IT STARTS in the Schools

Summer 2013

UPCOMING EVENTS August 28 - October 26

TCDSB – Boardwide 80 Sheppard Avenue East, North York 416.222.8282

Registration for TCDSB evening credit courses begins (Registration continues through until October 11th for night school and October 26th for Saturday programs) Classes begin:

September 30th and October 1st for night school

October 7th for eClass September 21st for Saturday classes

For information on registration visit: http://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/ContinuingEducation/SecondaryCreditCourses/NightSchool/nsregistration/Pages/default.aspx

September 8 TCDSB – Boardwide 80 Sheppard Avenue East, North York 416.222.8282

International Literacy Day

September 10 – 21

TCDSB – Boardwide 80 Sheppard Avenue East, North York 416.222.8282

Caring and Safe Schools Weeks

September 16 St. Ambrose 20 Coules Court, Etobicoke 416.393.5259

Official Opening and Blessing 7:00 p.m.

September 19 St. Albert 1125 Midland Avenue, Scarborough 416.33.5335

Parent and Family Literacy Centre Grand Opening 10:30 a.m.

September 21 Prince of Peace 255 Alton Towers Circle, Scarborough 416.393.5416

25th Anniversary Celebration 10 a.m.

September 26 St. Anthony 130 Shanly Street, Toronto 416.393.5210

Parent and Family Literacy Centre Grand Opening 10:30 a.m.

September 30 St. Jerome 111 Sharpecroft Blvd, North York 416.393.5294

50th Anniversary Afternoon activities begin at 12:45 p.m. Evening activities begin at 5:30 p.m.

October 6 Madonna Catholic Secondary School 20 Dubray Avenue, North York 416.393.5506

50th Anniversary 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

TCDSB Appoints New Director of Education

Angela Gauthier has been appointed as the new Director of Education effective August 1, 2013. A highly respected and experienced educator with an extensive record of achievement, Ms. Gauthier brings a wealth of leadership experience to the position, having served as the TCDSB’s Associate Director of Academic Affairs since 2008. During her tenure, she has focused on the Board’s 21st Century Learning strategy and improving access to technology for both students and teachers. As a graduate of the TCDSB (when it was known as the Metropolitan Separate School Board), Ms. Gauthier has a clear understanding of the gains already made by this Board and is very passionate about how we can better support the academic achievement and well-being of our students.

The Board of Trustees looks forward to moving ahead together with Ms. Gauthier and the senior administrative team to introduce innovative, new ideas that support learning and deal with the challenges ahead.

Meet Our 2012/2013 TCDSB Top Scholars!

The Toronto Catholic District School Board announced this year’s top scholars from the 2012/2013 graduating class. The students’ averages are based on their top six subjects: Emma Buller (Bishop Allen Academy in Etobicoke): Emma earned 100 percent in Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors, Biology, Chemistry, English and French Immersion (Bishop Allen one of only two secondary schools in the Board to offer the Early Immersion French Program at the secondary level.) As well as a top scholar, Emma belonged to the school’s Science Gurus Club, the Volleyball and Badminton Teams and organized a “Locks of Hope” initiative at the school to donate hair to kids with cancer. She is registered to attend McMaster University to study Engineering. Roberto Nanni (Bishop Allen Academy/St. Stephen Catholic Elementary School in Etobicoke): following close behind Emma, Roberto earned an overall average of

99.83 percent. He scored 100 percent in Calculus and Vectors, Advanced Functions, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion and 99 percent in Data Management. He is heading to Western University to study Medical Science. At Bishop Allen, he was Editor of the school newspaper and a member of the school’s Salesian Club which fosters Christian leadership and service. Top Student in the former City of Scarborough: Matthew Halat (Neil McNeil High School/Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Elementary School). Matthew, as with our other top scholars, has been active in his school community as a peer mentor, school bands and athletics. He is a member of the school’s Young Spiritans, who advocate for human rights and global causes. He has volunteered for the TCDSB Angel Foundation for Learning, and his parish, Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Church. In September, he will be studying Engineering Science at the University of Toronto. Top Student in former City of Toronto: Sanziana Andreica (Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School/St. Bonaventure Catholic Elementary School). Sanziana is a natural leader both within her school as captain of the Varsity Field Hockey Team and beyond, earning her the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Silver Medal. Sanziana has also completed her Grade 8 piano. Top Student in the former City of York: Claudia Silva (Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School). Claudia was the top student at Archbishop Romero C.S.S., earning an average of 93 percent. She speaks Portuguese fluently and earned a 95 percent in her Level 4 of the Portuguese language. She has enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program at Humber College for September.

Witness to Faith Cross Embarks on its Final Journey Students from 15 secondary schools across the Toronto Catholic District School Board carried the Witness to Faith Cross across the top of the city from Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School to the Catholic Education Centre on Thursday, May 30th. Elementary students from across the Board lined the route as they shared in this final journey. TCDSB embarked on a Journey of Faith in September 2011, with the blessing of the Witness to Faith Cross, which travelled to each and every school across the system throughout two school years, as well as various special events throughout that two-year period. The Witness to Faith Cross was created by students and staff from Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School in time for our Year of Witness, the third year in the Board’s three-year pastoral plan focusing on Word, Worship and Witness. The travels of the cross bridged the transition from one pastoral plan to another, as in September 2012 the Board began its celebration of the Year of Faith, the first in our three-year plan focusing on the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. TCDSB was pleased to share the end of this two-year journey with His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Collins at the closing liturgy on June 3rd at the Catholic Education Centre. Students, parents, staff, trustees and special guests were on hand for the special celebration, which included a retrospective of the travels of the cross. Cardinal Collins referred to the cross as “the lens of Christ; allowing us to see what is there.” He also told the gathering that “love that is rooted in faith can transform the world.” Banner Day at Blessed Sacrament On Monday, June 17 staff and students at Blessed Sacrament celebrated Banner Day. The Banner Day celebration is a cherished tradition at Blessed Sacrament that started about 40 years ago as a way of connecting the students in grade two, who receive their First Communion and those in grade eight, who receive Confirmation. The amazing idea of having the grade eights make a memento or banner for the grade twos to celebrate and remember their First Communion and demonstrate their growth in Faith from grade two to grade eight reminds us that our faith is a journey. This tradition has kept on and the grade 8's not only want to do this, but insist because they still have the banner they were given in grade two and cherish it very much and want to do the same for the grade two First Communion students.

Tree Planting

Each school in the TCDSB was given a seedling and a small container of soil combined from soil samples from every school across the system. The seedling was planted to commemorate the two-year journey of the Witness to Faith Cross over the period of September 2011 to June 2013 throughout the Year of Witness and the Year of Faith. The tree will be a lasting keepsake of that spiritual journey and a sign of hope for the future.

Chaminade students receives Schulich Leader Scholarship Congratulations to Joan Miguel Romero, a Chaminade College student for receiving the Schulich Leader Scholarship. Each undergraduate scholarship is valued at $60,000. Joan's nomination for the scholarship stated that: Joan Miguel Romero is an outstanding candidate for the Schulich Leader Scholarship and Chaminade College School is very pleased to endorse his application. Throughout his years at Chaminade College, Joan has attained excellent results in all subject areas and has achieved honour roll status, placing him among the top of his class each year. Joan possesses excellent leadership, communication and interpersonal skills. He is extremely responsible, hard-working, dedicated, self-motivated and continually displays great energy and enthusiasm in all his undertakings. He works collaboratively with others, is a true team player and is highly respected by his peers and teachers. He has been and is

currently involved in developing, planning, co-ordinating and implementing various school-wide initiatives as well as community-service based activities as outlined in his application. Joan is an extremely positive role model and fine mentor who seeks to enrich not only his learning experience but also that of peers. His enduring willingness to strive even higher makes him a most worthy candidate for the Schulich Leader Scholarship. It is our pleasure and privilege to be working with Joan Miguel Romero at Chaminade College School. --Gina Mancini, Chaminade College School Guidance Dept. Head

Doors of Hope: Celebrating 100 Years of Catholic Charities The Doors of Hope project is an exciting celebration of the TCDSB’s commitment to inspire through charity, and the students across the system were proud to have participated in this event. Over 30 TCDSB schools took part in creating individualized works of art, all based on a unique type of canvas: a door that has been donated to the project. These beautiful creations, designed to shed light on the virtue of Hope, were presented in connection with the 100th anniversary celebration of Catholic Charities, and will also be used to support the Board's 2013/2014 pastoral plan which focuses on the theological value of hope. These unique works of art were on display at the 100th Anniversary Gala event, which took place on May 16th at Villa Columbo.

Special thanks to Maria Tavares and John Notten, for their leadership of the project, and under whose guidance and direction these beautiful expressions of the power of Hope and the importance of Charity have been created.

TCPVA Awards The Toronto Catholic Principals’ and Vice-Principals’ Association Awards were held on June 4th at Villa Columbo. Congratulations to the 2012-2013 Recipients: Leader in Catholic Education Award: Michael Caccamo - Principal - St. Fidelis Catholic School Leader in Catholic Education Award: Tonya Williams - Teacher - Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School Photo: Michael Caccamo (Award Recipient), Marguerite Thomson (TCPVA President).

Official Opening and Blessing of New Addition

Students, parents and staff at St. Albert Catholic School, along with special guests from the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the parish, celebrated the blessing and official opening of the new wing at the school on June 20th. Graduating student Jason spoke poignantly about his love for the school community, the staff who supported him throughout his years and the Catholic values that were instilled in him and his peers. The CSAC spoke about the great support that parents provide to St. Albert and to the celebration, and both the superintendent Geoff Grant and Trustee John Del Grande congratulated the school community for the successful completion of the new wing at the school.

TCDSB Students Receive $20,000 towards Post-Secondary Studies from Annual Tom Leon Bursary Award Since 2004, the Tom Leon Charitable Foundation has been awarding $20,000 annually in student bursaries to four deserving students who require financial assistance in order to pursue studies at a post- secondary institution. Four graduating students each received $5,000 made payable to the educational institution of their choice at the end of the year liturgy at the Catholic Education Centre on June 25, 2013. Congratulations to:

Alex Escobar – Chaminade College Theresa Hoang – Father John Redmond Mark Marji – Chaminade College Jennifer Nguyen – Michael Power/St. Joseph

Congratulations Blessed Cardinal Newman Boys Soccer Team The Senior Boys team at Blessed Cardinal Newman won the OFSAA bronze medal in the AAA Soccer Championships in Windsor. Congrats to the team!

Track Stars Compete in Europe TCDSB congratulates two students from Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School--Obeng Marfo [St. Andrew's grad] and Aaron Hector [Msgr John Corrigan grad] who were selected for the Canadian National Track and Field team to compete at the World Junior Championships this summer in Kiev, Ukraine. Both Obeng and Aaron were gold medalists at OFSAA this June.

Congratulations OFSAA Winners Congratulations to Malik Ugwuala from Michael Power/St. Joseph Catholic Secondary School—winner of a Gold Medal in 100m OFSAA Track & Field. He was the fastest Junior Boy in the Province! Congratulations to Michael Power Senior Boys’ Soccer Team--Silver Medalists at 'AAAA' OFSAA Soccer. Incredible tournament for the boys! Go Trojans!

Scholarship Winner from Jean Vanier Congratulations to grade 12 graduate, Naresh Sritharan from Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School, recipient of The Rotary Club of Toronto Argonauts Community Scholarship. This scholarship is a full four year academic scholarship, awarded to one student in Ontario each year. This scholarship is awarded to a student who has not only shown commitment to academics, but also to their community through volunteering and dedication. Naresh has demonstrated commitment, perseverance and determination throughout his four years at Vanier, serving on Student Council for two years, participating in Camp Olympia, and being a part of other extracurricular events such as Multicultural Night, Stop the Stigma, Athletic Banquet, Sight and Sound and Destination Imagination. Outside of the school, Naresh has also been an active member within the community as a Volunteer Camp Councillor, Educator’s Assistant, and has worked alongside charity organizations to raise money for organizations such as CAMH, Amnesty International and Princess Margaret Hospital. Next year, Naresh will be attending the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, where he will be majoring in Social Science. .

Top Bowler Represents Canada in England

Congratulations Gayan Ferdinands from Blessed Cardinal Newman High School! Gayan was selected to represent GTA schools in London, England this summer under the CIMA Cricket Across the Pond Program (CAP) July 18-27,2013. The touring GTA school cricket team is made up of high school cricketers from Markham, Mississauga, Brampton and Toronto. The team was officially announced by Mayor Rob Ford at a press event on July 4th in Toronto. CIMA CAP program has been designed to engage young people from diverse communities through the game of cricket and provide them with life skills as ambassadors of our schools, communities and the country. Daniel Singh from Fr. Henry Carr SS represented TCDSB in the 2012 program.

  

OFSAA Character Award Congratulations to Kimberley Taylor of St. Joseph’s College School (Toronto), on being chosen as a recipient of the OFSAA Character Athlete Award. Kimberley was nominated by her coach Francesco Malfitano who says Kimberley is a great role model and mentor for her younger teammates. Kimberley participated in basketball, volleyball, and track and field and during her Grade 9 year was the captain of the basketball team. She has advocated on behalf of players at a lower skill level to be given additional playing time, and in her senior year she encouraged Grade 9 students to get involved in athletics. An Honour Roll student, Kimberley has a respect and passion for environmental sustainability. She volunteered with biologists in Cozumel, Mexico to release bay sea turtles into the ocean, and in

2012 represented Canada at the Litter-Less Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark where she and other students from around the world brainstormed ways to decrease pollution. Kimberly will be greatly missed at St. Joseph’s College School and within the basketball program.

City Track & Field Results At this year's City Track and Field meet over 600 athletes and over 250 Special Olympics/Athletics Ontario athletes competed Congratulations to all athletes, coaches and spectators for their hard work, dedication, and support during the track season. New to the city track meet this year (and the west regional final) was the use of the iPad with the Coach's Eye App to film the finish line. Our thanks to David Pagniello and John Conforzi for organizing and filming the finish line to ensure placements were selected correctly. Congratulations to all schools and especially to the top three finishers: 3rd place finalist: St. Barnabas 2nd place finalist: St. Bonaventure 1St place champions: St. John We would also like to congratulate the following athletes for their exemplary achievements: TRACK RECORDS:

1. Sabree Thomas-St. Bede 200m and 100m

THREE FRIST PLACEMENTS:

1. Kalesha B. – St. Jude (Grade 5-200m, relay, high jump) 2. Sebree Thomas – St. Bede (Grade 7-200m, 100m, relay) 3. Megan Torrance – St. John (Grade 6– 400m, 800m, relay)

Waterloo Math Contests 2013 Congratulations to all TCDSB Students and Schools who participated in any of the annual Waterloo Math Contests. Below are the top scores for each contest. Mathematics Contest School Name Student Full Name Grade 7-Gauss Grade 7-Gauss

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Ariel Corsano Davide Sallese

Grade 8-Gauss St Demetrius Catholic School Vasil Bourak Grade 9 – Pascal Michael Power Jason Pu Grade 9 – Fryer Francis Libermann Julia Solonenka Grade 10 – Cayley Bishop Allen Sofiya Kostyuchenko Grade 10 – Galois Loretto Abbey Amber Li Grade 11 – Fermat Neil McNeil Alex Zhao Grade 11 – Hypatia Loretto Abbey Annie Yu Grade 12 – Euclid Francis Libermann Daniel Wong Grade 9-10 Canadian Intermediate

St. Joseph's Morrow Park H.S Sung Won Kim

Grade 9-12 Canadian Senior

Francis Libermann Loretto Abbey

Lian Pakingan Sicily Shi

Blessing and Dedication of Faith Garden

Holy Redeemer Catholic School community dedicated a garden to Father John Weber on June 24, 2013. Father Weber is a retired pastor of the school community parish, Church of the Good Shepherd, and is being recognized for his commitment to Catholic education and the community.

Safe Schools--Police/School Orientation

Safe Schools representatives from each of TCDSB's 200 schools, along with School Resource Officers, Community School Liaison Officers, school prinicpals, vice-principals and board officials from the Toronto Catholic District School and Toronto Police Service gathered for the annual orientation session on August 28, 2013. In addition to the Kids and Cops program, the main focus of the day was to review the Police/School Board Protocol which clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of both police officers and school administrators when police are at our schools. The overall goal is to further the relationships between police and educators so the police can be our partners in supporting safety and well-being for students and staff.

Photo: Director of Education Angela Gauthier and Superintendent of Education Loretta Notten, with

representatives from Toronto Police Service

60,000 TCDSB Students Raise their Voice for Annual Canada Day Celebration

Students across the Toronto Catholic District School Board celebrated Canada Day a little early this year as part of a board-wide Canada Day event on Thursday, June 27, 2013. Each student was provided with a poster bearing the Canadian flag and National Anthem, dressed in red and white, and joined with students and staff from across the Toronto Catholic District School Board in the singing of “O Canada” at 9:30 a.m. on the last day of school. The students at St. Malachy Catholic School played the National Anthem on the drums and steel pan drums. This school won a TCDSB Exemplary Practice Award for their

“drum beats program” in April 2013. The drum beats program highlights music (specifically drum music) as a way to unite the school community, work together and celebrate diversity and commonalities. It encourages innovative thinking, team work and provides equal access to all learners in a safe learning environment. It creates a culture of respect and professionalism, mentorship, leadership and innovation.

St. Malachy St.Henry St. Ambrose

Holy Redeemer St. Ignatius of Loyola St. Fidelis

TCDSB Celebrates National Aboriginal Day The Toronto Catholic District School Board celebrated National Aboriginal Day on June 21st at the Catholic Education Centre. A First Nations drum group, a Métis fiddler and a jigger entertained 100 students from St. Dunstan, St. Richard and St. Cecilia Catholic Schools. The students participated in the ceremonies and showcased their own work in the Board’s First Nation, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) program. St. Dunstan students performed a dance and all students participated in the demonstrations by the guest presenters. The event highlights the Board’s ongoing initiatives to educate students and staff about the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. National Aboriginal Day in Canada gives people of all walks of life the opportunity to celebrate and share knowledge about the Aboriginal peoples’ values, customs, languages, and culture.

Photo below: drums made by students and staff at Drummers from St. Cecilia Catholic School St. Cecilia Catholic School; artwork created by Grade 7 and 8 students at St. Paschal Baylon

Loretto College Participates in YPI Finals

The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative finals took place June 10th for the top Grade 10 groups who presented on behalf of their charities. Loretto College had 6 charities represented and 4 judges comprised of last year's winners. The judges selected the winning group after listening to some really excellent presentations. This year's recipient of Loretto College School’s allotted $5,000 grant is Addus, a charity whose vision is to enable adults with developmental disabilities to have valued social roles within the community by facilitating choice, creating community based opportunities and promoting independent living skills.

The winning students were Jennifer Vitorino, Kathy Tran, Cathy Chu, Natalia Calderon-Komine, and Cecilia Nguyen. Congratulations!

Congratulations to the TCDSB Winners of OECTA Young Authors Awards OECTA sponsors the annual Young Authors Awards/Prix Jeunes Ecrivains Contest. It celebrates short stories, poetry, non-fiction and reports written by students in both English and French. Congratulations to this year’s winners:

Bsrat Haile, St. Boniface Catholic School, Grade 1 and 2 non-fiction category

Vincent Girard, Bishop Allen Academy, Grade 9 and 10 short story category

Tiffany Cheung: Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School, Grade 9 and 10 poem category

Julia Jacqueline Swist: Loretto Abbey, Grade 9 and 10 play category

St. Mary's Catholic Secondary School Wins YPI Grant for Fred Victor Centre

The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative is a one-of-a-kind experience that engages young people in social change and empowers them to participate in the growing of compassionate communities. Congratulations to St. Mary’s for winning a YPI Grant for the Fred Victor Centre.

St. Michael’s Choir School 75th Anniversary The Choir School celebrated its 75th Anniversary this year with several celebrations including a homecoming, a concert at Rome’s Pontifical Institute (a homage to founder Msgr. John Edward Ronan) and a much-publicized a performance in St. Peter’s Squarer for the newly-elected Pontiff, Pope Francis. On June 21st, the year was capped with the school’s graduation ceremony and the presentation of a congratulatory certificate by TCDSB Trustee Jo-Ann Davis and TCDSB Superintendent of Education, John Shanahan.

Front Row: Left to Right – CSAC Co-Chair – Mr. David Gatchalian, Principal – Mr. Barry White, Trustee – Ms. Jo-Ann Davis, Student Council President – Patrick Parro, Back Row: Left to right - Alumni President – Mr. Jim Codrington, Director of Music – Mr. Stephen Handrigan, Superintendent – Mr. John Shanahan, CSAC Co-Chair – Mr. Geoffrey Rawlinson

St. Barnabas Created "Digital Art Responsibly" Students from St. Barnabas Catholic School participated in “Digital Art Responsibly”, which explores the idea of using art responsibly. The students were selected to represent the Toronto Catholic District School Board at the program, which was offered to schools from 8 Ontario School Boards. It provided students with a means of giving voice to their ideas, to allow them to explore the idea of using art to help create social change, to empower students, to give them a voice and a means to share this voice through the arts. Arts for Children and Youth (AFCY) is in a partnership with the Toronto Transit Commission and PATTISON Outdoor Advertising, which provides used 4 x 6 advertising posters. Students paint over them to create art works. The student-created art work will be hung in place of the advertisements in the subway stations, where there is no advertisement. The art work will also be on the One Stop computer screens located in all subway stations. This program was a collaboration of visual arts and technology and an opportunity for students to learn about both. AFCY brought in portable computer lab, which allowed the students to work with Photoshop and to manipulate the digital images to create a collage of the digital images. They played with colour and surface textures. These collages were then gel transferred onto the 4 x 6 posters and paint was also worked into the finished pieces. An AFCY representative came in to speak with the students about using social media responsibly. Students could use social media to share their thoughts and ideas about the project, the art work being created and the ideas generated throughout the project. Students were supported by TCDSB Arts Resource Teacher, Leda Miles. Keep an eye out at the subway stations for these wonderful and powerful images!!!

“IT STARTS IN THE SCHOOLS” is published monthly throughout the school year. Events, locations and times are subject to change. For more information, call 416-222-8282 Ext. 5314. This publication can be found on the Internet at www.tcdsb.org, see “news”.

The Toronto Catholic District School Board educates more than 93,000 students from diverse cultures and language backgrounds in 200 Catholic elementary and secondary schools and serves approximately 475,000 Catholic school supporters across the City of Toronto. As the world’s largest publicly funded Catholic school system, we educate students in an inclusive learning community rooted in the love of Christ, where they are challenged to grow in grace and knowledge and to lead lives of faith, hope and charity. At Toronto Catholic we transform the world through witness, faith, innovation and action.

Toronto Catholic Schools

Summer, 2013

Toronto Catholic District School Board, 80 Sheppard Ave. E., North York, ON M2N 6E8

phone: 416-222-8282 website: www.tcdsb.org email: webmaster@tcdsb.org