St. Jerome School
790 Paisley Blvd W.
Mississauga, Ontario
L5C 3P5
Tel (905) 273 3836 Fax (905) 273 9539
Newsletter
December
2012
Mississauga South
Family of Schools
Trustee:
B. Iannicca
905 270 0536
Advent—A Time of Hope
God of Hope You sent us Jesus, the Light of the World.
As we light our Advent candles one by one, a week at a time, may we
rekindle within ourselves the desire to make peace with Him.
May the flame of His presence grow brighter and brighter in our hearts,
in our school, and in our world.
May the God of Hope fill us with joy and peace this Christmas
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Wishing you the blessing of Christmas and the New Year,
from the staff of St. Jerome School!
Superintendent:
C. Saytar
Principal:
A. Aquino
H. Secretary:
C. Bowering
Parish Priests:
Fr. Joyson Pottackal
St. Martin of Tours
VIRTUE OF THE MONTH: HOPE
This month we will focus on the Virtue of Hope. We believe that God comes
to us as a real human who can show us the way of life. People of hope keep
up a positive attitude, can bounce back from tough situations, set and stick to
their goals, see the good in others even when they make mistakes, work to
include others, and let others know that they are good people. May the Virtue of Hope guide our decisions for the service of all people.
People of Hope:

expect the best to happen for everyone

keep up a positive attitude

hold on to their dreams

always count on God to help them in tough situations

trust that things will work out in God’s way

look for something good to come out of every situation

are looking forward to life’s blessings

set and stick to their own goals
905 279 5742
Catholic School
Council Chair:
M. Fleese
Web-site:
www.dpcdsb.org/jerom
Faith Life
Around the School
Grade 2 First Reconciliation
Congratulations to the grade 2 students that received their
First Reconciliation on November 24th. We pray for them to
be closer to God as they prepare to share in the banquet of
our Lord.
Indoor Shoes/Change of Clothes
Please ensure that your child comes to school prepared to go outside
for recess and lunch hour breaks. It is the expectation that each child
comes dressed appropriately to go outside to enjoy the weather and
get some fresh air and exercise. If your child is prone to getting wet
during recess, please send a change of clothes, especially socks and
sweat pants. Please ensure that your child brings a pair of indoor shoes
to school. Please label the shoes for our primary students. Running
shoes are preferred because they are safe and can also be used for gym.
Please ensure that the shoes have non-marking soles. We appreciate
your continued support!
Grade 2 First Communion
The rite of enrolment will be masses between Saturday, January 21st and Sunday, January 29th. The celebration of the Sacrament of First Holy Communion will be masses between Saturday, April 21st and Sunday, April 29th. You must be registered with the church to receive First Communion this year.
Grade 8 Confirmation
The Grade 8 Confirmation this year will be held at St. Martin
of Tours Parish on Friday, April 12th at 7:00 p.m. You must be
registered with the church to receive Confirmation this year.
Advent Mass
Please join us as we celebrate our Advent mass together on
December 5th at 10:30 a.m. The mass will be at school. It is a
wonderful opportunity to give praise and glory to God as the
community of St. Jerome School. A special thank you to Father
Joyson and the parish team at St. Martin of Tours for their
spiritual guidance and support!
St. Vincent De Paul Society
Again this year we invite our students to bring in new mittens,
gloves, hats, socks, and slippers for our Mitten Tree. We are
also having our annual Christmas food drive at St. Jerome
School in order to meet the growing needs of our local community. Please place dry goods or tins in the boxes in front of
our altar. Thank you for your ongoing compassion and generosity and for encouraging our children to understand the
meaning of giving to all those in need. All proceeds will be given
to the St. Vincent de Paul Society to be included in their
Christmas hampers. Items will be picked up Wednesday, December 14, 2012. We thank you in advance for your generous
contributions. A very special THANK YOU as well to all the
families that contributed to our class collections to help make
Christmas a little merrier for families in need. This year we are
sponsoring 6 families.
Inclement Weather
When weather conditions are bad, parents are asked to listen to the
local radio stations for announcements of transportation services being
withdrawn and/or possible school closures. Announcements can be
heard on CFRB, CHUM, CKFM, CHWD, CHIN, CFNY, CHAY,
CKHW, CFTR, CJCL, CJMR, CBC.
The message usually takes the following form:
1. The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board buses serving St.
Andrew, St. Benedict and St. Peter elementary schools and R.F.
Hall Secondary School are cancelled today. This message does not
affect us at St. Jerome.
2. The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board buses and The
Peel District School Board buses in the Town of Caledon and the
County of Dufferin are cancelled. This means that all runs listed
under #1 above plus all schools in the Town of Caledon and all
school runs that begin in the Town of Caledon. This message does
not affect us at St. Jerome.
3. The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and The Peel
District School Board buses are cancelled. This means that ALL
transportation services provided, including buses, vans and taxis
have been cancelled for the entire day. Students dropped off
by parents, when transportation is cancelled, must be picked up by
parents or have other arrangements in place for their return trip
home. The school cannot give permission for children to be driven
home by someone other than the parent/guardian.
4. The schools and offices of both The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board and The Peel District School Board are closed. This
means that ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and
Peel District School Board schools and offices are closed to all
students and staff.
The Dufferin-Peel web-site home page will also have this updated information. You may also go to www.stopr.ca for daily cancellations or
delays.
Kiss ‘N Ride
PLEASE NOTE THAT CARS ARE NOT TO USE
THE BUS LANE AT ANY TIME. Parents are also
asked to use our proper Kiss ‘N Ride lanes and not
to pull into the school lanes.
Parents please do not leave your car unattended in
any of the Kiss ‘N Ride lanes at any point in the
school day, most especially at lunch time. If you
are dropping off a lunch for your child please park
your car in a designated parking spot or on the
street. Please note that if you are using the Kiss ‘N
Ride you should not be getting out of your car to
help a child exit, you should not pop open your
truck to retrieve knapsacks, and all students must
exit from the right passenger side of the car for
their safety. We ask that parents use extra
caution when using our Kiss ‘N Ride lanes in the
winter months. Please drive safely and take your
time. Our focus is always to keep all of our
students safe.
School Yard Safety
Just a reminder that student supervision begins at
9:00; students must not be dropped off at the
school before this time. Please also note that the
Kindergarten gates must be kept closed at all
times!
Cold Weather
With the arrival of colder weather, students are reminded to
dress appropriately (hats, mitts, boots, etc.) and to wear all
clothing that they came to school in when they go out for recess.
During the winter season it is generally accepted in Dufferin—
Peel that when the wind chill factor drops below –25 C, students
should not go outside for recess.
Cold and Flu Season
Please use discretion in keeping your children home to recover if
they are ill. A child who is coughing, wheezing, etc. is not in a
state to learn and will only infect others. If a student is sent to
school, it is assumed that they will participate in all aspects of the
school day, including outdoor recess. We do not provide
individual indoor supervision. We also remind parents to dress
students for our weather conditions. We will be having outdoor
recess, weather permitting, as much as possible. At all times, we
follow the Board guidelines for inclement weather. The students
enjoy going out, especially if they have their snowsuits, hats and
mittens.
Setting the Standard for Healthy Eating
A healthy mind depends on a healthy body. Students who eat
healthy food are better prepared to learn and are more likely to
succeed in school. Schools are now complying with the Ministry’s
new School Food and Beverage Policy that includes
comprehensive nutrition standards. The policy officially started in
September 2011. Please continue to send healthy snacks for your
child to enjoy at school.
Snowballs
When the cold months arrive and snow and ice on the ground is
plentiful, we all like to play in it and with it. Throwing snowballs and
sliding on ice is fun. However, as much fun as it is, snow and ice, can be
very dangerous when lots of people are in a small area. Our school yard
is a small area where approximately three hundred fifty students have
recess. In order for our school to be as safe as possible, the school rule
must be that snow stays on the ground. There will be no snowballs,
kicking snow or any other activity with snow or ice that could be
harmful.
Criminal Reference Check
In compliance with Ministry directives, a Criminal Reference Check is
required if you wish to volunteer your services in the school, transport
students and assist on trips. Copies of the Criminal Reference forms are
available in the office. An annual declaration is required for all valid
Criminal Reference Checks that are on file in the school office. A
Criminal Reference Check will be required this year if you plan to
volunteer for both in school and out of school activities.
Website
Parents are encouraged to visit our website! The
site is
www.dpcdsb.org/jerom. Please take the time to check it out. All
school information and parent information is on the site and updated
regularly. All previous and current newsletters are on the site. Our
web-site is another excellent tool to keep parents connected to what is
happening at school.
Leaving At Lunchtime
Parents please be advised that ALL students must have written
permission from a parent/guardian to leave the school at lunch. Verbal
permission (over the phone) will not be accepted. A signed and dated
note with a parent/guardian signature is required for each occurrence.
The note must come to the office and students are required to sign out
and to sign back in when they return for afternoon classes.
Recycling/ECO School
At St. Jerome School we encourage you to reduce the amount of
garbage going to landfill sites. We collect recycling materials from
classrooms each week. We want to encourage students to bring litter
less or boomerang lunches and reusable water bottles, as we did last
year! It is very important to us to treat our earth with respect and to
preserve our earth for future generations! Our ECO club is well
underway so please stay tuned for all the exciting initiatives that are
taking place this year. Ask your child about the Golden Lunchbox!
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
Our next council meeting will be Wednesday, January 9, 2013
at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
We thank you for your continued support and generosity in
helping to make our students’ learning experiences the best
that they can be!
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Dates to Remember
Mark your Calendar
December 5
Advent Mass 10:30 a.m.
(note time change for the mass)
December 6
Grade 8 Information Night at St. Martin
December 10
French Concert Presentation
December 14
Kindergarten Concert (a.m. and p.m.)
December 17, 18, 19
Craft Club
December 18
Primary Concert (Gr. 1-3) 6:00 p.m.
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. *
Dec 24 to Jan 4
Christmas Break
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
January 9
School Council Meeting 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
January 21
PA Day- No School
January 22
Term 2 begins
January 24, 25
See and Hear Screening
January 28, 29
Peel Police Presentations
February 6
Term 1 Reports go home
February 7
Interview Evening Term 1
February 8
PA Day- No School
February 12
Shrove Tuesday
Extended French Information Night
Grade 4 parent(s)/ guardian(s), who wish to enroll their child
in a Grade 5 Extended French class for September, 2013 are
invited to attend an information meeting at:
February 13
Ash Wednesday
February 18
Family Day– No School
March 5
Lenten Mass 10:00 a.m. at school
March 6
School Council Meeting 6:30 p.m.
School: St. Philip
March 11 to 15
March Break
Address: 345 Fairview Road West
March 24
Palm Sunday
Date: January 16, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
At the present time, the above mentioned school is the
designated centre for our area. Applications will be accepted
at that centre until 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 6th, 2013.
March 29
Good Friday– No School
March 31
Easter Sunday
April 1
Easter Monday– No School
April 3
School Council Meeting 6:30 p.m.
April 10
Confirmation Rehearsal/Confessions
April 12
Confirmation 7:00 p.m. at church
Kindergarten Registration 2013-2014
Registration for Junior and Senior Kindergarten for the 20132014 school year, will take place at St. Jerome School on the
following days:
Monday, January 28, 2013
Friday, February 1, 2013
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
* Snow Date:
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
For more information, call the school at 905-273-3836 or visit
www. dpcdsb.org.
Grade 8 Information Night at St. Martin
The grade 8 parent/guardian information night will take place
at St. Martin Secondary School on Wednesday, December
6th, 2012 starting at 6:30 p.m. The school is located at 2470
Rosemary Drive. For further information please call St. Martin
at 905-279-3171.
French Immersion Information Night
Senior Kindergarten parents/guardians, who wish to enroll
their child in a Grade 1 French Immersion class for
September, 2013 are invited to attend one of the information
meetings listed below, depending on the site you are
interested in:
St. Gertrude School on Monday January 14, 2013 at
7:00 p.m. for the St. Gertrude and St. Pio of Pietrelcina sites.
St. Margaret of Scotland School on Thursday, January
17, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. for the Divine Mercy School, St.
Elizabeth Seton School, and St. Margaret of Scotland School
sites. The deadline for submission of the applications will be
2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 6, 2013.
PA Days:
Jan 21, Feb 8, May 13, June 7
Pizza Program
Please support our pizza days. Order forms from January to
March will be sent home in December. Please note that no pizza
slices will be available for sale on Thursdays, we will only be accepting pre-paid orders. We thank you for supporting this school
fundraiser this year!
Lost and Found
Are you missing any clothing that was sent to school and never
found it’s way home? Please come and check our lost and found.
Items will be displayed until Wednesday, December 14th. Remaining items will be given to the St. Vincent de Paul Society.