November 2015
St. John of the Cross School
3180 Aquitaine Avenue, Mississauga, ON L5N 3S5
November Newsletter
DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Tel. 905-824-3058 Fax 905-824-4413
Website: www.dpcdsb.org/JCROS
Principal‘s Message:
The month of November is a month of Remembrance. On November 1 st, All Saints Day, reminds
our community of those men and women who have lived faithful lives in our Church. This day is
part of the liturgical calendar of events, and we remember our saints in our prayers. The historical
roots of this celebration have to do with those martyrs who died in the early Church. Later, Pope
Gregory VII declared this day to be the date we remember all who lived and died for their faith.
On November 2nd, All Souls Day, we remember and pray for all those who have died, especially
our loved ones. Both dates remind students of the depth of our faith and our participation in the
Catholic Church.
On November 11th, Remembrance Day, we remember the courageous men and women who made
the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the many freedoms that we enjoy today. We also thank
the peacekeepers of today who help keep us safe in our daily lives. Please join us for our Remembrance Day Liturgy on November 11th at 10:45 am.
During this month, let us reflect and share our kindness with others. We are reminded that as children of God we are ‘peacemakers’ in our community and that we have a responsibility to strive to
improve not only our own lives but the lives of those around us. It is our hope that the children at
St. John of the Cross will follow Jesus’ path to create an inclusive and just community which truly
reflects His love for all. It is our prayer that our students will carry the ‘peace of Christ’ in their
hearts each and every day!
Mr. Scardicchio,
Principal
St. John of the Cross School
Principal
D. Scardicchio
Secretary
J. Gillis
Dufferin-Peel CDSB
Personnel
Trustee
905-812-5163
E. O’Toole
J. Kostoff
Director of Education
905-890-1221
Associate Directors
905-890-1221
S. McWatters
J. Hrajnik
T. Cruz
Bus Driver Appreciation
On October 21st, St. John of the Cross School
participated in Bus Driver Appreciation Day by thanking the school
bus drivers with cards and a special gift.
We appreciate our drivers and their
responsibility to safely transport our
students to and from school every day!
Bus Patrollers!!
On September 25th Mrs. Jasinski took our Bus Patrollers for training
to Peel Safety Village. We are so proud of the students who have volunteered for this very important position.
Congratulations to our bus patrollers for the 2015-2016 school year!
Benjamin W., Raelen C., Jaundel S., Sidney H., Anthony S., Krystal
M.
905-890-1221
Superintendent
905-890-1221
Parish
St. John of the Cross Church
6890 Glen Erin Drive
Mississauga, Ontario
L5N 2E1
905-821-1331
Fax: 905-858-8486
e-mail: stjohnofx@rogers.com
Website: www.saintjohnofthecross.com
Pastoral Team
Fr. Joseph Kalluvila, O. Carm.
Fr. Abraham Kulanjiyil O.Carm.
Kate Watkiss, Pastoral Associate
Mass Times:
Weekends
Sat. 5:00 p.m.,
Sun. 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.,
12:00 & 4:00 p.m.
“Toonie for Terry”
Thank you St. John of the Cross School community for your support
of our Terry Fox Walk. We raised $423.40!! WAY TO GO!!
School Council Meetings!!
All School Council meetings are held in the library and are open to all
parents of students attending St. John of the Cross School. Meetings
begin at 6:30pm. Minutes of school council meetings will be made
available on the school website.
Please consider joining us!
Please mark your calendars for our future meeting dates:
November 30th; January 21st; March 7th; May 16th.
Pediculosis!!
Each school year we have a number of outbreaks of pediculosis and
so we ask that you periodically check your own children. If you find
them to be infested please ensure that they get the proper treatment
and that you please inform the school. We will be asking you to keep
them out of school until after they have been treated with the correct
shampoo and their heads are entirely clear of both lice and nits (eggs).
Some parents have reported that a ‘special comb’ has been very successful in helping control the problem.
If we cooperate in these procedures, we may not entirely escape outbreaks, but we will be able to bring them under control quickly. Information on head lice may also be obtained from your family doctor or
pharmacist.
Weekdays
Mon.—Fri. 9:00 a.m., First Friday only-no
morning mass 7:00 pm
Winter Dress / Colds & Flu
It is important that all students come to school ready to participate in all activities, including outdoor recess. Please ensure that your
children come to school with hats, scarves, gloves, winter outerwear and boots. All students should have indoor footwear at school.
This is imperative in case of an emergency evacuation since the students will not have time to put on their boots if they need to evacuate in a hurry! Please understand that if your child is well enough to attend school, they are well enough to go outside.
From the Library
The library has been busy with classes and individual students coming in for library time. It is wonderful to see the desire to read and learn when our students come in with their classes to exchange their library books. Encourage the desire
to read by reading with your child and visiting the local Public library. With the cold and damp weather it is the perfect
opportunity to read with your child/children. Reading allows us to travel to far away places, imagine new and wonderful
things while learning and all from the comfort of our homes. It is wonderful to see the desire to read and learn when our
students come in with their classes to exchange their library books.
Mrs. Lichacz
Teacher Librarian
QSP FUNDRAISER!!
On-line orders only!
www.qsp.ca Code # 3716990
Remember to Change your
Clocks on November 1st!
Sports News! Go, Mustangs, Go!!!!
Casual
Fridays
St. John of the Cross Runners in Cross Country Meet
The cross-country team had an outstanding season! 38 team members
participated in the family meet at Erindale Park on October 8th and they
performed amazingly well, showing wonderful spirit!! Our participants
were: Leeanna A., Nathan B., Alicia C., Steffen D., Michael D., Aaron F., Christian G.,
Arcadio G., Madeline H., Alden H., Kristopher H., Kyle H., Ryan J., Ronan H., Sydney
H., Allanah N., Adam K., Richard O., Darius P., Karina P., Ralph R., Joshua R., Nikola
R., Miya S., Athanasia S., Giovanna S., Brooke S., Erica S., James S., Julia S., Matthew
S., Kelly S., Connor T., Krzysztof T., Brenden W., Benjamin W., Jaritt W., Brittany W.. A
special thank you to coaches: M. Perruzza Rubba, and K. O’Flaherty for all of their time
and effort and bringing our team to the meet!
Congratulations to the following students who represented our school at the Board
Meet at Centennial Park on October 25th: Adam K., Alannah N., Karina P., Miya S.,
Athanasia S., Giovanna S., Kelly S., and Brittany W..
You may observe
that the staff dress in
a casual manner on
Fridays.
Through staff donations made on these
Fridays, we are supporting
the United
Way
of
Peel
or
ShareLife.
Junior Girls Volleyball
Congratulations to the following girls
who participated on the St. John of the
Cross Junior Girls Volleyball Team:
Lily G.; Samanta T.; Jaritt W.; Anika
P.; Sydney H.; Leeanna A.; Hannah G.;
Alicia C.; and Alannah N.
The girls had a strong season and proceeded to
the Family Tournament which was held at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School on Thursday,
October 15th . Go, Mustangs, Go!
Thank you to coaches P. Blimkie and
R. Boryszko for your dedication and support!!
N O V E M B E R 20 1 5
Junior Boys Volleyball
Congratulations to the following boys who
participated on the St. John of the Cross
JuniorBoys Volleyball Team:
Michael D., Aiden D., Adam K., James S.,
Matthew P., Kristopher H.., Matthew S., Joshua R.,
Dominykas T., Christian G., Matthew T., Ryan J. .
The boys put forth a great effort during the season and
demonstrated wonderful teamwork and outstanding dedication! Go, Mustangs, Go!
Thank you to coaches Mrs. Letterio and Mr. Hogan
for all of their time and effort.
Page 3
Peel Regional Police
School Program
Rough Play
We are pleased that a neighbourhood Policing Unit officer has
again been assigned to liaise with St. John of the Cross School.
The officer assigned to our school is Constable Kim. We are
continually strengthening the partnerships established between
students, staff and officers. Be sure to dialogue with your child/
children about the presentations that Peel Police offer the
school!!
Students have been given guidelines about appropriate behaviour in the playground. At St. John of the
Cross we continue to enforce a hands off policy for
schoolyard activities. Aggressive play can lead to
unintended injuries and unnecessary arguments.
Teachers have been instructed to send students to
the office who continue to disobey these rules.
Please discuss this very important matter with your
child.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY
A special ‘Thank You’ to the St. John of the Cross Community for their generous contributions to the Thanksgiving Food Drive. Your support and collective effort made Thanksgiving a happier occasion for many families. A thank you also goes to Ms. Letterio and our Grade 8 students for organizing this special event!
Remembrance Day
St. John of the Cross
An ECO SCHOOL!!
Litterless Lunches
On November11th at 10:45 am the students in
Grades JK – 8 will be involved in a Remembrance
Day Service. Parents are invited to join us for this
special event. It is being planned and presented by
Mrs. Perruzza-Rubba’s Grade 6 class.
Students are encouraged to be environmentally
friendly by reducing the amount of plastic and
paper waste from snacks and lunches. Options
St. John of the Cross will be making a donation to
the Royal Canadian Legion to show our support for the war such as reusable plastic storage containers are
veterans and in appreciation for the poppies made available to very welcome. On ‘boomerang’ lunch days, all
waste will be sent home!!
us.
EQAO Update!
EQAO results for the assessment of grade 3 and 6 students who attended
schools in Ontario during May 2015 have been released. Individual student
results will be sent home at a later date.
Looking ahead, the window for EQAO assessments of all grade 3 and grade 6
students has been established for the weeks of May 25h – June 8th , 2016.
Please keep this important time frame in mind when you are planning family
trips or appointments. It is important that all Grade 3 and 6 students be in
attendance for the assessments.
Percentage of students enrolled in the grade
who scored at or above
Provincial Standard (Levels 3 & 4):
Grade 3 (‘14-’15)
Reading
Writing
Math
School
80 %
90 %
87 %
Board
71%
76 %
64 %
Province
N/A
N/A
N/A
Reading
Writing
Math
School
100 %
100 %
84 %
Board
81 %
82 %
53 %
Province
N/A
N/A
N/A
Grade 6 (‘14-’15)
N O V E M B E R 20 1 5
School, Board and Provincial
Achievement Results: 2014- 2015
The review of the Primary Assessment
data indicates that we surpassed the
Board in Reading by 9%. In writing we
surpassed the Board by 14% and our
Mathematics scores surpassed the Board
by 23%.
The review of the Junior Assessment
data shows that the Reading scores surpassed the Board by 19%.The Junior
Writing scores surpassed the Board by
18% and our Junior Mathematics scores
were well above the Board standards by
31%.
Both students and staff are very proud of
the overall results for both Grade 3’s and
Grade 6’s.
Page 4
2015/2016 Public Speaking Competitions
Public Speaking Competitions for grades 4 to 8 will take place soon. Many students have already started working on speeches.
Our school competition will take place on Wednesday, November 18th, in the morning.
St. Faustina Elementary School will be hosting this year ’s Mississauga Nor th Family of Schools Public Speaking Competition, on
Thursday, November 26th, 2015.
Only one Junior and one Intermediate competitor from each school will attend the Family level competition. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd
and 3rd place winners and all participants will receive a participation certificate. We encourage Junior competitors to remain only for the morning and likewise, Intermediate competitors attend only for the afternoon.
French Immersion for Students Entering Grade 1 in September 2016
Students registered in this program will spend 90% of their day learning in the French language. All subjects and activities in the
French Immersion classroom will be delivered in French except for English language arts.
If you wish to consider the French Immersion Program as a possibility for your child for Grade 1, please attend the Information
Meeting to be held at St. Margaret of Scotland School, 2266 Council Ring Rd., Mississauga on Thursday, November 12
at 7:00 pm.
Letters have been sent home with all Senior Kindergarten parents, however, if you require more information, please contact the
school.
Full Day 2016-17 Junior and Senior Kindergarten Registration
Monday, January 25, 2016
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.*
*Snow Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2016- 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 27th, Thursday, January 28th & Friday, January 29th, 2016
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Admissions are open to Catholic children and children of Catholic parents.
Kindergarten students must be at least 4 years of age by Dec. 31, 2016
Parents/Guardians should bring the following documents when registering their child:





proof of age (Birth Certificate or Passport)
original Roman Catholic Baptismal Certificate (for parent and/or child) or Baptismal Certificate of
other rites in communion with the Holy See of Rome (if the child has not been baptized, and the
parent or guardian is a baptized Roman Catholic or is baptized in another rite in communion with
the Holy See of Rome, the parent/guardian should bring their own baptismal certificate).
updated immunization records (Immunization Card, Peel Health For or Letter of Exemption)
proof of Canadian citizenship (Birth Certificate, passport or permanent resident status)
Two - proof of address within school boundaries (property tax bill, current utility bill, real estate
document or Government of Canada issued forms)
To find out which Catholic school is in your area, please contact the
Planning Dept. at 905-890-0708 Ext. 24440.
For more information, contact St. John of the Cross School at 905-824-3058
or call the Admissions Department at 905-890-0708 ext. 24500.
Parent Evening to Support the Transition of Students with Differing Abilities into
Kindergarten
A meeting is set up at the Board Office Catholic Education Centre, 40 Matheson Boulevard West, on Tuesday, January 12, 2016.
EXTENDED FRENCH INFORMATION MEETING
Grade 4 parent(s)/guardian(s), who wish to enroll their child in a Grade 5 Extended French class for September, 2016 are invited to attend an information
meeting at:
St. Therese of the Child Jesus 905 785-0066
6930 Forest Park Drive Mississauga ‐ L5N 6X7
Thursday January 14, 2016 7:00 p.m.
At the present time, the above mentioned school is the designated
centre for our area. Applications will be accepted at that centre until
3:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 16, 2016.
PROGRESS REPORTS
As per Ministry of Education guidelines, students in Grades 1-8 will receive progress reports on November 17th. Interviews for students requiring them, will take place on Thursday, November 19th
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION
Telephone voice mail extensions at the parish for questions regarding
sacramental preparation for baptized children attending Catholic school.
Messages will be returned by the Sacramental Team.
905-821-1331 EXT 225 1st Communion and Reconciliation
EXT 230 Confirmation
“Bela’s Sock Drop”
Socks are a luxury for some people, especially in the upcoming cold and wet
season. From November 2nd—13th we will be holding a sock drive. We are
hoping that members of the St. John of the Cross community will be generous
enough to bring in a new pair of adult socks to help others in need. These will
be donated to the Youth Without Shelter Foundation. Also, in order to celebrate
our success on November 13th, we will be holding a “Funky Sock Day”.
Thank You for Your Support, Ms. Letterio and The Christian Student Council
Homework Help
Free real-time math tutoring now available
Grade 7 to 10 math students at Dufferin-Peel now have access to 20 hours a week of free, online
math tutoring to help them improve and succeed in math. Check out Homework Help where certified Ontario teachers
are available Sunday to Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., for one-on-one confidential help. Dufferin-Peel is one of 15
English-language boards taking part in this pilot project funded by the Ministry of Education.
Upcoming in December ~
Angel on the Tree
On behalf of the St. Vincent DePaul Society and St. John of the Cross Church, our school will
once again be participating in the Angel on the Tree Christmas Project. Details will be sent
home early in December.
N O V E M B E R 20 1 5
Page 6
Everyone in the school will be eco friendly.
We want every class to try hard to conserve energy
St. John of the Cross School
is going ECO FRIENDLY.
We will be taking on eco friendly activities
and challenges. This school is off to a
good start and if we keep up this good
work we will help save the environment
by doing our part. We will be doing lots of
activities to raise awareness and put our
words into action. God wants us to take
care of each other and take care of planet
earth.
More information to follow.