JANUARY
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
We welcome everyone back after the Christmas
vacation and wish that the New Year is filled
with all of God’s blessings for you and your
family.
Lord Jesus,
may your light shine our
way,
as once it guided the steps of
the magi:
that we too may be led into
your presence
and worship you,
the Child of Mary,
the Word of the Father,
the King of nations,
the Saviour of mankind;
to whom be glory for ever.
Principal
Brian Diogo
Amen
B. Diogo
Principal
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Living Our Faith & Eco News
2
School Council
School Council
3
Co-Chairs
Inquiry Corner
3/4/5
Jayhawk News
6&7
Take Note
8
Upcoming Dates
8
M. Giovanniello
J. McCarthy
We return to school with a renewed energy and
a positive outlook as we look forward to the
many initiatives taking place this term. Best
wishes to all for a happy, healthy and successful
2015.
May God Bless You,
Secretary
A. Litster
As 2015 begins we all look forward to new
challenges and opportunities with great anticipation and excitement. The New Year has just
begun and our students and staff are working
hard and striving towards the important school
goals for the remainder of the year. We will also
see the many other great facets of student life
continuing with our intramural athletic programs, a variety of clubs including our chess
club and many more opportunities for our students on the horizon.
Kindergarten to Grade 8 Registration
(2015-16)
Registration will take place on February
2nd, 2015 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
and on February 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th,
from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
PAGE
2
Living Our Faith
Virtue Corner
ECO NEWS
St. James Eco Team
JANUARY~ SELF CONTROL
This month we will celebrate the virtue of SELF CONTROL.
The school continues to participate in Lights Out
Lunch Hour every day. Thank you to the students
that volunteer their time to monitor the classrooms.
A person with self control…
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Is patient.
Knows how to wait his/her turn.
Can calm himself/herself down and think before
reacting to a situation.
Knows how to avoid physical aggression
(hitting, kicking, pushing, fighting).
Can think things through and do what is best for
all.
As part of our Eco-Schools initiative we continue to
move towards paperless communication. We are
hoping that our electronic versions of announcements and programs meet your needs.
Through prayer and concentration, we can become
better at exhibiting self-control.
Mr. Carreiro’s grade 5 class will be visiting the
Waste Management Facility on January 13th. The
students will be learning about how much energy it
takes to produce items and how much more effective
it is to recycle.
Christmas Food Drive
Thank you to the community for another successful
Christmas Food Drive. Once again we were able to
donate generously to support needy families this
Christmas season. All food donations were forwarded to The Compass our local food bank. Thank
you to all those that participated in our Christmas
Hamper program. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
JANUARY
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
3
School Council
NEXT MEETING:
Wednesday, January 14th at 6:30pm. Childcare is provided. Feel free to bring along your own mug or reusable water bottle and help us reduce our environmental
footprint.
COFFEE MUG DONATIONS:
Have an extra coffee mug lying around that could be put
to better use? Please donate it to the office for our
Council meetings. Our goal is to be ‘disposable-cupfree’ by the next meeting.
PLANT-A-GRANT:
At the end of last year, many families picked a ‘Plant-AGrant’ envelope to help the school research different
grant opportunities and come up with ideas for various
grants. More details, along with the grant information
list, can be found on the school’s website on the parent
page (under Forms and Attachments). Please submit
your ideas to the council e-mail address: stjamesCGLCcouncil@gmail.com .
2014-2015 PROGRAMS/ITEMS FUNDED BY
YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO CSC
-Bussing for French Play (Grades 3-7)
-Director’s Cut Shortfall (Grades 6/7)
-Gingerbread cookies for all students
-Hallowe’en Spook-A-Thon Glo Bracelets & Pizza
Lunch for all students
-Caribou Math Contest program for grades 3-7
-RAZ kids on-line reading program for K-3
-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/
JANUARY
2015 NEWSLETTER
Inquiry Corner
Mrs. Marchesan’s Grade 6/7 class had a once in a
lifetime experience to share in a part of Canada’s
history. The class was able to visit one of the many
Residential Schools that Aboriginal children were
sent to. This particular school is located in Brantford Ontario at the Woodlands Cultural Centre. After having a tour of the school, students were able to
ask questions and learn more about this difficult
past. After learning and sharing these experiences,
the students then were able to partake in traditional
aboriginal games.
The students ended their day making a traditional
craft that will be able to cherish as token of their experiences. This experience is a true reflection of the
connection between, ministry curriculum, the inquiry based approach and the IB philosophy - enabling students to become experiential, life-long
learners.
Parents, please have dialogue with your children
about their experiences at Woodlands Cultural Centre to deepen their learning and understanding.
PAGE
Inquiry Corner
As a Catholic school, rooted in faith, we celebrate the
Virtues along with the Attitudes and Attributes of the
PYP. We also align the Catholic Graduate Expectations with our program’s focus on the development
of the student learner. This month we are celebrating the virtue
of self-control/decision making. God wants us to do what we
know and feel is right.
Ephesians 1:17-19
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come
to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened,
you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the
saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power
for us who believe, according to the working of his great
power.
4
Inquiry Corner
The IB Attitudes for this month are commitment and independence. Students will show com mitment to their own
learning, persevering and showing self-discipline and
responsibility. Students who are independent think and
act independently, making their own judgments based on
reasoned argument, and being able to defend their judgments.
At St. James Catholic Global Learning Centre we use an
inquiry based approach to teaching and student learning. In
inquiry based learning environments teachers are viewed as
facilitators and not ‘distributors’ of knowledge. Teacher
provocations and questions help initiate student inquiry
about the transdisciplinary theme, central idea and lines of
inquiry. Teachers use more of a hands-on approach rather
than reliance on textbook teaching and their teaching methods build on students' individual knowledge and interests and
emphasizes learning how to learn and how to find out.
Students at St. James guide their inquiry through questions,
wonderings, research and working collaboratively with others.
At St. James we encourage our students to preserve through
their learning, knowledge acquisition and studies, showing selfdiscipline and responsibility as well as making right judgments
in their speech, words and actions always responding critically
in the light of Gospel values.
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 presents information and ideas clearly and honestly
and with sensitivity to others, writes and speaks fluently one or
both of Canada's official languages and integrates the Catholic
faith tradition, in the critical analysis of the arts, media, technology and information systems to enhance the quality of life.
The IB Attribute for this month is knowledgeable. Students
will explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and
global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth
knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.
“Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.”
~Chinese Proverb
JANUARY
2015 NEWSLETTER
What does inquiry look like for students?
 Exploring, wondering and questioning
 Experimenting and playing with possibilities
 Making connections between previous learning and current learning
 Making predictions and acting purposefully to see what
happens
 Collecting data and reporting findings
 Researching and seeking information
 Taking and defending a position
 Solving problems in a variety of ways
Research suggests that using inquiry-based learning with
students can help them become more creative, more positive
and more independent (Kuhne, 1995). In all types of inquiry
based instruction student questions are always valued in authentic ways.
Teachers are using the inquiry cycle to support students
through this process.
PAGE
Inquiry Corner
“Inquiry, interpreted in the broadest sense, is the process initiated by the students or the teacher that moves the students from
their current level of understanding to a new and deeper level
of understanding.” (Making the PYP Happen, 2007)
The Primary Years Programme is based upon the following
5 Essential Elements
Knowledge: Transdisciplinary 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 understand?
Action: How do we want the students to act?
This month the Transdisciplinary Themes and Action will be
highlighted.
One of the most significant and distinctive features of the IB
Primary Years Programme is the six transdisciplinary themes.
These themes provide IB World Schools with the opportunity
to incorporate local and global issues into the curriculum and
effectively allow students to “step up” beyond the confines of
learning within subject areas. The Programme of Inquiry is
developed using these 6 themes as the basis for the various
units, central ideas and lines of inquiry.
http://www.ibo.org/pyp/written/
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; what it means to be human.
Where We Are in Place and Time
An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind;
the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local
and global perspectives.
How We Organize Ourselves
An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human
made systems and communities; the structure and
function of organizations; societal decision making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.
JANUARY
2015 NEWSLETTER
5
Inquiry Corner
How the World Works
An inquiry into the natural world and its laws;
the interaction between the natural world
(physical and biological) and human societies;
how humans use their understanding of scientific
principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.
How We Express Ourselves
An inquiry 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.
Sharing the Planet
An inquiry into 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.
ACTION: Students are encouraged to Choose, Act and Reflect during the units of inquiry. Action in the PYP involves
demonstrations of deeper learning in responsible behaviour
through responsible action; it is a manifestation in practice of
the other essential elements. At St. James we encourage our
students to demonstrate various forms of Action (e.g. doing
further independent research about a topic, sharing new
learning with others, bringing in books or other resources
about a topic, fundraising events, organizing student campaigns etc). (Making the PYP Happen, 2007)
PAGE
Jayhawk News
Kindergarten to Grade 8 Registration (2015-16)
Please note the following change to the registration
dates for Kindergarten to Grade 8 at St. James
Catholic Global Learning Centre for the 2015-16
school year.
Jayhawk News
The following documents will be needed when
registering for all grades:
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Registration will take place on February 2nd,
2015 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and on
February 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th, from 9:00
a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
(February 3rd, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.,
has been designated as a snow day for St.
James registration.)
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Potential registrations for Kindergarten for the St.
James Catholic Global Learning Centre are advised
to register at the home school dur ing the Boardwide registration dates.
Kindergarten registration for all other elementary
schools in Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board for the 2015-16 school year will be held on
January 26th from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and January
28th, 29th, 30th from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
6
proof of age (Birth Certificate)
original Roman Catholic baptismal certificate
(for child and/or parent/guardian) or baptismal
certificate from an Eastern Church in full communion with the Holy See of Rome. If the
child has not been baptized, and the parent/
guardian is a baptized Roman Catholic or is
baptized from an Eastern Church in full communion with the Holy See of Rome, the parent/
guardian must bring their own baptismal certificate.
updated immunization records
proof of Canadian citizenship (Birth Certificate
or Passport) or Landed Immigrant status
proof of home address (two of the following:
property tax bill, current utility bill, real estate
document or Government of Canada issued
forms)
Only complete registrations will be accepted. All documentation must be received at the time of registration.
January 27th, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., has been
designated as a snow day.
Information regarding the lottery process
for all registrations at St. James Catholic
Global Learning Centre will be made
available prior to the February 2nd-6th,
2015 registration dates through St. James
Catholic Global Learning Centre.
JANUARY
2015 NEWSLETTER
P.A. DAY
There will be a professional activity
day on Monday January 19th, 2015.
Please take note that there will be
NO SCHOOL on that day.
PAGE
Jayhawk News
7
Jayhawk News
Changing Weather
Basketball
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. Children may also wish to have a change of clothing at
school in the event that they get wet while playing
outdoors.
The Junior Basketball team has now been selected.
We look forward to an exciting season. The following is a list of the games.
The main risks of exposure to extremely cold weather for relatively short periods (recess or lunch periods) is that of frostbite. Someone who is protected
by clothing or is physically active may be able to
withstand exposure to colder temperatures. Therefore, it is recommended that consideration be given
to reducing the amount of time outdoors for children
(grade 8 and under) when the temperature is -20 degrees Celsius or colder. When the temperature or
equivalent wind chill temperature is - 25 degrees
Celsius or lower children will be kept indoors.
Winter Wear
Please ensure that the snowpants
and gloves/mittens that your child
is wearing are water resistant as
many students are coming back
into class with wet clothing. In some cases the items
do not have an opportunity to dry before the student
goes back out for recess. Leaving an extra pair of
gloves/mittens is advisable at this time of year.
Christmas Concert
We wish to thank all those involved with this years’
Christmas Concert. It was a fun night for all the students. Thank you to all the teachers that put in many
extra hours preparing for this event. Thank you to
our volunteers for the beautiful decorating. Without
the help of our many volunteers we would never be
able to bring you such a wonderful show.
JANUARY
2015 NEWSLETTER
January 15th at home (boys first) vs. St. Chris
February 3rd at St. Domenic (girls first)
February 9th at home (boys first) vs. St. Timothy
February 11th at St. Alfred (girls first)
February 17th at Queen of Heaven (girls first)
February 18th at home (boys first) vs. St. Edmund
(February 26th Family Tournament if qualify)
No students will be allowed to stay and watch the
home games without a note from their parents.
Please be aware there is no supervision by a staff
member at the games.
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.
Chess Team
The students from Grades 1 to 7 will be able to
take part in the lunch time chess club. Last year
saw some very tight competition between the players. We wish everyone good luck.
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
Jan
5 -
Jan
13 -
Virtues Assembly 1:00 p.m.
Jan
13 -
Gr. 5 Waste Management Trip
Jan
28 -
Public Speaking Contest
Jan
29 -
Peel Recycling Presentations
JANUARY
Welcome Back
2015 NEWSLETTER
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