Father Serra Times

Principal’s Message

Mrs. Angela Gauthier

Director of Education

Dear Parents/ Guardians:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Father Serra Catholic Community for

five great years. Earlier this month, I received official notice of my transfer to St. Gregory

Catholic School effective September, 2014. My replacement will be Mrs. Beverly Pavan,

who is the current Principal of St. Anthony Catholic School.

I thank you for making my five years truly wonderful. I have developed many friendships

and created many fond memories which I will treasure forever. I sincerely appreciate the

on-going support and dedication that I have received from so many of you. My hope is

that you continue to work with the school staff in maintaining the excellent school com-

munity we have.

Father Serra will always remain special in my heart because of the dedicated staff, terrific

students, and supportive parents. I will miss all of you.

God Bless,

J. Pannozzo

Principal

Other changes....

Mr. Farrell and Mrs. Torrieri are retiring after serving over thirty years with the MSSB/

TCDSB. It has truly been a privilege working with them and we wish them the very best

in their future endeavours. They will be truly missed.

Mr. Koka, Mr. Casciato, Ms. Paul and Mr. Turner will be transferring to other schools for

September. We thank them for their contributions to our school and wish them the very

best in their new placements.

June 24, 2014

Father Serra Catho l ic Schoo l

111 Sun Row Drive , Toronto , Ontar io M9P 3J3

Tel : 416-393-5391 Fax: 416-397-6095

Principal: Mr. J. Pannozzo Vice Principal: Mrs. K. Kelly

Admin. Assistant: Mrs. E. Barbaro Clerk Typist: Mrs. M. Wells

Superintendent: Mrs. L. Notten Trustee: Mr. P. Jakovcic

Parish Priest: Father Andrzej Glaba

CSAC Co-chairs: Roberto Berton and Dana Delle Cese-Ahluwalia

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

TRUSTEES 2013-2014 Wards 1. Peter Jakovcic

2. Ann Andrachuk

3. Sal Piccininni

4. Patrizia Bottoni

5. Maria Rizzo

6. Frank D’Amico

7. John Del Grande

8. Garry Tanuan

9. Jo– Anne Davis - Chair

10. Barbara Poplawski

11. Angela Kennedy

12. Nancy Crawford—Vice Chair

William Lawrence– Student Trustee

Enrique Olivo– Student Trustee September Information: School Hours

PLEASE note the change in our lunchtime bell effective September, 2014.

9:00a.m.– School begins

11:45a.m.-12:45p.m.—Lunch

3:30p.m.– Dismissal

REMINDER

A REMINDER TO ALL PARENTS AND GUARDIANS THAT THE LAST DAY OF

SCHOOL WILL BE Friday, JUNE 27th, 2014.

DISMISSAL WILL BE AT 3:30 P.M.

Please contact the school at (416) 393-5391 if your child will not be returning to

our school in September.

JUNE 2014 FATHER SERRA TIMES PAGE 2

DRUMZ CLINIC On Thursday, June 12th, grades 6-8 participated in an exhilarating

drum workshop directed by Toronto free-lance percussionist, Ray

Kingsmore. Each class participated in 45 minutes of drumming

excitement where “everyone drums and everyone sings!” During

the class, each student had their own snare/cymbal/Djembe and

more! The students worked well as a drumming and singing en-

semble as they learned to combine various rhythms and beats to

create one unified sound. Many thanks to CSAC for

supporting this event!

FIRST DAY PROCEDURES

On Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014, the students in grades one to eight will assemble in the schoolyard. Signs will be posted, along with a class list indicating your child’s teacher for the 2014-2015 school year. Kindergarten students will gather in the Kindergarten Yard.

CLASS PLACEMENTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2014

Teachers will collaborate in the formulation of class

compositions for the various grades for September 2014.

Valuable input is obtained from classroom teachers, spe-

cialist teachers and administration who have all the rel-

evant information to make the best determination as to

student placement. Criteria used for student placement

are: special needs, health needs, gender ratio, friend-

ships, siblings, behavioural concerns, ESL factor, previ-

ous placement in a combined class, maturity: physical

and social, academic ability, strengths and needs and

current teacher recommendations. Given the extensive

dialogue which occurs, students are placed where their

academic and social needs can be best met.

Creating the most effective, functional class grouping is

a task which requires much thought and careful plan-

ning. We want to maintain the heterogeneous groups

we have composed. The staff has worked diligently to

place your child in a learning environment which best

suits the needs of your child.

SCHOOL AGENDAS

For September 2014, we have ordered school

agendas for all students in Grades 1-8.

Not only are agendas useful and helpful organiz-

ing/planning tools, they are an excellent means of home-

school communication. At the bottom of each page there is a

section entitled Parent/Teacher Communication.

Agendas will be delivered to Father Serra at the beginning

of September and will be available for purchase during the

first week of school. The cost of the agendas will be approxi-

mately $7.00 and a separate order form will be sent home in

September.

WASTE FREE LUNCH PROGRAM

The Toronto Catholic District School Board remains committed to

the environment and continues to look for innovative ways to

promote conservation through energy and waste reduction initia-

tives.

The Board approved the introduction of a “Waste Free Lunch Program” at

all elementary schools in 2010. It was piloted at several elementary schools in

and has been very successful resulting in a significant reduction in waste going

to landfills. This program is an integral part of the TCDSB’s commitment to

promote and teach our students the importance of being stewards of the earth.

We are asking you to fully participate with your child as we introduce/expand/

continue a “Waste Free Lunch Program” at our school next year. Be part

of helping us become leaders in this environmental friendly waste reduction

program. It involves the following three steps:

*Lunches and snacks should be packed in re-usable containers not in disposa-

ble bags. In order to avoid spills, we ask you to use containers that are re-

sealable.

*To ensure the safety of students who suffer life threatening, anaphylactic reactions, please place all foods in reusable containers in their original package

or wrapper. This will allow the food ingredients to be clearly indicated and help

all staff and students to be aware of possible allergens introduced in the school

environment.

*Left over food which can be disposed of in the green bin program available at

your home, will be brought back home in their containers by your child.

Our hope is that this practice at school and at home will teach all children to

carry this awareness and behaviour with them as they grow into young adults.

Thank you for your ongoing support with our school’s environmental efforts.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

FATHER SERRA CATHOLIC SCHOOL DRESS CODE

School Uniforms are important components of the safety of

our children and we ask that parents ensure that their child

is wearing the official school uniform before leaving for

school unless it is a School Spirit Day.

More detailed information regarding the dress code can be

found in the student agendas in September.

McCarthy’s is our official Uniform Supplier. McCarthy’s is

located at 360 Evans Avenue in Etobicoke. You can order

online at www.rjmccarthy.com or contact customer service at

(416) 593-6900.

PAGE 3 FATHER SERRA TIMES JUNE 2014

CSAC NEWS

As the present school year comes to a close, we reflect on the many accomplishments and success-es experienced this year. Congratulations to all students on your achievements: in the classroom, in sports and extra curricular competitions, for receiving your sacraments and for your contributions to charity through the Student Leader initiatives, as well as through fundraising. We also congratulate the graduating grade 8 stu-dents. We hope you enjoyed your journey at Father Serra and we wish you great success in your future endeavours.

CSAC accomplished many initiatives this year and we are grateful for the many dedicated committees, volunteers and supportive parents. It is because of this ever supportive community that we successfully completed and exceeded initiatives planned for this year. We would also like to recognize the strong leadership of Mr. Pannozzo and Mrs. Kelly in regards to their ever supportive part-nership with CSAC.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the teachers and staff at Father Serra School for another successful year. You continue to guide, support and encourage our children and we are thankful and grateful.

We look forward to the upcoming year and hope you will join us for the Annual General Meeting (elections) in September 2014 and hope you will consider joining the school advisory council for 2014/15. Additional information will be available in September.

We wish everyone a happy and healthy summer.

Sincerely,

Rob Berton & , Dana Delle Cese-Ahluwalia (CSAC co-chairs) and, on behalf of: Christine Carbone, Stephanie Hofmann (Co-

Secretaries), Teresa Visic (Treasurer), Linda Latini, Melissa Pacienza, Mackie Sichetti, Susy Gallucci, Cenzina Bruno, Rita

Trimboli, Tina Pietramala, Cristina De Lellis, Cristina Petti, Richard Olszaniecki, Jerry Aversa (Parent Representatives), Marianne

Pisani (Community Representative) and Mr. Farrell (Teacher Representative)

On behalf of the McKeddie family and the Father Serra Community, we wish to thank the sponsors of the “Team James Soccer

Fundraiser” who gratiously donated prizes to the students of Father Serra. They were; Mr. Pinnock, Ms. McConnell,

Mr. Pinto, Mr. Trimboli, Mrs. Visic, Mrs. DaSilva, Luis and Susanne Teixeira, Mrs. Pesegi Galluzzo, Mrs. Guadagni,

Ms. MacDonald and Mrs. Bellissimo. Without your generous support, we wouldn't have come close to raising what we

did. A grand total of $31,837.80. Way to go Father Serra!!!!

Girls Soccer

On May 30th, the girls' intermediate soccer team competed in the Divisional Tournament at Richview Resevoir. The team finished with a record of 2 wins and 1 tie, allowing them to finish in first place and advance to the regional round on June 5th at Centennial Park.

In the Regional Tournament, the girls' won their quarterfinal game against St. John Vianney 1-0. In the semi-final, the team went up against one of our biggest rivals, St. Clement. In a close game Father Serra came up just short, losing 1-0.

Thank you to all of the girls' for their hard work and dedication this year.

Thank you to Mr. Farrell and Mr. Russo for once again coaching the girls' team this year.

Thank you to the parents who drove the girls' to and from the tournaments and for cheering the team on.

Boy’s Soccer

On May 29th, June 5th, 11th and 13th, the intermediate boys' soc-cer team competed in the Divisional, Regional and City Tourna-ments at Richview Resevoir, Centennial Park and Birchmount Stadi-um. In the Divisional round, the boys' won their tournament with a record of 4-0, only conceding one goal, while scoring 14. In the Regional round, the boys' travelled to Centennial Park, where they won their first game 2-0. In the semi-final, the game ended 0-0 and headed to extra time where the boys' won 1-0 on a free kick goal. In the Regional final, the boys' came up short, falling 3-0 to Mother Cabrini, finishing second. However, the boys' qualified for the city tournament. On June 11th, the boys' once again headed back to Centennial Park. In their first game, they lost a very well played match to St. Matthew 1-0. In our quarterfinal game, we tied St. Luigi 1-1 and the game headed into penalties where Father Serra prevailed 6-5. This advanced them to the semi-final game, once again against Mother Cabrini. This game also ended 1-1 and once again went to penalties where the boys' again came out on top 5-4. On June 13th, the team headed to Birchmount Stadium to play the City Championship game against St. Jerome. In a close, well played match, Father Serra came up just short, losing 2-1. Congratulations to the boys' for all of their outstanding achieve-ments this year and for being the first boys' team in school history to advance to the city final. A special thank you to Mr. Russo and

Mr. Farrell for all of their hard work and dedication once again this year. Thank you also to the parents who drove the team to and from the tournaments and for cheering

the team on.

PAGE 4 FATHER SERRA TIMES JUNE 2014

Track and Field News

Father Serra Track and Field team had a very successful season this year. The students participated at the Divi-

sional Track and Field Meet at Centennial Park on May 13th. A total of 15 schools took part at the meet and

Father Serra came up against many formidable school teams. Our school displayed excellent athleticism, deter-

mination and sportsmanship in all the events they participated. After the final tally of points, Father Serra were the champi-

ons at the Divisional – first place, a remarkable accomplishment. A spectacular job done by all.

Special congratulations also go out to the students who advanced to the Regional Meet that took place on May 15th, only two

days after their Divisional Meet. There were 38 students advancing – a very large number to be proud of, especially consider-

ing that only the top 2 finishers in track events and top 4 finishers in 800m, 1500m, and field events advance to Regionals.

These included 6 relay teams and other students in individual events. They fought through fatigue but in the end ,Father Serra

again did very well. They competed with passion and confidence at a very high level. From the 38 students that participated

at the Regionals, 8 went on to the City Championships. An excellent accomplishment when considering there were over 40

schools competing.

At the City Meet that was run on Tuesday, May 27th. Father Serra students did us proud again by competing hard and accom-

plishing much.

Here are the individual and team accomplishments:

Students Advancing to Regional Meet:

Relay Teams: Grade 8, 6, and 4 Girls Teams/ Grade 8, 6, and 5 Boys teams

Serena Stefennati – 1500m

Ben Biasi, Julian Zamparo, Isabella Frasca, Carlie Primomo, and Liana Pinnock – 200m

Justin Spudic, Nicholas Primomo, Carlie Primomo, Alessia Morsillo – 100m

Justin Spudic, Julian Zamparo, Emily Memme, and Madison Barry – 800m

Leah Bergmanis, Tessa Carr, Hanna Szczepanowski, Carlie Primomo in the Long Jump

Matthew Martin, Nicholas Pellarin, Angelo Visic, Tessa Carr, Isabella Frasca, Melissa Andragna in the High Jump

Leah Bergmanis in Shot Put.

In the City Meet at Varsity Stadium the following students competed with their placing:

200 m – Carlie Primomo – 6th place

200m – Isabella Frasca – 7th place

Grade 8 Boys Relay Team: Nicholas Mastrogiuseppe, Matthew Martin, Ben Biasi, Justin Spudic, and Prince Moruyi, Daniel

Corbo - 7th place

800m – Congratulations to Justin Spudic – 2nd place – Silver medal

A special congratulation also goes out to Piero Gallucci who participated in the Special Olympics 50 m run – way to go Piero!

Congratulations go out to the whole team for their efforts and accomplishments, and a thank you for the coaches of the various

events:

Mr. Rivera, Mrs. Lui, Ms. Achong, Mrs. Kelly, Mr. Russo, Ms. Berneche, Ms. Bellisario, Mr. Gonano, and Mr. Koka. Also

special thanks to the parents who attended the meets and cheered us on.

JUNE 2014 FATHER SERRA TIMES PAGE 5

PRIMARY / JUNIOR DIVISION SPELLING BEE

Congratulations to the follo-

wing students who placed as

the Top Spellers.

SK ……. Sonja Gaspar

Grade 1…….. Zack Dinatolo

Grade 2…….. Daniel Kim

Grade 3…….. Michael Kim Grade 4…….. Lauren Olszaniecki

Grade 5…….. Justin Trasolini

Grade 6…….. Ariana Novello

Grade 7…….. Matthew Brajuka

Thank you to Mrs. Pimento and Mrs. Troina for

their hard work in coordinating this event for

our students.

BICYCLE SAFETY The following are ten bicycle safety rules to help you. It is recommended that you review them with your child and actually demonstrate each one to reinforce the point and make the learning concrete. Also, this method will allow younger child to measure their progress as they graduate from their driveway to the road. Ten Bicycle Safety Rules 1. Protect Your Head. Wear a helmet! 2. See and Be Seen. Wear proper Clothing. Clothing should be light in color and close fitting to avoid being entangled in the moving parts of a bicycle. 3. Go with the flow of Traffic, Stay on the right side. A bicyclist must obey the same traffic laws as motor vehicles. Stop signs and stop lights, road marks and road signs are for a cy-clist as well as a motor vehicle operator. Always use hand signals! Never weave from lane to lane or tailgate or hitch rides on mov-ing vehicles. 4. Keep your Eyes on the Road. Be aware of traffic around you. Seven out of ten car vs. bicycle crashes occur at driveways or other intersections. Before you enter a street or intersection, check for traffic and always look left, right and left. Walk your bicycle across busy streets and crosswalks. 5. Stay Alert. Keep a lookout for the unexpected. 6. Drive your bicycle defensively. Watch out for potholes, sewer gratings, cracks, railroad crossings, loose gravel, and broken glass. Before going around any object, look ahead and behind yourself for a break in traffic. Plan your move, and then signal your intention. Be especially careful in wet

weather and at night. 7. Bicycling at night—Be Careful! Beware the Night! Be cautious when bicycling at night. 8. Make sure your bike has lights and reflective material. Always have operational front and rear lights on your bicycle when riding at night. Wear reflective clothing or material on your hel-met, ankles, back and wrists. Ride in familiar areas or streets that are well lit. 9. Use Off Road paths and follow designated bike routes. Bicycle routes are marked by signs and are usually rated according to their difficulty. They are reserved for bikes only and can be ideal for new riders. 10. Fix it up. Check your bike! Your bike should be correctly adjusted to fit you. Your feet should rest on the ground while properly sitting on the seat. Before us-ing your bike, check to make sure that all parts are secure and working. The handlebars should be firmly in place and the wheels should be straight and secure. 11. Properly stop your bike. Control your speed by using your brakes. If your bike has hand brakes, apply the rear brakes before the front breaks. Remember to ride slowly on wet, slippery pavement, and to apply brakes earlier since it takes more distance to stop. 12. Keep your wheels on the road. Wheels should be securely fastened. Check your wheels before every ride, after every fall, or after transporting your bicycle to ensure that they are properly fastened and secured. Make sure that tires are properly inflated.

EXPRESS YOURSELF!

2014

On Monday, June 14, 2014, the Father

Serra Express Yourself cast and crew presented their

spectacular show. Students in grades 6, 7 and 8 displayed

many talents in the areas of: dance, instrumental music,

vocal, pianists and multi-media.

We are so proud of our students for their hard work and

great success! A special thank you to all the staff and par-

ents for supporting our show.

Sincerely,

“Express Yourself” Committee:

Mrs. Lewinowicz, Mrs. O’Kane, Ms. Pesegi,

Ms. Carlozzi and Ms. Paladino.

June 2014

FATHER SEERA TIMES PAGE 6

STUDENT(S) OF THE MONTH

CONGRATULATIONS to the following students. The virtue for

JUNE was FAITHFULNESS.

Catholic Parent Involvement Committee (CPIC): www.tcdsb.org/cpic

PRAYER FOR

THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

At the end of this school year we give thanks to

God:

For all the teaching and learning that have taken

place in our school, both in and out of the class-

room.

For the talents and gifts that have been shared

and the challenges that have been faced.

For the burdens that have been lifted and the

hurts that have been healed.

For the respect and care that have been given.

We give thanks for the friendships that have

just begun and for those that have grown.

For the faith that has been lived in our daily

struggles.

For the hope that has lifted our hearts on the

dark days, and for the love that has kept us go-

ing.

We give thanks for the community that we are

and we ask you Lord to Bless our Grade 8 stu-

dents as they transition into high school— may

your Spirit inspire them with confidence and

calmness.

Bless our families as we take our holidays, may

our time together leave us with memories to

cherish.

Pour out your love on us that we may return re-

newed and refreshed to continue our journey

together.

We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord.

Amen

M. PALERMO-SARACO ELP

Sakina Lachermaier

Michael Di Paolo

J. SALVADORI ELP

Ava Montisano

Thomas Pacini

Alexa Dlugosh-Ostap

L. MACDONALD ELP

Sara Gomes

Arianna Palumbo

Hannah King

L. PIMENTO (SK/GR. 1)

Madeleine Palumbo

Tyler Young

I.DROHOBYCKY (GR. 1)

Angelo Bruno

Sarah Billard

William Clara

Luke Bergmanis

L. PESEGI (GR. 1/2)

Olivia De Lellis

Darren Noonan

D. LLOYD (GR. 2)

Sophie Taaffe

Bernadette Zasowski

C. SPATARE (GR.2)

Daniel Kim

K. CONNOLLY (GR. 3)

Matthew Wong

Matteo Vena

Luca Venturino

A. CIANFRINI (GR. 3)

Thomas Robinson

Catherine Green

R. TROINA (GR. 3/4)

Michael Kim

Stefanie Giordano

Felicia Caputo

R. ACHONG (GR. 4)

Francesco Rende

Max Nowak

Lauren Olszaniecki

M. RUSSO (GR. 5)

Marco Vena

Noah Nespeca

J. BERNECHE (GR. 5)

Adrian Gri

Jacob Reil

M. MACDONALD (GR. 6)

Charlie Taaffe

Christian Persano

Mikkel Frendo

S. BELLISARIO (GR. 6)

Dereck Pazmino-Roman

Adam Ciszek

G. LUI (GR. 7)

Samantha Cosentino

Matthew Cowan

Elissa Palumbo

R. GARGANO (GR. 7)

Sabrina Pereira Da Costa

Michael Mior

Lesia Dlugosh-Ostap

D. FARRELL (GR. 8)

Rosalia Jaffray

Andia Drago

M. TORRIERI (GR. 8)

Christian Tenuta

Nicholas Bellissimo

June 2014 FATHER SERRA TIMES PAGE 7

Mark Your Calendars…..2014/2015

Tues. Sept. 2 9:00 a.m. First Day of Classes

Wed. Sept. 17 School Council Meeting– Elections– 7:00p.m.

Wed. Sept. 24 Curriculum Night/BBQ

Wed. Sept. 25 Raindate– Curriculum Night/BBQ

Wed. Oct. 1 TTC Photos

Mon. Oct. 13 Thanksgiving Day - SCHOOL CLOSED

Wed. Oct. 15 Picture Day

School Council Meeting - 7:00 p.m.

Thurs. Nov. 13 Parent Interviews (Evening)

Fri. Nov. 14 P.A. Day - Parent Interviews( Morning)

Wed. Nov. 19 School Council Meeting - 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Dec. 5 P.A. Day – NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Fri. Dec.19 Dismissal for Christmas Holidays

Dec. 22 - Jan. 2 CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS

Mon. Jan. 5 School Re-opens

Wed. Jan. 21 School Council Meeting - 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Jan. 23 P.A. Day – NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Thurs. Feb. 12 Parent Interviews (Evening)

Fri. Feb. 13 P.A. Day - Parent Interviews( Morning)

Mon. Feb. 16 Family Day - SCHOOL CLOSED

Wed. Feb. 18 Ash Wednesday

School Council Meeting - 7:00 p.m.

March 16 - 20 MARCH BREAK - SCHOOL CLOSED

Mon. March 23 School Re-opens

Wed. March 25 School Council Meeting - 7:00 p.m.

Fri. April 3 Good Friday - SCHOOL CLOSED

Mon. April 6 Easter Monday - SCHOOL CLOSED

Wed. April 15 School Council Meeting - 7:00 p.m.

Mon. May 18 Victoria Day - SCHOOL CLOSED

Wed. May 20 School Council Meeting—7:00 p.m.

Fri. June 5 P.A. Day– NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Wed. June 17 School Council Meeting - 7:00 p.m.

Thurs. June 25 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

Fri. June 26 P.A. Day– NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS