St. John XXIII Newsletter December 2015 2015

…that together you may with ONE VOICE glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6

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ST. JOHN XXIII BUGLE

Principal’s Message

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As the first term of the school year comes to a close, I would like to take this opportunity

to thank the ST. John XXIII community for your continued effort and commitment to

support a quality education for your children. With just a couple of weeks left before the

holidays we would like to encourage you to try and keep your family routines as

consistent as possible so that the children are well rested and ready to learn each day.

We enter the season of Advent and prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus. Our virtue of

the month is CHARITY. This week I reminded students that charity isn’t just about

giving material things to those in need. During the Advent season, let us take a moment to

reflect with our families and the less fortunate in our communities on how we can

practice charity and generosity in our home, and community through our words, thoughts

and actions.

I am delighted to share with the Parent community that we will be having our Christmas

concert on Tuesday December 15th, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. in the gym. The Junior and

Intermediate students in our school will be participating in the Christmas concert. Please

note that the ELP and Primary students will be performing during the Spring concert the

first week of May 2016. There will be a $2.00 charge for the concert. The proceeds will

go to our music department. Please see the Christmas flyer that was sent home last

Thursday for further information. Please join us and show your support to staff and

students for our festive and joyous Christmas celebration!

The Christmas Holiday will be from Monday December 21st – Friday January1st.

First day of school will be Monday January 4th, 2016! On behalf of all staff, I take

this opportunity to wish our Parent community a Blessed and Holy Christmas and

Happy and Peaceful 2016!

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”

― Mother Teresa

Sincerely,

Pershia Nelson, Principal

175 Grenoble Drive, Toronto, ON

M3C 3E7 416-393-5348

Fax - 416-393-5164

Principal: Ms. P. Nelson

Vice Principal: Ms. F. Pires

Secretary: Ms. L. Freimanis

Superintendent: Mr. J. Shanahan

Trustee: Ms. A. Kennedy

Parish: Saint John XXIII

150 Gateway Blvd, Toronto, ON

M3C 3E2 (416) 429-4000

Parent Council: Mr. P. Lameira – Chair Ms. A. Cann – Co-chair

Ms. A – Palagaras – Treasurer

Ms. R. Malabago - Secretary

Enrolment: 435

Hours of Operation:

8:30 am – 4:00 pm Lunch Hour:

11:45 am – 12:45 pm Dismissal

3:30 pm

St. John XXIII

St. John XXIII Newsletter December 2015 2015

…that together you may with ONE VOICE glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6

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PARISH CONNECTION

Dear Families,

Advent is here! A time of watching and waiting—the meaning of the word “advent”.

Advent prepares us to celebrate the coming of Christ at the end of time in judgement; it also

prepares

us to celebrate the first of coming of Christ in the stable in Bethlehem. But Advent also seeks to

welcome Christ now—today—in our hearts through the gift of His grace. The prayer of welcome

for His presence in Advent is, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come!” May the Lord be with you and your

family this Advent. Below is the schedule for Christmas and New Year at the Church.

Regards,

Fr Simon

CHRISTMAS & NEW

YEAR SCHEDULE ST

JXXIII PARISH

EVENT DATE

SCHOOL CONFESSIONS

TUES, DEC 8 @ 9:30AM In School

PARISH CONFESSIONS WED, DEC 23 @ 7:30PM

CHRISTMAS CAROLS THURS, DEC 24 @ 11:15PM

MIDNIGHT MASS THURS, DEC 24 @ 11:59PM

CHRISTMAS DAY MASSES

FRI DEC 25

9AM & 12:15PM

ST STEVEN’S DAY MASS (BOXING DAY)

SAT DEC 26 10AM

THE HOLY FAMILY

MASSES

SAT DEC 26 @ 5:15PMSUN DECT 27 9AM,

12:15PM, 5:30PM

VIGIL HOLY HOUR Mary Mother of God

DEC 31 @ 7PM

VIGIL MASS

NEW YEAR’S EVE Mary Mother of God

DEC 31 @ 8PM

MASS NEW

YEAR’S DAY Mary Mother of God

JAN 1

9AM & 12:15PM

MASS

EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

SAT JAN 2 @ 5:15PM

SUN JAN 3 9AM, 12:15PM, 5:30PM

St. John XXIII Newsletter December 2015 2015

…that together you may with ONE VOICE glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6

3

Red Apple Daycare Corner

Seasons Greeting from Red Apple Daycare. This

year has flown by fast and 2016 is right around the

corner. Our FDK program still currently have 2

spaces left. If you are interested in enrolling your

child in our before and after school program come

by our office or go online at

www.redappledaycare.com to put your child on our

waiting list. Preschool and School age program are

full at the moment but our Toddler program has 3

spaces available. It’s been a great year for Red

Apple in terms of our collaboration with Saint John

XXIII and were looking forward for more in 2016!

If you are inquiring for care don’t hesitate to

contact us at 416-429-6662, we’ll be happy to

answer any questions you may have.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a

Prosperous New Year.

RubyJM

GROWTH MINDSET

Students are encouraged to develop a growth mindset.

This allows your child’s brain to grow and develop, and

helps your child to achieve their best.

The following are tips for how to help your child

develop a growth mindset at home.

St. John XXIII Newsletter December 2015 2015

…that together you may with ONE VOICE glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6

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SCHOOL RULES!

St. John XXIII students share their thoughts about their

learning.

ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE

On November 27th, we went to the Ontario Science

Centre and it was a lot of fun. We went to the Human

Body Edge section and looked around. One of the

exhibits was kind of scary because it looked like we

were going to fall but it was an illusion. It was fun to go

there. The next place we went was a workshop and we

learned about pulleys and gears. We got into groups and

figured out the problem. I wish we can go back there

because it was a lot of fun. By Janelle, Gr. 5

Why Do We Like Different Subjects?

Mrs. Leskowsky’s Grade 1 students

would like to share which subjects

they like and why.

9 students like reading. ‘It makes us

learn,’ said Justice.

12 students like writing. Alessandra

shared that writing inspires her to learn

more and more words.

15 students like oral communication.

Dmitri believes that talking helps us

overcomer shyness and be brave.

14 students like media literacy. Dmitri

finds new books and stories on line.

‘Storylineonline is our favourite

website,’ agreed all students.

10 students like math. ‘Math helps us think,’ said Kyle.

13 students like science. Edson said that thank to science

we learn more about ourselves and our world.

8 students like social studies. ‘Social Studies help me

work well with others,’ shared Van Dion Jr.

6 students like music. Nowah said that music helps him

feel better.

8 students like French. Raphael believes that it is good

to know one more language.

9 students like drama. ‘You can dress up and have fun.’

Said Sarah.

11 students like dance. Tatiana enjoys dance because it

makes her body move. Bryan believes that dance is

healthy for us.

15 students like gym. Ashayla loves sports such as

hockey and soccer. That’s why gym is her favourite

subject.

‘We love our Catholic School, Religion, and our

friends.’ All children agreed.

November’s Virtue of the

Month was PEACE. As a

school, we celebrated

through daily reflection, a

Remembrance Day

assembly led by Ms.

Brake’s class and a visit

from some members of

Canada’s armed forces.

Through in class activities,

students learned about the

importance of

remembering the soldiers

who have given their lives

to protect ours. They have

St. John XXIII Newsletter December 2015 2015

…that together you may with ONE VOICE glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6

5

also learned about what it means to be peaceful in their

daily lives.

REMEMBRANCE DAY

Should Canadians celebrate Remembrance Day? I think

so. Soldiers sacrificed their lives and are still doing it

today. Also, some veterans are traumatized by what

they've seen. Through all of that they seem to try to

keep the peace. So all Canadians should show respect

and celebrate Remembrance Day. By Vanessa, Gr.

5

What is Peace? by Mrs. Watson's grade 1/2 class Peace is:

-sharing (Andre)

-love (Sienna)

-caring (Victoria)

-being helpful (Julianne)

-happiness (Alessandra)

-being kind (Rian)

-being nice (Deborah)

-something that you share in your heart (Caleb)

-friendship (Khalil)

-respecting others (Dexter)

-being kind to everyone (Jylla)

-treating others the way you want to be treated

(Atino)

-letting other people play with you (Krista)

-helping others (Briz)

-being thankful (Gabriel)

-helping people (Christina)

-feeling safe (Charbel)

-being nice to people (Morgan)

-helping each other (Raleigh)

-being helpful (Isaiah)

HUG O’ WAR

For this month’s Peace assembly, Ms. Desjardins’ Fifth

Block class practiced a Reader’s Theatre performance of

Shel Silverstein’s Hug O’ War.

I will not play at tug o’ war.

I’d rather play at hug o’ war,

Where everyone hugs

Instead of tugs,

Where everyone giggles

And rolls on the rug,

Where everyone kisses,

And everyone grins,

And everyone cuddles,

and everyone wins.

I will not play at tug o’ war.

I’d rather play at hug o’ war.

St. John XXIII Newsletter December 2015 2015

…that together you may with ONE VOICE glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6

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TCDSB Monthly

Update December 2015

Kindergarten Registration Starts January 13,

2016 The Toronto Catholic District School Board

invites families with children born in 2012 to register for

Junior Kindergarten beginning Wednesday, January 13,

2016 at 10 a.m. EST.

Registration options: Online: Parents will be able to complete their application online beginning at 10 a.m. EST on January 13, 2016, at SOAR.tcdsb.org, and follow up with a visit to the school to present the required documents. The online application is available at: https://soar.tcdsb.org/Login.aspx

In Person: Parents can register at their local school with the required documents beginning January 13, 2016 at 10 a.m. EST. To accommodate the busy schedules of parents, all elementary schools will host an evening registration session during the month of January. Parents are asked to contact their local Catholic school for specific dates and times.

Registration documents: • Child’s Birth Certificate or Passport/Immigration

documents if child was not born in Canada

• Child's Catholic baptismal certificate (or proof of

Catholicity of parent)

• Proof of residency in Toronto (some examples: a lease

agreement, utility bill)

• Immunization Record

Information is available by telephone at 416-222-8282 ext. 5314, or by visiting https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/EarlyYears/KindergartenRegistration/Pages/default.aspx

French Immersion and Extended French New for September 2016, French Immersion begins in Junior

Kindergarten

The Extended French Program is offered to students beginning in

grade 5 at several TCDSB sites. Interested parents are encouraged

to attend an information evening to learn more about the program.

Please note dates, times and locations for sessions planned for

December through to February:

https://www.tcdsb.org/News/othernews/2015/Pages/French-

Immersion-and-Extended-French.aspx

Resources for Students Heading to High School Helping students prepare for high school

https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SchoolProgramsK12/GuidanceCoopEd/Transition%20to%20High%20School/Documents/AFTER%208%20TRANSITION%20GUIDE%202015.pdf

Transition Guide for Parents is available in several languages https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SchoolProgramsK12/GuidanceCoopEd/Transition%20to%20High%20School/Pages/default.aspx

St. John XXIII Newsletter October 2015 2015

…that together you may with ONE VOICE glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6

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Celebrating The Year of the Family

Visit the website for resources https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOurCatholicCommunity/Year-of-Family/Pages/default.aspx. Toronto Catholic Family Film Festival Coming April 21st

Top 10 Films will be screened at the festival to be held at

Cineplex Cinemas, Yonge and Dundas. Check out the trailer for

the festival:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UTLQ61tntVM&feature=youtu.

be

And all the other information and resources: https://www.tcdsb.org/tcff Film submissions accepted until February 19th.

Play it Forward

The pilot project involves schools who are engaging in a charitable initiative focusing on helping a family, locally or abroad, and sharing their experiences via Skype with one of their partner schools. The initiative blends the Year of the Family with our ongoing focus on living our Catholic values by putting faith into action. On December 7th, St. Sebastian, Fr. Serra and St. Anselm will engage in their first online chat discussing what they have done, and will be doing for the Year of the Family. https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOurCatholicCommunity/Pages/Play-it-Forward.aspx Archdiocese of Toronto’s Project Hope

A reminder to all that the Archdiocese of Toronto has passed the midway point of its 100-day “Project Hope” $3 Million Emergency Refugee Resettlement Campaign. The goal is supporting the settlement of 100 refugee families within the Greater Toronto Area as soon as possible. Schools are encouraged to partner with their local parish to raise funds for this worthwhile effort. Get more information online: https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/project-hope.aspx

Upcoming Events

Advent Begins November 29th

Resources online here:

https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/season-of-advent.aspx

International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December

3rd

https://www.tcdsb.org/news/othernews/2014/pages/inter

national-day-of-persons-with-disabilities.aspx

International Human Rights Day, December 10th

https://www.tcdsb.org/News/othernews/2014/Pages/Inter

national-Day-of-Persons-with-Disabilities.aspx

Christmas Break: December 21-January 1 inclusive

(Classes resume Monday, January 4th

Eastern Rite Christmas January 7th

Visit the TCDSB Website www.tcdsb.org to get all the news and

information from around the board, including athletics, news for

parents and students.

Follow the board on Twitter @TCDSB to get updates as they

happen.

Or subscribe to Enews and receive regular email updates.

https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscription.aspx

Student Mental Health Newsletter

COPING WITH STRESS: Christmas is a wonderful time

of year when we celebrate the birth of Christ and enjoy time with

family and friends. The holidays bring fun and excitement, as

well as heightened stress. It is important for teachers and parents

to recognize when a child is feeling the holiday stress. Signs to

look for include:

Tears for what appear to be minor reasons

Nervous behaviours eg.nail bitting

Physical complaints

Withdrawal

Regression to younger behaviours

Parents and teachers can help all children to feel less

overwhelmed during the holidays by:

Maintaining some of your regular routines and activities.

Pay attention to your own mood.

St. John XXIII Newsletter October 2015 2015

…that together you may with ONE VOICE glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6

8

Talk with children about expectations for gifts and

holiday activities.

Alleviating some of the holiday stress with allow everyone to

enjoy a Christmas filled with love, laugher and special memories.

MINDFULNESS:

Mindfulness is the ability to pay attention “on purpose” to

what is happening in the moment. It is noticing and

developing an awareness of what we are sensing in the

present moment. Mindfulness is helpful for children and

youth because it gives them the opportunity to pause and

get control over their emotions (emotional regulation) and

to calm down. Teaching students to take the time to quiet

their minds enables them to learn healthy habits of thinking

and feeling. Students who practice mindfulness display

increased attention, organization, and self esteem and less

negative emotions, anxiety and depression.

Mindful Breathing teaches students to focus on their

breathing and the rise and fall of their belly as they breath.

Our breath brings oxygen to our brain and body, which

creates a sense of calm. Remind students to breath

mindfully to create the sense of calm and focus they require

to perform their best.

Mindful Listening is the ability to listen accurately to others

with our minds and hearts without interrupting. Practice

paying attention to all the sounds in the room, or paying

attention to the many instruments in a song. When students

are not paying attention encourage them to use mindful

listening to regain focus.

Mindful Seeing allows us to see things more slowing and

notice details. It helps to quiet everything down and to feel

more relaxed. Ask children to look around and point things

out they have never seen before, or go out into nature and

take notice of something of interest.

Suggested Readings and Websites:

Books

Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda – Lauren Alderfer

A Boy and A Bear – Lori Lite

The Mindful Way to Study: Dancing with your Books – Jake J. Gibbs

Mindfulness Meditations for Teens – Bodhipaksa

10 Mindful Minutes – Goldie Hawn

Websites

www.mindthebump.org.au

www.nasponline.org

www.mindfuleducation.org

www.mindfulnesseveryday.org

Utube Video – “Just Breath”