MARCH
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
Lent is about change,
About conversion.
But how does change happen?
How do we, as human beings, change
ourselves?
First, change always has to have a
beginning.
There must be a first time,
A now as opposed to tomorrow.
Lent gives us that point; that now.
Second, change happens not when we
do something once.
But often. When we practice it.
Lent gives us forty days,
Forty chances to do it over and over
again until it becomes a part of us.
And finally, there needs to be support.
We rarely get into bad habits alone
and we rarely get out of them alone.
We need the love and support of
others,
That is why we celebrate lent as a
community.
Let us begin the process of change
then together.
As it is written.
“Now is the favourable time, this is
the year favourable to the Lord.”
Amen
Secretary
A. Litster
As March Break approaches I would like to
wish everyone in the St. James School Community an enjoyable and restful week with family
and friends.
May God Bless You,
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
2
School Council
School Council
3
Co-Chairs
Inquiry Corner
4/5/6
Jayhawk News
7&8
Take Note
9
Upcoming Dates
9
J. McCarthy
During the month of March, we will focus on
the virtue of Kindness by celebrating and recognizing students, staff and parents for their kind
acts. If you witness any acts of kindness, please
let us know so that we can acknowledge them
during our Virtues assembly. As well, we will
be supporting members of our community,
through our Lenten food drive, collecting nonperishable food items for the Compass. It is
through these acts that we support one another
during our Lenten journey.
B. Diogo
Principal
Living Our Faith & Eco News
M. Giovanniello
As the season of Lent continues, let us persevere through our Lenten journey and remember
the forty days of sacrifice that Jesus spent in the
desert preparing for His ministry. Let us use this
time to engage in prayer, fasting and almsgiving
as we eagerly anticipate the Easter season.
MARCH BREAK
There will be no school from
Monday March 16th to Friday March
20th.
The students will return on
Monday March 23rd, 2015.
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2
Living Our Faith
Virtue Corner
MARCH ~ KINDNESS
This month we will celebrate the virtue of KINDNESS.
A person with kindness…

Says nice things about others so they feel
good about themselves.
 Sticks up for people who are picked on or
need help.
 Refuses to join others who are insulting,
intimidating, mean or hurtful.
 Watches and looks for way to help those in
need.
God has given us the gifts of friends and companions to keep us company and to help us out along
the way.
Every person in our lives carries the Spirit of God and so every person is our brother or sister through
Jesus Christ. As brothers and sisters who share one
Holy Spirit, we are all valuable to God. We all deserve to be shown concern for our welfare and our
feelings. We have all been given the fruit of the
Spirit called kindness. Kindness can only be seen
through actions. It’s not enough to say I will be
kind or I am kind. We must show that we are kind
by our words and our actions. Through prayer and
concentration, we can get better at showing kindness to everyone we meet.
Lenten Food Drive
St. James School is holding a Lenten Food Drive.
We encourage all families to donate generously to
support needy families this Lenten season. All donations will be forwarded to The Compass our local
food bank.
MARCH
2015
NEWSLETTE R
ECO NEWS
National Sweater Day is a fun way to learn about the
importance of saving energy, and inspire us all to
use less heat all winter! Our “My Sweater has a Story” initiative was a great success, with some wonderful, wacky, and warm sweaters making an appearance in the hallway of St. James. We thank you
for all your continued support!
Earth Hour 2015
During the afternoon on Friday, March 27th the students and staff from St. James Catholic Global
Learning Centre will be participating in Earth Hour.
On Thursday, March 12th, the St. James’ Eco Team
will be hosting The Great Gulp. This event is in celebration of Peel’s tap water and involves the entire
school participating in a synchronized drink. The
Great Gulp is an opportunity to promote the importance of drinking water for optimal health, to use
reusable water bottles, and to choose tap water
whenever possible. The Eco Team will be raising
awareness about these topics and reminder announcements for participation in The Great Gulp all
week long. All students are encouraged to bring their
reusable water bottles to school for the event. All
schools participating in The Great Gulp will be entered into a draw for a water refill station for the
school or reusable water bottles for each student. We
encourage all to join in this event and to remember
that Peel tap water is clean, safe, and a convenient
choice that is not only good for the environment, but
for your health, too. Cheers to tap water!
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Inquiry Corner
As a Catholic school we emphasize the virtues
program along with the IB learner attributes and
attitudes. Together we encourage our students to
be kind cooperators caring for others, leading
when necessary and being kind always. This
month will celebrate the virtue of Kindness.
3
Inquiry Corner
The IB Attitude for this month is Cooperation. Students
will be encouraged to be happy to cooperate, lead or
follow depending on the situation.
“Cooperation means everyone working together for the
greater good of all.”
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave
you.
Ephesians 4:32
The IB Attribute for this month is Caring. Caring learners
show empathy, compassion and respect towards the
needs and feelings of others. They act to make a positive
difference to the lives of others. Students will be encouraged to understand that being a caring person means having a personal commitment to service, and to act to make
a positive difference in the lives of others and to the environment.
“I care about people, plants, animals and the Earth. I help
others and I look after the environment.”
The Primary Years Programme is based upon the
following 5 Essential Elements
Knowledge: Tr ansdisciplinar y Themes – What do
we want the students to know about?
Attitudes: What do we want the students to feel, value and demonstrate?
Skills: What do we want the students to be able to
do?
Concepts: What do we want the students to under stand?
Action: How do we want the students to act?
This month we will highlight the transdisciplinary
skills and the key concepts.
We also align the Catholic Graduate Expectations with
our program’s focus on the development of the student
learner.
The Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations
Vision of the Learner:
The graduate is expected to be a caring family member.
Students are encouraged to relate to family members in a
loving, compassionate and respectful manner. We want
our students to value the importance of family and we
encourage them to engage in daily prayer with family at
home.
MARCH
2015
NEWSLETTE R
Students at St. James will acquire and practice a range
of essential skills. The transdisciplinary skills are those
capabilities that the students need to demonstrate to
succeed in a changing, challenging world. These skills
are valuable, not only in the units of inquiry but also for
any teaching and learning that goes on in the classroom, and in life outside the school.
PAGE
Inquiry Corner
Social skills: accept responsibility; respect others; cooperate, engage in conflict resolution and group decision making; take on various group roles.
Research skills: ask questions, make observations;
plan; collect, record, organize and interpret data; present findings.
4
Inquiry Corner
Student-led conferences at St. James
In an effort to stay committed to implementing the IB’s
programme standards and practices, the staff at St.
James organized student-led conferences this term as a
means to communicate information about assessment
and the progress of students’ learning to parents.
Thinking skills: gain knowledge; construct meaning
and understanding; apply knowledge; make decisions;
think about different points of view.
Self-management skills: be organized; act safely; use
time management skills; use appropriate behaviour;
make informed decisions.
Communication skills: listening (to directions, to others, to information); speaking (express knowledge,
ideas and opinions, oral presentation); reading
(information, understand what is read, make inferences, draw conclusions); writing (record information
and observations, write reports, keep a journal).
Students in the PYP will develop an understanding of
important concepts. The key concepts are powerful ideas
that have relevance within the subject areas but also
transcend them. Students must explore and re-explore
these key concepts in order to develop a coherent, indepth understanding.








FORM: What is it like?
FUNCTION: How does it work?
CAUSATION: Why is it like this?
CONNECTION: How is it related to other things?
CHANGE: How is it changing?
PERSPECTIVE: What are the points of view?
REFLECTION: How do we know?
RESPONSIBILITY: What is our responsibility?
MARCH
2015
NEWSLETTE R
The feedback from the staff was extremely positive.
Teachers were impressed by how well the students
were able to articulate their learning experiences and
understanding of various units of study. They watched
as students guided their parents on a tour of the classroom, explaining different types of work and classroom
displays. Teachers were very proud of how well the
students reflected upon their individual portfolios of
class work and assessments. Students did an exceptional job describing their strengths as learners as well as
areas for growth. The units of inquiry and learner profile attributes and attitudes were also highlighted by
students and their progress throughout the year was
evident throughout the conferences. The teachers enjoyed facilitating the conferences and are confident
they will get even better over time.
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Inquiry Corner
MYP
5
Inquiry Corner
Lent….A Time of Preparation
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection,
and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain
redemption.
The journey of LENT has begun and our Grade
6/7s have committed themselves to find the meaning of sacrifice.
Coding is for everyone! Learn how to code firsthand
without having to master complex algorithms. The
core principles of coding apply to all students as
they learn to organize, communicate and execute in
a logical manner. Students create and publish their
own apps and games in conjunction with the provincial curriculum.
The Grade 6/7s ventured into the world of CODING.
Students visited the Microsoft store to begin their
journey into the realm of computer science. But
teaching coding is about much more than helping
children understand the technology they are using,
important though that is. It is more about giving
them the opportunity to have skill they can use for
the rest of their lives. Also, if our students are able
to understand and create technology – they can
change the world as we know it.
MARCH
2015
NEWSLETTE R
Learning Walk
Inquiry and understanding the curriculum.
The students collaboratively worked together to
classify their shapes while taking into consideration how the younger grades (Grade 2 and 3) had
also showcased their understanding of shapes. The
purpose of the learning walk is to help students
scaffold their learning and build upon the years of
understanding within a certain topic. The Grade
6/7 geometry unit is an example of how the students were able to look at the younger grades to
build upon what they already learned in those
grades and to push themselves even further
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6
School Council
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL (CSC)
NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, April 8th at
6:30pm. Childcare is provided.
FAMILY SKATE EVENT: Our second annual
Family event will be held on Sunday, March 22 at
the Carmen Corbassen Community Center. We
hope you and your family can come out for an afternoon of skating, crafts, and refreshments. Ice
time is 3-4 p.m. More details to follow soon…
LUNCH PROGRAM: Tir ed of packing school
lunches every day? Don’t forget that The Lunch
Lady visits our school every Monday and Thursday
and provides lots of healthy options for lunches.
Ordering can be done on-line once you register
your child on their website (www.thelunchlady.ca).
If you have any questions about the program, you
can contact The Lunch Lady at 905-569-9036 or
malou@thelunchlady.ca.
Jayhawk News
2015 Annual Criminal Offence Declaration for
Volunteer
Dear Parents/Guardians,
For those that have a Vulnerable Sector Police Records Search on file at the school we are now in need
of a copy of the “2015 Annual Criminal Offence
Declaration for Volunteer”. The 2015 AOD
(Annual Offence Declaration) for Volunteers is to be
kept with the copy of the Vulnerable Sector Police Records Search the school has on file. This is
a procedure that is to be undertaken every year that
keeps your Vulnerable Sector Police Records Search
valid for another year. Forms are available in the
office to be filled in and signed. Please inform any
family members that have a Vulnerable Sector Police Records Search on file with us that they must
also sign a declaration. For any one that does not
submit a declaration your police record search will
expire as of June 2015 and you will no longer be
able to accompany any fieldtrips. Thank you.
COMMUNITY THANK YOU’s: A big thanks
to our community partners who have helped us by
providing discounts or free food for our school
council meetings.
 Fortunato Wholesale Produce (fruit donation for
meeting)
 Great Canadian Pizza
FUNDED THROUGH YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
TO COUNCIL:
-Cricket and Rugby Kits
-Scientist in the School Shortfall
-Family Skate Event Rink Rental (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
MARCH
2015
NEWSLETTE R
Math Club
Congratulation to all the students who participated in
the Caribou Math Contest on Wednesday, February
11, 2015. The students did a wonderful job representing St. James. The next test will be Wednesday,
April 1, 2015, same ‘math’ time, same ‘math’ location. 12:00 noon in the library.
PAGE
Jayhawk News
Front Door Late Entry
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.
7
Jayhawk News
Chess Club
The students have been taking part in the lunch
time chess club. There has been some very tight
competition between the players. The winners of
the competition will go on to represent St. James
in the Mississauga East Chess Tournament being
held at Corpus Christi School on Wednesday
March 11th. We wish to congratulate everyone for
their great playing.
Thank you for your understanding and co-operation.
Book Fair
The book fair was a big success.
Thank you Mr. Discenza for organizing the book fair. We would like
to thank the community for your continued support.
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.
A Note From the Desk of Your Youth Faith
Ambassadors…
Thank you to everyone who generously donated to
our January CRAZY HAIR Spirit Day. We raised
$128.00 for ShareLife.
February’s JERSEY Spirit Day was another successful fundraising event. The students continued
to show their support for ShareLife by “Giving
Change to Make a Change.” The best part of the
day was the teacher vs. student basketball game. It
was a fun filled and exciting afternoon enjoyed by
all!
Valentine Cake Raffle
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.
MARCH
2015
NEWSLETTE R
We would like to thank the St. James Community
for all their valentine cake donations for our raffle
that was held on Friday February 13th. We received 54 beautiful cakes. Thank you Ms. DeMelo
for organizing such a wonderful event.
It was a fun event with many
lucky winners taking home a
cake to share with their family.
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
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
Mar 4 - FDK Riverwood Fieldtrip
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
Mar 6 - Gr. 5 Art Exhibit
Mar 9 - Virtues Assembly & Ukulele Presentation
Mar 11 - Chess Tournament
Mar 12 - Gr. 7 Immunization
Mar 13- Gr. 4 & 5 Mask Making Trip
MARCH
2015
NEWSLETTE R
St. James is now on Twitter! For the latest news
and information, follow us @StJamesDPCDSB