Highlights For March

1– Dress Down $1 Angel Foundation

2- CSPC Meeting 7pm St. Andre

7– School Mass 10am

10– Rosary Day

11– Immunization Gr 7 & 8

14-18- March Break– no school

22– Maestro Presentation 9:30am

25– Good Friday– no school

28– Easter Monday– no school

Spring Food Drive Begins

29– Jr. Boy’s Volleyball

30– Jr. Girl’s Volleyball

Contacts

Principal:

Mr. M. Boccia

Vice Principal:

Mr. B. Howlett

Superintendent:

Mr. A. Della Mora

Trustee:

Mr. S. Piccininni

Parish Church:

Fr. Josue

St. Jude

Catholic Church

3265 Weston Rd.

416-742-9072

Secretary:

Ms. L. Losiggio

CSPC Chair

Mr. E. D’Alfonso

Happy Children Who Love to Learn

St. Simon is an eco-friendly school:

The newsletter is only available in electronic form.

If you would like a newsletter sent to your email, please send a request to: brett.howlett@tcdsb.org

The newsletter is also accessible via the school website: http://www.tcdsb.org/schools/stsimon/News/Pages/Newsletters.aspx

If you wish to receive a paper copy please contact your child’s teacher, or the office.

St. Jude’s Parish newsletter is also available on the school website.

St. Simon Catholic School 20 Wallasey Ave. Tel - 416-393-5383 Fax - 416-397-6299 School Hours 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m

Catholic Parent Involvement Committee

(CPIC):

www.tcdsb.org/cpic

School website:

http://www.tcdsb.org/SCHOOLS/STSIMON

ST. SIMON NEWSLETTER

March 2016

Virtue of the Month: Forgiveness

Teach us O Lord to always forgive others. We know

that forgiveness can be hard to give especially if we

are hurting, but we also know that it is the right thing

to do. For you always love us and forgive us all our

sins. Forgiveness brings us closer to you.

ST. SIMON NEWSLETTER March 2016

Happy Children Who Love to Learn

W5H

Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How.

Do you know what the Capital of France is? If you do, then

you would be great at W5H. The students at St. Simon com-

peted against two other schools in the annual Jr. W5H tour-

nament this month. They performed very well and all of the

games were very close. Thank you to the coaches, Ms. Ba-

rillaro, Madame Arena and Ms. Urbani for practising and

preparing the students.

The members of the team are:

David Armata, Peter Kell, Ella Joseph, Regine Gutierrez,

Joanna Mae Gonzales, Hazel Olabode

Boys Basketball

On February 16th, the boys traveled to St. Bene-

dicts to compete in the Intermediate boys basket-

ball tournament. They played very well and com-

peted against the other schools with great

pride and determination.

The Teams members are:

Daniel P, Daniel C, Henry, Christian

Troy, Jonathan, Giancarlo

Girls Basketball

On February 17th, the girls traveled to St. Benedicts

for the Intermediate basketball tournament. They girls

played many high spirited games and competed

very well against the other schools. We are very

proud of their dedication and commitment to the

team.

The Team members are: Mia, Heide, Brenda,

Shenice, Marissa, Andrea, Sara, Giulia, Lauren,

Nathaly

Shrove Tuesday

On Tuesday February 9th, the school

participated in the traditional pancake

eating on shrove Tuesday. Shrove

Tuesday marks the end of ordinary

time and the beginning of Lent and

the soon approaching Easter Season.

Thank you to all the CSPC parents

that helped to cook over 600 pancakes for all of our

staff and students.

Junior Public Speaking

Over the last month, all of the junior students have

participated in the presentation of speeches in their

classrooms. The top presenters were selected to pre-

sent to the whole school during our final competition in

the gym. The event was hosted by Mr. Ricci and

judged by an expert panel of Mr. Della Mora, Ms. Pisa-

ni, and Fr. Josue. The event was very successful and

the students did an amazing job informing and pre-

senting their speeches. Thank you to all the staff who

prepared and practiced the speeches.

Sports

February was a BUSY Month at St. Simon

ST. SIMON NEWSLETTER

March 2016

Happy Children Who Love to Learn

Student Information Updates

As the year progresses, often some information

changes. Please ensure that all emergency

contact information is current. If an emergency

were to happen, the school must have current

contacts. If you have changed your phone

number or address please inform the office.

Wet Weather is Here!

As the weather is changing, please ensure that stu-

dents are dressed appropriately for the cold, wet, ever

changing weather. Students should have a pair of

indoor shoes to wear in the building and packing an

extra pair of socks, gloves and pants is recommend-

ed.

To report an absence please call 416-393-5383

From the Office

Uniform

As the colder weather approaches, often students forget what the school dress code entails.

Students are expected to wear the following dress code:

Appropriate Dress Code – consists of any combination of navy blue and white garments (i.e., plain

white top, navy blue bottom, navy blue top and bottom, no denim). Only blue and/or white sweat-

ers are to be worn in the class. All student attire must be in keeping with our Catholic teach-

ings and beliefs, and reflect principles of modesty.

TCDSB School Year Calendar 2015-2016

Number of school days 194

Number of Professional Activity Days 6

Mid-Winter Break March 14–18, 2016

Good Friday March 25, 2016

Easter Monday March 28, 2016

PA Day April 15, 2016

Victoria Day May 23, 2016

Last day of classes for elementary students

June 29, 2016

March 2016

ST. SIMON NEWSLETTER Happy Children Who Love to Learn

Easter Information

Easter is the celebration of Christ's resurrection from the dead. It is celebrated on Sunday, and

marks the end of Holy Week, the end of Lent, the last day of the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday,

Good Friday and Easter Sunday), and is the beginning of the Easter season of the liturgical year.

As we know from the Gospels, Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day following his cruci-

fixion, which would be Sunday. His resurrection marks the triumph of good over evil, sin and death.

It is the singular event which proves that those who trust in God and accept Christ will be raised

from the dead.

Since Easter represents the fulfilment of God's promises to mankind, it is the most important holiday

on the Christian calendar.

Based on direct evidence from the mid-second century, it is believed that Easter was regularly cele-

brated from the earliest days of the Church.

The Easter date is movable and always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Easter in

the Roman Catholic Church is always on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring

equinox.

Traditional family activities vary by region. In North America, children often hunt for Easter eggs,

which are often brightly-dyed hardboiled eggs, though they can be plastic eggs filled with candy or

small denominations of money. Candy is a traditional gift for Easter as children often break their

Lenten fasts with sweets. Adults tend to share bouquets of flowers, greeting cards, and may gather

for a family meal. Such celebrations are often secularized and focused on children and family rather

than the religious aspect of the holy day.

Following Easter Sunday, the season of Easter begins and lasts for seven weeks, ending with Pen-

tecost.

Family Math Challenge

As a family, try this Math problem:

How Much is your time Worth?

Would you rather work seven days at $20 per day, or be paid $2 for the first day and

have your salary doubled everyday for a week?

UPDATED School Year Calendar 2016-2017

As Approved by the Board

Number of school days 194

Number of Professional Activity Days 7

Labour Day September 5, 2016

First Instructional Day September 6, 2016

Thanksgiving Day October 10, 2016

Christmas Break December 26, 2016–January 6, 2017

Start of second semester for

secondary schools February 6, 2017

Family Day February 20, 2017

Mid-Winter Break March 13–17, 2017

Good Friday April 14, 2017

Easter Monday April 17, 2017

Victoria Day May 22, 2017

Last day of classes for elementary students June 29, 2017

Seven (7) Professional Activity (PA) Days for ELEMENTARY schools:

October 7, 2016 Provincial Education Priorities

November 18, 2016 Parent-Teacher Conferences

December 2, 2016 Provincial Education Priorities/Faith Development

January 20, 2017 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting

February 17, 2017 Parent-Teacher Conferences

June 9, 2017 Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting

June 30, 2017 Provincial Education Priorities

March Message from Your Trustee Although March has begun with a snowstorm, the arrival of spring is imminent, and the end of the school year now appears to be right around the corner as well. I hope that all of our students are continuing to enjoy their school year, and achieving ac-ademic success with the support of their parents, teachers and other staff. As many likely know, the Board will be starting an extensive consultation process regard-ing the 2016-2017 budget. Watch for updates about the budget consultations on the board’s website www.tcdsb.org and via Twitter @TCDSB. I want to thank the many parents, staff and students who participated in the consultation

for the Multi-Year Recovery Plan, which has helped to lay the foundation for the budget setting process for the next three years. Although we recognize that reductions will have to be made in some areas, we will also be exploring revenue generating opportunities to help minimize the impact on our schools and classrooms. Throughout our deliberations, our focus remains on student achievement and well-being. With spring just around the corner, I take this opportunity to wish all of you a safe, happy and restful March break with your family and friends. Finally, as we near the end of our Lenten journey, I pray for God’s continued blessing on our TCDSB family, and wish everyone in Ward 3 a joyful and blessed Easter season. Best regards, Sal Piccininni

TCDSB Monthly Update

March 2016

Board Approves Multi-Year Recovery Plan At the February 18, 2016 meeting of the Board, the Board of Trustees approved option 3 which proposes budget reductions totaling $28.4 million

spread out over the next three years with the objective of not increasing the accumulated deficit in each year, and eliminating the accumulated

deficit in the 3rd and final year of the Multi-Year Recovery Plan. The Board also approved a recommendation for the Director of Education to

quantify additional cost pressures identified in the report, and address the $3.7 million additional bussing transportation costs for a total required

expenditure reduction of $32.1 million in the annual budget planning and consultation process. Option 3 was selected by 47% of those who re-

sponded to the online survey.

The MYRP is being submitted to the Ministry of Education at the end of February. A detailed budget consultation plan is in development and

will be presented to the board for approval in March. Please stay tuned for details on how you can be involved in providing input into the budget

setting process. www.tcdsb.org

Registration Now Open! OAPCE Toronto Hosts 77th Annual Conference Different Gifts, One Voice: Living our Virtues in a Virtual World May 6-7th in Toronto All are welcome. Check out the website for all the information https://www.tcdsb.org/FORPARENTS/OAPCE-Toronto/Events/Pages/OAPCE-Conference-2016.aspx Register online here: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ec6a0r4n5fb01bdc&llr=57qgf7bab

2016 Lift Jesus Higher Rally Saturday March 5th, 2016 9:00-5:30 p.m. Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building, Lower Level, 255 Front Street West,

Please visit: www.lift‐jesus‐higher‐rally.org for directions, hotels and other information. More information online: https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/2016-lift-jesus-higher-rally.aspx

Reminders: March is Celtic Canadian Heritage Month March 4, 2016 World Day of Prayer March 7, 2016 Education Support Staff Appreciation Day March 8, 2016 International Women’s Day March Break March 14-18, 2016 March 21, 2016 International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination March 21, 2016 World Down Syndrome Day March 22, 2016 World Water Day Good Friday March 25, 2016 Easter Monday March 28, 2016 New PA Day added April 15, 2016

For these and other events, visit the TCDSB website at www.tcdsb.org

Follow @TCDSB on Twitter or subscribe to Enews https://web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscription.aspx to get all the latest news and information throughout the year.