St. Ambrose Catholic School Newsletter 20 Coules Court, Etobicoke, Ontario, M8W 2N9

Telephone: (416) 393-5259 Fax: (416) 393-5039 Visit us: http://stambrose.tcdsb.org and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stambroseces

St. Ambrose Parish Superintendent: D. Yack 416-222-8282 ext. 2732 Principal: K. Van Dinter Fr. Donatello Iocco Trustee: A. Andrachuk 416-512-3402 Secretary: E. Silva (416) 251-8282 CSAC Chair: B. Minor

DECEMBER 2015

Principal’s Message

As we begin the Advent season, let us reflect on

Christ’s presence in our lives and in the lives of

others. At St. Ambrose School, the month of

December will focus on creating an atmosphere of

preparation by touching the lives of those most in

need and giving back to the community through a

variety of community service initiatives. Our Me to

We team will be organizing Christmas Baskets for

families in need and we will be collecting reading

books and chocolates for the Catholic Children’s

Aid Society. On Monday, December 7th, we will be

celebrating this special advent season with our

Family Advent Liturgy at St. Ambrose Church.

During this Advent season, as we prepare

ourselves to live out the virtue of charity, let us

show the same selfless giving of ourselves for the

betterment of others as Jesus did for all of us.

On behalf of the entire staff at St. Ambrose, I

want to extend warm wishes to you and your family

during this season of Christmas!

Katherine Van Dinter Principal

A Christmas Prayer By Nancy Brummett

I said a Christmas prayer for you

Because the season’s near,

I didn’t ask for riches

But for something much more dear.

I asked for joyful gatherings

With your family all around,

And for carols to inspire you

With their old familiar sound.

I asked for quiet moments

In your heart on Christmas morn,

For a special time to celebrate

The Savior who was born.

I asked for friends to send their best

That you might know they care

I asked for peace and love and hope

And I know God heard my prayer.

May the spirit of Christmas

Bring you peace.

May the gladness of Christmas

Bring you hope

And the warmth of Christmas

Bring you love.

AMEN

Prayer for Charity

O Lord, give us more charity,

more likeness to you. Make us

kindly in thought, gentle in

word, generous in deed.

Teach us that it is better to

give than to receive, better to

forget ourselves than to put

ourselves forward, better to

minister than to be

ministered to. And to you,

the

God of love, be all glory and

praise, now and forever.

Amen.

By Henry Alford

Virtue of the Month: Peace

The Virtue Award for the month of November goes to the student(s) in each

class that are usually calm, level-headed when under pressure, generously forgive

others, and promote and practice conflict resolution.

CLASS TEACHER STUDENTS

ELP/1 Ms. Kwiatkowski Alyssa C., Jaden D. &

Jordan B.

ELP/2 Ms. Bureau Jan P., Amelia H. & Emily M.

ELP/3 Ms. Van de Coevering Luca B., Meghan S.

1 Ms. Russo Raquel C., Antonio P.,

Aneta C.

1 Mrs. Vieira Elizabet C., Alexander A.

2 Ms. Gacad Anthony C., Lola C.

2/3 Ms. McKeon Scott C., Jordyn P.

3/4 Ms. Sztuka Juliana M., Angie D.

4 Ms. Czarnecki Jacob D., Kaylee P.

5 Ms. Pappano Karolina P., Sammy T.,

Robert Z.

6 Ms. Ursini Christian B., Erika E.,

Isabella A.

6/7 Mrs. Birt Mya C., Brian A.

8 Ms. Berardi Lucas D., Hailey R.

8 Mr. Roque Grace N., Drazen M.

The Catholic Community Award for December: CHARITY

The criteria for the Virtue of Charity:

students who demonstrate generosity with their time and energy students who participate in school wide initiatives related to charity students who lend a helping hand students who give to others without expecting anything in return

As we enter the season of Advent to prepare our hearts for the birth

of Jesus, it is rather suitable that this month’s virtue is CHARITY.

Many of us are already engaging in the mad rush to purchase gifts to

put under the tree on December 25th, but let us be mindful of the

fact that charity is not always about giving material things. Our quote

for the month is “Where charity and love are, God is there.” As St.

Thomas Aquinas described it, “Charity is friendship first with God and

secondly with all who belong to God.”” How can we practice charity and

generosity in our community without necessarily giving material things?

Lets’ make this the challenge that we all strive to achieve for the

month of December!

Sweet Read

Spread the gift of literacy! During

this Christmas season, St. Ambrose

students are asked to participate in

a “Sweet Read” initiative. Our

students help to brighten another

child’s day and increase literacy in

our community with their donations

of new books and peanut-free

chocolate treats. It is a true

display of “Christmas Spirit”. From

Monday, December 7th through to

Friday, December 11th, students can

drop off their wrapped donations

(in clear cellophane), around the

Christmas tree. All proceeds will be

given to the Catholic Children’s Aid

Society.

Our Angel Tree

In the spirit of giving, St. Ambrose

will be participating in collecting

food items and Christmas gifts in

support of the St. Vincent de Paul

community Christmas Hamper

program from December 3rd

through to December 14th. We will

be providing for some needy

families in our community. Each

class will be given one or two

families in need to support. Please

know that your generous donation

enables families in need to find

something special under their own

Christmas tree and to enjoy a

special Christmas dinner. This is an

excellent opportunity for our

students to give witness to our

Catholic social teaching, by giving

freely without expecting anything

in return. An angel with the

student’s name and the family

number they have supported will be

placed on our Angel tree. Thank you

in advance for your continued

support!

Candy Grams

With Christmas fast approaching,

the Student Leaders will be selling

Candy Grams with little “Candy

Gram messages” attached from

Monday, December 7th to

Wednesday, December 16th at a

nominal cost of 1 for 50 cents or 3

for $1.00. Candy grams will be

delivered on Friday, December 18th.

All proceeds will support Grade 8

graduation activities. We thank

Metro (at Lakeshore and Parklawn)

for donating the candy canes for

this fundraiser.

‘A Christmas Carol’ Play

On Tuesday, December 15th, students

from K- Gr. 8 will be watching “A

Christmas Carol”, performed by

Dufflebag Theatre. This hilarious

rendition of Charles Dickens' classic

tale A Christmas Carol, will be

brought to life with the help of

audience members who

spontaneously participate, playing

the main parts. We thank Mrs. Gillis

for arranging for this performance

sponsored by Prologue to the

Performing Arts!

Family Advent Liturgy

On Monday, December 7th, the

feast of St. Ambrose, we will be

having our Family Advent Liturgy at

St. Ambrose Church. Our

celebration will begin at 6:40 pm

with carol singing followed by the

Family Advent liturgy at 7:00 pm.

The theme for our liturgy is the

Nativity of our Lord. Students will

be dramatizing the story of the

birth of Jesus in scripture and

song. All classes will be involved

with this celebration.

Since we are celebrating the Year

of the Family, all students will be

seated with their families during

the celebration. Students will be

called up to the front of the church

when their class is performing.

A light reception will follow in the

gym at St. Ambrose Catholic School

compliments of our CSPC. Parents

are welcome to bring treats to add

to the food table. Please contact

Mrs. Minor at theminors@rogers.com

for more information!

We hope you are able to attend!!

INDOOR SHOES In order to keep our students warm

and comfortable and to help keep

their workplace clean, please ensure

that your child has a pair of

“indoor shoes”. It will reduce the

amount of dirt and mud brought

indoors. It will also assist our

custodial staff in keeping our school

clean. These extra shoes serve many

functions, safety being the primary

one. Students will not track water

into classrooms, hallways and

stairwells making them potentially

slippery and dangerous. Also, during

fire drills or in case of a fire,

students need to be able to exit the

building quickly; they will not have

enough time to stop and put on their

shoes. Students are not permitted

to be in sock feet in the classrooms

or anywhere in the school. Indoor

footwear is expected for all

students.

VOLLEYBALL TEAMS

Congratulations to the

Intermediate Boys Volleyball and

Girls volleyball teams! They

represented St. Ambrose with class

and showed excellent

sportsmanship throughout the

tournament. Their hard work and

commitment during practices paid

off! They all improved their game,

leadership abilities and their team

work. They stuck together,

encouraged each other and helped

each other out. In the end their

determination, grit and skill made

them a force to contend with right

down to the wire. Special thanks

to Mr. Roque and Mrs. Bureau

for coaching the volleyball

teams this year!

Winter Weather

It is that time of year when students need to be reminded of

the necessity of dressing properly

for the weather (mittens, hats,

scarves, boots, etc.). Labelling items would be helpful, as many

boots and mittens look very

similar. Many items make their way to the Lost and Found and are

often not claimed.

Except under inclement conditions, students go outside during recess

and lunch hour. Children who are

too ill to go outside should be

resting at home and should not

be at school.

Last Day of Classes The last day of classes before the Christmas holidays is Friday, December 18th, 2015. Dismissal will be at the regular time of 3:00 p.m. Classes will resume on Monday, January 4th, 2016.

.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL PARENT

COUNCIL (CSPC) NEWS

GINGERBREAD MAKING AND

PHOTOS WITH SANTA!

Mark your calendar! Please join us

for some Christmas music and

holiday cheer! Decorate a

gingerbread house and take a

professional photo with Santa

(taken by BrightPics) on Thursday,

December 10th from 6:00 pm –

8:00 pm!

CSPC Christmas Social

Please join us for some festive

cheer at The Pickle Barrel

beginning at 6:30 pm. Please

RSVP to Mrs. Minor at theminors@rogers.com.

Samko Fundraising Event

Need to do some Christmas

shopping? Shop at the Samko

and Miko Toy Warehouse sale

located at 77 Fima Crescent

(Horner and Kipling) as well as

the Richmond Hill location

from November 25th to

December 6th. Please mention

to the cashier that you are

fundraising for St. Ambrose

Catholic School and Samko will

stamp “Fundraiser” on the back

of your receipt. Then, please

turn in all stamped original

receipts to the school by

December 18th, 2015 and the

school will get 10% of your

pre-tax sales.

Happy shopping!

Winter Safety

In anticipation of the arrival of our first significant snowfall, students are reminded that there is to be no snowball throwing, kicking of snow, taking hats, etc. Please take this opportunity to discuss these behaviors with your child (ren) in the interest of student safety.

Transportation in Inclement

Weather Cancellation of school bus transportation or school

closures due to inclement weather will be reported

through the following

vehicles:

News releases to all media

outlets in Toronto (note: although the news release

is provided to the media

outlets, there is no guarantee that all

television and radio

stations will broadcast the information in a timely

fashion). Communications will

endeavor to send an email to everyone on exchange to advise them of any cancellations or closures.

Communications will also endeavor to send out the information electronically

to E-News subscribers

(Note: If you do not already

subscribe to E-News, but

wish to do so, please visit

our website at

www.tcdsb.org and click on the E-News icon on the top

right hand side of the

homepage)

Updates will also be posted on the Board‟s 24-hour information line, 416-222-8282, ext. 2873.

The information will also be posted on the Board‟s website at www.tcdsb.org or www.tcdsb.org/weather.htm

Me to We News

The Me to We team continues

to collect money during our

Christmas civvies day to support education in Kenya.

Our goal is to reach

$1,000.00 to help build schools and libraries, support teachers, provide chairs, notebooks and pencils so that children can have the opportunities they deserve. We have collected over $501.05 so far and hope to reach our goal by June. We thank you for your support in this very worthwhile project.

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten Registration will begin for all

Elementary Schools on Wednesday, January

13, 2016 at 10:00 am EST.

Parents/guardians with children born in 2012

or earlier and who will be enrolling in

Kindergarten, have the opportunity to apply

on-line using the “Student On-line Admission

and Registration” platform known as S.O.A.R.

and found at the following link:

http://soar.tcdsb.org

Parents will be able to complete an

application for registration from the

convenience of their own home, the office, a

public library, or anywhere there is internet

access, 24 hours a day. The on-line

application also offers access to translations

in different languages with built-in help

functions and features.

Alternately, families may choose to register

in person at our school. We will begin to

accept registrations at 10:00 a.m., on

January 13, 2016.

As part of the registration process, school

staff will meet with parents. These

meetings may be scheduled on the electronic

application or in person at the school.

During the meeting, school staff will verify

the original documentation required for

registration. This consists of a Baptismal

Certificate, Birth Certificate and/or

Passport, Immunization record, proof of

residence and Application for Direction of

School support.

Applications to register children in grades

other than Kindergarten can also be

completed on the online S.O.A.R. application.

Please share this information with any

parents/guardians with school aged children

in the community.

As in previous years, an extensive

promotional campaign will be launched

throughout the City of Toronto, with paid

advertisements in the local media, posters in

public centers, through the board website

and on vinyl banners for display on school

property.

We will be hosting a Kindergarten

evening Registration session on

Tuesday January 19th from 4:30

pm – 9:00 pm.

For further information, please contact our

school office at 416-393-5259. For general

inquires or further information you may

contact 416-222-8282 extension 5314 or

visit our website at www.tcdsb.org

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/Docu

ments/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/Page

s/default.aspx

For High School Students Preparing for Graduation Check out this website http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/graduate.pdf if you are unsure of all the requirements for

graduation.

Application Deadlines for Post-Secondary Studies January 16, 2016--Deadline to submit your completed University application to the OUAC.

http://www.ouac.on.ca/deadlines/

February 1, 2016—Application deadline for community colleges http://www.ontariocolleges.ca/apply

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/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities.aspx

International Human Rights Day, December 10th

https://www.tcdsb.org/News/othernews/2014/Pages/International-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