DECEMBER, 2014

355 Annette Street, Toronto, Ontario M6P 1R3

Lorinda Mazza, Principal Dr. Jim Saraco Barbara Poplawski, Trustee, St. Cecilia Catholic Church Marisa Cicero, Olga Geryluk CSAC Co-Chairs)

Victoria Purri, Vice-Principal Superintendent TCDSB, Ward 10 Father Joseph Tran, Pastor, Teresa Pavlin, CSAC Secretary

Maria Fauceglia, Secretary 416-222-8282 ext. 2486 416-512-3410, 416 -241-7130 416-769-8163 Sandy Moutinho, CSAC Treasurer

Lisa Grise, Carole Mills & Graziella Zampini, Clerk Typists

St. Cecilia Motto: Learning with Hearts, Hands and Minds - Growing in Harmony

St. Cecilia’s C.S.A.C. Dear Parents,

Here is what’s coming up over the next few months:

Overpopulation: Exploring the Challenges and Solutions for St. Cecilia’s

Oversubscription

Dec 10th, 2014 CSAC Meeting – A large por tion of our December parent

council meeting will be dedicated to the topic of “Overpopulation”, a discus-

sion that will be led by our Principal, Lori Mazza. If this topic interests you,

please plan on attending. Everyone is welcome.

EQAO Student Math Test Results

January 14th, 2015 CSAC Meeting – The topic of St. Cecilia student EQAO

scores (large scale, standardized testing for grades 3 and 6), specifically related

to math, will be addressed at the meeting. If you are interested in better under-

standing the results, how St. Cecilia ranks and strategies in place to facilitate

improvement, please come to the meeting.

Social Media Safety for Students and Parents

On February 4th, 2015 CSAC, thanks to a successful PRO Grant application, is

sponsoring renowned expert Paul Davis to come and talk about social media

safety with St. Cecilia students and parents. During the day Paul will be ad-

dressing the topic with students and in the evening there will be a session for

parents. This is a very important issue - Paul will share a wealth of empower-

ing information and valuable tips. Here is Paul’s website: http://

socialnetworkingsafety.net/sample-page/. Please plan to attend.

Wishing everyone a joyous and safe holiday season.

Merry Christmas!

Marisa Cicero & Olga Geryluk

CSAC Co-chairs

Go to www.saintcecilia100.ca

to comment and contribute to our school’s

100th Anniversary.

Vice-Principal’s Message November was a very busy month at St. Cecilia’s.

We were honoured to have His Eminence Thomas

Cardinal Carter join us on the Feast of St. Cecilia and

preside over a mass dedicated to the100th Anniversary

of St. Cecilia C.S. It was truly a wonderful opportuni-

ty to have the students, staff, alumni and community

of St. Cecilia celebrate together with a shared sense

of pride and communion.

The intermediate volleyball teams played well and the

girls’ team won the Divisional championship and rep-

resented our school at the Regional meet. Well done!

This past month the primary students played intramu-

ral soccer and we look forward to the boys and girls

primary soccer teams competing with other schools.

We have now entered the season of Advent, which is

a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the

celebration of the Nativity of our Lord, Jesus. The

gradual lighting of the advent candles symbolizes our

hope and expectation of Our Saviour’s coming into

the world. The evergreen wreath represents the circle

of everlasting life. Advent is a season of prayer and

awakens memories of goodness and opens the doors

of hope. We wish to extend to all of you best wishes

of hope, joy, peace and love for the Christmas season

and beyond. God Bless!

SCHOOL HOURS Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

(416) 393-5218

School Website:

http://stcecilia.tcdsb.org

Page 2

Virtue of the Month: Charity

C’est en revêtant le Christ que l’on peut le plus apporter de charité aux autres.

Mère Teresa

As we enter the season of Advent to

prepare our hearts for the birth of

Jesus, it is rather suitable that this

month’s virtue is CHARITY. Many of

us are already engaging in the mad

rush to purchase gifts to put under the

tree on the 25th, but let us be mindful

of the fact that charity is not always

about giving material things. Our quote for the month is “Where

charity and love are, God is there”. As St. Thomas Aquinas

described it “Charity is friendship first with God and secondly with

all who belong to God." (2a2ae, 25,4). How can we practice charity

and generosity in our community without necessarily giving materi-

al things? This month at name of school we will be demonstrating

charity by preparing Christmas baskets for families in need.

St. Jude Prayer for Advent

Lord Jesus, your power is infinite, your glory, everlasting. Quietly you

come, as a tiny baby. Ready my heart for the miracle of your birth.

Bring light to this dark world, waiting silently for your warmth in the

coldness of the night. Waiting is itself your gift, animating my heart

with anticipation. Bless me with needed patience and faithful disci-

pline to prayerfully prepare to welcome and greet you.

St. Jude, eternal hope, let your holiness flow into me. May Christmas

joy and burning love take root in me and grow until they bloom on

Christmas Day, to carry joy to the world and inspire hope to renew

the face of the earth. Amen.

Christmas Angel Programme

As part of our commitment to nurturing our community through

faith, hope and charity, and in conjunction with the St. Vincent

de Paul Society, our school will help families in need celebrate

Christmas this year. Families will be invited to donate items of

new clothing, toys, food, and toiletries to our Christmas Angel

Programme. Each class will be assigned one family to help.

The deadline for sending in the items is Thursday, December 18th.

Page 3

The St. Cecilia Catholic School’s Centenary Mass was a wonderful celebration. His Eminence, Thomas

Cardinal Collins presided and blessed the 100th anniversary plaque that is to be placed at the entrance

of the school. His inspirational message was full of hope and praise for students, families, teachers and

Catholic Education. Many thanks to all the people who worked endlessly to make this event possible. A

special thank you to Mr. Tuzi and the Centenary Committee for their tremendous efforts and dedication.

TCDSB 2014—2015

SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR

First Day of Classes September 2, 2014

Thanksgiving Day October 13, 2014

Christmas Break Dec 22, 2014–Jan 2, 2015

Family Day February 16, 2015

Mid-Winter Break March 16–20, 2015

Good Friday April 3, 2015

Easter Monday April 6, 2015

Victoria Day May 18, 2015

Last day of classes June 25, 2015

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY DAYS

Nov 14, 2014 Parent-Teacher Conferences

Dec 5, 2014 Faith Day

Jan 23, 2015 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting

Feb 13, 2015 Parent-Teacher Conferences

June 5, 2015 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting

June 26, 2015 Provincial Education Priorities

Page 4

School Masses and Sacraments

December 10 Advent Reconciliation

December 11 @10:00am Advent

January 16 @10:00am Courage

February 18 @12:45pm Ash Wednesday

March 10 @ 10:00 Lent

March 25 Lenten Reconciliation

April 9 @ 12:45pm Easter Mass

Saturday, April 11 Confirmation

April 24 @ 6:00pm Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday, April 25 First Holy Communion

May 22 @ 10:00am Caregivers

June 16 @ 6:30pm Graduation

June 25 @ 10:00am End of Year Mass

Bullying Awareness & Prevention

November 17-21 was Bullying Awareness Week. The students engaged in whole school and classroom activities that

were designated to raise awareness about bullying and the importance of nurturing a safe, positive, inclusive and accept-

ing school climate. Members of the Safe School Team were invited to attend the annual ‘Bullying Awareness and Pre-

vention Symposium’ where they participated enthusiastically in interactive presentations that promoted positive school

climate and provided strategies for team-building.

On November 21st Glee Club and Perseverance presented at our school’s anti-bullying assembly. Perseverance students

worked together to dramatize scenarios of bullying incidents that happen in schools and came up with resolutions to the

problem. Glee Club enthusiastically sang and danced to two inspirational songs, “Count on Me,” by Bruno Mars and

“Put your hearts up,” by Ariana Grande, that both focused on how individuals can push themselves to be supportive and

positive towards the people around them. Club members read stories and a poem to engage our school students to be

more conscious of their interactions with each other. The Glee Club and Perseverance Club hope that this presentation

will inspire students to be upstanders, not bullies, in every aspect of their lives. (Mrs. Kowalenko & Ms. Wallace)

Intermediate Volleyball The Intermediate Girls Volleyball team did an amazing job at Divisionals, with a close

2 point win in the finals. They moved on to Regionals and we won a good two sets and

had a third place overall standing in our region. We would like to thank Mr. Bor-

dignon and Mr. Thirwall for being outstanding coaches and helping us to succeed!

Congratulations to the team members: Magda K, Olivia R, Ana G, Sophie H, Caroline

P, Pamela D, Hayley M, Brianna M, Melissa L, Alessia B, Olivia O, Tiana M, Em-

meline B, Angel S, Betty S, and Candus C. You all played very well and did your best.

Go Tigers!!! (by: Olivia and Ana)

The Intermediate Boys Volleyball team competed at the Divisionals and displayed great

sportsmanship and skill. Congratulations to the team members: Nikola , Yosef , Lucas,

Connor, Liam, Jonah, Max, Carlos, Quintan, Sam, Phillip, and Dylan. Thank you to Mr.

Thirwall and Mr. MacLeod for your all of your dedication to coaching this great group of

boys!

WE ARE ONE!! The intermediate students of both St. Cecilia and St. Rita Catholic

Schools will receive these bracelets to remember their time spent together

in friendship and community.

“On behalf of the Director, Associate Director, Trustee Poplawski and the Superintendent of Facili-ties, I want to thank the St. Rita and St. Cecilia com-munities for their patience, caring and hospitality during construction. You have truly demonstrated our Board’s goals of building nurturing and caring communities and living our values. Kindly accept these bracelets to be a visible reminder of the friendships and community that were developed and continue to be nurtured. I wish you all a blessed Christmas.” Dr. Jim Saraco,

Superintendent of Achievement and Wellness

St. Cecilia Choir Sings at the Legislative Assembly!

On Tuesday November 25th, the St. Cecilia Junior Choir had the

opportunity to sing on the grand staircase at Queen's Park Legisla-

tive Assembly. The choir sang Christmas carols beautifully for a

half hour to parents, MPP's and staff members. The choir took a

tour of the building after their performance. A special thanks to

Mr. Treen for accompanying us on the piano!

(Mrs. Spalding)

Page 6

Reminder:

Friday, December 5 is a system-wide Professional Activity Day.

Christmas Break is from December 22-January 2.

Classes will resume on Monday, January 5, 2015.

St. Cecilia Church News

21st Annual Christmas Bazaar & Raffle:

Saturday, December 6th—9:00am - 1:30pm

First Communion Classes:

There will be no First Communion classes on December 21st.

Classes will resume on January 11th.

Artist in the School

St. Cecilia’s grade six students are excited to be working with the artist, Maureen Walton, on a mural outside

of the gym. Maureen collaborated with teachers and administration to put together a representation of Saint

Cecilia, but also the school community. Images of students planting a seed, playing instruments, the original

building, nature and of course our tiger, are all different aspects of the mural. Students have been using vibrant

colours to reflect our vibrant and energetic team of students, teachers and parent community. This fantastic

piece of artwork is a wonderful tribute to celebrate St. Cecilia’s 100th

year and will be enjoyed by many students, teachers and community

members for many years to come. Thank you to Maureen Walton for

her inspirational art that she has shared with St. Cecilia’s.

(Mrs. Kowalenko)

PARKING PROBLEMS

Our staff and teachers at St. Cecilia are continu-

ously experience difficulty obtaining a parking

spot, especially in the morning in our school

parking lot. Please do not use the staff parking

lot between 8:00am—3:30pm. Parents want-

ing to drop-off or pick-up their children, must do

so on Evelyn Avenue. Keep in mind that the

area in front of the school is a bus-loading zone,

please do NOT park in the bus loading zone –

PICK-UP OR DROP-OFF only please! Unau-

thorized vehicles will be TAGGED AND/OR

TOWED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE.

Please do not block the parked vehicles or the

north fence, this is a fire hazard. Please note that

there is extra parking on Evelyn Avenue north of

Annette Street and your children can cross safely

with our crossing guard.

Page 5

Harbourfront Centre Fun

On October 30th, the Grade 1 French Immersion

classes went to the Harbourfront Centre where we

participated in 2 fun workshops on working with

clay and kite-making. The students had a great time

making very unique clay masks and colourful kites.

Our students had the opportunity to have both work-

shops conducted in French! The teachers and stu-

dents would like to thank the parent volunteers who

helped to make this day a great success.

(Mme. Czulo, Mme. Macri & Mme. Myrthil)

Guidance Corner

We All Belong – Bullying Awareness Week

Bullying Awareness Week was November 17th – 21

st and it served as a reminder that the elimination of

bullying behaviour will only occur if parents, students and staff work together. We encourage students to speak up if they are victims. We remind bystanders to stand up for those who are being bullied. And we remind par-ents to work in conjunction with the staff to settle any issues that may arise.

And above all, we should always remember that “We All Belong”. Let us celebrate our differences and make everyone feel a part of our community. We all deserve to feel accepted.

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

December 6th is Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. On this day 25 years ago, 14 young women at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal died because they were women.

As well as commemorating the 14 young women whose lives ended in an act of gender-based violence that shocked the nation, December 6 represents an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on the phenomenon of violence against wom-en in our society. It is also an opportunity to consider the women and girls for whom violence is a daily reality, and to remember those who have died as a result of gender-based violence. And finally, it is a day on which communities can consider concrete actions to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.

Season’s Greetings

Mr. Amato, the TCDSB Elementary Guidance Counsellors, and the Student Success team would like to wish the school community a Blessed Christmas and good wishes throughout the New Year.

JK/SK Christmas Concert:

Tuesday, December 16 @ 1:00 p.m.

Christmas Concert

(Grades –English SK, 1, 3, 6 and

Instrumental Band):

Wednesday, December 18 @ 6:30 p.m.

at St. Cecilia Church

Page 8

Nominations Open for TCDSB Alumni and

Merit Awards:

Deadline January 16, 2015

Do you know a member of our community who is a wit-

ness to the gospel values of our Catholic faith and who is

transforming the world through faith, innovation and ac-

tion? Nominate them for an award: http://www.tcdsb.org/

Board/NurturingOurCatholicCommunity/

CatholicEducationWeek/Pages/AwardsNight.aspx

Catholic School Advisory Councils Invited

to Training Session

Goal Setting, Multi-Year Plans, Making Meetings Matter

December 3, 2014, 7-9 p.m.

Catholic Education Centre, 80 Sheppard Avenue East

Details here: CSAC - December training flyer.pdf

Other Dates to Note

December 3rd—International Day of Persons with Disabil-

ities http://www.tcdsb.org/News/othernews/2014/Pages/

International-Day-of-Persons-with-Disabilities.aspx

December 5th—Board-wide Professional Activity Day (no

classes for students)

December 10th—International Human Rights Day http://

www.tcdsb.org/News/othernews/2014/Pages/Human-

Rights-Day.aspx

December 22nd to January 2nd—Christmas Break

January 1st—International Day of Peace-“Slaves no more,

but brothers and sisters” http://www.tcdsb.org/News/

othernews/2015/Pages/International-Day-of-Peace.aspx

Monthly Update from the

Board

December 2014

Reporting of cancellations or closures due to inclem-

ent weather

Winter weather arrived early this year. Please note that

any cancellations or closures due to inclement weather

will be reported before 7 a.m. Best place to get the info

quickly is through Twitter @TCDSB (please follow

us), the board’s website www.tcdsb.org and the 24-hour

telephone information line 416-222-8282 ext. 2873.

Policy Consultation

The Board invites parents, students and staff to partici-

pate in a review of draft policies. Your input is encour-

aged into the following policies:

Draft Policy for Catholic School Advisory Councils

(CSACs)

Draft Policy on Secondary School Admission and

Placement

Details are posted on the board’s website: http://

www.tcdsb.org/news/othernews/2014/pages/

consultation-csac-and-admissions-policies.aspx

We look forward to hearing from you.

Kindergarten Registration Starts January

2015

Please visit the board’s website at www.tcdsb.org to fill

out the application forms online, and find out more

about the registration process.

Registration (online and in person) begins at 10 a.m.

on January 8th.

High School Students Reminded About Ap-

plication Deadlines

University Application Deadline is January 14th

http://www.ouac.on.ca/deadlines/

College Application Deadline is February 1st

http://www.ontariocolleges.ca/apply/important-dates

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES 2014 – 2015

Ward 1 Joseph Martino Ward 2 Ann Andrachuk Ward 3 Sal Piccinnini Ward 4 Patrizia Bottoni Ward 5 Maria Rizzo Ward 6 Frank D’Amico Ward 7 Michael Del Grande, Chair Ward 8 Gary Tanuan Ward 9 Barbara Poplawski Ward 10 Angela Kennedy Ward 11 Nancy Crawford, Vice-Chair

Hanna McGroarty, Student Trustee Chris MacDonald, Student Trustee Angela Gautier, Director of Education