October
2012
185 Conestoga Drive, Brampton, Ontario L6Z 2Z7
Phone (905) 846-2086
Fax (905) 846-9464
Principal’s message
Principal:
R. Romanet
Secretary
A. M. Condotta
School Council
Chair:
K. Molella
Trustee:
L. Zanella
(905) 890-1221
Superintendent:
M. Vecchiarino
(905) 890-1221
Pastor:
Fr. A. Maderak
(905) 846-5385
We, the community
of St. Leonard, are
committed to lifelong learning and
respect for God’s
creation.
We will nurture our
unique gifts and
entrust each member to serve.
Alternate School
#905-890-0708
Press 7 ext 54200
It’s hard to believe that October is
here. It seems that we just welcomed
everyone back yesterday and more
than full month has past. It has been a
very busy month. We have planned
for the students experiences, set curriculum goals and selected our new
school Council for this year. We now
have approximately 486 students and
approximately 35 staff.
I would like to thank everyone who
helped with our recent Terry Fox
walk, book fair, Thanksgiving Food
Drive, swimming program and class
field trips. These events and your efforts symbolize how great our school
community is.
High lights of the month
I am very pleased to share that the
academic success of our student body
as well as the teaching effectiveness
of our staff has resulted in our recent
EQAO scores surpassing both Board
and Provincial scores in many areas.
We will continue to fine tune our
teaching in the areas that we hope to
further improve and set those as goals
for this year.
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School Busing has become and still is a very
time consuming priority for both Mrs. Condotta and I. The loss of one bus has greatly
impacted many of our families. Thank you
again to everyone who has supported this
need.
We have also had to address the secure play
area for our youngest students in Kindergarten. Additional measures and maintenance
was done recently in order to make sure that
the fence and gates are properly functioning,
aligned and secure.
We have also received a clear message from
Brampton Parking enforcement that they will
be frequently visiting our school due to concerns they have in several areas. These include parking at the front which is designated
as a fire route, illegal parking in the handicap
spaces with no tag displayed and parking on
the street too close to a designated school
cross walk. Please be aware of your parking
responsibilities.
My final comment would be an observation
based on my years of experience. The best
student readers always have the best academic
results in school. I cannot over emphasize the
importance of reading with and to your children. It is the key to success in school and
lifelong. Do you read to your children and do
they read to you?
R. Romanet
First Reconciliation and First Eucharist
A Special enrollment ceremony with regards to
the celebration of First Reconciliation and First
Eucharist will take place at St. Leonard’s
Church for the grade 2 students who are baptized Roman Catholic or who were received into
the Roman Catholic Church. An information
letter and enrollment forms will be sent home
with the grade 2 students. For those
students in grade 3 and up who may have missed
receiving these sacraments, a special package
must be picked up from the Church after any
weekend Mass prior to the Enrollment Ceremony. These ceremonies will take place at the
Church on:
Friday, Oct. 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Or
Saturday, Oct. 20 at 9:30 a.m.
Punctuality
School begins at 8:30 a.m. It has been noted that
there are a number of students who arrive late to
school. Whenever a student is not here in time to
line up with their class during entry, they are considered late. It is also a disruption to the class if
students walk in after class has started. Whenever a student is late she/he must go to the office
to obtain a late slip. Arriving on time is a life skill
which our students need for future success. Please
ensure students arrive on time. Parents are also
reminded to be punctual picking up their children.
The office job is not to provide free after-school
babysitting for parents. Please ensure that you
are on time to pick up your child.
Attendance Verification
If your child is going to be absent,
please call the school and speak to the secretary or
leave a message on the answering machine at
(905) 846-2086.
Attendance is necessary for one of the parents/
guardians and the child as important information will be given with respect to this significant
event in the life of your child. This enrollment
begins your child’s formal preparation for the
reception of these two sacraments. If you are
not able to attend the enrollment scheduled for
your child’s school you are free to attend the
alternate dates. Only those
who are enrolled at this ceremony may receive these Sacraments.
Student Planners
Once again students in Grades 1-8 have been
issued an agenda. These assist with planning,
keeping track of homework and providing information about school policy. Thank you for sending in your payment. We express our thanks to
our Catholic School Council for subsidizing the
Virtue for October—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 understanding that we share an identity based on being created in the image and likeness of God and being imbued
with one Spirit. We are many parts of one body.
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.
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Visitors in the School – School Safety
All visitors including parents and former students must
check in at the main office before proceeding to any
other area of the school. If you bring a lunch or book
to school, we request that you leave it at the school
office with your child’s name on it. If you are picking
up your child at school, we ask that you report to the
office if the pick up is during the school day. If it is a
regular dismissal, please wait outside the appropriate
exit doors of the building to avoid disruption of classroom routines. Cooperation in following these routines
helps ensure our student’s safety.
Anaphylaxis Alert
St. Leonard Elementary is an allergen aware school.
There are pupils in attendance who suffer from severe
and life threatening allergies to certain foods, such as
peanut and nut products. Exposure to the smallest
quantities can cause severe life threatening allergic
reaction. The most common allergen triggers are
food, insect stings, medications, exercise and latex.
An anaphylactic reaction involves symptoms from
two or more body systems. We would appreciate the
co-operation of the entire school community by Not sending any lunches or snacks
that contain nut products which could
potentially harm a pupil. Please make sure
that all of your children’s caregivers are aware of the
food restrictions. Please avoid sending food for birthday or special occasions. There are many alternatives
such as stickers and pencils.
If you have any questions please talk to your child’s
teacher or the school staff.
Medication At School
Please be advised that for safety reasons, no
child should bring any form of medication to
school without prior approval from the office. The school will store necessary medication if a Request Form has been filled out and signed
by the parent/guardian and your family physician.
Forms are available in the office.
Student Council—2012-2013
Prime Minister—Mikaela Jimenez
Deputy Prime Minister—Daniel Farronato
Minister of Finance—Veronica Zajic
Minister of Communication—S. Mayer
Deputy Minister of Communications (Secretary)
Lauren Symbolik-Berger
Confirmation—Grade 8
A special enrollment ceremony in preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation will
take place at St. Leonard’s Church at all
weekend Masses on October 22/23rd. The
candidates will present the Bishop with
their Enrollment form and a copy of their
Roman Catholic baptism certificate attached. An information letter and enrollment form has been sent home
with the Grade 8 students. If you have not received
one, contact your child’s teacher
Attendance is necessary for the Confirmation candidate. Only those who enrolled at this ceremony may
receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. This enrollment begins the formal preparation for the reception of
this sacrament.
Parking in the Fire Route
Please note the school’s driveway is classified as a fire
route. Should you decide to park there, please be
advised that if parking control comes by—you will
receive a parking ticket for $150. They have already ticketed a few parents this year—park at
your own risk.
When you are going to be away
Call the school each day!!
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School Hours
Supervision in the school yard does not start
till 8:15. Please do not drop off your children
before that time. The school office is open
between 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
School Safety - Fire and Emergency
Drills
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board sets regulations, policies
and procedures to ensure the safety of
staff and students in all schools. The
Fire Code - Revised Regulation of Ontario requires that
total evacuation fire drills are to be held 3 times in each
of the Fall and Spring school terms. Each school has a
Fire Safety Plan and an Evacuation Plan. Our evacuation site is J. Archdekin Recreation Centre. Schools are
also required to conduct two Lockdown procedure
drills per year. All teaching, secretarial, custodial staff
and students receive appropriate instruction in dealing
with the presence of an intruder in the school. Rooms
are secured and staff and students are instructed to lay
on the floor away from doors and windows. Similar
safety procedures are in place for Bomb Threats, Severe Weather, “Hold and Secure” and Access to
School Premises.
Kiss’n Ride Procedures
Please take a few minutes to review our Kiss’n
Ride procedures. We have had a few incidents of
people coming in the wrong driveway or parking
in the Kiss’n ride route. Please remember the
safety of our children when using the Kiss’n ride.
Drive directly to the back row and proceed
around the line (do not use the centre aisles to cut
into the flow of traffic).
Dates to Remember
Tues. Oct. 16
Thurs. Oct. 18
Sat. Oct. 20
Tues. Oct. 23
Tues. Oct. 23
Thurs. Oct. 25
Tues. Nov. 6
Tues. Nov. 6
Thurs. Nov. 8
Tues. Nov. 13
Thurs. Nov. 15
Fri. Nov. 16
Tues. Nov. 20
Thurs. Nov. 22
Nov. 24/25
Tues. Nov. 27
Tues. Nov. 27
Thurs. Nov. 29
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Pizza Day
Lunch Moms
Holy Communion Enrollment
Picture Re-take Day
Pizza Day
Lunch Moms
Pizza Day
Gr. 8 Information Night at
Notre Dame 6:30 p.m.
Lunch Moms
Pizza Day
Lunch Moms
P. A. Day
Pizza Day
Lunch Moms
Confirmation Enrollment at
St. Leonard Church
Pizza Day
Gr. 8 Information Night at
Holy Name of Mary 7:00 p.m.
Lunch Moms
St. Leonard Students Support International Walk to School Day
On Wednesday, October 10th St. Leonard students participated in International Walk to
School day. Despite the rain, approximately 100 students got active and walked to
school in support of the International campaign. This initiative also aligns with St. Leonard’s Green Team goals of trying to reduce our footprint on our community and planet.
What is good for us is also good for the earth!
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