Contact Information

200 Old Sheppard Toronto, Ontario,

416.393.5319

Anna Garibotti Principal

Rosalinda DeMiglio

Secretary

Marlene Smith-Anthony Chester Sisouw CSAC Chairs

Peter Aguiar

416.222.8282 x2267 Superintendent

Angela Kennedy

416.222.8282 x3411 Trustee

Hours of Operation

9:00 Entrance 10:42-10:57 Recess 11:45-12:45 Lunch 2:10-2:25 Recess

3:30 Dismissal

ENROLLMENT: 270

Holy Spirit Parish

3526 Sheppard Ave. E. 416.293.7974

Rev. Slawomir Glowacz Pastor

Debbie Scott

Lay Pastoral Minister

Saturday Mass 4:30 p.m.

Sunday Mass 9:00 a.m.

11:00 a.m.

St. Gerald Catholic School Faith in Action

Principal’s Message

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)

During the month of October, we will focus on the virtue of gratitude. At St. Gerald, we have much to be grateful for and we encourage our students to learn the grammar of gratitude by saying “thank you” and by demonstrating appreciation for those around them. Small acts of kindness like holding the door open help gratitude flourish in our community. We encourage students to accept our life as a gift, and most importantly to give their time and energy to help others. We are grateful to have a wonderful Catholic School Parent Council (CSPC) that devotes much time and energy to enriching the lives of students at our school. We had our annual election in September and congratulate our new and returning CSPC members: CSPC 2017-2018 Executive Chair: Marlene Anthony-Smith Vice Chair: Chester Sisouw Secretary: Treasure Greaux Treasurer: Ruth Lyn Voting Members: Filippina Abate, Antonella Barone, Jennifer Katsoulis, Maria Serenno, Carol Smith, Ben Xavier All parents are invited to join our monthly Monday meetings. Our next meeting is on October 16th at 6:30 pm in the school staffroom. On behalf of the staff of St. Gerald Catholic School, our Superintendent Peter Aguiar, and our Trustee Angela Kennedy, we would like to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy time with your family and friends!

Anna Garibotti

STG Newsletter October 2017

NEW REGISTRANTS WELCOME

Apply online: soar.tcdsb.org Call TCDSB Admissions Department at

416-222-8282, ext. 5320.

Please follow me on Twitter and find out the latest St. Gerald news:

@GaribottiAM

Catholic School Parent Council (CSPC) Meetings 2017-2018

6:30 p.m., Staffroom October 16, 2017 November 6, 2017 December 4, 2017

January 15, 2018 February 5, 2018 March 5, 2018 April 9, 2018 May 7, 2018

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STG Newsletter October 2017

Attendance/ Student Illness If your child is unable to attend school due to illness, please call the office before 9:00 a.m. We will call home for you to pick up your child should s/he become ill during the day.

Late Arrival Please make sure that all students who arrive late sign in at the office.

Lunch Routines Students staying for lunch at school are expected to follow all school rules. They must stay in their seats until the lunchtime supervisor gives them permission to leave. This will help maintain safety for all. Students who leave the school at lunch must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Parents must sign out their child and sign them back in at the end of lunch. Students are not permitted to leave the school on their own.

Dismissal Parents must pick up children outside the school by the designated doors. Parents will not be permitted entry into the school. Hallways and foyers must be clear of adults.

Volunteers Volunteers are welcome. A Vulnerable Sector Criminal Record check and a pastoral letter are required to be able to volunteer.

Student Safety To keep students safe, we try to minimize traffic into the school and monitor each person entering the premises. All school doors will be locked throughout the day. If you require entry into the school, please use the intercom at the front entrance doors. When you are identified visually, you will be admitted. Please wait by the office counter, where our secretary, Ms. DeMiglio, will assist you. Any non staff adult in the building must be admitted by the principal/delegate and must sign in. Students must be signed in or out by parents if arriving late, or leaving early for any reason. Please inform us of appointments prior to pick up.

School Yard Supervision Supervision begins at 8:45 a.m. Please make sure that your child does not arrive at school before this time unless there is a scheduled team practice or meeting. Also, there is no supervision after 3:30 p.m. Please pick up your child promptly at 3:30pm.

Bus Safety Students are expected to stay seated for the bus ride to and from school. Noise levels must be kept to a minimum. Students may not eat on the bus. Windows must be opened and closed by the bus driver. Students may not place arms, hands or head out of the windows. Cooperation with the bus driver is expected. If students miss the bus, they must phone home from the office. If a parent has made alternate transportation arrangements for the student on any day, please inform the office.

Visitors to School Parents and guardians are always welcome at St. Gerald Catholic School, but for the safety of our students, all visitors must begin their visit at the office. The Principal or designate will give permission for entry. Visitors will be asked to sign in and wear a visitor’s badge so that students can clearly distinguish between visitors and strangers to our school.

Administration of Medication Principals, teachers and support staff of the TCDSB are not permitted to administer any type of prescription medication unless we have written signed authorization signed by the parent and the prescribing physician. Forms are available from the secretary. Staff in TCDSB schools will not dispense non-prescription medications.

Allergy Alert We have students with life threatening food allergies in our school. Food items containing peanuts or other nut products are not to be brought to school as well as seafood products. We would ask that you do not send in any food treats to the school for birthdays or in general.

Devices at School All devices must remain powered off and out of use, unless otherwise specified by the classroom teacher. Board policy does allow the use of personal ipads, notebooks, laptops under direction of the teacher. Schools are not insured for loss of personal items, so please make sure that your child keeps such items secure.

Internet Access In order for students to use board approved internet sites at the school, all students must sign the Surfright forms that are sent home in the September Student Information Pamphlet.

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STG Newsletter October 2017

Dress Code All students are required to wear basic school colours when attending school and school sponsored activities including gym. The basic dress code consists of solid navy pants, shorts or skort, white/navy golf shirt or blouse, pullover or sweat top. No other colours will be allowed to be worn indoors during the school day. All dress code items must be solid in nature. No stripes, dots, patterns, etc. Please ensure student clothing is labelled with name or initials.

Updating Information If you have moved, the school requires all updated address information as well as an updated Application for the Direction of School Support form. Please provide any new telephone numbers. In an emergency, it is of utmost importance that we are able to contact you quickly with the correct telephone numbers.

TCDSB Digital Store As our students continue to learn and adapt to the rapid advances in technology, the Toronto Catholic District School Board is committed to providing to all of our students and their families, equal access to the latest technology. We recognize the importance of promoting the 21st Century Competencies by supporting digital literacy, creativity, innovation, collaboration, and the overall needs and aspirations of all students. To that end, the TCDSB continues to be on the leading edge of providing technical upgrades and assistance by providing you with a very special opportunity: the TCDSB Digital Store. Visit our website for more information: https://www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDENTS/DigitalStore/Pages/default.aspx

CSPC Workshop All Catholic School Parent Council members are invited and encouraged to attend the fall workshop to be held October 23rd, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Catholic Education Centre. This will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about the roles and responsibilities of CSPCs, network with your colleagues from other schools and share best practices. Dinner will be provided.

OAPCE-Toronto Conference All parents are welcome to attend the annual Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education Conference October 13th and 14th Mental Wellness: Developing Your God-Given Potential

Conference $40, Gala Dinner $40 (Networking Reception included)

Keynote speaker: Sara Westbrook

Conference, AGM, Mass and Commissioning Ceremony (Saturday 8-4) St. Joan of Arc CHS, 1 St. Joan of Arc Rd., Maple, ON L6A 1W9

Networking Reception (Friday 6-10) Gala Awards Dinner (Saturday 7-10) Hilton Garden Inn, 3201 Highway 7, Vaughan, ON L4K 5Z7 For more information and registration: www.oapce.org

TCDSB Adopts Parent Charter of

Principles and Student Charter of

Principles In support of its vision of transforming the world through innovation, the Toronto Catholic District School Board is the first school board to formally adopt guiding sets of principles outlining parent and student rights. The TCDSB is taking the lead in establishing principles designed to address the basic rights elements of a sound Catholic education to which parents and students are entitled during a period when individual rights is a major topic of discussion in other sectors such as the airline travel industry. The Student Charter of Principles starts: “A student is entitled to reasonably participate in decisions that affect his/her education and school life. The Board will pursue equity and inclusion for all students of the Board. A student is entitled to a spiritually, socially, emotionally and physically safe, and positive, school environment, where he/she is respected and treated in a manner consistent with our Catholic values and teachings.” The Parent Charter of Principles begins with: “The Board will provide a faith-based publicly funded school with education grounded in Catholic doctrine, traditions and teachings for your child. A parent or guardian will have opportunities for involvement in his/her child’s education. A parent or guardian is entitled to a reasonable expectation that his/her child is learning in a safe, healthy, caring and accessible school, free of discrimination, prejudice, bullying and harassment.” Both documents can be found on the TCDSB website at https://www.tcdsb.org/FORPARENTS/CharterofPrinciples/Pages/default.aspx

TCDSB Continues to Focus on

Improving Results The Toronto Catholic District School Board continues to report improvements over time. Literacy results are high, with improvements evident over the past five years. Mathematics results are less impressive and mirror province-wide results in that area. Reading and writing results are strong in both Grade 3

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STG Newsletter October 2017

OCTOBER

TCDSB

Virtue of the

Month

Hospitality This is the day, the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Gratitude to our School Staff On Monday, October 2nd we recognize National Custodial Workers’ Day. We are so grateful to our custodial and maintenance staff for their dedication to maintaining our buildings throughout the school year. On Thursday, October 5th, World Teachers’ Day we acknowledge our educators who inspire and encourage our students to succeed to the best of their abilities. Thank you for your continued commitment to student achievement and well-being. Lastly, Wednesday, October 25th has been set aside as Early Childhood Educators’ and Childcare Workers’ Appreciation Day. We are thankful for their devotion to the children entrusted to us, and for their partnership in the delivery of our early learning and care programs.

Thanksgiving Food Drive During the month of October, we ask that students bring non-perishable food items such as pasta, rice and canned food for our annual We Scare Hunger Food Drive. All donations will be provided to the Food Bank for distribution to those in need. Please give generously!

Archdiocese Relief Fund

Dress Down Day On Friday October 20, St. Gerald will be having a Dress Down Day to support the families who have recently been affected by natural disasters. We are asking students to donate a toonie towards this effort.

and Grade 6, either approaching or exceeding 80% at or above the Provincial Standard. In Primary and Junior, mathematics results remain low both in the Board and Province. At the secondary level, Grade 9 applied mathematics scores have shown improvement but continue to be low. In both Grade 9 academic mathematics and OSSLT, the Board mirrors the Province and maintains strong results with 80% or more meeting high standards. The EQAO results continue to point to mathematics and the applied level as an area of focus.

Improving Access to School Bus

Information for Toronto Parents Toronto Student Transportation Group and Boards Launch Transportation Portal Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School Board parents are now able to access their children’s transportation information online and receive email notifications if there are any school bus cancellations or delays24 portal. www.torontoschoolbus.org.

High School Open House Dates TCDSB Secondary schools welcome grade 8 students and their families to explore programs and services https://www.tcdsb.org/school/OpenHouses/Pages/Default.aspx

Never Miss Out on the Latest News and

Information: Follow @TCDSB on Twitter, Toronto Catholic DSB on Instagram, subscribe to ENews, visit our website www.tcdsb.org to receive a weekly update via email: https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscription.aspx

TRUSTEES 2017 – 2018

Wards

1. Joseph Martino 5. Maria Rizzo 9. Jo-Ann Davis 2. Ann Andrachuk 6. Frank D’Amico, Vice-Chair 10. Barbara Poplawski 3. Sal Piccininni 7. Michael Del Grande 11. Angela Kennedy, Chair 4. Patrizia Bottoni 8. Garry Tanuan 12. Nancy Crawford Rhea Carlisle, Student Trustee

Joel Ndongmi, Student Trustee

Rory McGuckin, Director of Education 80 Sheppard Ave. E., Toronto, ON · Website: www.tcdsb.org

2017 - 2018 is THE YEAR OF THE SCHOOL