TCDSB April 2010 Volume 1, Issue 1
SPRING AT LIBERMANN Principal’s Message
The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring. B. Williams Inside this issue:
Chaplaincy, Science
2
Student Services, Reach for the Top
3
International Night, Graduation, French
4
30 Hour Famine, Camp Olympia
5
Barbara Coloroso, Athletics
6
Stop The Stigma, Enrich- 7 ment/Gifted, ESP Congregated Gifted 7 & 8, Green Team
8
• Administration Team • • Principal • F. Cifelli • • Vice—Principals • Student Responsibilities • R. Peterson—A - L • J. Stesco — M - Z
April showers bring May flowers….I trust and hope that everyone is enjoying this early Spring weather and all it has to offer. Spring is always a busy time of year in any school community and the Libermann staff and students are definitely setting quite the pace! This spring we are pleased to have started our Breakfast Club. This will run Tuesday and Fridays in the Family Studies Room from 7:45 to 8:15. Our ECO Team have been working very hard to ensure that our school meets with as many ECO school criteria as possible. As a school community we are encouraging everyone to recycle, reduce and reuse. We are turning off lights and power whenever possible and are trying to encourage litterless lunches. As a staff we have moved to banning plastic water bottles and Styrofoam cups and have replaced these with “real” coffee mugs. We have also switched to purchasing recy-
cled paper only. These small changes have made a huge difference in our community. We feel great about helping our environment one step at a time Our 30 Hour Famine, Spirit Week, 20 Minute Toronto Makeover, Volunteer Ambassador Workshop, ISA Evening, Camp Olympia weekend were huge successes and helped in bringing everyone together. We were very fortunate to host Barbara Coloroso. She ended our very successful ESP Week and the We Are Assembly were other ways to “speak” to students. On the sports front, Track & Field, Volleyball, Baseball and Soccer are well underway and we are all supporting our teams. You can see, that we have not stopped for a moment. Our teaching community continues
to work on the best instructional leadership for your sons and daughters. We persevere in our mission to meet all the learning needs of our students and to make data driven decisions about programming and assessment. Our Teaching Learning Critical Pathway strategy has been extended from the English Department to include Religion as well. We have also launched our new School Website www.libermann.tcdsb.org . Please take a moment, to navigate through this. There is also a Principal’s Podcast and Twitter. Please follow me on Twitter and receive news as it happens! We are so very proud to date and look forward to continued success. I thank you for your support and look forward to continued dialogue with you throughout the remainder of the year. God Bless F. Cifelli
CPIC—Catholic Parent Involvement Committee CPIC will be holding elections in each of the TCDSB’s Wards in May 2010. CPIC is made up of elected parent representatives, working with trustees and TCDSB staff. Parent representatives and alternate representatives are elected by their peers from each of the Board’s
12 Trustee Wards. Meetings are held up to 6 times a year— a great way to meet new people, parents like you that are an important link between home and school; discuss and identify issues related to parent and community involvement; and contribute directly to board
planning consultations and parent leadership initiatives. If you are interested in joining, contact your local school principal and CSAC for more information. Keep up to date by visiting; www.tcdsb.org/ parents/cpic.htm.
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CHAPLAINCY The Chaplaincy team relies on the support of so many people in our community. Thank you to all of the staff members who have assisted and supported our various programs and initiatives this year. What does developing and working with our Catholic faith and values in our school community look like? It seems like there is something happening 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 Faith and Pedagogy Conference in November, the Voices That Challenge Student Leadership Conference in February and the Camp Olympia Student Leadership Conference in May. In the chapel there are daily morning prayers during Advent and Lent. Each Tuesday there is a Meditation workshop and each Wednesday there is a Listen to His Word program. Each Thursday
morning we have Mass in our chapel and on the last Friday of every month we have a staff Mass. This year there have been workshops about leadership, study skills, and handling money. These activities can encourage and develop the confidence in our maturing students to have an encouraging and optimistic outlook on life. If you wish to know more about our Chaplaincy programs I invite you to contact me— fraser.gartside@tcdsb.org.
SCIENCE SUCCESSES
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do. Confucius
Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life. Immanuel Kant
During the weekend of April 10th, Francis Libermann sent a small contingent of students to the Toronto-Wide Science Fair held at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus as both volunteers and participants. The success of the fair with its 500+ contestants was the result of hard work and dedication of our Libermann kids! Mr. Lahteenmaa, one of the co-coordinators, received
numerous compliments about the quality of our volunteers. With respect to the “Science” part of the fair, Francis Libermann excelled here too! Out of nine projects entered, our students won seven medals and two spots to the nationals! Please wish Danielle, Jasmine, Moriah and Ellie a heart-felt congratulations and good luck when you see them as they
have been chosen to be members of “Team Toronto”. Alongside with twenty-two other students from the TCDSB, TDSB and independent schools, our Libermann students will continue to do us proud at the Canada Wide Science Fair in May!
Medal Winners BRONZE MEDALS Andrew Law: Shedding Some Light on Bean Plants Angela Leung: The Heart of the Daphnia Magna Lynda Shen: The Effect of Wavelength of Light on the Growth Of Plants Adam Hardy and David Moore: Air Pollution GOLD MEDALS Jennifer Reginold: Screening for Cancer Genes Danielle Moore and Jasmine Kwok: Developing and Degrading Starch-Based Plastics Moriah Gillette and Ellie Kubisz: Beans Under the Influence
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INSIDE STUDENT SERVICES It is hard to believe that we are on the downside of another school year. Students have now received their third report card of the year. Many of our graduates have applied for college and/or university programs and anxiously await offers of admission. All other grade level students have submitted their course selections for next school year. We have well over 200 incoming grade nine students starting
EXIT PLAN Any graduating students, or any students leaving Libermann in June, should have an exit plan. For those who have not applied to post secondary institutions, who are planning on entering the workforce or who are unsure of their future are strongly encouraged to speak with their counsellor to develop a plan.
at Libermann in the fall. We will offer our unique summer school for our grade 9s only again this summer, as it was a great success in 2009 for preparing our students for the school year. Our Student Success team has visited our elementary feeder schools and “exchanged” information with the grade eight teachers, in the hope of placing students in the courses that might ensure their greatest successes.
PARENTS: At any time, please do not hesitate to contact Student Services Department and ask to speak with your child’s counsellor for any issues. Thank you
SUMMER SCHOOL Summer school courses will be offered in the month of July for any students needing to upgrade a course mark. Existing courses require a minimum mark of 35% for upgrading purposes and 45% for all courses at the 4U and 4M levels required for university admissions. Upgrading courses are 3 hours per day for 4
REACH FOR THE TOP After a brief hiatus, Francis Libermann’s REACH FOR THE TOP team is back!! Reach for the Top is part of Schoolreach, a team of students who answer trivia-based questions on topics ranging from sports to pop culture and everything in between.
Senior graduating students who did not apply for college programs in January or February can still apply through the ontariocolleges.ca website. The site provides information on all programs that still have spaces available for September and January starts. Any students who still wish to explore Ontario colleges can meet with their counselor for assistance.
This year, Libermann’s team placed second after regular season competition with a record of 10 wins and 2 losses. This was our school’s best ranking ever, proving that Libermann’s academic program is topnotch!
weeks. Students can also choose to study new credits in the summer. There are many to choose from and they require 6 hrs per day, also for 4 weeks. Registration will be through the month of June for new credit courses. Registration for upgrading courses can be done when a student has determined the need to improve/raise marks to a passing grade.
There will be a “mass registration” on Thursday, June 24/10 between 9 and 11 a.m., at the same time students receive their final marks from their subject teachers.
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International Night “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” was the question of the night and the theme of this year’s International Night. With a sold out crowd and over one hundred participants involved in creating pavilions, modeling and performing, Falcon Pride was stronger than ever! The evening started out with a tour of fifteen pavilions set up in the gymnasium where students introduced guests to music, dancing and cuisine from around the world. The next stop on the tour was a visit to the cafetorium where guests were serenaded with
music, fashion and dance that highlighted the arts and culture from every continent. Guests were in high spirits and encouraging of each performance. Our hosts Carlos and Chris entertained the audience even though Ms. Cifelli thwarted Carlos’ million dollar prize! International Night is an important school wide event which showcases the talent and cultural diversity of our students. This night would not have been made possible without the support of our staff
members, student body and the school community. Special thanks to all those involved in making this night a success: staff, those involved and those who attended, students, administration, custodial staff and guests. The support for this great community event at Libermann was outstanding. The million dollar question ...what will be the theme of next year’s International Night? International Night Committee Ms. D’Souza, Mr. Luck, Ms Sacchetti, Mr. Papadimitriou
GRADUATION 2010/Grade 12 & Grade 8 DATE:
Monday, June 28, 2010 2:00
p.m. (Please note new time)
PLACE:
Grand Baccus Banquet & Convention Centre
LOCATION:
2155 McNicoll Ave. Scarborough
GUESTS:
4 Invitations are available for each graduate
GRAD LITURGY:
June 25, 2010 10:30 a.m. Prince of Peace Church
GRAD LUNCHEON:
June 25, 2010 12:30 p.m. Star Walk Buffet (648 Silver Star Blvd.)
REHEARSAL:
June 28, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Grand Baccus
FRENCH DEPARTMENT CARNIVAL 2010 Congratulations!!!! to Mr. Morneau’s Grade 11 French class who won Carnaval this year. The competition was fierce and everyone had a great time. The weather cooperated and gave us some snow.
BOARD WIDE FRENCH CONTEST Alvin Yau—First Place Catagorie 2 Extended John Dias—Second Place Categorie 4 FSL Plus Congratulations to Alvin Yau who will be participating at the
Provincial level on May 8th at Glendon College.
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30 HOUR FAMINE 30 Hour Famine at Francis Libermann was a great success. A group of eighteen dedicated students from grades 10—12 joined together on the evening of April 16, 2010 for global awareness of child hunger and poverty. The students occupied their time with student-led games, activities and an inspirational speech from a representative of the Share Life Foundation. An evening liturgy was dedicated to the discussion and reflection on the physical, so-
cial and emotional difficulties experienced by children all over the world. The fast was broken over a meal shared together at 11:00 am. We would like to thank all the staff members who came out to support this great event; Ms. DeFreitas, Ms. Panelea, Mr. DiMillo, Mrs. Peacock, and especially Mr. Gartside for the beautiful liturgy and Giacomo for all his help throughout the night. A special thank you to Ms. Cifelli, Mr. Stesco, Mr.
Peterson and Ms. Kelly for their on-going support throughout this entire process. We raised a significant amount of money towards the Share Life Foundation and World Vision. 30 Hour Famine Committee Ms. Sacchetti, Ms. D’Souza, Mr. Luck
CAMP OLYMPIA From April 30—May 2, we took 28 students to the annual Camp Olympia leadership conference. 13 schools and 350+ TCDSB students participated at this month’s Mary Ward CHS organized conference. There were many friendly competitions, events, activities and motivational speakers. The students are inspired and en-
couraged 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.
Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them.
“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”
Robert Jarvik
IMPORTANT DATES May 25
SPRING CONCERT
June 3
YEAR END MASS-PRINCE OF PEACE
June
GRADUATION PROM
June 4 & 7
EQAO MATH MINISTRY TEST
June 8
ATHLETIC BANQUET
June 11—22
EXAMS
June 24
SUMMER SCHOOL SIGN UP
June 25
Grade 12 & Grade 8 GRADUATION MASS & LUNCHEON
June 28
Grade 12 & Grade 8 GRADUATION CEREMONY
2:00 pm
First Week of July REPORT CARD MAILED OUT
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BARBARA COLOROSO AT LIBERMANN On Friday April 30th , Francis Libermann Staff and Students had a unique opportunity to listen to the internationally renowned author and educator Barbara Coloroso. She enriched the Libermann community by speaking about her landmark book “The Bully, Bullied and the Bystander”. Ms. Coloroso, a consultant on positive school climate and non-violent conflict resolution captivated her audience while interacting with students. She stressed the difference be-
tween bullying and conflict, teasing and taunting. “Bullying is not about anger or conflict, it’s about contempt-a strong feeling of dislike towards someone considered worthless or inferior.” Teasing is meant for both parties to laugh together, while taunting is intended to harm the other party. The Bullied is usually reticent to complain because of fear of retaliation or feelings of shame or helplessness. She warned about signs of bullying, urging teachers and parents to take action.
Speaking about bystanders, she noted that these students typically stand by or look away while witnessing a bullying act.” She urged students to cultivate a spirit of compassion and encouraged them to speak out against injustice and take responsibility for each other. After the assembly, Francis Libermann students presented their 11 point Anti-Bullying pledge and placed their signatures on a huge poster prepared for the occasion. Students had the chance to approach Barbara
Coloroso, ask her questions and take advice. The positive reaction of our students to Ms. Coloroso’s address was best summed up in a comment by one student who said “ Miss, it was too short”.
WINTER/SPRING SPORTS
BADMINTON
HOCKEY
P. Champion
N. DeFreitas
R. Facciol
J. Thachen-Cary
ATHLETICS Outstanding participation and great enthusiasm for Libermann Athletics. Under the guidance of our dedicated staff our student athletes continue to show great improvement and learn the value of commitment and hard work.
JR/SR GIRLS VOLLEYBALL S. Ainsworth
J. Simpson
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR COACHES.
K. Archibald
O. Milner
JR. BOYS VOLLEYBALL
BOYS SOFTBALL
M. Ainsworth
D. Mastrullo
C. Luck
C. Smith
JR. BOYS BASKETBALL
GIRLS SOCCER
L. D’Souza
J. Correia
S. Penelea
GRADE 7 & 8 XCOUNTRY/TRACK T. Galka
M. Papadimitriou
SR. BOYS SOCCER L. Karasz
D. DiMillo
INDOOR/OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD K. Archibald
N. Cirone
L. Kipp
Athletic Directors N. Cirone
T. Galka
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Stop the Stigma Week The week of May 4th—7th, deemed “Stop the Stigma Week”, was created and supported by the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario (MDAO). What is Stop the Stigma Week? It is a week designed to eliminate the stigma about mood disorders and psychoses by : raising awareness, providing education and examples of outlets for expression. A group of students volunteered, with the support and guidance of Ms.
Peacock and Mrs. Nealon, took on the challenge of running the events surrounding the promotion of mental health issues and mood disorders. Some of the events held were: meditation, a “chill out zone” where students could sit quietly in the chapel, an assembly was held where guest speakers from the MDAO shared their personal experiences with mood disorders, and finally a dress-down day was held. The monies col-
lected from this day will go to the MDAO to support their good work.
GIFTED/ENRICHMENT—GR. 9—12 As always, our Secondary Gifted students continue to be active leaders in the community. In the fall, our students participated in Catholic Students United Nations Assembly (CSUNA). The Grade 10’s volunteered to help with our feeder school Grade 8 students during the Take Our Kids to High School Day in November and a number of
our Grade 9s assisted in the running of our Grade Eight Transition Event in March. The Gifted Department is looking forward to an array of events scheduled for the months ahead.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Journey of Discovery Workshop Presenters—Apr 27 & 28 Advanced Placement Exams May 3—10 Queens’s University MiniEnrichment Week May 4-7
If God wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise.
Johann von Goethe
Carpe Diem: Seize the Day Catholic Student Leadership Conference May 28—29
EMPOWERING STUDENT PARTNERSHIP ESP is an after school program that empowers students to take ownership of their school as a community and encourage a safe and caring environment. ESP works alongside our SRO PC Mark Earl and other schools to carry out community events and to promote positive community supports.
Libermann has had various events during the school year to ensure safety and community including assemblies, rallies, bake sales, presentations and unity walks. We hope to continue our quest to create a safe school environment. Ms. Peacock, Ms. DeFreitas and Ms. Zabaneh
Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you? Fanny Brice
TCDSB
Libermann’s Green Team Francis Libermann C.H.S. 4640 Finch Ave. E. Scarborough, On M1S 4G2 Phone: 416-393-5524 Fax: 416-393-5891
We are on the weblibermann.tcdsb.org PARENTS, s
This was the inaugural year for LGT. LGT is run by a group of dedicated students and teachers who are passionate about the well being of the environment and are motivated to make a change. This year’s goals were to develop the ecological literacy of students, hold events that engaged students to become environmentally responsible citizens, and to become a Certified Ontario Eco-School. So far, LGT has run events like Earth Hour and Litterless Lunch Day; as well, the team organized a fantastic assembly on the environmental impacts of plastic water bottles. LGT even designed and sold Libermann’s very own stainless steel water bottle! This group of enthusiastic students and teachers are excited to continue the strides made this year with new ideas and events for next year and years to come.
Congregated Gifted—Grade 7 & 8 CHOICES It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. J. k. Rowling
This year has been a challenging but exciting one for our students in the 7/8 Congregated Gifted Program. Under the guidance of Ms. Szala, Ms. Frate, and our secondary students, the 7/8s have recently successfully participated in Libermann’s History Fair and Mock Trials. In addition, we anxiously await another visit from Ms. Szala, in order to help us prepare for our upcoming debates! The members of the congregated program would like to thank Mr. Lahteenmaa for his support and efforts in the Science Fair and congratulate our winning 7/8
Science Fair Team, who will soon be attending finals! We would also like to thank Mr. Galka for helping the 7/8s participate in April’s CrossCountry events. Our students are eagerly looking forward to attending the upcoming Gifted Elementary Conference entitled, “Journey of Discovery”, which will be held on Wednesday April 28th, 2010 at U of T, OISE. Students will participate in their selected workshops, which have been designed to broaden their horizons, as well as increase their knowledge within various disciplines and subject areas. We
would like to wish Mrs. Kalashnikova and Ms. Frate good luck, as they will be conducting their own workshops at the Conference! They will also be venturing down to the Loraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People to enjoy a performance of Hannah’s Suit Case. Our soon-to-be graduates are anxiously awaiting their upcoming trip to Camp Olympia where they will be engaged in a wide variety of outdoor activities and cooperative games. The Gifted Department is eagerly looking forward to celebrating the graduation and achievements of their grade 8 students.