St. Aidan Catholic Elementary School
34 Buick Boulevard
Brampton, Ontario
L7A 3B9
Phone: 905-840-3042
Principal
October 2014
D. Clifford
Vice-Principal
M. Moncur
Head Secretary
C. Moore
Assistant Secretary
T. Gout
Superintendent
S. Steer
Trustee
L. Zanella
F. DiCosola
Parish
Guardian Angels
Pastor
Fr. Jan Gogolewski
Mass Times
Sat.:
5:00 p.m.
Sun.:
9:00 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
Fax: 905-840-0820
OCTOBER VIRTUE: Empathy
This month we will focus on the virtue of
“Empathy”.
God has given us the ability to form
connections with each other – to live
together. Empathy helps us to connect
and live together in safe, caring, inclusive
communities.
We understand empathy to mean the
ability to identify with and feel other
people’s concerns. We believe that in a
faith community, we are nothing without
relationships; relationships that grow in a
spirit of communion.
An empathetic person believes that we
all share one spirit; that we are many
parts of one body because we are all
created in the image and likeness of God.
An empathetic person . . .
Empathy Prayer
Gracious and merciful God of all creation,
You made us to live together in
communities.
We are nothing without relationships.
You have given us the virtue of empathy to
ensure that we are able to identify with and
feel other people’s concerns.
We come to you now asking for the grace
and strength to follow your plan and to
form a safe, caring, inclusive community
here at St. Aidan.
May your gift of empathy lead us to know
and feel your presence among us.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, Your
Son, who lived to show us your way.
Amen.

Listens attentively

Notices and responds when
someone is upset

Can name her/his feelings

Can see a situation from another’s
point of view
Thanksgiving Prayer

Knows that different people may
feel differently about the same
thing.
Father all powerful, Your gifts of love are
countless and your goodness infinite.
For Thanksgiving, we come before You with
gratitude for Your kindness. Open our hearts
to concern for our children, men and women, so
Masses are held at:
that we may share your gifts in loving service.
St. Edmund Campion
We ask this through our Lord Jesus, Your
275 Brisdale Drive
Son, who lives and reigns with You and the
Brampton, Ontario
Holy Spirit, one God,
L7A 3C7
forever and ever.
Amen.
Holy Days of Obligation
Leaving During the School Day
It is important that our children
continue to be exposed to our
Catholic faith through experiences at the parish.
The Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and
the Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s life.
‘Sunday is the day on which the Paschal
Mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic
tradition and is to be observed as the foremost
holy day of obligation in the universal church.’
[CIC, can. 1246 #1] Throughout the school year,
students experience the mystery of Jesus Christ
through celebrations, liturgies and mass. We
encourage all of our families to maintain these
traditions and obligations throughout the year
by attending Mass as a family every Sunday.
When it is necessary for your child to leave
school early, please send a note to your child’s
teacher advising him/her of the time that you
will be picking up your child. Your child will
meet you in the office at the indicated time.
When dropping off or picking up students
during school hours, please go to the office to
sign your child in or out.
Kiss and Ride/Drop-Off Areas
Staff are on duty to supervise the front Kiss and
Ride and the east Kindergarten – Grade One
Kiss and Ride drop off areas from 8:05-8:20.
These lanes are intended for parents who are
dropping off children without leaving their
vehicles. There is NO parking in the Kiss and
Ride or Drop Off lanes. If you intend to wait
and see that your child enters the yard or
building, we respectfully ask that you park in a
designated parking spot or on the street in front
of the school. Please do not stop in the drive
through lane to drop students off. This is a very
dangerous practice for students.
Please note we have a Kindergarten and Grade
1 drop-off area on the east side and a Kiss and
Ride for Grades 2 to 8 along the front of the
school.
Attendance and Punctuality
We ask that parents continue to support
their children in their morning routines so
that they can arrive at school on time. This
ensures that your child learns an essential
life skill, participates in the entire school
day, and that disruptions to the learning
environment are minimal.
Allergy Alert – Sabrina’s Law
A friendly reminder to all parents that St. Aidan
Catholic Elementary School strives to be a nutfree and allergy aware environment. Please do
NOT send lunches, snacks or treats that contain
peanuts, nut products or fish. We have several
students at St. Aidan with life threatening
allergies; by working together we can protect the
safety and well-being of all students.
Anaphylaxis is a severe and life-threatening
reaction caused by even very small quantities of
the allergen. The most common allergens are
food (peanuts, nut products and by-products,
sesame and shellfish, for example), insect stings,
medications and latex. We ask for the
cooperation of the entire school community by
NOT sending any, snacks, or treats that contain
peanuts, nut products or fish (including Tim
Horton’s doughnuts and/or timbits, which are not
nut free). Please be aware that your child will not
be permitted to eat a snack that contains even
small quantities of these ingredients.
When celebrating special occasions parents may
wish to send non-edible items if they choose.
Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.
QSP Fundraiser
Our QSP fundraiser has begun. This year we are
raising funds through the sale of magazine
subscriptions. Your continued support of this
year’s fundraising campaign is greatly
appreciated. Orders are due back to the school
by October 14-17, 2014.
Access Protocol
St. Aidan Staff 2012/2013
The front door speaker/buzzer/video
monitoring system allows us to proactively
enhance the safety and security of students and
staff by locking the front doors after classes
begin.
K. Juricic / R. Harricharran
R. Toms/ A. Fleming
T. Dworaczek/T. Frank
S. Preston
A. Barbosa
S. Braga
A. Parayil
J. Evans
D. Maheu
L. Tran
P. Moore
K. Morrison
D. Sousa
R. Pike
A. Murray
T. Kong
E. Rice
T. Cassar
T. Sturino
C. Di Marco
D. Medeiros
L. Litster
S. Abdou/D. Navas
G. Castellarin
K. Andreatta
P. Novak
D. Tonon
J. Gill
H. Hodson
G. Preston
L. Hogan
N. Kerr
Dr. S. Sinclair
S. Facey
G. Stewart
C. Moore
T. Gout
P. Mota
M. Moncur
D. Clifford
Parents/guardians are encouraged to:
 Arrive at school on time to allow children
to enter with their classmates to avoid
front entry lates.
 Send lunch with your child in the
morning to limit traffic in through the
front door at lunch time.
 We respectfully request that you limit
your visits to the school during the
daytime as much as possible in order to
protect the instructional time and
reduce interruptions in learning.
Thank you for your understanding, co-operation
and support in keeping our school a safe.
Bullying Prevention
October is National Bullying Prevention
month.
When assisting your child to resolve
conflicts, it may be helpful to discuss the
following decision making model:
Step 1: Identify the problem/situation
Step 2: List options/choices giving pros and
cons for each
Step 3: Evaluate all options/choices
Step 4: Make a decision
Step 5: Reflect on the decision
For more tips visit:
http://www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/
ELP
ELP
ELP
ELP
Grade 1
Grade 1
Grade 1
Grade 1/2
Grade 2
Grade 2
Grade 2/3
Grade 3
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 7/8
Grade 8
FSL
SERC/ESL
SERT
SERT
Library
Planning Time
Planning Time
ERW
ERW
Social Worker
Psych. Assoc.
SLP
CYW
Head Secretary
Asst. Secretary
Custodian
Vice-Principal
Principal
Health Tips From Peel Public Health
Did you know?
Serving sizes are getting larger for sweetened
beverages, potato chips, chocolate bars and
other convenience food
More children are turning to “fast food” choices
for meals. Kids are drinking pop instead of milk
which is needed for healthy bones and teeth
The first ten years of life are the most important
for developing healthy eating habits
What Can a Parent Do?
Top a whole-wheat tortilla with cream cheese,
meat, salsa and lettuce then roll it up
Pack sliced turkey, chicken or lean beef, with
cheese and whole wheat crackers to make mini
sandwiches. Add grapes for dessert
Heat whole-wheat English muffins with pizza
sauce, spices, sliced mushrooms and shredded
cheese on top.
Add a drink such as milk, chocolate milk,
unsweetened 100% juice, or water to any of
these ideas and you will be on your way to
following Canada’s Food Guide.
Helpful Websites:
Peel-obesity.ca, dieticians.ca, eatrightontario.ca
For more information call the Region of Peel –
Public Health at 905-799-7700 or visit
peelregion.ca/health
Happy Hallowe’en
Please note that students may either
wear their Halloween costumes to
school or dress up in ‘Black and Orange.’ If your
child chooses to wear a Halloween costume,
please ensure that the costume is appropriate for
school, that no masks are worn, and that
costumes do not include replica weapons or
gore. We also ask that any accessories such as
wands, broomsticks, etc. be left at home so that
they are not lost or damaged throughout the day.
In support of our nut-free and allergy aware
environment, please do not send any edible
treats with your child to be shared with their
class.
St. Aidan School Website
Please visit our school website regularly for the
latest information on school events and
important dates. www.dpcdsb.org/AIDAN
VOLUNTEERS/FIELD TRIP SUPERVISORS
It is now mandatory for all school
volunteers to have a current Criminal
Reference Check on file at the school. If
you are planning to volunteer at the school
or for field trips/events please pick up a
Criminal Reference Check form at the office.
We will provide you with a cover letter so
your check will be free of charge. These
checks can take several weeks so we
encourage you to pick up the forms at your
earliest convenience.
Sports Corner
St. Aidan has a number of sports
activities scheduled for the month
of October. The girls and boys volleyball teams
are participating in tournaments on October 7th
and 10th and the Cross Country team has been
busy practicing for their upcoming meet on
October 15th. We wish all our student athletes
great success at their respective tournaments.
Many thanks to the staff who give so much of
their time to coach teams.
Important Dates
October 2:
October 6:
October 7:
October 9:
October 10:
October 13:
October 15:
October 16:
October 31:
November 4:
November 6:
November 14:
Boys Soccer Tournament
School Council @ 6:30
Jr. Boys Volleyball
Opening Mass @ 9:15
Jr. Girls Volleyball
Thanksgiving Day
Cross Country Family Meet
Virtue Assembly @ 9:00
Hallowe’en Share Life Dance-a-thon
Picture Retake Day
Immunization Clinic
P.A. Day
Reminders and Resources:
Cold and Flu Season
As cold and flu season approaches, the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
continues to be vigilant in ensuring that our
schools are clean and that our school
communities are educated regarding good hand
hygiene and cough etiquette. These practices
are promoted on an ongoing basis, but as the
prevalence of colds and flu increases, our board
increases the cleaning of contact surfaces, as
well as reminds schools to review cold and flu
prevention with students and staff. Many
resources are utilized from our regional health
units.
A reminder, as well, that communicable
diseases can be contracted in public places
throughout the year. For example, cold-related
viruses, such as Enterovirus, are transferred
from person to person through hand
contact. Cold and flu viruses typically peak from
December through February, but can start as
early as October.
Regional Health Unit Resources
Please assist us by reviewing good hand
washing procedures, as well as other
preventative measures, as outlined in the
various Peel Health and Wellington Dufferin
Guelph (WDG) resources available to you
through their websites. As always, children who
are unwell, should be kept at home.
Flu Clinics
Also available on the Peel Health and WDG
websites, are the schedules of local Flu Clinics.
For more information, visit the health unit
websites:


Peel Health website:
http://www.peelregion.ca/health
Wellington Dufferin Guelph Health
website: www.wdgpublichealth.ca
Direct links to the above information can be
found in the Parent Section of the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board website at
www.dpcdsb.org
A Message from the Board
40 Matheson Boulevard West, Mississauga ON, L5R 1C5
(905) 890-1221 www.dpcdsb.org
September 30, 2014
Striving for the extraordinary!
A message to Parents and Guardians on our continued EQAO success
The recent release of EQAO results for Grades 3 and 6 reading, writing and mathematics, Grade 9 mathematics, and
the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), show that Dufferin‐Peel has, once again, matched or exceeded
the provincial averages in each assessment area. This marks the sixth consecutive year in which the percentage of
our elementary students achieving or exceeding the provincial standard has equaled or exceeded the provincial
averages. The Grade 9 test results and the OSSLT results represent the fifth straight year in which our secondary
students exceeded the provincial performance. In fact, the Dufferin‐Peel secondary results were between 4% and
13% higher than the provincial averages.
These results speak highly of our students and of you, their parents and guardians, who support their education.
They are also a clear reflection of the high degree of professionalism and dedication of our teaching and support
staff, the commitment of our administrators and of the board of trustees towards supporting all students and
ensuring their well‐being and continuous achievement. In addition, they speak to the high level of collaboration,
which to us, is reflective of a caring and committed Catholic school system.
EQAO assessments and the OSSLT are just two forms of measurement. In the context of the goals of the Ontario
Catholic School Graduate Expectations, no single assessment provides a complete picture of student well‐being
and/or achievement. However, as EQAO is used throughout the province to indicate student success, we take great
satisfaction in our collective efforts to honour results that demonstrate that extraordinary lives are indeed growing
with a great Catholic Education here in Dufferin‐Peel.
And, while we reflect with pride on our success, we continue to be collectively committed to our moral purpose of
supporting each and every student, from early years to vocation, through the goals outlined in our Strategic Plan,
System Strategic Direction, Catholic Board Learning Plan and Catholic Board Corporate Plan.
Congratulations to all on these very positive results and to the ongoing well‐being and success of our students.
Thank you to all parents and guardians for choosing a Dufferin‐Peel Catholic education and for your contribution
and support as we work towards the continued success and well‐being of all students.
Mario Pascucci
John B. Kostoff
Chair of the Board
Director of Education
Extraordinary lives start with a great Catholic Education
INTERNATIONAL
Student Programs
DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC INSTITUTE
FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
INFORMATION NIGHT
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board in
collaboration with the
Canadian Education Exchange Foundation,
University of Toronto Mississauga and
Newcomer Centre of Peel
is pleased to invite students, parents, guardians, teachers and administrators to
an International Education information session on:
Thursday, October 23, 2014 7:00
– 9:00 p.m.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Learning Centre
3566 South Common Court, Mississauga
Information regarding the International Student Program, the new Summer ESL Credit
Program for International Students, our Student Exchange Program, and community
supports available to newcomers, will be shared. Full details of the various programs and
opportunities will be provided by several guest speakers and there will be an opportunity to
ask questions. Our current International Students and their families are encouraged to
attend.
For more information, contact Rita Borg
at 905-412-3341 ext. 31460 or visit
www.dpcdsb.org
Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District
School Board
A Message From the Trustee:
Dear Parents
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your continued support over the last
17 years.
During my 17 year tenure with Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board, I have worked with the board and the
community to open many new schools in Wards 2, 5 & 6. As well, I have advocated, voted for, and worked
closely with the board to implement new French Immersion programs, Career Path programs and a secondary
regional arts program in our community. I have also served on a committee that brought forward a new fiveyear Strategic Plan that was recently approved by the board. Our Board EQAO scores have consistently
outperformed the Provincial average. We should all be proud of these accomplishments that have benefited our
children and future children who will enter the Catholic school system.
As we near the upcoming municipal election, I wanted to let you know that I will not be seeking re- election as
your trustee. I will be seeking election as City Councillor in the October 27th municipal election. I am so
thankful to have served you and the Brampton community as your trustee since 1997. It has been an honour and
privilege to be your representative. Dufferin Peel is a wonderful dynamic school board that has always put
children first and I know that Dufferin Peel will continue to serve you as a leading board in the province.
I wish you all the best for a productive school year in 2014 and God bless you always.
Sincerely,
Linda Zanella
Brampton Trustee
Wards 2, 5 & 6