St. Gregory Catholic School Newsletter 126 Rathburn Road, Etobicoke, Ontario, M9B 2K6 Telephone: (416) 393-5262 Fax: (416) 393-5189

Visit us: http://stgregorytoronto.com or https://www.tcdsb.org/schools/stgregory.org AND follow us on Twitter @StGregoryCS

St. Gregory Parish Superintendent: Mr. D. Yack 416-222-8282 Principal: J. Pannozzo Fr. John Bertao Trustee: Mrs. A. Andrachuk 416-512-3402 Vice Principal: A. Pires (416) 239-4831 CSPC co-chairs: P. Vokins & J. D’Aprile Secretary: C. Pulcini Clerk Typist: S. Shanahan

MARCH 2017

Dear Parents, The season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday, March 1st. Our school celebrated with an Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Gregory Catholic Church. It was so nice to see so many families entering the Lenten season with us.

Please note that the March Break begins on Monday, March 13th and the students return on Monday, March 20th. Enjoy the March Break with your children. Sincerely, J. Pannozzo

Almighty and Everlasting God,

You have given us Jesus Christ our

Savior as a model of humility.

He fulfilled Your Will by becoming

Man and giving His life on the Cross.

Help us to bear witness to You

by following His example of suffering

and make us worthy to share in His

Resurrection.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus

Christ, Your Son.

Amen

WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER

Friday, March

3rd

is Women’s

World Day of

Prayer. This is

a global

ecumenical

movement led

by Christian

women who welcome us to join in prayer and

action for peace and justice. This year, missions

centre on the Philippines.

Reflections for this day ask us to consider the

message: Am I Being Unfair to You? Illustrated

by the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.

Let’s affirm that prayer and action are

inseparable and that both have immeasurable

influence on the world.

VIRTUE OF THE MONTH “Forgive anything you may have against anyone, so that your Father in heaven will forgive the wrongs you have done.” Mark 11:25 How timely that the virtue for March is FORGIVENESS. Not only because we are in the season of Lent but also because it is an important cornerstone of our faith and one that Jesus modeled for us in His life and death. We are reminded that forgiveness is a gift to ourselves as we let go of the burden of resentment when we forgive another person and it’s a gift to our children when we teach and model it to them.

Mental Health Benefits of Prayer During Lent we are encouraged to engage in almsgiving, fasting and prayer. Our focus this month is on prayer and its many benefits. Prayer offers emotional comfort and reduces stress by: offering a sense of comfort and hope, creating a positive frame of mind, stress relief, and increases feelings of unity and trust. Engaging in daily prayer with students gives them the opportunity to deepen their relationship with God and their community. It also offers a sense of emotional comfort that everyone can benefit from. See www.childdevelopmentinfo.com (provides information related to child development, psychology, health, parenting, learning, media, entertainment, and family activities) Information obtained from: M. Hartwell-Walker, Ed.D; P. Gray, Psychologist; http://www.helpguide.org

Our Lenten season begins on the first of March. As we journey towards an Easter

celebration, we are reminded of our faith traditions and focus on doing things for Jesus,

including giving to others and prayer. This year, our Lenten Community Outreach project is

the “Lenten Kits for Kids Drive.” This activity consists of students gathering items that will

be sent in shoeboxes to children in developing countries through Canadian Food for Children

(CFFC).

Our Student Ambassadors will be leading and promoting this initiative! The Ambassadors will be encouraging

other students to bring in what they can to support this cause by visiting classes and reading announcements.

They will keep the students updated on the amount collected and if we need to focus on specific items. We are

encouraging students to bring in the items assigned to their class, so that we can combine all items on our

“Packing Day” and create a school-wide celebration of giving.

Please send in items during the drive, starting March 27th. We are hoping to include the following items in each

shoebox (this list was given by the CFFC & available at Dollar stores): (e.g.: soap bars, socks, crayons, pencils,

sharpeners, colouring books, pads of paper, candles or tea lights, band aids, toothpaste, toothbrushes,

facecloths, shampoo, body wash, small toys, etc.) details to follow. Thank you for your on-going generosity.

LOST AND FOUND Items regularly make their way to our

Lost and Found. Please invite you and your children to check for misplaced/lost items on an ongoing basis. Given that our bins are full to overflowing. We will be donating all unclaimed items at the end of March.

PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES While the TCDSB has established a BYOD- Bring Your Own Device protocol for the academic use of electronic

devices in the classroom setting at the teacher’s

discretion, the social use of such devices is NOT allowed

(for example they are NOT PERMITTED at recess,

lunch, in the hallways nor in the washrooms). The school’s recommendation continues to be that

electronic devices be left at home. If they are brought to

school, they are to be powered off once having arrived to school (not just

once in the building or classroom) and put away for the duration of the

school day. Students will NOT be granted permission to respond to texts or

messages on their devices. Should you, as the parent/guardian, need to

contact them, in an urgent or emergency situation, please contact the

school at 416-393-5262. Your support is very much appreciated.

ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL

AFTER HOURS At times, students forget items at school and return to the school after hours. We will assist students or parents when available. However, if administration is not present at the school we ask that parents or students do not enter the building/classroom. We encourage all students to continue to be responsible and diligent about recording and packing their homework.

Toronto Police Liaison Officer Rich will be visiting St. Gregory on Tuesday, March 7th, to meet with our grade 5s about Substance Abuse and with the grade 4s about Youth and the Law.

MEDICATIONS Principals, teachers and support

staff of the TCDSB are NOT

permitted to administer any type of

prescription or non-prescription medication during the

school day, unless they have written authorization

signed by you, the parent, and the prescribing physician.

The forms to dispense any medication must be updated

yearly and on a regular basis; these are available from

the school office.

Please note that any medication brought to school must

be stored in the office where we can supervise your

children while they are taking it. Students cannot keep

medication in their desks or school bags. It is extremely

important that medication which is brought to school

be:

1. Measured and put in single dose containers

2. Labelled clearly with your child’s full name, time

and amount to be taken, and whether refrigeration

is required.

When your children are ill, please keep them at

home. Sick children do not learn well; they can spread

germs to others and cannot be supervised indoors

during outdoor activities. If children are well enough to

come to school, they should be outside getting their

exercise and fresh air during recesses and other

outdoor activities.

For our February Dress Down Day, St. Gregory set a goal of raising $1400 for The Angel Foundation for Learning. Each school day, for almost 30 years, The Angel Foundation for

Learning has been brightening the lives of students within the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Today, close to 40 per cent of our students live below the poverty line. Through essential nutritional, educational, social and emergency support programs, we work to give every student an equal opportunity to thrive.

St. Gregory is having its third annual Art Show

on April 6th, displaying the amazing artwork of

students, teachers, parents/guardians, and

grandparents. The show provides an

opportunity to raise funds for the promoting of

the ‘ARTS’ at St. Gregory. For further

information: Contact Ms. Visconti through the

school office.

What a fantastic way to

celebrate nutrition, raise

awareness of various food

discussions, and encourage a

sense of both school and national unity! This year’s Big

Apple Crunch takes place on March 9th, 2016 at 2:30pm

EST! CSPC thanks Mr Akelaitis for all his hard work in

getting apples for the entire St. Gregory School.

#greatbigcrunch BRINGING AWARENESS TO

TYPE 1 DIABETES

Type 1 diabetes: is an autoimmune condition affecting 1 in 300 children with onset over days or weeks. The condition tends to occur in childhood or early adult life and will require daily insulin therapy. It is caused by the body’s own immune system destroying the insulin-making cells (beta-cells) of the pancreas. To learn more about 4 key symptoms and how your concern matters, please go to: www.coffeesonme.com

Let’s Congratulate the

students involved in the

KIDS LIT QUIZ 2017

Competition for their outstanding performance, participation

and teamwork! Looking forward to next year’s!

Through Civvies day St. Gregory donated $767 to the Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Association of Ontario. Thanks St. Gregs!

Swim Team practices will be

on March 4 and 25 ( 2 weeks

off for March Break)

From Monday, March 20th to Friday, March 31st we will be collecting any gentle used books, picture books, novels, board books, fiction, non-fiction for our school library. In addition, some of the books collected will be donated to less fortunate schools. Please drop-off books to the drop-off area in the school library. Thanks!

February was a busy month in athletics at St. Gregory. The basketball

season was in full swing. The boys’ basketball team travelled to Archbishop

Romero for an invitational tournament and travelled to Don Bosco for their

divisional tournament. The boys came up short in each tournament but

worked hard, improved and had fun. The girls’ basketball team also travelled to

Archbishop Romero for an invitational tournament and hosted the West Region

divisional tournament. The girls won the Romero Invitational and was a finalist in

the divisional tournament. Well done ladies! The Hockey season was also in full

swing at St. Gregory. The co-ed hockey team participated in the Marlies Meltdown

tournament at the Mastercard Centre and Ricoh Coliseum. The team battled hard for two days and lost to the

eventual champions in a hard fought semi- final game. The team will play in their two TCDSB tournaments at York

University in March. St. Gregory’s girls’ hockey team is practicing once a week in preparation for two tournaments

in March. The junior boys and girls volleyball teams are practicing hard in preparation for their divisional

tournaments in late March. Both teams will also travel to Our Lady of Victory in early March for invitational

tournaments. St. Gregory has also started tryouts for junior boys and girls basketball teams. This is an exciting

new activity for our junior students. The teams will compete in their divisional tournaments in late April. The

junior soccer house league continues its play. Participation rates among our junior students has been high! Last

but not least, our St. Gregory Swim Team continues to train hard in preparation for their first meet. All these

activities prove that St. Gregory is truly a great place to be! Go Gregs Go!!!

Cooper’s Corner

In February, Growth Mindset Buttons were given to students who demonstrated a hard work ethic towards new learning. Congratulations to all recipients! In March, it will be ‘I’m a Problem-Solver”

Growth Mindset resources can be found under the parent resources tab at https://www.mindsetkit.org/growth-mindset-parents

GROWTH MINDSET

Monthly Recognition: I’m always ready to learn TEACHER February

Ms. Rosa Orion Charlotte F. Jameson

Ms. Andreacchi Isabella Victoria Iva

Ms. Salmond Jacob M. Hailey M. Mason K.

Ms. Maxwell/Santelli Ronald Isabel

Mrs. Botelho Cassandra D. Olivia R.

Mrs. Roy/Trinetti Kejsi P. Olivia H.

Mrs. Ceddia Lucas R. Lillian R.

Ms. Mulvihill Stephany Mia

Mrs. Barone Ava T. Braeden

Ms. Alberton Michael D. Nicole S.

Mrs. Gentile Ava L. Gerard P.

Mrs. Yetman/Driscoll Nicholas Madison K.

Ms. Loughlin/Visconti Ernesto R. Olivia K.

Ms. Brajuka/Grossi Jeovhana D. Alejandro S. Daniele M.

Ms. Steponaitis Siobhan Joseph

Mr. Zinko Sofia D. Sienna F. Emma H.

Ms. Hetmanczuk Manuela A. Nicolas L. Naysa M.

Ms. Micallef Grace A. Ariel C. Maria V.

Mrs. Hall Stefanie G. Alexis C. Andrea H.

Mrs. Quartarone Tessa A. Carli Q.

Mrs. Cicirelli/Pastuszok Wiktoria Elias M. Elias G.

Mr. Pruchnicky Jack W. Marina G.

Mme Abboud Van H. Lucas H.

Mrs. Martinez/Nassuna Mariana A. Matteo P.

Mrs. Dalmau Emma C. Christine S.

Mr. Severino Michael A. Leora A. Lukash D.

Mme Bahsous Olivia G. Christopher W. Matteo R.

Mr. De Medeiros Adam D. Hailey F. Nicole R.

Ms. Hanna Philippe R. Sydney P. Nicholas K.

Mrs. Pitoscia Pamella L. Andrew S. Abigail S.

Mrs. J. Pires Gabriella O. Austen J.

Kidssentials Healthy, Fresh Served Catered meals for your child March to June dates are still available to order It’s never too late. Parents can opt in any time. With 2 business days’ notice you can go to: http://www.kidssentials.com and place your order. Field Trip Cancellation Policy Update for Kidssentials Lunch Dates: If you have ordered a Kidssentials lunch on a date your child will be away over lunch-time, please contact Kidssentials to cancel the meal as soon as you receive the field trip form. Ordered lunches will not be left at the school for late pick-up. Kindly provide as much notice as possible – 2 business days’ notice or more is appreciated. Last minute cancellations are accepted until 8am on the day of the cancellation. Employment Opportunities: If you live in the Oakville/Mississauga area and would like a part-time job working while your child is in school, contact Kidssentials. https://kidssentials.com/contact (preferred) or 905.855.1914.

March Message from Trustee Ann Andrachuk As we begin Lent, I am reminded about how fortunate we are as a Catholic community. Forty days of fasting, which begin with Ash Wednesday on March 1st, remind us of the sacrifices made by our Lord as we prepare ourselves for His resurrection on Easter Sunday. Contact your local Parish for Confession and Mass schedules. Over the last several months the TCDSB has been engaged in developing and refining a comprehensive long term plan designed to position the Board, and the students it serves, for long term success. Known as the Long Term

Accommodation and Program Plan, or LTAPP, the process seeks to identify and implement the programming students and parents are looking for and accommodate growing communities by identifying where new and expanded facilities are needed. For more information on the LTAPP please visit https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/PlanningandFacilities/LTAPP/. As we move closer to the end of the year the Board of Trustees are preparing to debate and decide on the budget for the 2017/2018 school year. As you may be aware, the Board has had to make some tough choices over the last several years to move towards a balanced budget. As we begin these discussions again I look forward to your input. You can find more information on the budget online at https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/BudgetandFinance. Finally, make sure to eat your fill of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday! Also, a quick reminder that March Break runs from March 13th

to 17th. Take some time to rest and recuperate as we drive towards the end of the school year. Ann