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 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 /A. Grnak Secretary: C. Pulcini Clerk Typist: S. Shanahan

MAY 2016

The month of May promises

to be a very busy time at St.

Gregory. During Catholic

Education Week, May 1st to

6th, we celebrate the

significant contributions that

Catholic education continues

to make to the community,

the province and the

country. We will have special readings daily and in

tribute to this year’s theme ‘Opening Doors of

Mercy, each class will be responding to the heartfelt

message in Shel Silverstein’s classic story “The

Giving Tree” as it combines the theme of mercy and

the act of opening doors of reconciliation and

forgiveness in our school communities, in our

families and in the world, which complements our

year-long focus on the Family. Our family of

educators challenge each of our students to open

doors of mercy and to serve God by serving those in

need with grace and compassion.

The grade 3 EQAO assessments will be on May 26th,

27th, and 30th and the grade 6 EQAO assessments will

take place on May 31st, June 1st and 2nd. Please

ensure your child is present on these days.

The staff of St. Gregory Catholic School would like

to extend our very best wishes to all mothers. We

thank you for your guidance, patience and love.

Blessed are you, mother of my Lord, for you have

believed the word of God.

Sincerely,

J. Pannozzo

Principal

A MOTHER'S DAY PRAYER

Heavenly Father, to you I pray...

On this day called, "Mother's Day."

Let all mother's on earth give praise,

To you...for the children that you gave.

For you have blessed them from above,

With little souls to nourish and love.

Let them mold each one with care...

And teach them to be kind and share.

Forgiveness is the special key...

Start early on, to help them see.

Their fragile minds are easily impressed.

Please teach them ways, so they'll be blessed.

Sow godly seeds into their minds.

With careful pruning, you will find...

Young adults with such strong roots,

All through life, will bear rich fruit.

And then have faith for God to show...

Them all the rest they have to know.

Remember they're His children too.

For they were only lent to you.

AMEN

Suggestions from TCDSB Student Mental Health and Well-Being Newsletter

St. Gregory will mark Children's Mental Health Week the week of

May 9th to 13th. This important week is about:

Increasing awareness of the signs of child and youth

mental health problems

Decreasing stigma

Understanding that help is available and it works!

For more information on Children’s’ Mental Health Week please

see www.kidsmentalhealth.ca

FACT: 1 in 5 Ontario children and youth has a mental health

problem - That's about 500,000 kids. Disorders range from anxiety,

depression and conduct disorder to attention deficit hyperactivity

disorder, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and bi-polar disorder. Left

untreated, mental health disorders can lead to school failure,

family conflicts, drug abuse, violence, and even suicide.

The good news is that help is available and treatment works!

Next year, we look forward to expanding the Rosary Apostolates

to all students grades 1-8. We’re calling out to parents and grandparents to volunteer their time once a month from October to April to help us with this mission. Please contact the school or the parish before the end of June if you are interested.

St. Gregory students have been preparing to receive their Holy Sacraments. Confirmation will be on Sat., May 14th at 10 a.m. and Communion will be on Sat., May 28th at 10 a.m.

In order to ensure a safe learning environment for all of our students, we would remind all parents to enter by the main front doors and make their way to the office so that

staff might be of assistance. Please also be reminded that teachers are involved in preparing materials, making final plans for the day, participating in meetings, and may not be available to meet with you unexpectedly. We ask that you make an appointment with your child’s teacher. Parents collecting their children are reminded that our students are dismissed to their recess doors at 3:00 p.m. and are asked to wait for their parents outside. Your co-operation is much appreciated.

This year at St.

Gregory we’re

aiming to build

our students’

Learning Skills & Work Habits, as they are essential

to current and future student success. In March

and April, skill-building lessons and activities

centered on INDEPENDENT WORK. For May and

June we will be focusing on INITIATIVE.

Ontario’s Growing Success document defines

Initiative as:

*Looks for and acts on new ideas and

opportunities for learning

*Demonstrates the capacity for innovation and a

willingness to take risks

*Demonstrates curiosity and interest in learning

*Approaches new tasks with a positive attitude

*Recognizes and advocates appropriately for the

rights of self and others

AT HOME:

*Promote risk-taking learning activities

*Encourage curiosity

*Encourage your child to start asking questions

*Turn everyday activities into homework such as

searching newspapers, reading recipes, creating

shopping lists, plotting out routes on a map,

reading directions on how to set up a game

console, etc.

In an ongoing effort to promote Math learning we are always looking at ways to support our children. The Council of Ontario

Directors of Education (CODE) has prepared a Parent Resource Kit titled Inspiring your Child to Learn and Love Math. This document outlines age-specific resources, tips and activities for parents to engage their children in everyday math learning. Here are three activities to do the next time your family goes grocery shopping: Grocery stores are a great source of spontaneous math lessons and a great place to use the “think aloud” strategy. Many stores have scales available. As you shop for fruit, stop and estimate the weight of a bag of apples. Use the scale to get an accurate measure in kilograms. Congratulate yourself on the accuracy of your measurement, or ask yourself how you can improve your estimate. As you fill the shopping cart, keep a running total of the cost of the items by recording them in a small notebook. Round the prices in order to estimate, then check the total with a calculator. How close were you to the actual sum at the cash register? Select a variety of bottles, cans and containers that hold one litre of contents. Emphasize to your child that, although the shape may change, the volume stays constant. For more helpful suggestions, visit CODE’s website at http://www.ontariodirectors.ca/parent_engagement.html

Please ensure your children adhere to the guidelines of expected behaviour outlined in their student agenda. Students are expected to dress in a clean, neat and appropriate manner. Clothing with any slogans or pictures is not permitted. Hats, sports headbands and scarves are not to be worn in the school during the day. Our colour (navy/white) dress code is in effect unless it is Civvies Day. For elementary students, make-up and lipstick are not appropriate.

LOST BALLS/SPORTING EQUIPMENT In the course of play over our recess periods, balls and other items of sports equipment often find their way into the backyards of the houses neighbouring the school. Students will not be given

permission to leave the school yard during the course of the school day to retrieve items. We ask the homes neighbouring the school to toss back items that make their way into their yards. We invite you to accompany your child, either before or after school, to collect misplaced items.

The Intermediate W5H team worked very hard in preparation for their various tournaments. We are very proud to announce that our Intermediate W5H team: Dylan B., Matthew C., Adam M., Joshua D., David D., James S., Joseph M., Matthew P. and Carlos O. placed first in our Divisional Tournament and second in our Regional Championship Competition. In the last game St. Gregory tied, and unfortunately fell short of a win in double overtime by ONE point! St. Gregory finished the tournament one point short from advancing to represent the West Region at City’s. Our team players represented their school with great enthusiasm, team spirit

and incredible knowledge. We would like to thank our coaches, Mlle Carniel and Mrs. Brajuka, all the parents for their continued support and Julia P., Antony S. and Alexandra S. for assisting the players in preparation for their competitions.

A CERTIFICATE OF ACHEIVEMENT is awarded to the students who

consistently demonstrated the ability to demonstrate Independent Work

throughout the months of March and April. Congratulations to all!

Learning Skill: INDEPENDENT WORK

TEACHER MARCH APRIL

Ms. J. Rosa Joshua L., Orion D., Cassandra D., Eve D. Charlotte F., Treasure O., Gideon O.

Ms. Andreacchi Emily P., Katrina M., Alexia M. Bria W., Connor H., Luciano C.

Ms. Salmond Leo D., Marisa G., Madelyn O. Aras K., Lena L., Josip M.

Ms. Maxwell/

Ms. Santelli

Olivia H. Elizabeth K., Aiden C. Joseph F., Valencia J., Clara K.

Mrs. Roy Anna-Jane L., Annalisa D. Benjamin B., Cristian F.

Mrs. Ceddia Nicole S., Alessia D. Emmett S., Sophia L.

Ms. Mulvihill Sebastian P., Vivienne V. Marios M., Nicholas T.

Mrs. Barone Mark G., Lorenzo R. Olivia B.

Ms. Alberton Nicole P., Owen P. Ariel C., Kaine H.

Mrs. Gentile Oliver P., Dante D. Noah D. Jayden E.

Mrs. Yetman Natalya M., Hunter P. Eugen G., Paulinho S.

Ms. Loughlin Deven D., Mya C. Sienna F.

Ms. Brajuka Isaac B., Rory N. Giselle S., Hector G., Owen S.

Ms. Steponaitis Grace A., Benjamin P. Olivia Z., Luke P.

Mr. Zinko Lara Y. Zoe B., Kelly F. Evangeline R., Abigail B.

Ms. Hetmanczuk Abrielle Z., Dmutriy K., Adam W., Nicole B. Joseph A., Michael D., Joseph G., Malachi N.

Ms. Micallef Aaron A., Eric P., Jimmie R. Van H., Wesley J., Elias G.

Mrs. Hall Nicholas S., Joshua M., Leah R. Jayden D., Vince I.

Mrs. Quartarone Liliana S., Emilio M., Nicolas P. Liam F., Maja M.

Ms. Cicirelli Lucas B., Vince F., Laura B. Julieta C., Ella M., Luke T.

Mr. Natalino Amanda G., Lily F. Evan C., Christian S.

Mr. Vennare Sophia B., Isabella D., Jana M. Angelynn M. Lauren O., Peter B.

Mr. De Medeiros Angelo D., Wade G., William K. Alexandra A., Nour H.

Mme. Kusic Samantha L., Rachel H Amanda B., Keira L.

Mrs. Botelho Aiden C., Sarah S., Anton G. Michaela W., Marissa M., Brandon S.

Ms. Salza Aidin H. Anais P. Daniel V., Kevin K.

Ms. Silvestre Sophia G., Tamara G. Erin H., Isabel R.

Mme. Carniel Curtis P., Madeline L. Michaela B., Alexandra S.

Mrs. Pitoscia Malachi N., Mason C. Ava G., Samuel W.

Mrs. Pires Esrom A., Gabriel P. Anais P.

On Thursday, May 12th, St.

Gregory will be hosting their

2nd Annual Art & Craft Show,

'ARTucate.' The art and

crafts on display will be those

of students of St. Gregory and

their teachers, parents, guardians and grandparents. This promises

to be a fun-filled event featuring music, food, drink and amazing

raffle prizes. This event is also a great way to meet and mingle with

the members of our school community. If you like to purchase

raffle tickets in advance, they will be available during the lunch

hour throughout the week of May 9th -12th by the school's front

lobby. Tickets are 3 for $10, or 8 for $20.

Our grade 8 students will be travelling to Quebec City to experience the Quebecois culture from Tuesday, May 3rd to Friday, May 6th. We thank Mlle. Carniel, Mr. De Medeiros, Mlle. Salza, Mlle. Iaboni, Mr. Pittelli , Mr. Pannozzo and Father John for organizing and chaperoning this trip so that grade 8s can enjoy this opportunity with their peers.

May’s CSPC Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 18th at

7:00 p.m. in the Music Room.

CSPC’s Bingo Night on April 16th was

extremely well attended and enjoyed by all. A special thank you to CSPC volunteers who worked hard to make this event a success.

2016 was another successful year for Fun Food Friday and Wellness Day! This year, the focus was on Healthy Snacks while encouraging breakfast and hydration. All students from ELP to Grade 6 created a healthy trail mix. The recipe for the trail mix will be made available on the St. Gregory website.

This year the Grade 7 and 8’s Wellness Day was full of fun and learning! The Grade 7 and 8 students participated in a series of events. The day included Fun Fitness, Team Inclusivity, Nutrition, Martial Arts, Reflection and Pilates. The day ended with a special speaker Molly Burke who spoke to the kids about how becoming blind and her negative experiences doesn’t define who she is and they too can overcome anything that comes their way. Her story and message touched us all. Again, thank you to all the volunteers who made FFF and Wellness a success. Without the help of these parents these events would not be as successful as they are. Also, thank you to CSPC for funding FFF and Wellness Day, the teachers, Ms. Pires, Mr. Pannozzo, and the presenters for being a part of this day! Your support allowed CSPC to make this day happen.

The sport scene was a busy one at St. Gregory in April. The junior

girls’ volleyball team travelled to Holy Child to participate in the

Regional tournament. The girls were truly dominant going

undefeated to capture the regional pennant. The Swim Team had

a very successful conclusion to their season, finishing fourth at the

TCDSB Swim Invitational. This was St. Gregory’s best finish. The girl’s

hockey team played in the Blessed Sacrament Invitational

Tournament to conclude their season. They played hard and lost by

one goal in the finals. The intermediate boys and girls soccer teams are practicing in preparation

of their divisional tournaments in late May. The track and field team is also practicing daily as their

divisional meet is on May 12 at Centennial Stadium. Also, the junior soccer house league season

continues with the playoffs fast approaching. Go Greg’s Go!

Cooper’s Corner

St. Gregory CSPC hosts a number of different fundraising and social activities throughout the academic year. We are constantly in search for parents who are willing to volunteer some of their time to help make each of these endeavours a success. Currently, we are looking for volunteers for our upcoming end of year barbeque. CSPC is asking that if you’re able to volunteer with the barbeque or any other CSPC sponsored event (even in the upcoming 2016-2017 scholastic year) that you kindly email your contact information to volunteersatstgregs@gmail.com. CSPC offers a wonderful opportunity for you to become more involved in your child’s educational experience and it’s a wonderful way to connect and socialize with other parents in the St. Greg’s community. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Kidssentials Hot Lunch –

May & June dates are available to order

Take a break from packing lunch and place an order at: http://www.kidssentials.com

If for some reason online ordering is not an option for you contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

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 – to help Kidssentials plan most efficiently. 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 us today and apply by phone or email. Kidssentials may be contacted at: 905.855.1914 | mail@kidssentials.com | http://www.kidssentials.com

On Tuesday, May 24th, we’d like to honour the spirit of service by our parent volunteers. We appreciate all parents who have volunteered their time to lend a helping hand in their child’s classroom, field trips, pizza lunches, milk program, and so many more activities that happen at St. Gregory. We’d like to invite you to join us for ‘Morning Tea’ for all you have contributed this school year. Invitations to follow. Please RSVP.