TCDSB
AWAITING SPRING at Francis Libermann MARCH 2011
WELCOME MR. HUNT On behalf of the students, let me say that our school proudly cares about our principals as you saw from our farewell to Ms. Cifelli. Beginning the year off rather quickly, you have seen some of the events that we have here at Libermann, our Semi-Formal and the sale of student and staff spirit wear.
The Libermann family is proud to welcome Brian Hunt as our new Principal. Mr. Hunt comes to us via Neil McNeil C.H.S., he brings a wealth of experience in Secondary schools across Scarborough and we welcome his leadership and experience. Libermann has always had a rich history of strong leaders and we are very happy to usher in the next phase of that leadership. Welcome Mr. Hunt, may you be “Inter Mutanda Constantia” (Steadfastness in the Midst of Change) and lead us with great courage and fortitude.
We are looking forward to the years with you, knowing that under your guidance we will continue to be friendly, happy, energetic and enthusiastic students.
Special Points of Interest ♦ March Break—Mar 14—18, 2011 ♦ OSSLT Literacy Test March 31st ♦ Easter Holidays –Good Friday Apr. 22 Easter Monday— Apr. 25 ♦ Grade 10 & 12 Report Cards—Apr. 26
Welcome to our school. Joseph Dos Santos SAC President
Libermann says Goodbye to Ms. Cifelli As we as a community welcome our new principal Mr. Brian Hunt we also say farewell to Ms. Flora Cifelli. She has taken on the role of Principal at Dante Alighieri Academy . During her time at Libermann she worked tirelessly for the betterment of all students, be through additions to the physical plant or allocating funds to the accumulation of technology, Ms. Cifelli made sure that each and every decision was made with and for the best interest of the
students. A farewell assembly with staff and students was held for her and it was truly a tribute to the difference that she has made to the Francis Libermann community. We wish Ms. Cifelli the very best in her role at Dante Alighieri Academy, Francis Libermann C.H.S. will always remember you as a strong leader who led with her head and her heart. Thank you Ms. Cifelli
If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.
Abigail Van Buren
AWAITING SPRING AT FRANCIS LIBERMANN
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CHAPLAINCY
People are like stained-
The Chaplaincy team wishes to thank all the teachers and staff of our community. We are very grateful for your assistance and support of our various programs and initiatives.
glass windows. They
Developing and working with our Catholic faith and values in our school community takes on many shapes. Something seems to happen every day at Libermann. Every student in every grade has their own unique opportunity to spend a day on retreat. There are many student conferences including We Day in September, the Voices That Challenge Student Leadership Conference in March and the Camp Olympia Student Leadership Conference in May. Each Thursday morning we have Mass in our chapel and on the last Friday of every month we have a staff Mass. This year we’ve
sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when
also had workshops about study skills. Students are always welcome to drop by and share with us their triumphs and concerns. We are an open and loving community and all of these activities can encourage and develop the confidence in our maturing students to have an encouraging and optimistic outlook on life. As we move into spring our prayer is that all members of our school community experience the peace, hope and love of the deep presence of God in our lives. If you wish to know more about our Chaplaincy programs I invite you to contact me fraser.gartside@tcdsb.org.
LIBRARY—Libermann Biblioholic Society
the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
If some parents are wondering what their children are doing late at night sitting at the computer, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that they are blogging about books they have read and sharing their experiences with the Libermann Biblioholic Society on the schools website:
reading, you may encourage them to join our cyberspace group by dropping by the library to speak to Mrs. Kucharczyk about becoming a blogging member. The good news is that “students are reading”!!!
http://libermann.tlypepad.com If your son/daughter enjoys
Continued Success for our PHAST PACES Students! PHAST PACES is a reading intervention program developed by the Learning Disabilities Research Program (LDRP) at The Hospital for Sick Children. The program explicitly teaches students decoding and comprehension skills and strategies so they can become competent independent readers. The PHAST PACES program is well underway for the 2010-2011 school
year here at Francis Libermann. This is our seventh year partnering with The Hospital for Sick Children in this collaborative research endeavour. We are pleased to celebrate the academic successes of our program participants including Ingrid Siguenza who has placed second in our school History Fair and is Participating in the LeasideLibermann joint History Fair on
Monday March 7th !
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Community Service at the Good Shepherd Centre A TRADITION OF WALKING IN CHRIST’S PATH. Francis Libermann has a 26 year strong relationship with the Good Shepherd Centre. Challenged by our faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and committed to the ideals of hospitality, availability and respect for life, student volunteers of Good Shepherd Ministries in Toronto, join together to provide services to homeless, disadvantaged and marginalized people. The Good Shepherd Refuge strive to provide the basic necessities of food, shelter and a host of ancillary services, ensuring each client
justice, equality, dignity and acceptance. Ms. Choma, and a dedicated group of Libermann students including the student program leaders Aysha Campbell and Christina Mikhael, serves the 2:00 p.m. meal to approximately 800 Centre clients on the third Tuesday of every month. Throughout the course of our long-standing relationship Libermann students have served thousands of meals to this city’s most needy.
What the world needs is a new kind of army—the army of the kind. Cleveland Amory
Gr. 10 Enriched English Students Helping to Bring Our School Library to Life As part of our new library initiative to transform the Francis Libermann library into a LEARNING COMMONS, where student work is showcased for our own community, Ms. Choma’s Gr. 10 Enriched English class is displaying their conflict cubes based on the liter-
OSSLT
ary classic To Kill a Mockingbird and their verbal visual essays based on Kathryn Stockett’s The Help. With the coming of Spring, many exciting things are happening in Gr. 10 Enriched English including; blogging personal reading picks on the Libermann Biblioholics site; compet-
ing in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s Stratford Shakespeare Challenge, in both the video and opinion piece categories; and participating in a writing workshop with author Jamie Zeppa, known for her novel Beyond the Sky and the Earth.
CONTEST WINNERS
ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL LITERACYTEST THURSDAY MARCH 31, 2011 Last year, 88% of first time eligible (grade ten) students were successful on the test. Grade ten students are participating in a cross-curricular literacy initiative in all their classes during the month of March. We are also offering after school literacy preparation classes twice a week. Students in grades 11 or 12 who are new to the province must also pass the test.
This year, two grade eleven students won prizes in the Annual Literacy Contest sponsored by the Royal Canadian Legion. One of the primary goals of the contest is fostering the tradition of Remembrance amongst Canadians. Fathima Usama won first place in the Senior Essay category (zone and district levels) and Jasmine Kwok won second place in the Senior Poem category (zone and district levels). Jeffrey Ekeanyananwu (Grade
11)won a book called 101 Things Canadians Should Know About Canada in the first Canadian Citizenship Challenge, sponsored by the Historica– Dominion Institute. More than 18,000 students across Canada were asked questions found on the citizenship exam new Canadians have to pass in order to become Canadian citizens. Congratulations to all participants!
AWAITING SPRING AT FRANCIS LIBERMANN
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THE NEXT CHAPTER JOSEPH MCCARVILLE
The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your
June 2010 marked the end to an era as Mr. McCarville the Head of the English Dept. retired. Mr. McCarville was one of the founding members of Francis Libermann. His commitment to both his students and his colleagues is testament to his status as one of our most valued teachers. He has left a wonderful legacy, a true reflection of our school motto Inter Mutanda Constantia. Best Wishes.
ROSEY COLAUTTI June 2010 marked the end of a 30 year career of teaching for Ms. Colautti. She joined Libermann 10 years ago. She quickly became known as an expert in grammar and a lover of literature. She loved working on the school newspaper and yearbook. She became a true inspiration to staff and students . We wish Ms. Colautti all the best as she begins a new chapter in her life.
JANICE WALKER After twelve years as head of the Student Services Department Ms. Walked decided to start on a new journey in her life. She made a very positive impact on the school and on her department. She was always welcoming, showed great empathy and always had time for a student or staff member. Her compassion and professionalism will be missed. Good luck
problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the prime minister. You realize that you control your own destiny.
GR. 9 ENRICHED ENGLISH STUDENTS HAVE SHAKESPEARE ON THE BRAIN! William Shakespeare is on the minds of all the grade nine enriched English students at Francis Libermann. In preparation for the play “Twelfth Night”, two Shakespearean based novels are being studied through the forum of literature circles. Cue for Treason by Geoffery Trease and My Father Had a Daughter by Grace Tiffany are both set during the Elizabethan era.
These novels allow students to delve into the lives of characters facing the challenges of everyday life in England in the 1600’s. The content from these novels will be the basis for opinion pieces to be written within the next few weeks. Although the year is creeping to a close, there is still much to learn and experience in the Enriched grade nine English class.
2011 NO LIMITS BUSINESS CONFERENCE Rule the world without limits. Business students will have the opportunity to mingle with Chartered Accountants from top businesses and ask questions, make contacts and discover endless possibilities on May 12, 2011 In today’s dynamic challenging world, it is often difficult for students to navigate through the complexities of career planning. What career options do I have?
What skills do I need to succeed in the marketplace? How do I determine what career is right for me? This exciting business career conference will assist students in their search for the right career choice. The day-long event will enable them to discover the importance of: Leadership, Teamwork, Networking, Professionalism, Business Etiquette,
and Career/Life Balance. They will certainly benefit from the high-energy, interactive workshops and seminars. We all look forward to an inspiring and rewarding experience.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
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WOMEN IN BUSINESS and Finance More than half of Canadian University students are women. More and more women are graduating with business and finance degrees than men; yet more than two thirds of Canada’s biggest public companies do not have women executives in the top ranks. Youth-in Motion introduced its first Women in Business and Finance career learning day on March 3, 2011. The conference was a unique opportunity for our young women to gain awareness of diverse career opportunities in business, finance and other careers. There was an inspirational
“talk show” format event which motivated, informed and engaged young women to gain interest and actively participate by dialoguing directly with these exceptional women. An interesting array of exciting careers led by women such as Patricia Lovett-Reid, Senior VP of TD Waterhouse, Leslie Gouldie, CEO of Student Awards; Ginny Dybenko, Former Dean of Laurier University; and Fariba Anderson, VP of Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation are just a few of the presenters that attended this event. Students who participated this year
were encouraged to becoming “business smart” and gained exclusive access to career resources while engaging with inspiring role models to develop an insight to the diverse career options available.
ing problem….young people leaving school unprepared for the day-to-day realities of paying the rent, properly using a credit card or budgeting for the basic necessities,” he says. His mission is to take all the confusion out of the complex world of finances and empower today’s youth with the knowledge they
need to make good financial choices before they enter into the world of higher education, careers and independence.
Francis Libermann’s Business Studies Department looks forward to other events that will inspire and continue to explore careers in business, finance and other related fields for students.
FUNNY MONEY The Funny Money Assembly Program was presented here at Libermann by James Cunningham. Wow, this had to be the funniest yet educational show of all times. Mr. Cunningham is a professional Canadian comedian who teaches students about money management. “Funny Money addresses what is a grow-
Good-bye cont’d
CAMP OLYMPIA From May 6—May 8, 2011 Francis Libermann CHS is hosting the annual TCDSB Camp Olympia Leadership Conference. This will be the largest Camp Olympia conference ever. We will be hosting 16 schools and 450 students and teachers. Our conference theme this year will be “Oh, the places you’ll go! . Leadership and Dr. Seuss.” Near Huntsville, Ontario, Camp Olympia is a 3 day student-lead and student driven leadership conference. There are many
Financial literacy is the key to everything we do in life. The province is also taking the issue seriously and has announced finance be part of the curriculum in schools. Mr. Cunningham is sponsored from the Investor Education Fund of Canada, an unbiased source of investment information, allowing interested schools to offer this program. For more information, go to www.funnymoneyhighschools.com.
friendly competitions, outdoor activities, workshops and motivational speakers. The students will learn to be inspired and encouraged to believe they can/ should/will make the world a better place through leadership. The real impact is felt over time as the students grow to be confident, optimistic, and engaged student leaders with a purpose..
Mrs. Martin-Guidance Secretary We say farewell to Mrs. Martin with our best wishes. It takes the efforts of all staff members to make Libermann operate as smoothly as it does, and Mrs. Martin devoted 18 years to that effort. She has left a legacy in that three of her children are educators with the TCDSB. The Libermann community wishes her the best in her new venture. May God Bless you.
If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint”, then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. Vincent Van Gogh
ME/DD REVEALED As we all know Libermann opened its state of the art ME/DD wing four years ago and since then, the program has grown, but what exactly goes on in there? ME/DD stands for Multiple Exceptionalities/Developmental Delay. Students with on the Autism Spectrum or those with Downs Syndrome make up the bulk of the program’s population, however students with Cerebral Palsy and other exceptionalities fall under the program’s umbrella as well.
We’re on the WEB www.libermann.tcdsb.org
Now that you know who is involved, let’s take a look at what actually happens “ in there”! With the support of our fabulous team of Educational Assistants, Child and Youth Workers, Nurse and teachers, the students work on a variety of functional academic skills such as reading, math, science, geography, religion and computer skills. Academics aside, students are also being prepared for the world of work. Both in the classroom and through inschool co-op placements they are developing their skills in areas such as cooking, cleaning, sorting, folding, cake decorating, movie making, social skills, self-advocacy and self-esteem. You have most likely had some of our students in some of your classes, especially if enrolled in gym, art, instrumental music, drama, and science. Social skills development is a pivotal part of the program for all our students, especially those on the Autism Spectrum. We are fortunate to be part of the Best Buddies Club. This gives our students the chance to develop meaningful friendships and interact socially with the other students who attend Libermann. Our program is also supported by several Peer Tutors, who regularly help with the academic and social programming in small groups and on a one-to-one basis.
School Contact Info 416-393-5524 Ext. 0 Fax: 416-393-5891 Student Services 416-393-5708 Fax: 416-393-5708
Of course, we give back to the school community as well. The school’s attendance is collected daily, popcorn is sold during Friday lunches, displays are made, meals are cooked, contributions are made to school fundraisers, food drives, and Civies Day collections. Yes, our program runs in the ME/DD wing, but no, we are not confined to it. We pray, sing, and praise in the chapel daily, we use the weight room, we eat lunch in the cafeteria, we run in the field in the fall and spring, we attend school masses, assemblies, the semiformal and we go bowling at Parkway Bowl every week. As you can see, a lot goes on in the ME/DD wing. We might not communicate the same way you do, we might be a little bit slower than you are and we might have different interests, but we always welcome you to come on in, ask your questions, join our classes, make a friend or just come in to take a peek. After all, at Libermann we all belong. ME/DD Staff