St. Margaret Catholic School News

May 2016

Principal: H. Pires

Vice Principal: S. Ranalli Secretary : V. Picillo

Secretary : M. Barbara CSPC Chair: T. Sinclair

Superintendant: J. Shain 416-222-8282 Ext. 2267

Trustee: M. Rizzo

416-512-3405

Parish: St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church 416-485-7781

Pastor: Fr. Andy

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOLBOARD

TRUSTEES 2015-2016 Wards 1. Joseph Martino 416-512-3401

2. Ann Andrachuk 416-512-3402

3. Sal Piccininni, 416-512-3403

4. Patrizia Bottoni 416-512-3404

5. Maria Rizzo 416-512-3405 6. Frank D’Amico, 416-512-3406 Vice Chair 7. Michael Del Grande 416-512-3407 8. Gary Tanuan 416-512-3408

9. Jo-Ann Davis 416-512-3409

10. Barbara Poplawski 416-512-3410

11. Angela Kennedy, 416-512-3411

Chair 12. Nancy Crawford, 416-512-3412 13. Karina Dubrovskaya, 416-512-3417 Student Trustee 14. Allison Gacad, 416-512-3413 Student Trustee

St. Margaret Catholic School

85 Carmichael Avenue Toronto, On M5M 2X1

416-393-5249 x 0 50 Ameer Avenue

Toronto, On M6A 2L3 416-393-5249 x 3

From the Principal’s Desk Thanks to the parents and community for sup-porting our Earth Day Jam CSPC Fundraiser. The students had a great time moving to music and showcasing their dance moves. Special

mention to all the parents who volunteered to assist with set-up and treats. We’ll keep you updated with respect to funds raised and activities being supported. Through your generous support we are looking to purchase some new Team Uniforms for our Extra-Curricular Program. Each year in May, the Catholic Education Community cel-ebrates Catholic Education Week highlighting the distinc-tive contributions that Catholic schools make to our stu-dents, our community and our society. This year’s theme is Opening Doors of Mercy.” Our grade 5 and 6 students have been preparing to showcase their Ball Room Dancing and parents are invited to the celebration taking place on Thursday, May 5th beginning at 6:30 in the Beatrice Café-torium. May is also Asian Heritage Month at the Board and teach-ers have been asked to include activities that highlight Asian Heritage in their program of studies. Announce-ments will be read over the PA System highlighting contri-butions of Canadians of Asian heritage to our society. During the month of May we also honour Mary, the queen

of Heaven and role-model for all mothers. As a special tribute to our mother in Heaven, and all mothers on Earth, families are encour-aged to pray the Rosary. We ask our Blessed Mother and St. Margaret of Scotland to help

us become peaceful people as we look to find ways of hon-ouring the virtue of compassion this month. Trying to show compassion by thinking about how our words and actions make others feel will be important. We ask everyone to be mindful that actions often speak louder than words, and that when you do things to help others, everyone feels bet-ter. "May you be blessed by the Lord for showing me compas-sion." 1 Samuel 23:21 In terms of parental engagement, parents are reminded that the Special Services Department will be hosing the annual Parent Engagement Resources Event on Saturday, April 30th, at the CEC from 9:0O-1:00 Refer to the enclosure for additional information. Parents are also encouraged to attend the OAPCE Conference and AGM. Finally in May, there is also a Filipino Canadian Conference taking place at the CEC on Saturday, May 14th from 9:00-4:00. Please register using the link in the newsletter.

Music Festivals The Instrumental Band demonstrated their musical talents at the Festival at Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton. The performance was well received, and students appreciated the feedback and direction from the adjudicator. Congratulations to Mr. Russo for the fine showing and to the students who were professional and harmonious. In honour of Catholic Educa-tion Week, the Band will also be performing at the TCDSB Music Festival at the Woodbine Centre on Tuesday, May 3rd. The students are diligently preparing for this event and looking forward to showcasing their hard work and talents. Thanks to the many parent volunteers who will be accom-panying our students. EQAO/ CAT4 Testing (Grs. 2,3,5,6,7)

Please note that standardized testing will take place the last weeks of May and into June. Please try to ensure that your children are at

school on these days. Please provide support and encour-agement on the days of the tests so that children are positive about the experience. A good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast will assist the students so they can work to their full potential. More detailed letters will be going home in the near future explaining the specifics of each assessment. School Learning Improvement Plan (SLIP) Each year schools are required to develop and adjust their school learning improvement plan to be implemented in the school curricula. This learning plan ensures that students are given maximum opportunity for achievement and suc-cess. The SLIP is tied to EQAO achievement tests which are taking place later this month, as well as the Board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan. As necessary, we are updating our Code of Conduct to be included in our school agendas. Thanks to all those who have taken the leadership in devis-ing the school plan and continue contributing to its develop-ment. These ongoing efforts ensure that it is a dynamic and transparent initiative. Dress Code Please be reminded that all students attending St. Margaret School must follow the appropriate dress code as per school policy. Navy bottoms, white tops and or navy sweatshirts are mandatory for all students during school activities. Clothing need not have the SMS crest; however, other log-os are not permitted. During our Pizza Lunch or ME-to-We special event days students are encouraged to dress down usually donating a toonie for charity. With the warmer weather upon us, parents are reminded to review the dress policy guidelines in the student agendas with their children.

From the Parish The Communicants will be celebrating their First Holy Communion on Sunday, May 1st at 2:00 pm. Our Confirmandi will be bestowed with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit during the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, May 15th at the 2:00 pm mass for our grade 7 students, and at 5:00 pm for our grade 8 students. Father Andy and Father Noel have been visiting the students regularly at school and will continue ensur-ing our students are fully prepared to partake in these sacraments of initiation. Our blessings to all the students who will be taking these momentous steps in their sacramental preparation. I would also like to thank the parish, the parents and the teachers for their diligence in pre-paring the children. All parishioners are invited to a TOWN HALL MEETING on Wednes-day, May 4th @ 7:30 in the Parish Hall. Hear short presentations from the Pastoral Council, Finance Commit-tee, Parish Renewal etc.

May is Mental Health Month In Ontario Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week is the first week of May. The aim of this week is to increase awareness about the signs children and youth may display when they have a mental health prob-lem, decrease stigma associated with mental illness, and help people realize that help is available and treatment works. Given that one in five children and youth has a mental health problem it’s vital that we sup-port children’s mental health. The TCDSB Mental Health Steering Committee has developed a Men-tal Health Awareness Toolkit that has been shared with schools. This year the five strategies that can be used to support children’s mental health are: Be Mindful: “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn. Reach Out: Asking for help may be a difficult task for many stu-dents. Students may not be aware of the many supports and resources that available in our school community. Engage in classroom discus-sions about “how” to ask for help as well as “who” students can access for support. Encourage students to become aware and further develop their own personal support network. Pray: Praying helps to improve our mental health by offer ing emo-tional comfort and reducing stress. Encourage children and youth to engage in daily prayer or “conversations” with God. Get Enough Sleep: Engage in conversations about sleep routines. Discuss the important role that sleep plays in our emotional well being. Exercise and Eat Healthy: Exercising and eating healthy is another aspect of good mental health. Speak with students about healthy choic-es when deciding on what to eat and engaging in physical exercise. The TCDSB Pastoral Plan 2015-18 “ Together With one Voice: Harmonizing Our Faith Through Family, Parish, and School” 2015 focuses on the FAMILY There are many things that parents/guardians can do if they are con-cerned about their child’s mental health: Talk to your child/adolescent—Educate yourself—Know the signs—Speak with your child/adolescent’s teacher and inquire about support at school—Ask your physician about treatment—Talk to other parents who have expe-rienced similar concerns. Information from: “It Starts Here: A Guide to Mood Disorders for Teens” ~ Mood Disorder Association of Ontario

School Athletics The St. Margaret Junior Girls and Boys soccer teams competed in the indoor tournaments held at St. Roberts. Both teams faced extremely tough competition, but were more than up for the task. The boys team came up short of a birth in the final game for the championship after battling through five grueling games. The girls’ team fell just short in the semi-finals to the eventual champions, losing a highly contested game. Thanks to Mr. MacDonald for sharing his expertise in preparing our students for the tournaments. Congratulations to the boys and girls teams!

W5H On Monday, April 11th, 2016, Angelica Sabilano, Kris-topher Ison, Harold Banguero, Helin Polat, Joshua Manganti, Geraldine Dumapit, Abigail Lusabia and Hannah Domaoa represented our school as the 2016 Intermediate W5H Team. They proudly competed in the round-robin tournament at St. Robert Catholic School. Matched up against Cardinal Carter, St. Norbert and St. Robert, they competed by answering a variety of trivia questions. A wonderful effort and excellent team-work from all of the players. Thanks to Ms. Boulos for preparing our students for this annual Board Event.

Grade 4 House Leagues We are happy to announce that the grade 4 students have been actively participating in the house league program held during first and last recesses. The students participated in bench soccer for 2 months which was a great success. The students recently transitioned to playing scooter basketball. A special thanks to our staff supervisors and organizers Mr. Belmonte, Mr. Kassar, and Ms. Fernandez for volunteering their time to the students. The grade 4s have demonstrated great sports-manship and school spirit. We would like to thank all the teams involved: Lions, Tigers, Bears, Eagles, Wolves, and Cheetahs. Great job boys and girls! The house league program will continue until the end of the school year providing our students with great opportu-nities to develop their cooperative and physical fitness skills.

September Registration We invite all JK registrants and their parents to attend our Welcome to Kindergarten Evening scheduled for Wednesday, May 4th from 6:30 –8:00. Please plan to

attend this important information and play based evening as we look to partner with parents to improve our students’ school readiness skills. We again ask for your co-operation in keeping us in-formed of your plans for next year. Please let us know if your child(ren) will

not be returning or will be on vacation in September 2016. If your child(ren) will be on vacation, please let us know the day he/she will return to school. This in-formation is invaluable as it affects our staffing needs for September. Thanks for your cooperation and sup-port..

Math Makes the World Go Around Contemporary views in mathematics education promote class-room practices that value student voice, develop students’ mathematical thinking, and engage students in mathematical inquiry. By sharing their thinking students can learn that mathematics is more than a set of rules and that alternative perspectives are possible and valued. Asking good questions and encouraging students to build on one another’s thinking gives students voice and enables them to become more criti-cal thinkers in mathematics. (LNS Monograph Suurtamm et al) Parents are encouraged to speak to their children about the math they are learning at school. Research shows that work-ing together with the school helps promote student achieve-ment and well-being.

This Month’s Math Challenges Question (JK-2) When I spin a spinner, I am twice as likely to get red as blue. I am half as likely to get blue as green. What is the probabil-ity of getting green? Show your work Question (Grades 3-5) A group of eight people is going camping for three days and needs to carry their own water. They research online and find that five people would need to carry 12.5 litres of water for one day in order to survive. How much water do they each need to carry? Question (Grades 6-8) You want to invite your friends to a bowling competition. You haven’t decided how many games will be played in the competition, but you are confident that you will play at least 2 games and at most 55 games. There are two bowling sites quite nearby and you have to decide which site offers the bet-ter deal. At site one Bowlerama person would pay a rate of $3.50 per game plus a one time fee of $3.00 for shoe rentals. At site two City Bowling, each person would pay a rate of $4.5o per game but there are no shoe rental fees. Which site is the better value? 1) Create an algebraic equation to model the cost at each

site 2) Create a chart showing the cost of the first 5 games

for both sites 3) What site is the better value ? What assumptions have

you made? 4) If you played 20 games at site 1, how much money

would you have to pay? Explain your reasoning

All responses should be returned directly to your child’s teacher by Friday, May 6th.

From the Board May is Asian Canadian Heritage Month https://www.tcdsb.org/FORCOMMUNITY/HeritageCelebration/AsianCanadianHeritage/Pages/default.aspx Asian Heritage at York University: Filipino Voices in the Arts & Academia What does it mean to be Filipino in Canada? How do parents and their kids think differently about this ques-tion? How is this question tackled by writers, artists and researchers? May 16th 12:30 p.m. https://www.tcdsb.org/forcommunity/heritagecelebration/asiancanadianheritage/events/pages/asian-heritage-at-york-university.aspx Filipino Canadian Parents, Students and Teachers Confer-ence-(Enhancing Parent Engagement and Community In-volvement) Saturday May 14, 2016 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Catholic Education Centre, TCDSB, 80 Sheppard Avenue East, North York, Toronto You can read more about the 2nd Annual Conference of Filipino Canadian Catholic Parents, Students & Teachers. Get all the latest news and information: Visit the Board’s website www.tcdsb.org Subscribe to ENews to receive updates via email every week https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscription.aspx Or Follow @TCDSB on twitter to get updates throughout the day SMS SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR 2016-2017 Number of school days 194 Number of Professional Activity Days 7 Labour Day September 5, 2016 First Instructional Day September 6, 2016 Thanksgiving Day October 10, 2016 Christmas Break December 26, 2016 –January 6, 2017 Family Day February 20, 2017 Mid-Winter Break March 13-17, 2017 Good Friday April 14, 2017 Easter Monday April 17, 2017 Victoria Day May 22, 2017 Last day of classes (elementary) June 29, 2017

Six (7) Professional Development Days October 7, 2016 Provincial Education Priorities November 18, 2016 Parent/Teacher Conference December 2, 2016 Provincial Education/Faith Development January 20, 2017 Assessment, Evaluation & Reporting February 17, 2017 Parent-Teacher Conferences June 9, 2017 Assessment, Evaluation & Reporting June 30, 2017 Provincial Education Priorities