APR
Principal’s Message
2016
98 Wanita Road
Mississauga ON,
L5G 1B8
Phone 905.891.7619
Fax 905.278.6539
Trustees
Mario Pascucci,
Bruno Iannicca,
Sharon Hobin,
Esther O'Toole,
Luz del Rosario,
Anna Abbruscato,
Anna Da Silva,
Thomas Thomas,
Darryl D’Souza,
Frank Di Cosola,
Shawn Xaviour
Superintendent
T. Lariviere
Principal
Brian Diogo
God and Father of all, in your infinite love
You created us to reveal your glory.
Each time we have sinned and turned
away from you, you have called us back
to the tender embrace of your love.
In the fullness of time, you sent Jesus to
be our Redeemer, and through his death
and resurrection you have reconciled us to
yourself.
During this Easter Season, give us courage to stand against evil and to choose
always the path of life. Teach us to
forgive one another. Inspire us to reach
out with compassion to our brothers and
sisters in need.
Renew within us a deeper commitment to
the works of justice and peace.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord.
Secretary
School Council
Co-Chairs
D. Rookwood
J. Richards
The weather indicates that we are in the spring
season as the days are getting longer and the
school year continues to draw shorter. With
just a few months remaining in school we have
much to look forward to. This includes our
chess tournaments, battle of the books competition, field trips, track and field, musical production and the list continues. Thank you so much
for the tireless efforts of all the staff and parents.
We are keeping quite busy here at St. James as
the year continues to pass, let us take time to
breathe and enjoy all the wonders this spring
season has to offer!
May God Bless You,
Amen
A. Litster
Our Easter season is upon us and I trust that the
blessings of Easter have been celebrated this
past weekend by all of you with church, family
and friends. The Easter season is a time for
family to gather together, pray and celebrate the
resurrection of our savior, Jesus Christ. It is a
time to be thankful for what we have and to be
grateful to a loving and generous God.
B. Diogo
Principal
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Living Our Faith
2
PYP
2/3
MYP
4
School Council
5
Jayhawk News
6/7
Take Note & Upcoming Dates
8
EASTER MASS
Please join us on Tuesday April 5th at 9:30
a.m. for our Easter Mass celebration. Mass
will be held in the gym.
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2
Living Our Faith
Virtue Corner
APRIL ~ LOVE
This month we will celebrate the virtue of LOVE.
A person with love…
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Wants the best for others.
Is willing to make a sacrifice for the good of
others.
Knows that we are all lovable.
Prays for others.
God wants us to serve and see the goodness in everyone we meet. God has given us many people in
our lives to show us examples of LOVE. Our families, teachers and friends show us their love every
day. LOVE can be seen in the simplest acts of
kindness, such as sharing a pencil, playing a game,
or even by saying “thank you”. We should always
show our LOVE for others because LOVE is about
seeing the good in people even when they make us
angry. Sometimes the greatest acts of LOVE happen when we are angry, such as not hitting our sibling back or not screaming at our friends. Jesus is
always with us and we should always try to remember His most important lesson, because LOVE is
not about us – it is about looking out for the good of
others.
God’s two greatest commandments are:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind, and with all your strength.”
PYP
As a Catholic school we emphasize
the virtues program along with the
IB learner attributes and attitudes.
Together we encourage our students to approach their problems
and dilemmas in creative, unique and imaginative
ways to make responsible, loving and informed decisions for all the environment and for all of God’s
people. This month will celebrate the virtue of Love.
The IB Attribute for this month is Inquirer. Inquirers
are curious about many things. They love to learn
and want to continue learning throughout their lives.
The IB Attitudes for this month are Creativity and
Curiosity. Students will str ive to be cr eative and
imaginative in their thinking and in their approach to
problems and dilemmas.
Students will also understand that is important to be
curious about the nature of learning and the world,
its people and cultures.
The Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations
Vision of the Learner:
The graduate is expected to be a reflective, creative
and holistic thinker who solves pr oblems and
makes responsible decisions with an informed moral
conscience for the common good.
A reflective, creative and holistic thinker:
“You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself. There is no other commandment greater than
these.”
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NEWSLETTE R
Creates, adapts, evaluates new ideas in light of
the common good
Thinks reflectively and creatively to evaluate
situations and solve problems
Makes decisions in light of gospel values with an
informed moral conscience
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PYP
This month many of our classes are using
the IB transdisciplinary theme of How We
Express Ourselves to inquire into the
ways in which we discover and express
ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the
ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
The FDK class’ unit of inquiry focuses on the central
idea that stories are expressions of who we are and the
world around us.
The lines of inquiry that were used to focus the students’
learning and deepen their understanding included:
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What we can learn from stories
My favourite stories
How we can retell stories
IB attitudes expressed through literature
During this unit the students will be given the opportunity
to share some of their favourite stories and reflect upon
the purpose of storytelling. During the Easter season, the
students focused on retelling the story of the Passion of
Jesus. As the unit unfolds, the students will also be introduced to a variety of stories that will encourage them to
reflect upon themselves as IB learners.
This month the grade one students have been focusing on
understanding the central idea that the arts provide opportunities for self-expression and cultural awareness.
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PYP
The students will complete this unit by reflecting on the
process of dance and how dance makes them feel.
The grade two students are using the following central
idea to guide their inquiry: Fairy tales allow for an understanding about people and their ways of life.
The lines of inquiry that were used to focus the students’ learning and deepen their understanding included:
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Why we tell fairy tales
Fairy tales from around the world
Fairy tales have a set structure
Similarities and differences between fairy tales
To begin this unit, the students went on a trip to Meadowvale Theatre to see “Goldirocks”. They were able to
identify some of the characteristics of fairy tales and
they were inspired to learn more about them as they
began this new unit of inquiry.
Throughout the unit, the students were introduced to a
variety of fractured fairy tales and they had the opportunity to create their own fractured fairy tale to share
with their classmates.
The grade 3 students’ unit of inquiry also fell under the
same IB transdisciplinary theme and focused on the
central idea that poetry presents an opportunity to discover and express ideas and feelings.
The lines of inquiry that were used to focus the students’
learning and deepen their understanding included:
The lines of inquiry that were used to focus the students’ learning and deepen their understanding included:
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How we express ideas and feelings
Cultural dances around the world
Elements of dance
During this unit the students have been participating in a
variety of collaborative learning activities allowing them
to identify how they express themselves through dance.
They learned a variety of dance steps and forms of dance
using videos, other students as instructors, parent volunteers, and The Mix dance company. The students have
shown a keen interest in learning about various cultural
dances from around the world and as a culminating task
they will be invited to select a specific continent, research
a cultural dance and learn how to perform it with their
group members.
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Words can be used to express emotion
Poetry has different styles and forms
Poetry provides a lens into others’ thoughts and
ideas
The students have been learning about different styles
of poetry and making connections to previous units of
inquiry and using imagery to express themselves
through poetry. The students will be also be participating in a skype session with children’s poet Kenn Nesbitt later this month.
Whether it be through dance, writing, poetry or storytelling, the primary students learned various ways of
how to express themselves and enjoy various forms of
creativity during this month’s units of inquiry.
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MYP
April Feature: Design
The IB-MYP platform outlines that Design is a combination of innovation and creativity. It is a subject
which promotes exploration, redefinition, experimentation and adaptation. In this curricula, students
learn that the development of new designs (i.e., technologies, products, etc.) bring opportunity to:
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change how we access and process information,
change how we adapt to our environment,
alter how we communicate with one another,
enhance how we work and live.
Design in the MYP is the launching point for design
in the Diploma Programme (DP) where Computer
Science, Design Technology and Information Technology are introduced. In each Design unit, students
are required to be creative but also quite reflective.
They must assess the strengths and limitations of
their product. They must also review their work
with an eco-lens, identifying the environmental impact of their design. Being aware of their ecological
footprint and identifying any adaptations that could
be made are important components of the process.
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MYP
Coding has been likened to learning another language; the more exposure, the greater the foundation of knowledge built.
Year 2 & 3 / Grade 7 & 8:
The Invention Convention was introduced to our
older students in the fall and has been an ongoing
focus throughout the year. It is an exciting program where pupils are asked to apply skills in a
creative and productive manner. Students were
asked to work in partnership to identify a problem,
need or an interest to them. They worked through
the design cycle applying problem-solving and
creative-thinking skills to the process and have
come up with a variety of excellent products and
plans.
As a culmination to their hard work, Year 2 & 3
students will be attending the Invention Convention on April 4th.
In each endeavor students must work through the
Design Cycle, which includes: Inquir ing and Analysing, Developing Ideas, Creating the Solution,
and Evaluating.
Year 1 / Grade 6:
Our Year 1 students are focusing on learning how to
code. Many believe that coding is the way of the
future and that all students need to be exposed to this
type of work. Since we live in such a digital world,
where coding is embedded in tools we use daily
(smartphones, tablets, iPads, etc.), the ability to understand codes will only become increasingly more
important in the coming years and in the work force.
“Code powers our digital world . . . and is about expression, creativity and application.” (International
Business Times, Aug. 29, 2014).
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2016
NEWSLETTE R
There, students will have the opportunity to display their products / projects to be officially
judged and entered into a competition. Through
this process, students must not only meet the expectation to create an invention but must also
speak confidently and knowledgably to it also.
The judges and general public do have the option
of asking questions to gather more data and clarification. We wish them luck!
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5
School Council
School Council
Mark Your Calendars:
Healthy Eating Initiative:
Please join us for the Catholic School Council meetings.
The meetings are always lively, informative, and very
productive! Meetings start at 6:30 p.m. and childcare
is provided.
Have your children been asking you to pack more fruits
and vegetables in their lunchboxes lately? If so, then
thank our healthy eating initiative that started the week of
March 7th. Every class was asked to record the total
number of fruits and vegetables in their lunchboxes as a
baseline measurement for the program. The numbers got
a huge boost on March 10th, when the entire school participated in Foodshare's Great Big Crunch event. Everyone enjoyed free apples and veggies, courtesy of our
Metro Green Apple Grant.
Tuesday April 12th
Tuesday May 10th final meeting
Family Skate Event: Thank You
On March 20th, 2016 the St. James Catholic School
Council held its 3rd annual Family event, hosting more
than 250 of our family and friends. A great time was had
by all whether they were skating, enjoying some pizza,
taking a picture at the photo booth, making a cut-out of
their favourite superhero, or sipping hot cocoa. Thanks
to everyone who came out! Our first Raffle and Silent
auction was a huge success, raising $1660 towards the
St. James Technology fund. A special thanks goes to the
hard-working volunteers – you made a real difference!
Dress Code Sub-Committee Update:
Great work from all our parent volunteers who provided
an information booth at the skate event regarding a
Dress Code Proposal. Lots of questions, feedback and
comments were gathered and the group will be compiling and sending out an email shortly answering parent
questions. The Town Hall meeting is set for May 9th at
7:30 p.m. in the school gym, and childcare will be provided. A vote will be sent to each family soon after the
Town Hall meeting. Board policy for a dress code approval is 75% of the vote and, should it pass, the dress
code would take effect in September. Any questions or
comments can be emailed to council.
Looking for Outdoor Equipment Donations:
We are pleased to announce that your CSC will be
providing storage bins for each classroom. These will
contain equipment to play with during outdoor recess. Teachers are currently testing out bin sizes, and
selecting one that will be suitable for the classroom. We
are requesting donations from families who are able to
provide new or gently used soccer balls, skipping ropes,
basket balls, hula hoops, footballs etc. Anyone interested
in donating please contact council. We hope to implement this very exciting initiative as the warmer weather
arrives.
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NEWSLETTE R
Another exciting part of this program will be our
'Adventure in Food' cooking and nutrition workshops! Students will have an opportunity to cook and eat
some delicious healthy foods and parents will also have
their chance to sample some nutritious (and also delicious) fare of their own. Student workshops will run
April 18th and 19th. The Parent workshop will take place
at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 21st. Childcare will be
provided. Forms have been sent home for you to RSVP
for the parent workshop.
Stay In Touch:
For meeting minutes and other council information, visit
us at www.dpcdsb.org/JAMEE/Parents/
We welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions.
Please e-mail us at stjamesCGLCcouncil@gmail.com.
To stay in touch more informally, please join our Facebook group. This group only speaks for the parents and
not the school. To subscribe, please search Facebook under: St. James CGLC Parent Council and click on "join".
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Jayhawk News
6
Jayhawk News
EQAO
Our Grade 3 and Grade 6 students will be participating in the Provincial EQAO Assessments. EQAO
will take place on May 26th, 27th, 30th, 31st, June
1st and 2nd during the morning only. We ask that
parents do not book vacations or appointments during this period to ensure your child is in
school during this test taking time.
We would like to invite the parents of our grade 3
and 6 students to join us for a parent information
session being held in the library on Monday April,
4th, 2016 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.. Grade 3 and
6 teachers, along with resource staff, will share information about the upcoming EQAO assessment.
They will be available to answer any parent inquiries
about the tests as well as provide sample literacy and
numeracy questions for parents.
Changing Weather
Students are asked to ensure that they have a pair of
indoor shoes at school. We ask that children change
their footwear when they come inside in an effort to
keep our classroom floors clean. Children are expected to participate in recess activities and are reminded to dress for the weather. It
is highly recommended that all
children have a change of clothing at school in the event that they
get wet while playing outdoors.
Earth Hour 2016
During the afternoon on Friday, March 11th the students and staff participated in Earth Hour.
The Eco Team created a banner and placed it outside
the front office for all students, staff and other members
of the school community to sign. Once again, our
school community made a pledge to help the environment by signing the “We are the Future” banner.
On Tuesday, March 22nd St. James celebrated World
Water Day by par ticipating in The Great Gulp. Students and staff celebrated Peel tap water by taking part
in a school wide synchronized drink of tap water.
In anticipation of World Water Day this month, the Eco
Team asked the school community to try and refill their
reusable water bottles using the refill station outside the
office. The team challenged everyone to try and reach
2500 saved plastic water bottles by World Water Day.
The team members delivered the great news that since
the beginning of the school year, our water refill station
has saved a total of 2690 plastic water bottles. This is a
great accomplishment for our school community.
Be sure to visit our school website. All newsletters
and other pertinent information are always updated.
http://dpcdsb.org/jamee
St. James is now on Twitter! For the latest news
and information, follow us @StJamesDPCDSB
Earth Week: April 18th – 22nd
Students will be participating in various
activities during this week. Stay tuned
for more details!
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Jayhawk News
EyeSeeEyeLearn
Your child may have a vision problem
And with 80% of their learning being done through
their eyes, vision issues can have a severe impact on
your child’s ability to learn.
Parents will not often be able to detect a problem.
Signs and symptoms can be subtle. Children rarely
know that they have a vision problem, and they can’t
always tell you what they see. Make sure they can
see to the best of their ability by getting them a comprehensive eye exam by an optometrist.
Eye exams and follow-ups are covered under OHIP
for children under 19 years-old, so there are no outof-pocket costs. Just show your Ontario Health card.
For this year’s Junior Kindergarten students, the Eye
See…Eye Learn® program offer s one complementary pair of glasses with their
OHIP-covered eye exam, if prescribed by a participating optometrist.
Learn more at
www.EyeSeeEyeLearn.ca.
Are You Moving?
We are in the process of planning staffing and organizing classes for the 2016-2017 school year. If
you are planning on leaving St. James School, please
give the office a call to make arrangements for a student transfer form to be prepared and sent home.
The transfer form will serve as an introduction to
your new school and will enable the receiving
school to request student records from us.
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Jayhawk News
Chess Club
Congratulations to the students that will be representing St. James in the Mississauga East Chess
Tournament being held here at St. James on Friday
April 1st, 2016. We wish to congratulate everyone
for their great playing.
Immunization
Peel Health will be reviewing student immunization records. Children whose records are not complete will be receiving a notice from Peel Health
requesting that immunizations be completed. Suspension from school as required by Peel Health
can result if student immunization is not up to
date. If you receive a notice from Peel Health
please take the time to reply to their request.
Additional Professional Activity Day: Monday,
April 11, 2016
Terms of the recent contract settlement between
the teacher federations and the Ministry of Education included the provision of an additional Professional Activity Day for the 2015-2016 school year
for both elementary and secondary schools.
In the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board, the designated additional Professional
Activity Day has been scheduled for Monday,
April 11, 2016.
Therefore, there will be no classes for either elementary or secondary students on Monday,
April 11, 2016.
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Take Note
Take Note
Parents In The Yard
Visitors
For your child’s safety we request that he/she not be on
school property until supervision begins at 8:45 a.m.
Please do not drop your child off at the school prior to
8:45 a.m.
We would also like to remind you that parents should
drop off/pick up their children outside the school gates.
Parents are not permitted to be in the school yard at any
time. Although you may be known to your own child
you are a stranger to the other students in the yard.
Anyone entering the school must come to the office
right away. The school is a very busy place and we
have many visitors/parents dropping in for a variety
of reasons. To ensure we maintain the integrity of
the classroom program by avoiding interruptions, and
for the safety of our students, all visitors must come
to the office. We ask that you also convey this
information to older brothers and sisters of our
students. This way we know that anyone in the halls
or in the school yard an authorized visitor. All
students leaving the school early will be released
through the front office as they must sign out. If
Kiss and Ride
The safety of our students and parents is of great
concern to us here at the school.
Please drive SLOWLY through the Kiss and Ride lane
as well as the drive through lane.
Please do not block the Kiss and Ride zone and areas
that would hinder the movement of cars.
Cars cannot be left in the lanes at any time.
Student Absences/Lates
Please use our 24 hour answering service to inform the
school of late or absent students. We must hear
from a PARENT or GUARDIAN if a
student will be absent, arriving late or
leaving early. Phone 905-891-7619
If a pattern of unexcused lateness or absents
becomes apparent, parents will be contacted by
the school.
your child arrives late we ask you to
NOT accompany them to class.
Snack and Treats for Students
We are asking that all parents please refrain from
bringing in eatable snacks and treats to the
classrooms. Several students in our school suffer
from a severe food allergy to all nuts, peanuts and all
nut products. There is also a Ministry PPM where
the purpose of this memorandum is to set out
nutrition standards for food and beverages in publicly
funded elementary schools in Ontario. For more
information about the new PPM please visit, http://
www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/150.html. If
you would still like to do something special for the
classroom, a small non-eatable gift for each student
or perhaps a classroom gift, i.e. board game for
inclement recess, may be a great alternative. Again,
we thank you for your co-operation.
UPCOMING DATES
Apr 1 -
Chess Tournament at St. James
Apr 11 - P.D. Day, No School
Apr 4 -
Gr. 7/8 Invention Convention Trip
Apr 15 - French Presentations
Apr 4 -
EQAO Parent Info Night 7:00 p.m.
Apr 21 - Parent Healthy Cooking Workshop 6:30p.m.
Apr 5 -
Easter Mass 9:30 a.m. in the gym
Apr 6 -
Hearing and Vision Clinic
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