1. education
2. school

live.
VOLUME 8
May 1, 2015
On Sunday, May 10, we pay tribute to our
mothers and the many women who, like Mary.
have made sacrifices and have influenced our
lives – aunts, grandmothers, godmothers,
wives, sisters, daughters and other special
women in our families and circle of friends. May
God bless them with health, peace and everlasting love.
St. Anne
Catholic School
PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
V. Zucchi, Principal
Daily Schedule
8:45 a.m.-yard supervision begins
9:00 a.m.-morning entry
10:25-10:40 a.m.-recess
12:00-12:20 p.m.-lunch time
12:20-1:00 p.m.- recess
2:25-2:40 p.m.-recess
3:30 p.m.-dismissal
On behalf of the entire St. Anne staff, we wish
you a very Happy Mother’s Day!
“Blessed are you among women…"
JOIN US FOR THE ROSARY
During the month of May, Catholics traditionally
focus on Mary, the mother of Jesus. May is
seen as the beginning of new life, which makes
this a logical time for the celebrations of Mary
who brought life into the world.
On Wednesday, May 6 at approximately 11:20
a.m., we will be
meeting in the gymnasium to pray
the rosary together. Students are
invited to bring in their own rosaries. Please
join us if you are able to attend.
When told by the angel that she was to be the
mother of Jesus, Mary replied, “Here I am, the
servant of the Lord.” Filled with love, compassion, courage, faith and humility, Mary accepted
the Lord’s request and from that day forward
fulfilled the enormous responsibility of Mother
of Jesus while on earth.
As Catholics, we can reflect on Mary as a model
for our lives. As a believing woman, she shows
us what it means to struggle with our faith and
the importance of putting our trust in God.
Mary is special because she lived the very
meaning of the Gospel that we are all invited to
RESPONSIBILITY: Catholic Virtue for May
During the month of May, we recognize the
Catholic virtue of Responsibility. Students
demonstrate this virtue when they:

Honour their commitments to their families, school and community;

Are reliable so people can depend on them;

Are accountable for the things they say and
do.
The Mission of The York Catholic District School: Guided by Gospel Values and Catholics Virtues , in partnership with home and Church, we educate and inspire all students to reach their full potential in a safe and
caring environment.
Trustees:
Cathy Ferlisi (Vaughan, Concord/Thornhill 416-565-7087 Email: [email protected]
Domenic Mazzotta (Richmond Hill) 905-713-1211 ext 17130 Email: [email protected]
Ann Stong (Richmond Hill) 905-713-1211 ext 17129 ext 17129 Email: [email protected]
Parish: St. Mary Immaculate Pastor: Father Pawel
Superintendent: Ms. Battista
COMMUNITIES OF FAITH
CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK: May 3-8, 2015 “Exploring Paths of
Joy”
Catholic schools are faith communities. We walk and grow together in the faith which we received
at our Baptism. Our growth is
primarily a relationship with God
Who, at our Baptism, called us by name, but the response of
each of us to that growth is both personal and communal. For
more than 160 years, Ontario’s publicly funded Catholic
schools have been integrating our faith into all aspects of
school life, empowering one another to serve as faithful disciples. At St. Anne School, we will be celebrating the enduring
gift of Catholic education with special prayers and Gospel
readings over the PA system. On Wednesday, May 6, our
school will be meeting in the gymnasium to say the rosary
together at 11:20 a.m..
Grade 8 Retreat and Confirmation
On Thursday, May 7, our Grade 8 students will
be having their retreat at St. Mary Immaculate
Church in preparation for their Confirmation
which will be celebrated on Thursday, May 28 at 7:00 p.m..
We ask that our school community pray for our Grade 8’s as
they prepare to receive this very special sacrament which
marks their transition into the adult life of the Church.
CURRICULUM UPDATE & MORE
Welcome to Kindergarten:
‘Welcome to Kindergarten’ orientation will take
place on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 from 6:30
p.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m.. The aim of
this evening is to share in family activities that
will help your child have a successful transition to Kindergarten. Parents will also have an opportunity to hear information
about the Kindergarten program, our school dress code, bus
transportation, attendance procedures, before and after school
daycare, school routines, etc.. Each child will receive a very
special “Welcome to Kindergarten” bag with magnetic letters
and numbers, books, crayons, scissors, paper, glue, playdough
and more to help them get ready for school!
First Impressions:
First Impressions interviews are scheduled for every JK registrant and their parents. This is an opportunity for our Kindergarten staff, the child, and the parents/guardians to meet.
Kindergarten teachers and Early Childhood Educators will be
on hand to collect information during this visit so that entry to
school will run as smoothly as possible and the parents/
guardians have time to ask questions or raise any concerns
they might have. First Impressions meetings will be taking
place on Monday, June 1.
Parents of students starting JK will be receiving a letter about
the Welcome to Kindergarten program and their First Impressions appointment time in early May.
EQAO REMINDER
Once again, a reminder that, at the end of this month,
Grades 3 and 6 students will be writing the EQAO test.
During the assessment, it is important that students arrive
at school on time, have a good breakfast and a good
night’s sleep. Please ensure that your child attends regularly and that you do your best to avoid booking appointments while the testing is going on. Please be reminded
that this is only one assessment of what your child has
learned. The teacher’s regular classroom assessments remain crucial to the learning process.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS RESULTS
The school level Oral Communications competition was held
on April 14 at St. Anne. Congratulations to the following participants:
Junior Competition
Intermediate Competition
Cassandra N. (Being the Middle
Child)
Robbie S. (Superstitions)
Robbie P. (Max Domi, Hockey
Player
Wynter S. (Tim Horton’s)
Jacob P. (Fears and Phobias)
Isabella N. (Life of a Dog)
Melissa F. (Technology’s Influence)
Kaylee T. (Smoking Cessation)
Maria N. (Robbers)
Michael C. (Introverts)
Dennis J. (Black Death)
Romelo P. (Endangered Species)
Cristian N. (JFK)
Chiara Z. (Apple)
Jacob P. and Kaylee T. went on to represent our school at the
area level competition held at Our Lady of Hope School on
April 29. We are so proud of
them!
We thank Mrs. Bovolini and Mrs.
Re-Cardinale for organizing Oral
Communications this year and for
preparing our students for the
area level competition.
Our Junior level competitors
CURRICULUM UPDATE & MORE CONTINUED
GRADE 7 FSL STUDENT SURVEY
The Ontario Ministry of Education developed the document
A Framework for French as a Second Language in Ontario
Schools K-12 to help schools in Ontario maximize opportunities for students to reach their full potential in French as a
Second Language (FSL). It requires that all boards collect
baseline data from school stakeholders to prioritize needs
and measure progress over time in order to increase student
confidence, proficiency and achievement in FSL; increase the
percentage of students studying FSL until graduation; and
increase student, educator, parent and community engagement. All Grade 7 students will be given an opportunity to
complete an online survey between April 23 and June 19,
2015 which asks questions about their perceptions and experiences learning French as a Second Language. The results of
this survey will be used to strengthen FSL programming and
improve student learning and achievement.
GRADE 8 STUDENT SURVEY
This year, Grade 8 students are being invited to complete an
online survey regarding their perceptions about their experiences at their school and their plans for high school. The
results of this survey will be used to inform decision-making
as part of the board’s ongoing efforts to better meet the
needs of all students and to improve faith development, student achievement and well-being. The on-line survey will be
administered to the students between April 23 and May 22,
2015.
21 CENTURY ELEMENTARY STUDENT ED. TECH DAY
Each elementary school at YCDSB
has been invited to send a twomember 21C student team to the
board for a day of learning. These
students have been selected to take part in interactive workshops designed to help them understand our technology ecosystem including Google Apps for Education, iPads, chromebooks, and interactive whiteboards. The students will learn
how to manage equipment for charging and safe storage. They
will also learn how to assist teachers to use technology in the
classroom. We congratulate Tylar D. and Matthew K. for representing our school.
ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH
During the month of May, the
York Catholic District School
Board will be recognizing Asian
Heritage Month in our school communities. Throughout the
month, special announcements will be made honouring the
legacy of saints and Canadians who have made important contributions. We are looking forward to sharing this information
with our students
SPORTS UPDATE
Junior Girls and Boys Basketball
SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY
School are required to conduct anonymous school climate
surveys of their students every two years and to share the
results with their safe school teams and school councils. This
year, all students in Grades 4, 6, and 7 will be given an opportunity to complete the survey online between April 23 and
May 22, 2015. The survey is intended to identify students’
attitudes about school climate, bullying, and well-being in
order to promote those factors in school that support safe,
caring and in inclusive school environment.
YCDSB 2015 SUMMER COURSE GUIDE
Towards the end of April, the YCDSB Summer Course Guide was sent home to each
family regarding summer programs
offered in our board. You may also wish
to visit the Continuing Education
webpage: http://ace.ycdsb.ca for more
information.
Our junior boys and girls having been attending
practices and are looking forward to their basketball competitions which will be taking place early
in May. Our boys will have their tournament on
May 4 at Corpus Christi, while our girls will have theirs on May
5 at St. Mary Immaculate. We thank our coaches, Ms.
Attridge, Ms. Graham, and Ms. Zitoli, for their time and expertise. We wish both teams the best of luck. Go Sky Hawks, go!
Junior Girls’ Team:
Taylor G., Lilyana G.-H., Arianna B., Amarachi A., Lydia Y., Cassandra N., Alessia R., Alexa T., Simona T-L., Madison S., Tylar
D., and Francesca M.
Junior Boys’ Team:
Giovanni F., Troy G., Andreas K., Jacob P., Jonathan S., Robbie
P., Romelo P., Anthony P., Armand U., Kent G-A., Julian I.,
Matteo I. , Cristian N. and Victor R.
HOMEWORK TIPS AND TOOLS FOR PARENTS
(taken from the Ontario Ministry of Education Website)
10 Tips to help your child with homework
Homework is an important part of learning. When you support your
children's homework routine, you can help them do better at school.
Here are some simple tips to help get the most out of their homework.
1. A routine is good. Homework can be habit forming and that's
good news for you and your child. Work out a homework schedule and make sure children adhere to it. It won't be long before
homework is complete without your getting involved.
2. Give space for homework. Distractions and homework don't mix
so do your best to create a bright and quiet space where your
child can concentrate on schoolwork. Make sure it's away from
distractions like TV, music and loud siblings.
3. Practice makes perfect. Repetition reinforces learning. That's
why it's helpful to have kids practice reading, writing and math
with you every day. Ten to fifteen minutes a day can work wonders, whether reading a favourite book together, or helping
measure ingredients in the kitchen.
4. "How was your day?" Every school day is an adventure. Kids
will do and learn so much they'll be bursting to tell someone all
about it. So take a few moments every day to chat about the
school day—and be a good listener.
5. Check in occasionally. When kids do their homework all alone,
their concentration can often wander. Check in once in a while
and see how it's going. Ask if there are any questions. Sometimes
kids just need to talk about a homework problem to figure out
the answer.
6. Turn everyday activities into homework. Teachers give homework and so can you. Include children in everyday tasks and
assign activities such as searching newspapers, reading recipes,
creating shopping lists, plotting out routes on a map, etc..
Small activities can often teach big lessons.
7. Make kids proud of their effort. Getting the answers right is
important, but it's only part of what homework is all about.
Doing a thorough and neat job is important, too. Make it a habit
to sit down and go over completed homework. Look at it together for thoroughness and overall quality of work. Always look for
something positive.
8. Motivate with applause. "Hey, you did a great job". Words like
these have an amazing effect on children. Encouragement gives
them confidence and makes them feel good about doing their
best. At the end of every homework session, try letting your son
or daughter know that you appreciate and admire the effort.
9. Encourage curiosity and questions. Learning really begins when kids start asking questions. Who, what, where, when
and why are magical words of discovery that make learning more
interesting and fun. Give your children the confidence to ask for
help if the homework is difficult or confusing.
10. Know what's going on at school. Unfortunately, kids don’t
always tell parents everything. Make a point of staying in touch
with teachers, especially if you have a question or concern. Let
teachers know they can always call you if there is a problem.
LET’S GET ACTIVE AND HEALTHY
SWIM TO
GRAM:
SURVIVE
PRO-
During the month of May, Mrs.
Lenchak’s and Mrs. Sullivan’s
Grade 3 students will be participating in the Swim
to Survive Program which offers lessons both in and
out of the water. The Swim to Survive Program
defines the minimum skills needed to survive an unexpected fall into deep water. These are expressed in a
skill sequence in the Canadian Swim to Survive Standard:



ROLL into deep water
TREAD water for one minute
SWIM 50 metres
This swimming program aims to have every Grade 3
student in Ontario achieve this basic standard.
WE CONGRATULATE OUR INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS
Our Grades 7 and 8 students were registered for the 4
for Lunch: A Healthy Lunch Challenge Program! This
year, nearly 5000 students from 223 classes across
York Region elementary schools participated in the
challenge and this include our students. For participating in the week-long challenge, each student received a fresh apple. Students enjoyed the program
and, most importantly, found it useful in helping them
meet the healthy eating expectations in the curriculum. We thank Mrs. Susin for organizing this activity
for our students.
MARK YOU CALENDAR
Please take special note of these dates on the May
calendar:

Friday, May 1: Civies’ Day

Monday, May 18 (Victoria Day): School is closed

Our volunteers are important to us! On May 21,
at 11:45 a.m., we will be asking our volunteers
to join us for a special luncheon in the library so
we can let them know that we appreciate their
contribution to our school. Thank you volunteers!!

Wednesday, May 27: Final Spirit Lunch
3 ST. ANNE STUDENTS TO ATTEND YORK
REGION JUNIOR FIRE FIGHTER DAY
The Richmond Hill Fire & Emergency Services has selected
St. Anne School as one of two schools in Richmond Hill to
have the opportunity to participate in the York Region Junior
Firefighter Day.
The Junior Firefighter contest provides Grade 3 students
across York Region the rare and privileged chance to experience what it is like to be a firefighter for a day. Winners of
the contest are chosen from Grade 3 students who are
asked to create a poster or write an essay.
Each of the nine Municipalities in York Region selects their
‘crew’ of Junior Firefighters, and these students have a day
of recognition and firefighting training, along with the Mayor and Fire
Chief from their respective municipality. The Grade 3 students from our
school chosen as members of the
2015 Team Richmond Hill are: Alex
C., Isabel S. and Ava V. . Congratulations!
POLICE WEEK OPEN HOUSE
This year’s Police Week theme is “Leading the Way to a Safer
Tomorrow.” It focuses on heightening community awareness
and promoting collaboration between the community and the
police to keep our communities safe through crime prevention,
preparedness and social development.
In Richmond Hill, the #2 District Headquarters, 171 Major Mackenzie Drive West will be open to the public for tours every
evening from Monday, May 14 to Thursday, May 17 from 6
p.m. to 9 p.m.
For more information about the Police Week Open House email
[email protected].
For information on Police Week activities contact the Community Services Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6709 or visit their
website at www.yrp.ca .
STUDENT SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION
Did you know that students’ busing eligibility changes throughout their school career? Your son/
daughter’s eligibility to ride the school bus may
change according to their grade and distance from
home to school.
York Catholic District School Board’s (YCDSB) Transportation Policy #203 outlines the student transportation eligibility requirements:
•All YCDSB students in Grades JK-3 who live within 1.2 km of their school
are not eligible for transportation
•All YCDSB students in Grades 4-8 who live within 1.6 km of their school
are not eligible for transportation
•All YCDSB students in Grades 9-12 who live within 4.8 km of their school
or 3.2 km in a non-transit served area are not eligible for transportation.
To view the full policy, go to the board website at www.ycdsb.ca and click
on the Policies Tab on the home page located under “Quick Links.”
EarthWeek Activities at St. Anne’s
Don’t wait until September to find out if this may affect your child’s school
transportation eligibility.
Find out now. For more information about student transportation and to
determine your son/daughter’s eligibility, please visit
www.schoolbuscity.com
The York Catholic District School Board approves
Long Term Accommodation Plan for 2015-2020
The Government of Ontario, the Ministry of Education, and local School Boards are responsible to students and to
their parents to ensure that as much funding as possible is directed to the education needs of students. Recent provincial announcements have highlighted the need for school boards across the province to reduce surplus capacity
through the implementation of a Long Term Accommodation Plan.
At its Regular Meeting of the Board held on March 24th, 2015, the Board of Trustees approved the York Catholic District School Board’s Long Term Accommodation Plan (LTAP) for 2015-2020. The LTAP is a planning report which highlights the current and future student accommodation needs of the York Catholic District School Board. Implementation of the LTAP will begin in the Fall 2015.
The LTAP focuses on the four (4) Rs:
"Right Program" (elementary school and/or secondary school initiatives);
"Right Facility" (physical space in the building, school yard and parking lot);
"Right-Size" (student placements, school organization); and,
"Right Location" (geography).
The LTAP includes a number of accommodation initiatives, which range from new schools to accommodation reviews
and boundary reviews, program considerations, temporary accommodations, as well as, facility partnerships.
Each accommodation initiative will be guided by a process that includes opportunities for community participation
and consultation.
The York Catholic District School Board is committed to keeping all stakeholders informed throughout the process.
To view the Long Term Accommodation Plan in full, and for more detailed information, visit: http://www.ycdsb.ca/
departments/Planning/ltap.htm
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
The St. Anne Catholic School Council met on April 8. Some of
the items discussed included:


Chairs’ Report: Options were reviewed for the following
school year regarding parent presentation evenings.
Committee Reports: -Bingo Night Preparations
-Hot Lunch/Spirit Lunch and Milk Program Update
-Feedback from Teddy Bear Night

Treasurer’s Report Update and allocation of funds

Principal’s Report: -Communities of Faith: update on all upcoming faith related event (Sacraments, Stations of the
Cross, Rosary gathering, end of year mass, Catholic Educa-
tion Week, etc)
-Upcoming events (Oral Communications, Environmental
Week, etc.) and class trips
Please note these dates:
May 26: Last day for Hot Lunch
May 27: Final Spirit Lunch of the year
May 29: Last day for Milk Program and Veal/Chicken Cutlet Sandwich
Our next meeting is May 6. Please join us!
Some April Highlights….
Earth Week was an exciting week at St.
Anne. We had author and illustrator
Josephine Vaccaro-Chang visit our KG
classes (see right).
Our Environmental Committee (see
below) held a special school presentation and discussed items that they
would like the school to collect so that
they can be recycled.
KG students take
part in the Scientist in the School
Program
Grade 5 students in Mrs. Kakaletris’s
and Mr. Mercuriano’s class take part in
the Stations of the Cross along with our
stage hands and technicians. An outstanding performance!
Our Intermediate level competitors at our school level
Oral Communications competition
Grade 2 students celebrate their First Holy Communion at St. Mary Immaculate Church. It was a beautiful
Mass!
May 2015
Sun
3 Catholic Education Week
Mon
Tue
4 >Boys’ Junior Bas- 5 >Girls’ Junior Basketket ball Tournament at ball Tournament at St.
Corpus Christi
Mary Immaculate
>Gr. 3 Scientist
Wed
6 >Catholic School
Council Mtg. 7 p.m.
Thu
Fri
Sat
1 > Bingo Night
2
7 >Gr. 8 Retreat
8 >Grs. 3 Swim to Survive
9
14 >Gr. 1 Scientist
15>Gr. 4 visits Waterfestival
16
Rosary 11:20 a.m.
> Grs. 5 & 6 Scientist
10 Mother’s Day
11
13
12
>Gr. 3 Swim to Survive
17
18
19
20 >Welcome to KG
7:00 p.m.
21 >Volunteer Appreci- 22
ation Luncheon 11:45
>Gr. 3 Swim to Survive
> Gr. 5: Public Works
Tour
26
27
28
>Victoria Day-No
School
24
25 >EQAO
Gr. 3 & 6 Testing
begins
>Last Day for Hot Lunch >Last Spirit Lunch
>Grs. 1 & 2 Kortright
>Grade 8 Confirmation
7:00p.m.
29>Last day for Milk Program
and Veal/Chicken Cutlet Sandwich
23
30
>Gr. 4 Scientist in the School
31
June 2015: Here’s what has been planned so far...
Sun
Mon
1 All library books
due back.
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
2
3
4 >Civies’ Day
5 >P.A. DAY
6
9
10
11
12
13
Pan AM Games/
BBQ
Pan AM Games/
BBQ (rain date)
16
17
EQAO cont….
>Gr. 5 5/6, 6 Outdoor Education Seneca King Campus
>KG: First Impressions meetings
7
14 Father’s Day
8
15
Track and Field at
St. Maximillian
Kolbe High School
>9:15 Liturgy: Recognition of Gr. 2 and 8
students receiving
sacraments
18 >End of year
school Mass 9:45
>Gr.8 Graduation at
Il Presidente Hall
19
20
>SK Key to Grade 1
raindate
>SK Key to Grade 1
21
28
22
23 >Athletic and
Clubs Recognition
Assembly
24
25 >Last Day of
School/Report
Cards go home
26>PA DAY
27