300 P ETER RUPERT AVE. M APLE, O NTARIO, L6A 4P3 PHONE: (289) 304-0725 FAX: (289) 304-0728

   Trustee Ms. C. Ferlisi 416 - 565-7087 Email: [email protected] Superintendent Ms. M. Battista 416 - 221- 5050 Pastor Fr. Peter Jae Choi 289-553-1610 www.standrebessette.ca Principal Mr. F. Nardo Vice Principal Ms. T. Mancini Secretaries Ms. M. Iantorno Ms. L. Masucci 2017 - 2018 School Year Sept. 5

1st Day of School Welcome Tea Sept. 18 Curriculum Night Open House Council Election & Meeting Sept. 19 Sacrament Mtg. Sept. 20 Opening Mass Sept. 25 PA Day Sept. 28 Vaccinations Oct. 2 Tentative Council Meeting Oct. 9 Thanksgiving Day Oct. 12 Thanksgiving Mass Oct. 17 Picture Day Oct. 20 P. A. Day Oct. 31 Halloween Dance

Catholic Communities of Faith Quality Learning By All Safe and Caring Schools

From the Principal’s Desk:

Dear Parents/Guardians: Welcome back! We hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable summer. To the students, families, and staff members, both returning and new to the St. Cecilia Community, we extend a warm welcome. We know you will enjoy living, working and learning with us and nurture the notion of the ‘Growth Mindset’ that we embrace in this community. We look forward to working in partnership with our parents, guardians, Catholic School Council and Father Peter in providing excellent programming and the very best educational experiences possible for all of our students. As one example of this partnership, we are happy to announce that each and every child will be recognized via our Monthly Virtue Award Presentations. It is often said that it truly takes a village to raise our children. As such, we look forward to forming a rewarding partnership with you to empower our children to become hopeful, optimistic, and resilient young men and women. We believe in the notion that grades alone cannot be the sole indicator of student success and invite and encourage you to continue being involved in your child’s educational journey. We are blessed at St. Cecilia with a Catholic School Council who exemplifies this level of involvement by working passionately and endlessly on behalf of our staff, students and parents. We appreciate all that the Council does for us and invite everyone to get involved. We also know that communication is key to student success. Our door is always open and we hope you will feel comfortable in sharing your ideas, concerns, and suggestions in helping us create a safe and caring learning environment for all of our children, which is rooted in the teachings of Jesus. As we begin the 2017-18 school year, we extend a special thank you to our Trustee, Cathy Ferlisi, and our Superintendent, Mary Battista, for their continued support and for representing us so well at the Board level. At St. Cecilia Catholic School, we will continue to encourage Catholic values to help our students grow as loving and faithful followers of Jesus Christ. In partnership with Fr. Peter Choi, Pastor of our Parish, St. Andre Bessette, we will continue to foster the children’s spiritual growth especially through the sacraments of the Eucharist, Reconciliation, and Confirmation. Our Beginning of the Year School Mass will take place on Wednesday, September 20th at 10:45 AM in the gymnasium. Parents and guardians are welcome and encouraged to attend. We invite you to join us for our Curriculum Night which is scheduled for Monday, September 18th at 7:00 P.M. Our dress code is in effect. The approved colours are white, navy and black. This dress code displays a further sense of pride that already exists at St. Cecilia. Thank you for complying with and supporting our dress code. We are looking forward to the opportunity of serving the community of St. Cecilia in the education of our students. We thank you in advance for supporting our school endeavors as we build a Catholic Learning Community here at St. Cecilia. Together, we can make a difference! Yours in Catholic Education, Mr. F. Nardo Principal

OUR SHARED VISION We are a Catholic Learning Community of collaborative partners, called to serve one another by being committed to and accountable for quality learning by all, with Jesus as our inspiration.

Ms. T. Mancini Vice Principal In the month of September we celebrate the virtue of courage. Our three “I Will” statements are: I will stand up for what I know is right and just. I will face challenges, fears and difficulties with fortitude.

TRUSTEE CORNER: Welcome Message from your Local Trustee I hope that you and your family have enjoyed a safe and happy summer. My heartfelt welcome to new families and to those families returning to the St. Cecilia school community. I encourage you to contemplate joining St. Cecilia’s Catholic School Council – involved parents really do make a difference. I look forward to working with you during this school year. As always, you may reach me at 416-565-7087 or by email at: [email protected]. Feel free to visit my board website at: www.trustee.ycdsb.ca/ferlisi. Visit my Trustee Facebook page “Trustee Ferlisi” and follow me on Twitter @TrusteeFerlisi. May the Holy Spirit guide your children during this school year in appreciating the love of Jesus Christ. BELL TIME: The daily schedule for students in grades JK-8 is as follows: 8:35 8:50 10:20-10:35 12:00-1:00 2:20-2:35 3:40

- Yard Supervision Begins - School Begins - Recess - Lunch - Recess - Dismissal

Note: 12:00 - 1:30 - JK/SK Lunch/Lunch Recess SUPERVISION AT SCHOOL: It is important that students are supervised while on school property. Supervision begins at 8:35 a.m. Please ensure that your child does not enter the playground prior to the 8:35 a.m. supervision. After school, there is teacher supervision during the pick up process. Students who are not picked up on time will wait in the office for pick up.

SACRAMENTS Our Grade 2 students will be receiving the Sacrament of First Holy Communion on: Saturday, May 5, 2018 at 1:00 p.m.

and Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. *Classes to be assigned *

Our Grade 7 students will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation on: Thursday, April 19th, 2018 at 7:00 PM First Holy Communion and Confirmation will be celebrated at: St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church 191 Wade Gate, Thornhill, Ontario

CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES! Earlier this summer, Ms. Ku, a new teacher at St. Cecilia, announced her retirement from education at York Catholic District School Board. While she never taught at St. Cecilia, we heard many great things about the lives she touched throughout her career. We wish her the very best on this ‘new chapter’ and thank her for her leadership in education. We are very proud to welcome Ms. Mammoliti as our new Grade 4 teacher. We have every confidence in her ability to educate, inspire and engage each of our students. COUNCIL CORNER: The Annual General Meeting for the CSC will take place on Monday, September 18th at 8:00 p.m. in the Library following the conclusion of the Curriculum Night Open House. At this time we will be electing the council for the 2017-2018 school year. Please join us. The first CSC meeting will follow the elections. All are invited to attend. FAITH ACTIVITIES: We are blessed to enjoy the privilege of a Catholic education system in Ontario. At St. Cecilia, we incorporate gospel values into the curriculum and teach religion classes every day. We have a strong parish partnership with our Pastor, Fr. Peter Choi, at St. Andre Bessette Parish. School liturgies are held monthly and parents are always welcome to attend. Please join us for our Beginning Mass of the School Year on Thursday, September 20th at 10:45 a.m. First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation Information Evening On Tuesday, September 19th at 7:00 PM, all parents and children in grades 2 and 7 who are receiving the Sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation this year are asked to attend an Information Evening in the St. Cecilia school gym. You will be able to pick up your registration package and important dates and information will be shared at this time.

SAFE ARRIVAL ABSENCE REPORTING SYSTEM: St. Cecilia is pleased to have successfully implemented the new student attendance reporting system called Safe Arrival. A reminder that all student absences for St. Cecilia must be reported no later than 8:50 a.m. each morning, through the Safe Arrival Absence system. In addition to reporting daily absences, this system may also be used to report late arrivals, early departures, leave and return for the current day, as well as future dates. Automated phone calls and emails will be sent for unreported absences requesting confirmation of the absence. This new Safe Arrival system allows parents to report their child’s absence quickly and conveniently in one of two ways: 1. By calling our toll free Safe Arrival Phone Number at 1-855-856-7862. Or 2. By logging onto our Safe Arrival Parent Portal website: yorkcdsb.schoolconnects.com. To use this website, parents must activate their account as instructed in a recent email that was sent out. Parents may also use the Safe Arrival Parent Portal website to update their contact phone numbers and email addresses should they change, as well as review messages sent through our SynreVoice system. If you have children at other schools, please be advised that this absence reporting procedure has not been put into practice in all York Catholic Schools. Please feel free to contact the school office with any questions you may have about the Safe Arrival Absence reporting system. Thank you for your support and co-operation as we transition to this new student absence reporting system. ANAPHYLAXIS—Life Threatening Allergies: It’s the beginning of a new school year and time to review and continue to work together in making our school a safer environment for our students with life-threatening food and insect bite allergies. Here at St. Cecilia we work in collaboration with the YCDSB, school, home and community in teaching our children and staff all about anaphylaxis and keeping our allergic children safe. St. Cecilia is a nut safe environment. Please review with your child(ren) our Board’s Policy 209, “Protection of Anaphylactic Students,” which is located in the front pages of your child’s agenda as well as on the Board’s website, www.ycdsb.ca, under Policies. There may also be a student in your child’s class who is allergic to a specific food other than peanuts/nuts. If this is the case, a letter outlining these specific foods will be sent home with your child. Please remember our entire school is peanut/nut safe. Our school has been proactive in the following ways: We have an “Allergy Safe School Plan” which is reviewed annually. As well, all staff are trained regarding administration of the Epi-Pen and recognizing reactions/symptoms. REMINDERS...  Nuts and nut bi-products are to be strictly avoided throughout the school  Some classes will have additional food items which also must not be brought into that specific classroom  Sharing of food and drinks is strictly prohibited  All snacks/lunches must be eaten indoors; food is not permitted outdoors at recess breaks and lunch time  All birthday treat-bags must contain non-edible items only (no food of any kind). Donating a game to your child’s classroom is a great alternative to individual treat bags. Students can use these games during indoor recesses, once the cold weather approaches. Talk to your child’s teacher to find out which games would be appropriate. PLEASE NOTE: In order to ensure your child’s safety, we would ask for your co-operation and assistance in ensuring that ALL ANAPHYLACTIC STUDENTS wear a fanny pack with their EpiPen in it at all times. Please ensure that your child is familiar with the use of the EpiPen auto injector. As well, we ask that you provide an EpiPen for the office in the event of an emergency. If your child has any life threatening allergies, it is strongly recommended that he or she wear a MEDIC ALERT BRACELET at all times. Thank you for your assistance and co-operation in this very important matter. Applicable forms were sent home in June to be completed over the summer by both the parents. VISITORS: Visitors are always welcome in our school. Please ensure you enter through the front doors of the school and report directly to the office. Parents who are visiting the school to volunteer or for an interview, must sign in at the office. You will be given a visitor badge to wear which assures the children that you are a “safe” visitor. For the safety of all children, please report to the office and follow procedures accordingly. Thank you in advance for your co-operation with this safety procedure.

LIBRARY: Welcome to new and returning families. Library orientation will occur for all students throughout September. Please discuss with your child/ren, the importance of being responsible for borrowed resources. Students from FDK to Grade 3 will be given library bags for transporting books between home and school. These bags should be used consistently and please replace them if they are lost or damaged. We look forward to seeing you at our Book Fair in November and thank you for your continued support. The family that reads together, learns together! STUDENT AGENDA/PLANNERS: All students from grades 1-8 must purchase a student agenda. The price for each student is $3.00 . The planners are not just organizers, they contain important and useful information. Furthermore, they are an excellent means of communication between home and school.

CURRICULUM NIGHT OPEN HOUSE: We hope you will join us for our Curriculum Night Open House on Monday, September 18th from 7:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. It will be an opportunity not only to meet your child’s teacher, in their classrooms but to hear about your child’s program and expectations for the year. We look forward to seeing you.

RECESS: It is our expectation that all students go out for recess at scheduled times. Fresh air and exercise are important for all children; however, each year we get requests for students to remain inside due to special circumstances. All such requests should be accompanied by a note from your doctor explaining the special circumstance. Please be informed that there are no teachers on supervision duty inside the school during regular outdoor recess. Furthermore, students need to remember two important rules to keep outdoor recess breaks enjoyable and safe: 1) “NO CONTACT RULE”: Children are not to play any games or engage in any activities that involve physical contact. 2) “NO THROWING RULE”: Please remind your children of the dangers of throwing rocks and other objects. 3) “AVOID WET/ICY AREAS”: Please remind your children to stay away from the puddles and wet/icy areas on the pavement and field. This is for their health and safety. We thank you for your attention and continued support in this matter. LUNCH DROP OFFS: Children should arrive at school with their lunch in the morning; however, at times you may find it necessary to deliver a lunch to school. Please follow these guidelines:  To limit the traffic in the front foyer, keep lunch drop-offs to a minimum (emergency or special occasions)  For the safety of all students in our school, we ask that you kindly place lunch bags on the table in the front foyer before 12:00 p.m., and exit through the front doors. Please make sure to write your child’s name on the bag. Thank you so much for your co-operation in keeping our students safe. Going Home For Lunch: Students going home for lunch are to be picked up at the front doors of the school only. ATTENDANCE MATTERS: We would like to stress the importance of school punctuality and regular attendance. Regular attendance is vitally important and can lead to improved classroom learning, better test results, important relationships and friendships, good reference for future education and healthy habits. Regular attendance is directly linked to success at school. Poor attendance patterns increase risk of failure and dropping out of school. Early intervention by home and school increases the likelihood of a student remaining in school. The following points are proven factors in ensuring that a child will be successful in maintaining regular and punctual attendance:   

Have regular morning routines (wake up on time, eat breakfast, leave home to get to school on time). Following consistent night time routines (homework time, prep for next day, bedtime). Set alarm clock the night before. Get enough sleep and eat properly.

If you have any concern in regards to your child’s attendance and punctuality, please contact Mr. Nardo or Ms. Mancini. Remember your child is considered late to school if they are not in line with their class at 8:50 a.m.

PEDICULOSIS (HEAD LICE) “The York Catholic District School Board recognizes and appreciates concerns related to pediculosis at the school, community, and regional level. The Board also recognizes that the Ministry of Health does not designate pediculosis as a communicable disease, and as such, it is not considered a health hazard to the community.” (Policy 210) Anyone can get head lice, regardless of cleanliness. Head lice are not a public hazard, as they do not cause illness, but they are a nuisance. To prevent this from becoming a problem at St. Cecilia CES we all need to work together. Please check your child’s head weekly for lice or nits. If you do find lice or nits, contact the office so that we can notify other parents in the class to keep a special watch for any signs of head lice. Please refer to the information sheet attached to this newsletter, “The Facts of Lice.” It contains information about the identification, treatment and prevention of head lice. Readmission to school is contingent upon lice no longer being present and all the (nits) eggs have been removed. For more information or advice on the identification, treatment and prevention of head lice, please contact the Public Health Nurses at Health Connection, 1-800-361-5653. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION - NOTICE TO PARENTS: During the 2017/18 school year, your child (ren) will be involved in a variety of school related activities and events consistent with the purpose of educating students in accordance with the Education Act. Upon registering your child with the York Catholic District School Board you completed a Freedom of Information Consent. Personal information is collected pursuant to the Education Act and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection Privacy Act. We bring to your attention the following areas that you and/ or your child’s personal information may be disclosed without notification to you, such as:  Catholic School Council Activities and Catholic School Council communications.  Class lists, emergency phone networks, local Parish, Catholic Community Services, etc .,  The release of photographs, artwork, writing or other schoolwork to the media (print/Electronic) and/or school/Board website.  The use of names, photographs, etc., used for display in the school, newsletters, and yearbooks. If you have any objections to the use and disclosure of your child’s personal information, please indicate your wishes on the Freedom of Information Annual Parental Consent (FOI A.21) form sent home by your child’s teacher. Questions about the collection and the use of this personal information should be directed to the Freedom of Information Administrator, York Catholic School Board, 320 Bloomington Rd. W., Aurora, Ontario L3G 3G8 or (905) 713-2711. DRIVEWAY SAFETY: Please remember that the front driveway is strictly reserved for busses and emergency vehicles. The bus lane is closed to all traffic except school buses. Please park your car on the street if you need to enter the building. Children can be dropped off and picked up using the Drop Off Loop located on the west side of the school. AT NO TIME SHOULD CARS BE PARKED OR STOPPED IN THE STUDENT DROP OFF AREA OF THE LOOP. We thank you for your continued support and co-operation with this safety matter. DRIVING IN SCHOOL ZONE: As the new school year begins, it is important to remind ourselves to take extra care in and around our school sites during drop off and pick-up times to ensure the safety of our students, staff and parents. Your utmost attention and co-operation in this area is very much appreciated. SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK The York Catholic District School Board has a primary responsibility and goal to ensure a safe learning environment for all of our students and staff in our school community. As part of our safety initiative, St. Cecilia, along with all other schools in the York Catholic District School Board, will be practicing a variety of safety procedures with students and staff. The week of September 25th to September 29th has been designated as “Safety Awareness Week”. During this week, we will be rehearsing a variety of emergency school procedures to acquaint students and staff with the precautionary steps to take in the event of such things as a warning of severe weather, an intruder or a bomb threat. In addition, throughout the year we will hold practice drills to acquaint students with various emergency protocols. Teachers will review these procedures with students in class prior to our practice drills. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the school. Thank you for your support.

School Communication to parents related to Policy 206: Protection of Students with Asthma In accordance with the Act to Protect Pupils with Asthma (Ryan’s Law : Ensuring Asthma Friendly Schools, 2015) the Board approved a new policy # 206: Protection of Students with Asthma at its June 21st Board Meeting. The York Catholic District School Board recognizes that there are some students within the school system who have a diagnosis of asthma which could be life threatening. The York Catholic District School Board also recognizes that asthma management is a shared responsibility among students, parents, caregivers and the entire school community. It is the responsibility of parent(s)/guardian(s) to advise the school immediately upon registration and/or when in receipt of a diagnosis of asthma. It is also the responsibility of parent(s)/guardian(s) to ensure that all medical information pertinent to their child’s diagnosis of asthma is always current. If your child has a diagnosis of asthma please contact the school office immediately so that the appropriate forms are completed and school records are up to date in accordance with Policy 206. Thank you for your immediate attention to this request and your ongoing support in the shared responsibility for asthma management in our school. Please refer to the Board’s website for more information related to Policy 206.

EMAILS FROM YORK CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND ITS SCHOOLS REGARDING COMMERCIAL ELECTRONIC MESSAGES As indicated in newsletters from the past, Canada’s new Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) took effect on July 1st, 2014. The law prohibits the sending of any type of electronic message that is commercial in nature unless the recipient has provided consent first. As a result, the York Catholic District School Board and its schools require the permission of its parents/guardians in order to receive any electronic messages which contain a commercial element. Commercial Electronic Messages include: School newsletters (St. Cecilia sends Newsletters regularly via email) All fundraising (hot lunch, pizza day, school fairs/BBQs) Field Trips Year Books Spirit Wear Student Photos, etc. Beginning January 11, 2016, all parents/guardians can consent to receive commercial electronic messages/emails from the York Catholic District School Board and their child’s school by going to http://www.ycdsb.ca/casl or from our school website listed below in the Important Notice section. Your consent is required one time only. A separate submission must be made for each parent/guardian’s email address. Please go to: http://www.ycdsb.ca/casl and enter the same email address which was provided on the School Emergency Form, as soon as possible. Should you choose not to receive emails of a commercial nature, please know that you will continue to receive general school information, attendance and emergency emails. For more information about Canada’s New Anti-Spam Legislation visit: fightspam.gc.ca. If you have any questions/concerns, please contact the school office.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

In an effort to support our Eco Team’s ‘Gold Status’, School Newsletters will be made available online, at the beginning of every month, through our website at: http://sca.ycdsb.ca The “Calendar” icon can be found on this page as well. Thank you.

FOLLOW ST. CECILIA ON TWITTER We are happy St. Cecilia has joined the Twitterverse. Please follow us on Twitter @StCecilia_ycdsb. Parents, guardians, students, and friends of St. Cecilia can now get the latest updates about:  Important news (i.e. Bus cancellations due to severe weather)  News about upcoming school events and activities  Highlight about the exciting work and activities taking place at our school As always, we will continue to post information to our school website: www.sca.ycdsb.ca for your convenience. In the Freedom of Information Form, signed at the beginning of each school year, please consider checking ‘Yes’ to the ‘Website’ box to allow us to showcase the great work our children do here on a daily basis. If you have any questions, please contact us at the office.

St. Cecilia Staff 2017-2018 Administration: Secretary:

Mr. F. Nardo, Principal Ms. T. Mancini, Vice Principal Ms. Iantorno , Senior Secretary Ms. Masucci, Secretary

JK/SK

GRADE 1

GRADE 2

GRADE 3

GRADE 4

Ms. Cicinelli Ms. de Sousa Ms. Fabbro Ms. Mischiato Ms. Vilardo

Ms. C. Donato Ms. J. Donato Ms. Mamiani Ms. Nasso Ms. Venneri

Ms. D’Aoust Ms. D’Arpino Ms. Geer Ms. Tassone

Ms. Calautti Mr. Capano Ms. Magro Ms. Scalamogna

Mr. Agostino Ms. Benincasa Ms. Cutrone Ms. Mammoliti

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

GRADE 8

CORE RESOURCE

Ms. Battistella Ms. McCarthy Ms. Furino Ms. Di Palma Ms. Volante-Risi

Ms. Cristiano Ms. Galati Mr. Onofrio Ms. Di Palma

Mr. Dulcigno Ms. Settecase

Ms. Coelho Mr. D’Agostini

Ms. Fior Ms. Loiero Ms. Marto Ms. Pasquariello

LIBRARY

FSL

INT. LANGUAGE

MUSIC

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Ms. Sullivan

Ms. Fiorini Ms. Leonardelli Ms. Sinicropi

Ms. Lister

ESL Ms. Kehm

Ms. Manza Mr. Nastro Ms. Scarano Ms. Sturino

Ms. Dewan Ms. Ferro Ms. Sorbara

ED. ASSISTANTS

EI

ECE

CUSTODIAL

LUNCHTIME SUPERVISORS

Ms. Asaro Ms. Balanzin Ms. Berardini Ms. Brancatella Ms. Colaluca Ms. Chin Ms. Pacitto Ms. Pires

Ms. Danso Mr. Gooding Ms. Huston Ms. Veleno

Ms. Badiali Ms. Chivilo Ms. O’Neill Ms. Papeo Ms. Santilli

Mr. Cannatelli Mr. Lima Mr. Pasqua Mr. Ricci Mr. Rostron

Ms. Baglione Ms. Benic Ms. Caldarola Ms. Servant Ms. Sirianni Ms. Tarquini Ms. Huevos Ms. Dior-Libano Ms. Cestra

“It takes a village to raise our children”