Looking Ahead ... dates for your fall calendar
ST. PAUL SECONDARY SCHOOL’S
HEARTBEAT
21st Century Learning
Wifi Coming to Dufferin-Peel
The Curtain Closes
Summing Up Usher
Boys’ Night In
Building Confidence in Young Men
Spring Athletics
Extra Curricular and Varsity Sports
Chaplain’s Corner
Before We Turn Out the Lights
Departures
Transfers & Retirements
PIP Gets Constructive...
St. Paul Secondary School
SUMMER ISSUE, 2013
815 Atwater Avenue, Mississauga, Ontario L5E 1L8
Phone: 905-278-3994
Web: stpaulss.org
Fax: 905-278-1163
Trustees
B. Iannicca, Mississauga Ward 7 - 905-270-0536, bruno.iannicca@dpcdsb.org
M. Pascucci, Mississauga Wards 1 & 3 - (P) 905-302-3096, (F) 905-890-0888, mario.pascucci@dpcdsb.org
Superintendent
Mr. C. Blanchard
Principal
Mr. P. Schmidt
Vice-Principal
Ms. C. Iacobucci
Chaplain
Mr. B. Finamore
Student Services/ARD
Mr. B. Bonnah
Guidance Counsellor A - K, ELL
Ms. E. Wasiuk
Guidance Counsellor L - Z, SHSM
Mr. J. Multari
Youth Care Worker
Ms. V. Williams
St. Dominic Parish Pastor
Fr. Philip Jones
Heartbeat Editor
Mr. T. Brugmans
Magazine Layout & Design
Mr. T. Brugmans
Cover Photo
Marc De Acetis
Principal’sMessage
As you are aware by now, this will be the final opportunity for me to
thank you since I assume my role as Principal at Philip Pocock Secondary School in September.
Where to begin? First a large thank you to all parents, staff and students, for allowing me the priviledge to serve as the school’s leader
over the last seven years. It’s been an exceptional opportunity to
work with so many capable and courageous innovators in education.
We have achieved much in a short space of time but it’s time to move
and share my gifts in another setting.
In the last three years, our school
has seen a declined suspension
rate, improved attendance and
program innovation in Alternative
education, Dual credits and Co-op.
A large measure of this purposeful
improvement has been through the
influence of our talented and devoted Vice Principal, Ms. Iacobucci. Ms. Iacobucci will be joining
the staff at St. Thomas Aquinas in
September, where she will continue advocating for students and
program innovation.
Our community will see the retirement of two stalwart veteran teachers this year, PHE Department
Head, Anne Shlarp and Business
teacher Terry Dineen. Their own
leadership and commitment to student success has been a hallmark
of their teaching practice. We will
also bid adieu to our Acting Department Head of Social Science,
Mr. Chuck Leskun, who will take
up full Departmental responsibilities at St. Marguerite D’Youville
Secondary School.
On a daily basis, our Chaplaincy
team leader, Brian Finamore has
provided the vision and strength of
leadership for staff and students to
draw upon, all the while continuing to face his illness with so much
courage. Brian has been a source
of inspiration and direction for our
Admin team and we will miss his
reflections every morning.
The first and lasting impression of
any school is with the Main office
staff and Guidance Office staff.
Jane Robbie, our Head secretary
has elected to retire at the end of
June. Along with Jane, Pina Vella,
Sandra Piccolo and most recently
Ofelia Stefaniuk have made our
main office a refreshing place to be
every day.
Because of our organic relationship with St. Dominic’s Church,
we have been able to achieve so
much in partnering with Fr. Phil,
Fr. Noel and Fr. Rudy in a variety
of activities. St. Dominic’s is an
exemplary model of parish, family,
school partnership and one that has
room to grow.
As parents will read elsewhere in
our newsletter, September will be
the time of arrival of Wi-Fi digitalization of our school system and
one that will open up doors for
innovation, as well as the potential
for disruption and some foolishness. This is what new disruptive
technologies will do while they
open up new vistas of creativity in
research and learning. Students and
parents are already experiencing
the enhancements and challenges
of digitalization in all other aspects
of their lives, but schools are late
to the party on this one. The introduction of digital textbooks will
be the next phase in this evolution
and should provide some financial
relief for parents over the next five
years.
In the Principal’s role, a successful and engaging small school is
dependent upon the active participation of everyone, a whole school
approach, if you will. Parent
Council chairs Ms. Zogheib and
Ms. Whiteman, Ms. Morell, Ms.
Gutt, have provided a consistent
sounding board and advocate for
St. Paul’s needs. Our 40th anniversary celebrations last year was a
wonderful symbol of their commitment.
God Bless.
›››Chaplaincy
Our
Living
Faith
When we go to bed at night, after we say our prayers and make sure
that our smart phones are hooked up to be recharged, one of the last
things we do is turn off the lights. As we close our eyes and drift off to
sleep for the evening in the comfort of our beds and the darkness of our
rooms, we do so with an element of faith. We have faith that with the
light of the new day or in case we might have to move throughout the
night, nothing will be moved - we will find everything exactly where it
was last placed the last time we saw them.
As this school year comes to an end and
we metaphorically speaking turn-off the
lights to St. Paul School for the summer
holidays, we can be sure this year that
things will be different come September. A
lot of things will be moved around, many
changes will be made. For the past seven
years Mr. Schmidt has been Principal of
St. Paul School. In September Mr. Schmidt
will be the new Principal at Philip Pocock.
Many of us take Mr. Schmidt and his
friendly, open-door policy, not to mention
his warm sense of humour for granted.
Mr. Schmidt has embraced technology and
has really tried to bring St. Paul School
into the twenty-first century. He has been
on a personal crusade to bring Smart
Boards into the school and he has been a
champion of integrating PED’s and laptop
computers in our school, appreciating
that these items are powerful educational
tools when used properly. Using his own
personal money, he has purchased books
and films for teachers, resources that he
shares with the creative commons of our
community. Mr. Schmidt has always challenged us to be radical in our thinking and
with our actions. He has often reminded
us to follow Jesus, the radical, who was
never neutral when it came to helping the
poor and marginalized. Notwithstanding
his many contributions to St. Paul School,
I will remember Mr. Schmidt in two ways.
He has been a consistent force warning
about the dangers of pollution and climate
change. He has encouraged staff and
students to find environmentally friendly
ways to travel to and from school. He
even introduced the Principal’s Challenge
to encourage bicycle riding in the community. At least one day each spring Mr.
Schmidt would ride his old CCM Targa
ten speed bike to school from his home
at Jane and Bloor in Toronto. I remember
how proud Mr. Schmidt was when St. Paul
School became one of the first Eco-source
schools in the Region of Peel. Finally, Mr.
Schmidt should always be remembered
for his unwavering support of Dr. Simone
and Canadian Food For Children. Over
the past seven years we have developed
an unprecedented partnership with CFFC.
Thousands of students have had an opportunity to work with Dr. Simone and
serve Christ’s poor around the world. This
partnership has greatly appreciated by Dr.
Simone who has come to regard St. Paul
School as his number one supporters! I
spoke with Dr. Simone last Friday, June
14, and he wanted me to thank the school
and especially Mr. Schmidt for his support
these past years.The St. Paul School Community has been a rock of strength for Dr.
Simone in his ongoing battle with prostate
cancer!
I would also like to thank Ms. Iacobucci,
our Vice Principal, who will also not be
at St. Paul School when next we gather in
September. Ms. Iacobucci has the difficult
task of being the VP and thus is ultimately
responsible for enforcing the rules of the
school community. Being a VP does not
always make you popular but it is one
of the most important roles in a school
community. I remember the first time that
I met Ms. Iacobucci and how impressed
I was with her experience working with
the vulnerable, at-risk, youth in our school
board. She helped introduced a dual credit
program at St. Paul School where students
could earn both high school and college
credits at the same time. This program has
helped dozens of St. Paul students to not
only graduate high school but also transition into post secondary education.
There will be many, many changes to the
school community this summer. I haven’t
even mentioned the retirement of Ms.
Schlarp, Ms. Robbie and Mr. Dineen. Students will be graduating and others may
move or transfer schools. Ms. Piccolo,
Ms. Macera and Mr. Leskun will also be
working at new schools in the Fall. While
change isn’t easy it is essential for growth.
While I am sometimes saddened by the
prospect of change I am also encouraged
by the new opportunities and excitement new ideas and people can bring
to our lives. As we turn out the lights to
the 2012-13 school, year let’s thank God
for the great times that we have shared
together. Let’s be thankful that there is one
thing that never changes in our lives....
Jesus’ love for us all! Have a safe and holy
Summer. St. Paul...pray for us!
Congratulations to Bishop Burchell McPherson, Montego
Bay, Jamaica,W.I. This picture was taken at his Installation on Saturday, June 8, 2013, by Mr. Andrew Rowe,
Principal DuPont Primary and Infant School.
We are especially proud that Bishop McPherson was one
of the very first Episcopal Appointments made by Pope
Francis.
›››PIP Students
Planning For Independance
St. Paul’s Planning
for Independence
bids farewell and
Congratulations!
It is with bittersweet
sentiments that our
Planning for Independence Program bids a
fond farewell to three
gentlemen of our
program. In December we gave our best
wishes to our Special
Education Classroom
Teacher, Mr. Connelly.
Everyone here in P.I.P.
wish him all the best
in his retirement and
would like to say thank
you to him for everything he taught us, his
love and respect and
for his commitment to
our program.
We miss you and hope
you know that you are
always in our thoughts
and prayers.
Our Planning for Independence Program also congratulates Daniel De Acetis and
Rodrigo Bayro, our two students who graduated from our program this year. In the last
seven years, Daniel and Rodrigo have been an integral part of our program learning
life skills while being actively involved in our school community. They have been an
important part of our Recycling and Athletic Uniforms program and in the last few years
have excelled during their work experience at Dollarama and Dr. Simone’s. They have
participated in our school masses and many of the events held at St. Paul’s and they
leave behind many friends throughout the school.
Daniel and Rodrigo, we will miss you so much and wish you all the best in your future.
God bless you both!
›››Not For Profit
Specialist High Skills Major
DuPont School in Kingston, Jamaica Visit to Canada
As part of the St. Paul Secondary School’s Jamaica Leadership Exchange Program, nineteen students and five staff from
the DuPont Primary and Infant School in Kingston, Jamaica visited Canada from May 15 to May 24. The DuPont students
were billeted with senior St. Paul students in the Leadership Program who had travelled to Jamaica earlier in the school
year. Our Jamaican visitors performed at each of the feeder schools; Queen of Heaven, St. Edmund, St. Dominic and St.
Timothy. They also sang and danced at the Premier’s Office at Queen’s Park, St. Dominic Church, the Jamaican Seniors’
Home and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s Catholic Education Centre. The group travelled to excursions on the weekend which included Niagara Falls, the CN Tower and a Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre.
The St. Paul School Community welcomed the DuPont family and celebrated this unique cultural and Spirit filled partnership. The following reflection was written by Brian Patch, a grade 12 student, who was inspired by the love and joy of this
experience:
A Child from Afar
Today I saw a child - a child unlike any from home. This child is a visitor in my home. I look at this child and see pure
happiness and the glee of a child on a Christmas morning. Except this child does not have the same Christmas as I have.
Christmas for this child is not filled with presents under a tree or chestnuts roasting on an open fire or mistletoe on a
doorframe. Christmas for this child is filled with love - simple, pure love. An equality through material poverty.
That is the happiness that all these children are showing. Part of me is filled with sadness and the other part with joy. That
these children are free from the material shackles and can live a life where they can feel how they want to feel. I am not
saying that their lives are better than my life or worse than my life. I am saying that when I see a child who has less and
can still retain happiness is a sight that the material world has become blind to. It’s something that more people need to be
influenced by. More of my world needs to see and understand that this bubble called home is not all there is on this earth.
There is more to life than our own little lives. This world is full of visitors.
›››English
Grammar
Usher – A Totally
Teen Comedy
This year, the St. Paul Players presented
Usher – A Totally Teen Comedy by Flip
Kobler and Cindy Marcus. The play, directed by Mrs. Bentivoglio and Ms. Kelly,
involved a stellar cast of twenty-five, and
over a dozen crew members. A number of
other staff members dedicated their time
and effort to this production
as well: Ms. Karam (Stage
Manager), Ms. Francois
(Assistant Stage Manager),
Mr. Mondelli (set design and
construction), Mr. DeLuca
(electrical), Mr. Brugmans
(program), Ms. Ponvia (costumes), Ms. Petrauskas (prop
design), Mrs. Vono (ticket
design, printing, sales and
snack bar), Ms. Scozzaro (intermission snacks and ticket
sales), Mrs. Bueno-Marcial
and Ms.Santagrossi (house), Mr.Tremblay
(photography), Mrs. Bontempo (French
Café), Mr. Martins (ticket design and
snack bar) and Mr. Galli (starred in the
opening video).
Several students dedicated their time
behind the scenes as well. As a result
of generous student interest, the set was
phenomenal. Students worked tirelessly to
build and assemble the set, paint the walls
and intricate designs, and set up lights. We
Literature
would like to extend a special thank you to
Gregor Tratnik, who headed the construction crew and invested several hours building and perfecting the set demonstrating
true craftsmanship. Gregor was assisted by
a fantastic team made up of Victoria Pena,
Domenic Gennaro and Jonathan Zagula.
We would also like to acknowledge the
stellar film crew. The intriguing film
script, written by Michael Botelho and
Alessia Ferrin, was realized by our
talented in-house director, Madeleine
Moniz. Madeleine directed, produced
and edited the opening video and play
trailer, which was filmed off-site at the
majestic Adamson Estate. Marc De
Acetis, Sebastian Fornari and Michael
Hajduk filmed and edited the film as
well, including the play itself.
We would also like to thank the makeup crew, headed by Jessica Rocchetti and
Tanya Sanabria. They created the perfect
look for the ghost cast. Also, our sound
Speaking
The play would not have been successful, however, without the incredible cast
who brought to life the eerie and hilarious script, Usher. Thank you so much to
the following students: Michael Botelho,
Alessia Ferrin, Connor Humphreys,
Jonathan Zagula, Michael Turk, Ismahan
Mohamed, Alanna Santarossa, Samantha
Miranda, Joseph Deoni, Aldo Mauro, Jennifer Reid, Tanner Blomme, Natasha Daly,
Emilia Nigrello, Mariela Faykoo-Martinez, Agatha Adona, Kevin Melo, Cassandra Farrugia, Krista Bracco, Amanda
LeBlanc, Marissa Jochim, Sydney Forma,
Shelby Forma, Julia Di Benedetto and Jennifer Cook.
The production was a success due to the
tireless efforts of staff and students. Thank
you to all those who generously helped
out with the play, Usher, over the past few
months. Your time and dedication was
truly appreciated.
Spring Excursions
Mrs. Bentivoglio and Ms. Francois accompanied their students to the Stratford
Festival Theatre to see the acclaimed play,
Fiddler on the Roof, starring Kate Hennig and Scott Wentworth. The production
was phenomenal and the students raved
about it for weeks.
crew, consisting of Madeleine Moniz,
Sarah Barbash, Zachary Zubilewich and
Marc De Acetis, created the perfect atmosphere for the
play. The prop
team, headed
by Mrs. Petrauskas, created fabulous
pieces for the
set and infused
an artistic flair.
Also, Ms. Di Carlo, Ms. Alilovic and Mr.
Martins accompanied their classes to see
Shakespeare`s classic tragedy, Macbeth,
as well as his acclaimed play, Romeo and
Juliet, performed by the Classical Theatre
Project at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.
The students had a wonderful time.
›››Athletics
Everything
With Heart
Discipline, Dedication, Determination
and Wolverine Pride
has been the mission statement of the
Physical and Health
Department for the
past 15 years. Watching athletes develop
and mature into better athletes, who displayed a wonderful
sense of Catholic values, sportsmanship
and camaraderie, has
been one of the highlights of my role as
Department head at
St. Paul. Helping the
school community realize the benefits of a
healthy active lifestyle
through wellness promotion and a valuable
connection to the outdoors with our Bruce
Trail hiking affiliation,
has really been my driving passion. As
Steve Jobs, so eloquently quoted in his
commencement address, “the only way to
be truly satisfied is to do what you believe
is great work. And the only way to do
great work is to love what you do.” I have
been truly blessed to have had this vocation, to do what I’ve loved for the past
34 years; the first half in elementary, the
second half in high school. I know that all
of you students will always remember the
mustard seed parable and go out into the
world and move mountains.
Thank you to my department, Craig Vicars, Lon Minott & Vince Galli, the administration and especially all of the coaches,
for making my job so much easier with
your willingness to give so much to make
a difference in the lives of our students.
I’m looking forward to this new chapter of
reinvention; more time to hit the links and
travel the world. Thanks for the memories!
Lacrosse
This years lacrosse team had big shoes to
fill after last years inaugural season.With
a younger, less experienced roster having
to play in Tier 1 this year, we knew it was
going to be a tough season. They started
the season off on a positive note defeating
Iona 10-3 on their field.
in countries like Sweden and Finland. In
Canada, floorball is a popular high school
sport and used in Hockey Canada’s Skills
Academies across the country for dry land
training. Having received formal recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in December 2008, floorball
is slated for its debut at the Olympics in
the 2020 Summer Games.
St. Paul was one of the sixteen teams
entered in the high school division and just
missed out of the playoffs by one goal in
the last game of the round robin. The team
is young and we look forward to the opportunity next year.
Track
and Field
The Track & Field team this year got off
to an early start to the season with morning cross training practice two times per
week beginning in mid February. Despite
being small in numbers, the team showed
true Wolverine spirit throughout the
season with many personal best and many
high finishes.
The team competed in three warm up
meets prior to participating in ROPSSAA
including the Western University meet,
Brockville Meet and Bill Crothers Invitational meet.
The boys showed a lot of heart and
determination playing this year, a
couple of times in back to back double
header situations, battling through
fatigue and injury.
We look forward to next year, with a
majority of the players returning and
build on what they learned this year.
The coaches thank you for the effort
and enthusiasm showed this season.
Floorball Canada
Cup
Tournament
This year St. Paul sent a group of students
to the Canada Cup Floorball Championships in Toronto at Ryerson University
and the Tait Mackenzie complex (formerly
Maple Leaf Gardens). Floorball is a type
of indoor hockey, played professionally
At the ROPSSAA championships, every
member of the team competed hard however special mention goes to Vicky Tran
and Jahnae Gyles who finished in fourth
& second place respectively and continued
their success making it to the OFSSAA
championships in Oshawa. The future is
bright for this young team, and Mr. Galli,
Mr. Costigan & Ms. Creede would like to
thank the athletes for their tireless effort
and dedication to the team.
Weightroom
Special thanks to former Olympian, Mark
McKoy who gave of his time so generously in coming and sharing his fitness
expertise with both our weightroom club,
as well as with the Boys Night In event.
Senior
Boys Soccer Floorball Workshop
The Senior Boys soccer team had a very
Congratulations to the almost 40 grade
successful year. They finished the season
with a winning record beating much larger
schools such as Father Goetz and Philip
Pocock, making the tier 1 playoffs (only
8 teams out of 49 made it), where they
lost in the quarterfinals to the defending
OFSAA “AAA” champions St. Edmund
Campion.
In the AA playdowns, they beat Ascension in the semifinals but lost the finals
to a very strong team from St. Martins.
Congratulations to all the players for their
effort and commitment. The coach thanks
all the graduating seniors and wishes them
the best of luck in the future.
Varsity
Girls Soccer
An up and down season is the best way to
describe this years version of girls soccer.
A great win over an undefeated Iona and
several ties that the girls dominated the
game. An unbelievable win vs Robert F.
Hall where the team play 2 players down
and shut-out the wolfpack for a 1-0 win. A
lot of laughs and great memories happened
this season.
The coaches would like to wish all the best
to our graduating players Luba Sulypka,
Katelyn Turk, Stefanie DiTella, Erica Van
De Coevering, Martina Ferraro and Giova
Cascioli. They’re looking forward to next
season with a strong core returning and a
revised commitment, enjoy your summer
and see you in September.
9 and 10 boys who came out April 16
for the Floorball Workshop during their
lunchtime. The boys were taught the
rules of the game by Juha Mikkola from
Floorball Canada and had a chance to
play some games.
Special thanks go out to OFSAA for providing the $700 grant which enabled us
to purchase a brand new set of floorball
equipment. The boys were treated to a
pizza lunch, as a thank you for getting
involved! Way to go boys!!
Bruce Trail
Hikes
This years grade 9’s continued the tradition of hiking
to the Forks of the Credit
provincial park in Caledon,
with the difficult Devil’s
Pulpit descent.
The grade 10 boys hiked a
picturesque and more challenging route through Mono
Cliffs Provincial Park.
›››Athletics
Most students found this outdoor experience to be one of their highlights this year.
A special thank you, to our hike leader,
Greg Vincent, for guiding us along the
Bruce Trail, with his expertise and passion
during these past 12 years.
Athletic Banquet
Awards
Congratualtions to the following athletes
on their achievement:
Cross Country
Nicole Farrugia (MVP)
Monika Frejlich (Sportmanship)
Golf
Eligius Paris (MVP)
Junior Boys Soccer
Jeyson Gonzales (MVP)
Dalton Wilson (MIP)
Senior Boys Soccer
Andrew LeBre (MVP)
Phillip Dos Santos (Sportsmanship)
›››Athletics
Lacrosse
Matthew Pogue (MVP)
Tyler Johnson (MIP)
Track & Field
Jahnae Gyles (co-MVP)
Vicky Tran (co-MVP)
Junior Athletes of the Year
Flag Football
Taylore Beaulieu (Offensive MVP)
Martina Ferraro (Defensive MVP)
Junior Boys Volleyball
Volodymyr Tkachuk (co-MVP)
Nick Gutierrez (co-MVP)
Senior Boys Volleyball
Nico Kulis (MVP)
Chris Cipparrone (MIP)
Senior Girl Basketball
Meghan Forestell (MVP)
Agatha Ulewicz (MIP)
Junior Girls Volleball
Brianne Cuff (MVP)
Naomi Rushe (MIP)
Senior Girls Volleyball
Luba Sulypka (MVP)
Martina Ferraro (MIP)
Senior Boys Basketball
Wayne Negradas (MVP)
Tanner Blomme (MIP)
Male
Mauritzio White
Female
Naomi Rushe
Senior Athletes of the Year
Girls Hockey
Taylore Beaulieu (MVP)
Megan Hewlett (MIP)
Senior Boys Hockey
Matthew Micallef (MVP)
Tanner Blomme (MIP)
Senior Badminton
Matthew Pogue (co-MVP)
Maria Sabilano (co-MVP)
SloPitch
Caroline Morell (MVP)
Kelly Brown (Sportsmanship)
Senior Girls Soccer
Luba Sulypka (co-MVP)
Stefanie Di Tella (co-MVP)
Female
Stefanie DiTella
Male
Matthew Pogue
›››Guidance Files
Student Services • ARD • Counseling
Greetings and Thanks from Mr. Bonnah: As we mark the approach of the end
to another year, I wish to thank the students, parents and my colleagues at
St. Paul for their tireless commitment to improved student achievement and
well-being throughout the year. It is an absolute pleasure and privilege to
be part of such a dedicated community.
First of all, I’d like to extend my
sincerest thanks to one of our ERWs,
Ms. Gina Macera for all her work to
support our students. Ms. Macera will
be leaving us next year and joining the
team at Philip Pocock S.S. On behalf
of all of us, I wish her well in her new
role.
I also wish to recognize the amazing
contributions and extend my sincerest thanks to our ERW’s, Ms. Macera,
Ms. Lukianovich, Ms. Sweleba, Mr.
McTiernan and Mr. Lamoureux; our
Guidance counselors, Ms. Wasiuk and
Mr. Multari; our Child-Youth Worker,
Ms. Williams; our Social Worker, Mr.
Almeida; our School Psychologist, Dr.
I. Rukavina; our Co-op teachers, Ms.
Lehecka and Mr. Costigan; and our
Student Success teacher, Mr. Isabella
for their continued support to all our
students.
Finally, I wish to extend my sincere
thanks and appreciation to Ms. Ofelia Stefaniuk, our Student Services
Secretary, for all her positive energy,
diligence and hard work. I wish all a
restful summer holiday.
Before we break for the upcoming
summer holidays, here are just a few
reminders.
New Registrations
Please call the Student Services secre-
tary, Ms. Stefaniuk to book an appointment. (905) 278-3994 x77301
Summer School Dates
Full course credit session
July 2-July 29
Two week make-up credit sessions
July 2-15 and July 16-29
Get Ready Program
Orientation for Incoming Grade 9s
(Applications are available in Student
Services) for August 22, 23, 26, 27,
28.
St. Paul Grade 9 and
Newcomer Welcome
Orientation Morning
Wednesday, August 28, 10:00-12:00 in
the St. Paul Cafetorium.
Report Card Pick Up
Final Report Cards for 2012-13 will be
available for pick up on Friday, June
28 from 10:00 am - 11:00 am in the
cafeteria.
Final Report cards can also be picked
up at the main office July 2 – 4, from
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and July 5 from 8 a.m.
to noon.
Request for Course
Changes for 2013-14
If a student or parent wishes to request a course change, they are asked
to complete the Request for Course
Change form that will be distributed
with the final report card. All forms
must be signed by a parent/guardian
prior to submission. All requests are
processed on a first-come, first-served
basis.
While every effort will be made to
accommodate and/all changes, we
cannot guarantee that course change
requests will be feasible or possible
due to scheduling restrictions and
classroom capacity. We ask in advance
for your patience.
Guidance Counselors will be available
to see students in grade 12 on Tuesday,
August 27 and/or Wednesday, August
28 for priority course request changes.
Parent signatures are required for any/
all changes.
›››Technology
Construction
& Electrical
They were shown how to drill, chip and cut into wood, concrete and metal.
Grade 9 & 10
Construction visits
the Electrical College
Of Canada
The Construction
classes, along with
Technology teachers Mr. Mondelli, Mr.
Fernandes, and Mr.
De Luca, had its first
ever field trip to The
Electrical College Of
Canada (ECC). On this
Trip students were informed of the professional field and how to
become an Electrician.
Electrical safety and
awareness was also
a major topic on this
trip. Hands on activities for the group were
of no shortage. DeWalt
Tools was at the ECC
allowing the student
to operate specialty
tools commonly used
in the electrical field.
After working up an appetite the students stopped for lunch as they viewed the college
operating with two classes of future electricians. St. Paul Students were allowed to ask
the ECC College students questions about the program and watch them wire up there
projects in the state of the art electrical facility. After lunch the teaching staff of the ECC
put together a project for the St. Paul students to wire up in groups.
It was a fast paced day that informed St. Paul students the next step in pursuing a trade
in the construction/electrical field.
›››Catholic Vision
21st Century Learning
Forming our Catholic Vision for
Learning in the 21st Century
An overview for parents, guardians and students
June 2013
Our vision of education in Dufferin-Peel Catholic schools is rooted in the gospel values of faith, hope and love.
Guided by this vision, which is deliberately infused into all aspects of our strategic planning and operations,
Dufferin-Peel schools strive to embrace the new realities of our rapidly changing world, while upholding our
Catholic faith traditions.
Within these complex new 21st century realities, with variables such as globalization, the economy, environmental challenges, technological advances and increasing cultural diversity, we face the challenge of preparing
our students to live, to lead, to prosper, and to fulfill their potential as Catholic school graduates, who are responsible and thriving global and digital citizens. These are exciting times in which to both teach and to learn!
We recognize and understand that students have different skills, knowledge and experiences and quite simply, they learn in different ways. Over the past year, senior Dufferin-Peel staff had the opportunity to explore,
more deeply, the concept of learning in the 21st century. This included a detailed discussion on the ‘Why’, the
‘What’, and the ‘How’ of learning in the 21st century in the context of our Catholic faith. Based on these discussions a number of common concepts were identified as key learning skills, competencies and dispositions: that
will be part of our Catholic context and connection to the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations.
From our analysis and discussion we must now strive to ensure that our Dufferin-Peel Catholic education system focuses on student achievement and well being for all through what we believe in and how we demonstrate
our beliefs.
Caritas In Veritate: Charity in Truth - Love, discerning believers and caring community members.
Citizenship: Called to action in solidarity and stewardship.
Communication: Listening and responding critically and compassionaltely within gospel values.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Creating, inquiring and responsible decision making.
Collaboration: Building relationships in communion with all human beings.
Creativity and Innovation: Demonstrating resiliency, flexibility and adaptability in finding the path to vocation
and lifelong learning.
Although we have already explored some possibilities for what we need our schools to do, the possibilities really are endless, both from teaching and learning perspectives. Our 21st century learning and teaching journey is
a dynamic and ever-expanding process. It is a process that will unfold in many phases and in many forms over
›››Catholic Vision
Based on the feedback from our consultations with various stakeholder groups,
seceral broad themes and understandings have been identified. These will
guide our planning and practice going
forward:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Faith in nurturing and development
Global/local issues and stewardship
within a Catholic view
Infusion of faith in our learning spaces
Sacred spaces that promote active
reflection and prayer
Student-led learning, higher order
thinking and collaborative inquiry
Relevant real world contexts and/or
experiential learning
Varied evidence-based strategies for
instruction and assessment
Creative design of flexible learning
spaces responsive to student needs
Student voice and engagement
Collaborative professional learning and
instructional leadership
Technological and digital literacy
Community, parish and parent engagement
Evidence-informed decision making
the coming months and years. We will be exploring multiple technologies,
including digital, internet, use of tablets and other devices, as well as the
wireless technology (Wi-Fi) necessary to facilitate the use of these devices. Technology not only allows us to link to the global community, but
also provides greater accessibility and use for students for whom these
tools are essential for learning.
In fact, one of the next phases on our 21st century journey will be related
to technology; specifically, the introduction of wireless technology into
our schools. Wireless technology is already literally all around us. It is
prevalent in our homes, automobiles, workplaces, where we shop, where
we get our coffee... you name it and chances are that wireless technology
is there. Initially, one of the areas we will focus on will be the use of wireless technology as one of the teaching support tools we can use to benefit
student learning.
Earlier this year, we initiated a pilot project utilizing wireless technology
in four schools (two elementary and two secondary) and the board’s Catholic Education Centre. As part of the pilot, we engaged an environmental
consultant to test radiowave frequencies in the pilot sites. Tests were conducted both with WiFi turned on and again, with WiFi turned off. In fact,
the highest measured location was only 3% of the Health Canada Code
6 standard (in other words, 97% better than the Code 6 standard). The
results with the WiFi turned off were only marginally lower than when it
was turned off. We are looking to have wireless technology installed in all
our schools by the fall.
We are aware of, and respect the fact that some parents and guardians in other school districts have expressed
reservations about health and safety in relation to the introduction of wireless technology in schools. The health
and safety of our students and staff is paramount to us. As we do with all health-related matters, we take direction from our local and national health authorities; in our case, Peel Health, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health
Unit and Health Canada. Each of these health authorities take the position that the available scientific evidence
indicates that exposure to Wi-Fi in schools is not harmful to the health of students and staff. Please be assured
that we are approaching this in a focused, planned and measured manner, in compliance with Health Canada
standards and in conjunction with other components of 21st century learning.
This is an exciting time for our students and staff, and we hope for you as parents/guardians as well. The concept of learning is grounded in knowledge; how we construct and acquire it, interact with it and how we share
and create communities of practice with it. We need to collaborate, not just with peers, but with people all over
the world. In doing so, we advance knowledge, share our talents and gifts and make changes that serve the
greater common good.
For more information on Dufferin-Peel’s vision for 21st Century Learning, visit our website at www.dpcdsb.org
and read the recent report to the board called Forming our Catholic Vision for Learning in the 21st Century.
›››Bits & Bites
Omnia Cum Corde
Looking Ahead
Boys Night In
Please take note of the following dates to
help you plan out your calendar.
On May 9, a group of grade 9 and 10 boys attended our first Boys Night In event. The
boys who attended were inspired by the Keynote Speaker (Toronto Argonaut, Jeff Johnson). As one grade 9 student said “it was nice to hear words of wisdom from Jeff”. Jeff
Johnson encouraged students to live their lives with passion and to do something that
challenges them each day. He also reminded students that decisions they make today
may impact their tomorrow.
Final Report Cards Ready.............. June 28
First Day of Classes............... September 3
PA Day......................................October 11
Thanksgiving.............................October 14
Talent Night..........................November 29
The keynote speech was followed by a Fitness session lead by Olympian Mark McKoy.
Other activities that evening included Drumming, Martial Arts and a workshop by
YSAP (Youth Substance Abuse Program). The meal was provided by Burrito Boyz.
PA Day.................................. December 20
Christmas Break................ Dec. 23 - Jan. 3
Semester 1 Exams...............January 22 -28
Prom 2013
This year’s Prom, A Haunted Ball, was
held at the beautiful, Mississauga Convention Centre on Friday, June 21. Students
and staff enjoyed the elegant evening
organized by Mrs. Bentivoglio. We would
like to extend a special thank you to other
staff involved: Mrs. Vono, Ms. Di Carlo,
Mr. Tremblay, Mr. Galli, Ms. Tobin, Mr.
Vicars and Ms. Scozzaro.
The prom games, led by the talented MCs,
Michael Botelho, Alessia Ferrin and Madeleine Moniz, were fun and entertaining.
We would like to take this opportunity to
extend our best wished to the graduating
class of 2013.
Planning for Independence
Program gets Constructive
Mr. De Luca and his grade 9 and 10 construction classes worked with our students
to complete a wood project. His class cut
pieces of wood and came to work with our
students to put together a cross. Our class
enjoyed the interaction with their peers
and was so excited to get constructive!
Thank you Mr. De Luca and to all your
students for their patience and hard work
– we can’t wait for our next project with
all of you!
The evening ended with a Floorball competition for all the boys. We would like to
thank all the local businesses who generously donated to the event: Oxford Learning,
Montana, Capo Hair, Great Canadian Pizza, Lusitania Bakery, Shoppers Drug Mart, Just
Laser, Sephora, Buduchnist Credit Union.