Tiger Tales FALL 2006 ST. FRANCIS XAVIER SECONDARY SCHOOL Greetings 50 Bristol Road West Mississauga, Ontario L5R 3K3 Tel: (905) 507-6666 Fax: (905) 568-1026 www.stfxss.org Principal N. Mant Vice-Principals F. Furgiuele M. Lewis D. Mariani K. McQuire Chaplain A. Minardi School Council Chair R. Shields Superintendent L. Kazimowicz Trustees Anna Abbruscato Peter Ferreira Tracy Thomas from the Administration! N. Mant Principal F. Furgiuele Vice-Principal M. Lewis Vice-Principal D. Mariani Vice-Principal K. McQuire Vice-Principal Principal’s Message We started of our new school year in late August by welcoming nearly 500 grade 9 students at our annual orientation and mentoring day. Mr. Keith Hawkins from Sacramento, California trained 55 senior student leaders to mentor our new grade 9 students to be the future leaders of our school community. Over the past few months, our school community has had some remarkable achievements: • Andrew Cheung – had the highest grade point average (98.7%) for all of DufferinPeel and he was featured in the Mississauga News, The Toronto Star, and 2 Chinese daily newspapers. Andrew is enrolled in a medical science program at McMaster University. • Leah D’Souza – was elected student trustee for Mississauga (2006 - 2007). • Bryan Parisian – received his 2nd gold medal in electronics in the Skills Canada Competition in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Bryan is enrolled at the University of Waterloo, Faculty of Engineering. • EQAO – over the last 2 years, we have maintained a 90% plus average in the grade 10 literacy test. We had one of the largest cohorts writing the test in the province and we were also one of 12 schools in the province cited in the EQAO ministry web site for educational excellence. • Drop Out Rate – Provincially the drop out rate for students is around 30%. At Xavier, our drop out rate is at around 8%. • Volunteers – Over the past year we have had 19 volunteers that have served our community, mainly in the classroom. Many of these volunteers will some day be classroom teachers. • Peer Tutoring Program – We have an excellent peer tutoring program run by our ARD department that provides support for our most at-risk students. • Relay for Life – our school community raised over $52,000 for Cancer Research. These are just some of the achievements of our school community as there are too many to mention. (... continued on Page 2) Principal's Message (... continued) Over the summer, our guidance area has been renovated and as usual, our custodial staff did a stellar job to have the school ready for the first day of school. This year, we have introduced a new junior boys football program and a boys cricket team that will be competing in the Region of Peel. The year-end athletic banquet will have a new venue that will raise the profile and the importance of Athletics in our school community. We welcome into our community a new vice-principal, Ms. Martine Lewis from Holy Name of Mary and our new chaplain, Mr. Angelo Minardi from the Durham Catholic District School Board. Also, we welcome 10 new teachers: Erin Chambers in Science, Maureen Chow in Math, Kevin Fernandes in Math, Gianpiero Forgione in Theology, Nicole Goudreault in English, Achille Lombardi in Tech, Kevin O’Connell in Business, Sean Reece in Business, Greg Reid in Math, and Kristie Volpe in Science. This year, we are again the largest Catholic school in Dufferin-Peel with an enrollment of 2144 students. On behalf of our school community, I would like to thank our parents / guardians for enrolling your son / daughter at St. Francis Xavier S.S. We value our school community for our rich diversity (over 70 different cultural nationalities) and for the excellence in Catholic Education that has been provided over the past 16 years. A special thank-you to our teachers and support staff for their time and dedication in making St. Francis Xavier a vibrant Catholic learning community and for giving our students a “Hope and Purpose for Life”. On a personal note, I wish everyone a successful 2006-2007 school year. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and support. God Bless! Neville Mant Principal Meet our new Chaplain ... Mr. Angelo Minardi CHAPLAINCY EVENTS & INITIATIVES ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES: GRADE LEVEL ASSEMBLIES CHAPLAINCY PRESENTATIONS ** Faith formation and Pastoral Planning key and vital in chaplaincy role ** Events/ initiatives to be encouraged in school body and various departments by invitation • A Chaplain is a theologically educated and pastorally trained person, who helps develop, strengthen, and nurture the faith of, and provide care for, the members of the school community. - pastoral counseling, prayer, retreats, and Catholic teachings Catholic School Chaplains Association of Ontario • School chaplaincy is a pastoral role carried out in an educational setting in a collaborative and cooperative manner in order to promote the spiritual and human development of the members of the Catholic school community. Guidelines for School Chaplaincy in Ontario. • Spiritual Direction & Discernment • To enter into prayer and discernment and recognize where our gifts and talents lie and match them up with the various needs of the school community. • It is with purpose and meaning that we gain discernment of God’s will • Pastoral Role- to minister and evangelize to staff and students • to be present and visible in the school community during times of joy and sorrow • to be available and to offer support to those who suffer in times of crisis page 2 1. CHAPLAINCY TEAM FORMATION a. Faith Formation for all staff and students b. Prayer/ Prayer group for staff and students - small Christian communities, Ignatian model of spirituality c. Pastoral Counseling/ spiritual direction for staff and students d. Meeting every other Thursday from 2:30p.m.- 3:30p.m. 2. LITURGY a. Masses b. Remembrance Day c. St. Francis Xavier Feast Day d. Ash Wednesday service e. Holy Thursday service f. Thanksgiving g. Graduation liturgy and breakfast h. Memorial Masses 3. RETREATS a. Grade level day retreats b. Overnight chaplaincy formation retreats c. Staff retreat (optional) 4. SOCIAL JUSTICE/ CHARITY a. Thanksgiving Food Drive b. St. Vincent de Paul - Christmas Hamper Drive c. Lenten Day of Service - 12 hour only d. 30 hour fast e. ShareLife - Catholic charities St. Francis Xavier Tiger Tales FALL 2006 From the Guidance Department Practice application for university You are investing in your future ... go and check out the college or university that you plan to attend. The minimum pre-requisite for university is a combination of 6 grade 12 U or M courses. University Application deadline is January 10, 2007. College Application deadline is February 1, 2007. Interested in apprenticeship? Call the toll-free JobGrow Hotline, at 1-888-562-4769 About Job Connect http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/training/cepp/aboutjc.html Contact Please call the Training Hotline at 1-800-387-5656 or (416) 326-5656 to find out who delivers this program in your area. Apprenticeship Day at Xavier ... March 1, 2007 http://schooltocareer.ca/ Want to know more about the trades? http://www.tradeability.ca/ * the site might be under construction • Go to http://guidance.ouac.on.ca/ Try a practice application using the information below: • School Number: 792594 • Student Number: 123456789012 • Password/Pin: test Practice doing a college application www.ontariocolleges.ca Also check out our scholarship page … http://w3.dpcdsb.org/STFXS • go to guidance (top of the screen) • go to scholarships * Last year, tens of thousands of dollars were received by our students! Websites of Interest: Student Assistance … www.osap.gov.on.ca Links to Canadian Universities outside Ontario … www.schoolsincanada.com Research a Career *** excellent site :) *** www.careercruising.com Username: XAVIER Password: CAREERS Guide to University/College Transfer … www.ocutg.on.ca LET’S TALK ABOUT OUR GRADS ….. Stephanie Andrade, Visual Merchandiser I studied to be a hairdresser and began my career at home with my own clients. I still serve my clients, but I started in an administrative position, as head cashier, with the company “Stitches”. My first step was looking after the visual presentation of the store. I worked hard, practiced my designer ideas, used my organizational skills, loved the job, and they hired me as a visual merchandiser. I visit 10 stores in my district, and complete the wall displays and create the “new look” with the mannequins. I made a name for myself through efficient work, punctuality, creativity and the love of my job. The company is now going to invest an interest in me and send me to school for Fashion. My education will be financed by this company if I pass all the courses. St. Francis Xavier, I WILL PASS!!!! Music St. FX Music students started off the new school year with a brand new fundraising campaign, The Greater Toronto and Area Entertainment Values 2007 Book. The Book is filled with hundreds of 2-for-1 and 50% discount coupons for top local merchants. Opportunities include countless restaurants, golf and ski passes, movie tickets, oil changes, etc. Our traditional Citrus Fruit Campaign will take place in November. On behalf of the music students, many thanks go out to those who have supported our campaigns as they assist us in making this year’s activities possible. The Christmas concert will take place on Thursday, December 14 at the school and the Spring Concert will be on Thursday, May 17 at the Living Arts Centre. A new CD will be released by the end of the year. In February, the Senior Band, Intermediate Band, Gr. 9 Junior Band, and the Jazz Band will perform at the Ontario Band Association (OBA) Festival in Markham. Frank Woo, a Gr. 12 music student, has auditioned and got accepted to the Ontario Provincial Honour Band. This band consists of the best high school players from the province. The members will participate in the week-long Southwest Ontario Performance Tour in November. They will have an opportunity to work with the best band conductors, to grow musically and personally and to perform at the Ontario Music Educators Association conference in London, Ontario. Congratulations, Frank! FALL 2006 St. Francis Xavier Tiger Tales page 3 Grade Nine Mentorship Program This marks the second year of the Mentorship program at St. Francis Xavier. The purpose of this program is to develop individual student potential and provide a smooth transition for grade nines entering into high school. Keith Hawkins, motivational speaker and trainer for the program, created a two day event during the last week of August. Over fifty-six mentors were trained by Keith to properly greet over four hundred and fifty grade nine students and welcome them to high school life. Keith Hawkins has worked with high schools all across North America to create programs that focus on youth development. He has worked closely with our administration for the last two years to work on expanding school culture. Keith has been meeting with various extra-curricular groups, teachers and student council and will continue to work on developing leadership skills and building individual student character. This year at Xavier, the mentorship program is also being led by a local mentorship team consisting of Sandra Williams, Child Youth Worker, Patti Trainor and Robert Brandstetter, teachers from SFX. A year’s calendar of events have been planned to provide both training and leadership development opportunities for the mentors as well as contact sessions for mentors and mentees. The ultimate goal of this program is to develop our grade nine students into confident and assertive individuals who will work towards becoming effective mentors in their senior years. This year’s program is also looking to expand the program to become a more sustainable and integral feature of school life at Xavier. To this end, the program is interested in developing a scholarship for the mentors for the current 20062007 year that could include potential summer employment opportunities. Organizations interested in participating in the program or anyone looking for more information in the Mentorship program at Xavier should contact one of the staff members involved in the program. Moderns Department The Moderns department is happy to welcome back returning students and would like to extend a special bienvenue to all our new grade 9 students. To promote academic excellence the teachers in the department are looking forward to the many board and provincial contests that our students will be participating in. Taking French, Italian and Spanish courses is a lot of hard work but there are also many benefits. One of these benefits is our biannual trip to Europe. Soon we will start planning for our next European excursion that will take place in the spring of 2008. Make sure you don’t miss the announcements and come to the information meeting. Start saving up your money and see you in Rome. Bonne chance à tout le monde! Grade Nine Mentorship Program Welcome ESL Students! The ESL Department is excited to begin a new school year and to welcome back returning students. We would especially like to invite the newcomers to our school to come to the ESL Resource Room and become familiar with the available services. We are eager to assist all ESL students in the Resource Room (214) from 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. each school day. We will continue with our annual celebrations beginning with a Thanksgiving Lunch in October. We look forward to a memorable school year. page 4 St. Francis Xavier Tiger Tales FALL 2006 Tutorial Program for Mathematics Football at Xavier This program is offered for Grade 9 and 10 students currently enrolled in applied or academic math. Students will review the skills necessary for success in mathematics as well as reinforce the concepts learned. Teachers and senior students will be available to assist students. The program is offered Tuesdays and Thursdays immediately after school for one hour (2:30pm - 3:30pm) from October 10th/06 to January 18th /07 (excluding holidays). The program consists of 25 sessions and attendance is taken each session. Students must be on time and in full uniform each session. If you have any questions please contact Ms Scocco at (905)507-6666 ext. 73079 or Mrs. Pawlus at ext. 73257. Forms to register in the program are available from your math teacher. The leaves are changing. The days are getting shorter and cooler. The weather is finally becoming suitable for football in the Great White North. The senior team is off to a great start winning their first two games of the year with strong performances. And, after a four year absence, the Junior football team has been resurrected. The junior players are following the example set by the senior team by winning their first two games as well. The hard work that started in the last week of August appears to be paying dividends for both teams. With the season coming up to the half-way mark, expectations are that the discipline and commitment our student-athletes are showing will lead to more successful results on the field of play. Cafe Night Committee DECA Xavier DECA, St. Francis Xavier’s largest club, is home to 120 students. Our club caters not only to business students, but to everyone. Helping to enhance one’s interpersonal skills, DECA offers students the opportunity to become confident, outspoken and innovative. Since its inception 7 years ago, DECA Xavier has become extremely successful. St. Francis’ DECA students are known for winning awards at the provincial level and qualifying at the international level. Last year, two of our students placed fourth in their category at the Internationals in Dallas, Texas! DECA has numerous activities planned for this year. Members will have the opportunity to visit Washington, DC for a series of leadership conferences as well as attend an upcoming regional competition hosted by the DECA Xavier chapter. Students will also be able to take part in the Provincials, a two-day competition held in downtown Toronto which will determine who will have the privilege of competing at the Internationals held this year in Orlando, Florida. Aside from the business aspect of the club, the Xavier chapter is also known for its contributions to the community. Having held the Relay for Life twice in the past 4 years, DECA Xavier has managed to raise a whopping total of $91,000 for cancer research. DECA is an avenue for students to learn and grow in a fun atmosphere. Whether it’s networking or public speaking; DECA has something for everyone. Meetings are every Wednesday after school. Keep updated by visiting our website at www.decaxavier.com FALL 2006 Go Tigers Go! Junior Footbal Revival This year, the junior football program was resurrected after a 4 year absence. In an exhibition tournament, they started off in fine fashion by advancing to the finals. On September 21, the Tigers opened their regular season with a convincing 45 to 0 victory over Father Goetz. The Tiger offense ran all over the Goetz defense. Mike Nespeca started things off with a 25 yard touchdown run. Evan Petrie had a great day rushing the ball scoring two touchdowns. Darren Boca had an amazing 60 yard touchdown run where he broke tons of tackles. Ryan Francis looked good on a slot reverse play and had a nice short touchdown run up the middle. Ryan Baptista had an interception return for a touchdown as well. Harvey Azra kicked all 6 extra points and a field goal. The defense was also outstanding. Goetz only had a couple of first downs all day and the Tiger defense forced 2 or 3 turnovers. Michael Owens had a punishing sack to lead an attacking, aggressive defense. The Juniors improved their record to 2 and 0 with a 48 to 0 win over Meadowvale. Greg Katayama ran for two touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass to Evan Petrie. Evan also ran for two touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass to Xavier Hanchard. Darren Boca had 2 TD runs as well. The defense had another incredible game and the special teams blocked two punts. Varsity Golf Team The ROPSSAA Qualifying Tournament was held on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at Glen Eagle Club Club in Bolton, Ontario. The Championship was held during the first week of October at Hidden Lake Golf Course in Burlington, Ontario. Good luck to Andrew Littlefield, Kristine Littlefield, Jonathan Antonio, Justin Tabuno and Jaidev Singh. Coaches are Ms. Lariviere, Mr. G. Reid and Mr. J. Scolaro. St. Francis Xavier Tiger Tales page 5 TEACHER PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL – PARENT AND STUDENT SURVEYS Ministry of Education directives dictate that Parental and student input must also be taken into account in the performance appraisal of a teacher. Surveys will be available in the main office throughout the year. Parents are asked to comment on their satisfaction with the communication between the parent and the teacher about their child’s learning and progress. The survey may be returned to the school office. At your request (the parent), your name will be removed from the survey before it is shared with the teacher but no unsigned survey will be accepted. Students in grades 11 and 12 courses are also given a student survey to complete for each of their teachers. They will be given the opportunity to provide feedback about communication with their teachers and whether, in their opinion, each teacher effectively promotes student learning. The survey may be returned to the school office. At the request of the student, his/her name will be removed from the survey before it is shared with the teacher but no unsigned surveys will be accepted. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK We feel that all parents would like to be aware that there are some students at St. Francis Xavier S.S. with a severe life threatening food allergy (anaphylaxis) to peanuts and nuts. This is a medical condition that causes a severe reaction to certain allergens and can result in death within minutes. Allergies can also result from exposure to other food items. Examples of these are provided below. Any food can cause a reaction to someone. Anyone can be or become anaphylactic to ANY food at anytime throughout their lifetime. The ten most common food allergens, together with examples, are: • Peanuts ..... peanut oil, ground nuts, goober nuts. • Tree nuts ... walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans. • Wheat ....... farina, couscous, wheat bran, semolina. • Egg ............ globulin, albumin, vitellin, lecithin. • Milk .......... whey, curds, milk solids, casein. • Soybean .... soya, soy protein, tofu, soja. • Shellfish .... crab, shrimps, prawns, lobster, clam. • Fish ........... tuna, bass, carp, anchovy, salmon, cod. • Seeds ......... sesame, cottonseed, caraway, mustard. • Sulphites ... a food preservative which causes a chemical reaction, eg sodium suphite. (NOTE: The above examples are just a few familiar foods from an extensive list). INSECT STING ANAPHYLAXIS The stinging insects that most often cause reactions/ anaphylaxis are bees, wasps, yellow jackets and hornets. The following are some coping suggestions for peak season (summer, early fall). • avoid insect nesting areas such as bushes and trees. • do not walk barefoot, or with open-toed shoes. • avoid garbage cans. • make sure you are covered up when going outside. • do not wear bright colours, or flowery patterns. • do not wear any kind of fragrance. • stay away from open or uncovered food and drinks. page 6 LATEX ALLERGY Latex is a difficult substance to avoid because you cannot tell by looking at something whether it is latex rubber or a manufactured rubber. The following is a list of some products that may contain latex. • erasers, tape/adhesives, craft supplies, seasonal crafts(Halloween). • diapers, underwear. • balloons, soccer balls, volleyballs, basketballs, rubber toys. • band-aids, first aid tape, medical gloves. • carpet backing, mats (rubber), foam rubber. • rubber gloves for cleaning. Children with certain medical conditions and people working in the medical dental profession may become allergic. CHECKLIST FOR PARENTS OF AN ANAPHYLACTIC STUDENT arrange meeting principal/vice principal to exchange information. notify school personnel of your child's allergens in order of severity. complete “The Request and Consent Form for the Administration of Epi-pen in an Emergency” Form. provide the school with the required number of Epi-pens and check to be sure they are not expired. consider a Medic Alert bracelet for your child. educate yourself about foods that can cause anaphylactic reactions. stress with your child and school staff that only foods from his her home are to be eaten. keep up-to-date about education and new information in this field. research field trip sites for allergen risks. accompany your child on field trips if possible. inform the school bus driver about your child's medical needs. verify all posted information about your child. inform school staff of any allergic reactions that occur outside of school hours. St. Francis Xavier Tiger Tales SPRING 2006 L’ONTARIO Municipal Elections 2006 Monday, November 13, 2006 ONTARIO CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE DES EVEQUES CATHOLIQUES DE Voting Information for Catholic Ratepayers To: Catholic School Trustees Catholic Parents All Catholic School Supporters September 1, 2006 From: The Education Commission of The Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops Re: Elections for Catholic School Trustee In November of 2006, municipal elections will be held throughout Ontario. Among the positions to be filled is the very important one for our community of Catholic school trustee. The first Catholic schools in Ontario were opened in the early nineteenth century. Thanks to the perseverance and dedication of generations of Catholic parents and their supporters, they have ever since been places where our young people have been able to encounter Jesus Christ and have learned to follow His way. Our schools have thus made a significant contribution to the common good of our province. Over the years, there have been many challenges to face and crises to overcome. That aspect of our situation has not changed. In an aggressively secular culture, it is ever more difficult to maintain and propagate the vision of community, vocation and personal holiness for which our faith and our schools stand. We are in a situation in which visionary, faith-filled and selfless leadership is needed. It is for this reason that the bishops of Ontario encourage incumbent trustees and all other interested members of the faithful to allow their names to be put forward for the very important leadership position of Catholic school trustee. Clearly, the position is one of service to the community. It is also one of great privilege and responsibility since it involves the opportunity to help in the formation of future generations in the Christian way of life. We also ask all Catholics to renew their interest in our educational system at this time by ensuring that they are registered as Catholic school supporters, by becoming knowledgeable about the issues currently faced by Catholic schools and by voting for candidates for Catholic school trustee who best represent an authentic vision of Catholic education. This becomes even more important in the context of the 2006 elections which will introduce four-year terms for the first time. It is only if we all take an active interest that our Catholic schools will truly develop Christian community and embody Christ’s way, His truth and His life. Yours in Christ, Most Rev. Paul_André Durocher, Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall Chair of the Education Commission of the OCCB Protect and preserve Catholic education …Ensure you are registered to vote as a Catholic separate school supporter • Ensuring you are registered as a separate school supporter is important for the protection and preservation of Catholic education in Ontario. • As a registered Catholic school supporter, you have the opportunity to elect trustees who will represent and address your interests and concerns at the school board level and at various levels of the government. • Registering your Catholic school support ensures your school board’s assessment roll is accurate. This is important because: • Your school board’s assessment base is a public record of the breadth of support for Catholic schools • It is used to determine the number of trustees to be elected to each board to represent the interests of parents and other ratepayers • It supports boards’ population projections, which affect funding for new pupil places. How to check if you are registered: • Call your municipal office’s Office of the Clerk to inquire how to check the local list of electors. If your name is not on the list of electors or if the information is incorrect (e.g., name, address or school support data missing or incorrect) you should, as soon as possible: • Go to the municipal offices for your community and fill out an application to be added to the list or to correct information. You might also wish to check the municipality’s website for instructions. Proof of identification may be required. Please call your municipal office to determine what documentation you may need. At the Polling Station: • Verify that you are registered as a separate school supporter. If your support status is incorrect ask for an ‘Application to Amend Voters’ List’. This form may be completed and submitted at the polling station. • Ensure the ballot you are given is a separate school ballot. Voting for Catholic School Board Representation: • Catholic ratepayers must declare themselves to be Catholic and separate school electors in order to cast a vote in the election of separate school trustees in municipal elections. 10 St. Mary Street, Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4Y 1P9 Tel: (416) 923-1423 • Fax: (416) 923-1509 Web Site: www.occb.on.ca e-mail: occb@occb.on.ca Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board SCHOOL HOLIDAYS FOR THE 2006-2007 SCHOOL YEAR Every Saturday and Sunday Labour Day ............................................................................................ Monday, September 4, 2006 Thanksgiving Day ...................................................................................... Monday October 9, 2006 Christmas Break ...................... Monday, December 25, 2006 to Friday, January 5, 2007 (inclusive) Mid-Winter Break ......................... Monday, March 12, 2007 to Friday, March 16, 2007 (inclusive) Good Friday ....................................................................................................... Friday, April 6, 2007 Easter Monday ................................................................................................ Monday, April 9, 2007 Victoria Day .................................................................................................. Monday, May 21, 2007 FALL 2006 SECONDARY SCHOOLS – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS: 1. Wednesday, January 31, 2007 2. Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3. Wednesday, June 27, 2007 4. Thursday, June 28, 2007 Secondary School Examination Days (10): St. Francis Xavier Tiger Tales Semester 1 ....... January 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 2007 Semester 2 .............. June 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 2007 page 7 page 8 St. Francis Xavier Tiger Tales FALL 2006