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Welcome to Week 9!  I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend – 1 hour longer as we returned to Standard Time.  As we enter our third month of school, we celebrate November’s virtue of peacemaking.  The quote of the month comes from John 14:27:

Peace I leave you, my peace I give to you .

We may also want to share a thought with our advisees from Blessed Mother Teresa, who reminds us, A smile is the beginning of peace.

Thanks to all our Instructional Assistants who participated in last week’s Minolta photocopy in-service.  They are now the experts on the intricacies of our photocopying machines and should be consulted if any questions arise.  We are doing what we can to minimize the number of problems we have been experiencing with the photocopiers as we recognize the frustration that results when they breakdown. 

Violet, Derek, and I enjoyed our Monday Lunch and Learn session with our new staff that focused on reporting.  Thanks to Kathy Saran and Nicole Powell for giving of their time to share their expertise.

Our Australian visitors, all 30 of them, enjoyed their time at Mary Ward this past Wednesday and Thursday.  Thanks to all the staff and students who took time to chat and explain our version of self-directed learning.  A special thanks to those who played a key role in the two days: Matt Candiotto, Tawnee, Anna Dalgarno, Lynda, Karen Erle, Dave Frair, Vince, Dana, Susanna Mak, Maura, John Notten, Eileen, Kathy Saran, Paulette, Amy, Lisa Weathers, and Ryan Wong.  Thanks to Kara for selecting some great OASIS leaders who gave of their time to lead the tours and act as model representatives.  Thanks also to Maureen Collie for the use of the library during their visit.  We all have a personal invitation to visit Australia, allowing our guests to reciprocate our hospitality. 

Our appreciation goes to the Social Committee for the delicious Octoberfest lunch last Wednesday, and to Lee who organized the left-overs for all to enjoy the next day.

We had over one hundred parents turn out for the Grad Parent Information Night last Wednesday.  Thanks to Lynda and Derek for leading such an informative session.

Thanks to Maureen Collie, Susanna Mak, and Kara for organizing the Gr. 9 Ontario Comprehension Assessment last Thursday.  The results of this initial assessment, along with the results of the second assessment in April, greatly assists with the identification of students who need extra help with their literacy skills.  Thanks, as well, to Wendy Jones for assisting on the day of the assessment.

Our grade 10 and 11 students enjoyed the OYAP presentation last Thursday.  Thanks to Wendy Cassibault, Paul, and Lynda for arranging for Mr. DiLoreto’s visit.

The second group of Gr. 12 students participated in their overnight retreat at Cedar Glen last Thursday and Friday.  Thanks to Mary Louise and Peter for facilitating this reflective time for our graduating students.  The thoughts that were shared during the retreat definitely emphasize the value and need for this event.  Thanks to Dana and Fred for assisting with the retreat and Violet for making the trip to Nobleton to share her scary yet hopeful story during the campfire. Maybe we can convince Violet to share with us at a future staff meeting.

Thanks to all staff who took our students on trips last week: John Notten’s AVI4M and IDC 4U visit to the International Art Expo; Joanna Morra and Marie Ventura for facilitating the opportunity for our DECA club to participate in the Toronto Regional Competition and place well in the standings; Sandra, Maria Scarano, and Marie Ventura’s BBI trip; Dave Frair, Karen Heisz, and Ryan Wong’s excursion to the Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative, and Kara’s Gr. 9 and 10 credit recovery trip to the Toronto Island.

Thanks, also, to the staff that remained behind and covered areas to allow these excursions to happen.

Mary-Lynn, Marissa, and John Notten escorted some of our senior art students to Italy.  They departed at 8:15 on Friday and will return November 7.  We will all live vicariously through their stories and pictures upon their return.  Enjoy! They will all be missed and we look forward to welcoming them home to Ward.

Pierre Cuschieri will participate in a First Aid certification course November 2 and 3.  Perhaps no one is more appreciative of Pierre’s initiative than Jenn Wisniowski, who will now have help in dealing with the various incidents that arise in the school.  If any other staff members are certified in First Aid, please advise Derek.  The more qualified individuals we have on staff, the better to avoid continuously calling upon the same individuals.

Please remind your advisees of Bogdan’s email last week highlighting the return of the lunch Math Tutorial Sessions.  Thanks to the entire math department for encouraging our stellar math students to share their skills with those students who require extra support.

During Tuesday’s TA, please take time to review the lockdown procedures with your advisees in preparation for Thursday’s Drill.  Please refer to Derek’s memo that will be given to all staff on Monday.

Department Heads are reminded to submit the names of all students in carry over courses to Derek in preparation for Friday’s exams.

Monday, November 2 is Day 7.  We celebrate All Soul’s Day and remember all of the deceased in our community.  We especially pray for Angela Cardinale and her family as they mourn the loss of her father.

Today marks Unit 4 Target Date and the first entry of Conditional Zeroes.  The Academic Alert Cycle begins; please refer to Derek’s memo for further details.

We welcome Sr. Jane McDonnell and Sr. Mary Elizabeth of the Loreto Sisters.  Sr. Mary Elizabeth is visiting from Peru and will speak to some of our students in the cafetorium from 10 – 11 a.m.

Guelph Humber will present at 9 a.m. and George Brown will present at 11 a.m.

The Admin. Team will meet with SAC at lunch in the Office Conference Room.

Lucy Valentini’s Italian Language Club will now meet on Mondays after school to accommodate the after school literacy course.

Before heading home for the day, stop by the gym to cheer on our Sr. Girls Basketball team in their game against Jean Vanier.  Coaches Dever and Rossi and the girls always appreciate the fan support.

Tuesday, November 3 is Day 8.  Dr. Engalla travels to Sunnybrook Health Centre with her TPJ 3/4M students.  There will be a Pastoral Guidelines Meeting at 10 a.m. in the Office Conference Room and Trent University will present at 11 a.m.  The Steering Committee will meet at 2 p.m. in the Library Conference Room. 

Tawnee and Vida’s Spanish Club will meet after school and the after school literacy course for first time writers will meet have their opening class.  This course will continue until February and will help to prepare our students for the OSSLT in April.  Please ensure your advisees are aware of this opportunity and refer them to Violet for further information.

Wednesday, November 4 is Day 9.  Our Gr. 9 students will participate in Take Our Kids To Work Day, and we will welcome approximately 170 Gr. 8 students from our associate schools, (i.e., Epiphany of Our Lord, Holy Spirit, St. Aidan, St. Henry, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. Sylvester) from 9:30 – 11:30 to experience a day in high school.  Thanks to the Guidance Department, particularly Peter, for facilitating this day for our future students.

The Royal Military College will present at 11 a.m.

Thursday, November 5 is Day 10.  We welcome Andreina DiCiaula who will be working with our secretaries and shadowing Paulette for the next two days in her secretarial training. We will have a lockdown drill at some point during the day.  Sylvia’s AWD 4M students will visit the Nanopod Studio for a Flameworking Workshop and there will be a Firefighters presentation at 10 a.m.

Darlene’s Latin Club will meet in the Family Studies area at lunch.

The after school literacy course for students re-writing the OSSLT begins today and will continue until February.  We also invite our ESL students to these classes to offer further support in developing their English skills.

Drop by the Den after school for the girls’ basketball double-header against St. Joseph’s College.

Friday, November 6 is Carry Over Exam Day.  Further details on the schedule and responsibilities of the day will follow.  At 11:30, all staff will gather in the chapel to celebrate mass with Fr. Gerry Tannon, CSSP.

Joanna Morra and Marie Ventura will travel with the DECA club to Buffalo for a 3-day NARCON Leadership Conference.  We will welcome them back on Monday.

We also wish our Student Council along with Michelle Albert and Sandra Pezzetta a safe trip and enjoyable time at the SAC Leadership Conference in Niagara Falls.  They will depart Sunday and return Tuesday.

Finally, please take note of the opportunity to register for TCDSB E-news.  This free electronic news subscription provides regular updates about our school board and is available to anyone interested in the TCDSB.  The updates are made on a weekly basis, and if you subscribe, you will receive a reminder email every Friday to review the updates.  To subscribe, click on the E-news icon on the left side of the TCDSB homepage.

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