Principal JUNE Principal’s Message 2015 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 Creator of all, thank You for summer! Thank You for the warmth of the sun and the increased daylight. Thank You for the beauty I see all around me and for the opportunity to be outside and enjoy Your creation. Thank You for the increased time I have to be with my friends and family, and for the more casual pace of the summer season. Draw me closer to You this summer. Teach me how I can pray no matter where I am or what I am doing. Warm my soul with the awareness of Your presence, and light my path with Your Word and Counsel. As I enjoy Your creation, create in me a pure heart and a hunger and a thirst for You. Amen Secretary A. Litster 2 School Council Inquiry Corner 3/4/5 Co-Chairs School Council 5 Jayhawk News 6&7 Take Note 8 Upcoming Dates 8 J. McCarthy We look forward to a safe and exciting finish to a very successful school year and are grateful for the never-ending generosity of our dedicated staff and volunteers. If we take a moment to reflect on all that we have done, we can all confidently say that it was quite a successful year. "Yesterday is History, Tomorrow a Mystery, Today is a Gift, and that is why it's called the Present." St. James has truly been a gift, to each and every one of us. We would also like to thank some of our teachers who will be leaving us this summer. Thank you to Ms. Perrault, Ms. Oliver and Mr. Bortolamiol for stepping in and supporting our school during our times of need, for all of your tireless efforts and for all that they have done to make St. James a warm and welcoming place. We pray that all staff and students be blessed with a safe and joyous summer. May summer be a time of renewal; a time of relaxation; a time for reflection and a time for prayer. Thank you for choosing Catholic Education. May God Bless You, B. Diogo INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Living Our Faith & Eco News M. Giovanniello It is hard to believe that the 2014-2015 school year is quickly coming to an end. I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for the support and patience that you have given to the St. James Community throughout this school year. First Day of School School will reopen at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 8th, 2015 for all students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. PAGE 2 Living Our Faith Virtue Corner JUNE ~ FAIRNESS This month we will celebrate the virtue of FAIRNESS. A person with fairness… Listens to all sides before forming opinions Shows good sportsmanship at all times Knows that the same rules apply to everyone Refuses to twist rules to avoid consequences Works to bring about peaceful solutions to problems Cheers on the successes of others Can balance their own rights and responsibilities with those of others When we spend a lot of time immersed in a variety of different media — TV, movies, magazines, radio, we can sometimes forget that life is not a competition. We are made by God to live together, to share and to help each other. You can’t be a Christian alone. Christianity is all about living together in community — ideally, one big happy family. When the urge to be superior takes over a person’s life, then fairness can go out the window. Fairness, the belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed, is not always about making things exactly equal. Some people need a bit more time, space, money, and support to have an equal chance to succeed. And they deserve that chance. Jesus spent a major part of his time on earth showing us about the preferential option for the poor and weak. He spent an extraordinary amount of time showing how to follow God’s rules, the rules of the kingdom. The sick, the lame, the blind, the bad sinners all need a fair chance to succeed — to overcome their disadvantages and disabilities in order to succeed. In today’s terms, that could be called good sportsmanship. A good sport makes sure the rules of the game give everyone an even chance to participate. Not everyone has to win. Everyone deserves a chance to be in the game. ECO NEWS St. James Eco Team Tree Planting Members of the Eco Team participated in a tree planting event organized by the City of Mississauga. The students helped plant 60 trees in Spruce Park. Gardening Club Thank you to the gardening club for taking the time to plant the beautiful flowers generously donated by one of the parents in the community. Your support with our environmental initiatives in honouring and protecting the gifts given to us from God is greatly appreciated. END OF THE YEAR MASS Please join us on Thursday June 18th at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church for our End of the Year Mass celebration. The church is located at 11 Peter St. S., Mississauga JUNE 2015 NEWSLETTER Going Green Together! PAGE Inquiry Corner As a Catholic school community we encourage our students to act responsibly and fairly. We share a deep sense and understanding of fairness and honesty in all that we say, write, think and do. This month will celebrate the virtue of Fairness. Inquiry Corner The Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations Vision of the Learner: The graduate is expected to be: An Effective Communicator who speaks, writes and listens honestly and sensitively, responding critically in light of gospel values. An effective communicator: A just balance and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are his work. ~ Proverb 16:11 The Learner Attribute for this month is Communicator. A good communicator expresses their ideas and information in a variety of ways. They work effectively and collaboratively with others. Good communicators express themselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. 3 presents information and ideas clearly and honestly and with sensitivity to others writes and speaks fluently one or both of Canada's official languages integrates the Catholic faith tradition, in the critical analysis of the arts, media, technology and information systems to enhance the quality of life St. James Catholic Global Learning Centre 2nd Annual Exhibition Thursday, June 4th, 2015 Who We Are An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; and what it means to be human. Central Idea: Choices we make and our behaviours affect our organ systems and, in turn, our overall health. The students’ group topics include the following: How the body works – ACTION Hats off to Kidz Sick Kids Fundraiser Healthy Lifestyle Choices – ACTION Healthy Eating The Attitude for this month is Integrity. People with integrity understand the importance of having a firm sense of fairness and honesty. Having integrity means being honest with yourself and with others. JUNE 2015 NEWSLETTER Campaign and Lessons for the other classes Faithful Humans – ACTION Grade 2 First Communion Retreat Artistic Creature – ACTION Painting the Attitudes and Attributes in the gym Sport and Its purpose – ACTION Teacher vs. Student soccer game fundraiser for Right to Play Organization Illnesses and Epidemics – ACTION Hand Washing Inservices for each class (materials provided by Peel Health) PAGE Inquiry Corner What is student ACTION? In the PYP voluntary, meaningful student action is expected to be seen as a result of student learning, thought and reflection during a unit of inquiry. Student action can occur at home, at school or in the community. Through actions students are able to grow socially and personally, developing skills such as cooperation, problem solving, conflict resolution and critical thinking. 4 Inquiry Corner MYP Nepal . Social Action in our midst…. The Grade 7s have been working hard in understanding what it means to be a Catholic Graduate. Next year, the Grade 7 students will be partaking in a Community Project that will give them the opportunity to think of more than just themselves. Also, they will better understand how service, compassion and action are greater than words and thoughts – service of just one person can make such a difference. The students continue to work collaboratively to research and inquire about their topics using their lines of inquiry and guiding questions. Thank you to everyone for their support during this culminating collaborative inquiry. Please come and join us on Thursday, June 4th for this celebration of student learning! JUNE 2015 NEWSLETTER The Community Project is a new requirement adopted by the International Baccalaureate for schools ending their Middle Years Program in Grade 8. It is a project, as we have always done at Wheatley, but with a community-oriented focus. It incorporates service learning as action; “action” is defined by the IB Program as “learning by doing and experiencing”. Furthermore, this action should be principled action, which involves a concern for integrity and honesty. So as a first step, the Grade 7s have helped organize a successful fundraiser for Nepal raising a grand total of $521.46. They had challenged each classroom in the school to raise the most money to gain their time. Rather than offering a materialistic incentive, they realized their time and friendship was definitely more valuable and connected to what it means to be a Catholic Global Citizen. Ms. DeMelo’s Grade 1 class will be welcoming the Grade 7s into their classroom to take part in a variety of activities. This was a great start to a journey of learning and action for our future Grade 8s! PAGE 5 Inquiry Corner School Council CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL (CSC) It’s hard to believe the end of the school year is fast approaching. We would like to thank everyone who has donated their time, money, or materials to help make this school year a successful one. Next Meeting: September 2015 (Date TBD) WELCOME BACK BBQ ~ Volunteers needed ! Our Welcome Back BBQ will once again be hosted in September. We have a parent who has graciously volunteered to lead the planning of this event, but require additional parent volunteers to make it happen ! Please e-mail the school council if you are able to help. ELECTION VOLUNTEERS: Cyber Safety with Paul Davis Paul Davis has presented to over 211,000 students from Grade 4-12, from Ontario, Alberta, to Quebec and Nevada. All in just over 4 years. Relating to kids as a father himself, and to parents as a professional, both presentations are targeted so that each audience leaves with a wealth of knowledge for their respective age level. As of November 24, 2011, Paul added the Department of National Defense to his resume of organizations presented to. The presentation at St. James was about Social Networking Safety. It showed us how social networking can be dangerous and that we need to take care of what we use, post or share online. He also presented to us the social media accounts that we should and shouldn’t have. I found this presentation very informative. When I got home that day, I reconsidered the social media accounts that I had and what I should keep. I deleted what I shouldn’t have and made my accounts private as he told us. I also think that my friends in class did the same. This presentation helped us be more aware of what is out there, and the actions we take online. I will take care of how I use social media from now on. Mira B. JUNE 2015 NEWSLETTER In September we will be electing members for the Catholic School Council and will require an election subcommittee to run the nomination process and the elections. Please e-mail the school council if you are able to help. Proposed funding for remainder of school year: Long Jump Pit (50% of funds covered by CSC) Wellness Seminars Playground Line Painting Agendas for 2015-2016 School Year COMPLETED FUNDING: -Field Trip Subsidy -Cricket and Rugby Kits -Scientist in the School Shortfall -Family Skate Event (covered by Parent Engagement Grant) -Athletic Fund -Lego Bricks for Lego Club -Frames for School Cross Art Project -Author in School -Bussing for French Play & To Church 2 School Masses -Director’s Cut Shortfall -Gingerbread cookies for all students -Hallowe’en Spook-A-Thon Glo Bracelets/Pizza Lunch -Caribou Math Contest program -RAZ kids on-line reading program -The Great Big Crunch Apple Event -Welcome Back BBQ -Academic Team Golf Shirts -Council meeting supplies (reusable cups, refreshments) -Childcare costs for council meetings We welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions. Please e-mail us at stjamesCGLCcouncil@gmail.com. For meeting minutes and other council information, visit us at www.dpcdsb.org/JAMEE/Parents/ PAGE Jayhawk News 6 Jayhawk News Going On Vacation Protecting the Skin We ask that you please take a moment and send a note to the office informing us of the dates your son/daughter will be away. This will help to cut down on the phone calls needed to track down the missing student(s). We thank you for your help in this matter. Overexposure to the sun can cause skin damage. We remind students regularly to take precautions to protect their skin while outside during the Spring and Summer. The following are some suggestions to help protect the skin: Are You Moving? Parents are encouraged to reinforce these strategies with their children on a regular basis. We are in the process of planning staffing and organizing classes for the 2015-2016 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. Welcome To Kindergarten There will be an information evening for parents and children coming to kindergarten for the first time. The meeting will be Monday June 1st, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.. P.A. DAY There will be a P.A. Day on Monday, June 8th. Please take note that there will be NO SCHOOL on that day. JUNE 2015 NEWSLETTER Wear protective clothing Wear a hat Wear sunblock Dress Expectations We would like to remind our students of the expectations that are in place, especially for our older students, regarding appropriate dress. Sleeveless tops are permitted however; halter, spaghetti straps, off the shoulder and shrink tops are not permitted. Tank tops are allowed but the strap must be three fingers wide. The midriff must not be visible. Boy’s tank tops should not have wide under arm openings. Short shorts, short skirts and clothing of a suggestive nature, including offensive wording or pictures are not appropriate school attire. As a guideline, shorts and skirts should be no shorter than 10 centimeters/ 4 inches above the knee. Boys are to wear their pants at the waistline. Clothing that is suitable for a six or seven year old may not be appropriate for an older student. Students that are not dressed appropriately will be asked to call home for a change of clothes. If a change of clothes can not be provided, students will then be required to work in the office. PAGE Jayhawk News 7 Jayhawk News School Texts/Materials Track and Field Now is the time to have your child(ren) begin to gather school books and other materials and return them to school. Please have your child search both bedroom and house for these items. Your assistance in this matter will help to ensure that we have adequate inventory when we start up in September 2015. The family wide track and field event is taking place on Wednesday June 17th at St. Marcellinus S.S. The team is in the process of being selected and will represent St. James proudly. Good luck to all participants. Safety: Bicycles, Skateboards, Scooters, Roller Blades Students are reminded that bicycles, skateboards and scooters must be walked on the school property. If you are wearing roller blades please proceed carefully to the office immediately and change into your shoes Parent Drivers We would like to take this time to thank all our parent volunteer drivers. Without your help we would not be able to participate in many events. It is through your efforts that we continue to be able to offer extracurricular events to the students. 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 JUNE 2015 NEWSLETTER Father’s Day St. James School will be hosting a Father’s Day BBQ. We would like to invite the fathers of our students to please join us on Friday June 19th. Details to follow. Hot Dog Day Hot Dog Day is back! Hot Dogs lunches will run every Friday (June 5, 12 and 19 - there will not be a hot dog lunch on the last day of school) and students will be able to purchase regular hot dogs for $1.50 each and/or jumbo hot dogs for $2.50 each. Hot Dog Day lunch will be run the same as our Pizza Day lunch. No pre-orders will be going home as the students will be able to order and pay on the morning of the lunch day. We ask kindly that you make your payment by cash only, sorry no cheques. JUNE 26TH LAST DAY OF SCHOOL REGULAR HOURS PAGE 8 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 your child arrives late we ask you to NOT accompany them to class. 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. 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. 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. UPCOMING DATES June 8 - P.A. Day, No School June 1 - Welcome To Kindergarten Night 6:30 p.m. June 9 - Laughter Yoga June 1 - Gr. 1 & 2 Science Centre June 15 - Gr. JK/SK/2 Dental Screening June 2 - Gr. 1 & 2 Mad Science Workshop June 2 - Gr. 4 to 7 Track & Field June 4 - Gr. 5 Exhibition June 5 - Gr. 4 Celebration Square JUNE 2015 NEWSLETTER June 16 - Gr. 5 & 6/7 Art Gallery Trip June 17 - Gr. 4 to 7 Family Track & Field Meet June 18 - Year End Mass /St. Mary’s Church 10:00 a.m.