CA Collects Donations For Our Brothers and
Sisters In The Philippines
Typhoon Haiyan presented a CHALLENGE, and our students stepped up to make
CHANGE. In the last two weeks of November, the grade 12 students enrolled in the
Challenge and Change course organized a food and clothing drive in support of the
Filipino typhoon victims. They raised enough food and clothing to fill an entire school
bussette! In addition, they also organized a Red, Yellow, and Blue Shirt Day to raise
money for the relief efforts. All told, donations totalled $1177.85, which the Canadian
government will match dollar for dollar. Gold stars for everyone involved, and A+ for
your support, Ambrozic!
Greetings from Our Principal
By Mr. Lariviere, Principal
Merry Christmas River Hawk Community!
As we enter this Christmas season, humming our favourite Christmas songs, baking our traditional
treats, stressing about gifts and crowded parking lots, we can get wrapped up in the event of Christmas and neglect the time to reflect about the real reason for the season. The great philosopher the
“Grinch” may have said it best, “Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if
Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit
more!”
-Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Advent which is the beginning of the Church’s liturgical year, provides our River Hawk families an
opportunity to step back from all the pressures and activity of the 21st Century and take time to be
silent in thought and in prayer. It can be a time if we allow it, to recommit ourselves to the meaning
behind the birth of Christ not only through the lens of our Catholic faith but through the lens of all
religious traditions.
Our River Hawk Community allows us to challenge ourselves during this advent season (December
1 to 24) and during the Christmas Season (December 24 to January 12); to think differently about
this time. Who knows, perhaps we will continue to do so or for many, once again discover that
“Christmas does mean a little bit more.”
Please enjoy this special newsletter that once again celebrates all the great student engagement opportunities that our students are involved in daily at Cardinal Ambrozic Catholic Secondary School.
Parents/Guardians you should be very proud of your teenagers who continue to grow in their quest
to be Catholic School Graduates.
God Bless you and your families in this season of Joy and Hope!
Proud to be your Principal
Mr. T. Lariviere
River Hawks Soaring to Success
Chaplaincy News
By A. Minardi, Chaplaincy Leader
The season of Advent begins on Sunday December 1. It lasts for a period of 4 weeks which culminates in the celebration of the Christmas season from December 25 through to Epiphany Monday
which falls on January 6, 2014. It is during this time of the liturgical calendar and our faith that we
prepare for the coming of Jesus among us. Jesus dwells among us as truly God and human.
Advent is a time and season of waiting. It is a time of joyful anticipation and authentic hope, that
is, we are in waiting for that which will bring us the joy and hope that only Jesus Christ Himself can
provide. This is a genuine joy and hope that comes to fulfillment in the revealed Word of God- the
Holy Scriptures and in the humble and simple birth of Jesus Christ in a manger in Bethlehem. We
must therefore, be open and receiving of God’s Grace during this most holy season.
During Advent we use the wreath as a symbol of both light and darkness. We use 4 candles, 3 purple and 1 pink, to help guide us through the darkness or the time leading up to Christmas. During
the first 2 weeks of Advent, we light the purple candles and on week 3 we light the pink candle,
which brings us to the joyful anticipation of what is to come in the last week. The pink candle
allows us to be aware of something grand, huge, spectacular, that will be taking place in the week to
follow. We are brought into light through the use of the pink candle. Finally, in week 4, we again
light the purple candle.
My prayer for the Cardinal
Ambrozic Catholic Secondary
School community is that we
continue in our communal
journey of hope and joy towards the Incarnation, that is,
God dwelling among us as both
fully human and divine. May
the Spirit of God grant us both
the wisdom and humility in
our pursuit of authentic faith
and hope. And may we always
seek to love and serve all of
God’s people in our daily lives.
Amen.
1 SUNDAY Bless your Advent wreath. Sing *
+ and light the first candle. 2 MONDAY 3 TUESDAY 4 WEDNESDAY 5 THURSDAY 6 FRIDAY 7 SATURDAY As Advent begins, reflect on how economic conditions are impacting your family, parish community and neighbors. Put your leftover Christmas cards to good use by participating in the Holiday Mail for Heroes program and sending words of gratitude to military service members. On this Feast of the great evangelizer of Asia St. Francis Xavier, reflect on how your family evangelizes, both with words and through Christian example in your everyday lives. As you fill out your Christmas list, Consider purchasing gifts that support farmers and artisans and their families in developing countries and in low income communities in the United States. The Philippines have been struck by two natural disasters in two months. As victims struggle to recover from the earthquake and typhoon, prayerfully reflect on how your family can help by donating to relief efforts. On his feast day, read the story of St. Nicholas, who is #*
%+ of brides and children. Say a family prayer for engaged couples or children you know. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, speaks often of )#. Experience )#"
the Sacrament of Penance. Encourage family members to go to Confession before Christmas. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Light the second candle on your Advent Wreath. In many parishes, the collection for Retired Religious is held today. Pray for all our retired religious brothers, sisters and priests On this feast of the Immaculate Conception, attend Mass and recite the Hail Mary or this prayer at the evening meal. The United Nations has proclaimed December 10 International Human Rights Day. Learn about Church teaching on the life and dignity of the human person. Watch a video about the impact of poverty in the U.S. on families and learn how you can help. Start by participating in a Christmas Giving Tree program in your parish or community. On this feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, read about her appearance to St. Juan Diego and pray to her as patroness of the Americas for the protection of our religious liberty. Today)s Feast of St. Lucy, is marked by pageants and festivals in Scandinavia & Italy. Research an Advent or Christmas custom of your own #)
heritage and try it this year. On his feast day, reflect on these words from St. John of the Cross and ask for his intercession for your family during this Advent. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Light the third candle on the Advent wreath. On this day, Latin Americans begin Las Posadas , reenactments of ##) #
to Bethlehem. Pray for the difficult journeys of migrants and refugees. *O Antiphons+# table or bedtime prayers. Put up and bless the family crèche. Remember to hide the Baby Jesus figure until Christmas! Participate in a community caroling party or sing a favorite Christmas carol at home. Listen to a Festival of Lessons and Carols. Make it family movie night and watch a Christmas classic together. Choose one from this list of suggestions. Pope Francis said of Evangelization&*
mission of only a few, but it is mine, yours, and our '+!$#
inviting a non-­‐practicing friend to Mass tomorrow. 22 23 24 Light the fourth candle on the Advent wreath. Spend family time making homemade gifts and reflect on these words from Blessed Teresa of Calcutta: *-" "!
but how much love we put !'+ Read the Christmas story (Luke 2:1-­‐14) and reflect on the gift of life. Pray that all may embrace a culture of life. Finish decorating your Christmas tree and light it as a symbol of Christ, Light of the World. Pray the rosary on this Gaudete Sunday and meditate on the Joyful Mysteries. Set up your Christmas tree, but in true Advent spirit, )
until Christmas Eve. Reflect on how your family can bring light to others as agents of the New Evangelization. ©2013 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops -­‐ CNS Photo/Paul Haring. 2013 Family Advent Calendar
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-resources/advent/upload/advent-christmas-family-calendar.pdf
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Dancing Into December
By Ms. Ramalho, Dance Teacher
As we move into December the grade 10 dance classes
are pleased to share some of the highlights from the
semester so far. Students have already completed units
in Dance Foundations, Ballet and Jazz and are making
After learning and exploring the technique of various dance styles students wrapped up each unit
with outstanding group performances. In November students also enjoyed an excursion to Brampton’s The Rose Theatre to view Gold a modern dance performance from Montreal Based Dance
Company, Cas Public. Following the performance our students got to spend time with the choreographer and dancers for an exclusive question and answer period.
Dance is offered to students at Cardinal
Ambrozic through the following three
courses:
- ATC 2O1 (grade 10 open dance)
- ATC 3M1 (grade 11 university/college
dance)
- ATC 4M1 (grade 12 university/college
dance).
Media Trip To The Streets of Toronto
By Mrs. Grossi-Sperandio, MediaTeacher
On Thursday, November 21st, the Effective Presentation and Speaking Skills class along with the
Communication Technologies and Fashion classes had the opportunity to conduct their own
informal, walking tours of several neighbourhoods in the downtown Toronto area. Students were
able to observe workplace communication between colleagues, clients and customers; to observe
diverse architecture through the camera lens; and to observe trending street fashion. All in all,
students were quickly aware of the rich, multicultural dimensions that the downtown Toronto area
has to offer.
FUTURE ACES Members Attend Weekend
Conference
By Mr. D’Ippolito, Mr. Frickleton, Ms. Jones, Ms. Kidd, Mrs. Zoffranieri
Eight students had the exciting opportunity to attend an amazing conference at
Deerhurst Resort from November 1517. Students were given the chance to
identify and further develop their own
leadership styles. They attended a variety
of workshops and were encouraged by
many speakers including: Bernice Carnegie, Anthony Lue, Matt Evans, Amanda
Belzowski and Joel Douglas.
Our students were put into groups reflecting the Future Aces Creed and our monthly virtues. They were assigned a group
leader who led the group through many
team building activities. Students were put
into groups with 250 other young people
from across Ontario, including Sudbury,
Top Row: Mr. D’Ippolito, Nik, Ms. Kidd, Mr. Frickleton,
Ottawa and Thunder Bay.
Demetri, Evan, Mrs. Zoffranieri, Julian
Bottom Row: Tina, Emily, Mikayla, Juliana
Students were also given time to meet and plan within our own Ambrozic school team. We were able to
debrief the workshops together and set school goals related to our ambitious Future Aces projects.
Upcoming Events:
To celebrate our monthly Virtues, Future Aces will be hosting its version of Don’t Forget the Lyrics on all
3 lunches in early December. All of the song selections will be focused on the theme of November and
December’s virtues which are Conscience and Hope. Prizes will be awarded.
Our Positive Ticket draw will be held on Friday, November 29. We have lots of tickets to draw from
Ambrozic—please keep up living the Future Aces Creed and acting on our monthly virtues. Check out our
bulletin board outside Room 101.
Future Aces meets every Thursday in Room 101. If you are interested in joining, please see Ms. Jones or
Mrs. Zoffranieri.
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Effective Presentation and Speaking Skills: EPS 301
Communication Technologies: TGJ 3M1/TGJ 301
Fashion: HNB 4M1/ HNC 3C1
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College And University Fair
Girls Night In
On Thursday evening November
14th Cardinal Ambrozic held its 2nd
annual university and college open
house. With 30 schools from across
the province represented, there was a
wide variety of programs that parents
and students could inquire into We had
all the provincial Universities and five
Colleges set up displays and even the
army showed up! The great turnout by
our school community impressed the
representatives who said it was one of
their largest this fall!
Don’t forget our recommended date to
submit applications is December 19th
2013!
On Friday October 25th 2013 Cardinal Ambrozic’s
B.R.A.V.E team held its annual Girls Night In event
and rounded up a whopping total of 94 grade 9 girls.
It is the highest number of participants Girls Night
has received in all the five years it has been running;
making it a huge success for not only the students
but for the teachers as well.
By Mr. D’Ippolito, Mrs. Pacheco, Mr. Sowinski, Mr.Taylors, Guidance
By (QLWDQ2\HVLOH6WXGHQW
Girls Night In was a concept the B.R.A.V.E committee originally created back in 2009. Ever since then,
it has been widely anticipated event for all grade 9
girls coming into Cardinal Ambrozic for their first
year of high school. The evening consisted of many
fun activities such as creating friendship bracelets,
discussing insecurities within one’s self, poetry,
makeup tutorials and much more.
A Day With Holocaust Survivors
By Ms. Dornford, Ms. Petrone, Ms. Arcos, Ms. Crescenzi, English
On November 26th and November 27th, the Grade 10 English students in Ms. Dornford’s, Ms. Petrone’s,
and Ms. Arcos’ classes had the opportunity to attend the Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies.
The students participated in a Genocide Workshop, which was then followed by the once in a lifetime opportunity to hear a Holocaust survivor speak. The life stories of both survivors: Gerda and Vera, proved
to be both heart wrenching and in the end uplifting for all who attended. Having been placed in concentration camps in their early teens, and losing dear family members in the camps, their stories of survival
and eventual healing are prophetic for students today. Both survivors highlighted the importance of
speaking up for the oppressed, fighting against bullying and the value of voting. This is an experience
that will surely remain in the hearts of all who attended.
Additionally, the girls were served a delicious mean prepared by some of Cardinal Ambrozic’s finest staff;
however the highlight of the evening was the spectacular motivational speech delivered by Ivy Prosper. She
discussed a plethora of topics, from how media heavily impacts young girls to loving one’s self. All this could
not have been achieved without the help of the B.R.A.V.E team. B.R.A.V.E strives and makes it its goal to
bring about change within the community and make students feel included through events/initiatives such as
Girls Night In and/or Anti-Bullying seminars for the school. It endeavors to reach all members of its River
Hawk community. “B.R.A.V.E” is used to represent “Brampton RiverHawks Anti-Bullying Education”.
More upcoming B.R.A.V.E events include “Anti-Bullying Awareness Week” and the “White Ribbon Campaign”.
Conclusively, the night was one to remember, and hopefully the Girls Night In tradition carries on for
many years. It is certainly one of the factors that define Cardinal Ambrozic, and ultimately makes it the great
school that it is. Stay tuned for more information RiverHawks and remember, “There Are No Rules
For Positive People”.
English Language Learners
By Ms.Tousignant, Vice Principal
Ms Tousignant and Ms. Singh organized a Thanksgiving dinner for our
English Learners, newcomers to our school and to our country.
For many, this was their very first Thanksgiving in Canada.
They shared their stories of thanks.
November 26th Gerda and Grade 10 students
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November 27th Vera and Grade 10 students
Special thanks to Mr. Chung, who showed students how to prepare a
Thanksgiving dinner in Canada.
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Discover the World @ your Ambrozic Library
Resource!
By Ms.Crescenzi, Teacher Librarian
Merry Christmas Cardinal Ambrozic staff, students and parents! So far, 2013 has been a busy and great
year in the library! Students continue to visit every morning and during lunch to read, research, and use
the computers.
In November, Don Aker, the author of The First Stone came for a much anticipated visit! Aker gave a presentation to Ms. Kajda’s grade 11 college English class who is studying The First Stone. Ms. Arias’ Writers
Craft and Miss. Grossi Sperandio’s Presentation Skills class also came to the presentation. As Aker travelled
all the way from Nova Scotia to visit our school, staff and students took the opportunity to introduce themselves and get their copy of The First Stone signed.
English CPT book talks have also continued this year. Each English class visited the library for a book talk
and a lesson on how to use Shelfari to select their CPT book. November was a very busy month as students
took out their CPT novels… I hope the English students are enjoying their selections!
The Booksters, are continuing to meet the second Wednesday of every month to discuss the White Pine
forest of Reading book selections. Our December reads are Running on Empty by Don Aker and This
is Not a Test by Courtney Summers. A full list of the book titles and reading dates can be found on the
library website under the heading BOOKSTERS. All staff and students are welcome to join the club!
We have continued our Staff Pick Christmas Book Display. All new staff were asked to name their favourite
book. These book titles were written on bookmarks and hung on the Christmas tree in the library. Thanks
to all staff for participating!!!
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Cardinal Ambrozic Takes A Stand Against
Bullying
By Chelsea Lecce, Student
On December 5th, Cardinal Ambrozic got together as a community to recognize and raise awareness for
bullying. Both Mrs. Corriero’s grade twelve Families In Canada class, and the B.R.A.V.E committee brainstormed together, and were able to prepare a presentation that both got the message across effectively, and
would be remembered. Guest speaker Michael Weis came in and told his very personal story about how
his ten-year-old son never returned back home from school, due to an incident of bullying that took his
life away. Michael spoke about what he and his family have done to assure that no other family ever has
to experience the same tragedy. Ambrozic students also put together a video concerning bullying and its
impact. With their strong opinions, and different perspectives, they proved to us that no matter what, there
is always someone that will be there to help.
Along with the serious message about bullying, there was also an entertainment factor. Artists such as Eleven Past One, Jerzee, With The Lights Off, and The Wet Bandits, performed to prove that they too support
the initiation the school has taken to put a permanent stop to bullying. The students were pumped and a
rush of energy was spread throughout the school with the power of the music.
Mr. Lariviere, our principle is proud to say that in a recent survey, 98% of Cardinal Ambrozic students stated that they feel safe coming to school. This is made possible by us RiverHawks. We represent our motto
“There Are No Rules For Positive People”, and that is why we strive to be unlike any other school.
A huge shout out to all the students, staff members, and guests who came out to support this bullying
awareness and prevention presentation. Thank you to Mrs.Corriero, her students, the B.R.A.V.E committie, and the AV Tech club. We hope to make this an annual tradition as we grow to be the most positive
school!
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Technology and Co-op: Learning Through
Practice
By Mrs. Venier, Mr. Dovigo, Mr. Kalwa, Mr. Bevilacqua, Technology and Co-op
Department
The Technology and Co-operative Education departments are once again celebrating growth and success.
We welcome Edward Kalwa to the River Hawk community as our Construction Technology teacher.
Since the beginning of the school year, all of our Technology classes have been involved in many school
activities from building beds, developing the school yearbook, culinary projects, fashion shows, and providing automotive service to our school community. It is these experiences that prepare our students for
a career and/or even develop skills for self-interest. Our Technology programs are a strong part of our
school community as projects that we do service staff and students within our own community.
Our Co-operative Education program allows many students to experience the world of work. This program gives students the opportunity to explore the world of work so as to help them make an appropriate
career choice.
We are so grateful for the support of our community businesses which open career path doors for our students. The feedback we receive from employers is incredible and a testament to our program here at Cardinal Ambrozic. Our Co-op students are currently working in areas such as electronics, teaching, medicine,
automotive and construction to name a few. The connection between the workplace and our school is
crucial in giving our students the best opportunities in the world of work. Feedback from our employers
allows us to make our programs relevant to what employers need. As a result, our Technology students
gain the advantage of building a skill bank that is current and in demand in the world of work.
On behalf of the Technology and Co-op Department have a wonderful Christmas.
Eco/ Haute Couture Fashion Show
By Mrs. Venier, Fashion Teacher
Reaching Out: 2013 Senior’s Day
By Mrs. Venier, Technology Teacher
On December 12, seniors from Amica at Villa
Da Vinci’s Retirement Home came to Cardinal
Ambrozic. Our students and seniors mutually
enjoyed each other’s company through a host
of events. They attended our music concert,
enjoyed a luncheon prepared by our Hospitality
students, listened to some very talented Cardinal
Ambrozic singers, and celebrated a liturgy prepared by our Chaplain, Mr. Minardi. The seniors were
amazed and touched by the warmth of our school community.
Other News
-Congratulations to our Cross Country team of 2013! Thank-you for your dedication and commitment to
the sport! You handled yourselves with strength, perseverance and true team spirit! We are Ambrozic!
Grades 11 and 12 fashion students wowed the audience at the December 11th
fashion show entitled, “Hollywood Flicks”. Themed inspired clothing was created
using a combination of eco-friendly and haute couture design. This project gave
students the opportunity to think twice about the over consumption of clothing
as they learned about social responsibility from a fashion perspective. Theory
included the impacts of the clothing industry with respect to the environment and
globalization. The goal was to creatively engage students to not only think about
social responsibility, but practice clothing construction techniques. The result was
a phenomenal representation of true ingenuity.
-38 Senior French students attended a live performance of
Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables at the Princess of Wales theatre on Wednesday, November 13th, 2013. Such an exciting
opportunity to immerse our students in French culture! Vive
le français!
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-Second City, here we come! The Grade 10 French students attended a dramatic arts and improv workshop on Monday, November 18th, 2013! Speaking en français will never be the same!
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CARDINAL AMBROZIC MUSIC
PRESENTS
“CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE”
THURSDAY DECEMBER 12, 2013
7:00 pm
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