Greetings Parents, This month marks the beginning of the Season of Lent with Ash Wednesday on March 6th. Lent is a season of penance, reflection and fasting which prepares us for Christ’s Resur-rection. As we focus on the preparations for Easter, we are challenging ourselves to practice acts of kindness. Kindness is contagious, creating a ripple effect both at school, at home and throughout the community. When we are kind to others we feel more connected to the people around us. Be-ing kind and helping others increases happiness and feelings of optimism for those who engage in the act of kindness and those who witness it. The first term concluded with the recent parent/teacher confer-ences, and teachers and students are busily engaged in the sec-ond term of the learning process as we continue on our journey in preparing them to meet the curriculum expectations. As we continue on our Lenten Journey it is important to reflect on the traditional practices of prayer, almsgiving and fasting—in an age appropriate way. Doing these small things will help keep this time Holy as we do our best to focus on what is really important; the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Sav-iour.

St. Margaret Catholic School News

March/April 2019

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

Principal: M. Leitao Vice Principal: S. Ranalli

Secretary : V. Picillo Secretary : M. Barbara

Superintendant: M. Caccamo 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 2018-2019

Ward 1 - Joseph Martino Ward 2 - Markus de Domenico Ward 3 - Ida Li Preti Ward 4 - Teresa Lubinski Ward 5 - Maria Rizzo Ward 6 - Frank D’Amico Ward 7 - Mike Del Grande Ward 8 - Garry Tanuan Ward 9 - Norm Di Pasquale Ward 10 - Daniel Di Giorgio Ward 11 - Angela Kennedy Ward 12 - Nancy Crawford

Planning for September 2019 We are in the process of planning for September 2019. We look forward to your ongoing assistance and support. For the coming school year our community will remain on two sites. A form was sent home asking you to indicate your family’s plan for September and whether your child(ren) will be remaining or moving from St. Margaret School. As well, please let the office know if you are aware of any students who are moving into the neighbourhood and are planning to register at St. Margaret. This information is invaluable as it affects our staff-ing needs for September. Your cooperation and support are greatly appreciated. From the Parish The Communicants had a special First Reconciliation Liturgy on Thursday, February 21st at 7:00 pm. First Holy Communion will be celebrated on Sunday, May 5th at 2:00 pm. This year, the Sacrament of Confirmation will be received by our grade 7 Confirmandi on Sunday June 9 at 2:00 pm. Our blessings to all the students who will be taking these momentous steps in their sacramental preparation. We would like to thank Fr. Andy and Fr. Allan, the parents and teachers for their diligence in preparing the children.

Wrong Answers, Great Learning Making mistakes is a natural part of all learning. Those who we consider to be "great" are clear that mistakes lead to learning. The latest research on mathematics shows that mistakes are a very important part of learning math! When a person makes an error in math and they have the opportunity to learn from it, they actually develop a much stronger understanding. In fact, the research states that students learn more from making mistakes than from getting all the right answers. When your child makes an error, it offers insight into what understanding your child has about a mathematical idea. When you support an attitude that values learning from mistakes, you are telling your child that mistakes are a valuable and natural ingredient in learning and lead to deeper understanding. Research shows that this attitude supports stronger achievement! Carnaval 2019 Thanks to our French Carnaval Committee who planned great activities for this year’s Carnaval: Jersey day, Hat day, Carna-val Game day, Bingo, Vocabulary Trivia, candy jar and Bon-homme contest. Thanks to our Mr. Ron, Mme Iatan and Mme Egizii who provid-ed treat! Un grand merci!!! Shrove Tuesday: On March 5th, our students will be treated to some delicious pancakes. We observe Shrove Tuesday as being the last day of the liturgical season, before Lent begins. The staff and stu-dents at St. Margaret will come together to share in some deli-

March Break March Break is scheduled for the week of March 11-15. On behalf of our staff, we wish you a safe and enjoyable March Break. As always, we appreciate the ongoing support given by the St. Margaret Catholic School Community to support your child’s learning. CSPC (Catholic School Parent Council) The St. Margaret School CSPC is a very important part of our school community. Parents are always welcome to attend. Our next CSPC meeting is scheduled for March 20 at 6:30pm in the Carmichael library. We hope to see you there. From the Pastor Fr. Andy Dear parents, your parish pastoral team would like to make you aware of the following dates for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as we journey through Lent in preparation for Holy Week and the great celebration of the Easter Tridu-um. These times may be convenient for you as parents but especially, opportunities for you as parents, to bring your children for the celebration of this most important Sacrament. In addi-tion to these times, feel free to call the parish office for a personal appointment. Fr. Andy Macbeth, Pastor Fr. Allan Lapay, Associate Pastor St. Margaret's Church Sat. Mar. 30th 10:00am-12noon, 1-3pm, 3:45pm-4:15pm Wed. April 10th 7:30pm-8:00pm Sun. April 14th 7:30pm-8:30pm (5 confessors) Mon. April 15th 7:00-7:30pm Wed. April 17th 1:00-2:00pm, 7:30-8:00pm St. Eugene's Chapel: Wed. April 10th 2:00pm-3:00pm, 7:30pm-9:00pm

Monthly Update from the Board March 2019 TCDSB SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR 2019-2020 Number of school days 194 Number of Professional Activity Days 7 Labour Day September 2, 2019 First Instructional Day September 3, 2020 Thanksgiving Day October 14, 2019 Christmas Break December 23, 2019–January 3, 2020 Start of second semester for secondary schools February 3, 2020 Family Day February 17, 2020 Mid-Winter Break March 16-20, 2020 Good Friday April 10, 2020 Easter Monday April 13, 2020 Victoria Day May 18, 2020 Last day of classes for all students June 26, 2020 Seven (7) Professional Activity (PA) Days for ELEMENTARY schools: October 11, 2019 Provincial Education Priorities/Faith Develop-ment November 15, 2019 Parent-Teacher Conferences December 6, 2019 Provincial Education Priorities January 17, 2020 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting February 14, 2020 Parent-Teacher Conferences June 5, 2020 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting June 26, 2020 Provincial Education Priorities Seven (7) Professional Activity (PA) Days for SECONDARY schools: October 11, 2019 November 15, 2019 December 6, 2019 February 14, 2020 June 24, 25, 26, 2019 Three PA days devoted to Provincial Education Priorities and supporting Article 19 of the Collective Agreement. One PA day devoted to Faith Development. One PA day devoted to numera-cy across the curriculum. The remaining two PA days will be de-voted to system priorities, annual learning plans and local goals articulated in the School Learning Improvement Plans. * Secondary schools, in consultation with their Local School Staffing Advisory Committee, may schedule a Professional Activi-ty Day to align with the day following one of the Parent-Teacher Interview nights.

Clocks Spring Forward Remember that the clocks go forward one hour on March 10th. Never Miss Out on Important News Follow @TCDSB on Twitter to stay up to date on parent engagement opportunities, scholarships, contests, em-ployment and community service opportunities for stu-dents, weather related cancellations or closures, consul-tations and more. Not a Twitter user, no problem. Subscribe to E-News and have the same information de-livered to your email weekly. https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscription.aspx Let’s Help Catholic Charities by Supporting ShareLife ShareLife’s mission is to “Live the Gospel by providing for those in need” This is done through their support of many diverse Catholic social service agencies here in the GTA and beyond. This year, ShareLife Week for Schools will be celebrated the week of April 8-12. All students and staff are invited Board-wide Civvies Day on Friday, April 12, 2019 to raise funds for the ShareLife campaign. Your donation of a loonie or a toonie will go a long way to supporting youth, the elderly, the marginalized and the vulnerable. We thank everyone in the TCDSB community for all that they do throughout the year to help others—giving of their time and their resources to make a difference. We applaud those efforts, and take great pride in the com-mitment to living our Catholic values and putting faith into action. Events and Information for Parents/Families:

"Celebrate the PAST, Appreciate the PRESENT, ADVOCATING for the Future"

OAPCE Toronto Annual Parent Conference Friday, April 5th and Saturday, April 6, 2019 https://www.tcdsb.org/forparents/oapce-toronto/events/pages/oapceconference-

2019.aspx Lift Jesus Higher Rally

March 2, 2019 https://www.tcdsb.org/board/

nurturingourcatholiccommunity/news/2017-2018/pages/lift-jesus-higher.aspx

Consultation Meeting—Possible Introduction of Ex-tended French at Notre Dame

March 6, 2019 https://www.tcdsb.org/schools/notredame/pages/extended-french-@-notre-dame.aspx

Important Information and Opportunities for Students: Student Trustee Election

Tuesday, April 30, 2019 Visit board website for information www.tcdsb.org (see Students)

FaithTalk—Radio Maria Contest

We are excited to introduce a contest for your students this spring. Please share this information with your stu-dents who would be interested! Grade 7 – 12 TCDSB students are invited to submit a two-page (500 word) proposal (in any format) about how they are ‘living their faith’ today! If selected, a student will be on air, at Ra-dio Maria Canada for a 30 minute segment speaking about their faith during Catholic Education Week May 5-10, 2019! USE THE HASHTAG #TCDSBFAITHTALK Topics can include: Faith and Social Media, Religion in our Classroom, Inclusion and Equity, Virtues of the Month, Catholic Graduate Expectations in Today’s World, Catholic Social Teachings, Parish Connection, Christian Meditation, Rooted in Christ: we Belong, we Believe, we Become, Acts of Kindness etc. Email your submission to ncc.team@tcdsb.org by no later than Friday April 5, 2019 Download the RadioMaria App, or visit https://www.radiomaria.ca/ to listen to programs.We Belong Celebration May 21, 2019 As we journey through the first year of our pastoral plan, “Rooted in Christ, we Belong, we Believe, we Be-come”, the Nurturing our Catholic Community Team invites you to share your ideas of belonging. We want to hear from our students and staff about how they are nurturing the concept of belonging and inclusion in their schools, in their families, in their parishes and their community. We invite you to submit student artwork, written work, videos/slideshows, songs or any other creative expres-sions of belonging to ncc.team@tcdsb.org by no later than Friday, March 22, 2019. When sharing your initiatives on social media, tweet or post @TCDSB with the hashtag #TCDSBelongs so we can follow your progress. For ideas and resources linked to our pastoral plan, click here. All submissions will be featured on the TCDSB website, as well as at our year-end celebration to be held May 21st. All schools will be invited to send two representa-tives (any combination of student, parent, teaching or non-teaching staff, school administrator).

CSLIT Skating Event March 19, 2019 3-5 pm Downsview Arena Proceeds to Angel Foundation for Learning https://www.tcdsb.org/forstudents/newsandevents/2018-2019/pages/

TCDSB 2019 Music Festival April 1 - 30, 2019 Elementary: April 1st to April 18th, Secondary: April 23rd to April 30th, Registration Dates: From February 25th to March 8th, 2019 https://www.tcdsb.org/programsservices/schoolprogramsk12/arts/music/festival/pages/default.aspx

Reminder: TCDSB Anonymous Alerts App

Toronto Catholic District School Board is pleased to offer students a communications tool called Anonymous Alerts. The Anonymous Alerts reporting system helps to promote safe, positive and accepting School climates by empower-ing students to anonymously report inappropriate behav-iours to school staff. The system allows for 1-way or 2-way anonymous encrypt-ed communications between submitters (students, parents or community members) and Administrators and/or school staff. Users of the system have the option to remain anonymous or to reveal their identity when submitting a report. Click here for more information https://www.tcdsb.org/programsservices/safeschools/pages/anonymousalerts.aspx

For information about scholarships, contests, community service opportunities and more, see https://www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDENTS/OpportunitiesForStudents/Pages/default.aspx For information about events and initiatives of the Catholic Student Leadership Team, visit https://catholicstudentleadership.com/ Important Dates to Note:

March is Celtic Canadian Heritage Month March 4—Education Support Staff Appreciation Day March 5-Ordinandi Youth Event March 6- Ash Wednesday; Lent begins March 8—International Women’s Day March 11-15—March Break March 21—International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimi-

nation March 21—World Down Syndrome Day March 22—World Water Day March 29—Earth Hour (schools) March 30—Earth Hour 8:30-9:30 PM April 2—World Autism Awareness Day

Guidance Corner for March In March, we celebrate the virtue of Forgiveness, to coin-cide with the holy season of Lent. You can help your chil-dren to continue to develop a forgiving nature and positive relationship skills. Using good manners, being respectful to peers, showing empathy, apologizing when necessary and resolving conflicts peacefully, go a long way in building healthy relationships with others. Some helpful websites are listed here: https://www.everydayfamily.com/blog/how-to-teach-your-children-to-forgive/ https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-to-encourage-good-sibling-relationships-620105 https://www.parentingscience.com/kids-make-friends.html

http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/connecting_with_your_school-age_child_introductio.html/context/288

High School registration nights are currently taking place for Grade 8 students. Please check the admission package that your child received to confirm dates and times. Signing your child up for the Summer Transition credit course is highly recommended. There are also a number of other forms that are required to be handed in on registration night, along with school fees. It is important for students to experience the city they live in to gain an awareness of local culture and to have an op-portunity to visit different neighbourhoods and communi-ties. I have included a link here to some free March Break activities that you may wish to enjoy as a family: https://www.todocanada.ca/march-break-activities-toronto/