DECEMBER, 2018

Transfiguration of Our Lord C.S.

School News

Principal’s Message As we enter the Advent Season, through prayer and good deeds we are reminded that it is a time of preparation for Christmas. Advent means ‘God is with us’ and that is the message that we share with our students. It is a time to pray to Jesus to fill our hearts with His love and to show us how we could live in peace with each other. We will observe each week of Advent with a celebration, led by our Kindergarten classes. We celebrate the virtue of Charity throughout the month of December. The students actively engage in charitable deeds that help others in their classes, in the school and also in the community through Me to We initiatives and St. Vincent de Paul. Your collaboration and generosity are very much appreciated. . The students have been busy practising for ‘The Nativity Story’ and they look forward to performing for their families. Please join us as we celebrate the true meaning of Christmas on the evening of December 13th at the church. We welcome Ms. K. Kure to our Grade 4 class, Ms. V. Caprara to our grade 3 class (AM) and Ms. A. Zambri as our new Special Education teacher. Thank you to all for your patience and understanding while we completed our staffing model. Yours in Christ, Victoria Purri Principal Follow us on Twitter: @transfigtcdsb

Transfiguration of Our Lord

55 Ludstone Drive Toronto, Ontario M9R 2J2 (416) 393-5276 Fax (416) 397-6075

Principal: Victoria Purri Superintendent: Flora Cifelli (416) 222-8282x2732 Trustee: Markus De Domenico Ward 2 (416) 512-3402 Parish: Transfiguration of Our Lord Father George Parayil CSPC Co- Chairs: Cynthia Bozzo Joanna Russo CPIC (Parent Engagement--TCDSB) www.tcdsb.org/cpic OAPCE Toronto (Provincial Voice for Parents) www.tcdsb.org/oapce-toronto Enrollment: 430 Hours of Operation: 9:00a.m.-3:30p.m. Lunch Hour: 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

________________________________

NEW REGISTRANTS WELCOME: Call 416-393-5276 or the TCDSB Admissions Department at 416-222-8282,

ext. 2383.

For general information about the Toronto Catholic District School Board,

please visit the website at www.tcdsb.org.

Stay in touch with the latest news throughout the school year: Follow

@TCDSB on Twitter

School Hours 9:00 a.m. Morning Entry 10:42-10:57 Morning Recess

11:45-12:45 Lunch

2:10-2:25 Afternoon Recess 3:30 p.m. Dismissal

Virtue of the Month

CHARITY

“Rooted in Christ: we

Belong, we Believe, we

Become” Spread love everywhere you go: First of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor… Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness; Kindness in your face, Kindness in your eyes, Kindness in your smile, Kindness in your warm greeting.

Christmas Season Prayer May the love that breathes life into all of humanity Be born in us this Christmas season. May the love that brings forth all of creation, Be born in us this Christmas season. May the love that overcomes hatred and brings healing, Be born in us this Christmas season. May the love that forgives and renews, Be born in us this Christmas season. May the love that brings the fruits of justice, Be born in us this Christmas season. May the love that brings the blessing of peace, Be born in us this Christmas season. May that Peace now be the gift we with share with all our brothers and sisters.

From “A Gift of Peace,” by Richard Becher, in Shine On, Star of Bethlehem, CAFOD, 2004

Let us work together to keep all of our students safe at arrival and

dismissal. Please be mindful of the traffic signs on Ludstone Road.

Do not park in the Bus Loading Zone.

Do not park across the street from the school.

Do not block the Church parking lot.

Do not use the staff parking lot for pick up or drop off.

If possible, please walk your child to and from school to

ease traffic congestion around the school.

Thank you for your continued support.

Health and Safety

Safe Arrival of Children Safety is one of our primary concerns. Teachers will be on duty

to supervise the children at 8:45 a.m. Please be advised that

children should arrive at the school no earlier than 8:45 a.m.

Although there is a staff member on bus duty to assist in the

event of an early bus arrival, the staff duty in the schoolyard

commences at 8:45 a.m.

If your child is absent from school due to illness or any family

matter, it is your responsibility to notify the school. Dial the

school number and press ‘1’ for our answering machine. Please

indicate the name of the child, his/her teacher and the reason

for the absence. Attendance callouts are very time consuming,

and our office may not be able to contact you promptly. By

speeding up the process we can ensure the safe arrival of all the

children in a timely manner.

End of Day Pick Up

Transfiguration of Our Lord Catholic School dismisses at 3:30

p.m. It is the responsibility of the parent to make arrangements

for students to be picked up on time. We understand that

emergencies and delays happen occasionally, but please keep in

mind that our office staff cannot always keep a close eye on

children that are left behind, and we do not want to compromise

their safety

Accidents Despite the constant reminders and attention given to issues of

safety, occasional accidents do happen. In the case of minor

accidents (cuts, scrapes) band aids and ice will be provided. In

the event that a child continues to experience discomfort or is

in distress, it is the school’s practice to notify the

parent/guardian. It is absolutely imperative that the school has,

at all times, an up-to-date telephone number for your home and

work, as well as numbers for your emergency contact person.

Transfiguration of Our

Lord: Staff List 2016-17 Classroom Teachers: Grade Teacher Room #

ELP1 P. Collaco 121

L. Oppedisano

ELP1 M. Martin 120

V. Ribeiro

SK/1 L. Marra 116

Gr. 1 M. Ginocchi 124

Gr. 1/2 C. Muzzatti 126

Gr.2 L. Grisolia 105

Gr. 2 A.Vaccaro 106

Gr. 3 N. Montagnese-Giordano 104

Gr.3 V. Caprera /P. Santelli 103

Gr. 4 K. Kure 216

Gr. 5 L.M. Fiaschetti 217

Gr. 5/6 S. Zurzolo 214

Gr. 6 L. Liuzzi 215

Gr. 7 M. Novalski 212

Gr. 8 D. Di Cecco 206

Gr. 8 M. Iori 207

Congregated Gifted Programme: Gr. 6 J. Nazzicone 202

Gr. 7 D. Fantinato 208

Gr. 8 A. Sebastiano-Gri 211

Specialty Teachers:

Special Ed. A. Zambri 202A

French C. Anderson 210

French S. Dadjeu 210

French T. Harasim 210

Vocal Music D. Giancola

Instrumental J. Krzyszkowski

Physical Ed. L. Grossi

Physical Ed. P. Posca

Support Staff:

Secretary J. Panin

Clerk Typists I. Furlano (Tuesday)

L. Grise (Friday)

Library A. Nicolucci

E.A. L. Dal Bello

E.A. M. Magnone

E.A. M. Toscano

Head Custodian J. Hrgetic

Custodians (P.M) E. Marchese, C. Carrera

Guidance C. Chyz

APT G. Boni

Social Worker N. Sara-Manzo

School Psychologist S. Ramirez-Fernandes

Visitors to Our School All visitors to the school are asked to

report to the office upon entering the

school. Visitors are welcome, however, for

the safety of our students, we need to know

who is in our school and the reason for the

visit. Once approved, you will be asked to

wear a Visitor Pass lanyard

Parents, we respectfully ask that you stop

at the office and allow your children to

continue onto their classrooms.

CSPC NEWS

Terra Cotta Cookie Dough Fundraiser - Thank you for participating and placing orders. The pick up date is scheduled for Dec. 10th, after school in the gym. More details to come. Skate with Santa - All are welcome to join in on the annual fun at the MasterCard Centre. Saturday December 8th, 4-7pm. See flyer for more details. Movie Nights - Thank you to those that came out on November 30th. Looking forward to more movie nights in the new year. Christmas Family Baskets - We have sent information home regarding supporting families in our community this Christmas. Together with our Parish, we are hoping to create a more memorable Christmas for families in need. Donations will be collected until Thursday December 6th. Thank you for your kindness. Meetings held at 6:45pm in the school library. If you would like to contact the CSPC chairs, it can be done through our email address, cspc.transfiguration@tcdsb.org

Save the Date: CSPC Meeting: Tuesday, December 4th @ 6:45pm

Tuesday, January 15th @ 6:45pm

Skate with Santa: Saturday December 8th @ 4:00pm

Movie Night: Thursday, January 17th

With the help of my classmates, we campaigned for

Socks4Souls sock drive. We were very successful and greatly surpassed our goal of 400 pairs. We collected over 550 pairs of socks and all of our volunteers want to thank the school community: thank you students for letting your parents know: thank you parents for going out and buying socks; and thank you teachers for helping to spread the word. Once again, thank you all so much!

Regards, Emilia L.

Ms. Ginocchi and Ms.

Muzzatti’s Grade One

students learned a bunch

about Robert Munsch.

Their projects were a joy

to read.

Well Done!!

Ms. Vaccaro’s Grade 2

students enjoyed

learning about

Endangered Species.

Ms. Collaco and Mrs. Oppedisano’s

students get into the spirit of

Crazy Sweater Day.

Congratulations to our Virtue of

Peace recipients. Thank you for your

gifts of kindness and peacemaking.

Congratulations to Mrs. Dennis and Mrs. Cisorio,

this year’s recipients of the OAPCE Parent

Volunteer Awards.

Thank you for all that you to for our school

community.

Ms. Zurzolo’s grade 5 & 6

students demonstrate their

knowledge and

understanding of Matter.

International Languages Elementary (ILE) Program:

December Update

ILE Survey Conducted in All TCDSB Elementary Schools

On July 12th, the Board of Trustees of the TCDSB approved a motion to survey parents, in all TCDSB

Elementary Schools, from November 13th to November 27th, to determine whether parents wish to continue or

initiate an International Languages program at their child’s school.

We would like to thank everyone that was involved with the delivery, distribution and collection of the

completed ILE survey. We would like to especially thank all families for providing your voice to the process

by completing and returning the survey.

Results of the survey will be compiled and reported to the Board of Trustees in January 2019. This report will

include a list of results by school, including the response rates for each school. However, only schools with the

required threshold of 67% response rate will receive a detailed summary of parent responses.

For updated information regarding the International Languages Elementary (ILE) Program please visit:

https://www.tcdsb.org/programsservices/schoolprogramsk12/internationallanguages/pages/change-to-

international-languages-program.aspx

Wishing you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Held bi-weekly on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month for Grades 5 to 8 on Fridays from 7–9 p.m. at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church until June. The program engages with the youth through snacks, games, skits, teachings, small group discussions and much more. Sign up at the Parish Office. If you have any questions, please visit transchurch.ca/edge/ Next 3 Dates: December 7 - Christmas Social

January 18 - The Pursuit of Happiness

February 1 - The Return

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR Thank you to all our wonderful students, parents and staff who once again helped to make our Scholastic Book Fair a big success! Our total sales were $5,870.80, allowing us to purchase $1,850.00 worth of new books for our Library. Looking forward to another successful Book Fair next year! Remember boys and girls, KEEP READING!!! Thank you to Ms. Nicolucci for organizing this event and to all of our parent volunteers for their assistance.

The

Monthly Update from the Board

December, 2018

Latest Updates on Weather Related

Cancellations or Closures To get the latest information about school bus transportation,

see

https://busplannerweb.torontoschoolbus.org/Cancellations.as

px

Parents are encouraged to subscribe to the transportation

portal to get real time information about any transportation

issues:

https://busplannerweb.torontoschoolbus.org/Subscriptions/L

ogin.aspx

Information is also shared via Twitter. Follow @TCDSB.

For more information:

https://www.tcdsb.org/forstudents/healthandsafety/pages/we

ather-related-safety-concerns.aspx

French Immersion and Extended French

Info Nights:

Dec. 5, 2018 – Feb. 20, 2019 Elementary Schools with French Immersion and Extended

French programs invite their communities to attend

Information Nights as we approach Kindergarten

Registration, which begins Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at

10:00 a.m. The following schools will host French

Immersion Information Nights in December:

St. Cecilia – December 5, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.

St. Benedict – December 11, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.

St. Cyril – December 12, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.

Click here for all French Immersion Info Night dates:

https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SchoolProgramsK

12/FrenchImmersion/Pages/default.aspx

Click here for all Extended French Info Night dates:

https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SchoolProgramsK

12/Extended%20French/Pages/default.aspx

Angel Foundation for Learning Through the Loretto Fund and the Social Work Emergency

Fund the Angel Foundation supports TCDSB students who

are new comers to Canada by helping to offset the costs for

items such as school supplies, uniforms, field trips, groceries

or other necessities to help them settle into school and life in

Canada. You can help support families who have come to

Canada in search of peace donations to The Angel

Foundation for Learning. To learn more about the work of

the Foundation, visit

http://www.angelfoundationforlearning.org/

PA Day Friday, December 7th is a system-wide PA Day (Check with

your local school to confirm)

Christmas Holidays The last day of classes before the Christmas break will be

Friday, December 21, 2018. Schools will reopen on

Monday, January 7th, 2019.

Administrative offices will also be closed starting Saturday

December 22rd and reopening on Wednesday, January 2,

2019.

SAVE THE DATE!

Kindergarten Registration

Begins January 16th at 10 a.m. Visit www.tcdsb.org for details.

Apply online starting January 16th at

https://soar.tcdsb.org

TCDSB Celebrates Advent and

Christmas—Advent Begins December

1st Visit the board’s website for the latest news and information

from TCDSB schools including food and clothing drives,

Christmas baskets for needy families, Christmas concerts

and other special events.

https://www.tcdsb.org/news/othernews/2018/pages/Advent-

and-Christmas.aspx

December’s Virtue is Charity

PRESTO Cards for TCDSB Students Over the past few weeks the Toronto Catholic District

School Board and the Toronto Student Transportation Group

have been working closely with the TTC on the logistics for

providing complimentary PRESTO cards to all students ages

6 to 12 (child cards) and 13 to 19 (youth cards). The purpose

of this initiative is to help students smoothly make the

transition away from TTC passes, and tickets, to the

PRESTO electronic fare card.

Please note that the TTC will stop selling tickets and

tokens on August 3, 2019. The TTC is providing the PRESTO cards to school boards

free of charge.

Watch for more information to come from your school soon.

Mass Schedule

Friday, Sept. 14 Hospitality Thursday, Oct. 11 Gratitude Thursday, Nov. 8 Peace Tuesday, Jan. 22 Christmas Wednesday, Feb. 2 Love Tuesday, March 26 Lent Thursday, April 25 Easter Wednesday, May 22 Marian Mass Thursday, June 20 End of Year Dec. 3, 10, 17 Advent Celebrations

Friday, May 10 Mother Mary Procession

SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE

CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY We will have a Mass for the Immaculate Conception of the

Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday, December 8th, 2018 at

5:30 pm. A candlelight procession followed by a pot luck

dinner in the parish hall has been planned. Everyone is

invited. Rosary starts at 5:00 pm

A 9-day novena have started on November 29th at 8:45 am,

except for Sunday, December 2nd which will be held in the

chapel at 3:00 pm.

CHRISTMAS RAFFLE Enter the Raffle to win :a Christmas Holy Family Scene

(value of $900.00) and a Nativity Scene (value of

$250.00). Tickets are $5.00 each or 5 for $20.00 and they

are available in the parish office. All proceeds will go the

renovation of our church parking lot. Raffle draw will take

place after the12 Noon Mass on Sunday, December 23rd.

~*~

School Year Calendar

2018-2019 Labour Day September 3, 2018

First Day of School September 4, 2018

Thanksgiving Day October 8, 2018

Christmas Break December 24, 2018–

January 4, 2019

Family Day February 18, 2019

Mid-Winter Break March 11-15, 2019

Good Friday April 19, 2019

Easter Monday April 22, 2019

Victoria Day May 20, 2019

Last day of classes June 27, 2019

Seven Professional Activity Days:

October 5, 2018

November 16, 2018

December 7, 2018

January 18, 2019

February 15, 2019

June 7, 2019

June 28, 2019

PARISH NEWS