Prayer for a New School Year

Loving God, Our creator, our saviour, our companion, bless this journey of a new school

year that we undertake today. Refresh our souls and renew our spirits as we embrace the

beautiful ministry you have called us to. We welcome those who are new to this communi-

ty and ask that you strengthen them to share the wonderful gifts you have given them.

Lord, make our hearts pure as we prepare for the return of students to this school, and

may you guide them to return with open hearts and minds eager to learn. We ask this in

Your name,

Amen

Administrators’ Message

Welcome Back! It is with much excitement and enthusiasm that I join the school community here at St. Maurice. Throughout the summer the staff has been working diligently to prepare for the 2017-2018 school year which promises to be wonderful school year filled with many new learning experiences as we continue to live, love and learn in Christ. As we embark upon this new school year let us be mindful that just like branches of a tree that grow in many different directions, we remain rooted as one, with family school and parish working in harmony to promote student achievement. I would like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to our parent community to continue to engage in the various educational experiences that will be offered throughout this school year. As parents, you play an integral role in your child’s education and are paramount to enabling them to achieve success. We kindly ask that you read the monthly newsletters and calendars as well as stay informed about classroom and school everts. I’d also like to encourage you to join our Catholic Parent Teacher Advisory committee which helps to ensure that your child has the best educational experiences and learning opportunities possible. I am truly blessed to be joining the St. Maurice family and look forward to this upcoming school year. I also look forward to the opportunity of meeting with you as a strong-home school connection is of the utmost importance to me as we work in partnership to ensure student success. May we continue to live, love and learn in Christ.

Sincerely,

Ms. L. Manini-Della Rossa

Principal

Administrative Team

Principal: Ms. L Mani-ni- Della Rossa

Head Secretary:

Ms. E. Medeiros

Clerk Typist:

Ms. L. Kuchta

Superintendent:

Area 2

Ms. F. Cifelli

Trustee:

Mr. J. Martino

Parish

Transfiguriation of our Lord

45 Ludstone Dr. Tornto, On

M9R 2J2

(416) 247-0513

Pastor:

Fr. George

CSAC Chair: Ms. Boyes

Mr. Foster

CPIC ( Parent En-gagement—TCDSB)

www.tcdsb.org/cpic

45 Kingsview Blvd. Toronto, Ontario M9R 1T7

Telephone: 416-393-5379

ST. MAURICE CATHOLIC SCHOOL

MISSION STATEMENT

In a school community formed by Catholic beliefs and traditions, our mission is to educate students to their full potential by providing:

INTEGRATION of Catholic, Christian beliefs into the total learning experience;

LEADERSHIP in a shared responsibility for the education of all students, exists among the school, the student, the family, the parish and the community;

RELIGIOUS, ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, and TECHNICAL instruction;

INSTRUCTION in the Ontario Curriculum Expectations and the learning pro-cess;

ROLE MODELS of Gospel values and Catholic doctrines, teachings and beliefs;

FEEDBACK on the student’s proficiency and progress and;

GUIDANCE in what students need to learn.

September Virtue of the Month

To begin the new school year, we’ll focus our attention on the first of our virtues – Hospitality. Hospitality is shown when we welcome guests — including strangers and enemies — into our lives with kindness. When we are hospitable, we are open toward others, we focus on the positive, and we believe the universe is basically a friendly place.

Ways to show hospitality...

Donate your talents

Send paper thank you notes

Smile at others

Welcome a neighbour

Sacramental Preparation and Liturgical Cel-ebrations

Registration for the Sacrament of Commun-ion and Confirmation:

Monday September 18, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

Or

Tuesday September 19, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations

To support our faith development and Catholic Board Learning Cycle, we infuse our Ontario Catholic School Grad-uate Expectations in all aspects of Catholic Education from Kindergarten to Grade 12. As a school we work to support a deeper understanding of these expectations and of our witness to faith. Together, as a community we work to embed the seven expectations to support the Catholic Education of our students as they journey through our schools through to vocation.

I AM A BELIEVER!

I believe that God is an awesome God

I believe and have faith in God

I believe that God is with us always

I believe that we can talk to God anytime and anywhere, through prayer

I believe in the stories of the Bible

I believe in the stories of Jesus' life, death & resurrection

I believe in the Church community, celebrating Mass, and the seven Sacraments

I believe in forgiveness

Because I am a believer, I will live my life like Jesus.

I am a discerning believer.

St. Maurice Curriculum Night and BBQ

We will be having our annual Curriculum Night and school BBQ on Wednesday, September 27th from 5:30 –8:00 . We hope to see you there!

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome the following new staff members:

Mr. Arruda (Instrumental Music), Ms. D’ Egidio (Library Technician), Mr. Plaisimond, (French), Ms. Raposo (Vocal Music), Mr. Rebelo ( Head Caretaker) and Mr. Rizzuto ( Grade 4/5).

School Hours Supervision

Supervision in the school yard begins at 8:15 am. Please DO NOT drop off your children prior to that time as they will not be supervised. The doors of St. Maurice are open to parents who wish to visit or confer with staff, however, an appointment is necessary, as the classroom teacher’s first priority is teaching the class during regular school hours. Please report to the office upon entering the school. Thank you for your support in keeping classroom interruptions to a minimum. School Hours 2017-2018 · 8:30am - Morning classes begin · 10:12 am- 10:27 am - RECESS · 11:15am - 12:15pm - Lunch · 2:12pm - 2:27pm - RECESS · 3:30pm - Classes Dismissed

School Absenteeism - Attendance Verification Program

The purpose of this program is to ensure that your child arrives safely at school. Please call the school at (416) 393-5379 and press 1 to report an absence or a late . Please state your child’s name, grade, teacher and reason for the absence or late. If your child arrives after the morning bell, they are asked to go to the office to pick up a late slip. Please assist us in ensuing that students arrive to school on time.

Textbooks School textbooks are school property and are loaned to the students annually. The expectation is that textbooks will be returned at the end of the school year. Students are responsible for these textbooks and will be asked to pay if these books go missing or have been vandalized. The cost of an average text-book is about $50.00 each. Please encourage your child to take care of textbooks!

Nutrition Program

St. Maurice provides a nutritional snack program five mornings a week to its students. The snack program will begin

the week of September 11, 2017. Forms will be sent home shortly. We would like to thank

Ms. Rebelo, Ms. Ludlow, Ms. Rios, and all other volunteers who give generously of their time

and make this program possible. Contributions are welcome!

Student Verification Form

In the event that your child becomes ill at school or is injured in an accident, it is imperative that we contact you or a person designated by you as an alternate. Our information on file must be accurate and current. This form will be sent home with your child. Please sign and return the form (with the appropriate corrections if necessary) to school. It is crucial that you contact us with any changes as soon as they occur throughout the year.

Allergies In The Classroom

As we begin a new school year, we would like to inform you that St. Maurice is an allergen aware

school. There are pupils and staff in attendance who suffer from severe and life threatening aller-

gies to certain foods, such as peanut and nut products. Exposure to even the smallest quantities

can cause severe life threatening reactions. Please inform the school/teacher of any allergies your

child may have. We also ask that in an attempt to ensure safety parents/guardians refrain from

sending any lunches or snacks that contain peanut/ nut or peanut/nut byproducts which could po-

tentially harm a pupil. Please make sure that all of your children’s caregivers are aware of the food

restrictions. Please do not send food for birthdays or special occasions. There are many alternatives such as stick-

ers and pencils. If you have any questions, please talk to your child’s teacher or the school staff. We look forward

to your co-operation in making this a safe year for all of our pupils.

Lunch Policy

Thank you for completing the Lunch Permission Form and returning it to your child’s teacher. This will ensure that the school is aware of where you prefer your child(ren) to be over the lunch hour. Any changes to the agreement throughout the year must be submitted in writing to the teacher and/or office. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Once children have arrived back at school, they must remain on school property. They are not permitted to leave school again without written permission. A table has been placed outside the office for lunches. Lunches should only be dropped off on rare occasions. If you are dropping off a lunch for your child please clearly label your child’s name and teacher’s name on the outside of the lunch bag/container and place it on the lunch table in the front foyer. Classes are not to be interrupted for students to pick up lunches. Please advise your child(ren) to expect a lunch to be dropped off. They will be allowed to come down and pick up their lunch at 11:15 AM.

School Agendas

We wish to thank Parent Council for subsidizing the school agendas for all students from grades 1-8.

Please review the student agenda with your child. In particular, please review the beginning pages,

which provide pertinent information about our school which requires a PARENT signature. If your

child loses their agenda, it will be their responsibility to replace it.

School Council Election Information

We would like to thank the Parent Council for all of their support last year. Their fundraising initiatives have assisted many programs in the school. We value their input into a variety of educational issues. To last year’s members, please consider returning this year. We look for-ward to your skills and contributions. Parents interested in seeking election should adhere to the following timelines: Self nomination forms can be picked up at the school office or call the school and one will be sent home with your child. These are available from Thursday September 7th to Thursday, September 21st. Completed Self-Nomination forms must be received in the office by Thursday, Sept. 21 by 3:00 p.m. Elections will take place before the first School Council meeting to be held on Thursday, September 28 @ 6:30 p.m.

School Safety-Pickup and Drop off

We would like to continue to thank parents and guardians for continuing to use the Kiss and Ride drop off. When dropping off your child we ask that you please remember to move up and have students enter the playground. Please do not park in the Kiss and Ride Area. As we continue to work towards safe entry, parent(s) /guardian(s) are asked to drop their children off and leave the school ground promptly as this will enable the students to make a safer and more orderly entry. When picking up your child, please consider parking on York or Winsor, or south on Kingsview and walking the short distance as there are not enough parking spots in the front of the school for all cars . Also, please continue to avoid U-turns in front of the school and drop off pick up only on the south side of the street. Thank you for your support in continuing to ensure safety.

Bus Safety

It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that students are met at the bus stop each day by an adult. Children who do not see a parent or babysitter will remain on the bus and will be returned to the school to be picked up there by the parent/babysitter. Students who are eligible to take the school bus should be waiting at bus stops at least ten minutes prior to the scheduled bus arrival time.

Students who must cross the road at their stop should wait on their side of the road until the bus has stopped. Students should then look both ways and wait for the driver’s signal before stepping onto the road.

Safe School Mission Statement

St. Maurice School is a Catholic community that respects and promotes the uniqueness of all its members. By

following the teachings of Jesus, we pledge to provide everyone with a safe, caring and peaceful environment, which

ensures the respect and acceptance of all. Because of these beliefs, bullying will not be tolerated. Your child deserves

a safe environment to work, learn and play in. If you have any concerns, please contact us. Thank you for supporting

us as we support your child.

Inclement Weather

In an attempt to promote physical fitness and well being every attempt will be made to keep students outdoors at

recess time. Children are asked to dress appropriately for the weather to ensure that they can participate in outdoor

play.

Indoor Footwear Requested

Please ensure that students keep a pair of running shoes or other appropriate footwear at school so that their feet remain dry and clean at all times. As well, because so many areas of our schoolyard can be quite muddy at certain times of the year, this would assist in keeping mud and dirt out of the classrooms. Also, in case the need to evacuate the school arises, students do not have time to put on boots, so indoor footwear is necessary.

Pizza Lunch Days Please remember to send in your pizza order form. This year, pizza lunches will be every two weeks on Fridays. Please note that all pizza needs to be pre-ordered and we will ask for the order for the month (two orders). Re-member that all funds are used to help St. Maurice School.

Combined Grades

Combined classes are inevitable as classes are developed according to the number of students in each grade level. Ratios of the number of students per class are determined by the Board and Ministry of Education. Every year, concerns arise over the issue of split/combined grades in all schools. Common perceptions are that these classrooms provide curriculum that is too challenging for some students or not challenging enough for others. Neither is true. As is the case in every classroom, students who are ready for more enhanced learning or who require review, receive variable programming.

Appropriate Dress Code

We continue to remind parents that students are expected to come to school wearing and combination of Navy Blue

and White. Clothing can be purchased at any store. Jeans, however, are not permitted. We also ask that student

refrain from wearing short shorts, halters, muscle shirts and clothing with slogans. During warmer

weather we ask that all students have their shoulders covered. A copy of the full dress code can be

found in the school agenda.

Child and Family Services Act

The Child and Family Services Act compel educators to report any issues that may compromise a child’s welfare. If a staff member suspects any issue that may affect a child’s safety, then the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) must be contact-ed. It is not the role of the educator to investigate. That is CAS’s role.

Student Accident Insurance

The Board takes every precaution to provide a safe learning environment for students, but accidents can and do hap-pen. Some families have private accident insurance which is able to respond to costs arising from injuries. However, many families do not.

As required by the Education Act and the Ministry of Education, the Toronto Catholic District School Board annually provides parents with information about cost-effective student accident insurance coverage via your child. Although enrolment is voluntary, the board strongly encourages parents to take advantage of the inexpensive insurance cover-age, especially if their child/children participate in sports, excursions/field trips, or, if parents do not have dental insur-ance coverage. Please see the attached insert for more information .

St. Maurice and Ontario Eco-school

Please help us in maintaining our Eco certification by supporting programs such as Terracycle, litterless lunches and other activities. Encourage your children to turn off lights and computers when not needed, to reduce, reuse and recycle and to treat water as a precious resources. Together we can make a difference!

We’re Making Things Easier! By early 2018 you will be able to pay online! The Online Payment system is a secure

electronic method to pay for school related fees. Please look for the Online Payment icon on the TCDSB webpage to

get all updated information. All required information will be sent to parents once our

school, has been brought online.

Reorganization of Classes

As each school year begins, reorganization of classes due to enrollment may be a con-sideration. If we must reorganize classes, please be assured that we will do so with the interest of your child(ren) foremost in our minds. We will inform you in the event that any class reorganization is required. Your patience and cooperation is appreciated.

Pink Day

Every third Friday is Pink Day at St. Maurice! Wearing pink is a way of showing our support for kindness and ac-ceptance of each other. We want to celebrate our differences and work and play together. Please have your child wear pink and show your support for this initiative.

School Safety Visitors & Volunteers

For the safety of staff and students, all visitors/volunteers to our school (including parents) are required to enter the building through the front doors, report immediately to the office and sign in. Visitor passes will also be made available at this time.

Head Injury Policy

When a student receives an injury/bump to the head (however minor), it is a Board Policy that we inform parents. You will be contacted by phone, a phone message will be left at one of your contact numbers or a note will be left in your child’s agenda if you are unavailable. This is precautionary only and we ask that you check your child when they get home for any signs of a concussion or illness.

Agenda’s should be checked by parents daily for this reason, as well as to check for any notes from the teacher or office.

Staff Communication

Every effort will be made by your child’s teacher to keep you informed of his/her progress and involvement in class. If you wish to speak with a teacher, a note sent with your child requesting a call is usually sufficient. If, however, you wish to contact a teacher by telephone, please telephone the office and they will leave the teacher a message.

We also ask your consideration in NOT dropping into classes unannounced during school hours. If your child is late and you are bringing him/her to school, or if you come to school to meet your child or to pick him/her up for an appointment we respectfully request that you check in at the office and SIGN your child out. The SIGN OUT Log is located in the office. For arrival or return to school students are asked to sign into the main office.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3 4 Labour Day Holiday

5 Welcome Back! First Day of School!

6 7

CSPC

Nominations Form

Available

8

Dress Down

Day

9

10 11 12

13

14

15 16

17 18 19

20

21

School

Council Nominations due by 3PM

22

Pink T-Shirt Day

Pizza Day

23

24 25

26

27 Open House

BBQ 5:30-6:30 Class Visits

6:30-7:30 p.m.

28

School Coun-cil Elections and Meeting 6:30 PM

29

Terry Fox Run A.M.

30

September 2017

TCDSB Celebrates the Year of the School in 2017-2018

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The TCDSB school year calendar for 2017-2018 was approved by the Board on March 30, 2017. We are required to align our holidays and Professional Activity days with our

co-terminous Board, the Toronto District School Board, in order to offset transportation costs.

A school year calendar must be prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Education, on or be-fore May 1st of each school year. This is in accordance with the Education Act and O. Regulation 304, School Year Calendar, Professional Activity Days.

The school year calendar is defined as the period between September 1 and June 30 and must include a minimum of 194 school days, seven (7) of which must be professional activity days.

Number of school days 194

Number of Professional Activity Days 7

Labour Day September 4, 2017

First Instructional Day September 5, 2017

Thanksgiving Day October 9, 2017

Christmas Break December 25, 2017–January 5, 2018

Start of second semester for secondary schools February 5, 2018

Family Day February 19, 2018

Mid-Winter Break March 12–16, 2018

Good Friday March 30, 2018

Easter Monday April 2, 2018

Victoria Day May 21, 2018 Last day of classes for elementary students June 28, 2018

Seven (7) Professional Activity (PA) Days for ELEMENTARY schools:

October 6, 2017 Provincial Education Priorities

November 17, 2017 Parent-Teacher Conferences

December 1, 2017 Provincial Education Priorities/Faith Development

January 19, 2018 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting

February 16, 2018 Parent-Teacher Conferences

June 8, 2018 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting

June 29, 2018 Provincial Education Priorities

Calendar information is posted on the board’s website at www.tcdsb.org.

Monthly Update from the Board

September 2017

Mark Your Calendars! CPIC Elections Coming in October

CPIC Elections – Monday October 2, 2017

Odd Numbered Wards—2 Parent Member Representatives per Ward

CPIC Elections – Wednesday October 4, 2017 Even Numbered Wards

Ward 6- 2 Parent Member Representative Ward 10-1 Parent Member Representative

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

Special Education As part of the TCDSB’s goal of Fostering Student Achievement and Well Being, the Special Services department endeav-ours to support our special education students in achieving academic excellence and meeting the Ontario Catholic Graduate School Expectations. The department offers a variety of supports to students based on their need(s) and/or identification(s). For further information please visit the Special Services department link: https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SpecialEducation/Pages/default.aspx Parents/caregivers are reminded that if they require support in accessing the Special Services department link, they may ask the school prin-cipal for assistance. Alternately, for families who require access to a computer to visit the site, they may access an electronic device through the Toronto Public Library.

Never Miss Out on the Latest News and Information:

Follow @TCDSB on Twitter, Toronto Catholic DSB on Instagram, and/or subscribe to ENews, to receive a week-ly update via email: https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscription.aspx

Odd Numbered Wards School Locations

1 St. Benedict

2202 Kipling Avenue (Kipling/North of Rexdale Boulevard)

3 St. Bernard 12 Duckworth St. (Lawrence/one block east of Jane)

5 Blessed Sacrament

24 Bedford Park Ave. (Yonge and Lawrence)

7 Holy Spirit

3530 Sheppard Ave. E. (Sheppard and Birchmount)

9 Our Lady of Lourdes

444 Sherbourne St. (Sherbourne/South of Wellesley)

11 Senator O’Connor

60 Rowena Drive (Victoria Park/south of Ellesmere)

Even Numbered Wards School Locations

6

St. Clare

124 Northcliffe Blvd. (Dufferin/St. Clair)

10 St. Mary (Secondary)

66 Dufferin Park Ave. (Dufferin/south of Bloor)