St. Gregory Catholic School Newsletter 126 Rathburn Road, Etobicoke, Ontario, M9B 2K6 Telephone: (416) 393-5262 Fax: (416) 393-5189

Visit us: http://stgregorytoronto.com and follow us on Twitter @StGregoryCS

St. Gregory Parish Superintendent: Mr. D. Yack 416-222-8282 Principal: J. Pannozzo Fr. John Bertao Trustee: Mrs. A. Andrachuk 416-512-3402 Vice Principal: A. Pires (416) 239-4831 CSPC Co-Chairs: P. Vokins /A. Grnak Secretary: C. Pulcini Clerk Typist: S. Shanahan

MARCH 2016

The season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday, February 10th, 2016. Our school celebrated with an Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Gregory Catholic Church. It was so nice to see so many families join us at mass.

Friday, March 4th, 2016 is the Word Day of Prayer and we will recognize this very special day through morning prayers and the First Communion students have been invited by the CWC to participate at the Church. Please note that the March Break begins on Monday, March 14th and the students return on Monday, March 21st. Enjoy the March Break with your children and many blessings for a Holy Easter. Sincerely, J. Pannozzo

An Easter Prayer

God of Promise and God of Hope,

who through your great mercy have granted us new birth

through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ,

we praise your wonderful name! God of Glory and God of Might who through your great power have granted us new strength

to endure all things through faith in Christ our risen King,

we praise your wonderful name!

Amen

THE WORLD DAY OF PRAYER

Friday, March 4th, 2016 The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement which brings Christians of many traditions together to observe a common day of prayer each year. To mark this special day, St. Gregory’s Catholic Women’s Council has invited our First Communion students to join in on this celebration at the church hall by contributing artwork and prayers and shepherding the celebration through song. Through our participation in the World Day of Prayer, we affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence on the world.

VIRTUE OF THE MONTH “Forgive anything you may have against anyone, so that your Father in heaven will forgive the wrongs you have done.” Mark 11:25 How timely that the virtue for March is FORGIVENESS. Not only because we are in the season of Lent but also because it is an important cornerstone of our faith and one that Jesus modeled for us in His life and death. We are reminded that forgiveness is a gift to ourselves as we let go of the burden of resentment when we forgive another person and it’s a gift to our children when we teach and model it to them.

Mental Health Benefits of Prayer During Lent we are encouraged to engage in almsgiving, fasting and prayer. Our focus this month is on prayer and its many benefits. Prayer offers emotional comfort and reduces stress by: offering a sense of comfort and hope, creating a positive frame of mind, stress relief, and increases feelings of unity and trust. Engaging in daily prayer with students gives them the opportunity to deepen their relationship with God and their community. It also offers a sense of emotional comfort that everyone can benefit from. See www.childdevelopmentinfo.com (provides information related to child development, psychology, health, parenting, learning, media, entertainment, and family activities) Information obtained from: M. Hartwell-Walker, Ed.D; P. Gray, Psychologist; http://www.helpguide.org

In an ongoing effort to promote Math learning we are always looking at ways to support our children. We are very excited about a learning partnership with our family of schools this year. Along with Nativity of Our Lord CS and Mother Cabrini, we are part of a Math project exploring attitudes about Math. We know that with the right mindset children can enhance their learning of Mathematics. The work of Jo Boaler is the foundation for our learning. She has outlined seven norms that students can use as a tool to encourage their learning in Mathematics. The norms are: Everyone can learn math to the highest levels* ; Mistakes are valuable* ; Questions are really important; Math is about creativity and making sense; Math is about connections and communicating; Math class is about learning and not performing; Depth is more important than speed (*focus this school year) . We have started our project by administering a survey to all students from JK-grade 8 to help them self- assess and to provide teachers with more information about students’ attitudes in Mathematics. Included in the newsletter is a copy of the survey that was administered, to provide you with the opportunity to discuss the survey with your child(ren). With this information, teachers will be focusing on ways to setting up positive norms in Mathematics. Welcome to our journey! Great Resource for Parents: https://www.youcubed.org/parents/

A CERTIFICATE OF ACHEIVEMENT is awarded to the students who

consistently demonstrated the ability to organize throughout the month of

January & February. Congratulations to all!

Learning Skill: RESPONSIBILITY

TEACHER JANUARY Hall of Famers

FEBRUARY Hall of Famers

Ms. J. Rosa Mason R., Tyffani T.,

Jameson N., Alessia M.

Christian S., Frank C.,

Jacob F., Lee N.

Ms. Andreacchi Noah B., John G., Elizabeth R. Andrea J-M., Alexa M., Noah J.

Mrs. Salmond Kaya F., Ava J., Victor I. Julia G., Nicholas M., Raquel G.

Ms. Maxwell/

Ms. Santelli

Michael K., Aiden H., Joseph R. Aiden B., Alexandros M., Frances L-G.

Mrs. Roy Mackenzie K., Ema M. Gerard P., Stella P.

Mrs. Ceddia Sofia A., Connor M. Michael D., Giorgia D.

Ms. Mulvihill Knowlton M., Matteo B. Micaela D., Madison M.

Mrs. Barone Ruby D., Alexander V. Laura C., Mekenzie C.

Mrs. Alberton Colin S., Joseph G. Samantha L., Gabriel F.

Mrs. Gentile Adriana M., Anthony F. Kyle L-B., Troy D-C

Mrs. Yetman Gabriella O., Sarah C. Stefano M., Olivia K.

Mrs. Loughlin Sofia R. Samuel W-A

Mrs. Brajuka Aleksandra L. Harry Z.

Mrs. Steponaitis Alexander D., Macar P. Analiese S., Mason C.

Mr. Zinko Ethan B., Charlotte Q. Travis J., Lindsay K.

Ms. Hetmanczuk David G-R., Andrew P., Francesco R. Maria C., Austen J., Jack M.

Ms. Micallef Nicholas G., Renee P., Lucas H. Victoria L., Alexander S., Blake R.

Mrs. Hall Tea P., Tessa D., Joseph M. Jimmy R., Joshua B.

Mrs. Quartarone Carli Q., Matteo G. Esrom A., Stephen W., Martina C-V

Mrs. Cicirelli Alexis D., Vanessa P. Mya R., Robert G.

Mr. Natalino Adam D., Emily C. Hailey F., Alexander I.

Mr. Vennare Joseph S., Sydney P., Samantha B. Lucas A., Julia D., Brandon G.

Mr. De Medeiros Marc A., Stephen M., Peter P. Theresa T., Mariana C., Andrew H.

Mme. Kusic Marina G., Natalie S. Zoey-P., Martina F.

Mrs. Botelho Kaitlyn D., Francesca G., Lauren R. Sophia C., Mitchell L. Erik S.

Ms. Salza Amy B., Michael A., Lukash D. Anne G., Alyce V.

Mrs. Silvestre Joe V., Kadia B. Emily A., Lauren P.

Mme. Carniel Carlos P-O., Kleidi B. Ryan H., Antony S.

Mrs. Pitoscia James R., Vince J. Michael D., Myles S.

Mrs. Pires Matthew L. Christine S.

LOST AND FOUND Items regularly make their way to our Lost and

Found. Please invite you and your children to check for misplaced/lost items on an ongoing basis. Given that our bins are full to overflowing. We will be donating all unclaimed items at the end of March.

PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES While the TCDSB has established a BYOD- Bring Your Own Device protocol for the academic use of electronic

devices in the classroom setting at the teacher’s

discretion, the social use of such devices is NOT allowed. The school’s recommendation continues to be that

electronic devices be left at home. If they are brought to

school, they are to be powered off once having arrived to

school (not just once in the building or classroom) and

put away for the duration of the school day.

Students will NOT be granted permission to respond to texts or messages

on their devices. Should you, as the parent/guardian, need to contact

them, in an urgent or emergency situation, please contact the school at

416-393-5262. Your support is very much appreciated.

ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL

AFTER HOURS At times, students forget items at school and return to the school after hours. We will assist students or parents when available. However, if administration is not present at the school we ask that parents or students do not enter the building/classroom. We encourage all students to continue to be responsible and diligent about recording and packing their homework.

Toronto Police Liaison Officer Rich will be visiting St. Gregory on Monday, March 21st, to meet with our grade 6 students about Substance Abuse and grade 2 students about 9-1-1.

The CSPC BRICKS Student Recognition Award recognizes students in Grade 8 who exhibit the qualities of Belonging, Respect, Integrity, Character, and Kindness (BRICKS). Each Grade 8 student received a package with their application form and is encouraged to apply. The BRICKS Foundation Builder Award recognizes those that have made a positive, lasting contribution to the St. Gregory Community exhibiting the BRICKS qualities. Presentations, application forms and contact information is available at: http://school.stgregorytoronto.com/awards.html. Due date: May 2nd, 2016. We look forward to receiving your applications!

Wed., Feb. 10th was WEAR PINK Day in support of Breast Cancer Research. A total of $560.10 was raised for this worthy cause.

Through the Bubble Gum Guessing contest, $105 was raised. These proceeds will go to the Angel Foundation. Congrats to Rory Nicol who guessed the winning number of gum balls!

SAVE THE

DATE!

Thurs., May 12th, 6:00pm-9:00pm

Be sure not to

miss this wonderful opportunity to showcase

your talent. Whether you like to paint,

sculpt, knit, sew, build or have a creative eye

in photography, your donated Art &/or Craft

will help make this event successful. If you

would like to donate art or crafts for the

silent auction, please contact Mr. Vennare at

the school or email Mrs. Tenuta:

tenutal@smh.ca

What a fantastic way

to celebrate nutrition,

raise awareness of

various food

discussions, and

encourage a sense of

both school and

national unity!

This year’s Big Apple

Crunch takes place on

March 10th, 2016 at

2:30pm EST!

CSPC thanks Longo’s

at Ponytrail, who

helped us defer some

of the cost.

#greatbigcrunch

Thurs. Mar. 10th will be CSPC’s annual Dance-a-Thon. More information and pledge forms will be sent home shortly.

Kidssentials Hot Lunch for April – June available to order online the first week of March

Field Trip Cancellation Policy Update for Kidssentials Lunch Dates:

If you have ordered a Kidssentials lunch on a date your child will be away on a field trip, please contact Kidssentials to cancel the meal as soon as you receive the field trip form. Kindly provide as much notice as possible – 2 business days’ notice or more - to help them plan most efficiently. Last minute cancellations are accepted until 8am on the day of the cancellation. Employment Opportunities: If you live in the Oakville/Mississauga area and would like a part-time job working while your child is in school, contact us today and apply by phone or email. Kidssentials may be contacted at: 905.855.1914 | mail@kidssentials.com | http://www.kidssentials.com

Swim Team practices will

be on Mar. 5th, Mar. 19th,

and Mar. 26th.

Prelims will be on April 2nd

and the finals on April 3rd.

All families are invited to participate in St. Gregory’s Family Math

Night coming up on Tuesday, March 22nd at 7:00-8:15 p.m. . We

will be presenting engaging activities that highlight effective

math strategies and resources for parents to support their

children's math learning at home and at school.

February was a busy month in athletics at St. Gregory. The basketball season was in full swing. The boys’ basketball team travelled to St. Francis De Sales for an invitational tournament and travelled to Our Lady of Sorrows for their

divisional tournament. The boys came up short in each tournament but worked hard and had fun. On Wed., Feb. 17th, the Intermediate Girls Basketball Team participated in the Divisional Tournament. The team went undefeated

finishing an impressive first in the round-robin. The team advanced to the finals, where they placed second over-all, to an exciting and challenging game against Nativity of Our Lord. Thank you to Mrs. Hall who convened the Divisional

Tournament, as well as, coached the team with Mr. De Medeiros and Mr. Cooper. We also like to thank student volunteers Malachi F., George C., Charlize B., Tessa D., Joseph M., and Noah S., for assisting with the smooth running of the tournament. The Coaches are proud of the girls and want to commend the players on demonstrating skills and good sportsmanship throughout the season. The Hockey season was also in full swing at St. Gregory. The co-ed hockey team travelled to Albion arena for the Monsignor Percy Johnson Invitational tournament. The team played well but lost in the semi-finals to Our Lady of Sorrows in overtime. The team’s next tournament is the Marlies’ Meltdown Tournament in late February. St. Gregory’s girls’ hockey team is practicing once a week in preparation for two tournaments in March. In addition to hockey and basketball, the junior boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams are practicing every day in preparation for their divisional tournaments in late March.

Cooper’s Corner