St. James Catholic School 230 Humbercrest Blvd. • TORONTO, ON • M6S 4L3 • 416 393-5275

St. James CS website: https://www.tcdsb.org/schools/stjames/Pages/default.aspx

Parish: St. James’ Church • 728 Annette Street • Toronto, ON • 416-767-6451 • Father Ignacio

Principal: K. Schneider Trustee: Barbara Poplawski

Superintendent: John Wujek

416-222-8282 Ext 2732

We thank You for food and remember the hungry.

We thank You for health and remember the sick.

We thank You for friends and remember the friendless.

We thank You for freedom and remember the enslaved.

May these remembrances sir us to service,

That Your gifts to us may be used for others.

For the sun and rain,

For fruit and grain,

For friends we love so dearly,

For gentle moments and kindly hearts,

We thank You Lord, sincerely

The Virtue for the month of October is GRATITUDE. We are reminded to focus on the many

things in our lives for which we are grateful. In our personal lives it may be the precious gifts

from our families, and friends and the support and love that we share. At work it may be the

support and prayers of our colleagues during difficult times. The blessings of food, friends,

family and freedom are all gifts from our Creator God that are meant to be acknowledged and

shared. At St. James School students will be encouraged to demonstrate gratitude by saying

“thank you” and showing appreciation around them.

It am looking forward to meeting our new and returning parents at our Curriculum Night tonight

October 6, 2016 at 7:00 pm in the school. Thank you for attending and being a partner in

Catholic Education. The gift of your time to our children and their school is so precious and

greatly appreciated.

International World Teacher Day was celebrated on October 5. St. James has the best and kindest

teachers in the world! The teachers go above and beyond the call of duty and truly care about

every child under their care. God bless them for their steadfast love, patience, forgiveness, and

empathy to all our children.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Enjoy this special time with your families and let us all shout

with joy and praise God for the many blessings He has bestowed on each and every one of us!

ROSARY DAY

During the month of October, we focus particularly

on the Rosary--a way of reflecting on the life of

Christ with the intercession of Mary, Our Blessed

Mother.

While Rosary Day is officially on October 7, TCDSB

will celebrate Rosary Day on Thursday October 6 as

Friday is a PA Day in our system.

Resources are on our website

https://www.tcdsb.org/board/nurturingourcatholicco

mmunity/pages/rosary-day.aspx

YEAR OF THE PARISH

As part of “Year of the Parish” we will be sending

out the St. James Bulletin in our school’s weekly

bulletin as an attachment. Stay tuned and find out

what’s happening in our church.

Sacramental Preparation First Communion

Deadline for Registration for the 2017

First Communion Class is on Sun. Oct. 9, 2016

No applications will be accepted after Oct 9.

IMMUNIZATION

If you received a letter from Toronto

Public Health, please update your

child's immunization record with us

using one of the following options:

Phone: 416-392-1250

Online reporting

Fax: 416-338-2487

If your child does not have all the

needed vaccines, please contact your

health care provider.

If your child has missed any of their

Meningococcal, Hepatitis B and

Human Papillomavirus, please see

attached form with instructions.

HIGHSCHOOL APPLICATIONS

Don’t forget to visit prospective Catholic

Secondary Schools or you can access a list on

line at the following link:

https://www.tcdsb.org/school/OpenHouses/Pa

ges/default.aspx. Open House dates have been

posted in all elementary schools. Students are

encouraged to note the dates and visit your local

secondary schools to learn about the programs

that they offer.

GO GIRL

http://www.ryerson.ca/feas/programs/wie/goeng

girl/

Please feel free to pass the link along to any girls

in your classes, or colleagues, friends and family

who might have girls from grade 7-12.

Go ENG Girl is an exciting and fun opportunity

for girls in grades 7-10 and their parents to visit

Ryerson University to learn about the wonderful

world of engineering. It takes place at Ryerson

on Sat Oct 22. Parents need to register and

attend with their daughter.

FREE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM

OFFERED FOR GR 5-8 - TUTOR IT UP

Homework assistance

Trained volunteers to tutor students

Workshops relevant to youth issues

Assess family needs and provide needed

supports

The program runs every Monday from 4:00-6:00

pm at 3446 Dundas Street West at the Four

Villages Community Health Centre (near

Shoppers Drug Mart). Should you require more

information, please contact Camilla George at

416-604-0640 Ext 6454.

WORLD TEACHER’S DAY

We thank all our wonderful teachers at St. James

CS who celebrated World Teachers’ Day on

October 5, 2016. A beautiful thank you to our

CSPC for the beautiful card and delicious cake

enjoyed by our staff.

Monthly Update from the

Board

October 2016

October 19: Go Purple Day October is Child Abuse Awareness Month. October

19th has been set aside as a day to raise awareness

among students about the signs of abuse and neglect,

and what to do if they, or someone they know, is

being/or suspected of being abused or neglected

https://www.tcdsb.org/Pages/October-is-Child-

Abuse-Prevention-Month.aspx #iBreaktheSilence

You Can Work Wonders with

ShareLife During this Year of the Parish, schools are invited to

partner with their local parishes to see how they can

support the annual campaign, and help ShareLife

agencies work wonders.

http://www.sharelife.org/Public/Home.aspx

Celebrating the Year of the Parish

2016-2017 The second year in our three pastoral plan focusing

on "Together With One Voice: Harmonizing our

Faith Through Family, Parish and School". It is an opportunity to celebrate the important role

that our parishes play in our school communities and

in the lives of the students, staff and families that we

serve.

Let's celebrate the Family-Parish-School

partnership!

https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOur

CatholicCommunity/YearoftheParish/Pages/

Parish-Project.aspx

https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/NurturingOur

CatholicCommunity/YearoftheParish/Pages/

default.aspx

Upcoming Events October is…

Autism Awareness Month https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/october-is-

autism-awareness-month.aspx

Hispanic Canadian Heritage Month

www.tcdsb.org

October 6: Rosary Day https://www.tcdsb.org/board/nurturingo

urcatholiccommunity/pages/rosary-

day.aspx

October 7: System-wide Professional

Activity Day. No classes for students

October 10: World Mental Health Day https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/Sp

ecialEducation/mhs/Pages/Default.aspx

October 11-25th: Elementary Cross

Country https://www.tcdsb.org/programsservices/sch

oolprogramsk12/healthoutdoorphysed/tdcaa/

pages/tcdsb-athletics.aspx

October 21st: Welcome Reception for

Newcomers to Canada

https://www.tcdsb.org/forcommunity/newco

mers/pages/welcome-reception-for-

newcomers-2016.aspx October 22nd: Empowering Mothers

in Education--Spanish Speaking

Advisory Committee Conference https://www.tcdsb.org/forparents/news/p

ages/2016-october-22-spanish-speaking-

advisory-committee-conference.aspx

October 26th: Early Childhood

Educator and Childcare Worker

Appreciation Day

October 28th: An Evening to Feed the

Soul Gala in support of the Angel

Foundation for Learning

https://www.tcdsb.org/news/othernews/

2017/pages/An-Evening-to-Feed-the-

Soul-Gala.aspx

October 29th: Father Patrick Fogarty

Awards Dinner-celebrating excellence

in Catholic education across Ontario

https://www.tcdsb.org/pages/33rd-

annual-fr-fogarty-awards-dinner-

saturday-october-29.aspx

October 31st: Halloween. Learn about the

Christian origins of All Hallow’s Eve

https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/Nurturing

OurCatholicCommunity/News/2012-

2013/Pages/Halloween--Christian-

Tradition.aspx

Student Mental Health and Well-Being

Newsletter

Happy New Year: It’s Back to School!

Build in daily downtime As we get our kids ready for the new school

year, it is important to build in “downtime”

for school age youth. Especially in a world

that incorporates so many activities both on

and off line. According to Dr. Shimi Kang

MD ( Author of parenting book “ The

Dolphin Way”) "Without down time, time to

integrate what they've seen, time to reflect,

observe or just take some deep breaths," kids

may get stressed. That brings us to Dr.Kang's

three 'overs,' things parents shouldn't do:

Don't over-schedule: "Some schedules are

great but too much throw us out of balance,

especially in the transition back to school,"

from the freedom that usually comes with

summer.

Don't over-instruct: Parents "are often

tempted to step in too soon and provide

instruction," but kids do "have the ability to

solve their own problems." Kang adds,

"Parents are there to help them as opposed to

tell them how to manage their life."

Get Enough Sleep:

According to the Canadian Pediatric Society,

school aged children are not getting enough

sleep. Most elementary age children require

about 10-11 hours of sleep a night. Research

indicates that much neurological repair and

growth happens while we sleep! Try getting

your children accustomed to an earlier

bedtime by shifting bedtime slightly earlier a

bit each night.

Don't over-protect: "Children are

meant to learn through trial and error."

Kang says non-fatal mistakes provide

important learning opportunities.

(Source Dr. Shimi Kang MD)

Mental Health Initiatives 2016-17

Awareness Training:

Oct. 29, 2015

Nov. 25,2015

Spring dates to

follow

Check out PAL for

more details

Back to School: helpful tips for success

As September is a

busy month for

many of us, try to

keep your schedule

clear (as much as

possible) so that you

can attend “back to

school” evenings at

your child’s school.

Reach out to your

child’s teacher to

inquire how to make

this year a success.

Create morning and

evening routines

that help stream line

getting ready and

getting enough

sleeps.

Building partnerships

with community

agencies, families, and

parishes.

SafeTalk suicide

awareness workshops for

staff available via PAL

Prayer to Begin a School

Year God of wisdom and might,

we praise you for the wonder of our

being, for mind, body and spirit.

Be with our children as they begin

a new school year. .Bless them and

their teachers and staff. Give the

strength and grace as their bodies

grow; wisdom and knowledge to

their minds as they search for

understanding; and peace and zeal

to their hearts. We ask this through

Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

If your child is anxious about the beginning of school due to difficulties that may have carried over from last year (academic or social), make time and space to talk to your child about their concerns. They may feel comfortable talking to you or another trusted adult.

If possible, inquire at your child’s school as too important dates for test, exams, or projects. Try to organize your child’s extra - curriculars around these dates so as to not over tax your child

Supporting Newcomer

Mental Health for our

newly enrolled

students!

Support for schools in

developing a mentally

healthy classroom. See

Supporting Minds on

the Ministry’s website

and edugains.ca.

Inclusion of mental

health to school SLIPs

Fostering The Parish: The TCDSB

Pastoral Plan 2015-18 “

Together With one Voice:

Harmonizing Our Faith

Through Family , Parish, and

School” 2016 focuses on the

Parish The second year in our three

pastoral plan focusing on "Together With One Voice: Harmonizing our Faith Through Family, Parish and School". It is an opportunity to celebrate the important role that our parishes play in our school communities and in the lives of the students, staff and families that we serve. During the Year of the Parish, we look for ways to more fully engage our staff and students in the lives of their local parish community, and to welcome our pastors and parish community into school events and activities.

Let's celebrate the Family-

Parish-School partnership!

Suggested Reading and Websites: BOOKS See Parent’s Choice Canada for an excellent

selection of back to school themed books for students in SK-

to grade 7 http://www.parents-

choice.org/article.cfm?art_id=166 Websites www.nasponline.org http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/back-to-school-sleep-tips-

for-kids-1.2748638 Dealing with the Back-to-School Blues?Tips for Parents and Children as the Summer Comes to a Close https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SpecialEducation/psychology/Pages/default.aspx

A Laugh A Day…

“A good sense of humor is a tool that

kids can rely on throughout life…” It

helps children to “see beyond the

surface of things” and “not take

themselves too seriously”.

www.kidshealth.org

Patricia Marra-Stapleton, Psychological Associate/Mental

Health Lead

patricia.marra-stapleton@tcdsb.org

Marci Buhagiar, Psychologist

marci.buhagiar@tcdsb.org

National Principals’ Month—

October 2016

A Message from the Director of

Education and Chair of the Board

The Learning Partnership has announced the

inaugural celebration of National Principals’

Month for October 2016.

We share TLPs views that great Principals

inspire great school communities. We also know

that great Catholic Principals are also called to

lead their staff and students closer to their

Catholic faith.

Leadership in a Catholic school requires not

only caring and compassionate leadership, but

also a desire to work collaboratively with

parents, educators, support staff, administration,

parishes and other partners. Our Principals are

called upon to lead, to mentor and motivate, to

listen as well as provide direction, to inspire and

to serve with courage and kindness.

These leaders in their respective school

communities deserve our support and our

admiration for the work that they do on behalf of

the students, staff and parents.

During National Principals’ Month, you are all

invited to share your stories about outstanding

principals via Twitter @TLPCanada using the

hashtag #Outstanding Principals, and to consider

nominating an outstanding leader in your school

as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals by

visiting the TLPs website:

http://cop.thelearningpartnership.ca/.

We look forward to celebrating these good news

stories about the leaders in our school

communities throughout the month.

Thank you to all our Principals and Vice-

Principals during this first ever National

Principals’ Month, and thanks to all those who

support them in their important role as leaders in

our school communities.

Sincerely,

Angela Gauthier Angela Kennedy

Director of Education Chair of the Board

Congratulations to our CPSC Executive

Members 2016-2017 who are as follows:

Co-Chair, Debbie Hammond

Co –Chair, Lisa Cellucci

Co-Secretary: Lourdes Sousa

Co-Secretary: Jeanette Tucci

Treasurer: Patricia Aurelio

St. James CS thank you for your dedication

and hard work for our St. James community.

October 26, 2016 is ECE Appreciation Day. We

thank Ms. Amato for her enthusiasm and

commitment to our JK/SK class.

A Message from Ms. L. Testani, the supply secretary

on October 3, 2016.

Kudos to the great behavior of St. James’ students.

Good morning,

I just wanted to let you know that it was a pleasure

supplying at your school yesterday. As a supply

secretary, I do go to various schools throughout the

year. The students at St. James school were very

welcoming and friendly, many of the them made a

point of saying “Good Morning” and “Thank You”,

which was very nice to see!

Ms. L. Testani