Dufferin-Peel CDSB - St. Michael Catholic Secondary School

May 14/12

To Parents of students going into Grade 11 in September 2012.

There will be an information meeting for all current Grade 10 students going into Grade 11 next year on

Thursday, May 24^th, 6:30 p.m. at St. Michael C.S.S.

The purpose of the meeting will be to inform you of the following:

·         What to expect in grade 11 and 12.

·         College or University? What is available and what are your options.

·         How different are the “U” courses from the grade 10 academic courses.

·         What you can do to inform yourself and your child in preparation for his/her grade 12 year.

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Frank Scarcelli

Principal

May 11/12

This message is on behalf of the Dance Program.  This weekend Mrs. Martell will be taking the dance students to York University to participate in the Pulse Dance Ontario Youth Conference. It is a 4 day event filled with workshops in various genres, guest speakers and live performances. It is a chance for our dancers to meet other dancers/choreographers in the Toronto Dance industry and be exposed to new upcoming trends in dance. They will also experience university life by sleeping in the dorms. The conference is quite expensive so to help cover the cost of the weekend the Dance Program will be holding a fundraiser.

The fundraiser called Celebrity Server will take place on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. It will be hosted by Boston Pizza here in Bolton (12774 Hwy 50). Our dancers will team up with a waitress and serve guests for the evening. 10% of each meal purchased that evening will go towards our dancers. Envelopes will be placed at each table for additional tips.

Reservations can be made by calling Boston Pizza at (905) 951-2020. Guests are asked to make reservations under St. Michael's Dance Program - Celebrity Server Event.



On a side note: The Dance Program has had a very successful year. Last month they attended the Kiwanis Dance Festival and we are proud to announce that our dancers were victorious! The ThunderCrew hip hop team was awarded a Gold status with a mark of 89, the Grade 10 Arts Advantage dance class received another Gold status with a mark of 88 and our Angels Inc. Dance Ensemble was given the honour of a Platinum status with a mark of 92!!!

Thanks for your continued support. We look forward to dining with you!

Cheers,

Mrs. Martell

May 9/12

Good day everyone,

Tomorrow, Thursday May 10^th, 2012 we will be having our Kids Help Phone Walk. Ms. Leggo and her team have done an outstanding job organizing this event for the community.

We are running all 4 periods and program will be delivered during these periods. The schedule will be as follows:

Schedule A – four periods

·         Period 1 from 8:17 to 9:10 – 50 minutes

·         Period 2 from 9:15 to 10:05 – 50 minutes

·         Period 3 from 10:10 to 11:00 – 50 minutes

·         Period 4 from 11:05 to 11:55 – 50 minutes

·         We start calling students out of class for the walk @ 11:50 starting with grade 9’s by 12 noon we have everyone walking. ** Period 4 teachers to walk with their classes.

·         Lunch is from 12:30 to 1:30

·         Junior Boys soccer Game starts at 1 pm. All to watch.

Please encourage your children to participate as this will be a great day and all proceeds directly to kids in need.

Thank you

F. Scarcelli

May 2, 2012

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Caledon OPP reported an incident where a teenage female was approached by an unknown adult male in a black pick-up truck in the Innis Lake Road and Healy Road area on Monday. The individual reportedly made inappropriate comments to the student. OPP is investigating. Anyone with any information about this matter is asked to contact Caledon OPP at (905) 584-2241, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or online at www.peelcrimestoppers.ca .

We continuously strive to make our school a safe, healthy, caring and inclusive place to learn and to work and we appreciate the important role that parents and guardians play in helping us achieve that goal. Periodically, we review street proofing techniques with students and remind them to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings at all times, particularly when travelling to and from school.

As we approach the end of the school year and the arrival of warmer weather, we know that many students will spend a greater amount of time outdoors in various community settings. The advice around being vigilant takes on greater significance in a summer environment and we ask that you also take the opportunity to discuss personal safety and security issues with your teen

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.



Sincerely,

Frank Scarcelli

Principal

May 1, 2012

Dear Parents,

On May 10, staff and students of St. Michael C.S.S will participate in the second annual Kids Help Phone Walk. Students will engage in raising money via pledging, selling kids help phone bracelets, hosting a cupcake bake sale and an outdoor BBQ. Last year, Team ‘St. Michael’ was able to raise approximately $3,000 by proudly walking a 3.5 km route within the North Bolton community. Ms. Leggo hopes next year to involve the greater Bolton community by extending a walk invitation to all the elementary and high schools in the Bolton area, “The Kids Help Phone” is an invaluable service. They assist kids in need from almost 3,000 communities across Canada and more than 2.2 million times on the phone and online. We are proud to support the “KHP”.  Please encourage your son (s) or daughter (s) in raising pledges and feel free to join us on our walk next Thursday.

Many local businesses such as Husky, Sub Way, Empire Theatre, Forester Book Store, Four Corners Bakery, The Candy Emporium, Caruso's, Boston Pizza, the McCabe family, GAM Creative Marketing Solutions Ltd and Metro supported Team St. Michael by sponsoring them in various capacities.

Thank you for your support

Frank Scarcelli.

April 30/12

As we enter into May, our school continues to be an active and involved community. There will be many events that will happen over the course of the month. These events include, Class excursions, Kids Help-Phone Walk, Athletic events such as Soccer, Track, Badminton, Baseball and Ultimate Frisbee.

This week’s events:

Baseball Game - On Wednesday those students who purchased tickets will have an opportunity to attend a Blue Jay Game downtown. The group will leave during period 2 and will return later in the afternoon.

During the day we will be having a common lunch since the cafetorium will be used for a performance of the Titanic for our elementary feeder school students. The schedule will be as follows:



Period 1

Period 2

Lunch 45 minutes at 12 noon

Period 4

Titanic - Our school will be presenting the Titanic, Trials and Tragedy this Thursday and Friday evening. Friday will be a dinner theatre. If you are interested tickets can be purchased at the school. Grade 8 students from our feeder schools will be here on Wednesday morning for a Breakfast Theatre.

F. Scarcelli

April 27/12

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As a continuation of the partnership between school, home and parish, St. Michael Catholic Secondary School continues to support the Archdiocese of Toronto’s annual ShareLife Campaign. The ShareLife campaign raises awareness and supports numerous Catholic charities. As you may know, the first ShareLife collection at your Parish has already taken place, and another collection is around the corner. As a part of this campaign, the students at St. Michael are participating in fundraising. As such, parents are able to make their ShareLife donation through St. Michael Catholic S.S. All donations are tax deductible and are recognized under the umbrella of the Holy Family Parish. Any cheques should be made payable to “ShareLife” and all donations (cash or cheque) should be sent in to your child’s homeroom teacher by Wednesday, May 2, 2012. Pledge forms for those who would like tax receipts are available through the St. Michael Catholic S.S. main webpage.

In keeping with this initiative, a group of students from St. Michael Catholic S.S. will be participating in “Tent City” from May 3-4, 2012. Tent City is an overnight experience to raise awareness and funds for Covenant House, a ShareLife supported shelter for homeless teens. Tent City consists of 250 high school students from Catholic school boards making an active commitment to Catholic leadership and a difference in the community by sleeping in tents overnight to create awareness and support our homeless communities. Students will participate in numerous activities throughout the night that will include: a homelessness prevention presentation from Covenant House, evening prayer service, a movie, faith sharing, a shared poverty meal, and of course, sleeping in tents overnight.

We thank you in advance for supporting this worthy cause.

Yours truly,

Frank Scarcelli

April 10, 2012:

Important Announcement from Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR)

Please click here for full details

March 28/12

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), developed by the Education Quality and

Accountability Office (EQAO), will be administered to Grade 10 students on March 29, 2012.

On this day, students will be engaged in the test writing for 3 hours.

Success on this test is a diploma requirement. Students will be provided with individual

feedback on their success and areas for improvement. Any needed remediation for students

based on this feedback will be made available to students.

School Board results will be published. School improvement plans, along with board

improvement plans will be revisited accordingly. When writing the test, students with an

Individual Education Plan are entitled to accommodations within the scope of those permitted

by EQAO. Students in English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development

programs are entitled to special provisions for deferrals and exemptions. The local school will

correspond with you on the details.

It is important to ensure that our students have every opportunity to be successful. In order to

do this, it is necessary for us to alter the structure of the test day as follows:

1. All Grade 9 and 10 students will attend school on March 29, 2012.

2. Grade 10 students, as well as those who were unsuccessful in the past, will participate in

the OSSLT.

3. Grade 9 students will work on skill building activities related to the reading and writing

expectations found on the OSSLT. Grade 9 students will experience a simulation

opportunity which will be informally assessed to provide feedback on areas for

improvement.

4. Grade 10 students who are exempted or deferred from the test will participate in

reading and writing activities related to their needs.

5. Grade 11 and 12 students will be assigned work which will be evaluated as part of their

credit courses. As such they will not attend classes. If students wish, they may attend

school and they will be accommodated in a supervised study hall.

6. If your son/daughter is eligible for test accommodations or special provisions, your local

school will correspond with you regarding their testing needs.

7. Students in the Planning for Independence programs and Career Path programs will attend

school as per their usual schedule.

Should you require any further clarification, please contact your local school, your Family of

Schools Superintendent or this office. As well, the EQAO website provides information

(www.eqao.com). Thank you for your support in helping us manage this important process.

Yours truly,

Sheila McWatters

Superintendent of Program

SM:drc

March 27/12

Hello everyone,

Below please find the outline for OSSLT this Thursday, March 29^th:

Grade 11 students - not at school unless they are rewriting the Test.

Grade 10 students will write the OSSLT test. This is a graduate expectation.

Grade 9 students will write a practice mock literacy test. This will give them practice of what to expect next year.

8:17 to 8:40 a.m.               Attendance and instruction

8:45 to 10:00 a.m.             Booklet one of test

10:00 to 10:15 a.m.          Break

10:15 to 11:30 a.m.          Booklet two of test

11:35 to 12:20 p.m.         Common Lunch - Cafeteria will be open

12:25 to 2:10 p.m.            Presentation in Cafeteria - Guest Speaker, Jim Jordan.

2:15 p.m.                             Dismissal

Please note: We have planned for a full day, and as such there should not be any reason for students to sign out. In the past, students called home to say that nothing is happening at school. Recognizing that it is a stressful morning, we have contracted an entertaining speaker that we felt would be informative and entertaining for our students. See link below.

http://www.jimjordan.ca/

In the event that you are allowing your child to sign out for the day, please provide your child with a note that must be submitted to the home room teacher prior to writing the test. If your child is signing out please ensure that they have safe transportation home.

We are confident that our grade 10 students are well prepared.

Frank Scarcelli

March 23/12

Greetings:

Given the unusually warm weather, we have decided to move the summer golf shirt wear up one month. Therefore effective immediately, both the golf shirt and the rugby shirt can be worn.

Please note however, what will not be allowed will be the wearing of a long sleeve underneath the golf shirt. Please help us with this as it is not part of the uniform. If it is cold enough to require a long sleeve under your short sleeve, then the Rugby should be worn. No exceptions.

For your information, St Michael CSS is an extremely high tech temperature control system. We have one of the most efficient and advanced Heating and Ventilation Systems in the School Board. Each of our rooms is independently controlled by heat pumps. The heat pumps either cool or heat the room as required all year long.   At all times 100 per cent fresh air is brought into each classroom. This air is conditioned with either coolness or heat depending on the season. This occurs all year round. So our school is exceptionally well ventilated and temperature controlled.

Sincerely

Frank Scarcelli

March,19/2012

Please see attached information from the Board Office re Literacy testing.

Reminder: This Thursday will be our second semester Parent Teacher Meeting night.

As per my previous e-mail, the evening has been organized as follows:

Meeting times have been arranged by surnames in order to try and avoid long lines.

A to E - 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

F to M - 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

N to Z - 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Since there’s just not enough time, it will be impossible for all teachers to see all parents on that evening. If you do not get to see your child’s teacher, please call our receptionist on Friday morning

and we will relay the message to the staff member you would like to speak with.

Hope to see you all there.

Sincerely

Frank Scarcelli

Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board

40 Matheson Boulevard West, Mississauga, Ontario, L5R 1C5 • Tel: (905) 890-1221 • Fax: (905) 890-7610

February 29, 2012

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), developed by the Education Quality and

Accountability Office (EQAO), will be administered to Grade 10 students on March 29, 2012.

On this day, students will be engaged in the test writing for 3 hours.

Success on this test is a diploma requirement. Students will be provided with individual

feedback on their success and areas for improvement. Any needed remediation for students

based on this feedback will be made available to students.

School Board results will be published. School improvement plans, along with board

improvement plans will be revisited accordingly. When writing the test, students with an

Individual Education Plan are entitled to accommodations within the scope of those permitted

by EQAO. Students in English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development

programs are entitled to special provisions for deferrals and exemptions. The local school will

correspond with you on the details.

It is important to ensure that our students have every opportunity to be successful. In order to

do this, it is necessary for us to alter the structure of the test day as follows:

1. All Grade 9 and 10 students will attend school on March 29, 2012.

2. Grade 10 students, as well as those who were unsuccessful in the past, will participate in

the OSSLT.

3. Grade 9 students will work on skill building activities related to the reading and writing

expectations found on the OSSLT. Grade 9 students will experience a simulation

opportunity which will be informally assessed to provide feedback on areas for

improvement.

4. Grade 10 students who are exempted or deferred from the test will participate in

reading and writing activities related to their needs.

5. Grade 11 and 12 students will be assigned work which will be evaluated as part of their

credit courses. As such they will not attend classes. If students wish, they may attend

school and they will be accommodated in a supervised study hall.

6. If your son/daughter is eligible for test accommodations or special provisions, your local

school will correspond with you regarding their testing needs.

7. Students in the Planning for Independence programs and Career Path programs will attend

school as per their usual schedule.

Should you require any further clarification, please contact your local school, your Family of

Schools Superintendent or this office. As well, the EQAO website provides information

(www.eqao.com). Thank you for your support in helping us manage this important process.

Yours truly,

Sheila McWatters

Superintendent of Program

SM:drc

Mar. 6/12

Hello,

By now you know our hockey team won the gold medal by defeating Mount Carmel 4 to 0 yesterday. Our team was outstanding. More importantly our students in the audience were very well behaved, had fun and were supportive and enthusiastic. It was a great day all around.

Today our curling team will be competing to enter the Provincial Championships. We wish them luck!

Also, our very own student, Paige Mclean has made it to the finals in the Provincial Swimming Championships. Last year she won gold for our school and we are looking forward to a repeat performance. She is an amazing young lady. Best of luck Paige!

Frank Scarcelli

February 28, 2012

Yesterday our Junior Boys’ hockey team won in the semi finals and made it to the Finals. Congratulations to the boys and their coaches for an outstanding season. The team was first class all the way and they are terrific ambassadors for St Michael.

On Thursday of this week our Junior Boys Hockey Team will play in the Championship Finals at the PowerAde Centre. This will be the second time this year that one of our Junior Athletic teams will be competing in a Championship Final. Last Fall the Junior Girls’ Basketball team won the Championship to be our school’s first Region of Peel Champions. On Thursday the Junior Boys’ Hockey team will compete to be our second Championship team this year.

All students will have an opportunity to attend this event. Cost for entrance and bussing to the PowerAde Centre in Brampton is $10.00 per student. This includes a Pasta Lunch upon return from the PowerAde Center. We are hoping to have the whole school there.

Below is the schedule for tomorrow:

Period 1 - Regular Class.

Period 2 - Regular Class and at 10:00 a.m. board the Thunder Buses.

11:00 a.m. - Game Time.

12:30 p.m.- Board Buses for return trip to St Michael. Upon arrival at school, we have arranged for a Pasta Lunch in the Cafeteria.

1:15 p.m. - Depending on the timing and the events, return to Period 4.

Permission Forms will be coming home tonight and must be returned to us on Wednesday morning. We need this to determine how many buses to order. Once buses are ordered, we will be unable to add any late entries as buses are not always available.

In the event of inclement weather on Wednesday, all forms must be returned Thursday a.m.

If the form does not make it home today, it will be available on the website.

Last year, our Junior Team won the Silver Medal. This year, let’s go for the Gold Medal. Events like this are rare school spirit building opportunities.

Please support this very worthwhile event.

Sincerely

Frank Scarcelli

Principal

February 27, 2012

This Thursday evening beginning at 6:30 p.m. at St. Michael C.S.S. Mr. Malta, Department Head of English, along with our Literacy Committee, will be hosting a Literacy Information Night for the upcoming Grade 10 OSSLT to be written on March 29, 2012. All Grade 10 parents and students are invited.

As you know, the successful completion of this test is a graduation requirement.

Mr. Malta and our Literacy Committee will walk you through the test format as well as various websites that you can work through in order to better prepare for this test.

Please come out to this very worthwhile event.

Regards

Frank Scarcelli

Principal

Feb 22/12

Greetings,

This morning, our Chaplain, Ms. Cybulko, conducted an outstanding Ash Wednesday ceremony. All of our students were in the gym during period 1 and received ashes and the sign of the cross on their foreheads. Ms Cybulko encouraged students to take on a Lenten promise of cleaning up our lives, through our words, our interactions with each other and through our deeds.

We also watched a presentation from the Dominican Republic Outreach Team on their very successful mission trip to the Dominican in the Fall. In addition, we recognized and congratulated as a full school community, our Junior Girls' Basketball team on their championship win this past Fall.

Today, our students were allowed to wear alternate shoes because we were in the gym. This is a reminder that tomorrow we will be back to our normal shoe policy, which is totally black.

Have great day

Frank Scarcelli

Feb 10th:

Notice to Grade 11 Students and Parents:

On Thursday, February 16, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. we will be having a Post Secondary Panel Presentation. This will continue in our effort to provide you with as much information as possible as we plan for our children’s future.

Humber, Sheridan, Waterloo, York and Guelph Humber will be here to make a brief presentation on their programs and to provide opportunity for further discussion.

Please come out to hear these schools talk about their programs and their requirements. Grade 12 course selections will begin next week.

Remember, Our Very First Annual Graduation will begin on June 26^th, 2013, Pearson Convention Centre at 4:00 p.m.

Frank Scarcelli

Principal St Michael.

Feb. 3/12

Good Morning,

Semester 2 begins today. Here are a few important items for your information to start the semester:

·     In the event of snow/ice/fog and you have a question as to whether buses are running. The fastest way to find out if they are running or delayed is to go to the following web site. https://businfo.stopr.ca/Cancellations.aspx . Usually the information is posted around 6:15am depending on when they make the decision. We do not begin to answer phones until 7:30 am or so, therefore, the website is the fastest and most accurate means of getting this information. This site can also be accessed any morning to check the delay status of all buses.

·     Next week we will be reviewing all the marks, following that Reports will be issued.

·     Report Cards will be coming home on Thursday of next week (barring any computer issues).

·     Choosing of Options for next year will be the week of Feb 13 to 17. Meantime, students can check the website and also talk to their counselor regarding their pathways in the next few years.

·     Feb 16, Post Secondary Opportunity Evening. A separate email will follow next week. This will be for parents and for students in Grade 11.

·     Parent Teacher Interview night is on March 22^nd. Further forthcoming information will be in future emails.

This morning the following student items were discussed on the PA:

Full uniform when in school. Here are the items that need reinforcing. Your support is appreciated in advance and in the event we have to call you to get some help in these matters.

No hats to be worn or transported throughout the school. Our students have beautiful hair, let’s not hide it.

No backpacks to be worn after arrival in school. They are not to be transported to classes. This creates less distraction in the class and is better for your back.

All black shoes. No slippers, boots. Uniform means just that. The same!

Pants to be hemmed. Pants not to be tucked into socks

No decorative scarves

Students not to have ear buds in their ear or showing as they travel throughout the school.

No smoking in view of the school. No standing across Columbia Way with people who smoke. This is dangerous.

Be on time for school and for all classes.

Have a great weekend.

Frank Scarcelli

Jan. 17/12

Hello everyone and Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and are now settling into the new year. Here are a few important items that I would like to share with you.

Exams

The next days leading up to the exams are extremely important. During this time classes will be reviewing course work, organizing review sheets, and finishing up assessments.   Students should have begun to study and prepare for their exams. Cramming the night before is the least efficient and least successful method of studying for exams. We recommend that each evening, students spend some time creating reviews for each of their courses in preparation for the exam which begin Wednesday Jan 25^th. On that day, your child’s period one class will write its exam. Students are to be in full uniform and on time. Buses will arrive to take students home at 10:30. They will then have the rest of the day to prepare for the next day’s exam.

All details regarding the exams and procedures can be found on our website.

Music Band Competition Trip

Attached please find a flyer for our band fundraiser. Our students are travelling to South Carolina to perform in a music festival. Your help is required as they try to fundraise for this very worthwhile school activity.

Students Driving to School

As our students become eligible to drive to school, I would like to remind everyone that our paramount concern is the safety of all students on our property. If your child is in a position to bring a vehicle to school, please contact me for an appointment. We will meet with Constable Clyde Vivian of the OPP, to register the vehicle for our property and to go over the rules and expectations. Also if your child is taking driving lessons, please be advised that I have not granted permission for driving schools to pick up your child at lunch or after school. These arrangements must be made at your personal residence.

Courses for next year

Shortly after the start of the second semester, your counsellors, Mr. Lariviere and Mr. Ungaro will be walking students through next year’s course selections. Most of the courses have been uploaded to our web site, so please encourage your child to take a look. Quite a few already had judging from the number of appointments that have been made with our counsellors.

Driving your Child to School Late (School starts at 8:17)

Last semester, I spent most mornings at the front door way from 8:00 a.m. to about 8:35 a.m. During that time I was able to observe a steady and repetitive stream of students being dropped off well past the start of our school day. Our day starts at 8:17 a.m. Punctuality is a life skill that as parents we are responsible for and we use this skill each and every day of our lives. We do so either as employees going to work or as employers, expecting our paid employees to start work on time. I get a variety of excuses from students   most are just embarrassed. When asked what caused the lateness, “my fault, I could not find…. or ….we had to drop off my brother first….or…talk to the driver….or I had a late game”.   The last one is my favourite because I then ask if they were late for the game. Of course the answer was no.

Please respect the start of the school day which is 8:17 a.m. We can make a choice to be on time.

We begin with O Canada and our morning reflection by our Chaplain, Ms Cybulko. This is a very important part of the day that sets the tone for the day. This is the time of the day when we send out our prayerful intentions.

Update on Mary

Mary continues to fight each and every day to recover. She is a brave and strong member of our school community. She is making progress every day. She is breathing on her own, cognitively she is improving and medically, the family is optimistic.   Over the holidays and as recently as last week, we have visited with the family to relay prayers, cards and support. The entire family is appreciative of the community’s prayers and support.   We continue to pray for her every day.

Dec. 13/11



Hello Everyone,

This email is for your information. Last Thursday afternoon, Constable Clyde Vivian, from the OPP read the following message over the PA. Constable Vivian is our school neighbourhood police officer. You will have seen his cruiser in front of the school most days. His role is to liaise with our students and community to build positive relationships.

“Good Afternoon, this is Constable Vivian of the OPP.

I have a community safety announcement that I wish to share with all students.

Members of our local community have expressed their concerns pertaining to traffic safety and the students here at St. Michael Catholic Secondary School.

All are encouraged to use the proper pedestrian controlled traffic signals when crossing the roads and to respect all traffic laws at these locations and in areas where no such controls exist.

This is particularly important during diminished atmospheric conditions that reduce driver’s visibility during fog, rain and snow conditions.

Please use the area sidewalks and remain off the shoulders of the roadway and on the inside guardrail that has been recently installed for your protection. The guardrail is not to be used for sitting purposes.

Ontario laws under the H.T.A. places legal responsibilities to pedestrians. Know your rights and be safe”.

Safety is always our priority here at St Michael. No doubt you have been having these conversations at home as well. Thanks for your continued support of our school.

Sincerely

F. Scarcelli

Principal

Dec. 2/11

·         Last week the Junior Girls’ Basketball team won the Tier One Basketball championships.

This is a monumental achievement as new schools usually do not achieve this level of athletic success so quickly. Our coaches, Ms. Valeriote, Ms. Stewart, Ms. Zerafa and Mr. Tenaglia have done a remarkable job over the last two seasons developing this championship team. All the girls juggled academics, and athletics in order make this commitment. The team was undefeated this season.

Congratulations to Nadia Sampogna, Rachel Vesz, Adriana Risa, Maya Allen, Sabrina Tenaglia, Marina Baldassare, Payton Deibert, Nicole Pacilla, Angela Stewart, Kaitlin Hynd and manager Samantha DeGregorio.

·         On Monday, we celebrated the Advent Liturgy in home rooms. I had the opportunity to sit in on one of the class celebrations and it was a wonderful experience. Our chaplain Ms. Cybulko, led the celebration over the PA and then the Homeroom Teachers and classrooms continued the prayer service.

·         This past Tuesday evening I attended a field trip with Mr. Bellusci, Mr. Boss, Mr. Ungaro and Mr. Pupo. They took a group of business students to a career presentation at the Ricoh Coliseum. Various members of Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment spoke to the students about careers in the sports field, in particular, sales and marketing. An administrative member of the Raptors, Leafs, Marlies and TFC discussed their education and career path. The Key-Note speaker was the Executive Vice President and C.E.O of MLSE, Tom Anselmi. His message is “If you have a passion and you are willing to work hard at it, then you will be successful”.

·         If you have an opportunity, please check out Ms. Martell’s teacher web site on our school web site. http://www.dpcdsb.org/MICHS. Click on the Teacher Web Link, on Ms. Martell’s name and then on the link at the bottom of the page. This is a 15 minute YouTube link to a speaker that all of our staff had the opportunity to see at the last PD Day. The segment is from one of Sir Ken Robinson’s talks on the importance of arts education in all of our schools, but also on his vision on the future of education for our students. It is very entertaining.

·         Look for our float in the Parade on Saturday. Don’t forget the children’s party after the parade, sponsored by staff and students. Our Arts and Technology Department has been busy creating, assembling and participating in this float.

·         Finally, as we continue with our lives and events, we still continue to pray and hold positive thoughts for our students and their families who were affected by the Motor Vehicle Accident of last week.

F Scarcelli

Nov. 23/11

By now you will have heard of the news of the accident involving two of our students. As a faith community we are saddened by these events and will be praying for their recovery.

This morning, our staff gathered before school to pray and offer our intentions. Here is an update on the events at the school.

·         Pastoral team from Holy Family Parish including Fr. Sherwin and the Youth Pastor are at the school today to provide support and counselling to students who need it

·         Chapel is open and available all day for students

·         Students in the chapel have created a massive card reflecting prayers and encouraging sentiments

·         Each class started the day with prayers and a reflection

·         The mood in the school is understandably sombre.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the two students and their families.

Frank Scarcelli

Nov. 21, 2011

Good Day,

We would like to thank all the students who attended the Junior Dance on Friday evening. It was a great evening and students were exceptionally well behaved.

Congratulations to our Jr. Girls’ Basketball team for a nail biting win on Friday. They are playing a Championship Game Tuesday evening at Sheridan College in Brampton (McLaughlin and Steeles) at 8:30 p.m. All parents are welcome and their support is much appreciated. Student council is organizing a bus to take our students to the game and to show school spirit.   Permission forms for the event will be coming home this evening.

Please see attached instructions in the event of inclement weather, bus cancellations or school closings.

Frank Scarcelli

lnclement weather, bus cancellations or school closings.

Nov. 10/11

Good Day Everyone,

Some items for your information:

Report Cards are going home on November 10th. Enjoy. Please remember that these are midterm marks only. We still have just under 9 weeks left in the semester. Still to come are the culminating activities and final exams. Both the culminating and the final exam will account for 30 percent of the remaining mark.

Midterm marks are an excellent indicator of the appropriateness of your child’s level of difficulty in his/her courses. For example, a mark of 55% in core course like English or Math is probably not going to be sufficient for entrance to a number of post secondary options. It is essential that if you are concerned about your child’s level to contact his/her counsellor. College programs have flexible transition pathways that will allow your child access to a degree with a variety of academic and applied prerequisites. Please visit the Guidance section of our website for sample pathways under Educational Planner.

For specific entrance requirements to college/university and apprenticeship programs please visit the Guidance section of our website for sample programs under the Post Secondary Opportunities http://www.dpcdsb.org/MICHS. Please go to the site and click on the guidance button on the first page. If you have specific questions or concerns about the level of your child’s course please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Lariviere and Mr. Ungaro.

On Friday during periods 1 and 2 we are having our Remembrance Day Activities. This will culminate in 2 minutes of silence at 11:00 a.m.

Ms Della Mea’s grade 11 University English Class is collecting candy to be sent to African Nations to help stimulate the appetites of starving children. If you have left over candy from Halloween please bring it to room 229.

Our Chaplain, Ms Cybulko and a group of our students from St Michael and Father Michael Goetz are leaving on Saturday for a service mission to the Dominican Republic. We wish them all the best.

If you are interested in a Volunteer Opportunity, Caledon Miracle is looking for student help on November 26 from 9:30 to 1:00 pm collecting food and toys in the Caledon area. They are offering 5 hours of community service. (Facebook: Caledon Miracle Food Drive for more information) or see your guidance counsellor.

Cynthia McDonough from George Brown College was at our school talking about their program opportunities. She spoke to all of our Grade 10 Career Studies classes as well as an assembly of College bound students.

Next Thursday evening (November 17) we are having a junior dance for our grade 9 and 10 students. Further information will be sent out early next week regarding this event.

Friday, November 18 is a Professional Development day and there will be no school.

Have a great weekend.

Frank Scarcelli

Monday Halloween:

On Monday students have the option to either dress in regular clothes or in a Halloween costume. We did this last year and the students enjoyed it very much. It is a fun activity and a good community building day. Today, home room classes have decorated their doors.

We have made several announcements explaining the parameters of this day. Essentially costumes must be in good taste. Your help is appreciated in ensuring that costumes that leave the house are appropriate for a school environment. Should the costumes not be appropriate, VP’s Ramalho and Hastings will be calling to ask for a change of clothing.

Lates to School and to Class:

Effective October 27^th, our automated absence tracker will also be calling you if your child has been recorded late to class. This is for your information for you to be aware. Student’s full attendance in class is a key component to overall success and is reflected in the Learning Skills and Work-Habits section of the Provincial Report Card.

In reality, we are here to teach our students how the outside world works. If they do not show up for work, they do not get paid. If they are late too many times, they will not be rehired, promoted or given the best jobs.

Reminder report cards come home on November 10.

Have a great weekend.