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ST. Augustine Catholic Secondary School
27 Drinkwater Road Brampton, ON, L6Y 4T6
Phone: (905) 450-9993, Fax: (905) 450-0955
www.dpcdsb.org/AUGST
Principal
Tom Iwasiw
Vice Principal
Brian Bieth
Debbie Duke-Kelly
Maria van der Vegt
Chaplaincy Leader
Kathleen Ware
Head Secretary
Margaret Gormley
School Council Chair
Cheryl Brohart
Superintendant
Liz Kazimowicz
Family of Schools
Mississauga Brampton
Central
Trustees
Anne da Silva
Brampton Wards 1,3,4
(416) 706-5679
Linda Zanella
Brampton Wards 2,5,6
(416) 579-0126
Parish
Fr. Jan Kolodynski
(905) 455-4260
Elementary
Feeder Schools
Our Lady Of Peace
Pauline Vanier St.Brigid
St.Joseph St.Kevin
St. Monica
Director of Education
John Kostoff
Board Chairperson
Anna Abbruscato
Peel Police School Liaison
Const. Luc Perreault
Const. Lily Roy
D.P.C.D.S.B Website
www.dpcdsb.org
“Ever Ancient, Ever New”
Volume 23, Issue 2
Winter 2011
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
The first semester of this school year has ended. It is my hope that the
results in the enclosed report card have met the expectations of you
and your child. To me, the beginning of semester 2 represents a new
start…a fresh start… the opportunity to reflect and make changes that
support the students as they move along the road towards graduation. In keeping with
your theme for this year of “Celebrate the Spirit”, I ask our students to always look
at where they want to be at the end of this school year with respect to their goals and
do what needs to be done so that they can celebrate their spirit and drive that allowed
them to reach their goals.
Extra-curricular activities and athletics went ahead full speed at St. Augustine in
semester 1. I congratulate and thank those students who represented our school on
the fields, in the gyms and meeting rooms. By becoming involved in the school
community, our students have had the opportunity to practice skills that they will find
very useful once they leave St. Augustine for their post-secondary education. As
well, I would like to thank our staff for their contributions as coaches and staff advisors
in semester 1.
We have had a number of changes in our staff as we start semester 2. It is with great
sadness that I report the passing of Mr. Kevin O’Connor, a member of our Math/ Special
Education department. Mr. Denyszyn will continue to take over Mr. O’Connor’s time
table for the remainder of the school year. Ms. Furtado is now off on leave. We welcome
Ms. Vassallo, who will take over Ms. Furtado’s timetable. I would like to thank Mr.
John Minardi who took over for me from the end of October until January when I was
off on leave. I have to say that it is good to be back.
God Bless
Tom Iwasiw
CHAPLAINCY UPDATE
As always, St. Augustine was off to a very busy year, full of faith-filled opportunities, designed to help others and ourselves, grow in
the Spirit. Speaking of the Spirit, we are going to focus on the theme of “Celebrating the Spirit” this year. This theme is central to our
Pastoral Plan and our prayer life. It is also the theme for Catholic Education Week which will be celebrated in March. The Student
and Staff Chaplaincy Teams have been very busy implementing the Pastoral Plan which is available for review on the St. Augustine
website. These activities included our opening school Mass on October 5th where Fr. Rudy Volk presided. He had an important
message for the students in that they must slow down, take time to meet with Christ in their daily lives and not to be so distracted by
life. He especially mentioned that the students need to unplug on a regular basis and meet face to face with others for it is through our
fellow human beings that we will encounter Christ.
Chaplaincy worked with Mrs. Erwin to bring in a Dufferin-Peel student from St. Cornelius, Maggie, to speak to the Grade 12’s about
childhood cancer. Maggie, who is only four years old, spoke about a typical day for her when she is undergoing chemotherapy
treatments. The students then worked in homerooms to create large posters with messages of hope for Childhood Cancer Awareness.
These were beautifully displayed in the forum and are now hanging proudly in a number of Grade 12 homerooms. The event was
called “Art for Hope” and Crayola donated all of the chalk for the event. The students raised over $350 for the cause.
We had a very successful Thanksgiving food drive. As always, the St. Augustine community was very generous and we collected
thirty boxes of food. Mr. Poppe’s homeroom class deserves special recognition for the over one hundred items collected. This was
delivered to the Knight’s Table right here in Brampton, where it will be used in their soup kitchen and food bank. Retreats also went
out on a regular basis. The Grade 9 retreats were with Heather and Joe Jacobs at St. Jerome’s Parish and focused on the many
relationships in their lives. The Grade 10’s are concentrating on homelessness and poverty at the Knight’s table. The Grade 11’s are
looking at diversity and inclusion through working with special needs adults at St. Jude’s Academy of the Arts, while the Grade 12’s
are visiting Canadian Food For Children at Dr. Simone’s warehouse to learn more about charity and social justice.
Our Christmas food and gift drive was a huge success. We provided groceries and gifts for eighteen deserving families in the Brampton
Community. As well, we received other items that were donated to the Knight’s Table, the Salvation Army and Dr. Simone’s warehouse.
I am always so proud of the generosity and caring shown by the students and staff of St. Augustine. From March 5 to 16, 2011, four
Grade 12 students will be travelling to Nicaragua to work on a special project. We will be travelling to the north of the country to build
a Community Centre. St. Augustine has organized this trip in the past and it is being revived with great interest and enthusiasm. The
students will be canvassing the community for fundraising items, as well as, selling a number of items to raise funds for our project.
Please support them in any way that you can. You will hear much more about this initiative as the trip draws closer.
Blessings,
K. Ware
ST. AUGUSTINE ATHLETIC COUNCIL
DRAMA
The St. Augustine Athletic Council continues to provide
extracurricular activities for students. In December, the Dodgeball
tournament ended in a battle between the Teachers’, Team
Trouble and The Other Guys. Sadly, The Other Guys were
defeated in overtime. Better luck next time.
Things in the Drama and Dance Department are very productive.
Stage time is at a premium as rehearsals for Alice in Wonderland,
A Streetcar Named Desire, Unity and Dance are well underway.
Prop crew, tech crew and stage management are all drawing new
members and incentives. Certainly, the business of creating a
show is of great interest to our students. It takes more than the
actors to draw the curtain on opening night.
At the time of printing, the Athletic Council was also organizing
a second Floor Hockey Tournament and a Ski and Snowboard
Trip to Mount St. Louis Moonstone.
Coming up next month, we have the “Ashon Reid 3 on 3 Basketball
Tournament”, as well as, our second Dodgeball tournament.
Ms. Kane and Ms. Reither would like to thank all of the Athletic
Council members for their hard work throughout the semester.
The next meeting is Tuesday after school in the training room.
Newcomers are welcome!
All Dance and Drama classes are focused on CPTs during the
beginning of the new year. Much library, stage and rehearsal
time is allowing our drama students to focus much better as they
prepare for their performance tasks at the end of the semester. As
one semester ends and a new one begins, our drama and dance
departments prepare for the competitions that are just around
the bend.
Be sure to keep an ear out for tickets and our accomplishments!
STUDENT TRANSPORTATION OF PEEL REGION (STOPR)
BUS CANCELLATIONS/SCHOOL CLOSING DUE TO BAD WEATHER
2010 – 2011 SCHOOL YEAR
During the winter months inclement weather may cause disruption of bus transportation and regular school operations. A decision to
cancel school transportation and/or to close schools is usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be announced on the following radio
stations:
VIRGIN RADIO FM 99.9
CJCL AM 590
CJBC (FR) AM 860
AM 640
CITYPULSE
CHUM AM 1050
CHFI FM 98.1
FM Z103.5
FM Q 107
GLOBAL NEWS
CFTR AM 680
CFRB AM 1010
FM 93.1
CHIN FM 100.7
CBC
CFNY FM 102.1
EZ ROCK FM 97.3
AM 1540
CFTO
We will be communicating one of four standard messages to the radio stations. The four announcements and their effect on the
transportation system are as follows: (Please note that the highlighted text only will be communicated by the radio stations).
1. “DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES SERVING ST. ANDREW, ST. BENEDICT AND
ST. PETER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND R.F. HALL SECONDARY SCHOOL ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”
2.“THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL
BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON AND THE COUNTY OF DUFFERIN ARE CANCELLED”. This means that
all runs listed under announcement #l PLUS the following are cancelled.
• All schools in the Town of Caledon and all school runs that begin in the Town of Caledon.
• Individual schools will be notified if this cancellation affects their school.
3.“THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
BUSES ARE CANCELLED.” This means that:
ALL Transportation services provided by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and The Peel District School Board,
including buses, vans and taxis have been cancelled for the entire day.
4. “THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND
THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ARE CLOSED.” This means that:
ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board ad Peel District School Board schools and offices are closed to all students and
staff.
Note: For Secondary School students riding Public Transit, cancellation of service will be communicated by the respective transit
property over the radio. Please be advised that Public Transit rarely cancels and that the level of service on days with inclement
weather is unpredictable.
LEGAL EAGLES FALCONS
At the beginning of March, a dedicated group of St. Augustine law students will be fighting for the freedom (and then
incarceration) of a fictional man at the Peel Mock Trial Tournament. Eight students will be acting as lawyers and
witnesses as they try to bring home the coveted championship cup. Sixteen teams will be competing, with the top four
teams advancing to the final day of competition. With a financial prize and a great deal of pride on the line, we will be
giving it our best shot. Wish us luck!
ARTS NIGHT
St. Augustine students and staff celebrated our first ever Arts Night on Wednesday, December 8, 2010. The evening opened with
visual and interactive displays from the English Media and visual arts classes, and even had a few artists on-site showing how it’s
done! Guests were free to peruse the exhibits while refreshments were served. Spectators were then ushered into the cafeteria where
performances were given by the Unity Group, Improv Team, and Sears Festival participants, as well as the grade ten dance and grade
nine drama classes.
The Unity Group impressed viewers with their b-boxing performances, as well as spoken- word poetry and graffiti art. This was
followed by numerous comical improvisational skits where the audience had the opportunity to contribute to what was being
performed by calling out various emotions the actors had to depict. In a compelling silent performance, the Sears Festival actors
wowed the audience with emotion and energy as they
presented a snippet of life in a train station. Ms. Lima’s
grade ten dance class presented five jazz numbers, four of
which were choreographed by the students themselves,
all set to jazz renditions of classic Christmas songs. The
evening concluded with three dramatic skits from Ms.
O’Leary’s grade nine drama class. These Christmasinspired performances reminded viewers of the true
meaning of this most holy and blessed season.
The Arts Night served as a wonderful reminder of the
many talented and gifted students in our St. Augustine
community. Congratulations to all performers and
organizers on a terrific celebration of the arts at
St. Augustine!
INTRODUCTION TO FASHION CLASS
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT NEWS
The Introduction to Fashion students have enjoyed a semester
full of interesting events. Among other things, all students were
taught how to operate a sewing machine and sew. All students
have completed a pillow, some with personal embellishments.
Everyone had the opportunity to sew a garment of their choice;
the most popular choices were sweat pants, pajama bottoms,
hooded sweatshirts, t-shirts and a variety of tops.
The Grade 10 Introduction to Business students had the opportunity
to showcase their business ventures at the annual Business Fair
held on January 12, 2011, in room 236. Students worked
diligently to create new products and services that would be
successful in a real market situation. These creative ideas were
very impressive!
The field trip to The Eaton Centre was a lot of fun. The bus ride
was filled with happy students anticipating a day of bonding
with classmates through fashion. Can you top that! High-end
versus low-end stores were compared and the principles and
elements of design for favourite garment choices were reviewed.
Hats off to the Introduction to Fashion class of 2010-2011. You
are a pleasure to teach!
Mrs. M. Hohendorf
The Grade 11 Entrepreneurship students presented their fantastic
business ventures on January 12, 2011. Entrepreneurial
ventures ranged from an Italian restaurant owner to the creator
of a new age stove. It is great to see the innovations of these
talented students. What an amazing entrepreneurial task force
we will have once these students graduate!
The Grade 9 Information Technology students studied a variety
of topics this semester. One very popular project included the
creation of a power point slide show presentation featuring popular
singers from the 60’s and 70’s era. Students also learned how
to create their very own business letterheads. Wow! We are
definitely down that entrepreneurial path.
CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION NEWS
We would like to congratulate this semester’s Co-Op students on a job well done and would like to wish them all the best in their
future endeavors. Our Career Showcase, held on January 14th, was very successful and highlighted the diversity of career interests
by our students. We would like to thank the following guests for taking the time out of their busy schedules to share their thoughts
and experiences with our students and employers; Annette Ryan - OYAP Consultant and Technological Education Consultant; Chris
Pearson – Student Success/Dual Credit Teacher (Archbishop Romero CSS); Tom Iwasiw - Principal St. Augustine; Kathleen Ware –
Chaplain; and Paul Donovan – Head of Guidance and Cooperative Education. Speaking on behalf of the 2010-2011 Co-Op class is:
Manjot Singh, Stephanie Antunes, Ameer Bacchus, Travis Kerr and Jelisa Heron.
All of our employers, parents and students commented positively on this event. We thank them for their contributions. We appreciate
the time and effort our employers dedicate to training and mentoring each student placed with them. Without their continued support
and expertise our program would not be the success that it is. We would also like to compliment our students on their outstanding
achievements, efforts and dedication to the Co-Op program and to the strides they have made in their own personal growth. Our
students are successful in the workplace to a large degree because of the combined efforts of our Administration, Guidance and
Faculty, who all play a role in preparing them for their future endeavors.
This semester we were very pleased to enroll twelve of our students into the OYAP Program in the skilled trades. We would
like to congratulate these students and those who choose to pursue an apprenticeship signing.
Co-Operative Education is experiential learning. The end of each semester brings with it a final reflective moment from our students.
Without exception, each student comments on the amount of hard work they had to dedicate to their placements. At the same time,
each student recognizes and values how much they have gained both personally and professionally. They all firmly believe that Co-Op
is a tremendous opportunity and recommend this experience for all high school students.
We would like to encourage all students interested in a Co-Op experience to see their Guidance Counselor and fill out a Co-Op
application form as soon as possible. Please include a current resume with your application form and return this to your counselor.
Many types of placements have early application deadlines for Semester 1, 2011, some as soon as April 1, 2011. Students interested in
careers in: Police, Media and Film, Fire Department, Hospitals, and the trades such as Electrician, Plumber, Tool and Die, Construction
Craft, Millwright need to apply by April 15, 2011. Upon receipt of your application form, the Co-Op Department will contact you
for your Co-Op interview. Students are reminded that they must be in either Grade 11 or 12, and can choose either a 4, 3, or 2 credit
program. We look forward to meeting and interviewing all new Co-Op candidates.
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
On the 15th of December, my Grade 12 Religion class, chaperoned by our teacher Mrs. De Oliveira, went to the Eaton Centre in
downtown Toronto. Our mission was to perform as many Random Acts of Kindness as we could, within two hours. There were
people in need inside the shopping centre, as well as outside.
It really breaks my heart to see people living on the streets in one of the most desirable countries in the world in which to live. How
can a country treat it’s prisoners with luxuries, while treating honest and at one time, tax paying citizens, like trash? Everyday we all
probably wake up in a cozy bed to the smell of coffee and with someone greeting us with a warm “good morning” as we walk out the
front door to an opportunity at success; a light, some sort of direction in life. At the same time, people are waking up on the side of
the street, hungry, begging, cold and alone. The truth is you can only value what you do not have and who can better support that than
the people who have nothing, have no one. We look, but we don’t see them; we hear them, but we don’t listen.
I learned so many things from this trip. We saw a lot of things downtown. It really was a life changing experience. It was a great
opportunity to empathize with people and really feel for them. We gave out to the homeless and comforted complete strangers. We
sat down with people who have nothing, as well as, those who have too much. I’ve learned that sometimes it’s not obvious who needs
help. I learned that helping someone by being nice to them, sharing a few words, is hard. It can be quite a challenge, however, if
you actually put your best foot forward and really get out there, you can turn someone’s day, or even their lives around for the better,
simply with the exchange of salutations, commenting on the weather or even just sharing a glance topped off with a welcoming smile.
No one is born invisible, but we are the ones who are turning a blind eye, sometimes selectively. It matters what we do and don’t do;
it matters what we say and don’t say. It really does begin with us.
Andy Grewal
THE ST. AUGUSTINE BUSINESS
WISDOM AND WEALTH CLUB
We’ve rebranded ourselves! After some debate and much
thought, members of The St. Augustine Business Club
unanimously voted to rename the club The St. Augustine
Business Wisdom and Wealth Club. The club is comprised of a
committed group of students who are enthusiastic to
experience the world of business within a strong Catholic
community. We’re currently accepting new members (at all
grade levels) with a diverse range of skills who are interested
in pursing a leadership role. Meetings are held after school
every Monday in Room 234. Stay tuned for information
regarding upcoming events, including a Valentine’s Day
fundraiser and a Business Week scheduled for May.
Ms. Mifsud & Ms. Stecko
Z-CLUB SERVICE IN ACTION
The St. Augustine Z-Club provides opportunity for students
to develop leadership skills and to improve global awareness
through service. The club started in September on a very
active and positive note by setting our goals to increase
awareness within the school community and increase our service
at the School level, Community level and the International
level.
Highlights of the Z-Club for Semester one:
School Level
• Build Awareness- Parent Night
• Promoted Literacy – Sale of books
• Made and donated book markers to our school library
Community Level
• Participated in Bus Driver Appreciation Day
• Made Birthing Kits to send to Haiti (working with Brampton
Caledon Zonta Club, our sponsors)
International Level
• Ongoing sale of candies to send a donation to Zonta
International to support the “Reduction of Obstetric Fistula in
Liberia”
Highlights for Semester Two
• Z-Club Conference at Chinguacousy Secondary School –
March 10, 2011
INTEGRATED RIDERSHIP – SCHOOL NEWSLETTERS
The school board’s bus transportation services are operated by Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR). This is a consortium, or
partnership, between the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and the Peel District School Board. The Ministry of Education
requires school board bus transportation consortiums to improve efficiency.
One initiative promoted by the Ministry of Education, that is designed to improve efficiency is known as integrated ridership. In integrated
ridership, students from both Dufferin-Peel and Peel schools will ride on the same buses, where feasible. A number of school boards
across the province have successfully implemented integrated ridership. All eligible students continue to be transported on runs where
integrated ridership is implemented.
Integrated ridership is designed to create a more effective and efficient operation of service, is more environmentally friendly and
reduces traffic in our communities. Integrated ridership may also result in higher transportation funding levels for school boards.
Integrated ridership works best in situations where schools are located close to one another and the number of students involved helps
achieve better organized bus runs.
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has approved the implementation of integrated ridership, where feasible, starting
September, 2011. During the next few months, STOPR staff will be looking at areas where integrated ridership would work best. It
should be noted that integrated ridership does not work well in all areas and, as a result, there may be only a few areas that will have
this program.
STOPR will provide additional information regarding the selection of schools where integrated ridership will be implemented. Once
a school is selected, a possibility exists that school start and dismissal times may be altered from the current times. STOPR will keep
you informed through regular updates in school newsletters over the upcoming months.
SCHOOL SETTLEMENT WORKER
Dear School Staff, Students and Parents,
Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Razaw Nadir. I am the settlement worker at St. Augustine. I work for the Brampton
Multicultural Community Centre the Multicultural Settlement and Education Partnership Program. I am originally from Iraq, I speak
Arabic and I have lived in Canada for nine years. I have a son who graduated from a Canadian high school. Having gone through
the immigration process myself, I understand the needs and concerns of newcomer parents and students. I have almost seven years
experience serving newcomers through various programs and community services in the GTA.
I have the skills and knowledge to help you to settle in Canada.
Below is a list of the initiatives I will embark upon as part of my role as an MSEP Worker at oue school:
• Resource for school staff: I can help school staff connect with newcomer parents or youth if there is a language barrier. I can provide teachers with information about newcomer communities and potential issues they may be dealing with. I also
attend school events and activities as assigned.
• Interpretation and translation: if the school is in need of a translation of a flyer, notice or information for our website, I
help by utilizing the skills within my multilingual team.
• Information about school and community services: with the cooperation of the school staff, I can contact newly arrived
parents and youth to provide them with information and refer them to other community services.
• Workshops for students and parents: I help the school organize workshops for students and parents.
I am here to help you, please feel free to contact me or you may stop by my office on Thursdays.
Razaw Nadir
School Settlement Worker (MSEP) - Brampton Multicultural Community Centre
Cell: (416) 471-8641
razaw.nadir@bmccentre.org
The Catholic Students’ Technological Skills Competition will be held at our School on March 23rd, Our School Community
is proud to be hosting this event. We are encouraging students to participate in the competition or become a volunteer.
FROM THE ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
In the athletic world at St. Augustine, we are currently entrenched in the winter sports season. At this time, the teams are in midseason
if they are involved in league play and/or preparing for the upcoming ROPSSAA playoffs and championships. Here is a brief
highlight of each teams season so far.
Bantam Boys Basketball (Coaches: K. Vuo, P. Szabolcs) Currently 2 wins, 2 losses in regular season play. 4th place finish at the
St. Roch Invitational Tournament.
Junior Boys Basketball (Coach: P. Szabolcs) Currently 1 win, 2 losses. Looking to bounce back from the two heartbreaking losses
and looking forward to their participation in the upcoming Brampton Centennial Tournament on Feb. 4/5. Senior Boys Basketball
(Coaches: A. Brown, P. Szabolcs) Proud to have won their own 9th annual Ashton Reid Memorial Tournament. Won the Consolation
Championship at the Brampton Centennial Winter Classic. Honourable mention to Joel Davis who was named 2nd team all-star.
Boys Varsity Hockey (Coaches: I. Simpson, L. Erwin) The Sr. Boys Hockey Team just returned from a successful tournament in
Ottawa. After struggling early in the round robin games, the boys recovered to win the Consolation final. Nick Baldessara was named
a tournament all-star. Upon continuing league play this week, the team tied Leger 4-4, to maintain their even record at 3-3-1. The
team is currently holding the fourth and final playoff position and hopes to secure that spot by finishing up strong in the final few
weeks of the season.
Senior Girls Volleyball (Coaches: D. Dornford-Small, T. Falcone, P. Denyszyn ) The senior girls volleyball team are currently 4
and 1. This is a great bunch of senior girls that are work really well together. The girls and coaches are looking forward the second
half of the season.
Swimming (Coaches: T. Liu, H. Avey, M. Krpan)
Junior Girls Volleyball (Coaches: C. Simon, L. Linton)
Wrestling (Coaches: C. Chisholm, M. DeOliveira, Mr. Rutigliano)
St. Augustine Athletic Association Committee (Staff Sponsors: E. Kane, T. Reither, M. Covent)
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
OSSLT
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
•
On Thursday, March 31 your child in grade 10 will write the OSSLT.
•
It will be completed in the morning and will last for 2.5 hours.
•
It will evaluate your child’s LITERACY – their ability to read and comprehend information and
communicate information in writing – and is a ministry requirement for high school graduation in Ontario.
•
There are literacy questions based on reading and writing skills. These are made up of:
WRITING TASKS
OPEN RESPONSES
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
•
READING SELECTIONS: Students will be asked to read pieces of writing defined as “informational”,
“narrative”, and “graphical text”.
•
WRITING TASKS: Students will be asked to write 2 long writing tasks: 1 news report( 1 page in length) and 1 opinion essay(2 pages in length); and 2 short writing tasks: these are open responses which require prior knowledge and personal experience.
•
Your son/daughter will earn marks in each of his/her courses for literacy in an effort to prepare them for the test. This is detailed in the course outlines they received at the beginning of each semester and
accounts for 7% of their communication mark.
•
The test is designed and distributed by EQAO; the Education Quality and Accountability Office of Ontario. Their website can be found at: www.eqao.com
•
Parents/Students can go to the St. Augustine website to view documents to assist their child in writing the
OSSLT test.
SCHOOL POLICY ON THE USE OF PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES
(PEDs) by Students on School Property
To promote respect for the dignity of all members of our school community and to enhance student achievement and safety, the use
of a PED is strictly prohibited in the school (including portables) or during school related activities (such as retreats, field trips, sports
events, etc.).
Failure to comply with this policy may result in the confiscation of the PED and/or disciplinary action as outlined in the Catholic Code
of Conduct 2001. The school and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board assume no responsibility for the loss, recovery,
repair or replacement of any PED brought onto school property.
It is the policy of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board that PEDs are to be kept out-of-sight, turned off and not used
within school premises or during school sanctions events. To prevent the loss or damage of PEDs, the school encourages students to
leave their PEDs at home or in their lockers
MODERN LANGUAGES
The Modern Languages department is once again organizing a trip to Cinefranco, Toronto’s French Film Festival, which will
take place at the end of February, beginning
of March. The added treat for our students is
that the festival will be held at the TIFF Bell
Lightbox in Toronto. It is important for our
students to learn French in the classroom, as
well as, experience cultural events, such as
Cinefranco.
A bientôt
SAVE LIBRARY TO YOUR FAVOURITES !
Our library webpage has had over 7,300 ‘hits’ to
date. Why all the interest? There is a plethora of
resources available - and its all in one place.
•
Try using Britannica instead of
Wikipedia. •
Use Canadian Points of View to search up to date articles for your research.
•
Access AskOn live tutors, documention guides, and Ontario Education Resource Bank through Homework Help.
•
•
Read the daily Star or Globe and Mail, or check CBC archives
so much more …
Huge thanks to Angela Custureri and
Roshani Wijeratne for creating this website.
GIRLS’ NIGHT IN
The 4th Annual Girls’ Night In! was a fantastic success with approximately 300 participants who zumba’d, belly danced, creped,
hennad(sp!), scavenged, buttoned, and sang. The winner of this year’s staff student volleyball game was… the students, but teachers
held their own, participating shielded where necessary! Keynote speaker, St. Augustine graduate, and Commonwealth Games 2010
gold medal winner Ohenewa Akuffo (that’s a long and well-earned title) left her mark in our hearts and minds as a model of conviction
and hard work, who lives her faith. Ohenewa, we eagerly watch and pray for you in years to come.
Thank you to the following groups for
supporting this event:
Brampton Transit
Superstore
Vaughan Mills Mall
Rose Theatre
Starbucks
Our girls had a delightful evening.
Special thanks Ms. Da Silva, for dedicating
your expertise. Thanks also to an anonymous
donor for your cash donation.
ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION
GIRLS WORKSHOP
LINKS CONFERENCE
St. Augustine Alternative Education
students took part in Healthy Foods for
Healthy Schools: Healthy Living Series.
The students were provided with the
education needed to make healthy food
choices, to give them the tools needed to
make these decisions and the opportunity
to view Nutrition from a Holistic perspective
which considers the healing of mind, body
and spirit. Students got a chance to shop
for groceries and cook a nutritious meal.
They really enjoyed the program.
St. Augustine Student Support Services
held its annual Girls’ Workshop. The
school’s goal is to run group sessions
called Fostering Healthy Relationships.
Our goal is to promote a safe and
supportive environment for girls to
achieve success. The group sessions
would focus on healthy relationships,
peer pressure, mental illness, poor
self-esteem, media pressure, bullying
and academic struggles.
St. Augustine grade nine (9) students
attended the LINKS Conference, a unique
opportunity for students to redefine
leadership, create exciting initiatives,
network with youth leaders, gain equity
based knowledge and work on
sustainability tools. This group of
students will start a Harmony
movement club which will run during
semester two.
PROM 2011 UPDATE
The Prom Committee has met several times and planning is
well underway. With a committee of more than thirty students,
the planning is never dull and this group is very enthusiastic
to make important decisions on behalf of the graduating class.
This year ’s theme is Old Hollywood and it will be
held on Friday, June 24th at La Primavera Hospitality
and Convention Centre in Vaughan. The venue boasts an
amazing facility that includes a garden terrace, gazebo and a
breathtaking fountain. Tickets will be approximately $85 and
available for purchase towards the end of February. This will
be the party of the year so be sure to purchase and reserve your
ticket early for Prom 2011 before tickets sell out!
LINK CREW
The Link Crew at St. Augustine has continued to be a huge
success with our Grade 9s. They are enjoying school spirit
building activities on Fun Fridays in the cafeteria, hosted by the
Link Crew leaders. The Link Crew has also offered exam
preparation for the Grade 9s through the “Cocoa and Cram”
event. They will inform the Grade 9s about what to expect and
how to be successful on exams. The Link Crew looks forward
to the continuing support of the Grade 9s throughout their
second semester in high school!
Parents -Who Can You Contact
St. Augustine Secondary School
Tel: (905) 450- 9993 Fax:(905) 450-0955
www.dpcdsb.org/augst
Principal ............................T. Iwasiw
Vice Principals...................B. Bieth
A-F
M. van der Vegt G - N
D. Duke-Kelly O - Z
Head Secretary................... M. Gormley
Attendance Secretary......... TBA
Guidance Department:
Counsellors ........................B. Heffernan
A- Den
M. Robinson
Deo - Laf
M. Cockburn
Lag - Piz
P. Donovan
Ple - Z
Guidance Secretary.............A. McPherson-Ortega
Child & Youth Worker. ......P. Alexander
School Psychologist............K. Page
Social Worker......................Leslie Barker-Thomas
SCHOOL COUNCIL
Dear Parents, Staff and Students,
By the time you read this, we will already be well into the New
Year, however, on behalf of the St. Augustine School Council,
I would still like to wish everyone a Healthy and Happy New
Year. All the best to everyone in 2011!
The 2011 year has started out on an exciting note. Once
again, council has found a very interesting speaker. Chris
Vollum will share his knowledge of the #1 social networking
engine – FACEBOOK. He will educate us on all aspects of
Facebook. We would encourage every parent to come and listen
to this wonderful speaker. The presentation will be held at the
school on March 10th at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
We urge you to come to our monthly School Council meetings
held on the last Thursday of every month from 7 p.m.- 9 p.m.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Brohart
School Council Chair
FACEBOOK 101
Chris Vollum is an Oakville-based resident
and recognized authority on Facebook and
Twitter. In March of 2007, Chris’ grade
eight daughter wanted to join Facebook
because “everyone else was on it”. As
Chris researched Facebook’s philosophy
toward both user privacy and the handling of user-posted content,
he was shocked at the level of wide-open default security and
privacy openings that the social networking site exhibited.
Armed with a deep understanding of Facebook’s most current
policies and settings, Chris established “Facebook 101” with
the sole purpose of educating parents, teachers, administrators
and students on how to effectively apply their Facebook profile
settings to minimize privacy breaches and proactively defend
against cyber-bullying. While Facebook 101’s primary audience
remains to be school, the workshop has evolved to embrace the
corporate environment with a clear emphasis on identifying the
short and long-term effects of management and employee
Facebook misbehaviour, and the immediate professional and
personal destruction that such behaviour has had in people’s
lives. Described as a “must see” event by schools, police
services, parents and students, Chris’ user-friendly workshop
delivers a balanced and detailed look into the world’s largest
social networking site and its vast potential, with an emphasis
on safety, security and privacy. As of December 2010,
Facebook 101 has been presented to more than 130,000 students
in 22 school boards and independent schools throughout
Ontario.