A Heartfelt Thanks to the Aquinas Community for Their Generosity Towards the Christmas Drive Ward 3 Trustee: Anna Podesta daSilva Ward 7 Trustee: Shawn Xaviour As in the past, we as a community rose to the occasion and were able to reach out to and support thirty-two families - 45 Adults and 85 children - during this Christmas Season. All were from within our community. Your contribution and outreach was more than generous! Being on the frontline we interface with the families who have many struggles and challenges, however, continue to work hard and make things better for themselves and their children. It is during these very difficult times that the support and outreach from caring people make all the difference. Many times it gives families the boost and motivation to deal with their adversities and emerge stronger. Ward 8 Trustee: Shawn Xaviour Board Chair: Mario Pascucci Superintendent: Denise Oude-Reimerink Principal: Rosina Ariganello Vice-Principals: Lina Iacobucci (A-DL) Paul Nalli (DM-K) Olivera Glasford (L-P) Toni Di Franco (Q-Z) Feeder Schools: Cardinal Newman George Vanier Lester B. Pearson St. Anthony St. Jean Brebeuf St. John Bosco St. John Fisher St. Marguerite Bourgeoys It is difficult for me to tell you how many hugs, words of gratitude, tears of happiness and blessings I received on your behalf. The families have asked me to convey their heartfelt gratitude for your support and generosity in their time of need and wanted me to let you know that you have made a difference in their lives and made Christmas happen in their homes. Chair of School Council John Creighton February 2016 Vol. 7/No.2 - Dr. Uma Agarwal, Social Worker I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I SOCIAL JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY Principal’s Message As we begin the new year of 2016, I want to share my sincere gratitude with the staff and students of St. Thomas Aquinas for coming together during the Christmas season to support 32 families in need with food, gift cards and gifts. We are also grateful to Sobeys for their generous donation of food vouchers and to Student Council for their donation of turkeys and Walmart gift cards for each family. Your contribution and outreach was more than generous, and I thank you for making a difference for these families by giving them the opportunity to celebrate Christmas. I am truly blessed to be part of the St. Thomas Aquinas school community, and I hope this New Year is filled with faith, good health and happiness. I look forward to our continued work together as we move into our second semester. We have many exciting activities and events to look forward to such as the Senior Semi-Formal Dance, Les Miserables School Edition musical, and Solidarity Night. On Thursday, March 31st, all Grade 10 students will write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test and all Grade 9 students will write a practice version of the same test. We also have Parent-Teacher Interviews on the same day in the evening from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. “Live simply so others may simply live.” This year, Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on March 20th, 2016 when we return from March Break. During Holy Week, we reflect on Jesus’ suffering for our sins, and school activities are limited so that staff and students can be with their families during this sacred time. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and His gift of new life to all of us. I wish the staff and students of St. Thomas Aquinas a joyful Easter. – Gandhi Sincerely, Rosina Ariganello I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I Page 2 Year of Mercy 2015-2016 Service with a Smile A s usual, Service with a Smile had a busy semester. Every year, they help with school activities such as masses, retreats, the Terry Fox walk, Christmas Drive, sorting lost and found items for Regeneration and sorting uniform donations. This semester they were involved in at least three additional special projects. First, they sent letters of support to a Toronto public school and a Peterborough mosque: both communities suffered shocking and unjustified retaliations after the Paris terrorist attacks. Second, they partnered with some of our Planning for Independence students to cook and serve lunch at Regeneration soup kitchen. And lastly, they had a lot of fun making sixty 3-D and 2-D snowflakes to decorate for the Junior Dance. Service with a Smile continues to be a place where students make valuable contributions to our community while making friends and having fun! www.dpcdsb.org/AQUIN Members of our Cambodia Trip group attended the annual D&P conference at Father Michael Goetz S.S. in November. This year D&P is asking all of us to focus on Creating a Climate of Change. Most importantly, we learned that Canada is among the countries contributing most to Global Warming, while the poorest nations are experiencing the greatest suffering as a result of climate changes. People of faith are called to live more sustainably at a personal and community level to minimize our carbon emissions. After attending the conference, the thirteen STA participants arranged for their classmates to sign postcards encouraging the Canadian government to push for an internationally binding agreement on climate change to ensure that the world’s temperature rise does not exceed 2 degrees. The December Paris climate talks accomplished that, as well as ensuring resources for the poorest nations suffering from climate change. To learn more about what you can do, visit www.devp.org/en/education/fall2015/moreactions. Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Mercy officially opened in December. We celebrated our Advent Mass on December 3, with a guest priest, Father Mark Hoo. Father Mark, is from the same priestly order as St. Thomas Aquinas himself, the Dominican Order of Preachers. His homily encouraged each of us to find mentors we can look up to, and to engage in acts of mercy to strengthen us mentally and spiritually. To celebrate the Year of Mercy during Advent, we had five separate groups volunteer in the two Brampton soup kitchens: Knights Table and Regeneration. In total, about fifty students and staff and their families were involved. Meanwhile, in classes, students and staff personalized 1200 Christmas postcards that were sent to retirement homes, soup kitchens, the Brampton Youth Prison, and Covenant House Youth Shelter. A special congratulations goes out to Ella Anarna, a Grade 9 student in the Arts Club, and Visual Arts RAP students Anne Manuel, Kelly Monaghan and Koa Vu for designing and creating the cards. 25 Corporation Dr. Brampton, ON. L6S 6A2 (905) 791-1195 Development and Peace Conference I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I Page 3 EVENTS AND EXTRA CURRICULARS Student Council Transforms Cafeteria into Winter Wonderland for Junior Dance 2015 On December 4th, Student Council hosted the 2015 Junior Dance. This was an evening filled with fun, food and of course, great music! The cafeteria was transformed into a beautiful winter wonderland and over 400 students attended this amazing event. Students hit the dance floor and the photo booth, posing for pictures with friends throughout the evening. Pizza and french-fries were enjoyed by all, brought to us by Mr. Schaller and his awesome volunteers. “Accomplishment is easiest when we work the hardest, and it is hardest when we work the easiest.” This event would not have been possible without the amazing senior students who volunteered and worked tirelessly to ensure the dance was well organized, decorated, and lots of fun. Thank you to all of the staff supervisors and admin team who stayed throughout the evening to ensure the dance was safe and enjoyed by all. This was truly a night to remember, summed up perfectly by one of our Grade 10 students, who exclaimed, “Honestly this dance was the best night ever!” Up next Cardinals- Senior Dance, happening February 19th! See you there! I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I Page 4 Comics N More Club Student Council visits ReGeneration The Comics N More Club is taking January off to have the biggest and best club ever in semester 2 of 2016. On Monday, December 21, members of Student Council (along with Grade 11 and 12 Leadership students) visited ReGeneration. This was Student Council’s second opportunity to participate in ReGeneration’s Annual Children’s Christmas party. During semester one, students congregated in room 241 to look through Mr. Cammarata’s newest purchases from his local comic book shop. They also perused all the literature available in room 241, from graphic novels and comics from free comic book days, to prose novels and art books. Fun was had by both the guests and volunteers! The students planned The club also added this year more and executed a variety of activities activities: including collectible card for kids of all ages including: game (CCG) tournaments, new video hockey, ornament making, board games on different platforms from the Nintendo Wii, PS3, and XBOX 360 to games, camp games and bracelet newer systems. making. Students also volunteered in the kitchen helping Carol in For semester 2, we hope to grow the club and add more people, from grade 9 to creating an amazing lunch. our prospective graduates in grade 12. As the club grows we are looking for new members, new ideas (like potential theme days and field trips) and new memories. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams On Thursday, December 10 of last year, 65 Aquinas students traveled to YMCA’s Cedar Glen to participate in a variety of teambuilding and leadership activities. Ms. Campbell’s Grade 11 and 12 Leadership students were joined by students from Ms. Williams’ Alternative Education course on this exciting, outdoor adventure. All students enjoyed the night hike, giant maze, and low rope activities. This trip helps students to practice the theoretical skills learned throughout the semester while also having fun. A great time was had by all! Thank you to all the teachers who came along to supervise, Mr. Schaller and Mr. Piskorz, the trip would not have been possible without you. Many students explained that “it felt good to be outside, away from the city and bonding with classmates.” This trip allows students to get out of their comfort zones and enjoy some time in nature (as well as the awesome game room!) This was a unique opportunity and a wonderful learning experience, so thank you to all who made this trip possible! www.dpcdsb.org/AQUIN Leadership Students Travel to Cedar Glen 25 Corporation Dr. Brampton, ON. L6S 6A2 (905) 791-1195 Thank you to Student Council, Maria Borsato and all students who There is lots planned for next semester so come out and hang, every Tuesday, in volunteered that day, making this the next semester! great event possible. See you next year! Be there True Believers! I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I Page 5 Grade 7 Skilled Trades Day November 4th, 2015 The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is one of the largest school boards in Ontario with approximately 83,000 students in 149 schools located throughout Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon and Orangeville. On November 4th, 2015 over 390 Grade 7 Dufferin-Peel CDSB students had the opportunity to participate in various hands-on Skilled Trades activities located at St. Francis Xavier Secondary School. Aquinas hospitality was asked to represent our board in the baking and culinary divisions of this annual event. According to DPCDSB’s Mary Davis, “HOSPITALITY WAS THE BIGGEST DRAW, YOUR STUDENTS WERE PROFESSIONAL AND REPRESENTED STA WITH PRIDE.” The Aquinas Yearbook The Debating Club at Aquinas Shines! At the Peel-York Regional Debate Tournament two teams comprising of Sabah Kainat, Marie Sobrepena, Iqra Azhar, and Denelle Carvalho participated. In the face of intense pressure, the teams took part in four rounds of debates, two prepared and two impromptu. The Yearbook Club wrapped up its work for semester one, having completed the cover, end pages and several sports, arts and events pages, such as Halloween, Harvest Festival and Junior and Senior Boys Football. The Grade 12 Yearbook class is taking over in February. For the first time ever, the St. Thomas Aquinas Yearbook will have all its pages in colour! Also, the Yearbook cost will now be covered through student fees! Every student will receive a copy, with expected delivery date in mid-June 2016. The 32 page all-colour insert, which contains spring events such as Multicultural Day, Spring Sports teams, Athletic Banquet and the Prom, is to be delivered to students in September 2016. Both teams had a strong finish with Sabah Kainat and Marie Sobrepena qualifying for the Ontario Provincials that are taking place on February 26-28, 2016 at Upper Canada College in Toronto. Advisors Mrs. Menezes and Mr. Cerullo are pleased with their achievement and wish them the best of luck in the upcoming Provincials. I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I Page 6 Robotics The Aquinas Robotics Club has had a great first semester. In October, the club entered the Conestoga Cyber Olympiad where the challenge was to transport a pumpkin from Canada to the USA with the best time. Following a brief tutorial, the competitors were given approximately five hours to design, build, test and tinker with their creations in order to prove that their design was superior! Team Ice^3 finished in first place taking home the gold medal. Team Bazinga also placed, adding another medal to the school’s ever growing collection! Many thanks go out to Mr. Sullivan for driving the teams all the way to Conestoga! Micro plastic Workshop at Aquinas During two days in November, Aquinas students, along with and visiting Cardinal Leger students were given a very special opportunity to experience a Micro Plastic workshop www.dpcdsb.org/AQUIN The Robotics club looks forward to Robofest 2016, which will take place in Newmarket, on April 15th. More news to come! 25 Corporation Dr. Brampton, ON. L6S 6A2 (905) 791-1195 On November 28, the St. Thomas Aquinas Robotics Club competed in the SumoBot competition at University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology. The two teams dedicated many hours building, programming, and coding their robots to enter the competition. This year, one of Aquinas’ teams came in fifth place out of 55 teams, while the other team made it to the semi-finals. All of this was possible thanks to the guidance and supervision of Mr. Raasch, Ms. Pais, and Ms. Naughton. We would also like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Ferro for giving up their Saturday and driving the Aquinas Robotics team to Oshawa. presented by the Region of Peel. Micro Plastics are one of the major problems facing the world’s oceans and waterways today. In the workshop, students were able to use samples taken from Lake Ontario and they discovered the enormous numbers of micro plastics found in our major source of drinking water. Students were able to understand and identify numerous plastics that are used today such as micro beads, cosmetics, facial scrubs and water bottles that can end up in are water and, therefore, in the aquatic species of Lake Ontario. These workshops will continue in second semester to allow even more Aquinas students the opportunity to understand and experience the damage we are doing by using Micro Plastics. I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I Page 7 I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I ARTS Christmas Concert 2015 It was a warmish December evening when 100 music students had the chance to show off and strut their respective stuffs for an audience of parents, friends and music enthusiasts. This celebration of music extracurricular activities is in its 12th year, and as always Aquinas students did not disappoint. We had the opportunity to welcome the new grade 9 class into our program as they performed Christmas favourites on instruments they have only begun to play this year. Another new addition to the program this year is the “Julian’s Hair Quintet” (I could not make this stuff up) featuring the completely student-directed group with Andrew Gormley, Nicholas Cortez, Jordan Morris, Nicolas Cicci and Julian Musa. Our Symphonic Band played selections including an arrangement from Harry Potter, and we were able to bring a new jazz group called the Jazz Ensemble into the line-up for its debut. Our show concluded with our most advanced groups (the Wind Ensemble and Stage Band) performing challenging repertoire and demonstrating what hard work and practice can accomplish. We are very proud of the efforts of these young musicians, and look forward to doing this all over again on April 14th! Grade 12 Instrumental Music It’s been a busy semester for the Grade 12 Instrumental Music class! The students in this Senior class have been assigned a leadership role in its commitment to running music activities and contributing to Aquinas events. This class has played spirit music at the Roger’s Centre for our Football teams, coordinated and facilitated this year’s Koffee Haus, performed music before and after the Academic Awards, toured and brought music to some of our elementary schools and our Grade 12 “Julian’s Hair Quintet” brought spirit to our soccer team’s half time in early January. Grade 12s, it’s been a busy term for you and thank you for everything you have done to contribute to Aquinas culture and events. I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I Page 10 ACADEMICS Math News In semester one, the Department of Mathematics hosted the after-school tutoring session in Room 307 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday. An average of more than twenty scholars in Grades 9 to 12 came to complete unfinished class tests and assignments, and have their mathematical questions answered. This tutoring program resumes in midFebruary. In late November, more than a dozen intense Math scholars braved the two-hour problem-solving University of Waterloo Senior and Intermediate Mathematics Contests. In the Senior Contest, the top Aquinas student was Grade 12 scholar Anhadvir Singh. In the Intermediate Contest, Grade 10 student Mark Sabado was the highest achiever. The University of Waterloo Grade 9, 10 and 11 Pascal, Cayley and Fermat Math Contest will be written Thursday, February 25th. There may still be a few spots available for second semester Math students eager to write. If you wish to write one of these contests, see Mr. Chambers in Room 324, the 3rd floor Math Office, before all the spots are gone. From Guidance The Aquinas on-line course selection deadline for the 2016-2017 academic year has passed. If you have not yet registered or paid your activity fee, please see your counsellor as soon as possible. Please note that certain elective courses may no longer be available. Course verification sheets for the 2016-2017 academic year will be distributed in March. This will be an opportunity for students to make course selection changes if available for next year. College and university deadlines have passed for equal consideration. Any early offers of admission are mostly conditional, based upon the completion of graduation requirements and upon the receipt of final marks in June. College deadline was February 1, 2016. University deadline was January 13, 2016. Looking ahead: Summer school applications are out at the end of March OSAP presentation in April Dual Credits: If you have applied for dual credits but do not know your status, please see your counselor ASAP. Graduation Information: Assemblies by Homeroom during the week of February 16-19, 2016. If you do not have a homeroom semester 2, please see Mr. Connolly in the Library that week. Graduation Fee of $80 will be collected March 29-April 1, 2016 in the Library on all three lunches; cash only please. Prom ticket sales of $85 will be collected April 11, 13 and 15, 2016. Graduation Awards Applications due by April 19, 2016 in the Library. Valedictorian Nomination Forms due before April 29, 2016 in the Library I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I Page 11 ATHLETICS SENIOR BOYS’ BASKETBALL Your Senior Boys Basketball team has had a busy season so far, participating in The Central Peel Classic (4th place), Maple High (3rd place) and The Heart Lake Invitational Tournament (2nd place). The team has taken off since losing the gold medal game in the Heart Lake Tourney, posting a 7-0 league record that sits The Cardinals at the top of Tier 2. “There is no stopping us!” The Cardinals are off to Villanova College for an intense tournament this month, to better prepare them for the playoffs. We anticipate this confidence and overall team success will translate into another ROPPSSA win! Go Cardinals! Missing in team picture below: Ms. Castellano, Mr. Rodney, Samuel Campbell I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I Page 12 Flag Football 2015 Aquinas Swim Team 2015-16 Lady Cardinals finished 3rd in their division, then went on to finish 3rd out of 21 teams in ROPSSAA. After completing the season the team finished with a 5-3 record, and ranked 3rd for ‘points for’ and 8th for ‘points against’ in ROPSSAA. Unfortunately the season ended with a very close loss in their semi-final game against the 2014 ROPSSAA champions. The final score was 6-0 against John Fraser Secondary School. 21 enthusiastic and highly skilled swimmers, some returning and many new, have already competed in two mini-meets and a pre-ROPSAA competition at the Etobicoke Olympium. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons show growth and advancement of our swimmers. The coaches are hopeful the team will increase their speed and clinch the big OFSAA spot. Special thanks to this year’s team captains Sarah Owusu and Reah Cummings. An honourable mention goes out to Sarah Owusu and Mikayla Dayes who were selected to be the team’s MVP’s for the Ontario’s Touch Football 2015 high school all-star team roster. The ladies would like to say a special goodbye to the team’s graduating player Michella Alleyne. Good luck in your post-secondary goals. Coaches Dixon, Piskorz, Teoh, and Bomben would like to thank the girls for such a fantastic season. The coaching staff would like to wish all the Cardinals luck and blessings in their future endeavors. The coaching staff is looking forward to a powerful season next year with 24 out of 25 girls returning. Go Cardinals! Peace & Blessings Coach Dixon The Junior Mixed Relay team featuring, Gabbi, Julie, Alisha and Margaret, are blending nicely and learning the meaning of the word team, along with the Open Mixed Relay consisting of Seniors Breanna and Jasmine, and our juniors Emma and Nicole. Margaret also successfully came 3rd at pre-ROPSAA in 100m free style and Gabbi beat 94 competitors to be 4th in 50m back. 50m free pre-ROPSAA 2ND place winner Sean and 3rd place winner Michael must shave off about 1 second each to qualify for OFSAA. Junior Freestyle Relay, including Michael, Cameron, Ryan, Gavin and our super-fast anchor Sean, placed 5th at pre-ROPSAA, which also indicates potential hopefuls for greater success. Club swimmers, Nicole and Shaelyn are a great addition to the team, totaling to individual events ribbon list. Seniors, Benjamin and Eduardo hold many good memories and individual accomplishments with the swim team. Esteban and Jessica are also working hard and improving their speed meet after meet and our Juniors, Dane and Camilla, have improved tremendously since the beginning of the season, and Keeley will be in full swing next year. Coaches Poweska, Okresa and Zufich are thrilled at this year’s swim team success and excited for future potential medals. Good luck is extended to all the swim team members. I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I Page 13 Junior Cardinals at the Rim Rocker The 2015-16 Junior Boys’ Basketball team is earning a reputation as one of the best junior teams in Peel Region. At the St. Francis Xavier Rim Rocker (the OFSSAA of junior basketball) the team made it to the Elite Eight and only barely missed out on the semi-finals. This tournament features most of the best junior teams in the GTA. The Cardinals beat tournament finalists Vaughan in the group stage to finish top. In the Sweet Sixteen STA defeated Bishop Reading before losing to Sir John A. McDonald in the final minute of their ultra-competitive division. This current generation of Elite Eight match up. junior players are laying the foundation for a successful basketball program for years to come. Based on the Earlier in the season the team participated in two other success of this generation of juniors, the senior team tournaments, making it to the finals of both, and winning will be making some serious noise next year. one. The team looks poised to make the playoffs in an Cardinal Cross Country ROPSSAA and OFSAA Recap The Cardinal Cross Country team ran at the ROPSSAA Championship at Heartlake Conservation Area in October 29th 2015. Our athletes raced hard and represented our school well with a number of top ten individual finished and team results. The athletes needed to finish in the top four individuals to advance onto the provincial championship, or their team had to score in the top two teams. Our Senior Girls’ team raced their best race of the season but unfortunately placed third, missing second by only two points! It was a sad finish to a great season for those girls, but they’re already working to seek revenge on the track in the spring. Well done girls! Four of our individual runners, Michael Ciepiela, Cherelle Clarke, Bianca McCauley and Juan Castro were able to run their way to the top four individuals in each of their races, securing themselves a spot at OFSAA. On November 7th, 2015, these four athletes travelled to Collingwood to compete in one of the most challenging OFSAA races in recent history! They showed their fitness, determination and grit by running through five kilometers of ankle deep mud in the hills of the Highlands Nordic Ski Trails in Duntroon against the fastest distance runners in Ontario. Coaches Mrs Okresa and Mrs Kalaouzis are so proud of the entire team on yet another successful season. Well done runners! Now it’s time to clean the mud off of your spikes and get ready for track season. I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I Page 14 PARENTS’ CORNER 2015-16 School Year Calendar Additional Professional Activity Day: Monday, April 11, 2016 Terms of the recent contract settlement between the teacher federations and the Ministry of Education included the provision of an additional Professional Activity Day for the 2015-2016 school year for both elementary and secondary schools. Recently, boards were directed to schedule this additional Professional Development Day on or before April 15, 2016. In the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, the designated additional Professional Activity Day has been scheduled for Monday, April 11, 2016. Therefore, there will be no classes for either elementary or secondary students on Monday, April 11, 2016. Thank you for your attention to this addition to the 2015-16 School Year Calendar. Uniform Policy in Effect 2016-2017 FREE AFTERSCHOOL, ENRICHED LITERACY TUTORING FOR STUDENTS WRITING THE ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL LITERACY TEST ON MARCH 31, 2016 The school uniform for the 20162017 school year will be as follows. Please note the changes to the current uniform. Rugby shirts can still be worn during the 2016-2017 school year St. Thomas Aquinas will be offering after-school Enriched Literacy Tutoring to all students who will be writing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test on March 31, 2016. In addition, these classes will be mandatory for all students who may be at risk of being unsuccessful on the OSSLT. These classes will provide students with the extra practice and support needed to write the OSSLT. The 8 classes will be held Feb. 18, Feb. 23, Feb. 25, Mar. 1, Mar. 3, Mar. 8, Mar. 10, and Mar. 29, 2016 from 2:30 – 3:45pm. An information letter with the additional details for these classes and a registration form will be available to all students who will be writing the OSSLT. We hope your child takes advantage of this amazing opportunity! White golf shirts can still be worn during the 2016-2017 school year Red golf shirt (New) Black full-zip jacket (New) NOTE: The red or the white golf shirt must be worn underneath the black full-zip jacket. Black pants with Cardinal logo All-black shoes NOTE: All items (other than shoes) must be purchased from R.J. McCarthy’s School Uniforms I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I Page 15 ART OLYMPICS On December 16th, the PIP students, together with Mrs. Campbell’s leadership class participated in Arts Olympics. Many schools in the community came together at Notre Dame Secondary School to celebrate this event. Each school was responsible for singing their own song, as well as learning it in sign language. CO-OP Career Fair St. Thomas Aquinas sang the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. Throughout the day the students learned dances, did crafts and sang songs. When it was time to present, all schools came together in the cafeteria. The PIP and leadership students had a wonderful day with friends, both new and old. Koffee Haus I I I I I I I I I I I I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I FAITH I HOPE I LOVE I