APRIL 2017 “Let justice flow like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream.” Amos 5:24

We look forward with great joy to the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. During the season of Lent, the students of Pope Francis have been reminded of Christ’s sacrifice for us and they have been given opportunities to give freely of themselves to others. Then Lenten season is a time to grow closer to God as we are called to open ourselves to change and be the light of Christ for others. Lent can be understood as a spiritual spring cleaning: a time for taking a spiritual inventory and cleaning out the things that hinder our personal relationship with Jesus. God’s love illuminates our world and gives us courage to work in building His Kingdom on Earth. Christ’s Resurrection is the ultimate gift to humanity for eternal life with God. The Good News of immeasurable joy, is Easter Sunday. On behalf of the entire staff at Pope Francis, we wish our students, their families and the entire school community a Holy and Blessed Easter season.

ST. LUKE CATHOLIC SCHOOL

319 Ossington Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M6J 3A6 School Telephone # 416-393-5347

School Fax # 416-397-6002

Principal: Joanne Saragosa Superintendent: Dr. Genarro. Saraco 416-222-8282 ext. 5371 Trustee: Jo-Ann Davis 416-512-3409 Parish: St. Francis of Assisi 72 Mansfield Avenue, 416-536-8195 CSAC Chair: Fatima Gerretsen CPIC (Parent Engagement--TCDSB) www.tcdsb.org/cpic OAPCE Toronto (Provincial Voice for Parents) www.tcdsb.org/oapce-toronto Enrollment: 238 Hours of Operation: 8:30 – 3:30

POPE FRANCIS

CATHOLIC SCHOOL

319 Ossington Avenue, Toronto,

Ontario, M6J 3A6

School Telephone 416-393-5347

School Fax

416-397-6002 Principal: Joanne Saragosa Superintendent: John Wujek 416-222-8282 ext. 5371 Trustee: Jo-Ann Davis 416-512-3409 Parish: Pastor Fr. Jim Zammit

St. Francis of Assisi 72 Mansfield Avenue, 416-536-8195 CSPC Chair: David Cavaco CPIC (Parent Engagement--TCDSB) www.tcdsb.org/cpic OAPCE Toronto (Provincial Voice for Parents) www.tcdsb.org/oapce-toronto Enrollment: 266 Hours of Operation: 8:30 – 3:30 Lunch: 11: 15 – 12:15 Director of Education: Angela Gauthier

80 Sheppard Ave., E., Toronto, ON Website: www.tcdsb.org

VIRTUE OF THE MONTH The virtue for the month of April is justice. Catholic tradition insists that we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored. How do we show justice?

• We deal fairly with others, recognizing the equality and dignity of all. • We work to insure that all people especially the poor and the weak have access to opportunities. • Justice assumes that none of us is free until all of us are. • Catholic social teaching tells us that the dignity of a human being rests on the belief that we are all created in the image

of God, and therein rests our inalienable dignity. • Justice is extended to people, animals, the environment; the whole universe.

MATH COUNTS MAKING MATH FUN AT HOME: Adapted from Professor Jo Boaler, Stanford University Practicing math at home can be fun! Here is some advice and fun ways to incorporate math practice at home without adding extra homework:

1. Encourage children to play math puzzles and games. Award winning mathematician, Sarah Flannery reported that her math achievement and enthusiasm came not from school but from the puzzles she was given to solve at home. Puzzles and games – anything with a dice really – will help kids enjoy math, and develop number sense, which is critically important.

2. Always be encouraging and never tell kids they are wrong when they are working on math problems. Instead find the logic in their thinking – there is always some logic to what they say. For example, if your child multiplies 3 by 4 and gets 7, say – Oh I see what you are thinking, you are using what you know about addition to add 3 and 4, when we multiply we have 4 groups of 3…

3. Never associate math with speed. It is not important to work quickly, and we now know that forcing kids to work quickly on math is the best way to start math anxiety for children, especially girls. Don’t use flashcards or other speed drills. Instead use visual activities such as https://bhi61nm2cr3mkdgk1dtaov18-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/FluencyWithoutFear-2015.pdf

4. Never share with your children the idea that you were bad at math at school or you dislike it – especially if you are a

mother. Researchers found that as soon as mothers shared that idea with their daughters, their daughter’s achievement went down.

5. Encourage number sense. What separates high and low achievers is number sense – having an idea of the size of

numbers and being able to separate and combine numbers flexibly. For example, when working out 29 + 56, if you take one from the 56 and make it 30 + 55, it is much easier to work out. The flexibility to work with numbers in this way is what is called number sense and it is very important.

6. Perhaps most important of all – encourage a “growth mindset” let students know that they have unlimited math

potential and that being good at math is all about working hard. When children have a growth mindset, they do well with challenges and do better in school overall. When children have a fixed mindset and they encounter difficult work, they often conclude that they are not “a math person”. One way in which parents encourage a fixed mindset is by telling their children they are “smart” when they do something well. That seems like a nice thing to do, but it sets children up for difficulties later, as when kids fail at something they will inevitably conclude that they aren’t smart after all. Instead use growth praise such as “it is great that you have learned that”, “I really like your thinking about that”. When they tell you something is hard for them, or they have made a mistake, tell them: “That’s wonderful, your brain is growing!”

For more resources see https://www.youcubed.org

LITERACY TIPS FOR PARENTS You can help your child to learn about himself/herself and the world through reading – what teachers call “to read with understanding” – by trying out some strategies such as these: Asking Questions: Why is this happening? What might happen next? Does this make sense? Was it fair when….? Such questions help children make connections between parts of the story. Reading between the Lines: Your child needs to learn to use information both from text and from his/her own knowledge and experience. This strategy of reading between the lines involves gathering and using them to create meaning. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss MORNING MEAL The Snacks R Us Morning Meal program would like to thank the Silva Farm for their very generous donation of fresh eggs which allowed us to provide scrambled eggs to every student on March 7th 2017! THE POWER OF ONE BULLY-PROOFING PERFORMANCE On February, 13, Pope Francis Catholic School hosted The Power of One bully proofing performance. The presentation was geared towards students in Kindergarten to Grade 8. It involved a series of skits presented by actors who used boxes, colours, and masks to vividly portray what bullying is, what can be done about it, and how every child has the power of one, the power to report and deal with bullying when they see it. (Taken from: http://www.sorenbennick.com) Following the presentation the students signed the Power of One Oath which will soon be displayed in our school as a reminder to all of this learning experience. GUIDANCE CORNER Mr. F. Amato Anxiety and Stress Some psychologists believe that today’s children are faced with more stress than the children of previous generations, and have fewer social supports available. Stress is a normal part of life and essential to a young student’s learning and development. But too much stress for too long can be harmful or “toxic.”

A child who is suffering from anxiety may display the following signs: complaining about a sore stomach; being aggressive or lashing out at other children; seeming confused or easily distracted; performing poorly or progressively worse in their school

work; other behaviours that do not necessarily reflect the student’s true nature or abilities, such as withdrawing and not participating in classroom activities.

Ask your child if they have ever experienced any of the following: headaches; felt like there’s a brick in their stomach, as if they’ve done something wrong or something bad is going to happen; butterfly feelings in their stomach if they’re excited; felt tense, fidgety and like they need to use the toilet a lot; felt nervous and worried for a long time; felt pressured, hassled, and hurried; felt irritable and moody; had allergic reactions, such as a rash or asthma; had trouble sleeping; felt sad or depressed; felt like they’re turning red or feel flushed often.

One of the critical ingredients that makes stress tolerable rather than toxic is the presence of supportive adults that help children learn to cope with and recover from difficult experiences. A guidance counsellor is just one support that your child has access to.

Excerpts from the Stress Lessons Toolkit from the Psychology Foundation of Canada: http://www.psychologyfoundation.org/

PLANNING FOR SEPTEMBER 2017 Registration and ongoing communication have assisted us in planning for September 2017. Please let us know as soon as possible in writing if you are not returning to Pope Francis in the fall. Your assistance in this process is greatly appreciated. We continue to welcome Junior Kindergarten registration for those students born in 2013. Please call the school directly for information. ANAPHYLAXIS POLICY AND PROTOCOL In accordance with the TCDSB Anaphylaxis policy (S.M.15) and the Anaphylaxis Protocol and Guidelines, it is the policy of the TCDSB to create allergen-aware environments in our schools and workplaces. The policy includes strategies that reduce the risk of exposure to anaphylaxis causative agents in classrooms and common school areas. We are aware that there is the potential that fast food products make their way into the schools. We ask that you be aware that some of these products are not peanut/nut free and remain mindful that they could result in a potentially life-threatening form of allergic reaction. Given this, the TCDSB strongly advises that parents take this into consideration when sending your child(ren) to school with these products. Your co-operation and commitment to the safety of all students is greatly appreciated. CATHOLIC SCHOOL PARENT COUNCIL

WORLD WILDLIFE INITIATIVE Ms. Morra will be hosting an Art initiative in support of the World Wildlife Fund. The mission of this organization is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. Her in Canada, they organized an annual fundraiser, the Canada Life CN Tower Climb. Hundreds of individuals and teams will climb to the top of the towner (1776 steps) in support of this worthy cause. The stairwells inside the CNTower are grey and dull. Students will spruce-up the walls with their artwork. Their art pieces will be on display at the registration centre in the Metro Convention Center for the climbers and general public to enjoy. Thank you Ms. Morra for taking on this initiative.

Upcoming Meetings

Monday, April 3, 2017 Thursday, May 4, 2017

Monday, June 5, 2017 (Tentative)

All meetings will take place at Pope Francis Catholic School

6:00 PM to 7:30 P.M. In the library

JOIN US!

PARISH NEWS

NEWS FROM ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH NEWS FROM SANTA CRUZ CHURCH

Confirmation Rehearsal: Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 6:30 PM Sacrament of Confirmation: Friday, May 26, 2017 • 6:00 pm: Candidates and sponsors meet in the Parish Hall • 6:30 pm: Candidates’ Group Picture • 6:45 pm: Procession up into the Church • 7:00 pm: Confirmation Mass

First Reconciliation: Saturday, December 10, 2016 • 10:45 am: Welcome • 11:00 am: Reconciliation Service

First Holy Communion Rehearsal: Monday, April 24, 2017 at 6:30 PM Sacrament of First Holy Communion: Saturday, April 29, 2017 • 4:30 pm: Group pictures in the parish hall • 4:45 pm: Procession upstairs to Church • 5:00 pm: First Holy Communion Mass

The mass schedule is as follows: Saturdays: 6:00 pm Portuguese Sundays: 9:00 am Portuguese 10:30: am English 12:00 pm Portuguese. Catechism classes are on Sundays at 9:30 to 10:30 am followed by mass that the children attend.