ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI SCHOOL
March 2016
Edition
2480 Thornlodge Drive
Mississauga, ON L5K 1K5
Phone: 905-822-3183
Fax: 905-822-7540
Web: http://www.dpcdsb.org/ASSIS
ADMINISTRATOR MESSAGE
Principal
S. Donaghue
Vice- Principal
L. Ragozzino
Head Secretary
M. Franke
Assistant Secretary
D. McBeth
Superintendent
Mr. D. Amaral
905 890-1221
Trustee
Ms. S. Hobin
Bus.:(905)890-1221
Cell: (905)301-1210
Email:
sharon.hobin@dpcdsb.org
Parish
St. Francis of Assisi Church
2473 Thornlodge Dr.
Mississauga, ON L5K 1K5
905-822-8132
Pastor
Our school continues to be an exciting place to
be! Many of our grade 1 & 2 students are
playing intramural sports twice a week. Our
chess, Silver Birch and Red Maple clubs are
also up and running. Our Grade 7 students
have been going skiing at Hockley Valley, our
Junior Basketball teams both advanced to the
Family of Schools Tournaments, and our
Varsity Hockey teams continue to play and
represent our school well.
The Junior and Intermediate students
participated in our Public Speaking
Competition on Feb. 11th. Congratulations to
our Junior Division winner, Franchi T., and our
Intermediate Division winner, Kristen B. Both
students represented our school at the
Mississauga
South
Public
Speaking
Competitions on Feb. 18th and did an amazing
job! Congratulations to Franchi for finishing
third at the Family competition.
In March we look forward to some warmer
weather and our Spring Break. Best wishes to
all families for a relaxing March Break.
Sincerely,
Mrs. S. Donaghue and Ms. L. Ragozzino
LENTEN REFLECTION
A Different Kind of Fasting
Fast from negative thoughts about self or
others . . .
Feast on Christ dwelling in each of us
Fast from seeing differences . . .
Feast on the Spirit in all life
Fast from discontent . . .
Feast on gratitude
Fast from useless fears . . .
Trust in God’s providence
Fast from anger . . .
Feast on patience
Fast from bitterness . . .
Feast on forgiveness
Fast from discouragement . . .
Feast on hope
Fast from complaining . . .
Feast on appreciation
Fast from hostility . . .
Feast on non-violence
Fast on the need to always be right . . .
Feast on compassion for others
Father Bernard Vellozo
School Council Chairs
VIRTUE OF THE MONTH – KINDNESS
S. Perrotta
O. Steele
St. Francis of
Assisi is now on Twitter!
For the latest school
information, follow us
@DPAssisi
This month we will celebrate the virtue of kindness. God has given us the gifts of friends and
companions to keep us company and to help us out along the way. Every person in our lives
carries the Spirit of God; so every person is our brother or sister through Jesus Christ.
Kindness can only be seen through actions. It’s not enough to say, “I will be kind or I am kind”. We
must show that we are kind by our words and our actions.
Through prayer and concentration, we can get better at showing kindness to everyone we meet.
A kind person says nice things about others so they feel good about themselves, sticks up for
people who are picked on or need help, refuses to join others who are insulting, intimidating, mean
or hurtful and watches and looks for ways to help those in need.
THE OFFICEFROM THE OFFICE
VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL
ALL visitors to the school must report to the main office. Our first
priority for all students is their safety. Board and Provincial
guidelines clearly outline the procedures that all visitors must
follow upon their arrival on school property, which begins with
reporting to the Main Office. You will be issued a Visitor Sticker,
which must be worn visibly during your stay. Please remember to
always sign in and sign out. Thank you for following this mandatory
safety protocol.
ARE YOU MOVING?
If you know your family is moving out of our St. Francis of Assisi
boundary, we would like to know. Each year, a number of families
move out of the area and it assists us in our planning purposes to
know whether students will be attending our school next year.
Please inform the office at your earliest convenience.
UPDATE YOUR RECORDS
Parents, if your home phone number, cell number or work number
and email address has changed please notify the school office. It
is necessary to have current information in order for us to keep in
contact with you.
MEDICATION
A reminder that students are not allowed to bring medication to
school. This includes prescription and non-prescription medication.
As per Board protocol, all medication must be stored in the office,
accompanied by appropriate paperwork and doctor signature.
Please note that this includes Advil, cough medication, puffers, etc.
We thank you for your co-operation in this matter. As always, we
care about the safety of all our students.
LATE ARRIVALS TO SCHOOL
LIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES
We would appreciate the cooperation of the entire school
community by NOT sending any lunches or snacks that contain
peanuts/nut products. We want St. Francis to be a safe
environment for all students. Thank you for your assistance with
this initiative. When celebrating a special occasion, we continue
to encourage that only non-edible treats be sent to school if they
are to be shared with other students.
BIRTHDAYS, SPECIAL OCCASIONS & HOLIDAYS
Birthdays, special occasions and holidays are often
acknowledged within our classroom communities. With the ever
growing number of food allergies amongst our school population,
we ask that if parents wish to celebrate their child’s birthday
at school that you bring in non-food items.
GOLDEN BOOT AWARD
Our hardworking custodian, Mr. Parkinson, has taken note of the
shoes and boots lined up outside the doors during the month of
February and picked the following winning classes for the
“Golden Boot Award”: Mrs. Harty, Mrs. Vasquez, Mrs. Gatto and
Mrs. Savoia. Students were given prizes and the “Golden Boot”
trophy for their winning week. By lining up the boots neatly,
students are practicing being good community members and
contributing to keeping their environment clean. Keep up the
great work everyone! We look forward to seeing who next
month’s winners will be.
THE LUNCH LADY
Cold and Flu season is upon us. Students who ordered Lunch
Lady may be absent from school. We offer parents a same day
cancellation option. Parents can contact the Lunch Lady kitchen
up to 8:00 a.m. same day to cancel their child’s lunch and
receive a credit to their account for the missed lunch.
DOGS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY
It is vitally important for all students to arrive at school on
time so that disruptions are kept to a minimum.
All students who arrive at school after 8:30am must report to the
office and will be marked late.
The excitement of the children or the bells ringing can frighten
the dogs. We ask that you please pay attention to the signs
posted on school property.
COLD WEATHER
Children will be kept in at recess if the wind chill equivalent
temperature is minus 25 degrees Celsius or lower. This is in
accordance with the policy of the Dufferin Peel Catholic
District School Board. We will, of course, monitor the
weather situation on a daily basis. The safety of our
students is always of utmost concern.
CLOSING DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER
During the winter months, inclement weather may cause
disruption of bus transportation and regular school
operations. A decision to cancel school transportation and/or
to close schools is usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be
announced on the following radio, TV stations and at
http://www.dpcdsb.org.
INDOOR RECESS REQUESTS
Virgin Radio 99.9
CFRB AM 1010
CJCL AM 590
CJBC 860 AM
FM93.1
FM Q107
In the colder weather we often receive requests to allow
children to remain indoors when they have a cold, flu, etc.
Please note that we cannot comply with these requests, as
we have neither the facilities nor the staff to supervise these
students. If you feel your child is not well enough to go
outside, it would be best to keep your child at home.
EZ Rock FM 97.3
CFTR AM 680
CHFI 98.1
FM Z103.5
CITYPULSE
AM 640
CHUM AM 1050
CFNY FM 102.1
CFRB 1010
AM 1540
CFTO
GLOBAL NEWS
Health officials indicate that fresh air is helpful, as
long as students are dressed appropriately.
The annual springtime break will be from Monday, March 14th
to Friday, March 18th. School will resume on Monday, March
21st, 2016. We hope that everyone enjoys a safe and restful
break.
DRY FEET, DRY CLOTHING
Colder weather is still upon us! Please ensure that your
child comes to school prepared to participate in all activities,
including outdoor recess. All children should have hats,
scarves, gloves, warm coats and boots. As the rainy season
gives way to slush and snow, all students are reminded to
bring an extra pair of shoes to wear indoors during the winter
months. Fire regulations dictate that all students must have
footwear on at all times.
We would also like to advise parents of children in the
primary grades to send an extra set of clothes (track pants,
sweatshirts, socks, underwear) to school in the winter/early
spring. These clothes will be kept at the school to be used
when the child is wet from playing in the snow.
GOODBYE AND HELLO . . .
We wish Mrs. Petrilli all our best wishes as she begins her
maternity leave. Her hard work and dedication will definitely
be missed by the community. Welcome to Ms. Alves who
will be with us for the remainder of the school year.
EQAO
The EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability
Office) testing of our Grade 3 and 6 students will take place
from May 25th through to June 8th, 2016. Please avoid
scheduling any doctor‘s appointments or anything else that
will take your child out of school during the testing dates. A
letter to grade 3 and 6 parents with further information will be
sent home closer to the testing dates.
THE ONLINE REPORTING TOOL
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School board has developed a
new way to help nurture a safe, caring and inclusive school
environment. The Online Reporting Tool is intended for students
in grades 3 – 8 who become aware of bullying incidents and
negative behaviours. The student can simply ‘click’ on the link
found on our school’s website to fill out the report. The report will
then be directly emailed to the principal and/or vice principal and
will be dealt with accordingly.
It is important to recognize that the Online Reporting Tool is an
alternate reporting option. It is best practice to speak directly
with a responsible adult at home and/or in the school.
SPORTS DESK
JUNIOR BASKETBALL
JUNIOR VARSITY HOCKEY TEAM
On February 24th and 25th, SFA's junior
hockey team participated in the All
Saints Invitational Tournament. After winning
their first 4 games of the tournament, the team lost 3-1 to St. Peter's
Hockey Academy in the semi finals. Mr. Mullen, Mr. Nebel and Mr.
Murphy are looking forward to leading the team in their next
tournament. Go Flames Go...
INTERMEDIATE VARSITY HOCKEY TEAM
With top teams represented from Dufferin Peel, Peel, Halton Catholic,
and Toronto Catholic, SFA's intermediate hockey team started out
February by winning the 32 team All Saints Invitational
Tournament. Congratulations to all the players who played disciplined
hockey throughout the tournament. On March 9th and 10th, Mr.
Naughton, Mr. Mullen, and Mr. Jardine lead the team in their defense
of the BEACON Cup in Orangeville. Let's Go Flames!!!!
INTRAMURALS
Over 65 enthusiastic Grade 1 and Grade 2 students are
participating in intramurals on Tuesdays and Thursdays over
the lunch hour. They just completed playing basketball, and
will be moving on to soccer in March.
A special thank you to all Grade 8 students who coach and ref
the games.
FREE-THROW COMPETITION
After finishing as the top basketball free thrower for their
grade and gender at St. Francis of Assisi, 9 students
qualified for the right to move on to the Knights of Columbus
Council Level held at St. Monica in Brampton on Friday,
February 19th. With tremendous competition amongst the
schools competing at the free throw competition, St. Francis
of Assisi was able to win 3 of the 9 categories entered.
Congratulations to Denzel J. for winning the grade 4 boy's
division, Aras K. for winning the grade 5 boy's division, and
to Tia who won the girl's grade 7 division. Good luck to
these three students as they compete in the Knights of
Columbus District Finals in March!
The junior girls basketball team had an excellent season. They
were undefeated during the regular season and advanced to the
Family Tournament. The girls made it to the semi-finals in the
Family Tournament. The girls showed great sportsmanship and
excellent team spirit. Great job girls!
Team members: Julianna M., Lauren P., Tia R., Kyla A., Giada
G., Livia M., Areana O., Danielle P., Ashanti T.
Coaches: Mr. Nasato and Ms. Azucena
The junior boys basketball team had a great season this year.
The boys came up against some tough competition, but were
successful in advancing to the Family Tournament with a 3-0
record. The boys played hard-fought games, but lost at the
Family Board Tournament. Great season, boys!
Team members: Denzel, Aras, T.J , Jake, David, Brennan,
Matteo, Luca, Daniel, Adam, William
Coaches: Mr. DaSilva and Mr. Mullen
CLUBS AND STUFF
CHESS CLUB
The Chess Club continues to draw more and more students each
and every week. In February, the Primary, Junior, and
Intermediate divisions began preparing for the upcoming
Mississauga South Chess Tournament on
March 30th. Chess Club members are
encouraged to challenge family members
at home to broaden their skill development
and enjoyment of the game.
COMMUNITY CORNER
Our next School Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday
May 3rd at 6:30p.m. in the school library. All parents are
welcome and encouraged to attend.
March 2016
Sun.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Sat.
1
2
3
4
5
Skating (Junior Division)
Youth Education Officer
@ SFA
Catholic School Council
Meeting @ 6:30pm
6
7
8
20
27
9
Beacon Cup Intermediate
Hockey Tournament

13
Grade 8 Grad Photos
Mississauga South Youth
Faith Rally








Virtue of Respect
Assembly @
10:55am
16
17
18
MARCH BREAK
MARCH BREAK
MARCH BREAK
MARCH BREAK
MARCH BREAK
21
22
23
24
25
School-wide Lenten
Retreat Day
“The Big Gulp”
(water awareness day)
Virtue of Kindness
Assembly @ 10:50
Holy Thursday
Good Friday
(no school)
29
30
Mississauga South
Chess Tournament @
St. Luke
UPCOMING DATES

Beacon Cup
Intermediate Hockey
Tournament
15
Easter Monday
(no school)

11
14
28




10
April 1-April 29
April 10
April 11
April 18-22
May 13
May 18-May 20
May 23
May 25-June 8
May 26
June 13
June 20
June 28
June 29
June 30
Battery Blitz (battery collection month)
First Communion @ 3:00pm
P.A. Day (no school for students)
Earth Week
P.A. Day (Provincial Priorities)
Grade 8’s at Camp Muskoka
Victoria Day (no school)
Grade 3 and Grade 6 EQAO Provincial Testing
Welcome to Kindergarten evening @ 6:00pm
P.A. Day (Report Card Writing)
Closing Mass @ 9:00am
Report Cards sent home
Grade 8 Graduation @ 10:00am
Last day of school
31
12
19
26