The Toronto Catholic District School Board's annual Awards Night .... the staff and students that came out to support. .
June 2018
UPCOMING EVENTS June
Board-wide
National Indigenous Month
June
Board-wide
Portuguese Canadian Heritage Month
June
Board-wide
Filipino Heritage Month
June
Board-wide
Italian Canadian Heritage Month
June 1
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School
Our Lady of Sorrows’ 75th Anniversary
32 Montgomery Rd., Toronto, ON
1:00 p.m.
Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School
8th Annual Health Symposium
June 2
3200 Kennedy Rd., Scarborough, ON
June 2
James Culnan Catholic School
You and Your Health Event
605 Willard Ave., York, ON
June 3
June 3
St. Roch Catholic School
St. Roch 50th Anniversary
174 Duncanwoods Dr., North York, ON
12:00 p.m.
Francis Libermann Catholic High School
Francis Libermann 40th Anniversary 1:00-6:00 p.m.
4640 Finch Ave. E, Scarborough, ON
June 4-8
Board-wide
TCDSB Indigenous Education Week
June 4-8
Our Lady of Peace 70 Mattice Ave., Toronto, ON
International Indigenous Inventors and Innovators Exhibit
June 4
Board-wide
Mini Pow Wow
June 4
Christie Pits
TDCAA Boys Baseball Championship
750 Bloor St. W, Toronto, ON
June 5
Catholic Education Centre 80 Sheppard Ave. E, North York, ON
Grand Opening: Indigenous Education Art Show 3:00-4:30 p.m.
June 5
Centennial Park
TDCAA Girls Softball Championship
256 Centennial Park Rd., Etobicoke, ON
June 5-8
Board-wide
Indigenous Education Art Show
June 6
Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School
St. Sylvester Presents: The Forgotten Fairytale Forest
3200 Kennedy Rd., Scarborough, ON
7:00 p.m.
June 7
Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre
Portuguese Canadian Heritage Month Mass & Cultural Exposé
1515 Bloor St W., Toronto, ON
June 7
June 9
St. Leo Catholic School
St. Leo’s Spring Fling & Cultural Fair
165 Stanley Ave., Etobicoke, ON
5:00-8:00 p.m.
Francis Libermann Catholic High School
Proudly Pinoy/Filipino
4640 Finch Ave E., Scarborough, ON
June 12
Board-wide
Filipino Heritage Day
June 12
St. Josaphat Catholic School
Parent Café – Spring Concert
110 Tenth St., Etobicoke, ON
1:00-3:00 p.m.
St. Bernard Catholic School
St. Bernard Presents: Annie Jr.
June 12-14
12 Duckworth St., Toronto, ON
June 12 & 14
Santa Maria Catholic School
Santa Maria Presents: The Lion King
25 Avon Ave., Toronto, ON
7:00 p.m.
June 13
St. Basil-the-Great College School 20 Starview Ln., North York, ON
Spanish-Speaking TCDSB Alumni Networking Event
St. Catherine Catholic School
St. Catherine 50th Anniversary
30 Roanoke Rd., North York, ON
1:00 p.m.
St. Bruno/St. Raymond Catholic School
Fun Fair
402 Melita Cres., Toronto, ON
12:00-5:00 p.m.
St. Mary Catholic School
St. Mary and Bishop Macdonell Boundary Review
June 15 June 16
June 19
20 Portugal Square, Toronto, ON
June 21
Board-wide
National Indigenous Peoples Day
June 28
Board-wide
TCDSB Celebrates Canada Day/Red and White Day
CONGRATULATIONS! Youth Civic Leadership Award Recipients
Taylor Dallin
TCDSB congratulates this year’s winners of the Toronto Rotary Club’s Youth Civic Leadership Awards: Taylor Dallin from Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts and Julia Menezes from Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre. Kudos also to the finalists who received certificates: Donna Vasseghi from St. Joseph Morrow Park Catholic Secondary School, Samantha Sagredo from Bishop Allen Academy, Julia Menezes Isabella Maltese from Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School, Joshua Athanasyar from Neil McNeil High School and Patricia Cobarrubias from Monsignor Percy Johnson Catholic Secondary School.
Bishop Allen wins Ontario Bar Association’s Competitive Mock Trial Tournament On April 25, 2018, Bishop Allen competed in the OBA/OJEN Competitive Mock Trial Tournament at the Superior Court of Justice. The tournament consisted of thirty-two teams from the public, Catholic and private school systems. In the five-year history of the tournament, no Catholic school has ever won the tournament. Bishop Allen Academy was declared the winner of the tournament for 2018 and is grateful to the students, coaches and volunteers who contributed to their success. Click here for more photos from the tournament.
12th Annual Spanish Spelling Contest The award ceremony for the 12th Annual Spanish Spelling Contest at St. Francis de Sales Catholic School took place on April 27, 2018. The goal of this event was to celebrate and sustain Hispanic Heritage within the diverse community that the school is located in. This year the school recognized the country of Uruguay. Students performed a traditional dance to LatinAmerican folk music from the country. All of this year's winners were presented with special medals and trophies as well as certificates. Click here for more photos from the ceremony.
TCDSB Awards Night The Toronto Catholic District School Board’s annual Awards Night celebration kicks off Catholic Education Week each year and is an opportunity to recognize the wonderful accomplishments of our alumni, students, staff and friends of Catholic education. Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients! Click here for more photos from the event and a full list of award recipients.
TCDSB Staff Receive Prime Minister’s Awards Congratulations to Isabelle Wong Sak Hoi, Early Childhood Educator at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic School who received the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education. Congratulations to Nicole Chen, teacher at Francis Libermann Catholic High School who also received a Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence and Teaching Excellence in STEM. Isabelle Wong
Nicole Chen
Retirement Celebration 2018 On May 15, TCDSB retirees gathered at the Catholic Education Centre for a Mass and celebration. Congratulations and best wishes to all of this year’s retirees! Click here for more photos from the event.
Congratulations to Winning W5H Teams Congratulations to St. Maria Goretti Catholic School, the TCDSB intermediate W5H city champions! Great games were played by Josyf Cardinal Slipyj, St. Michael and St. Robert Catholic Schools. Click here for more photos.
34th Annual French Public Speaking Competition Students in grades 4 to 8 took part in a non-competitive festival at the event showcasing their learned French language and persuasive public-speaking skills. Students in grades 9 to 12 participated in a competitive Concours in both the Traditional and Impromptu Divisions for cash prizes and partial scholarships to York University’s Glendon College and the University of Ottawa. The following four students from the Toronto Catholic District School Board won: • 1st Concours Traditional Core - Taylor Dallin 10 Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts • 1st Concours Traditional Immersion - Kaitlin Gallant 11 Bishop Allen Academy Catholic Secondary School • 1st Concours Traditional Francophone - Claudia Sassa 11 Blessed Cardinal Newman High School • 1st Concours Traditional Extended - Inez Wirawan 12 Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School
Congratulations to Crimestoppers Winners TCDSB congratulates Loretto Abbey student Amiya Reis for winning a Crimestoppers Student of the Year Award. Amiya is an excellent role model and displays good leadership qualities. The grade 12 student is involved in the Safe School’s Ambassadors Program and was previously a member of student council. She has helped many students with problem solving skills and makes students feel welcome. She makes sure that grade 9 students are having a safe and easy transition into their new school. Her friendly approach and advice helps the new students feel at ease. She is very respectful, thoughtful, sensitive, considerate and an extremely hardworking student who follows every rule with no problem. The Crimestoppers School of the Year Award was presented to St. Marcellus Catholic School. The school is being recognized for the many initiatives in place that nurture a safe and welcoming learning environment with a current focus on internet safety and cyberbullying. Click here for more photos.
2018 Skills Ontario Provincial Competitions For the first time in the history of the Skills Ontario Provincial Competitions, an all-girls team won the gold medal in the prestigious Robotics competition. Congratulations to the Robotics Team at Madonna Catholic Secondary School and to teachers John Kullman, Marcia Ferreira, and retired teacher Steve MacDonnell who started the program over a decade ago. This team will compete in the Skills Canada National Competition in Edmonton, with an opportunity to advance to Russia in 2019 for the Skills World Competitions. Click here for final results and a video of the Madonna Robotics Team on the Global Morning Show.
Congratulations to St. Patrick Students Congratulations to St. Patrick student Matthew who was this year’s OFSAA Badminton Consolation Champion in Windsor, Ontario! Congratulations to Amanda Fernandes, who received 1st place in the Mary Dobel ProLife Essay Writing Contest. A great example of how youth can demonstrate their own perspectives of the values and teachings of the Catholic church. Last but not least, congratulations also go out to Vianca Santos who won Gold for Medal Design at the Skills Ontario Provincial Competition!
2018 TEAM Chess City Championship Congratulations to the 2018 TEAM Chess City Champions from St. Clement Catholic School, and to all finalists and competitors. Click here for more photos from the tournament.
Ontario Skills Lego Robotics Competition The St. André Robo Giants Intermediate team consisting of Carmen Lombardi, Edrian Gacusan, Renee Ho, and Francis Lombardi, competed in the Ontario Skills Lego Robotics Competition on May 7, 2018, winning a bronze medal. These students have worked diligently staying late after school and coming in on weekends and March Break. All their hard work and commitment was rewarded with a medal. The school community is so proud of their students as they were the only elementary school to win a medal for the TCDSB at this competition. Mr. Di Loreto, OYAP Project Leader TCDSB, stated in an email, "This is great news! A first for the TCDSB." This makes this win even more special for these students who represented the TCDSB.
Mary Ward Students Compete in DECA From April 20 – 26, students Ashley Lin, Rachel Deng, and Sashini Mahadurage from Mary Ward CSS, along with students from various other high schools across Ontario, qualified for and competed in a global business competition known as the DECA International Career Development Conference. This year, the event was held in Atlanta Georgia at the world-renowned Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Georgia World Congress Center. More than 800 students from across the province competed alongside over 18,000 students from areas such as the United States, Mexico, Europe, and China. This event is designed to bring together persevering DECA business club students from around the world to take part in one final competition in their chosen event category. The category that was chosen by Mary Ward students was that of a Community Service Project, in which they focused on the “Songs for Syria” fundraiser. The students were responsible for creating a presentation outlining the details and success of this fundraising activity. Through this competition, students gained invaluable experience, improved their presentation and communication skills, widened their world view, and networked with other students from across the globe. Congratulations to all for a truly outstanding week!
Mary Ward Student Wins Bursary at 11th Annual Stone Soup Cook-Off On May 2, 2018, the Stone Soup program came to an end at the Humber College Stone Soup Cook off. This Stone Soup Cook-Off Championship was hosted by the Humber College School of Hospitality, Recreation & Tourism, in Toronto. There were 16 judges including Toronto Police Chief Saunders, Deputy Chief Yuen, Basketball player Dylan Brooks, and the CEO of Smuckers. Stone Soup Clubs from Mary Ward Catholic High School, Archbishop Romero Catholic High School, George Harvey Collegiate, Stephen Leacock Collegiate, and Kipling Collegiate Institute all competed. The Mary Ward CSS team did an amazing job at this competition! We are so proud of Soek Jun Kim, Joy Kirsten Tolledo, Vanessa Daquipil, and Michelle Ho! Mary Ward CSS came in 4th place. Special congratulations go out to Vanessa Daquipil for winning the bursary that was contributed by many companies! Great job team!
Ontario Pro-Con Debating Forum Championship On Saturday April 27, the Ontario Pro-Con Debating Forum held its championship final at James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School. The debating league, which is one of the oldest in the province established in 1960, brought together high school teams from Catholic, public and independent schools. Known for the crossexamination format of debate, both the tournament and the league encourage students to develop their critical thinking and public speaking skills. Congratulations to all schools that sent teams to the finals after four very competitive league tournaments throughout the year. Click here for more photos and final results.
Mary Ward Planet Wins Journalism Awards Congratulations to the staff of the Mary Ward Planet for winning six (6) - 2018 Toronto Star High School Journalism Awards in the following categories: • Critical Writing – 1st Place: Madeleine MacIsaac-Sun • Sports Writing-Column – 1st Place: Anjuli Joachim • Sports Writing-Column – Runner-up: Nicole Fernandes • Editorial Writing – Runner-up: Julia D’Silva • Photography-News – Runner-up: Aanaiah Reyes • Photography-Sports – 1st Place: Dalton Christian
ATHLETICS Elementary Track & Field Championship The elementary Track & Field season ended on May 23 with the City Championships at York Lions Pan Am Stadium. What an outstanding finale to an action-packed season! Thank you to all the athletes, coaches, volunteers and supporters who all played a very important role in the success of this year’s meets. Congratulations to all athletes who worked hard and reached the city finals. Thank you to the Director of Education, Rory McGuckin for sharing his time with everyone at the meet and presenting numerous medals to our winners. Thank you to Special Olympics Ontario for organizing all the students for the Special Olympics races and shotput events and to Brian Armstrong, Maureen Drake and Josh Budish for organizing the 35 races of 250 students. Click here for final results and more photos.
Bishop Allen TDCAA Track & Field Congratulations to the Bishop Allen Track & Field team for their strong performance at the TDCAA Championships. The Midget Girls’ finished 2nd, the Junior and the Senior Girls’ teams won the championship for their divisions, and collectively they emerged as the overall Girls’ champions. Congratulations to the athletes and their coaches. Click here for more photos.
Chaminade Boys Shine at City Track & Field Congratulations to the Boys’ Track & Field teams for their clean sweep at the 2018 TDCAA Track & Field City Championships. Click here for more photos.
TDCAA Tier 1 Girls’ Soccer Champions Congratulations to the Senator O'Connor College School Girls’ Soccer team for winning the 2018 TDCAA Girls’ Tier 1 Championships!
TCDSB 21st Annual Special Olympics On May 29, secondary students from across the board came together to participate in the annual Special Olympics! This event provides an atmosphere of respect and acceptance where exceptional student athletes come together to compete in games and sports that benefit and highlight their skills – physically, socially, mentally and spiritually. The games provide a unique opportunity for students with exceptionalities to discover new talents and abilities and to build life-long friendships with students from other schools. Congratulations to all of this year’s participants! Click here for more photos from the event.
2018 TCDSB Cricket Tournament Elementary and secondary schools across the TCDSB participated in the annual Cricket Tournament on May 30, 2018. The final results were: 1st place (elementary) – Blessed Sacrament Catholic School and 2nd place (elementary) – St. Maria Goretti Catholic School. 1st place (secondary) – Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School and 2nd place (secondary) – Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School. Congratulations to all teams and coaches that participated! Click here for more photos from the tournament.
Madonna Wins 2nd Place in Ontario Cheerleading On Saturday May 26, 2018 Madonna students attended their first Ontario Federation of Cheerleading Competition at Canada's Wonderland. The team practised every day for the last couple of weeks, and the girls worked very hard cleaning up their routines, jumps and pyramids. There were over 90 other Cheer teams from
across the province performing and Madonna was number 21 to perform. There were five judges that watched the routines as well as many spectators. The students did an absolutely amazing job out there! The teams were called up at the end of the showcase, and much to their surprise, they placed in the top five for the high school division. When all was said and done, the team finished in 2nd place overall. This was amazing and wonderful news as this was Madonna’s first year of competition. Father Henry Carr was 4th and Archbishop Romero finished 5th overall. Congratulations to the teams and their coaches! Click here for more photos.
THE ARTS 2018 Woodbine Centre Festival of the Arts This year’s Festival took place the week of May 7 - 11, 2018, during Catholic Education Week. Congratulations to all schools that shared their talents throughout the week and thank you to the staff and students that came out to support. Click here for more photos from the festival.
St. Mary Catholic Academy to be Featured on Roman Catholic TV Congratulations to the choir from St. Mary Catholic Academy. Their recordings will be aired on the 'Our Mother of Perpetual Help Devotions' television programme next year. All are welcome to listen to a selection of their music by clicking here.
St. Lawrence Music Monday Music Monday was initiated by The Coalition for Music in Canada 25 years ago. The first Monday in May is Music Monday and St. Lawrence Catholic School celebrated the beginning of Catholic Education Week and Music Monday with an outdoor concert led by Mr. Longo and featured the four intermediate music classes playing their band pieces. The big finale was a rousing rendition of ‘Children of the Light’ by the whole student body with Liturgical Dance led by Ms. Toogood. Click here for more photos from the event.
Mary Ward Resonate Art Show Mary Ward CSS’ Annual Art Show kicked off with its Gala Night on May 7 this year. This year’s theme was “Resonate”. Guests from the TCDSB, various elementary and secondary schools, and hundreds of alumni, families, and community members resonated with lots of creative art works showcased by our students. Exhibits ranged from sculptures, paintings, sketches, fashion, jewelry, accessories, soft toys, photography, art installations, videos, digital music, animation, architectural models, robotics, electronic gadgets, wood work such as chopping boards, skateboards, furniture, and live music performances by students. Several students also managed their own booths and sold their products such as keychains, stickers, cakes, T-shirts, calligraphy, sketches, and soft toys. This annual event brought lots of creative energy that resonated in celebration of the God-given talents of many school staff and students. May this resonance continue! See you next year!
Immaculate Conception Receives MusiCounts’ BandAid Program Grant Congratulations to Immaculate Conception Catholic School who received a $10,000 grant from MusiCounts as part of their Band Aid Grant Program. On Wednesday May, 30 students at Immaculate Conception were surprised by representatives from MusicCounts, as well as members of KidzBop, who unveiled some of the instruments the school will be receiving as part of the grant. Immaculate Conception will receive instruments that will enable them to build a percussion and guitar program at the school. Some of the instruments include: acoustic guitars, djembes, Cajon’s, amplifiers, an acoustic bass, as well as funds to repair existing instruments at the school. Each year, the MusiCounts Band Aid Program provides instruments in $5,000 or $10,000 increments to schools whose music programs are in need of support to ensure their sustained growth. Our community is grateful to MusicCounts for their generosity. Special thanks to the TCDSB Partnership Development office for their support with the grant application. Click here for more photos from the event.
Our Lady of Peace Art Gallery Evening During Catholic Education Week, Our Lady of Peace had an Art Gallery Evening showcasing student art connected to different themes and using different materials such as plasticine, beach glass and clay. The finished products were a result of the collaboration between students, teachers and artist Rochelle Jakymyc.
ANNIVERSARIES th
Darcy McGee 50 Anniversary D'Arcy McGee Catholic School alumni, friends and community members gathered together to celebrate the school's 50th anniversary on April 28, 2018. The day began with a Mass held at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish celebrated by Father Ruggerio. Former students and current students participated in the Mass through readings and song. Following the Mass, a reception and open house was held at the school. Guests had the opportunity to relive their fondest memories by viewing old photos and catching up with their former classmates. In addition, a special photo booth was set up in the Library, courtesy of Trustee Frank D'Amico, where guests could snap a photo as a commemorative keepsake. Click here for more photo from the celebration.
St. Gerald 50th Anniversary On Saturday May 5, 2018, St. Gerald Catholic School celebrated its 50th anniversary. It was an ideal opportunity for all to celebrate the long and rich history of the school and learn about the many traditions that students and administration continue today. Students took to the stage to perform songs and a live storybook that took everyone on a historic journey of St. Gerald Catholic School over the last 50 years. Finally, a special ribbon cutting ceremony in front of the new school mural was held at the entrance of the school and participants enjoyed some delicious treats in the library. It was a wonderful occasion and the community is grateful to all the staff and students for preparing such a wonderful celebration, and to the friends, alumni, parents and community members who participated. Click here for more photos from the celebration.
St. Thomas More 50th Anniversary On Saturday May 12, 2018, St. Thomas More Catholic School celebrated its 50th anniversary. A special Mass was celebrated at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Students participated in the order of Mass and the school choir performed hymns, led by Ms. Bruni. Following the Mass, an open house was held at the school. Participants were treated to a unique anniversary video created by students, a gourmet BBQ, ice cream, cake and much more. Click here for more photos from the celebration.
CELEBRATIONS St. Mary Catholic Academy Celebrates Polish Heritage Day St. Mary Catholic Academy celebrated Polish Heritage Day with a historical reading in the morning for all staff and students. At noon, students listened to Polish folk music, tried on traditional Polish clothing and tasted Polish kielbasa and perogies. Everyone had a wonderful time! Click here for more photos from the celebration.
Launch of New Pastoral Plan The TCDSB celebrated the launch of our new threeyear pastoral plan on May 9, 2018. Students, staff, parents and trustees, gathered with pastors and other representatives from our parishes, representatives from employee federations, Catholic partners and community leaders for the gala celebration. The day began with a focus on the Year of the School, the third year of our current pastoral plan “Together With One Voice: Harmonizing our Faith through Family, Parish and School.” The Spotlight on Your School showcase highlighted videos created by students and staff to celebrate the unique nature of their local school communities. The afternoon saw the unveiling of our new pastoral plan for 2018-2021, “Rooted in Christ: we Belong, we Believe, we Become”. His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Collins provided the reflection for the afternoon, sharing his vision of what Belonging, Believing and Becoming are in connection with our Catholic faith. Click here for more photos from the event.
Asian Canadian Heritage Month On May 16, St. Joseph’s Morrow Park Catholic Secondary School welcomed students from across the board to celebrate Asian Canadian Heritage Month through a Mass and Cultural Exposé. Performances included: Pilipinas Remix (Madonna CSS), Vietnamese Song (Jean Vanier CSS), Filipino Tinikling Dance (Holy Cross CS), Traditional/Contemporary South Asian Dance (St. Maria Goretti CS), Medley of Asian Songs/Choir (St. Joseph Morrow Park CSS), K-Pop (Jean Vanier CSS), Mongolian Chopsticks (St. Ignatius of Loyola CS), Tamil Dance (Jean Vanier CSS). Special thanks to the TCDSB staff members who organized this beautiful event and to all students who shared their wonderful talents! Click here for more photos from the event.
St. Lawrence Diversity Day On Wednesday May 16, 2018, St. Lawrence celebrated Diversity Day. Many students wore traditional clothing and marched in a parade to commemorate countries from all over the world. Staff and students proceeded to put on a performance honoring a variety of countries through song and dance. Some highlighted dance pieces represented by the Philippines and Sri Lanka, and anthems from Nigeria, Ghana and Brazil were beautifully sung. The performance ended with the entire school singing “We are the World.” What a wonderful way to celebrate that no matter what part of the world we come from we are all one body in the image of Christ. Click here for more photos from the celebration.
Grand Opening of The Holy Trinity A special celebration took place on Monday May 28, as The Holy Trinity Catholic School marked its solemn blessing and official opening. Among those in attendance were Director of Education Rory McGuckin, Superintendent Doug Yack, Chair Barbara Poplawski, Trustee Ann Andrachuk and the pastors from both St. Teresa and Christ the King parishes. Click here for more photos from the celebration.
BMTM Students Celebrate Seniors’ 100th Birthday Students from Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School’s Intergenerational Program were delighted to celebrate the 100th birthday of Floris Griffith at the Loyola Arrupe Centre for Seniors. The resident’s birthday is coming up on June 3. The program has united a lot of community partners, with generous donations from Loblaws, No Frills, Fiesta Farms and Cobs Bakery. The students also hosted an Afternoon High Tea for the residents. At previous Teas the students demonstrated the mutual respect that students and seniors have for each other through sharing a meal, dance and most of all through laughter and joy. Click here for more photos from the birthday celebration.
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES SJMP and SJC Attend “Women at the Heart of Peace” Rally Students from St. Joseph’s Morrow Park and St. Joseph’s College attended the “Women at the Heart of Peace” Rally on April 25, 2018 at Nathan Phillips Square, with over 500 students from 18 different schools. Students chanted and marched for peace and also presented thousands of signed postcards calling for women to be at the heart of peace! The postcards called upon the Canadian Government to commit to its promised 0.7% of gross national income to go to development assistance and to support women and women’s organizations who are working for peace. Students and teachers from the TCDSB travelled to Ottawa to present the cards to the government in May. Click here for more photos from the rally.
Divine Infant Social Justice Club Bake Sale The Divine Infant Social Justice Club hosted a bake sale to support the Global community. All proceeds went towards helping to provide clean drinking water to people living in Sudan.
2018 WENTT Conferences On April 18, 25, and May 16, hundreds of female students from across the board came together to participate in WENTT (Women Entering NonTraditional Trades) conferences at Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton CSS, St. John Paul II CSS and Humber College. This student event was a way for young women to explore and consider some of the skilled trades through a hands-on, experiential learning opportunity. Some of the trades that students explored were: Auto Shop, Painting, Cooking, Horticulture, Plumbing, Electrical, Carpentry, Hairstyling & Aesthetics. Click here for more photos from BM/TM and here for more photos from SJPII.
Students Learn the Importance of Bike Safety Over 300 students participated in a special bike safety assembly on April 27, 2018 at Immaculate Conception Catholic School. School Resource Officer P.C. De Quintal and Toronto Police Service, together with the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association - JRJ Personal Law Injury Firm and Access Rehab promoted the importance of bike safety through a school assembly that included safety lectures on brain injuries and information on why we wear helmets. Following the assembly, students from Immaculate Conception Catholic School and neighbouring school St. Bernard Catholic School were surprised with 300 free bike helmets. The helmets were fitted and distributed to all 300 students. The helmet donation was made possible by the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association’s Bike Helmet Giveaway Program. The community is grateful to officer PC De Quintal and partners of the annual Bike Helmet initiative for their generosity and support that ensures all students use safe practices to prevent injury while riding their bike. Click here for more photos from the event.
Job Fair 2018 On May 2, students from the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the Toronto District School Board participated in the annual Work Connections – Job Fair at the Ontario Science Centre. Organized in collaboration and partnership with the City of Toronto, over 40 employers and employment agencies were in attendance, actively seeking new employees. Students had the opportunity to interview on the spot for full time, part time and seasonal employment beginning this summer and in September. As the event took place during Toronto Youth Week, Mayor John Tory also attended and engaged many students. Thank you to all who attended, volunteered and supported this event. Click here for more photos from the event.
Thomas Cardinal Collins Visits SJMP On May 14, Thomas Cardinal Collins visited St. Joseph’s Morrow Park to speak to students about the role of youth in the Catholic Church. Students were also given the opportunity to ask His Eminence questions. Click here for more photos from the visit.
TCDSB Student Mass and Peace Walk Secondary students from across the TCDSB gathered to celebrate Mass with Bishop Robert Kasun for Catholic Education Week. After Mass, and breaking bread together, the students and their chaplaincy leaders went downtown to hand out lunches to the homeless and to pray for peace. Click here for more photos and a video of the Mass.
SHSM Accelerate 1.0 at Muskoka Woods Specialist High Skills Major Students from the TCDSB attended the first ever Accelerate 1.0 @MuskokaWoods certification retreat from April 11-13. Students from Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton, Blessed Archbishop Romero and Father Henry Carr attended. These students represented various sectors, including Arts & Culture, Business, Construction, Justice-Community Safety-Emergency Services and Transportation. Students had the opportunity to complete certifications and training toward their Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Technical Staging, Pyrotechnics, Fire Rescue, Ethical Considerations, Interactive Arts Forms, Leadership and Bridge Building were examples of workshops the students engaged in. Students also had the opportunity to work with Muskoka Woods to create innovative solutions for problems specific to their organization. Thank you to all students and staff who attended this fantastic learning experience. Click here for more photos from the retreat.
Light It Up Blue Dance-A-Thon On Friday, April 27, 2018 St. Bruno/St. Raymond hosted their very first “Light It Up Blue” dance-a-thon in support of Autism Awareness. In preparation for this event, the students in the ME/DD ISP classes worked diligently all month long. During the month of April, the students worked on advertisements, went shopping, made bracelets, baked cookies, helped to prepare decorations and practiced their financing and budgeting skills. During the dance, they helped to decorate the venue, set up the equipment, and run the concession stand. The fundraiser was a success and the team is thankful for the continued support from our school community. Click here for more photos from the event.
St. René Goupil Faith Day On May 7, the St. René Goupil community participated in Faith Day Activities to launch the start of Catholic Education Week. The grade 7 students were team captains leading the younger students through 9 stations all about the focus on the theme of Renewing the Promise. Click here for more photos.
Portuguese Day at St. Helen Secretary of State of the Portuguese Communities, José Luís Carneiro was among the many special visitors to St. Helen Catholic School on May 4 to celebrate International Day of Portuguese Language and Culture, which is celebrated on May 5. Director of Education Rory McGuckin and Chair Barbara Poplawski brought greetings on behalf of the board. Five staff from the International Languages program received Medalha de Merito des Comunidades Portuguesas in recognition of their work with nurturing Portuguese language and culture in schools. Students were proud to perform a selection of songs including the Canadian and Portuguese national anthems. Click here for more photos from the visit.
Multicultural Evening at St. Paul St. Paul Catholic School held a Canadian Multi-Cultural Event on May 3, 2018. The students, parents and staff enjoyed a Learning Gallery Walk and a delicious buffet of Ethiopian, Italian and Filipino foods. Diversity and inclusivity in action! Click here for more photos from the evening.
St. Martin de Porres SISTEMA Event St. Martin de Porres welcomed SISTEMA and MPP Mitzie Hunter on May 8 for an announcement of one-time funding in the amount of $500,000 to support the music program. Students from the school performed for guests including Superintendent Shawna Campbell before the big announcement. Click here for more photos from the event.
Safe Schools Symposium: Community The last Safe Schools Symposium of the 2017-18 school year was held on May 8, focusing on the theme of “Community.” Secondary students from across the board gathered together to participate in a day of fun leadership activities, listen to speakers and watch presentations from various school leadership teams. Click here for more photos from the day.
Our Lady of Peace Spelling Bee On Friday April 20, OLP hosted its first ever spelling bee/concours d’épellation. Ten French Immersion students from each grade 1-8 class competed in the gym. It was a wonderful day of friendly competition to build and expand French vocabulary. Congratulations and félicitations to all the students who participated and placed in our first ever Concours d’épellation.
Our Lady of Peace WE Team Fundraiser On April 27, OLP participated in a walk to raise money and provide clean water for people who lack access to it. The WE Team had set a goal of $10,000 and surpassed it reaching $12,382. It only took $25.00 to give someone clean water for life; by the end of the fundraiser, we had changed 485 lives and became the top school fundraiser in Canada. The WE Team is very proud of everyone who walked and raised money. Thank you to everyone for their generous contributions to this worthy Social Justice issue.
TCDSB Welcomes Students from Colombia TCDSB and YES Homestay welcomed an International Student group from Colombia in May. The program is facilitated by Cuenta Conmigo. Welcome to Canada!
Mary Apostolate Visits St. Lawrence On Thursday May 10, 2018 the Rosary Apostolate visited St. Lawrence Catholic School for the Crowning of Mary. This special visit was a culmination of regular monthly visits of Apostolate volunteers who recite and explain the power of the rosary throughout the school year. All students from JK – Gr.8 took part in celebrating this holy event. The students viewed a short film on Our Lady of the Cape, Queen of Canada. Praying the Rosary gives students encouragement and hope for daily living. Click here for more photos from the visit.
St. Paul Entrepreneurial Adventure Showcase Students from St. Paul Catholic School participated in the Annual Entrepreneurial Showcase at the BMO Institute for Learning. Through this program developed by the Learning Partnership, the students were able to showcase the business ventures they had been working on over the past few months. It provided students with a wonderful opportunity to showcase their ideas and meet and interact with other student entrepreneurs. The students raised over $600 dollars for charity. Click here for more photos.
Brain Cancer Awareness Day St. Cecilia Catholic School marked the first ever Brain Cancer Awareness Day in the City of Toronto. May 27 was declared by Mayor John Tory after Isabel Andrews, a student at the school, wrote a letter to City Hall. Her father, Dwayne, is battling brain cancer himself. Students and staff at the school were quick to support Isabel in her efforts to raise awareness and funds for brain cancer research through a Grey Day at the school, with all proceeds going to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research. The proud father visited the school on Grey Day May 25 as Isabel went on the PA system to thank everyone for their support. Click here for more photos and a video of Isabel making the announcement to the school.
Dante Cut and Colour for Cancer Dante Alighieri raised more than $500 for the Canadian Cancer Society, and donated several locks of hair to make wigs for cancer patients at their inaugural Dante Cut and Colour for Cancer event. Raffle tickets were sold in advance, and the winners were given the opportunity to give a haircut or a hair colouring treatment to the willing volunteers—both staff and students. Click here for more photos from the event.
TCDSB Annual Picnic for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Students On May 25, 2018 the Toronto Catholic District School Board hosted the Annual Picnic for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students. The D/HH picnic draws elementary and secondary students, their families and teachers to a fun- filled day in support of our Deaf/Hard of Hearing students. This annual event, which has been ongoing at the TCDSB for over 28 years and organized by the Itinerant Teachers of the Deaf, provides our students and their families with an opportunity to socialize with one another in a positive and inclusive community. Every year, more than
200 attendees participate in a variety of fun activities and games and engage in enriching experiences. Click here for more photos from the picnic.
St. Bernard Students Receive Bike Helmets During Bike to School Week, on Wednesday May 30 kindergarten students at St. Bernard's were surprised by PC Peter De Quintal (better known as Star Wars Cop) and Jewell Radmisis Jorge LLP with 30 bicycle helmets for all of them. Students have been learning about the importance of kindness and generosity and have been "paying it forward" with acts of kindness throughout the year. Toronto Police and JRJ Lawyers wanted to "pay it forward" to the students at St. Bernard in recognition of their hard work and humility and did so with brand new helmets for everyone. Thank you to everyone who made this opportunity possible, and especially: Sadaf of JRJ LLP, PC Peter de Quintal, Aux. Const. Ruth, Aux. Const. Kim, and Aux. Const. Wang, who helped to personally fit each helmet to each student. Click here for more photos from the event.
Telus Donates 500 Trees to Bishop Allen On Tuesday May 29, 100 volunteers from Telus were at Bishop Allen Academy to help students plant trees that were donated as a part of Telus' Give Where You Live Campaign. The event was facilitated with the help of Tree Canada, who instructed volunteers on how to properly plant. The 500 trees were of different varieties and were planted in the school's surrounding green space and ravine. It was a sunny day and temperatures were warm, but all the trees were planted in less than 2 hours thanks to the hard work of everyone involved. Click here for more photos of staff and students planting the trees.
““IT STARTS IN THE SCHOOLS” is published monthly throughout the school year. Events, locations and times are subject to change. For more information, call 416-222-8282 Ext. 5314. This publication can be found on the Internet at www.tcdsb.org, see “news”. The Toronto Catholic District School Board educates more than 92,000 students from diverse cultures and language backgrounds in 201 Catholic elementary and secondary schools, serving close to half-a-million Catholic school supporters across the City of Toronto. As the world’s largest publicly funded Catholic school system, we educate students in an inclusive learning community rooted in the love of Christ, where they are challenged to grow in grace and knowledge and to lead lives of faith, hope and charity. At Toronto Catholic we transform the world through witness, faith, innovation and action.
Toronto Catholic Schools June 2018 Toronto Catholic District School Board, 80 Sheppard Ave. E., North York, ON M2N 6E8 phone: 416-222-8282 website: www.tcdsb.org email:
[email protected] 