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May 2013 – Volume 43 – Issue 09

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE PARENTS / CAREGIVERS OF OUR STUDENTS

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PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Dear Parents, Caregivers, Guardians and Community Members, May is here with its blooming flowers and green leaves starting to come out … also, first time in nine years, the Toronto Maple Leafs are in the playoffs! … Spring is definitely in full swing, and now, we can really appreciate the fact that we are in the home stretch of the school year. As we head into a busy May (and even busier month of June) the students will be writing two standardized assessments – CAT4 for grades 2, 5, and 7 and the EQAO assessment for grades 3 and 6. Our track and field teams will participate in the regional, divisional and city meets this month. May is also the month of Mary, our blessed mother in heaven and on the 13th we crown Mother Mary and pay homage to her. We thank all our parent volunteers and grand-parents who were able to attend our little tea reception in April. It was quite heart-warming to meet you. Yours in Catholic education

 Jean E. Stépanian (at the top of the page) These are the names of flowers representing the month of May in both Eastern and Western floral calendars. (The English flower is on the left, the Japanese flower is in the center and the Chinese flower is on the right.) As the seasons progress the flowers begin to hold more mystery and more color - blushing but exhuberent Hawthorne, sweet-scented

Magnolia and Regal Iris. In China the Magnolia bears the name of the legendary warrior princess who was a 'late-bloomer', Mulan. English Calendar = Hawthorne Chinese Calendar = Magnolia (Mu Lan) symbol of Feminine Sweetness Japanese Calendar = Iris (Ayame) PARENT COUNCIL NEWS Catholic School Advisory Council  

2012-2013 Our next and final CSAC meeting of this year will be held on Monday, May 27th, 2013 in the Staff Lounge, at 7:00 pm.

O Jesus, Divine Master, I thank and bless Your most merciful Heart for having given us Mary most holy as our

Mother, Teacher and Queen. From the cross You placed us all in her

hands. You gave her a great heart, much wisdom

and immense power. May all of us know her, pray to her!

May all permit themselves to be led by her to You, the Savior of mankind!

I placed myself in her hands, as You placed Yourself.

With Mother Mary I want to live now, in the hour of my death, and for all eternity.

Amen

St. BART’S SPORTS

JUNIOR Boys & Girls 2013 Volleyball Our Junior Volleyball teams had their tournaments on April 16th (boys) & 18th (girls). The Boys’ team competed at St. Dominic Savio and came third overall; and the Girls’ team had their tournament on home turf at St. Bart’s. Both teams played their hardest, and everyone had fun and even made new friends. I’m extremely proud of all of you! A hearty thanks to Mrs. Di Salle and Mr. Liberto, who gave up their time to assist with training the teams. We’re grateful for all the support you have given us. See you next season!

Ms. Li (coach)

…Faith and Knowledge … with sincerity of heart and mind…

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2012-2013 Junior Boys Volleyball

Team David Z. (captain)

Luca R. Jumar T. Zach J.

Aaron O. Johne Q. Otto Y.

Gerard F. Ben R.

Matthew P. Vincent B. Matthew Y. Joseph L.

2012-2013 Junior

Girls Volleyball Team

Sydney S. (captain) Marielle L. (co-

captain) Julia G.

Melissa L. Alexia S.

Vasjana S. Kayleigh S. Jhasmine C.

Mary R. Diana L. Josea T. Nyla W.

Jessie L-S. Marissa T.

Included in this issue: sample photos of some of our various

school activities… more pictures will be found in our new yearbook.

St. Bartholomew Catholic School ‐ 51 Heather Road, Toronto (Scarborough), ON M1S 2E2 Telephone: (416) 393-5334 Fax: (416) 397-6086 - Administrative Assistant: Shanti Fernandes – Head Custodian: Nick Mozzo - Superintendent: Barbara McMorrow (416) 222-8282 ext. 2263 –

Trustee: Garry Tanuan at (416) 512-3408 – Parish: St. Bartholomew Church 59 Heather Road, Scarborough, ON, M1S 2E2 – Tel: 416-291-5250; Pastor: Fr. Fred Foley

Enrolment: 120+ - Hours of Operation: 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. - Lunch Hour: 12:05 noon to 1:05 p.m. – Lunch Supervisor: Valanteen Dadlani; Diana Medina (FDELK) -

Principal: J. E. Stépanian

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La PASTORALE: OUR CATHOLIC FAITH

Compassion For the month of May we are focusing on the virtue of COMPASSION. Our quote is from John’s Gospel,” Jesus saw her weeping...his heart was touched, and he was deeply moved.” John 11:33 True compassion is not always easy to practice as in the words of Jean Vanier “Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish.” 1. Try to show compassion by thinking about how your words make people feel. • Think before you speak. • Your words have power. 2. Try to show compassion by thinking about how your actions make people feel. • The Golden Rule (“Do to others as you would have them do to you” Matthew 7:12) should always guide you. • Actions often speak louder than words. 3. Try to show compassion by understanding WHY someone is acting the way he/she does. • You never REALLY know what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes. • Instead of reacting to people’s moods, make an effort to understand people’s moods. 4. Try to show compassion by being considerate to other people. • When you do things to help others, everyone feels better. • Simple acts of kindness can be greatly appreciated by people.

Catholic Education Week: Growing Together in Faith

Our school community will celebrate Catholic Education Week 2013 in ways that are appropriate to our students’ age. We invite

you to participate in one or other of these activities as your personal time and work schedule may permit. There are five sub-themes for each day of Catholic Education Week:

Monday – Faith that is Rooted Tuesday – Faith that is Nurtured Wednesday – Faith that is Discerned Thursday – Faith that is Witnessed Friday – Faith that is Celebrated

Every year, the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) provides our Catholic schools with a resource kit to help schools prepare for Catholic Education Week. Using these resources as well as our own developed activities we have prepared a series of activities which will highlight how our school is ‘Growing Together in Faith’.

WELLNESS: SAFE, CARING & HEALTHY

SCHOOL What to ask your kids “After commuting, cooking dinner and doing household chores, the average [British] parent has just 30 minutes to devote to their children in the evenings, “ reports The Daily Telegraph. “However, parenting experts believe just 12 minutes a day may be enough for mothers and fathers to fully reconnect with their child – as long as they ask the right questions.” (Ages 3-4) “Who is taller- mummy or your teacher?” (Ages 4-8) “Can you act out what you did at [recess]?” “Give you three guesses what I did today!” (Ages 8-14) “I’ve got a great story for you but I want one in return – you first!” “Where are you off to with your friends this week?”

Globe & Mail, April 26, 2013 – Social Studies, Michael Kesterton

mkesterton@globeandmail.com

Long-distance composers Many composers, such as Beethoven and Tchaikowsky, required a long daily walk to keep their ideas flowing, writes Mason Currey, author of Daily Rituals: How Artists Work. “The most extreme example is the French composer Erik Satie, who each morning would walk from his home in a Paris suburb to the city’s Montmartre district, a district of about 10 kilometres. There he would visit friends, work on his compositions in cafés, eat dinner and go out drinking – often missing the last train home, in which case he would walk back again, slipping into bed just before sunrise (and then getting up and walking back a few hours later).”

Globe & Mail, April 26, 2013 – Social Studies, Michael Kesterton

mkesterton@globeandmail.com Nutrition School Program: Healthy snacks will continue to be distributed on Tuesdays, and Thursdays. For our last school Term the final remaining dates so far are as follows: May 7, 9, 15, 16, 21, 23, 28 and 30. Students can only participate in this program by bringing in their signed permission form. Choral Speaking Success at the Music Festival!

Congratulations to our kindergarten class on giving such a wonderful performance at St. Patrick’s Auditorium on April 16th. The students were, in the adjudicator’s own words, “very impressive”, “very expressive”, “very focused” and had “great group dynamics”. Staff and parent

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supervisors were also quite pleased that students were well-mannered & respectful to everyone they met. They remembered to be the best people they could be, & we were proud of both their success & polite behaviour.

When we returned to school, students, families and the children enjoyed ice cream cones, which were prepared with the assistance of some very helpful parents. Ms. D’Sousa and her Grade 8 students (our computer buddies who helped us research the 28 flavours of Bleezer’s ice cream) came to join in our ice cream party. We all had fun and enjoyed our special treat to celebrate this occasion.

Thank you to all who helped in the preparation for this event, which was also our first field trip on a bus! We look forward to another fantastic field trip before the school year is over – stay tuned for details!

Mrs. Tracey

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Montreal Grad Trip Notes April 2013

For our 2013 graduation trip, we

spent four days and three nights in Montreal. We had an opportunity to see and take part in many of the spectacular activities Montréal is known for.

After a long, but adventurous bus ride and everybody’s eyebrows being well groomed, we arrived in Montréal where we were greeted by Louie, for a guided tour of Old Montreal. Our walking tour included information on history, construction and many stories of Old Montreal. We all marvelled at the architectural beauty that has been preserved in Old Montreal, from the Bank of Montréal Headquarters to the old cathedral like buildings that lined the streets. We then headed to our hotel to check in at the Nouvel Hotel. It was a nice and cozy place, but as we later found out, we would not be staying indoors for too long.

Before returning to Old Montréal for

the scavenger hunt, we were treated to a wonderful dinner at Briskets Restaurant and had the opportunity to try Briskets' famous smoked meat sandwich served with French fries and coleslaw. The scavenger hunt gave us an opportunity to get acquainted not only with Old Montreal, but with the students and staff from Holy Spirit, as we divided into groups for the hunt. As well, the activity brought out the competitive side in many, as some of us did not give up easily during the scavenger hunt, despite pulled leg muscles and sugar induced highs and lows. Our first night in Montréal ended with a one hour walk back to our hotel.

Although the second day began with an early 6:30am wake up call, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast at Nickels, a restaurant which we discovered was owned by Celine Dion. The day planned was jammed packed from morning to night. In our guided tour of the Notre Dame Basilica, we learned about the history and importance of the Catholic religion to French Canadian society, in Montreal's oldest Catholic Church. Notre Dame Basilica is known for its intricately designed interior, which includes stained glass chronicling the history of the city, and was breathtaking to all.

The guided tour of Pointe-a-

Callière Museum allowed us to further develop our understanding of the foundations of aboriginal habitats, and the documentary film at the museum brought the history to life in a fun and exciting approach. The archaeology museum of Montréal looked at the history of the region dating back hundreds of years.

Later that afternoon, we embarked

on a self-guided tour of Saint Joseph's Oratory. The Basilica's huge dome is second only in height to that of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. The founder, Saint Brother André, who had initiated its construction in 1904, houses a relic of his heart on display.

We ended the afternoon at Beaver

Lake on Mount Royal. Unfortunately, we discovered that the lake was under construction, but we made the most of our free time and enjoyed fun, cooperative team building activities, like man hunt.

Although we were not dressed for

the occasion as we would have liked, dinner at L'Académie in St-Denis was delightful. The popular choice of filet of chicken Venetian style with vegetables and potatoes was highlighted as one of the best meals of the trip. The already event-filled day continued with bowling at Champion Lanes. Everyone enjoyed the challenge of classmates and teachers to see who the top scorer would be.

Day Three was another 7:30am

start, with breakfast at Chez Cora. We then headed out to visit the Biodome and experience the cable car ride at the Olympic

Park. We were all amazed at the five different ecosystems, with live animals in simulated habitats in the Biodome. The penguins’ observatory was definitely the most popular among the many displays. The cable car ride to the top of “The Big O” in Olympic Park was an amazing experience for many as well as the view of Montreal from that point is beyond words. We then spent the afternoon having lunch in Old Montréal and got some shopping time in the Underground Montréal shopping centre.

Our last dinner together would be

historical, literally, as we ate a traditional French Canadian dinner at Erablière La Goudrelle. The dinner consisted of fresh bread, creton, pork rinds, pea soup, cooked and smoked ham, maple sausages, omelette, roast potatoes, baked beans, coleslaw, pancakes, homemade donuts, maple sugar tarts and milk. For dessert, we were treated to the cabane à sucre experience, which filled every sweet tooth. Luckily, most of us were dressed to impress, as the night ended with an impromptu dance.

On our last day in Montreal, we got

to experience the metro subway, as we headed to our last destination, the Bell Centre. Although loyal Leaf fans protested the activity by wearing Leafs team attire, the guided tour of the Bell Centre was interesting, as it gave us a look behind the scenes of the home of the Montréal Canadiens, from the press box to the locker room.

Overall, the grad trip to Montréal

was enjoyable, informative and memorable, with the friendships built and memories to last a lifetime. Who would have thought learning could be this much fun?

Sincèrement,

Adam, Amy, Anda, Anesa, Brendan, Domonique, Grace, Nicolette, Nina,

Osasere, Shelley, Tyler and Ms. L. D’Souza

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