ST. JOHN BOSCO
SCHOOL
1025 North Park Drive
Brampton, Ontario
Phone ((905) 792-0890
Newsletter #1
A New Beginning
VIRTUE OF THE MONTH
Lord, help us
to make
Virtue of Faith
the best of a
new beginning.
Guide our children to make
To begin the new school year, we’ll
wise decisions and achieve to the
virtues – Faith.
focus our attention on the first of our
best of their abilities in all of
their endeavours.
Bless our teachers with the gifts
of wisdom
And patience that they may assist students in seeking
knowledge.
Grant parents generous hearts to
encourage and support
Faith is the great virtue of believing in
God and trusting that God is with us. A
faithful person believes that we are created, guided by and destined to be reunited with God.
FAX (905) 792-1299
SEPTEMBER 2015
Principal
C. Young
Secretary
M. Galloro
~
Superintendent
D. Oude-Reimerink
(905) 890-1221
Trustee
S. Xaviour
Parish Priest
Fr. Robert Mignella
(905) 792-7497
Visit our School Website:
www.dpcdsb.org/BOSCO
www.connect2ENDviolence.ca
A faithful person believes that God’s
plan for us includes the right to be
safe, especially at school.
their children.
Together, help us to create a
community of
A Faithful person…
Learners that teaches not only
skills for
Learns from Scripture stories
Success but all that we need to
live our faith
names
fully in the
world.
everyone
Prays regularly and reverently
Honours people’s God-given
Assumes that there is good in
Accepts the God-given worth of
themselves and others
Newsletter #1
Page 2
Principal’s Message
Safe Arrival Program
It is my pleasure on behalf of the entire
school staff to extend a warm welcome to everyone in the St. John Bosco School Community.
We hope you have had a restful and relaxing summer with your family and friends. A special welcome also to new families and staff who have
joined our family. As we look forward to another
great year of learning together as a vibrant Catholic community, please be assured that I will continue to focus on fostering a sense of community,
where together in partnership, we can provide academic excellence within a strong Catholic context.
For safety reasons, it is very
important to notify the school
if your child is going to be absent or
late. Please call our office (905) 7920890 if your child is going to be absent
or late before 9:00 a.m.. This communication is vital to ensure the safety of
your child. Thank you for your assistance in this student safety initiative.
Your involvement in your child’s learning is vital. Please do not hesitate to contact the school
whenever you have a question or require further
information. I look forward to seeing everyone at
our Open House and at school activities throughout the year, or during your informal visits to the
school.
Professional Development Day
As the new school year begins, I ask for your
support and co-operation as we work, learn and
grow together in providing rich learning opportunities within a Catholic education filled with meaningful and positive experiences for your children.
Welcome, to everyone!!
C. Young, Principal
SCHOOL OPERATIONS
8:45 a.m.
Yard Supervision Begins
9:00 a.m.
Morning Classes Begin
11:06-11:21
Recess Break
12:01 p.m.
Lunch Break Begins
12:01-12:41
Lunch Recess
12:41 p.m.
Lunch in classrooms
1:01 p.m.
Afternoon Classes Begin
2:26– 2:41
Recess Break
3:30 p.m.
Dismissal
September 18th, 2015
The next Professional Activity Day is
on Friday, September 18th, 2015. Students do not attend school on this day.
Teachers will be involved in Faith and
Curriculum Development, along with
reorganization, if required.
September 2015
Sun
6
13
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
7
Labour
Day
8
9
10
11
12
14
15
16
17
18
19
First
Day of
School
P.A. Day
No
School
20
21
22
23
Class Reorganization
Each year, schools are
staffed according to projected enrolment figures provided to us
from the Planning Department. Therefore, all classroom and teacher placements are tentative when classes start
up in September. Numbers are being
reviewed, and if necessary, reorganization of classes will occur by
September 18th. If any such reorganization takes place, and it involves your child, we will notify you of
the changes in a letter. We appreciate
your cooperation, patience and trust if
any changes occur that impact your
child.
24
25
Open
House
Terry Fox
Run
26
6:00-7:30
27
28
29
30
Terry Fox
Run
School
Council
Meeting
7:00PM
Upcoming Events
October 2
Opening School Mass (1:00)
October 12
Thanksgiving—No School
The Virtue for September is
FAITH
Newsletter #1
Homework Policy
and Procedures
The board-wide policy and procedures approach homework
from a Catholic perspective
that recognizes the importance
of family time and honours the
bonds between school, family and parish. As a community,
we recognize that the stronger these bonds, the more effectively our students are able to learn and to develop the
unique talents and gifts with which they are blessed.
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Page 12
Animals in the School
Environment
For families walking children
to school with pets, it is appreciated when dogs are collared, leashed and under
control. Because of some allergies to animals, we ask
that you please do not bring
your pets into the school
yard or onto school property. We appreciate your cooperation!
Please find the complete ELEMENTARY Summary in the
front of your child’s agenda.
Student Verification Forms
We appreciate your cooperation in keeping us upto-date regarding pertinent
information for your child
e.g. change in address, telephone numbers, etc. Accurate information is vital should we need to contact you in an emergency situation.
Please ensure that you complete and
return the Student Verification
Forms (even those whose information is correct). The forms will be
sent home shortly with your child.
Lunch Hour Arrangements
HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION
I
t is important that our children continue to be exposed to
our Catholic Community through experiences at the parish.
T
he 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]
T
hroughout the school year, students experience the mys-
tery 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.
PLASP operates Before and After
School Programs, in this school,
for children up to 12 years of age.
For more information, see the
PLASP staff at this school or call
the PLASP Head Office at:
905-890-1711 or visit
www.plasp.com
Each child had a letter sent home requesting a parental signature to confirm
your child’s lunch hour arrangements,
ie: “remaining at school” during the
lunch hour or “going home” for lunch.
Please review and return your child’s
letter to the school. We are asking you
to choose to either have your child stay
at school for lunch every day OR to
leave the school property/go home for
lunch every day. If your child normally
stays at school for lunch, they will require a note dated and signed by you,
their parents/guardians, in order to
leave the school property.
If you deliver lunch to
your child, please make
sure your child’s name
is clearly labeled on the
lunch and place it on
the table outside the office door.
Terry Fox Run Toonie
For Terry
September 30, 2015
We will be holding our annual St.
John Bosco Terry Fox Run on September 30th. More information about
this day will follow.
Emergency Evacuations
Teachers and students
regularly practice emergency evacuation procedures. These include:
safe exit from the building in the event of a fire
and safety actions in the event of an
intruder.
A REMINDER: Students must wear
shoes in the school building at all
times. If the fire alarm goes off, students will not be permitted to stop to
put on shoes, coats, hats etc. Their
safety is our first priority.
Picture Day
October 19, 2015
Monday, October 19th is Picture Day.
Bring your smiles to school on this
day!!
Page 4
Bus Safety
.
Newsletter #1
Newsletter #1
Please continue to remind
your children on a regular
basis of the safety
rules when riding school busses. The following
rules for students must be followed while riding
school busses. Students are required to:
 Listen to the driver at all times, especially
when a road must be crossed
 go directly to their seat and remain seated
until their stop—keep isles clear
 Talk quietly and behave properly so that
you do not distract the bus driver
 Do not eat or drink on the bus
 Not open or close windows, unless with
permission of the bus driver
 Keep arms and head inside the bus
 Not talk to the bus driver while the bus is in
operation unless it is necessary
 Not damage the bus (students will be held
responsible)
 Line up for the bus in a safe and orderly
manner—single line
 Respect private property while waiting for
the bus
 Do not stand on the road while waiting for
the bus
Snacks
All students have been
asked to not take anything
outside during recesses. This has reduced
the amount of garbage that accumulates in
the yard which attracts sea gulls and wasps.
In the case of the latter, this is extremely dangerous for our students with wasp allergies.
All teachers will give students time during
class to eat their snacks. There are some
great snacks, which are nut free and easy to
eat: fruits and veggies (pre-sliced for the
younger students), raisins, crackers and
cheese.
Walking Excursion Form
You will receive a “Walking Excursion Form”
to be signed. This form gives your permission
for the teacher to take the class for a walk in
the area surrounding our school. Please sign
this form as well when you sign the lunch permission form.
When Improper Conduct Is Reported—
Pink Slips from Bus Driver
On the FIRST occasion, the Principal will speak
to the student.
On the SECOND occasion, a note or phone
call will be made to the parents
On the THIRD occasion, the Principal may restrict / suspend bus privileges.
Crossing Guard Hours
The crossing Guard will be available on North
Park Drive in front of the school:
8:30—9:05 a.m.
3:30—4:00 p.m.
Please ensure you review traffic safety rules
with your children.
There is no crossing guard at lunch time.
Hepatitis B. & Meningitis Inoculations Gr
7 & HPV Vaccinations Gr 8 Girls
Peel Health will continue to offer free immunization
against Hepatitis B for students in Grade 7. It is given
as a series of two injections over a period of six
months. Grade 8 girls will receive free HPV Vaccinations. If you have any questions please call the Peel
Health Department at 905-799-7700.
Vaccinations have been scheduled for:
November 3rd 2015
Students in K-8 will be using school agendas to help develop their organizational skills. Please take some time to
look over your child’s agenda. It is used daily to help assist
your child with organization. It is also an effective vehicle
we use to keep parents informed on what is happening in
class and in the school.
Thank you to School Council for purchasing
agendas for our students.
Page 11
Head Injury Policy
When a student receives an injury/bump to the
head (however minor), it is a Board
Policy that we inform parents. A
phone call will be made or a message will be left at one of your contact numbers and a concussion
pamphlet will be send home with
your child.. This is precautionary
only and we ask that you check
your child when they get home for
any signs of a concussion or illness.
STUDENT USE OF SCHOOL
MATERIALS
The school will provide your child with
many of the regular school materials
such as pens, pencils, workbooks and
textbooks. It is important that children
learn to make proper use of these materials. Your child’s teacher will explain our
expectations in this matter.
Students are responsible for these
textbooks and will be asked to pay if
these books go missing or have been
vandalized. The cost of an average
textbook is about $50.00 each. Please
encourage your child to take care of
textbooks!
Newsletter #1
TRANSPORTATION: COURTESY
SEAT POLICY
Every year we get numerous calls from parents who do
not live within the transportation areas as established by
the Board requesting permission for their child(ren) to ride
the bus by accessing the Courtesy Seat Policy. We ask
that all Transportation related questions be directed to our
Transportation Dept. at 905-890-6000.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION
Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation
Consent Form (CASL)
This year we will once again be sending
school communications (e.g. newsletters, reminders,
etc.) electronically,
Courtesy seats will be assigned in October as available
through e-mail. If
with priority to younger students. Applications are availayou have already
ble on-line and due to the office by October 2nd.
signed the “AntiPLEASE NOTE: If new students register who are enti- Spam Legislation
tled to transportation, and the bus is loaded to capacity,
Consent Form” last
then students that have accessed the Courtesy Seat Poli- year you will contincy will be removed from the bus.
ue to receive electronic communications. There is no need to complete anWe thank you in advance for your patience.
other form. If you are new to the school
If you would like to request a courtesy seat on our school or have not yet signed a consent form
bus, the application forms will be available at our school
and wish to have electronic communicaoffice at the end of September. Courtesy seat applications, please complete the CASL form
tions will only be accepted at the end of September
which will be sent home the first day of
for processing.
school. Should you choose not to have
our communications sent electronically,
Busing Information
you will receive hard copies. Please enIt is recommended that you take a moment to review the
sure that your e-mail address is clearly
STOPR web site as it is available to you 24 hours per day
stated on the form and return the form to
7 days per week at: www.stopr.ca
the school as soon as possible.
The web site is your source of the most up to date information such as bus delays and cancellations as well as it
SCHOOL SAFETY
can provide you with important information such as “what
school should I attend?” and “am I eligible for transportation?” In addition you can also access important school
All parents/guardians/visitors must
bus safety information as well as “Transportation Procereport to the office when arriving at
dures”, “Forms”, Courtesy Seats” and “frequently asked
the school and are asked to not
questions concerning transportation”.
go to classrooms or enter the hallways without checking in at the ofParents can also excess their child’s bus route inforfice. Thank you for your continued
mation and details through the web site by clicking on the
co-operation in ensuring the safety
“Your Child’s Busing Information” tab located on the main
of all our students and staff.
page. You will need your child’s Ontario Educational
Number (OEN), home address, school and grade in order
to retrieve your child’s bus information from the web site.
Newsletter #1
Page 10
Student Arrival at School “On
time”
Parents are asked to ensure
their child will be at school before the beginning of classes in
the morning and in the afternoon. Students
arriving after the bell rings lose valuable
organizational time at the start of each session.
Lost and Found
In an effort to ensure that
misplaced or lost items are
returned to their rightful owners, we recommend that parents label clothing so that it
can be easily identifiable. We
will have periodic “walk bys” of the Lost and
Found throughout the year so that students
can have an opportunity to reclaim items.
Please feel free to check into the office and
visit our Lost and Found.
Opening Mass
We will be celebrating our
opening Mass on Friday,
October 2 at 1:00. All parents/guardians are welcome to attend.
ST. JOHN BOSCO WEBSITE
Please visit our school website
www.dpcdsb.org/BOSCO
for upcoming school events, school information,
school hours, newsletters, lunch programs and links
to other websites that our students and parents
may find helpful.
Page 5
Medication
Some of our students require medication
during the school day. All medication is to
be stored in the office except where directed
by a physician. Board Policy requires that
we have signed request/authorization forms
from the parent/guardian and the supervising physician in the office. If a child is required to bring medication to school, procedures relative to the administration of medication shall only be adopted:

when requested by a parent/guardian

when authorized by a physician and

when medication must be provided during school hours
If medication must be administered at
school, signed request/authorization forms
from the parents and supervising physician
must be obtained whenever a prescription is
initiated or changed. Please do not send
medication to school with your child without
the proper authorization.
These forms are available in the office.
The required forms and the medication shall
be delivered to the office and will be housed
in a safe location in the school office. Medication must not be kept in the child’s possession (i.e., pocket, back pack, etc.) or in
the classroom with the exception of epi-pens
and inhalers.
When medication is approved for storage, it
must be labeled with the student name,
name of medication, prescription information
and dosage. The medication is to be
brought to the school in the bottle that was
provided by the pharmacist. Medication that
is sent to school without the proper documentation will not be stored or dispensed by
school personnel. This also applies to overthe counter medications such as, Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen, cough medicine, Benadryl, allergy medications.
Newsletter #1
Page 6
Accident Insurance
As required by the Education Act
and the Ministry of Education, the
Dufferin-Peel C.D.S.B. annually
provides parents with information
about cost-effective student accident insurance coverage. Although enrolment is voluntary, the
board encourages parents to take
advantage of the inexpensive insurance coverage, especially if your
children participate in sports, field
trips/excursions, or, if parents do
not have dental insurance coverage. Enrolment is required in writing through two options:
1) Complete the traditional form
and mail it in or
2) Photocopy the form and fax it to
Reliable Life at 1-905-522-7211
or 1-800-463-KIDS. Parents
alone have the right to insure
their children. If you wish to purchase insurance for your child,
please complete the application,
place it and the required premium in the return envelope, and
mail it directly to the insurance
company, not to the school.
Elements of Risk Forms
Please sign and return these forms
to the school by September 11,
2015. These forms must be signed
and returned for your child to participate in the Physical Education Program or any intramural programs
within the school.
Newsletter #1
Page 9
St. John Bosco Catholic
School Council
The membership will include:
6 parents of students enrolled in 2015-2016
St. John Bosco Catholic School Council shall include, but
not be limited to:

1 community representative from St. Marguerite
d’Youville Parish

1 school Principal

1 teacher assigned to the school

1 non-teaching staff member assigned to the school

1 person appointed by the Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education (OAPCE);
Provided that all members shall be separate school electors, or their spouses or their children.
There are two primary functions of the Catholic School
Council:
A) to promote the vision, values, sacramental life and
Catholic practices of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board and the Catholic community it serves;
B) To advise the Principal and Board
Election procedures for the 2015-2016 St. John Bosco
Catholic School Council will be as follows:
Self-nomination forms for parent/guardian positions will be
available in the main office from Monday, September 14,
2015 to Monday, September 28, 2015 between the hours of
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Completed self-nomination forms must be received in the
main office by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, September 28, 2015.
Should more than 10 parents/guardians be nominated, the
election for parent/guardian representatives to the St. John
Bosco School Council will take place at St. John Bosco, on
Wednesday, September 30th, 2015 at 7:00PM at our
School Council meeting. Eligible voters must vote in person, Proxy voting is not permitted. All candidates will be
requested to submit a biography which will be posted on
the School Council Bulletin Board at the front of the school
for parents to review.
Looking forward to seeing you at our first
School council meeting on:
WEDNESDAY, September 30, 2015
7:00PM
IF YOUR CHILD HAS A LIFE THREATENING ALLERGY, PLEASE
CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY. WE NEED TO KNOW!
Anaphylaxis
We have a number of students in our school who suffer from Anaphylaxis—severe and lifethreatening allergic reactions to certain foods, such as peanut and nut products, shell fish, fish,
soy, tree nuts, and egg. Exposure to the smallest quantities can cause a severe life threatening
allergic reaction. Exposure to the smallest quantities can cause a severe life threatening allergic
reaction. The most common allergen triggers are food, insect stings, medications and latex. As in
the past, we are asking you to not put anyone at risk. Safety of all our students is paramount.
We, at St. John Bosco, would appreciate and request your co-operation and that of the entire
school community by NOT sending any lunches or snacks that contain the foods listed above,
which could potentially harm a pupil. Please ensure that all of your children’s caregivers are aware
of the food restrictions .
Also, please do not send any food products to mark a child’s birthday. No outside food will be distributed to the class. Student birthdays can be acknowledged by sending no -food items such
as a pencil or pen to celebrate a child’s birthday with his/her peers. Thank you for your cooperation in this very important matter. Our school Anaphylaxis Plan will be posted on our website
in the near future.
We look forward to and thank you for your continued cooperation in making this a safe year for all
of our students.
Newsletter #1
Kiss n’ Ride / Safety In Our Parking Lot
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Page 8
Personal Electronic Devices
(Cell Phones/MP3 Players, IThe Kiss n’ Ride drop-off/pick-up is
Pods, DS, etc)
located in front of the school.
To begin the school year, the
To ensure the safety of our students we require all parBoard policy that Electronic Devicents using the Kiss & Ride to follow the procedures outes must be kept out of sight, turned
lined:
off and not used on school premis Use the Kiss n’ Ride lane at all times to drop off or pick es will be in effect. The Board will
up your child;
be phasing in a “bring your own
 Do not use the drive through lane for dropping off or
device” to school in the near future.
picking up children;
As this new policy is implemented
 Move up the kiss n’ Ride lane as far as possible to
into the school, further information
maximize the number of cars able to come into the
will be sent home outlining the new
lane;
guidelines.
Staying in During Recess
Safety and Security in the School
Recess breaks serve a special purpose
in the daily life of a school. If your child
is sick, he or she should be at home recuperating and not spreading their flu,
cold, etc. There is no indoor supervision
at recess for students as staff members
are occupied elsewhere or on duty outside.
The safety and security of all children in our care is
one of our prime concerns. In order to ensure safety and security, we are asking all visitors to the
school, including parents, to come to the office
through the front door. You will have to ring the
school security bell to be let into the school. No
parents should be accessing the school through
any other doors. This will allow us to welcome you
and to ask you to sign in at the office and to wear a
tag as a visitor or volunteer while in the building. In
addition to ensuring the security of the children in
the school, this will allow the staff to get to know
parents more quickly. We ask for your cooperation
in helping to make this system work .

Do not get out of your car and do not back up
Open House/

The area in front of the main doors after school is reserved for our special needs vans/busses who pick-up
our Special Needs students. We thank you for cooperating if asked to move your car;
Curriculum Night

Students must exit their car using passenger side
doors only;
CRIMINAL REFERENCE
CHECKS FOR ALL
VOLUNTEERS NOW REQUIRED!
To allow our school buses to get to their loading zone,
All volunteers MUST have a Criminal
please do not block the entrance to the staff parking
Reference Check (CRC ) and a Vulneralot of the crosswalk;
ble Sector Screening Check on file in
 Please follow the instructions given by the person who
order to assist in the supervision of trips
is wearing the orange vest in the driveway area.
and extra-curricular activities in all DufPlease be respectful to all staff as they are situated in ferin-Peel Catholic Schools. If you have
this area to assist children and families in order to
already submitted an updated CRC
keep everyone safe.
last year, you will only be required to
 The area in front of the school is a designated fire
complete a “Defense Declaration”
route. You can be ticketed by the City of Brampton
form that will be available at the ofParking control if you are parked in this area. Parking fice. If you are planning on volunteercontrol has the authority to enter school property at
ing in any way at the school, it is recomany time. The school does not have the authority to
mended that you begin the process of
intervene on your behalf should you receive a ticket.
obtaining a criminal reference check or
The school does not reimburse families for tickets.
completing your Criminal Declaration
Form and submit to the school. Please
call the school office should you require
PLEASE NOTE: Cars must not be left unattended in the
further information.
Kiss n’ Ride Area. The purpose of the Kiss n’ Ride
Thank you.
lane is to maintain a continuous flow of traffic whereby
children can be dropped off safely.

Page 7
We will be holding an
Open House on Thursday, September 24th at
6:00 –7:30 p.m. to give
you an opportunity to
meet your child’s teacher and visit our
school. All parents/guardians are encouraged to attend this event. We look forward to seeing you.
Use of School Phone
As you can imagine,
the school is a very
busy place. We
would request that parents make
any arrangements with your children prior to coming to school. We
will also be discouraging the use of
the phone for forgotten items.
To further ensure the safety of all students and to
minimize the traffic in school hallways at arrival and
dismissal times, we ask that parents meet their children outside of the school and away from the immediate exit doors. We ask all parents to please
remain off the school yard and behind the fence
while dropping off or picking up your child.
Staff will be on duty 15 minutes before the start of
the school day, throughout the entire noon hour,
and at dismissal. Any student leaving the school
during the day due to appointments, etc., must be
signed out at the office. Please ensure that you
send a note in this regard to your child’s teacher.
Students Leaving Early/Students Being Picked Up Early from School
If a student is to be released from school early for
an appointment, a note must be sent to the child’s
teacher with a parent/guardian signature. The note
should clearly state who will be picking up the child,
if it is someone other than the parent/guardian. Upon arrival to the school, parents/guardians are required to report to the office. Office staff will call for
your child to come to the office. Parents/guardians
are asked to stay in the office until their child(ren)
arrives form the classroom. Please avoid phone
calls during the school day to release your child. If
you are picking up your child at regular dismissal
time, please wait outside at the appropriate exit area, to avoid disruption of classroom routines.