St. Antoine Daniel Catholic School 160 Finch Ave. West

Toronto, Ontario, M2N 2J2

Telephone: (416)393-5339 Fax: (416)393-5157

Parent Newsletter January 2013 Volume 5

S. Rivers Principal

C. Barreira Secretary

J. Shain Superintendent

Of

Education

Area 4 Schools

M. Rizzo Trustee

Ward 5

Reverend

Boulos Saleh (Father Paul)

Pastor

St. Edward The Confessor

Parish

C. Ali and

J. Infante Co- Chairpersons

St. Antoine Daniel

C.S.A.C.

THE TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

VIRTUE FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY IS:

Courage

With courage you will dare to take risks, have the

strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be

humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity. Keshavan Nair

Scripture Quotes

Ez 7:28 I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was upon me

Is 41:6 Each one helps the other, saying to one another, "Take courage!"

1 Th 2:2 - We had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition.

As we begin 2013, we are thankful for our many blessings. Our Catholic faith guides

us throughout the day and our friends and families nourish our bodies, minds and

souls. The St. Antoine Daniel School Community will continue to work together for

our shared purpose- the education of our students.

On behalf of the staff and students at St. Antoine Daniel School, I would like to wish

you and your families a peaceful New Year filled with faith , hope, charity, courage

and love.

S. Rivers

Principal

Virtue Of The Month

PAGE 2 VOLUME 5

The Virtue for the month of December was Charity. Congratulations to the following students who received a certificate:

Nangini ELP/1 Conner D. and Alyanna V.

Donnelly ELP/2 Intza B. and Karmelo M.

Marchese ELP/3 Yahj D. and Ysabelle P.

Marcello 01 John Paul A., Maria M. and Caridee-Ann R.

Meschino 01/02 John A. and Jasmine B.

Kotyra 02 Kean A. and Tinamarie O.

Daly 02/03 Annika A. and Cristian C.

Huebel 03 Laurel A. , Dexter K., Beatriz P., Adam P. and Sharra S.

Dudek 04 Mikayla D. and Marc Jarell P.

Iaccio 04/05 Lyndie A., Jessica B., Arianne P. and Leandrea S.

Meneguzzi 05 Mark B., Dan M. and Heather R.

Novello 06 Jillian B. and Michal M.

Sacco 06 Diego A. and Ma Sofia L.

Saccucci 7 Nicole A., John M and Kenneth V.

Herbert 07/08 Van Joseph B., Trisha G., Christini M and Julian S.

Oliveri 08 Yavniel B., Xyza B., Esther F. and Amelita N.

Research clearly indicates that good schools become better schools when they are strongly connected to parents as

part of the learning community. The Tool Kit and Guidebook have been used for the past year to support the im-

portant role parents have in contributing to their children’s learning at home and at school. Now, the Teen docu-

ment has been added for your use.

Copies of the package have been shared with our school council. The package includes :

Parent Tool Kit and a Guidebook for Planning Parent Engagement

New Teen edition

One webkey that will take you directly to the CODE website where you will find electronic copies of all

documents in English and French

You can go directly to the CODE website : www.ontariodirectors.ca from which you may download all or parts of

the information.

We trust that parents will find this resource to be valuable to promoting and supporting parent engagement in

support of student achievement and well-being.

Building Parent Engagement

Artist In The School (sponsored by TCDSB Arts Program)

Mrs. Novello’s Grade 6 class will have the opportunity to experience working with a professional artist for the

week of January 14, 2013. The artist, Patrick Jenkins, is an animator who will involve the students in making art-

work, filming and creating sound track work. We are looking forward to seeing the end result.

PAGE 3 VOLUME 5

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES 2012-2013

Wards 8. Gerry Tanuan

9. Jo-Ann Davis 10. Barbara Poplawski 11. Angela Kennedy 12. Nancy Crawford Andrew Walker,

1. Peter Jakovcic 2. Ann Andrachuk, Chair 3. Sal Piccininni, Vice-Chair 4. Patrizia Bottoni 5. Maria Rizzo 6. Frank D’Amico 7. John Del Grande

Registration Information Registration for Kindergarten begins on January 8th, with evening registration hours at most elementary schools during the week of

January 14th. Call your local elementary school for dates and times. Extended French Centres are holding information evenings for

parents about the French as a Second Language Program. For more information, please visit the board’s website at www.tcdsb.org.

Night School

Registration for evening credit courses and eClass begins January 16th. For information about online registration,

see http://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/ContinuingEducation/SecondaryCreditCourses/NightSchool/Pages/

default.aspx.

TTC Announces Fare Hikes

Student fares are rising by 5 cents in the new year. For details, visit the TTC website at

http://www.ttc.ca/News/2012/November/1121_Fare_Increase_2013.jsp.

The Best Way to Get Up to Date Information

For all the latest news about TCDSB schools, including cancellations or closures due to weather, you are invited to

subscribe to E-news--free news service delivered right to your email. (Please visit our website at www.tcdsb.org and

click on the E-News icon on the top right hand side of the homepage to subscribe) or follow us on Twitter @TCDSB.

The Director’s Voice

Please visit the board’s website at www.tcdsb.org and view the latest edition of The Director’s Voice for a special

Christmas message.

Ward 8 Election Results

TCDSB welcomes Garry Tanuan as the Trustee for Ward 8 in Scarborough.

Monthly Update from the Board

Inclement Weather

Inclement weather can produce bus cancellations as well as school closures. In the event of bad weather, please logon to

the following websites: Board’s Homepage at www.tcdsb.org, transportation information at http://www.schoolbus.to/c

home.asp, or weather at http://www.tcdsb.org/Weather.htm.

PAGE 4 NEWSLETTER TITLE VOLUME 5

How to Help Your Child

Learn About Your Child as a Reader

Tune in to your child’s interests! Ask your child about the kinds of books he/she likes to read.

Encourage your child to approach reading with a sense of wonder and awe.

Engage in discussion that encourages your child to explore multiple responses. (e.g., examine and discuss a character’s personality traits).

Encourage your child to think critically about the text. Does he/she agree or disagree with the author? Why? Let your questions happen as a natural form of discussion.

Talk about the story to make sure that he/she understands it. Discuss different ways the story might have ended.

Help your child choose books that are interesting and that are “just right” – not too hard, but not too easy. Refer to I PICK page in the Appendix for support in choosing a “just right” book.

Use the “Pause, Prompt, Praise” approach outlined below to support your child when reading. A PDF copy of the Pause, Prompt, Praise, Parent Tip Sheet can be accessed by following the link below.

- Pause – If your child stops at a difficult word, then pause briefly. Wait for a few moments (count to five, silently and slowly) to give your child the opportunity to figure out the word.

- Prompt – If your child cannot read the word or does not read it correctly, ask him/her to “try again” or ask, “What word would make sense?” or say, “Look at the picture.” If your child still can not read the word correctly after two different prompts, say the word and ask him/her to repeat it. Continue reading.

- Praise – When your child reads the difficult word correctly, praise him/her for reading the word without help.

http://www.eworkshop.on.ca/edu/pdf/HelpingYourChildLearnRead_ParentTipSheet.pdf

Establish Your Favourite Places to Read

Set aside a special time each day when you can give your full attention to reading with your child.

Choose a comfortable, well‐lit spot to read; make it your “reading place”.

Have a variety of books, magazines, brochures, etc., available.

Vary the length of reading time according to your child’s age and interests.

Share Your Reading Life

Talk to your child about your favourite childhood books, and offer to read them.

Model how you read for different purposes from a variety of materials.

Read to your child in your first language. This validates the languages used at home as well as creating a sense of ‘story’.

Share your thinking as you read, and encourage your child to do the same.

Encourage all adults in the home to share their reading lives.

Read With Your Child

There are great benefits to reading to and with your child, and to hearing your child read. Reading should always be a positive, stress‐free experience for children.

PAGE 5 NEWSLETTER TITLE VOLUME 5

Websites Licensed by TCDSB

for Student Home Use

With your child, you can locate information on a child friendly database such as EBSCOhost using the three search engines listed below. EBSCOhost is available on the internet to the TCDSB student community at http://search.ebscohost.com/

Username: tcdsb

Password: tcdsb

Searchasaurus is an exciting and easy way for young researchers to experience online searching. It is an animated in-terface with a dinosaur theme that encourages children to enhance and develop basic search methodologies. Children will be riveted by the colourful, animated interface, complete with erupting volcanoes and a dinosaur guide, as they

gather information on a wide range of topics.

Canadian Points of View Reference Centre™ is a full‐text database designed to provide children with a series of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. The database provides information on 120 key topics of in-terest to Canadian researchers, each with an overview (objective background/description), point (argument), counter-point (opposing argument), and Critical Thinking Guide. Topics covered include: environment, health, human rights, crime, race, technology, substance abuse, and many more.

Kids Search makes it easier for children to search for subjects of interest by automatically searching across all applicable databases simultaneously. Important features and functions of Kids Search in-clude a completely new, visually appealing look and feel; the ability to search by topic, subtopic, or keywords; simultaneous searching across all subscribed databases; the ability to sort results by rele-

vance, as well as by date; the option of filtering search results by source type; and the ability to add search results, images, or persistent links to searches to the folder.

Grolier Online: The full text of The Canadian Encyclopedia and its related resources has been made available

online by the Historica Foundation as a public service since 1999. Since its publication in book form in 1985, The

Canadian Encyclopedia has provided the most comprehensive, objective and accurate source of information on

Canada for students, readers and scholars across Canada and throughout the world. As a first source for infor-

mation on all Canadian topics, The Canadian Encyclopedia has continued to grow through several iterations in

print and on CD‐ROM, culminating in this online version published by the Historica Foundation. For access go

to: http://go‐ontario.grolier.com/

Username: toroncdsb

Password: toro5988

Student Link: As an additional learning support, all TCDSB students can access a variety of websites through the board intra-

net. These are also available for home use through the following link:

http://intranetapps.tcdsb.org/studentlink/index.htm

Username: dmz\studentlink

Password: 4homeuse

Learn 360: Learn360 is an interactive media‐on‐demand service for K‐12 students and teachers.

With Learn360’s virtual classroom platform, children become more actively engaged in their education and are inspired to learn

in school and at home.

http://www.learn360.com/index.aspx

Username: tc_yourboardusername

Password: tc_yourboardusername

Premier Literacy: Premier Assistive Technology offers a wide range of tools facilitating the use of computer read text. Your

computer can read your child’s favourite web page, email, homework, or even read a book. Docu-

ments can be converted into audio files so that your child can listen to them on an IPod. These tools

are also great for proofreading and editing homework. This program must be downloaded onto your

home computer for access. Instructions for downloading Premier Literacy for home use can be found

in the Appendix section of this document. http://www.premierathome.com

Username: tcdsb

Password: access

BookFlix: Bookflix is an interactive, online literacy resource that pairs classic video storybooks with related nonfiction texts. This resource helps early readers develop and practice essential reading skills. To access from home, use the following link, username and password: http://www.scholastic.ca/education/bookflix_ontario

Username: toroncdsb

Password: toro5988

PAGE 6 NEWSLETTER TITLE VOLUME 5

The Toronto Public Library provides many opportunities for families to engage in literacy practices together.

Get involved with the local library: Visit the local library with your child and apply for a library card, read, and borrow books

and other material.

http://kidsspace.torontopubliclibrary.ca/genCategory15746.html

Attend special events and activities: Obtain a copy of, What’s On magazine,

a bi‐monthly publication which provides a schedule of dates and times for

programs and events happening at your local library.

Log on to KidsSpace: Find a current up to date schedule of library programs and events for the whole family to enjoy.

http://kidsspace.torontopubliclibrary.ca/programsandeventsadu.html

Make it a family affair: Consider joining an adult reading club at the local library. Be a role model for your

child and join a library book club and discussion group and/or writers’ group.

Visit the library online: At KidsSpace in the Toronto Public Library website, your child can listen to and read along with a wide variety of texts.

http://kidsspace.torontopubliclibrary.ca/stories.html

Read‐a‐Story: Listen to and read along with a variety of books from favourite children’s authors.

http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?Ntt=tumblebooks

Hear‐a‐Story: Your child can listen to and download stories in a variety of languages.

http://www.kidsspace.torontopubliclibrary.ca/genStoryArchive_All_1

Tell‐a‐Story: Your child can tell their stories online and find links to websites of Canadian authors and illustrators.

http://www.kidsspace.torontopubliclibrary.ca/tellastory.html

Sign your child up for the TD Summer Reading Club: Every summer, the Toronto Public Library hosts a themed reading club with weekly events and activities. Club members receive a poster and stickers to track their reading progress. At an August wrap‐up party, children receive prizes and a certificate.

Encourage your teen to go online on Word Out, Teen Summer Reading: Teens can do the following: chat online about what they are currently reading and hoping to read, trade book recommendations,

create video book reviews, and hear from favourite authors.

http://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/wordout2012/

Visit RAMP online: Youth can find information on jobs, books, volunteering opportunities, library services, schools,

entertainment and much more in and around Toronto. It's also a place where teens can contribute their ideas and art to discuss and share with other teens. http://ramp.torontopubliclibrary.ca/index.html

Reading/Listening to Books in Other Languages: To access books in various languages, follow the link at the Toronto Public Li-brary to the International Children’s Digital Library.

http://www.en.childrenslibrary.org/

PAGE 7 NEWSLETTER TITLE VOLUME 5

ONTARIO CATHOLIC SCHOOL GRADUATE EXPECTATIONS

A discerning believer formed in the Catholic Faith community who celebrates the

signs and sacred mystery of God's presence through word, sacrament, prayer,

forgiveness, reflection and moral living.

An effective communicator who speaks, writes and listens honestly and

sensitively, responding critically in light of gospel values.

A reflective, creative and holistic thinker who solves problems and makes

responsible decisions with an informed moral conscience for the common good.

A self-directed, responsible, lifelong learner who develops and demonstrates

their God-given potential.

A collaborative contributor who finds meaning, dignity and vocation in work

which respects the rights of all and contributes to the common good.

A caring family member who attends to family, school, parish, and the wider

community.

A responsible citizen who gives witness to Catholic social teaching by promoting

peace, justice and the sacredness of human life.

STRENGTHENING PUBLIC

CONFIDENCE

To create enhanced, regular communications with all

stakeholders

INSPIRING AND

MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES

To create a learning and work environment that is equitable and

diverse, that supports professional learning, innovation

and collaboration

PROVIDING

STEWARDSHIP OF RESOURCES

To establish integrated

decision-making structures to support responsive and responsible allocation of

resources

FOSTERING

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND

WELL BEING

To support our students in meeting the Ontario Catholic

Graduate School Expectations

ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNANCE

To lead and model best practices in Board governance

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD MULTI-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

2012 - 2015

LIVING OUR VALUES

To apply Catholic Social Teachings to all that we do