Dufferin-Peel CDSB
ST. GERTRUDE SCHOOL
Guided by Faith, Committed to Excellence
NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 2013
St. Gertrude School
815 Ceremonial Dr.,
Mississauga, ON
L5R 3S2
Tel:
905 568 7660
Fax:
905 568 8194
Website:
http://www.dpcdsb.orgGERTR
Principal
T. De Vellis Carino
Vice-Principal
M. Diab
Secretaries
D. Bachle
M. Cherubino
Superintendent
Mississauga
Brampton Central
L. Papaloni
Trustee
T. Thomas
Parish
St. Francis Xavier
905 890 5290
Pastor
Msgr. Edgardo Pan
Council Co-Chairs
R. Ballantyne
S. Joseph
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 believe that in a faith community we are nothing without relationships.
An empathetic person….
Listens attentively
Watches people’s body language
Notices and responds when someone is upset
Can name her/his feelings
Can see a situation from another person’s point of view
Knows that different people may feel differently about the same thing
Principal’s Message
September is always a very busy month in our school. We currently have 620
students. Our French Immersion program now has two classes each for grades
1 –5. This year we welcome our new Full Day Kindergarten program with 84
students in 3 classrooms. Each classroom has two full time enthusiastic and
committed educators. We look forward to supporting the many inquiries in
the FDK classrooms!
Our Open House & BBQ was well attended! It was a beautiful evening
and we were pleased to welcome many new and returning families. A special
thank you goes out to the parent volunteers who organized and managed the
BBQ. Thank you also to the many parents who were able to attend to meet the
staff, and learn about the programs.
On October 1st, during our opening mass, we welcomed Father Joshua,
new to the Parish team of Saint Francis Xavier Church. Fr. Joshua will be
visiting students in classrooms throughout the year. Thank you to the many
parents who attended Mass with us. We will continue with our monthly
Virtue assemblies and Masses are scheduled to celebrate various occasions on
our liturgical calendar.
We are looking forward to a very exciting year working with
all our partners in education. This year, we are continuing with the many
great initiatives that were in place last year such as the ECO and Healthy
Schools Program. We are also excited that many staff members have come
forward to initiate some new programs that will enhance student
engagement and positively impact students’ feelings of inclusion and well
being.
T. De Vellis Carino
Principal
M. Diab
Vice Principal
Page 2
Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence
SCHOOL MASS/LITURGIES
Our opening School Mass was celebrated on October 1.
Our next mass will be celebrated on Friday,
November 18, the feast day for St. Gertrude. It will
take place in our gym at 12:45 p.m. Please join us for our
masses. We are blessed to witness the parish, school
and families celebrating together. On October 4, we
introduced the Virtue of Empathy.
Please join us for our next virtue assembly on
November 1st at 9 a.m.
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION
Parents and students in grade 2 who will be receiving the
Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion this
year were invited to attend a meeting at the Church on
Thursday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m. The inscription
mass is scheduled for Sunday, October 20 at 10:30 a.m.
Parents and students in grade 8 who will be receiving the
Sacrament of Confirmation this year are invited to attend
a meeting with the parish team and Bishop Boisseneau at
the church on Tuesday, January 7th at 7:00 p.m. The
inscription mass is scheduled for Sunday, October 27th
@ 10:30 am.
FOOD DRIVE
Each year, the students of
St. Gertrude are involved in a
community wide food drive. Food is
needed by the local food bank to
assist many families who are in need.
It is part of our Christian response to
follow the example of Jesus by
helping those in need among us. The virtue and practice
of charity is one we all need to develop in our lives.
Therefore, before Thanksgiving, each student was asked
to bring in items of non-perishable foods, which were
sorted and passed along to the food bank. Thank you for
supporting this activity by sending along the many
needed items. Your assistance was greatly appreciated
by the Knight’s Table.
ATTENDANCE LINE
If your child is absent, please call the
attendance line 905 568 7660 ext. 1. It is
very important that you notify the school if
your child is going to be absent. The office
is very busy and it saves our secretaries
time in calling home if you have called in. Thank you for
your attention to this matter.
NEW
For regular school updates,
please visit our new school
website
http://www.dpcdsb.org/GERTR
SCHOOL COUNCIL
We are looking forward to an exciting year. Our School
Council elections for the 2013-2014 school year were
held on October 1st, 2013 in the library.
School Council Executive members:
Co-Chairs:
R. Ballantyne & S. Joseph
Secretary:
L. Harrispersad
Treasurer:
C. Blanco
Other Members:
OAPCE Rep:
Parish Rep:
Teaching Rep:
Non Teaching Rep:
C. Neuhold & A. Dangley
S. Borges
N. Benevides & N. Gentili
J. Thomas
O. Bonello, T. Da Ponte, O. Sousa and C. Whitehead
Our Catholic School Council is committed to supporting
the students in a variety of initiatives in the school. The
Council provides opportunities for parents to be
engaged and learn how to more effectively support
their children’s learning. Council also supports student
engagement by purchasing items such as student
agendas for grades 1-8 and keepsakes in their
Sacramental years and sponsoring many experiential
activities such as artists in the school or ballroom
dancing. We are very grateful to have an active
School Council which has the children’s and school’s
best interest at heart. Please join us at our next School
Council meeting on Tuesday, November 5, 2013, in the
library at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome!
SCHOOL DRIVEWAY - KISS ‘N RIDE
Please use the south entrance of the
school driveway to drop off your
child during morning Kiss and Ride.
For your child’s safety, please use
the curb or passenger side for drop
off. The parking lot is
reserved for staff only. If you need to park, we ask you
to please park on the streets that are designated for
parking and not in front of the school or driveway.
Tip: Parking a few blocks away will ensure you a
parking spot and increase daily physical activity for
you and your child. This also supports our
Healthy Schools and Walk to School initiatives.
FRENCH IMMERSION INFORMATION MEETING
A letter went home Tuesday, October 8th to Senior
Kindergarten parents, outlining the French Immersion
Program. For more information, please attend the
information meeting at St. Pio of Pietrelcina on
Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. Please visit
our website to view the letter which was distributed.
Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence
Page 3
SCHOOL AGENDAS
TERRY FOX WALK
Students in Grade One to Eight have received their
School Agenda. As you can see they are an excellent
organizational tool and an excellent means of
communication between teachers, students and
parents. Please check your child’s agenda to ensure
that it is being used properly. A special thank you to our
School Council for purchasing the agendas for our
children. The new homework policy can be reviewed in
the agendas.
Our annual Terry Fox Walk was held on
September 27, 2013. Schools across
Canada participated in this very worthwhile
cause in different ways. We started with our
kick-off assembly. It is always amazing to
see our entire school participate in this walk.
The weather was absolutely perfect. Again
our St. Gertrude Community displayed their
generosity through our “Toonie for Terry” drive. We hope
to continue Terry’s dream through his “Marathon of
Hope”. A special thank you is extended to the many
parents who joined us for the walk. Our total pledge will
be approximately $1200.00.
HALLOWE’EN & Spook-a-thon!
Halloween and our first Boogie-a-thon fundraiser will
be held at St. Gertrude on Thursday, October 31st.
In keeping with the Hallowe’en and spook-a-thon
theme, students, staff and parents who participate in
the fundraiser by dancing and collecting donations, are
encouraged to wear costumes that demonstrate
creativity , ingenuity and good taste!
No weapons or gore please!! Masks should also be
avoided as they can impair vision.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
Our teacher-librarian, F. Marchand, would like to thank
all the parents and students who supported our school
book fair. Reading at home is crucial in improving your
child’s reading. The money raised will be used to
purchase more books and materials for the library.
INDOOR/OUTDOOR SHOES
As we move into the Fall Season and a change in
weather we would ask that students bring a pair of
indoor shoes that can be worn inside of the school and
left in their classrooms.
MEDICAL ALERT – ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK -
Peanut Allergies
This year, as in the past, we will continue to
have some students with severe life
threatening food allergy to NUTS (PEANUT)
ALLERGIES. This is a medical condition
that causes a severe reaction to certain
allergens and can result in death within minutes.
Although this may or may not affect your child’s class
directly, please send foods with your child to school
that are free from peanuts or nut products.
To celebrate special events such as birthdays, we
ask that you do not send food products. Special
pencils, stickers or erasers, are some safe, non-edible
alternatives. Please feel free to contact your child’s
teacher if you have any concerns or questions. We
thank you for your co-operation and attention to this
health watch as we continue to strive to keep all our
students safe!
PEDICULOSIS
A problem, which seems to occur in most schools, is
pediculosis or head lice. Head lice are parasites and
they are not connected in any way with hygiene. If a
case is found, we shall inform all parents of all children in
that class. We ask that you periodically check your own
children. If you find that your child has pediculous,
please ensure that they get the proper treatment. Even
if cases are not reported from the school, it is a wise
precaution to check your children periodically. If your
children are infested, we will be asking you to keep them
out of school until after they have been treated with the
correct shampoo and their heads are entirely clear of
both lice and nits (eggs).
EARLY ARRIVALS
Our supervision begins at 8:05 a.m. Students must not
arrive at school before this time as they will not be
supervised. Please make arrangements to ensure your
child does not arrive at school before 8:05 a.m.
LATE ARRIVALS
There have been a number of children coming into
school after the bell has rung. School begins promptly at
8:20 a.m. Parents are encouraged to have their
children at school five minutes before the bell. Children
who are late must report to the office and pick up a late
slip. It is uncomfortable for your child to come into class
late, miss valuable learning time and disrupt the learning
of others. Your co-operation in helping your child
develop the life long skill of punctuality is appreciated.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Each and every school within the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board is required to have a fire
emergency and evacuation plan. We
are required under Board Policy to have three practice
fire drills in the first term. The classroom teachers have
and will continue to review these procedures with their
students. The fire department is also asking that families
review the plan that you would have within your own
home if a fire should occur.
Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence
Page 4
LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES
SECURITY AT ST. GERTRUDE
We are also required to review and practice a lockdown
procedure. This procedure is to prepare students in
case of an intruder in the school or immediate area.
Teachers will be assuring their children that this is strictly
a practice and hopefully it will never have to be
implemented. Please be assured that we always have
the safety of your children as our first concern.
As you may be aware, all doors to the school are locked
throughout the day. A reminder that all visitors must
come to the office, sign in and pick up an identification
badge.
SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS-RETAKES
Students who were absent on Picture Day or require a
retake will have an opportunity to have their picture
taken on Tuesday, November 5.
ELEMENTARY REPORTING PROCESS
Information from the Board was recently sent home
explaining the reporting process as outlined in the
Ministry’s “Growing Success” document. Please ensure
you read this important information. There will be a
progress report going home on November 5th and the
teachers may request interviews for some students at
this time.
The Elementary Provincial reports will go home on
February 5 and June 26.
SPORTS & ACTIVE NEWS
SOCCER
Coaches A. Lonardi and M. Lackey congratulate our Int.
Boys and Int. Girls teams! They both represented our
school with pride and advanced to the finals at the
Mississauga Brampton Central Soccer tournament last
month.
CROSS-COUNTRY
We have a large number of students
from both the Junior and Intermediate
grades training at lunch hour and after
school. The Family meet is scheduled this year on
October 29. Rain date is October 30. A special thank
you to our coaches:
P. DeLuca, N. Gentili and D. Marques.
Honorary mention goes out to B. Shelsen who joins
the team on their runs!
VOLLEYBALL
Special thanks to the many coaches helping to prepare
the Jr. and Int. teams for the upcoming intermediate
volleyball season. Thank you goes out to A. Migdal,
R. McIntosh, N. Benevides, V. Guerreiro, K. Curran and
B. Todoschuk.
Follow us on Twitter @DPCDSBSchools
Starting at 8:05 a.m., staff wearing orange vests are on
duty to supervise students until the bell rings. For
student safety, parents and other adults dropping
students off, are asked to exit the school yard. When the
bell rings, the classroom teachers will come to the doors
to collect students.
At dismissal time, parents are asked to wait outside the
school at your child’s exit door or another area away
from the front doors. The front door exits are reserved
for bus students only.
Early Dismissal
If your child needs to leave the school at a
time other than regular dismissal, we ask that
you advise the teacher via a note. If you
intend to send someone else to pick up your child,
please write a note to your child’s teacher specifying who
is picking up your child. Parents or designates must
come to the office to sign out the student.
EQAO
We are very proud of our EQAO results for 2012-2013.
Our focus will continue to be numeracy this year.
School Board Province
Grade 3
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
Grade 6
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
81
83
79
71
80
68
68
77
67
90
94
82
79
80
59
77
59
57
LAY SPIRITUAL FORMATION PROGRAM
St. Augustine’s is pleased to present the calendar for
2013—2014.
Details of these events and registration information will
be posted on their website at www.staugustines.on.ca.
Workshops and Retreats are held at St. Augustine’s
main campus in Scarborough. The next meeting is
October 5, 2013 - Topic: The Book of Revelation
Please see website for future dates and topics
BUS DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
COURTESY SEAT STATUS
Continue to visit the following website to check your
child’s courtesy seat status.
http://businfo.stopr.ca