NEWSLETTER
St. Dorothy Catholic School
155 John Garland Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario
M9V 1N7
2013
February
Principal’s Memo
Good day St. Dorothy Community:
Our virtue for the month of February is
―love‖. Love is a very powerful emotion
which is at the heart of our Catholic Faith.
This is why our most sacred school motto
which still adorns our main hall reads
―Growing in Truth and Love.‖
We teach our children and students to
grow as Catholics in ―Truth‖ and ―Love‖.
As we all know, Jesus is our ―Way‖ and
our ―Truth‖. Sometimes, however
through our words and actions we forget
where the truth lies and we lose our way.
But as it is written in the Gospel, Jesus
left the 99 to look for the one that was lost
to show that person the ―true‖ way back
to the flock and redemption.
Followers of Christ
We are pleased to announce the following individuals who have displayed the virtue of
―Courage‖ consistently during the month of
January. These individuals are: Divine, Jamie, Marianne, Eugene, Conner, Chris H.,
Clinton, Melissa L, Katelyn, Osagie, Talisa,
Chelsea, Mary Y., Kevin, Meghan, Jessie.
Silver 7 Students
The following students have been selected to
have lunch served to them by Mr. Bria as part
of the Silver 7. They modeled exceptional
leadership qualities through the Virtues and the
Habits, they will be served a three course, candlelit meal. These students are: Mary Lois,
Nelson, Edward B, Onome D. O., Razile, Joshua C, Eugene.
Think WIN WIN
Principal:
A.J. Bria
416-393-5341
Superintendent:
Of Education
L. Notten
416-222-8282
Trustee:
P. Jakovic
416-512-3409
Parish Priest:
Parish:
Father Horacio
St. Andrew Catholic
Church
2547 Kipling Ave
416-749-4391
As we grow in ―Truth‖ for our Lord, we
cannot help but grow in ―Love‖ as well.
Over 2000 years ago, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for all of humanity by giving himself so that all can be forgiven. I
know that as parents, we would do anything for our children out of love. They
are a gift from God to be cherished, nurtured and guided in the Catholic Faith.
Just like the rest of the flock, they too go
astray and it is our duty and responsibility
to guide them back to the ―truth‖ that is
Jesus.
So as we contemplate the loves that we
have in our lives, always remember Jesus’
second commandment, ―Love one another
as I have loved you.‖
God Bless,
Adalgisio Joe Bria
@StDorothyTCDSB
Since the 4th Habit is so important, we are going to continue to work on ―Thinking Win
Win.‖ This habit is based on
the premise that everyone can
win as long as all people are
willing to truly listen to each other. The characteristics of a ―win-win‖ person are:
A) Seeks mutual benefit
B) Is cooperative and not competitive
C) Listens more, stays in communication
longer, and communicates with more courage
A great way to help reinforce the habit of think
win win and all the habits is to ask your children what they think is a ―win win‖ and then
dialogue with them how this comes together
with Jesus’ ―Golden Rule‖ which is treat people the way you want to be treated.
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CSAC CORNER
ST. DOROTHY FEAST DAY
On February 6th we will be celebrating St.
Dorothy’s Feast Day by having a school
mass at 9:00 AM in our gymnasium. We
will be taking our statue down from its place
of distinction in our VIRTUE HALL and
processing it into the gymnasium. To celebrate our St. Dorothy Feast we will also
have a special activity day for our students
in the afternoon. Teachers have created special themed activities for your children. It is
going to be a great day. As usual, if you are
available to come to mass we would love to
have you attend. As well, thank you to our
Gospel Values TEAM for outdoing yourself
once again.
Greetings Everyone,
I hope that everyone is getting ready for Valentine’s Day. We are
getting ready for it as well. As usual, we will be having our Valentine’s Day Dance A Thon. The cost per child is $5.00. The
money raised through the dance-a-thon will be going towards
purchasing some much needed technology in the near future as
well as helping to defray the costs of bussing for trips.
As well, our CSAC has increased in numbers this year and we are
always looking for a few more members to help us make our
school even better. If you wish to join, please send Mr. Bria a
note and he will inform you of the necessary steps.
Pat DiRaimo
CSAC Chair
Parking Lot Safety—Kiss N Ride
Black History Month
To celebrate Black History Month we will be embedding the
curriculum with a variety of Afro centric and ethnically diverse
activities. For the Primary and Kindergarten Divisions, our
very own Karl Francis will be coming back to our school to do
an interactive musical and dramatic presentation with the
younger ones on February 13 in the PM. The Juniors and Intermediates will be working with Gary Thompson who is the Supervisor of Power Generation, Planning and Transmission Capacity. He will be coming into our school on February 19th
and talk about Black History and share his story of success.
Leaders mentoring younger leaders; just the way God planned
it. Thank you to Ms. Oliveri, Ms. Martins Pereira, Ms. Bissasor and Ms. Bianchi for organizing the events.
Thank you, parents, for your outstanding cooperation in using
the KISS N RIDE as a drop off for your children when you
bring them to school. There are two things that I ask that you
keep in mind when using the Kiss N Ride lane: remember that
buses have many more children to unload so please be patient as
well when you pull into the lane please do not stop at the first
entry point but move to at least the second or third entry point
so that we can accommodate more cars at one time.
Also, you will note in the parking lot I have had painted a ―DO
NOT STOP‖ sign on the ground. So please adhere to that during peak hours which are from 8:00 to 8:30 and from 3:00 to
3:30. Remember, you are your child’s first teacher and they will
mirror back to you what you model for them. Remember, it
takes a village to raise a child so let’s work together to educate
your son/daughter.
Repeat—Cold Weather Policy
The cold weather is here and Environment Canada
guidelines will determine our decisions about indoor
recess. These guidelines have been used successfully in many schools during the past several years.
Environment Canada (416-661-0123) gives updated
information about wind chill temperatures. Equivalent temperatures from –20C to –23C incur shortened recesses. At –24C and
below the students will remain indoors. We will make announcements over the P.A. in the event of shortened or indoor
recess. Students are required to wear appropriate winter clothing during the cold winter months. Parents are asked not to call
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the school to enquire about indoor recesses as we will strictly
adhere to the school’s policy. Copies of the policy will be
found in the main office. Please ensure that your child is
dressed appropriately for the cold weather. A warm coat, hat,
scarf, mittens and boots are essential during this time of year.
Partnership In Nutrition—Snack Program
Thank you to all the parents who contributed this month
especially those who have difficulty making ends meet. Remember, for $5 a month your child receives a nutritious AM
snack. That is 25 cents/day. What a deal! So if you have not
already done so, please send your child or children to school
with the appropriate monies for the program for the
month/year. If you have already submitted your fees, thank
you for supporting the program. Remember, as a TEAM we
all have to contribute to make this program work. Thank you
to all the parents that have paid in full and contribute your fair
share. You are truly making a difference not only for your
child but for all of our children here at St. Dorothy.
Birthdays
We have many students in our school who are allergic to a variety of substances. Thus, we do not allow any products that are
possibly made with peanuts or in a location that may contain
peanuts. Regrettably, what will happen is that your child will
not be able to serve the treat. So I suggest a pencil or something along those lines to ensure that things will go smoothly.
Lastly, if you are planning to send something with your daughter or son to school, please ensure that you communicate with
your child’s teacher and ask if your child is allowed to bring in
that treat. Your children are really busy each day working
hard, we just want to make sure that their teachers get enough
notice to be able to accommodate this request. Thank you in
advance for your understanding and keeping all students safe.
Parent Engagement
The Parenting and Family Literacy Centre welcomes parents,
caregivers and children from newborn to six years of age into our
school.
The centre offers a variety of fun learning activities for children
and engages parents in their children’s learning. Parents can also
learn activities to do at home.
Through music, stories and play, babies and children can start to
build essential skills like sharing, early literacy and numeracy,
and communications skills. The play-based programming enhances children’s natural curiosity and desire for exploration —
while helping them learn.
Children can play with other children and become more familiar
with the school and school activities. The centre is also a great
place for parents to meet other families and share ideas. They
can also borrow books in different languages and learn about
other community resources.
It is free to attend. Families do not have to pre-register. If you
are interested please come to the main office.
School Uniforms/Clothing For Sale
As previously stated in the last newsletter, we have several gently
used uniform items at the office for sale. These items can be
purchased for a fraction of the cost of what they normally sell for
at a clothing store. Most items can be purchased for a few dollars. All monies raised from the sale of the clothing will go back
to the students at St. Dorothy defraying the costs of various activities that we have planned for your children. So it is a win/win
situation for everyone. If you are interested in purchasing some
of these items, please come to the office.
Intramural Ultimate Chicken
Educational Tips For Parents
Play games together. Show them math can be fun and exciting. Play family games to add excitement to math activities,
like chess or checkers or games in the car such as math bingo
or adding licence plate numbers. Lots of board games need
math such as Junior Monopoly® or play card games such as
Uno®.
Featured Websites for the Month:
Primary: http://www.teachingtime.co.uk/index.html
Junior: http://www.mathsurf.com/4/ch11/index.html
Intermediate: http://www.321know.com/g7_69_x7.htm
The primary students, grades 1s and 2s are
participating in an activity called Ultimate
Chicken. It was a game developed a few
years ago and now has landed at St. Dorothy.
The object of the game is to pass a rubber
chicken to each other and then throw it into a
net. Sounds easy? Guess again! You have
to do this while you are on scooter boards.
As well as providing a fun activity for the
primary students, we are also using this as an
opportunity to help the junior students develop leadership skills
by having them referee the games. That is a Win Win.
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W5H
Our intermediate W5H Team is up and running once again.
Mrs. Cropley and Ms. Bissasor are running the team this year.
The team is working hard brushing up on their general
knowledge skills to participate in the annual tournament. You
can help Googling general knowledge questions and playing a
round with your child. Here is a website to start you off:
http://www.knowledgebase-script.com/demo/article-962.html
Chess
Our Chess is working hard as well. Ms.
Strzelczyk has had an influx of players
this year. So much so that we have had
to purchase more chess boards. Great
work! Here is a website to help your
child improve on their chess game.
http://www.chesskids.com/newcourse/index.htm
BUS—Exceptional Circumstances
Parents are reminded that it is our expectation that children
who qualify for transportation will make regular use of the
service. Students either take the bus or they don't. This is not
a ―fair weather‖ privilege. Please notify the office in writing if
on occasion your child will not be taking the bus home. All
children are expected to go home on the bus, unless prior written notification from parents has been received.
IMPORTANT DATES IN FEBRUARY
1
5
Tournament—St. Mikes
Cricket Day—Gym
5
CSAC Meeting— 6:30 p.m.
6
11
12
12
12
12
13
14
14
15
18
19
20
20
22
25
28
St. Dorothy Feast Day Celebrations—Mass at 9:00 AM
Elementary Basketball - Boys at St. Dorothy
Shrove Tuesday—FLIPPING PANCAKES SNACK FOR SCHOOL
Elementary Basketball - Girls at St. Dorothy
Father Henry Carr Registration Night—Grade 8s—7 PM
Report Cards Go Home
Ash Wednesday—ashes at 10:00 am—Gymnasium
Valentine’s Dance A Thon—$5.00/child
Parent, Teacher, Student Interview Night
PD DAY—NO SCHOOL
FAMILY DAY—NO SCHOOL
Black History Month—Junior and Intermediate Activities
Black History Month—Primary Activities
DYNAMIX TEAM BUILDING—6:45 to 8:00
Black History Month—Assembly —AM
Dramatic Dance Junior Division Session
Kortright Centre - Intermediate Division Trip
Too often, children get confusing verbal messages about which
days they are going to be picked up by parents. For safety
reasons, we require a note since we cannot necessarily verify
that a telephone caller is indeed legitimate. We, at school, are
stressing BUS SAFETY above all else. Please refer to your
child’s agenda for more information on this matter. Thank you
in advance for your cooperation.
BASKETBALL TEAMS
Both the girls and the boys are having
great ball seasons this year. The girls
and boys have either won or finished in
second place in numerous tournaments.
We want to congratulate all of the boys
and girls on their efforts and dedication. As well we want to thank Coach
B, Coach Stunt and Coach Francis for
their time and effort.
AND YES, WE’VE GOT
GAME!
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