Holy Family Catholic School 21 Mullen Drive Thornhill, ON L4J 2T6 (905) 882-4844 April hfy.ycdsb.ca Trustee Message Principal’s Message With the arrival of Spring, we look forward to warmer weather and longer days after such a cold winter. We trust that you enjoyed the March break with your families and friends, and feel renewed and prepared for our final academic term. On Ash Wednesday, we celebrated as a school community and over the past few weeks have been preparing ourselves for the Resurrection of our Lord. We celebrated a Lenten school mass on Monday, March 30. During Holy Week we invite parents to attend a performance of the passion play on April 2 at 1:15 pm by the grade 8 class. On Wednesday, April 15 at 7:00 pm the Catholic School Council will be holding a “Mission Nutrition” Evening in the gym. Parents and students are all invited to learn more about preparing healthy and nutritious snacks and meals for the whole family. In the two weeks leading up to this special event Mrs. Bristow, a nutritionist and CSC member, will be visiting classrooms to engage with students and teachers as she introduces different fruits and vegetables that can be healthy additions to our lifestyle. Our physical education and classroom teachers also integrate healthy living as part of the curriculum to our students. A flyer will be coming home soon—stay tuned! We have begun the planning for our Annual School Barbeque, to take place on June 12. There will be a committee meeting on Wednesday, April 1 at 7:15 pm in the Library. Please continue to visit our school website for the latest information and events calendar! Y o u r s i n C a th o l i c E d u c a ti o n , H e n r y D i l l o n- L e i tc h P r i n c i p al I am sure that you are as thrilled as I am to be entering this wonderful season of rebirth and renewal. Not only can we now enjoy some warmer weather, but we can all look forward to Easter and sharing in the celebration of all that Jesus brings to our lives. As you continue to prepare for Easter, be steadfast in your walk and carry the cross with Christ as you journey through Passion Week and come to your own spiritual resurrection and new beginning. I wish the Concord, Thornhill and Maple Community a Blessed Easter. May the Risen Christ grant you and your families a transformed strength and peace on your journey towards Him. To our students preparing to receive their First Communion or Confirmation, may God Bless you on your First Communion and Confirmation Day. May the happiness of this celebration continue in your journey of life with Christ. I am pleased to facilitate a Transitioning Workshop for parents of Special Needs students on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at 7 pm at St. Elizabeth CHS. This workshop will speak to transitioning from Elementary school to Secondary school (Grade 8 to Grade 9). Representatives from several organizations represented on SEAC will be in attendance to offer helpful advice. All parents and caregivers are welcome to attend. At its Regular Meeting of the Board, held on Tuesday, March 24, 2015, the Board of Trustees approved the Long Term Accommodation Plan, which includes accommodation proposals for the Board for the next five years. One of the challenges the Board faces is a surplus in capacity. As a result, the Plan includes a number of Accommodation Reviews, including one for the Concord/Thornhill area which will begin in the Fall 2015. There will be full public consultations, and information will be shared with you in a timely manner. Vaughan in Motion is holding its annual Walk to Cure Cancer inside Vaughan Mills Shopping Centre on Sunday, April 26th, 2015. Schools are being asked to support fundraising efforts, with prizes for the school that raise the most money. 2015 Trustee Message (cont’d) I am so grateful for the generosity that our school communities demonstrate all year, and I know we will help to make this the best Walk to Cure Cancer yet! Visit www.vaughaninmotion.com for more information on this worthy event. As always, you may reach me at 416-565-7087 or at cathy.ferlisi@ycdsb.ca. Feel free to visit my board website at: www.trustee.ycdsb.ca/ferlisi. A Lenten Prayer Almighty and Everlasting God, You have given the human race Jesus Christ our Saviour as a model of humility. He fulfilled Your Will by becoming Man And giving His life on the Cross. Help us to bear witness to You By following His example of suffering And make us worthy to share in His Resurrection. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen Superintendent Mrs. N. Di Nardo (416) 221-5050 Secretary Mrs. C. Massaro Pastors St. Joseph the Worker Parish Fr. Mario Salvadori (905) 660-1253 St. Paschal Baylon Church Fr. Vincenzo Rosato (905) 889-9021 Please note: A hard copy of the Monthly Newsletter will be provided for all families for the months of September and June. The intervening newsletters will be emailed or can be accessed at our Holy Family website hfy.ycdsb.ca. Please inform the office if you do not have access to a computer and a hard copy will be provided. Grade 8 News Grad Fundraising The grad committee is thankful for your support through the popcorn effort. The popcorn sales have been a success! We thank Mrs. Massaro and the grade 8 grad committee for their efforts. Grad Trip The grade 8’s will be at the Arts and Athletic Camp from May 11 – 15. We are looking forward to a wonderful trip! Catholic News Easter weekend We celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 5th. There is no school on Good Friday, April 3rd or Easter Monday, April 6th, 2015. Catholic School Council The next Catholic School Council meeting will be on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 7:15 pm i n t h e l i b r a r y . Parents are Meetings. we l c o m e to join us at Council Junior Basketball Our Junior Boys Basketball Team is preparing to begin practises and their Area tournament will take place at Blessed Scalabrini on April 27. The Girl’s team will compete on April 28 at Holy Family. Thank you to Mrs. Kure and Mrs. Ferrigni for their work with these teams. Catholic School Council ”Mission Nutrition” Information Night - Healthy Snack Preparation - April 15 @ 7:00 pm in the gym. Bring the whole family to try new foods, learn new recipes, try hands on “Make and Take” activities, and much more! Go Mustangs Go!! Holy Family Basketball Teams T he boys intermediate basketball team has had a great season this year. They attended three invitational tournaments and competed with great spirit and sportsmanship. We are proud of their hard work and dedication to the team throughout the season and should be commended for their outstanding effort on the court. Congratulations goes out to: Jermaine Go, Michael. C, Nevin, Jermain T, Leonard, Lucas R, Andre, Micheal W, Justin Q, and Dominic D. Oral Communications Students in grades 4-8 will be involved in preparing speeches for the Oral Communications Competition. This is always a fun and challenging activity and the finished products are rewarding and impressive. Each student will present their speech to their class who will help to determine who represents the class in the school contest on April 7th. Junior and Intermediate students The Intermediate Girls’ Basketball Team completed a final season, improving their skills and working on their team play. Congratulations to: Britney A., Amanda B., Janelle G., Jane Dell I., Meryem L., Adnrea M., Nadia T., Aliah R., Nathalie Z. will be chosen to go on to the Area Competition which will be held at All Saints CES on April 14th. Thank you to Mr. DiGiacomo for organizing this event. The Catholic virtue for March is Perseverance Are you moving or leaving our school? ! Vir t u e A w ards  I will stick to my goals.  I will always believe in myself and have faith in what I can accomplish.  I will prepare for Easter by acts of goodness and worship. Congratulations to the following students who were the recipients of the Virtue Award for the month of March for demonstrating “Perseverance”. JK - Michael A., Zoe A., Matthew B. SK - Cristian C., Andrei K., Anna M. Grade 1 - Maxym D., Caleb M. Grade 2 - Elisha M., Angela N. Grade 3 - Jian G., A’Janaie M. Grade 4 - Valeriya B., Julian C., Aston M. Grade 5/6 - Tristan K., Noah R. Grade 7 - Liezel C., Gianluca M., Pierre W. Grade 8 - Cassandra D., Meagan L., Michael W. Kindergarten Registration 2015-2016 If your child/ren are eligible for our Kindergarten programs, kindly note that Registrations are taking place. JK children must be 4 years old by December 31, 2015 (born in 2011). SK children must be 5 years old by December 31, 2015 (born in 2010). Registration Requirements      Original Roman Catholic Baptism Certificate (child or parent) Proof of Age Proof of Legal Status in Canada Proof of Residency Proof of Separate School Support i.e. property tax bill or you can complete a school support form (obtain from school office or ycdsb.ca website. You must complete separate school support form whenever you move residence We are also interested in knowing of any family who will be moving out of the area and attending a different school in the Fall. Please contact the office as soon as possible if your family is moving between now and September. Having accurate numbers in advance assists with our planning process and with class placements for September. ECCO News Earth Day Earth Day took place on Saturday M a r c h 2 8 , 2 0 1 5 . T o a c k n o w l e d g e th i s d a y w e celebrated Earth Hour at our school on Friday March 27, 2015 from 1:30-2:30 pm. Lights and computers were turned off along with other electrical devices. We noted a large reduction in electricity and hope to implement plans to turn off unused electrical components whenever possible. We hope that the snow season will as our plans are to once again do up on April 17 from 1:15—2:15 assembly after recess at 2:30-3:20 have passed a yard clean pm and an pm. Thank you from The Eco-Team Great News! Prodigy Math has over 300 curriculum-aligned math skills for your children to master. Congratulations to Ms. Di Mondo’s Grade 1 class - they have answered over 10,000 Math questions! This makes the class one of the most active in all of Ontario. Keep up the Great Work! Crossing Guard There will be either a crossing guard or police assistance to cross at the intersection of Conley Street and New Westminister Drive due to the construction work being undertaken by the City of Vaughan. Please see the flyer attached at the end of this newsletter from the City that outlines the work contemplated and the timeline. Join us for an evening of fun and food with your family. You and your family will:  Try new foods  Learn simple recipes you can use at home  "Make and Take" – hands on food experience  Spend time together preparing healthy snacks  Enjoy food demos  Gather nutrition information and resources  Chance to win a prize Fruit Kebobs Veg g & D ies ip ps Wra This is a FREE event hosted by Parent Council. Wednesday, April 15, 2015 from 7 – 8:30 pm, Holy Family CES. Yo Par g urt f ai ts All ages are welcome so bring your entire family. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you will be attending April 15th, please give this portion of the form to your child's teacher by Monday, April 13. Family Name _______________________________ How many people will be attending? _____________ Samahan Nyo Kami sa gabi ng kasayahan at pagkain kasama ang buong pamilya Ikaw at ang inyong pamilya ay: Prutas  Sumubok ng mga bagong pagkain  Matututo ng simpleng paraan ng paglikha ng pakaing pwedeng gawin sa bahay  "Gawa at Kuha" – Ang kagalakan sa karanasang pag gawa ng pagkaing madaling kainin  Sama sama tayo sa paghahanda ng malusog na merienda  Masisiyahan sa panonood ng preparasyon ng pagkain Makakuha ng masustansyang impormasyon tungkol sa pagkain  Pwedeng manalo ng papremyo Gul ay a Saw t sa W an Ito ay lsang LIBRENG kaganapan hatid sa inyo ng magulang konseho. Miyerkules, Abril 15, 2015 from 7 – 8:30 pm, Holy Family CES. Lahat ay inaanyayahan kaya isama ang buong pamilya. a‐ pal y a m aany na m p Tina ————————————----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kung dadalo kayo sa Abril 15th, paki bigay itong bahagi ng papel sa guro ng inyong anak sa Abril 13 (Miyerkules). Apelyido ___________________________ Bilang ng taong dadalo: _____________ Yo Par f gur t ait s