Highlights For January

8– Return to School

9– Scientist in the School Gr. 5/6

11– Virtue Assembly

12– Gr. 5 & 6 to BMTM

15– Snack Program to restart

Girls basketball Tournament@ St Joe’s

16– MEDD Bowling

Safety Presentation ELP-3

Scientist in the School Gr. 5/6

CSPC Meeting 6pm

17– Kindergarten Registration 10am

www.soar.tcdsb.org

18–Pizza Orders Due

Dress Down Day $1

19– PA Day No School

23– Kindergarten Registration Night 6-8pm

24– Afterschool coding

25– Gr. 4 OSLAT Testing

26– Pizza Lunch

Bus Safety Presentations

29– Popcorn Day

31– After School Coding

Catholic Parent Involvement Committee (CPIC):

www.tcdsb.org/cpic

School Website:

https://www.tcdsb.org/schools/popefrancis/Pages/default.aspx

January 2018

Virtue of the Month: Courage

God of courage,

May we always seek to do what is right, no matter

what others say or think.

May we face our fears knowing that you are by our

side.

May we honestly try to be the best we can be, each

and every day.

We know that we may not always be brave, but

with your gift of courage,

May we be always willing to try new things as we

follow Jesus, your Son,

Our model of courage.

Amen.

POPE FRANCIS NEWSLETTER

Contacts

Principal:

Mr. B. Howlett

Superintendent:

Mr. J. Wujek

Trustee:

Ms. J. Davis

Secretary:

Ms. M. Fowler

Parish Church:

Fr. Jimmy

St. Francis of Assisi

Church

72 Mansfield Ave

Toronto, Ontario,

Canada

M6J 2B2

CSAC Chair

Mr. Cavaco

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

Pope Francis is an eco-friendly school:

The newsletter is only available in electronic form.

If you would like a newsletter sent to your email, please send a request to: brett.howlett@tcdsb.org

The newsletter is also accessible via the school website:

If you wish to receive a paper copy please contact your child’s teacher, or the office.

January 2018

The Year of The School

POPE FRANCIS NEWSLETTER

School Masses/Sacraments will occur on the following dates:

All parents are welcome to attend.

All Masses are at St. Francis of Assisi Church

February 14th @ 9:30am

April 13th @ 9:30am

June 20th @ 9:30am

Confession

March 9th

1st Holy Communion

May 5th

Confirmation

May 26th

Regular Masses at St. Francis of Assisi Church

Saturday

5pm English

Sunday

9am Italian

11:30am English

Monday 8am Italian

Tuesday 8am Italian

Wednesday 8am English

Thursday 8am Italian

Friday 8am Italian

January 2018

Events at Pope Francis

Primary Girls Soccer On Dec. 6th the primary girls soccer team had their tournament at St. Alphonsus Catholic School. It was a whole day filled with enthusiasm and energy. The team played three games and our goalies Madalyn and Gen-esis were spectacular in keeping a consistent eye on the ball. Although we came up short on all three games the team put forth a spectacular effort. Congratula-tions Madalyn, Chelsea, Raquel, Micaela, Rachelle, Sierra, Bianca, Isabella, Kesia, Adrianna, Emma, Be-atrice and Genesis for trying your best and demonstrating great team spirit.

Virtue of the Month Assembly

Charity

As we continue our school year, many of our students have demon-

strated the virtue of Charity. Being thankful and demonstrating Char-

ity in all that they do.

We will be recognizing their commitment to the Virtue of Charity in

an assembly.

The following students received the Virtue of Charity Award:

Ms. Santoianni– Isabella T.

Ms. De Freitas– Braydon R & Adriano F.

Ms. Falico– Dezia C.

Ms. Sawchuk– Alexandra B.

Ms. Baciao– Micaela N. & Chelsea A.

Mr. Noto– Sarah A. & Dimitrios P.

Ms. Anceriz– Julia A & Tomas de Jesus.

Ms. De Franco– Emmett H.

Ms. Rego– Jacob V & Chloe B.

Ms. Silva– Luke F.

Mr. Camilleri– Gabriella O. & Tatiana A.

Ms. Leone– Justin F.

Ms. Da Silva– Meghan A. & Jaykob C.

POPE FRANCIS NEWSLETTER

Christmas Concert

On December 13th the Pope Francis School community gathered for our annual Christmas Concert. The night was filled with Christ-

mas cheer, singing, dancing and dramatic acts. Thank you to all of the staff, students and Parent Council who assisting in making a

wonderful community event.

Boys Primary Soccer

The Primary Boys Soccer team had a great tour-nament. They fought hard and gave it every-thing they had. They finished 4th overall. The boys represented Pope Francis with enthusiasm and showed great dedication overall. Go Tim-berwolves!!

Dylan, Bryan, Matthew, Ashe, Diogo, Obinna, Jaxon, Alessandro, Lucas, Nathan, Andre, Ga-briel, Jonathan, Cristiano, Justin

December 2017

Thank you

POPE FRANCIS NEWSLETTER

Christmas Tree Silent Auction

One of the activities at the Christmas concert was the Christmas Tree silent auction. The Staff at Pope Francis worked together and

created beautiful hand crafted works of art. We were also very fortunate to have a number of community members assist in donating

items and materials for the trees. Thank you to our community members who donated a variety of items to make this initiative very

successful. All the proceeds from the sale of the trees will be used in the school to support the purchase of new technology, sports

equipment and jerseys.

Thank you to our

sponsors!!

December 2017

POPE FRANCIS NEWSLETTER

Volunteers and Lunch Time Supervisors Needed

If you are interesting in becoming a lunchtime supervisor or volunteer, please inquire at the office.

Times would be from 11:15am-12:15pm daily

Thank you for your consideration

Parent Surveys for Before and After School Programs

As of January 18, 2018, parents, of currently-enrolled Year 1/Junior Kindergarten students, will be provid-

ed with a survey to indicate interest for a Before and After School Licensed Child Care Program to poten-

tially open. A minimum of 20 positive surveys and then 20 registrations will be needed in order to consid-

er a program.

During that same week, parents of currently-enrolled children from the ages of 6 -12 will be able to ac-

cess a Before and After School survey online through the following link:

https://soar.tcdsb.org/soarsurvey2/schoolagesurvey.aspx

A minimum of 25 positive surveys and then 25 registrations will be needed in order to consider a school-

age program for 6 – 12 year olds.

Before and After/After School Programs generally operate on a cost-recovery basis therefore minimum

numbers are required in order to be financially-viable.

Completed surveys (whether online or paper copies) are due by Friday, February 16, 2018.

For school sites that have an existing Before and After School and or just After School Program (authorized

recreation), parents are still welcome to complete the surveys to show interest in a program that may not

currently be available in the school.

Note that every effort will be made to open programs where there is sufficient interest. This is contin-

gent upon identifying a qualified third party agency that accepts the opportunity to open a program

within a school site.

December 2017

Kindergarten Registration

POPE FRANCIS NEWSLETTER

Be part of

Pope Francis Catholic Elementary School

2018-2019

Kindergarten Registration for September 2018

TCDSB invites families with children born in 2014 to register for Kindergarten

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 10 a.m. EST.

Night Registration at Pope Francis

Tuesday January 23th, 2017 From 6:00-8:00pm

Registration options:

Online: Parents will be able to complete their application online at: https://soar.tcdsb.org/Login.aspx. A

follow up with visit to the school to present the required documents will be scheduled following the online

application.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_vb-dasjNzsUDMxdVVRZDRuREk/view

In Person: Parents can register at their local school with the required documents.

Information: 416-222-8282 ext. 5320 or 5314, www.tcdsb.org/kindergartenregistration

The following documents are required for registration: 1. Child's Birth Certificate

2. Passport/immigration documents (only if child was not born in Canada) 3. Child's Catholic Baptismal Certificate (or proof of parent's Catholicity or RCIA/RCIC letter) 4. Child's Immunization Record 5. Proof of residency in Toronto

December 2016

Student Information Updates

As the year progresses, often some infor-

mation changes. Please ensure that all

emergency contact information is current.

If an emergency were to happen, the

school must have current contacts. If you

have changed your phone number or ad-

dress please inform the office.

Wet/ Cold Weather is Here!

As the weather is changing, please ensure that stu-

dents are dressed appropriately for the cold, wet, ever

changing weather. Students should have a pair of in-

door shoes to wear in the building and packing an

extra pair of socks, gloves and pants is recommended.

From the Office

Uniform

As the colder weather approaches, often students forget what the

school dress code entails.

Students are expected to wear the following dress code:

Appropriate Dress Code – consists of any combination of

navy blue and white garments (e.g., plain white top, navy

blue bottom, navy blue top and bottom, no denim). Only

blue and or white sweaters are to be worn in the class. All

student attire must be in keeping with our Catholic teach-

ings and beliefs, and reflect principles of modesty.

Students Leaving During Lunch

Please be aware that students are not permitted to leave

the school during lunch unless they are going home with a

parent. This is a due to significate safety concerns. If your

child does need a lunch it would be better if an adult is able

to deliver the lunch to the child. Please keep in mind as

well, that often “treat” lunches may make other students

uncomfortable. If you are considering a treat lunch for your

child, why not spend some quality time with them and eat

together in the area.

To report an absence please call 416-393-5347

POPE FRANCIS NEWSLETTER

Family Math Challenge! As a family, try to solve the following math problem

Using your skills in measurement, determine some fun information about your travels together.

What is the best unit of measure to use when walking from home to school? cm m km

What is the distance from home to school? __________________

How long does it take you to arrive at school? __________________

How far does your mom or dad travel to go to work? _________________

How long does it take them to get to work? ____________________

What ideas do you have for improving the commute in Toronto?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Pope Francis CSPC 2017-2018

Catholic School Parent Council

Congratulations to the following parents who

have been elected to the parent council for

Pope Francis:.

Chair: Mr. Cavaco

Vice Chair: Ms. Isabel

Treasurer: Ms. Cordeiro

Secretary: Ms. Pierce

Committee members:

Mr. Silveira, Ms. Salmon, Ms. Melo,

Ms. Loucano, Ms. Coelho, Ms. Morais,

Mr. Amorim, Ms. Da Costa, Ms. Martins,

Ms. Carvalho, Mr. Saunders, Ms. Teixeira,

Mr. Hoff, Ms. Correia, Ms. Silveira

CSPC Meeting Dates

All Parents are welcome to attend.

All Meetings 6:00-7:30pm in the Library

January 16, 2018

February 13, 2018

April 10, 2018

May 15, 2018

June 19, 2017

Dates are subject to change

Guidance Corner

Planning for Your Future

During the month of October, students in several intermediate classes

began to develop their Individual Pathways Plan (IPP), as they prepare

to enter high school and think about what they would like to do beyond

secondary school. Students logged into their myBlueprint and began to

set goals for themselves, with a focus on learning skills; thought about

the courses that they will be taking in high school; started to develop a

resume; and explored various occupations and post-secondary path-

ways across Canada.

Parents are encouraged to ask their intermediate child(ren) to show

them the work that they may have done on myBlueprint and encour-

age them to continue to develop their plan for the future. Follow these

easy steps.

Please go to www.myblueprint.ca/tcdsb. 1. Click on “Login with school account.”

Ask your child to use their TCDSB username and password to log in.

High School Applications

Parents of grade 8 students are reminded to be sure to get those high

school applications back to the school and accurately completed so

that the school can submit them to the Board by November 6th. Please

have your child return the form on the due date given by their teacher.

You may have also already received the After 8 Student and Parent

Transition Guides. In them, you will find detailed information about the

TCDSB Secondary School Application process. Ask your child about it

if you do not see one by early November. They are also available

online in English and several other Languages at this address:

https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SchoolProgramsK12/

GuidanceCoopEd/Transition%20to%20High%20School/Pages/

default.aspx

Monthly Update from the Board

January 2018

Kindergarten Registration Begins January 17th at 10 a.m.

Visit www.tcdsb.org for details.

New French Immersion Programs Coming September 2018 We are pleased to share that following the successful community consultation, the Toronto Catholic District School Board is moving forward with the implementation of French Immersion Programming for September 2018 at the following schools:

St. Mary Catholic School

St. Alphonsus Catholic School

St. Brigid Catholic School

St. Louis Catholic School

St. Rita Catholic School

Registration for elementary school programs will begin in January 2018.

Visit www.tcdsb.org for information about further expansions of the French Immersion program.

Registration for Second Semester of Night School and eClass Toronto Catholic District School Board invites students to register for night school and eClass beginning January 11th. Students may register for a maximum of two courses, which may consist of eClass Online or in-class evening courses. Classes begin February 20th and 21st.

Visit the continuing education website for further information: www.tcdsb.org/continuinged or www.tcdsb.org/eclass

January’s Virtue is Courage

Find all the resources related to the monthly virtue, as well as other resources to support faith development and Religion and Family Life on our website here: https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOurCatholicCommunity/Pages/Default.aspx

School Evenings Start Date End Date Times

Bishop Marrocco/ Thomas Merton Monday and Wednesday Feb 21 June 13 6 pm - 9:15 pm

Francis Libermann Monday and Wednesday Feb 21 June 13 6 pm - 9:15 pm

Jean Vanier Tuesday and Thursday Feb 20 June 7 6 pm - 9:15 pm

Msgr. Percy Johnson Tuesday and Thursday Feb 20 June 7 6 pm - 9:15 pm

eClass - Online Learning Feb 21 June 13

Opportunities for Students Check here https://www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDENTS/OpportunitiesForStudents/Pages/default.aspx for the latest updates about scholarships, community service opportunities, student employment and more.

Barbara Poplawski Named Chair of Toronto Catholic District School Board

Barbara Poplawski, Trustee for Ward 10, was elected as Chair of the Toronto Catholic District School Board at the annual Caucus/Inaugural meeting held this evening.

The longest serving TCDSB Trustee, Ms. Poplawski was first elected to the Board in 1978, and has served on almost every committee during her political career, including terms as both chair and vice-chair on Board standing committees.

Committed to the goals of the Board’s multi-year strategic plan, she says the Board’s responsibilities are to serve students first and foremost, but also to be transparent and accountable to those stakeholders who do not have children in the system

Maria Rizzo, Trustee for Ward 5, was elected as Vice-Chair of the Board. Ms. Rizzo has been trustee since 2003.

Appointments to Statutory and Standing Committees included:

Supervised Alternative Learning: Nancy Crawford, Jo-Ann Davis (alternate)

Student Achievement and Well Being, Catholic Education and Human Resources Committee: Chair-Nancy Crawford; Vice-Chair-Angela

Kennedy

Corporate Services, Strategic Planning and Property Committee: Chair-Jo-Ann Davis; Vice-Chair-Garry Tanuan

Catholic Parent Involvement Committee: Garry Tanuan, Angela Kennedy (alternate)

Governance and Policy: Chair-Angela Kennedy; Vice-Chair-Jo-Ann Davis

Calendar of Board and Committees

The new calendar of meetings for 2018 has been added to our website. Visit https://www.tcdsb.org/Calendar/Pages/annual-calendar-and-committee-meetings.aspx

for details.

Audited Financial Statements—2017

Click here to view approved financial statements for 2016-2017 www.tcdsb.org/financialstatement

Other Important Reminders:

Parents Urged to Check Their Liability Insurance Coverage

At the October 19, 2017 Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees, the Board resolved that all parents of the Board should be advised to consider contacting their home insurance providers to determine the adequacy of their home insurance coverage to cover claims arising out of injuries caused by their child at school.

The reason for the Board of Trustee direction is that there have been a few instances recently where legal action has been initiated for personal injury or other harm to a student allegedly caused by another child.

A brief consultation by parents with their insurance provider is advised so parents can assess the adequacy of their insurance coverage if they are sued for personal injury or other harm allegedly caused by their child at school.

Inclement Weather Protocol

With the approach of winter and the associated ice and snow, there is always a possibility of school bus cancellations or delays, as well as cancel-lation of programs and services such as evening classes or permits. Your best source of information is via Twitter @TCDSB. For those who are not on Twitter, please tune in to local television and radio networks for updates. Other good sources of information are:

TCDSB’s website www.tcdsb.org

Toronto Student Transportation Group website https://www.torontoschoolbus.org

TCDSB 24-hour Telephone Information Line: 416-222-8282 ext. 2873

Or if you wish to receive updates right to your email, subscribe to enews: https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscription.aspx

TCDSB 2017-2018 Awards Season has begun!

Nominations are welcome for the annual TCDSB Alumni Award, Award of Merit and Friends of Catholic Education Award which will be pre-sented at Awards Night on May 7, 2018.

Deadline: third Friday in January (January 20).

TCDSB Alumni Award: Open to TCDSB alumni who are still active in the Catholic community and who have distinguished them-selves in their career or accomplishments.

TCDSB Award of Merit: Open to former staff, parents and trustees who have made outstanding contr ibutions to the TCDSB and to Catholic education (can only be considered for award after a three-year period has passed since departure from the TCDSB)

Friends of Catholic Education Award: Open to members of the general public (individuals or organizations) who have accom-plished extraordinary service to Catholic Education but who may not be Catholic.

For nomination forms and information, visit: www.tcdsb.org/awardsnight

One Month until Deadline for Submissions: Spotlight On Your School

Submissions of short videos and original songs to celebrate your local school are due February 23rd. Details for this Year of the School activity can be found online https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOurCatholicCommunity/Year-of-the-School/Spotlight-on-your-school/Pages/default.aspx