VOL 1, ISSUE 2, DECEMBER 2023

ST. CLEMENT CHRONICLE

Official Newsletter of:
St. Clement Catholic School
4319 Bloor St. W, Etobicoke, ON, M9C 2A2
416-393-5307

Principal’s Message - Mr. James Graham SCS Admin Team

Principal: James Graham
As we prepare for Christmas, we remind ourselves that Advent is a time of hope, waiting, compassion and
kindness, as we await the coming of Jesus. During this time, it is important to take a moment to reflect and give
Vice Principal: Max Villa
thanks for the many blessings around us. It is also a time to pray for those members of our school community
and families that may be facing challenges during this time.
Secretary: Sobita Pereira
As we embrace this upcoming Christmas season, let us remember the importance of kindness, empathy, and
community. Whether it's through small acts of generosity or thoughtful gestures, let us spread joy and goodwill Clerk Typists: Nathan
to those around us. This is what we are called to do as a Catholics. When we model this kind of behavior to the Lobo, Michelle Maieron
children under our care, we will change the culture of an entire community
.
Pastor: Reverend Msgr.
As I have stated in the past, St. Clement is a school whose culture has always focused on student learning, a
commitment to high expectations, innovation and collaboration. As we continue to broaden our community’s
Zimmer
academic objectives, especially as it pertains to new and innovative program and curriculum
development/delivery in our 21C world, we must look at all of the most relevant outcomes and pathways for our Area 2 Superintendent:
students. Adalgisio Bria
I am immensely proud of the dedication and continued vigilance demonstrated thus far by both our educators
Ward 2 School Trustee:
and staff - and of course by you, the parents. It is evident that the unwavering support of all stakeholders over
the years here at St. Clement have created the framework for a wonderful, nurturing environment where all of
Markus de Domenico
our students learn to thrive academically and personally. Thank you.
CSPC Chairs:
As a community of educators, we must provide this kind of social and academic framework for success. In each Jenn Cassucio,
of the school communities I have led, my primary objective has always been to bring a new-and-innovative lens Jocelyn Bruce
to curriculum development and delivery. We must continue to strive to define ourselves as a community of
teachers and leaders. There are many new and exciting things in store for the students of St. Clement, and I am
Parish:
looking forward to continuing conversations with you that will help me to further elevate our school.
St. Clement Catholic
My staff and I would like to wish you and your families a blessed holiday season ahead. Christmas break will Church 409 Markland
start December 22 and school will start again at 9am on January 8, 2024. We look forward to your safe return in Woods Toronto, Ontario
the New Year. We will continue to build relationships with one another, nurture our goals, and celebrate our M6J 2P4 (416) 621-4060
many gifts now – and throughout 2024!

Mr. James Graham, Principal

CSPC DEFINED by a School Principal
Many parents often ask me - “What is the role of the Catholic School Parent Council (CSPC)?” I have worked
with many CSPC’s over the years, and each CSPC has a decidedly different set of objectives - always based on
the needs of the school. The role and the function of the council is often misunderstood by many who think
the role is to just fundraise! Let me explain. It is through the active participation of you, the St. Clement
parent, that our CSPC will work closely with both myself and my staff to improve both student achievement
and well-being. The CSPC will be your voice. Their goals are going to be clearly defined based on the emerging
needs of our school community. Then they will set their targets. CSPC will strive to enhance the accountability
of the education system on behalf of all of our parents. Your CSPC functions in an advisory role to the
principal by making recommendations to me - and, when necessary, to the school board. These matters are
always held in accordance with the Education Act, TCDSB policies, guidelines, and operating procedures - and
usually with the guidance of the school’s administrative team. Thus far, I am immensely proud and impressed
with the work of our CSPC - in defining with precision the goals and objectives for the 2023/24 school year.
Great things lie ahead! Thank you to the St. Clement CSPC and Executive members - Jenn Casuccio & Jocelyn
Bruce, Co-chairs, Didy Perugini, Treasurer and Karen Popik, your CSPC Secretary. We are off to a great start and
thanks to all of your hard work!
“I WILL GIVE THANKS TO YOU, LORD, WITH ALL MY HEART; I WILL TELL OF
ALL YOUR WONDERFUL DEEDS.” –PSALM 9:1.

KUDO’s and NEWS

Congratulations to our volleyball teams. Our teams grew a lot over the course of the season - and I am so
proud of all student-athletes who exemplified great sportsmanship and who were great ambassadors for
our school in each of the tournaments over the past 6 weeks. Thank you to our dedicated coaching staff
for the countless volunteer hours that they put into practices, games and tournaments to have the
student-athletes gain in both skill-level and confidence. We are grateful for your commitment to the
process. Welcome to basketball season! Can’t wait to see what it brings us!

REPORTING AND ASSESSMENT

Progress Report Cards went home to parents on Monday, November 13th. and Parent Teacher Conferences
took place on November 14th and 16th. Thank you to all parents who attended. The next phase of our
reporting and assessment cycle culminates at the beginning of February as we close off the First Academic
Term of the school year. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress and/or wish to
discuss remediation or other strategies for success, please reach out to your child’s teacher - or to the
school administrative team. Student Success remains at the top of our priority list.

DEFINE WITH PRECISION THAT WHICH YOU DESIRE...

AND THEN GO FOR IT!
CSPC NEWS - December 2023
Happy December everyone! The countdown to Christmas has begun and we hope everyone is looking
forward to the holidays!

BUDGET MEETING UPDATE

During our November 7th meeting, the CSPC Executive presented and passed their budget for the 2023/24 school year. Our budget
endeavours to enhance the learning experience of every single student at St. Clement! There are some exciting new initiatives that have
been proposed for the school and we encourage you to take a look at both the budget and the minutes, which will be coming out shortly.
In the meantime, here are a few highlights of things CSPC fundraising dollars are being spent on:

·A new school *STREAM (Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Arts and Math) lab!
·Inspirational speakers and presentations for each division
·Teacher subsidies to help with supplies for each classroom
·New signage for the kiss n’ ride and parking lot areas to improve student safety
·In-class workshops for each class
·Subsidies for various sports teams and clubs (e.g. chess, swim team, hockey, volleyball, etc.)
·Drama performance
·Subsidies for bussing to promote class trips and off-sight events

We also proposed and voted on the meeting dates for the remainder of the school year, and they are as follows;
January 16th,
February 27th,
April 9th and
May 28th.
All meetings will take place in the school library at 7pm.

CSPC FUNDRAISERS
Our pizza lunches this month are on Thursday, December 7th and Friday, December 22nd. Kernels Popcorn Day is on Friday, December
15th for those who placed an order during the sale period in November.

In addition, we wanted to remind everyone of our ongoing Mabel’s Labels fundraiser. This fundraiser is open all year long! They even sell
personalized Christmas items. Just select the organization you are buying for -- ours is listed as St. Clement Catholic School (Etobicoke).

Reasons to shop Mabel’s Labels: Support a local business; we receive 20% of all sales; quality labels that are easy to peel and stick;
waterproof, sweatproof, laundry proof, dishwasher proof, microwave proof; great for shoes, water bottles, clothing, lunch containers; great
gift ideas for family and friends; EASY online ordering; fast, Free Shipping direct to your home from their nearby warehouse
 ANAPHYLAXIS INFO
Some information has already been sent out, and there will be more to come regarding protocols surrounding our students that have
allergies. It is important that we are all on board with ensuring that all of our students and staff are protected, and that we are not bringing
in food that could possibly be harmful to them. Specific information will be sent home soon alerting parents to the allergies that are
present in their own child’s class. If we could ask all parents to respect and follow the request to not make lunches, or bring in food that
may contain these food items, it would be appreciated. If we could also come up with alternate ideas other than bringing in food to
celebrate a child’s birthday,, that would be appreciated as well. Just a reminder to those families that have a child that uses an epi-pen,
please make sure your child has the one that needs to be on their person, as well as the epi-pen for the classroom and the one for the
office.

ST. CLEMENT CSPC INSTAGRAM

We recently reactivated the CSPC Instagram account! Here you will find news and updates about CSPC as well as school spirit events.
If you haven’t yet done so, we encourage you to follow us @stclementschoolcspc. And as always, you can contact us by email at
[email protected].
.

CSPC - NEXT MEETINGS

We hope to see many of you at our next CSPC meeting on January 16th! In addition to discussing our
CSPC agenda items, our school trustee, Markus De Domenico, will be joining us at the meeting to
discuss matters relating to Ward 2 and to answer any parent questions.

As always, thank you for your continued support. Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas!

PARISH INFO
Monsignor Paul Zimmer Invites You to be His Guest
at a Parish Christmas Social
No Tickets – No Admission Fee – He’s Footing the Bill!

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2023 - 6:00 P.M.

ST. CLEMENT PARISH HALL

Finger Foods – Desserts – Tea & Coffee

Games & Activities for the Kids!

Reserve a spot for you, your family, and your friends

Call the Parish Office (416-621-4060)
or Email: [email protected]
 FYI - KEY DATES
The following chart lists school holidays, Professional Activity (PA) days, and other key dates for
the 2023 - 2024 school calendar year of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB).

Important Dates for 2023-2024 School Year

Number of School Days 194

Number of Professional Activity Days 7

Number of Exam Days (Secondary Only) 10

Labour Day September 4, 2023

First Day of School for Students September 5, 2023

Thanksgiving Day October 9, 2023

Christmas Break December 25, 2023 - January 5, 2024

Family Day February 19, 2024

Mid-Winter Break March 11-15, 2024

Good Friday March 29, 2024

Easter Monday April 1, 2024

Victoria Day May 20, 2024

Last Day of Exams for Secondary Students June 26, 2024

Last Day of Classes for Elementary Students June 28, 2024

Last Day of School Year June 28, 2024

PA DAYS - 2023
October 6, 2023 | Provincial Education Priorities
November 17, 2023 | Parent-Teacher Conferences
December 8, 2023 | Provincial Education Priorities
January 19, 2024 | Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting
February 16, 2024 | Parent-Teacher Conferences
April 19, 2024 | Provincial Education Priorities
June 7, 2024 | Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting

To whom much is given, m

uch will be requ
ired
(Luke 12:48).
 SCHOOL MASS INFO
Advent School Mass will take place on December 18th, 2023
All family members of our school community are welcome to attend as well.

STUDENT SAFETY AND VISITORS

The school building is open to registered students and Staff only. All visitors to the school must adhere to the following Safe Schools
procedures. Visitors including parents, are requested to report to the office. People entering the building must enter through the front
doors of the building at the discretion of the administration, Office Staff or other Staff Members; this includes people wishing to enter
the schoolyard between 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM. Do not expect to see the teacher unless you have made previous arrangements. Parents
and guardians should not wait in the classroom corridors for children. Parents should wait for their children outside in the schoolyard
in a prearranged location at the end of the day.

STUDENT SUPERVISION
Morning supervision begins at 8:40 AM. Please DO NOT drop off your child prior to this time. After school
supervision is for fifteen minutes after the 3:30 pm school bell. If picking up your children after school,
please be prompt.

PHONE CALL REQUESTS TO THE OFFICE

During the course of the regular school day, our school secretary (Ms. Pereira) handles a multitude of tasks.
Please try whenever possible to make after-school arrangements with your child prior to school so as to cut down
on phone call demands. It is not always possible to relay messages to students close to school dismissal as some
classes may be out of the building in the yard and cannot be reached via the PA system. Please do not contact
your child through their own personal electronic device either. Students are expected to have their devices put
away once they arrive at school.

STUDENT SAFETY - KISS & RIDE

When utilized properly, the Kiss n' Ride is a very effective procedure for student drop off! But in order to use it properly, everyone has to
follow the same rules. The area off of Forestview is not to be used for parking at the sidewalk and then escorting your child to their class or
the schoolyard.
Cars must move through the kiss n' ride driveway up to the most southerly spot available or to the second yellow line in the picture
below.
Please do not stop anywhere at the northern part of the loop to drop-off as this causes congestion along Forestview.
Parents must have children ready to exit their car -- this is not the time for long goodbyes or to put on backpacks, hats and mittens -- it
is for a quick drop off only.
Cars are not permitted to stop at all on Forestview from the lights at Bloor to after the Kiss and Ride.
This is a NO STOPPING ZONE and BUS LOADING ZONE (until after 5pm).
 **EXCITING NEW ANNOUNCEMENT**

“CODING AND ROBOTICS“

NOW AT ST. CLEMENT
Friends and families,,

I am so very excited to announce this wonderful and inspiring school news to you! Just a few months ago this was just an idea – an
idea on how we could take an already wonderful school community, and strive to elevate it to another level! Well, now this idea has
been brought to life with the support of our TCDSB Central Office Senior Administrative team, members of our TCDSB Science,
Innovation and ICT Team, and your Catholic School Parent Council.

We are now set-and-ready to launch an exciting and innovative new academic program. This program will be the first of its kind in
our province. St. Clement has embarked upon a landmark relationship with an industry-leading, multi-national Coding and Robotics
company, Zebra Robotics. Zebra Robotics is well-known both nationally and internationally for innovating in the areas of robotics,
coding, and technology. Zebra knows what it takes to elevate the learning process - and I am excited to grow and learn together with
them along this journey!

Zebra Robotics will be on-site, delivering both robotics and coding instruction to our students in both our Junior and Intermediate
divisions, (Grade 3/4 to Grade 8) during the 2023/24 school year. These classes will be engaging in two, 12-week learning cycles this
year, providing opportunities for enhanced assessment and evaluation in the areas of both Mathematics and Science. Smaller-scale
Robotics and Coding learning opportunities will also be offered to our primary classes, delivered through small-group and
innovative, in-class workshops.

Beginning the week of December 11th, Zebra Robotics will be on-site at St. Clement conducting an initial set-up and implementing a
reduced program schedule until the Christmas break. This program will run on a full-scale schedule starting the week of January 8th,
2024 during the afternoons. Our Coding and Robotics framework is thoroughly and accurately aligned with Ontario Math and
Science Expectations. Coding and Robotics will operate out of the school library for the 2023/24 school year - with no cost to
participating students. Your CSPC has generously subsidized the cost of program for our students.

Each of the participating classes will engage in one instructional session per/week for the duration of the program. This will earn
them certificates in both Coding and Robotics - which will carry us forward, on a graduated basis, into the following school
year/cycle!

This innovative and exciting new academic program is set to become part of the very fabric or the St. Clement school community
and is very unique to our school - amongst other schools in our province. This kind of enhanced learning will provide advanced
opportunities for our students to develop in one of the fastest growing areas of the global community.

Stay tuned for more exciting information about “The St. Clement Coding and Robotics Program”. Thanking you again for your
continued support! Yours in Catholic education and innovation,

Mr. James Graham

Principal
DECEMBER CALENDAR
Below you will find a copy of the December calendar. As with all things in our schools,
we remain fluid with our updates. As items are added to our calendar, we will send
these updates via School Messenger.

“GOD OF HOPE
BE WITH US IN OUR ADVENT JOURNEY
TO THE STABLE AND BEYOND,
BE WITH US IN OUR MEETING
AND IN OUR TRAVELLING TOGETHER,
BE WITH US IN OUR WORSHIP
AND OUR PRAYING TOGETHER,
BE WITH US IN OUR ADVENT JOURNEY
TO THE STABLE AND BEYOND,
OUR GOD OF HOPE.”