APRIL
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
We are often not the Easter People
that we should be,
living in the certain knowledge
of your great mercy and love.
Distracted by the world around us
we fail to hear your voice,
or hide when faith is challenged
as we wander off the path.
Forgive us, we pray;
restore the love that we first had,
a faith that can endure.
We will keep our eyes fixed on you,
Lord,
and with you at our right hand
we shall not be shaken.
Brian Diogo
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
2
School Council
Inquiry Corner
3/4/5
Co-Chairs
School Council
5
Jayhawk News
6
Take Note
7
Upcoming Dates
7
J. McCarthy
We are keeping quite busy here at St. James as
the year continues to pass, let us take time to
breath and enjoy all the wonders this spring season has to offer!
B. Diogo
Principal
Living Our Faith & Eco News
M. Giovanniello
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
Easter, board chess tournaments, field trips,
track and field, talent show and the list continues. Thank you so much for the tireless efforts
of all the staff and parents.
May God Bless You,
Amen
Secretary
A. Litster
Easter is upon us and I trust that the blessings of
Easter will be celebrated 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.
EASTER MASS
Please join us on Wednesday April 15th at
10:00 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…
 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.”
“You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
ECO NEWS
Earth Hour 2015
The students at St. James participated in Earth Hour during the afternoon on Friday, March 27th. They participated in a variety of activities and pledged to help save the
planet by signing the Earth Hour banner.
Water Bottle Free Wednesdays
The St. James Eco Team will introduce their Ban the Bottle campaign to students this month. The team will reinforce the need to use fewer plastic water bottles and they
talk about the negative effects these bottles have on our
environment. Students will be encouraged to bring in reusable drink containers every Wednesday to show their
support for our Ban the Bottle campaign.
Earth Week
April 20th - 24th
Students will be participating in various activities during
the week including: Green Day , Water bottle Free
Wednesday and the Pitch-In Canada clean up event.
FRIDAY APRIL 3RD IS GOOD FRIDAY
&
MONDAY APRIL 6TH IS EASTER MONDAY
There will be NO SCHOOL for the students on these
days.
APRIL
2015
NEWSLETTE R
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
The aim of our charge is love that issues
from a pure heart and a good conscience
and a sincere faith.
1 Timothy 1:5
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.
Judge a man by his questions, rather
than by his answers ~ Voltaire
The IB Attribute for this month is
Inquirer. Inquir er s ar e cur ious
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 strive to be creative 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.
APRIL
2015
NEWSLETTE R
3
Inquiry Corner
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:



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
The grade one and grade two classes
used the theme 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.
During this unit the grade one students focused on
understanding the central idea that the arts provide
opportunities for self-expression and cultural
awareness.
The lines of inquiry that were used to focus the
students’ learning and deepen their understanding
included:



How we express ideas and feelings
Cultural dances around the world
Elements of dance
The students participated in a variety of collaborative learning activities allowing them to identify
how they express themselves through dance. They
also inquired about various cultural dances from
around the world and learned how to perform
some with the help of parent volunteers.
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Inquiry Corner
4
Inquiry Corner
Throughout the unit, students applied many transdisciplinary skills to their learning experiences including social skills, research skills and communication skills.
The students developed many learner profile attributes and attitudes throughout this unit of inquiry including being communicators, openminded, reflective, creative, appreciative and respectful.
The grade two students focused on understanding
the central idea that people use art forms to express
different cultures.
The lines of inquiry that were used to focus the students’ learning and deepen their understanding included:



The art forms of local and international cultures
How art is used for communication
Art as an expression of cultural experiences
The students learned a lot about cultural dances
and art forms from around the world. They participated in a variety of learning activities to further
develop their understanding of the central idea and
lines of inquiry. As a culminating task, the students participated in either a dance exhibition or
art exhibition displaying their expertise and
knowledge of their own cultural heritage or that of
another country around the world.
St. James Catholic Global Learning Centre 2nd
Annual Exhibition
Thursday, June 4th
Stay tuned for more details...
APRIL
2015
NEWSLETTE R
PAGE
5
Inquiry Corner
School Council
MYP
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL (CSC)
Building Confidence…
NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, April 8th at 7:00 p.m.
Just before the March Break our students were able to partake in a high energy school presentation by QMack and
JBox called ‘Increase the Peace’. They came to share their
important message of being a team player and the importance of how to build confidence against the various
forms of bullying identified such as physical, verbal, and
cyber bullying.
The show focused on how insults and exclusion affects
everyone's confidence levels. Solutions were presented to
students and they were urged to make real attempts to
increase their skill sets by learning more than just basketball and beat boxing (math, reading, writing, languages,
music, fitness) to BOOST their confidence levels. Q-Mack
emphasized the importance of "never giving up" and chasing your dreams. Students were encouraged to INCREASE
THE PEACE by standing up for each other, not just standing by (the role of the bystander defined in a "team-mate
scenario") In short, we had our MOST ENERGETIC school
assembly yet!
EQAO Prep Begins…
Prodigy is extremely effective at engaging students using
an adaptive technology to cater to each individual. Prodigy’s personalized approach quickly identifies gaps in students’ understanding and works with them by pulling
them back to prerequisite skills and then scaffolding them
forward through more difficult concepts. As a web-based
game, Prodigy can be accessed at school and at home on
virtually any device.
The grade 6’s have begun their math journey and EQAO
prep in a more interactive and fun way. Students will continue to use EQAO prep questions and problems, but to
add to their math practice, prodigy
math will enhance the missing
pieces. Please join us on April 8th,
at 6:00 p.m. for our EQAO information evening in the library.
APRIL
2015
NEWSLETTE R
Childcare is provided. PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE
FAMILY EVENT: Our family event was a huge success
with over 150 in attendance. Everyone enjoyed the skating,
doing arts and crafts, and socializing over some hot chocolate
and pizza. Whether or not you were able to attend, we would
love your feedback to help make our future family events a
success
(stjamesCGLCcouncil@gmail.com).
Family Event Lost and found:
LOST - a pair of black, size 6 MEC snow pants.
Please return to office if found.
FUNDED THROUGH YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO
COUNCIL:
-Lacrosse 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
www.dpcdsb.org/JAMEE/Parents/
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Jayhawk News
6
Jayhawk News
Front Door Late Entry
Chess Team
We have noticed an increase in front door entries at
the 9:00 a.m. bell. We kindly ask that you arrive at
school on time to allow the children to enter in the
appropriate door with their classmates to avoid front
entry lates. We do understand arriving late on occasion cannot be avoided and in those instances parents are asked to come to the office to sign in the
student. Please do not accompany your child(ren)
to the classroom.
Congratulations to all the players on our Chess
Teams. The Junior Chess team won 1st place and
the Primary Chess team won 2nd place in the Mississauga East Chess Tournament qualifying them
to compete at the board competition on April 15th.
Thank you to Mr. Carreiro
and Mr. Discenza for their
great coaching.
Thank you for your understanding and co-operation.
EQAO
Changing Weather
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.
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.
Going On Vacation
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.
Lenten Food Drive
St. James School once again held a Lenten Food
Drive. We would like to thank everyone that generously donated to support needy families this Lenten season. All donations were forwarded to The Compass our local food bank.
APRIL
2015
NEWSLETTE R
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.
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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
Apr 3 - Good Friday, No School
Apr 6 - Easter Monday, No School
Apr 8 - Council Meeting 7:00 p.m. /EQAO Meeting 6:00 p.m.
Apr 15 - Easter Mass 10:00 a.m. in the gym
Apr 22 - Earth Day
Apr 24 - Pitch In Canada
Apr 30 - SK Graduation Pictures
APRIL
2015
NEWSLETTE R
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.
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