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St. Jane Frances Catholic School
2745 Jane Street
Toronto, Ontario M3 L2E8
Tel. 416 3935296 Fax. 416 3935135
Principal: Lillian Kurnik
Vice Principal: Jacqueline Puri
Vice Principal: Stephen Patel
Superintendent: Gina Iuliano Marello
416-222-8282, ext. 2267
Trustee: Patricia Bottoni
4165123404
St. Jane Frances Parish:
2747 Jane Street
Toronto, Ontario M3 L2E8
(416) 741-1463
School Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m. morning session begins
10:12 a.m. – 10:27 a.m. Morning recess
11:15 p.m. - 12:15 p.m. Lunch recess
1:40 p.m. - 1:55 p.m. Afternoon recess
3:30 p.m. Dismissal
During February, we think about Valentine’s Day and all of the festivities associated with this special
day. Valentine’s Day is the celebration of Love and in John’s Gospel, we are reminded of how much
God loves each and every one of us, “For God so loved the world, He gave His own son”. John 3:16. As
we focus on the virtue of love, let us remember that love not only inspires the practice of all other
virtues it is the completion of all the other virtues.
In the upcoming month, teachers have planned various activities in their classrooms that center on the
virtue of love. Also in February, we acknowledge African Canadian Heritage Month. African Canadian
Heritage Month refers to the stories, experiences and accomplishments of people of African
origin. The Grade 7 students of Mr. Cole’s class will be attending a very special Mass at the Catholic
Education Center on February 5th, 2016 to honor this month and have been asked to participate in the
offertory celebration and a lovely luncheon afterwards.
St. Jane Frances School will also be the site of the installation of the African Invention Museum on
Monday February 29th. Parents are most welcome to come in and visit this wonderful display of
African inventions and artifacts.
Lastly, our teachers will be infusing the curriculum with stories, and discussions, plays and film around
heritage family and celebrating the goodness of our school community.
February also marks the time that we enter into the penitential season of Lent. On Wednesday,
February 10th, 2016, Father Giacomo will be coming over to our school to give ashes as part of our
school Ash Wednesday observance between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm that day. Parents and families in
the community are invited to receive ashes if they come to school at that time as well. Palms from the
previous Palm Sunday are burned into ashes which are then put onto our foreheads. While the ashes
are being placed, the words, “Repent and believe in the Gospel” or Remember that you are dust and
to dust you shall return” are used.
We look forward to send parents and guardians a copy of their son/daughters report card home this
month on Monday February 8th, 2016 at the end of the school day. Interviews will be taking place on
Wednesday February 10th, 2016 and Thursday February 11th, 2016. A reminder to all our parents that
Friday February 12th, 2016 is a Professional Activity day with no school for the children.
Happy Chinese New Year to families celebrating this joyful occasion.
Parents please have a look at our February and March calendars in the Newsletter for other activities
and important dates coming up!
Sincerely
L. Kurnik J. Puri/S. Patel Principal Vice – Principals New PA Day Added to Calendar The Board has approved Friday, April 15, 2016 as a system-wide Professional Activity Day.
https://www.tcdsb.org/school/SchoolYearCalendar/Pages/Default.aspx
Multi-Year Strategic Plan Welcome to your opportunity to provide direct input as the Board refines its strategic directions to produce a revised
Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) that will guide the organization for the next several years. All TCDSB stakeholders are invited to complete the
online survey and submit their personal comments regarding the DRAFT MYSP by no later than February 1st. Get all the information here:
https://www.tcdsb.org/board/mysp/pages/2016-mysp-consultation.aspx
Newcomer Adults Seeking English or French ClassesTry out the new app to find free English and French courses for adult newcomers:
https://www.tcdsb.org/forcommunity/adulteducationesl/pages/default.aspx
Investing in Our Diversity Scholarship Program Involved in your community? Planning to attend school in the fall of 2016? Under 25?
Lifeguarding jobs with Toronto Police Service Application deadline March 18, 2016
https://webapp1.torontopolice.on.ca/psp/careers/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?&SiteId=2000
Principal’s Message February, 2016
V
irtu
e o
f th
e m
on
th is
LO
VE
Year of the Family One Lord, One Faith, One God of All
Student Mental Health and Well-Being
Newsletter
It is through kindness and helping others
that we show love. Researchers have found
that watching someone being kind triggers
the same physiological changes in the brain
as those triggered in the person being kind.
Dopamine levels rise in the brain and
activate the brain’s pleasure centers. Being
kind and helping others makes us feel
happy, decreases depression by increasing
our feelings of optimism, and improves
overall health. Kindness also promotes social
connectedness. When we are kind to others
we feel closer to them and they feel closer
to us, which leads us to perceive others
more positively. It’s also contagious! It can
motivate others to be kind thereby creating
a ripple effect throughout a community.
If we dedicate a few minutes each week to
kindness we can greatly improve our own
well-being and those around us.
Encourage students to engage in Random Acts of Kindness e.g. pick up another student’s jacket that has fallen on the floor, ask a student that has never played with you to join them at recess or during lunch, hold the door open for someone.
Create a “saying” and make posters that can be displayed in the classroom e.g. “Kindness can change
the world”, or “Practice Random
Kindness.” Display suggestions of what
students can do to show kindness to
others.
Have students find quotes about kindness and discuss what they mean, or write about them
Introduce a rule - Enter the room with a smile! Discuss the importance of spreading joy.
Words have power ~ form a circle and say one nice thing about the student beside you, or celebrate a “say something nice day”. Share your experiences at the end of the day.
Never underestimate the impact of a single act of
kindness.
(Information obtained from: Kid
Activities/Random Acts of Kindness; and 10
Mindful Minutes by Goldie Hawn)
February, 2016
The Power of Kindness “Not all of us can do great things, but
we can do small things with great
love” ~ Mother Teresa. Our hope is that you
spread kindness and love throughout your
school and home.
Mental Health Initiatives 2015-2016 February is Psychology
Month Presentation for Parents, Students,
Educators
Understanding Challenging
Behaviours in Children &
Adolescents and how to help
manage them
February 22, 2016
4:30-7:00pm
CEC 3rd floor
TCDSB Mental Health and
Well-Being Strategy 2015-
18 approved, and on our
webpage!
Support for schools in
developing a mentally
healthy classroom. See
Supporting Minds on the
Ministry’s website and
edugains.ca
Feb, 12th Student Success
PD day-many Mental
Health Offerings e.g. safe
TALK, FRIENDS, and
Mindfulness
Feb. 18th Stop the Stigma
elementary student
symposium for 9 pilot
schools
SAFE TALK suicide
awareness workshops
for staff available via
PAL, April and May
Loving-kindness mediation “is the simple practice of directing well-wishes towards other people.” This
can be done with students of all ages. Most children “are good at using their imaginations to send love
and well wishes.” Research has shown that this type of mediation “increases positive emotions” and
“changes the way people approach life for the better.”
Have students sit comfortably with their eyes closed and imagine what they wish for in their life.
Formulate wishes into three or four phrases. For example, “May I be healthy. May I be happy, May I be
filled with peace Loving-Kindness meditation is a repetition of these phrases, but directing them at
different people.
Begin by directing the phrase at yourself eg. may I be happy
Then direct the phrase toward someone you feel thankful for.
Visualize someone you feel neutral about –people you neither like nor dislike. This will encourage students to stop and think about how quickly we are to judge people as either positive or negative in our lives.
Visualize someone you don’t like or who you’re having a difficult time with eg. someone who is teasing or bullying you. You often feel empowered when you send love to someone who is being difficult.
Direct the phrase towards everyone universally, “may all beings everywhere be happy”.
Watch a 3-minute video on how to use this Loving-Kindness meditation with children (Sylvia Boorstein at
www.greatergoodparents.org)
This meditation was obtained from Christine Carter, Ph.D. from www.greatergood.berkeley.edu
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but
rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love
never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Loving-Kindness Meditation
Fostering The Family: The TCDSB Pastoral Plan 2015-18
“Together With one Voice: Harmonizing
Our Faith Through Family, Parish, and
School” 2015 -2016 focuses on the
FAMILY
Practice Random Acts of Kindness in
your home
Write a note of appreciation to a family member
Give a hug…just because
Do a chore without someone asking you to do it
Say “I Love You”
Suggested Readings and Websites:
Books:
Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein
Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Fumi Kosaka
How Full Is Your Bucket? By Tom Rath and Mary
Reckmeyer
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
The Power of Kindness for Teens – true stories written by
teens from Guideposts
Pay it Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Websites:
www.actsofkindness.org
Download an Educator’s Guide ~ Kindness in the
Classroom as well as posters, bookmarks (K-12)
www.kidactivities.net/category/random-acts-of-
kindness.aspx
A Laugh A Day…
Patricia Marra-Stapleton, Psychological Associate/Mental Health Lead
Marci Buhagiar, Psychologist; [email protected]
Add “making someone
laugh” to your to-do list
every day. Go out of your
way to make at least one
person laugh every day.
Tickle them
Tease them
Tell a joke
Tell a story
(www.randomactsofkind
ness.org)
Catholic School Parent Council Update
We would like to thank all the families in the St. Jane Frances community and the CSPC for your support and
generosity.
Congratulations to our top sellers for our Raffle Fundraiser
Jonathan B.
Layla N.
Kayla L.
Through our Raffle Fundraiser we raised $4189.79. Through the sale of tickets for both the Grade 1 to 3 and
JK/SK Christmas concerts we raised $1198.86. Remember all the money raised goes directly back into the
school.
Using the money raised through the monthly pizza lunch we have purchased 6 projectors that have been
distributed at each grade level in order to enhance teaching and help bring our children towards the goal of 21st
Century Learning.
We like to remind Parents if you have a receipt from the Samko Toy Sale please bring them to the school. We
will be accepting receipts until Wednesday February 10th.
And finally with the cold weather the children are having more indoor recesses. We are asking all families to
take a look into their closets and donate any used board games so that the children have something to do.
Games can be sent directly to your child's teacher.
If you would like to be added to our distribution list please email us at [email protected]
Our next meeting is Wednesday March 23rd at 6:30 p.m.
