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May 2009

From the office of the Principal
Mrs. S. Fortino-Bozzo

Dear Parents, Students and Staff:

I hope that you enjoyed a joyful Easter and that the spring season is rejuvenating you with renewed energy and vitality.  After a long winter, nature comes back to life and with this promise of re-birth all around us, we move towards the celebration of Pentecost filled with enthusiasm, hope and a sense of purpose.  This issue of the Bi-Line gives us the opportunity to report on much that is happening at St. Thomas More this semester.

The first term of this semester is now complete with report card distribution on April 23rd. If results were good, we encourage diligence to strive for continued excellence. If not, perhaps some extra effort, tutoring (available at school), better time management, or a good review of course selections are in order. I hope that you were able to discuss your child's results with him or her and that you had the chance to come in for Parent-Teacher interviews Thursday, April 29th. These interviews afford a good opportunity to start planning for improvement.

The registration and option selection process has been completed for next year, and we are well into the process of building next year's schedule. Those students who have procrastinated are strongly advised to complete the process immediately in order to avoid disappointment in course availability. Our projected enrolment is similar to that of the current year, as St. Thomas More continues to draw students from across the city as their school of choice.

Student Success continues to be a primary focus this year as we aim to increase our graduation rate, especially assisting students at risk of dropping out. With the help of classroom teachers and Guidance Counsellors, our Student Success team has been very busy identifying, monitoring, assisting and advocating for these students, overseeing Credit Recovery and Credit Rescue programs and providing in-services for staff. We are offering an increased number of ESL classes this year, and all departments are focussing on enhanced program planning to continue to remove barriers to success. Furthermore, much attention was paid to better preparing students for the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test through the Literacy Committee and classroom teachers. We hope the results, to be released in June, will reflect our concerted efforts.

Please help your child plan for final exams!

As the semester draws to an end in June with Friday, June 18 as the last day of classes, it is important that students plan in advance to prepare adequately for exams. Students will receive instructions, strategies, review material and study tips from their teachers. They will also receive their own personalized exam schedule and Semester End Information Sheet which we hope you will post in a visible area of your home to help your child plan ahead. Please be aware that board / school policy does not permit students to miss a designated final exam date for any reason other than certified medical reasons. Please ensure that vacations are not scheduled during exam week (Monday, June 21- Friday, June 25).

THANK YOU:

As always, St. Thomas More is a school that offers many educational opportunities to our students, as well as activities that promote spiritual, physical and social development. This is primarily the result of competent, dedicated and generous staff that puts the needs of our students first. The support of parents in the educational process continues to be paramount. We look forward to a continued good working relationship with all of you.

Principal