MAY
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
Heavenly Father, to you I pray...
On this day called,
"Mother's Day."
Let all mother's on earth give praise,
To you...for the children that you gave.
For you have blessed them from above,
with little souls to nourish and love.
Let them mold each one with care...
And teach them to be kind and share.
Forgiveness is the special key...
Start early on, to help them see.
Their fragile minds are easily impressed.
Please teach them ways, so they'll be blessed.
Sow godly seeds into their minds.
With careful pruning, you will find...
Young adults with such strong roots,
all through life, will bear rich fruit.
And then have faith for God to show...
Them all the rest they have to know.
Remember they're His children too.
For they were only lent to you.
Secretary
A. Litster
Spring is here and it’s one of my favourite times
of year. There’s an energy of new growth and
rebirth in the air as we shed our ‘winter layers’
and continue to live the Easter promise. I see
this energy alive and well at St. James as we
move into the last portion (hard to believe!) of
the year. There is a ‘busy excitement’ in our
community as the students long to enjoy the
beautiful weather at recesses and participate in
the wide range of extra-curricular activities
available such as the crochet club, soccer intramurals, the virtues assemblies, eco club, rosary
club, talent show, French showcase and much
more. Thank you to all the teachers who contribute time beyond the instructional hours to
offer these enriching opportunities for our students, you are a very special group. Thank you
to the parents for their on-going support that
enable their children to participate in these
worthwhile activities. Just like spring, it’s this
spirit of co-operation that makes St. James the
special school it is . . . A good place for children
to learn and grow!
May God Bless You,
B. Diogo
Principal
Amen
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
P.A. DAY
Living Our Faith & Eco News
2
School Council
Inquiry Corner
3/4/5
Co-Chairs
School Council
5
There will be a P.A. Day on Monday,
Jayhawk News
6
May 11th. Please take note that
Take Note
7
there will be NO SCHOOL
Upcoming Dates
7
on that day.
M. Giovanniello
J. McCarthy
PAGE
2
Living Our Faith
Virtue Corner
MAY ~ ACCEPTANCE
This month we will celebrate the virtue of ACCEPTANCE.
A person with acceptance…
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Are friendly and open to all God’s people;
Sense God’s presence in people of all ages, beliefs, genders, cultures, and/or abilities;
Avoid the temptation to judge negatively or stereotype others;
Look for the positive traits in others;
Understand there may be more than one way of
doing things;
Stick up for the disadvantaged;
Notice who is left out and include them.
ECO NEWS
Earth Week
Thank you to everyone for participating in last
month’s Earth Week activities. Students showed
their support for Earth Week by bringing in litterless
lunches, wearing green and blue, using their reusable
water bottles and participating in a community clean
up event.
Gardening Club
As the weather gets nicer members of our Eco Team
will begin to plant flowers and help maintain the
gardens around the school.
Victoria Day
There will be no school for the
students on Monday May 18th.
The school will be closed for the
Victoria Day Holiday.
MAY
2015
NEWSLETTER
Your support with our environmental initiatives in
honouring and protecting the gifts given to us from
God is greatly appreciated.
Going Green Together!
PAGE
Inquiry Corner
Romans 12: 3-6
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among
you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to
think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to
the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one
body we have many members, and not all the members
have the same function, so we, who are many, are one
body in Christ, and individually we are members one of
another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace
given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith.
As a Catholic school we emphasize the virtues program
along with the IB learner attributes and attitudes. Together we encourage our students to be responsible citizens.
A responsible citizen gives witness to Catholic social
teaching by promoting peace and justice by being responsive to the needs and the sacredness of human life. This
month will celebrate the virtue of Acceptance.
3
Inquiry Corner
The Ontario Catholic Graduate
Expectations
Vision of the Learner:
The graduate is expected to be a responsible citizen. A
responsible citizen is someone who:
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accepts accountability for one’s own actions
seeks and grants forgiveness
respects and affirms the diversity and interdependence of the world’s peoples and cultures
respects the environment and uses resources wisely
St. James Catholic Global Learning
Centre 2nd Annual Exhibition
What is the Exhibition?
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The IB Attribute for this month is open-minded. Someone who is open-minded appreciates their own culture
and the views, values and traditions of other individuals
and cultures. Being open-minded gives people the opportunity to consider different points of view.
The IB Attitude for this month is Tolerance. Being tolerant means accepting, understanding and appreciating the
differences in others. People who are tolerant are responsive to the needs of others.
MAY
2015
NEWSLETTER
The Exhibition is a celebration of learning for students.
 It is a culminating project that involves a collaborative inquiry that students are interested in exploring.
 The Exhibition is meant to reflect what students
understand of the inquiry process and other PYP
elements such as the attributes of the learner profile
that they have been developing over the course of
their studies.
 The Exhibition is an opportunity for students to
demonstrate independence and responsibility for
their own learning. They will be able to take their
learning from the previous units of inquiry and
demonstrate how they can take action as a result of
their learning.
Mr. Carreiro’s Grade 5 students will be participating in
this year’s Exhibition. The transdisciplinary theme they
will be focusing on is:
Who We Are
An exploration of the nature of the self;
of our beliefs and values; of personal,
physical, mental, social and spiritual
health; of our families.
PAGE
Inquiry Corner
The Full Day Kindergarten classes are using the theme Sharing the Planet to inquire
into the rights and responsibilities in the
struggle to share finite resources with other
people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and
between them; access to equal opportunities, peace and
conflict resolution.
During this unit the students are focused on understanding the central idea that people have an impact on the
environment.
4
Inquiry Corner
The students’ wonderings are answered throughout the inquiry as a result of student research, experiential learning and
classroom activities. Many of the students’ wonder wall
questions focused on different types of seeds which led to a
seed planting activity using reusable egg cartons as planters.
The students used their inquiry journals to record observations of their plants and they asked questions along the way
to further their understanding of the growth taking place.
The lines of inquiry that are being used to focus the students’ learning and deepen their understanding include:
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Earth’s natural resources
Ways to care for and respect our world
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The needs of the natural world
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How to be stewards of the earth
The students used the W onder W all to pose questions
about this unit of inquiry:
Why do flowers smell?
What animals and birds live in trees?
What is inside a seed?
How do we properly recycle materials?
Apples have seeds. What else does?
What types of trees are there?
How do trees grow?
Why do some people not throw their garbage in the garbage bin?
Why do birds chirp?
MAY
2015
NEWSLETTER
Students engaged in a variety of activities to support their
understanding of the important role people play as stewards
of the earth. Following a teacher provocation focused on
litter, the students initiated a classroom clean-up while engaging in proper garbage and recycling practices. The students’ inquiry led to a class discussion about ways they engage in ‘green’ practices at home. The classes also participated in a variety of school Earth Week activities including the
collaborative Pitch-In clean up event. Participation in these
events helped to consolidate their understanding of how important every little action is to creating a healthier and cleaner earth.
Last week the FDK students participated in a nature walk to
support their Sharing the Planet inquiry. The students were
inspired to learn more about Earth’s natural resources after
engaging in a variety of activities and discussions about
spring and seasonal changes. The purpose of the students’
spring sensory nature walk was to observe seasonal changes
in the forest using their senses to explore nature. The walk
included a listening activity which encouraged the students
to listen to the world around them as well as a scavenger
hunt to find various living and non-livings things in nature.
PAGE
5
Inquiry Corner
MYP
School Council
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL (CSC)
Air Show and Bridge Contest
The Grade 6/7s have been working hard these past few weeks
with their Air Show and Structure competitions. The inquiry
involved has been immense. Students were able to investigate
the concepts of flight and their ability to improve and adapt
their aircrafts to devise an improved flight simulation.
The Grade 7s had inquired about structures and the relationship between its function and design. Students tested their
bridges with different amounts of weight and their ability to
maintain its integrity. This learning enabled students to be
reflective of their structures, overall design and even improve
their future possible engineering prospects.
Science Curriculum:
Grade 6: explain, assess and investigate ways in which
flying devices make use of properties of air.
Grade 7: explain, assess and design and construct a variety of
structures, and investigate the relationship between the design
and function of these structures and the forces that act on
them.
IB: Inquir ing and designing
 outline an appropriate problem or research question to be
tested by a scientific investigation
 outline a testable prediction using scientific reasoning
 outline how to manipulate the variables, and outline how
data will be collected
 design scientific investigations
EQAO Breakfast and Relaxation
While many kids think differently, eating breakfast is more
important than sleeping in the morning of a test. In fact, eating breakfast improves the particular types of skills that students use in taking tests. Help your children fix a balanced
meal before exams and every morning for long-term health
and academic benefits.
The Grade 3 & 6 students will be partaking in our ‘Take on
the World’ Breakfast & Relaxation mornings. With the continued promotion of positive well-being and reducing stress
and test anxiety in our students, we are welcoming the Grade
3 & 6 students to join us for a quiet mindful reflection followed by a delicious healthy breakfast with their peers. Our
‘Take on the World’ event will take place from 8:15 a.m. to
9:00 a.m. on the mornings of the EQAO testing.
MAY
2015
NEWSLETTER
NEXT MEETING:
Tuesday, May 19th at 6:30pm. Childcare is provided.
Proposed funding for remainder of school year:
Mulch for FDK yard
Long Jump Pit (50% of funds covered by CSC)
Wellness Seminars
Playground Line Painting
Agendas for 2015-2016 School Year
Field Trip Subsidy
Bike Racks
COMPLETED FUNDING:
-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 Schools
-Bussing for French Play
-Director’s Cut Shortfall
-Gingerbread cookies for all students
-Hallowe’en Spook-A-Thon Glo Bracelets and Pizza
Lunch for all students
-Caribou Math Contest program
-RAZ kids on-line reading program
-The Great Big Crunch Apple Event
-Bussing to church 2 school masses
-Welcome Back BBQ
-Academic Team Golf Shirts
-Council meeting supplies (reusable cups, refreshments)
-Childcare costs for council meetings
For meeting minutes and other council information,
visit us at Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board - St. James Catholic Global Learning Centre Parents
PAGE
Jayhawk News
6
Jayhawk News
EQAO
Elementary Summer School Grade 7 & 8
Our Grade 3 and Grade 6 students will be participating in the Provincial EQAO Assessments. EQAO
will take place on May 26th, 27th and 28th. We
ask that parents do not book vacations or appointments dur ing this per iod to ensur e your child is
in school during this test taking time.
Remedial Literacy & Numeracy
Going On Vacation
Bolton/Caledon
Brampton
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.
June 29 - July 17, 2015
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Students recommended by the Principal
Busing provided at home school pick up points
Deadline for applications: May 29, 2015
Mississauga
St. Cornelius
Father C. W. Sullivan
Good Shepherd
St. Ursula
Bishop Scalabrini
Holy Cross
St. Faustina
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Gertrude
Summer Literacy Camp - Grades SK to 6
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
Remedial Literacy Program
July 6 - July 24, 2015
3 week program
Fee-for-service
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Students recommended by the Principal
No transportation provided.
Deadline for applications: May 29, 2015
Mississauga
Allegation Of Sexual Abuse Regarding The Late
FR. James (Jim) Roth, OSFS
Information regarding an allegation of sexual abuse of a
minor related to the late Fr. James (Jim) Roth, OSFS, is
posted on the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board’s main webpage at www.dpcdsb.org. Additional
information, including where to report abuse or suspected
abuse, is also posted on the website of Father Roth’s religious order, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, at
www.tdprovince.org and the Archdiocese of Toronto at
www.archtoronto.org . Please consult these sources as
appropriate.
MAY
2015
NEWSLETTER
Father Daniel Zanon
St. Bernard Clairvaux
St. Gerard
St. Gregory
St. Simon Stock
St. Timothy
St. Vincent de Paul
Brampton
Guardian Angels
Lester B. Pearson
St. Angela Merici
St. Nicholas BOLTON
Ven. Michael McGivney
Contact Adult and Continuing Education for more
details: 905-891-9263
PAGE
7
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.
UPCOMING DATES
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.
May 13 - Gr. 4 & 5 Toronto Symphony Orchestra Trip
May 4 - Skills Canada Team to Kitchener
May 14 - Virtue Assembly at 2:45 p.m.
May 6 - Battle of the Books Team to St. Alfred
May 18 - Victoria Day, No School
May 7 - Talent Show/French Showcase 1:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
May 19 - School Council Meeting 6:30 p.m.
May 8 - Mother’s Day Celebration 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
May 21 - Tree Planting
May 8 - Gr. 1 & 2’s to Port Credit Library
May 25 - Paul Davies Presentations
May 11 - P.A. Day, No School
MAY
2015
NEWSLETTER
May 28 - Gr. 2 First Communion Celebration at 1:30 p.m.