O UR LADY OF F ATIMA CATHOLIC S CHOOL
APRIL 2 0 1 5 NEWSLETTER
Visit us @ http://olf.ycdsb.ca/
Farewell to long-time OLF Staff !
HE IS RISEN!
As the world sings triumphant cries to heaven over the
death that You conquered, Help us, Lord tomorrow as
well, when the dresses are put away, and the candy is
all eaten, and on with life we go. Let us not forget, the
celebration of Your resurrection over death is a celebration of life that can continue well beyond the sunrise service, the music, rehearsed days prior. It is beyond the sign of
spring, beyond the lily, beyond the lambs, grazing in open fields.
Let us not forget your everlasting message to us, Lord! Amen.
Easter Mass Join us Wed., April 15@ 9:15 am, as Father Rony
leads us in celebration of the joyful resurrection of our Lord Jesus,
with the help of our students, Liturgical Committee and our Choir.
No Easter Treats, Please.... Parents remember that our Allergy
Safety Plan calls for NO FOOD SHARING. This is especially important during times such as Easter, when children and families
may exchange Easter eggs or chocolate treats. Please DO NOT
send any Easter treats to school with your child. Staff will not permit the exchange of Easter eggs or chocolates, as these may not
be Allergy Safe. The sharing of non-food items is permitted, namely
pencils, greeting cards, etc. We thank you for your assistance in
keeping children safe.
Please note: OLF is closed Good Friday, April 3 & Easter Monday, April 6.
We Pray for our Grade 2’s
Congratulations to our Gr. 2 students who recently celebrated the
sacrament of First Reconciliation. The children are now focused on
preparing for First Holy Communion which is taking place on Saturday, April 11 and Sunday April 12 at St. Margaret Mary Church.
We thank, Ms. Maniglia, Ms. Amatangelo and Ms. Ferreira, along
with Father Rony for preparing our youngsters.
OLF 2015 Oral Communications
The Our Lady of Fatima School Oral Communications Festival occurs April 16, as follows:
1. Intermediate
9:10am
2. Junior
10:40am
Writing and delivering formal speeches is an important part of the
grade 4-8 language program. Participation in speeches allows
students to take a written product and present it orally in front of
an audience of their peers. It also provides them with the confidence to speak before others. Good luck to all speech writers.
As always, parents are invited to join us.
Are you Moving ?
We ask for your cooperation in helping us determine our enrolment numbers for September 2015. This will assist us in planning our school organization. If your children will not be returning to OLF in
September, please let the office know. Conversely, if you know of a new
family who has purchased in the area and is planning to enroll their children at OLF, please ask them to call us. It’s not too early.
With mixed emotions, we share the news of
two upcoming retirements from the OLF
Staff Team:
1. Grace Ariemma - dedicated OLF staff
member for 24 years.
2. Vincenza Palotta– dedicated OLF staff
member for 15 years, YCDSB 25 years.
Both teachers will be completing their distinguished careers on June 30, 2015.
The OLF community will have an opportunity to bid each a formal and fond farewell
during a June assembly. The date is TBD.
Coming to OLF
OLF will be trying a new hot
lunch provider; The Lunch Lady!
OLF students will be invited to
order Lunch Lady lunches
twice / month for April, May and June.
Event-themed lunches will be offered. Be
assured that every lunch:
-meets or exceeds PPM150 nutritional standards
-is portion-controlled and designed with kids’
good health in mind
-is prepared daily with care in a nut free, school
safe commercial kitchen
-can be modified for kids with allergies or
special food needs
-is delivered by a Lunch Lady staff member
-includes all applicable taxes
-includes a contribution for fundraising
-gives busy parents a welcomed break!
-to cnacel, call Lunch Lady by phone by 8AM
the day of delivery & credited to your account .
OLF CSC Hot Lunch Committee will monitor
the success of the program. If well received, the menu will be expanded to offer additional lunches in September. Information letters and menus will be coming
home with your child shortly. To learn more
about @ www.thelunchlady.ca.
Grade 8 Confirmandi Update
1. Confirmandi Confessions
Saturday, April 25, 3pm at Church for
Confirmandi and parents to attend.
2. Confirmation Rehearsal
Tuesday, April 28, 9:30am at Church for staff and
Confirmandi to attend.
3. Confirmation Mass
May 2, 2:30pm Caruso May 3, 2:30pm Cerrone
Note from our Archdiocese: Beginning in
the 2015-16 school year, Gr. 7 will receive
the Sacrament of Confirmation, not Gr. 8.
Next year is therefore a double cohort
year, with both Gr. 7 & 8 being Confirmed.
OLF Catholic Community of Character Award Winners: PERSEVERANCE
TEACHER
STUDENTOF THE MONTH
TEACHER
STUDENTOF THE MONTH
Ms. Baldassini
Christian V., Simon S., Madison G.
Ms. Bertucci 5
Sabrina L., Adrian C.
Ms. Bulfon
Felicia M., Matteo M.
Ms. Colalillo
Vincent D., Emily R., Massimo P.
Ms. Wojewoda
Jayden S., Massimo L., Justin I.
Giannantonio/Luongo
Julia P., Stefano O., Monica T., Nicholas R
Madam Ross
Darrin N., Milan S.
Ms. Sinopoli
Anthony A., Leo M., Martina T.
Ms.Amatangelo
Massimo P., Tiana T.
Ms. daSilva
Ariana D., Phillipm D.
Ms. Maniglia
Luca C., Gianluca C., Catarina M.
Mr. Bruder
Arianna P., Luca F.
Madam Ferreira
Manuel N., Jonathan F.
Mr. Caruso
Raimo I.,Bruno F.
Ms. Ariemma
Massimo A., Giulia T.
Ms. Cerrone
Francesco D., Angela M., Madison F.
Ms. Bertucci 3/4
Melissa P., Aiden Carnovale
French
Julianna H., Jessica P., Lia B.
Ms. Caggiano
Gianni A., London D., Alessia M.
DiCresce/Salerno
Veronica G., Dylan G., Ariana S.
Italian
Natasha N., Erica V.
EQAO Update
Our Grade 3 and 6 students will be participating in
the Education Quality and Accountability Office’s
Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics
from May 25 - June 4. In five sessions, students will
complete a variety of assessment activities designed to allow them to demonstrate their skills and
knowledge relating to reading, writing and mathematics as described in the Ontario Curriculum. The
assessment is administered province-wide and is
developed by Ontario teachers and assessment
experts to reflect curriculum expectations.
Although the test is still two months away, it is never
too early to begin preparing for it. Parents are encouraged to support their children in preparation
for the test. EQAO has developed a “Parent
Guide to EQAO Tests” and “Questions and Answers
for Parents” to give you more information about the
assessments and understanding what to expect. To
access these resources, go to the EQAO website
(www.eqao.com), click on “Parent Resources” and
select the appropriate grade choice for your child.
A reminder that it is very important that students are
present when the tests are being administered and
that there are no disruptions to their school day.
Please ensure that appointments are scheduled
after school hours during this time period.
OLF Skills Development Program is Back!
We were overwhelmed by the interest
and enthusiastic response to our afterschool SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
Over 30 children registered in this program offered afterschool to boost Reading, Writing and Math skills in Gr. 1-3 students. A new
session will begin shortly. Stay tuned.
April 27 is Pause to Play Week at OLF
Getting children away from screens (computer,
television, video and hand-held devices) can be a
challenge. A 2010 research study by Henry J. Kaiser
has shown that there are limited rules set by parents
about media use, for 8-18 year olds:
-28% had set television watching rules
-30% had set rules for the use of video games
-36% had set rules about computer use
The same study showed the children’s media use is
almost three hours/ day lower when parents set any
media rules!
Here are some suggested tips to help reduce your
child’s screen time and get more active:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Talk to family members about importance of being
physically active and staying healthy.
Think about fun things your family wants to do and
that you can do together—starting a new sport, hobby for the entire family.
Track active time vs. screen time. Use data to help
you replace screen time with active time, especially
during the daylight hours.
Consider a “no TV or gaming rule” during the school
week or during meal times.
Limit afterschool TV watching and replace it with outdoor play time.
Replace video games in the evening with a active
family game or activity.
Consider a TV-free bedroom. Children with televisions in their rooms watch 1.5 hours more TV /day!
April 27– May 1 is Pause to Play week at OLF. Consider implementing one or all of the above recommendations during this week. The children will be
invited to truthfully track their screen time during this
week. A Screen Time recording form will be provided by your child’s
teacher. We invite all
families to partake.
Sports….Shorts…..Sports….Shorts
The Our Lady of Fatima Junior Basketball Tryouts
are now underway. Over 120 Grade 4-6
students signed up for the tryouts. Coaches
Hanaway, Awad and Adu will have a tough time
choosing the teams from such an enthusiastic and
talented pool. The selected players will prepare for
their May 6 and 7 Tournaments, with a schedule to
follow from the coaches. Go Falcons!
OLF Healthy Schools Tip of the Month
Spring into Action: Discover the Joys of Walking
Walking (the world’s simplest and most efficient exercise) is a great way to encourage daily physical
activity while teaching environmental protection and
safety skills. With the spring weather upon us, NOW is
the time to start a new and healthy family routine by
walking to and / or from school, as often as possible.
Remember that walking:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Does not pollute our environment
Consumes few natural resources
Requires no special equipment
Benefits people of all ages
Provides opportunities for friendships to grow.
Spring Dance – Healthy Living Initiative
We are pleased to announce that Friday, April 17 is OLF
Spring Dance Day. In our efforts to promote a love
of physical activity and movement, all students will
be invited to dance to the tunes of our DeeJay for
45 minutes, during the course of the day. A schedule will be released shortly. Parents are invited to join in the
fun and fitness!
DPA is here to stay!
The Daily Physical Activity Program involves a scheduled
school-wide exercise break for all students. The program is
led by Mr. Hanaway and Ms. Pisan, and championed in
each classroom by a dedicated group of Gr. 7 and 8 DPA
Champions. Many thanks to DPA Champs, Joseph D.,
Anthony V., Victoria D., Amanda L., Francesco D., Gabriel F.,
Melissa S., Rachel P., Carmine R., Diana T., Adam B., Liliana R
Nathan C., Samantha A., Nicholas D., Angela M., Mark A.,
Anthony C., Angelica B., Dasha G., Anthony C., Marc T.,
Emanuele B., Vanessa B., Thomas B., Sophia C., Daniel F.,
Serena M., Courtney D. for their ongoing efforts to promote
physical fitness and well-being at OLF.
Say “NO” to Cyber-bullying!
Guest speaker April Reimer (wife of Toronto Maple Leafs goalie, James Reimer) recently
addressed OLF grade 4-8 students on the very
serious topic of cyber-bullying.
April Reimer shared her personal and painful experience of
being cyber-bullied on her Twitter account and how she has
subsequently turned this negative experience into a positive
teaching opportunity for youth.
Her campaign for speaking out to raise awareness and prevent cyber-bullying is called #tweet sweet.
During her presentation, OLF students learned;
a) not to send texts or post pics that are, hurtful, harmful or hateful,
b) to use social media to build up and not tear down others,
c) that we all have a voice and a choice to consider before sending texts or posting pics.
We thank Ms. DiCresce/Ms. Salerno's class for inviting April
Reimer to our school.
Report It: Report Bullying in Confidence
If you are being bullied or know of someone who is
being bullied, remember to report it to your teacher
or Principal or use the confidential bullying reporting
system located on the YCDSB website or click on:
http://www.ycdsb.ca/report-it/default.htm
Be assured your e-mail is held in strict confidence.
We wish all a Joyous Easter season.
Please note the school is closed Good Friday,
April 3 and Easter Monday, April 6.
Thank you for your ongoing support of OLF !
V. Garofalo, Principal
D. Giuliani, Trustee
D. Hackett, Superintendent
Teresa Ciaravella, Trustee