 12, 2018 the following students celebrated their Confirmation. Congratulations to C. Caliva, B. Casas, L. Cetina-Boatic,

A. Cunic, S. Daniel, M Drysdale, N. Giraudi, J.Giraudi, A. Gryguc, N. Ivanis, K. Lamb, C. Lui, D. Lukasiewicz, L. MacNeil, M. Marcuzzi, K. McIntyre, K. O’Donnell, T. Patterson, N. Patterson, O. Taylor, G. Ventrone, A. Wasiuk

Daily Bread Food Bank The students at St. Pius X

collected approximately 1,737 pounds of food which

was donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank. Way to Go St. Pius X!!! P. Tari

Stuffed Toy Drive The students at St. Pius X donated

their stuffed toys to Dr. Simone’s charity Canadian Food for Children. The stuffed toys will be sent to

hospitals and orphanages in third World countries.

On Tuesday, May 1st, 2018, Ms. Stanevicius and Ms. Careri took their Grade 3 classes to see a performance of Beauty and the Beast put on by the students at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School. It was a

wonderful show and everyone enjoyed it. The students were amazed to see the great talent and acting abilities demonstrated by all those involved in the performance. Thank you for inviting us to your show! G. Careri, R. Stanevicius

High Park On Friday May 25th, the Kindergarten classes had a community celebration at High Park. The children travelled by subway to the park. They enjoyed some time on the playground, explored the natural elements while on a hike and participated in cooperative games. Thank you to all of the parent volunteers who made this event possible. The Kindergarten Team

This month the Kindergarten classes visited the Runnymede Public Library to watch a puppet show presented by the librarian. This presentation was based on a children’s book entitled Petunia. This excursion complemented our learning about the community, as the children observed various aspects of the neighborhood on their walk. Be sure to visit the public library this summer to exchange your postcard for a surprise gift. -The Kindergarten Team

This month, the Kindergarten students participated in the Scientists in the School workshop entitled Buzz About Bees. The workshop highlighted the lifecycle of a bee, the responsibilities of a bee and a beekeeper and the body parts of a bee. Thank you to Scientist Amy and our parent volunteers who facilitated these activities. Thank you to CSPC for funding this wonderful learning opportunity. -The Kindergarten Team On Thursday, May 24th, St. Pius X hosted Welcome to Kindergarten, where new students and their families were introduced to kindergarten staff and members of the community. The children explored various aspects of the program through play; including math, literacy, sensory play and science and nature. We look forward to welcoming these families in September. The Kindergarten

Team

During the month of May, the primary classes visited The Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. The students spent their day participating in two Arts related workshops. They began their morning learning to work with and mold clay. They created a pencil holder as a special gift for dad for this upcoming Father’s Day. The afternoon was then dedicated to dramatization of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. The students took on various roles, learned various scripted lines and created props as they prepared to put on a show. The day was fun filled with creativity and entertainment! Thank you to The Living Arts Centre for welcoming us and providing innovative workshops. We also extend a special thank you to the primary teachers for organizing this special event and to all the parent volunteers who accompanied us on this excursion. The day was truly a work of art! G. Ruffolo

The St. Pius staff was in full spirit and fashion on Crazy Hair Day wearing fascinators in honour of the royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Thank you to Ms. Boctor for showcasing her artistic talent and for her time in handcrafting such elegant fascinators for the staff. Thank you Mr. Tari for wearing your fascinator, you looked “regal” We had a royal good time. Cheerio everyone! G. Ruffolo

In May, the primary classes had the opportunity to visit

Mississauga Living Arts Centre and participate in 2

separate workshops – art (ceramics) and drama. Some

students were introduced to handling clay and

transforming two pieces of clay into a beautiful ceramic

animal paper weight. The drama workshop introduced

the ‘neutral’ concept which entailed students to stand

as neutral; without any facial expression, movement or

level. As the workshop progressed, students worked in

groups to produce 3 different tableaus to their own

chosen children’s story and music. It was great to see

the different levels, spacing, focal point, facial

expression and movement in all of the tableaus created

by the students. R. Stanevicius

The St. Pius X track and field team had another very successful season this year! We finished first at our divisional meet, with many team members qualifying for Regionals. At Regionals our school finished in eighth place, and had 13 team members qualify for the City meet! Congratulations to all of our athletes, especially those who made it to the city level of competition! Special congratulations to Stephanie J. and Ben B. who both received medals in their 60m race! Special thanks goes to all of the coaches for their time, and effort, a huge THANK YOU to all of the parent volunteers who joined us as supervisors and cheerleaders at our meets! G. Agres Congratulations to the many grade 7 and 8 girls who participated in the Fitspirit Celebration at Downsview Park on May 8! The girls joined over a thousand others from schools in the Toronto area, running in either a 5km or 10km race and participating in other fun fitness activities. Great work Fitspirit Team! Thank you to the Fitspirit leaders Mrs. Agres and Ms. Careri On Sunday May 13th, our St. Pius X TEAM MAYA KIM participated in the Sporting Life 10K Run, in an effort to honor Maya’s inspiration and courage, and in support of Camp Ooch. Many members of the St. Pius community, including students, parents and teachers participated in this 10k run down Yonge Street, all wearing their purple Team Maya Kim t-shirt. A great day was had by all! Congratulations everyone! G. Agres

Earlier this month our Grade 7/8 and 8’s participated in a Dance Workshop led by ‘Dance and Play Studios’. Students were actively engaged throughout the afternoon and had the opportunity to participate in a combination of jazz and hip hop, formatted into an ‘easy to learn’ set of dances, followed by structured choreography and performance opportunities. Students enjoyed the workshop and are to be commended for their participation. M. Atkinson

On May 30, the Intermediate Boys Soccer Team competed in the South Region soccer tournament at High Park. The boys demonstrated great determination, sportsmanship and teamwork. They finished the tournament with 6 points overall, by winning 2 out of 4 games. Excellent job representing St. Pius X, boys!! Team members: Chris, Evan, Nevan, Alex, Brandon, Mikhael, Leo, Sam, Jake, Thomas, Spencer, Oliver, Hamish, Dylan, Elijah and Jacob. Coaches: Ms. Cioffi and Mrs. Natal