St. Cyril Catholic School News - Toronto Catholic District School Board

St. Cyril Catholic School News
Our Virtue for April is Justice
Let Justice flow like a stream, and righteousness like a river that never goes dry. Amos 5:24
St. Cyril Catholic
School
April 2016
18 Kempford Blvd.
Toronto, M2N 2B9
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Tel: 416-393-5270
Fax: 416-393-5119
On behalf of our staff at St. Cyril School, I would like to extend to
you and your loved ones peace and joy during the Easter
season.
Principal: Rocchina Leone
Superintendent: John Shain
416-222-8282 Ext.2267
Trustee: Maria Rizzo
416-512-3405
Parish:
Fr. Patrick O’Dea
St. Edward the Confessor
75 Churchill
416-221-9131
CSAC Co-Chairs:
Philip Doyle/Raphael Leong
CPIC (Parent Engagement-TCDSB)
www.tcdsb.org/cpic
OAPCE Toronto (Provincial
Voice for Parents)
www.tcdsb.org/oapce-toronto
Easter is the yearly celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus.
The oldest and most solemn of the Christian feasts, Easter is the
centre of the liturgical year. It is characterized by the Paschal
candle, the symbol of Christ who is the light of the world.
On Easter morning, we give thanks to God for the new life given
to us by Christ’s Resurrection on this day, and for his victory over
sin and death. We renew our baptismal promises during the
liturgies of Easter Sunday. Each Sunday of the year is
considered to be a continuation of Easter.
We look forward to seeing you at our monthly CSPC meeting on
April 5 at 7 p.m. in the library.
Sincerely,
R. Leone
Enrollment: 320 students
Hours of operation:
Office Hours
8:15 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.
School Hours
9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Lunch hour:
11:45- 12:45 p.m.
NEW REGISTRANTS WELCOME:
Call 416-393-5270 or the TCDSB Admissions Department at 416222-8282, ext. 2383.
For general information about the Toronto Catholic District
School Board, please visit the website at www.tcdsb.org.
Stay in touch with the latest news throughout the school year:
Follow @TCDSB on Twitter
Prayer for April
Loving and glorious God,
We praise you with Easter joy
because Christ is our redeemer.
Christ has broken the power of sin
and healed an injured world.
Christ has made us whole again.
Bless our celebrations and our joy.
Loving God, you give us your finest
grace, your greatest blessing.
You give us yourself.
In Christ you share our life and our
suffering.
In Christ you redeem us.
All glory to you now and forever.
Amen
St. Cyril Catholic School Parent
Council News (CSPC)
Our next CSPC meeting will be on April 5 at
7 p.m. in the library. All parents are
welcome.
#TryAlpha AlphaCanada.org
This is a program for adults offered at St.
Edward’s Church on Mondays from 6:30 –
8:30 p.m. The talks are designed to
encourage conversation and explore the
basics of the Christian faith in a friendly,
open, and informal environment.
Complimentary dinner and childcare is
provided. The program is offered free of
charge.
Please contact Josh at
[email protected] for further
details.
Skating Team
Sacrament of Confirmation and
First Eucharist
Congratulations to Gr. 7 and 8 students who
will be receiving the sacrament of
Confirmation is being celebrated on April 30
at 11 a.m. or May 1 at 2 p.m. Fr. Pat will be
leading a retreat for the students at St.
Edward Church on April 25.
Gr. 2 students will be receiving the
sacrament of First Eucharist on May 28 at
11 a.m. or May 29 at 2 p.m.
After the ceremony, please send a copy of
your child’s certificate to our school office, in
order for us to update your child’s records.
P.A. Day on April 15, 2016
Our staff will have a day of professional
development on April 15. There is no school
for students on this day.
Our Friday morning skating sessions are
completed for the year. The skaters had a
wonderful time with their classmates and
improved basic skating skills. Many thanks
to Pat Rankin for the delicious hot chocolate!
Thank you also to Mr. Bernotas and all the
student helpers who assisted the younger
skaters!
Mrs. Wales
Anaphylaxis
Curriculum News!
Anaphylaxis is a rapid, severe, potentially
life threatening allergic reaction, caused by
exposure to a “trigger” (allergen). We have a
number of students and some staff
members who have serious allergies, in
particular to nuts or nut products.
The youngest scientist
We ask for your cooperation in several
ways:
In Mme Ghabour’s and Mme Julien’s class,
Abigail, a young scientist who just turned six
years old last month, has participated in our
school Science Fair contest. With other
students, she was nominated to represent
St. Cyril School in the final contest at
University of Toronto.

Alert school staff immediately if your
child has a serious allergy.
We wish her good luck / Bonne chance
Abigail!

Please do not send nuts or nut
products to school. For the safety
of all students, please do not
send food items as birthday
treats. Families have kindly brought
non-food treats to celebrate their
children’s birthdays and these are
much appreciated by their
classmates. This is both safe for all
students and inclusive!
Mme Ghabour and Mme Julien

Classes that have class members or
staff members who are anaphylactic
will be given additional information
to help ensure the safety of those
who are susceptible to anaphylactic
reactions.

Parents/guardians of children who
require an Epi– Pen must provide
completed medical forms from their
doctor and consent forms for the
administration of the Epi-pen. These
forms are available in the office
Please note that two Epi –pens are
required. One is to be carried by the
student at all times in a fanny pack and
one is to be kept in the school office.
Exploring in Mme Andrade’s and Mme
Sarrouh’s Class
We learn Vocabulary, Science, Religion,
Math and Art through the observation and
discussion of how the seasons look, what
each of them brings to us, how we feel and
what we do in each one of them. On March
21 we were talking about spring but
observing that there was snow and it was
very cold outside, when a five years old
said:
- Madame, they are having a fight.
- Who? (Teacher thought she was
talking about 2 students)
- Printemps (spring) and Hiver
(winter).
- Oh!
- Oui (yes) Madame! You know, they
are fighting, because spring wants
to come, but winter wants to stay!
Later that day at dismissal another 5 year
old, already outside, hand in hand with his
father, came back and said: - Madame,
Madame! Spring is winning!
Since then, every day we talk about who is
winning, spring or winter!
Easter is a fight where life wins against
death. Joy wins against sadness.
Life has a phenomenal power and wins!
Children are aware and express this in many
different ways and during different
opportunities.
Mme Andrade and Mme Sarrouh
Learning Through Play In Mme
Guegueirre’s & Mme Anthonypillai’s
Class
This year is flying by. Spring is finally here!
C’est le printemps!!!! The children are
noticing changes in nature: buds on trees
(des bourgeons), grass growing (le
gazon), flowers sprouting (les fleurs), and
birds’ nests in trees (des nids). They are
very interested in birds and we want to do
an inquiry on birds, migration, their nests,
their eggs and their babies as well as the
different trees. Your child is welcome to
share their observations, bring in photos,
or drawings/sketches or anything they
have found outside that they would like to
share with the class. The children enjoyed
painting their eggs (les oeufs) for Easter
(Pâques) and making our Easter and
Spring (le Printemps) bullitan board with
our “egg flowers”, grass, chicks (les
poussins), sun (le soleil) and clouds (les
nuages). Beautiful!!!! C’est vraiment
beau!!! JOYEUSES PÂQUES!
The children are writing using various
media and in many different contexts.
They are writing lists on little note pads or
“Boogie boards” when playing in the
restaurant. They created menus that are
displayed outside our class. They
completed a survey and a bar chart about
their favourite pizza. Brandon wrote his
“MONTRE ET RACONTE” (Show and
Tell) which is very impressive! Excellent
Brandon! The children are sketching their
observations of nature and the seasonal
changes and are beginning to label their
drawings. We are very proud of our
students. Bravo mes amis!!!
Were you there?
Were you there when the grade 3 and 4 put
on a lovely performance of the stations of
the cross during Holy week?
Here is what reporter Erin Quish from the
grade 4 class had to say about the play:
“Mlle. Ogokeh’s class re-enacted the
passion of the cross once again this year.
This is the youngest class yet that she has
worked with. We presented two times. One
of the presentations was for the grade 1 to 4
classes and another one for the grade 5 to 8
students. For the grade 1 to 4 presentation,
Victor Solarzano was Jesus, and Aberon
was Jesus for the grade 5 to 8 presentation.”
Je suis tres fiere des eleves de la 3/4 pour
leur beau travail Durant leur presentation
dans la sale de gym. Vous etiez excellents
et je vous remercie pour tous vos efforts.
Mlle. Ogokeh
Hear All About It…The Word on the
Street……
Reflection on Aboriginal Elder’s
Presentation
The grade 4 English class has had a very
busy month! We spent some time talking
about the media and the significant role it
plays in our society. The media is all around
us. From the shows we watch on TV, the
music we listen to on the radio, to the books,
magazines, and newspapers we read each
day. Without the media, people in society
would not have information about important
local and global issues and events. The
grade four class chose an article from a
newspaper, magazine or the Internet and
analysed it with a critical eye. The results
were really fantastic! Our students made
some important comments about the
articles. They are learning to express
formulated and informed decisions about
many topics. Very well done, boys and girls.
I can see many budding reporters in my
midst!
On March 9, one of our Junior classes
received a visit from an aboriginal elder and
Soliana, one of our Gr. 6 students, reflects
on the experience:
Mrs. Delfino and the Grade 4 English class
Gr. 5 Class – Our Learning Goals in
Language
In Mrs. Palermo’s language class we have
been busy learning about figurative
language and how to use idioms. Idioms
are phrases that have a hidden meaning.
An example of an idiom is ‘break a leg’
which usually means ‘good luck’.
We are also learning about different types of
poetry. We are making list poems which
have five lines and have adjective – noun
patterns. They can rhyme but they don’t
have to. An example is:
Easter
Blooming lilies
Hopping bunnies
Scrumptious cakes
Vibrant colours
Beautiful tulips
Hannah Donaghy, Gr. 5
Récemment, deux personnes autochtones
sont venues dans notre classe et nous ont
parlé à propos de leur culture. D’abord, elles
ont discuté des tribus dont elles font partie,
puis nous sommes allés à l’extérieur pour
participer à un rituel qui enlève la négativité
et nous aide à penser à des sentiments
favorables. C’était une expérience vraiment
enrichissante. Après être revenus dans la
salle de classe, on nous a montré les objets
qu’ils avaient apportés, et expliqué comment
ils sont importants pour eux. Ensuite, nous
avons aussi posé des questions et nous
avons discuté comment les membres des
Premières Nations ne reçoivent pas le
respect qu’ils devraient, ainsi que de la
façon dont ils sont parfois représentés dans
les media. Notre classe a vraiment apprécié
et c’était une merveilleuse expérience
d’apprentissage.
Soliana Lijiam, Gr. 6
Intermediate Curriculum Events
Media: The intermediate students will be
working with a professional animation artist,
Patrick Jenkins, to create animation videos
from the ground up. Students will write their
own scripts, draw scenes and characters,
incorporate voice overs and sound effects.
To view some of Mr. Jenkin’s work, you can
visit his website:
http://www.interlog.com/~pjenkins/
English: Students will be writing speeches
and presenting them to classmates.
Novel Study: Students will explore the
genre of graphic novels. In particular, the
focus will be on the comparison study of
heroes vs. villains; goodness vs. evil and
rights and responsibilities of individuals and
society. This corresponds with our media
unit on animation.
Upcoming Events in May
1-7
3
6
10
17
25
Mrs. Scuglia
Dance 7e/8e années
Le mois de mars les élèves de la 7e et de la
8e année ont travaillé fort sur la danse salsa
et nous nous sommes amuses beaucoup.
C'était magnifique! La salsa est une danse
très amusante qui vient de la descendance
espagnole. Madame Silva nous a enseignes
les étapes de base de la salsa, comment
déplacer nos pieds au rythme et comment
avoir du plaisir et d'être en sécurité en
même temps. Mon expérience personnelle a
beaucoup de travail qui a payé à la fin. Les
semaines qui ont précédé le récit, tous les
groupes choisissent, leur chanson, leurs
mouvements de danse et leurs tenues.
Quand le jour de récital est venu tout le
monde était nerveux et excité. Les garçons
ont pour leurs tenues de salsa chic, tandis
que les filles mettent leurs robes et leur
maquillage. Nous avons eu quelques
personnes qui avaient peur, mais ils ont fini
par faire très bien. L'apprentissage de salsa
était très amusant et éducatif, et nous avons
tous eu plaisir à le faire. En conclusion,
après avoir fait ces semaines de pratique, je
crois fermement que nous sommes des
meilleurs danseurs qu'on l’était avant.
Z’maurie Dunkley et Ryan Gioiosa (8e
année)
Catholic Education Week
School Mass at 10 a.m. at St.
Edward Church; CSCP at 7 p.m.
Open house at St. Cyril’s – details to
follow
Welcome to JK Evening
Immunization for Gr. 7 and 8
students in the p.m.
Spring concert for the JK/SK classes
in the morning
Monthly Update from the Board
April 2016
Budget Consultation
TCDSB thanks the many parents, students,
staff and community members who
participated in consultation regarding the
Multi Year Recovery Plan. Please visit the
board’s website at www.tcdsb.org or follow
us on Twitter @TCDSB to get the latest
information about the consultation
regarding the 2016-2017 budget.
School Year Calendar
The school year calendar for 2016-2017
has been approved. This includes the
system-wide professional activity days.
Check here for information
https://www.tcdsb.org/school/schoolyearcal
endar/pages/default.aspx
Please note that there is a system-wide PA
day scheduled for April 15th.
Mark Your Calendars and Prepare to
Celebrate
Catholic Education Week May 1-6, 2016
“Opening Doors of Mercy”
https://www.tcdsb.org/board/nurturingourcat
holiccommunity/catholiceducationweek/page
s/default.aspx
Parent Engagement Resource Event:
Supporting All Our Students…Imagine
the Possibilities
April 30th, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Catholic Education Centre, 80 Sheppard
Avenue East
Hosted by TCDSB’s Special Services
Department and the Special Education
Advisory Committee
Features workshops, special education
resources, community resources, raffles,
door prizes.
The Ontario Association of Parents in
Catholic Education
77th Annual Conference, AGM & Gala
Dinner
A full day conference for parents,
caregivers and our partners in publicly
funded Catholic Education in Ontario
"Many Gifts, One Voice: Living Our
Virtues in a Virtual World"
Co-hosted by OAPCE Toronto and the
Toronto Catholic District School Board
Register online
http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/regist
er/event?oeidk=a07ec6a0r4n5fb01bdc&llr=5
7qgf7bab
Change the World: Ontario Youth
Volunteer Challenge
ChangeTheWorld: Ontario Youth Volunteer
Challenge is a six week challenge to
encourage Ontario high school students to
volunteer locally and reward them for doing
so. Last year in Toronto, over 3,500
students took part and across the province
over 40,000 youth participated. Those who
volunteer during the six weeks can contact
the Ministry to request a certificate from
Volunteer Toronto and the Ministry of
Citizenship, Immigration and International
Trade. The 2016 campaign starts on April
10th and ends on May 23rd.
www.volunteertoronto.ca/changetheworld
The City of Toronto’s - Clean Toronto
Together Campaign
School Cleanup Day--Friday April 22, 2016
Community Clean-up Days--Saturday April,
23 & Sunday, April 24
The City Park Clean-up--April 18th to April
22th, 2016 (grades 1 to 8)
https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/environment/Ea
rthMonth/Pages/default.aspx
Other Upcoming Events
 April is Volunteer Month.
Celebrate the volunteers in your
school community and tweet out
your stories and photos using the
hashtag #familyofvolunteers
 April 2nd: Pope John Paul II Day—
declared by the Government of
Ontario
https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/popejohn-paul-ii-day.aspx
 April 2nd—Autism Awareness Day
(TCDSB celebrates on April 1st)
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April 4-21—Elementary Music
Festival
https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/elemen
tary-music-festival-2016.aspx
April 19-28—Secondary Music
Festival
https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/second
ary-music-festival-2016.aspx
April 21st: Student Trustee
Election
https://www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDEN
TS/OpportunitiesForStudents/Pages
/Student-Trustee-Elections2015.aspx
April 22nd—Earth Day
April 22nd—Exemplary Practice
Awards
April 26th: Election of Student
Trustee
https://www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDEN
TS/OpportunitiesForStudents/Pages
/Election-of-Student-Trustees-for2016-2017.aspx
April 27th: Administrative
Assistants’ Day (Secretaries’ Day)
Get all the latest news and information:
 Visit the Board’s website
www.tcdsb.org
 Subscribe to ENews to receive
updates via email every week
https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubsc
ription/subscription.aspx
 Or Follow @TCDSB on twitter to get
updates throughout the day