ST. TERESA OF AVILA
,
6675 MONTEVIDEO ROAD
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO
L5N 4E8
PHONE: (905)858-3462
FAX: (905) 858-1673
October 2015 Newsletter
Principal
M. Sturge
Prayer for the Season of Thanksgiving
Vice Principal
P. Basran
Loving God,
All that we have comes from your goodness
And all the work of those who love us.
Bless us and the food we share
Watch over those who care for us.
Open our eyes to meet the needs of the poor
During this time of harvest and thanksgiving.
We make this prayer in the name of Jesus,
Who is Lord forever and ever.
Amen
Secretary
J. Sequeira
Superintendent
Mississauga North
Family of Schools
T. Cruz
(905) 890-1221
Pastor
St. John of the Cross
Fr. J. Kalluvila
Trustee Ward 9
E. O’Toole
(905) 812-5163
ST. JOHN OF THE
CROSS PARISH
6890 Glen Erin Drive
Miss., ON L5N 2E1
Tel: (905) 821-1331
Fax: (905) 858-8486
Email:
stjohnofx@rogers.com
Website:
www.saintjohnofthecross.com
MASS TIMES
Weekends:
Sat. : 5:00 p.m.
Sun. : 8:00 a.m., 10:00
a.m., 12:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m
Weekdays: 9:00a.m.
PASTORAL TEAM
Fr. Joseph Kalluvila, O.Carm
Pastor
Fr. Abraham Kulanjiyil, O. Carm
Assoc. Pastor
John Cannon, Deacon
Kate Watkiss, Pastoral Associate
Empathy
October’s Virtue
An empathetic person believes that we all share one Spirit; that we are many parts
of one body because we are all created in the image and likeness of God.
Principal’s Message
It’s hard to believe that October is here. It seems that we just
welcomed everyone back yesterday and yet a full month has passed. It has
been a very busy month.
It was great to see so many families attend our Open
House/Curriculum night. Hopefully, at the Open House, you had a chance to
visit with your child’s teacher and to officially initiate the lines of
communication between home and school. We will continue to encourage a
cooperative partnership of students, teachers, parents/guardians and the
Parish to promote a positive learning experience for our students.
On behalf of the Staff of St. Teresa of Avila School, I would like to
wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving. I trust that you will enjoy this beautiful
season with your family and friends. God Bless you and your loved ones.
M. Sturge
Principal
FAITH COMMUNITY
Our first school mass will be Thursday, October 8th
at 1:00 p.m. at St. Teresa of Avila school. Our opening
mass is a reminder of the importance of partnership
between the church, home and school as we all move
along our faith journey. All are welcome!
CATHOLIC CODE OF CONDUCT
The Catholic Code of Conduct sets standards of
behaviour that promote, encourage and foster a
shared commitment to gospel values in daily life,
respect for the dignity of persons created in God’s
image, responsible participation in the civic life of
the school community, peaceful conflict resolution,
respect for diversity, and a commitment to exemplary
conduct, conscientious work, and service to others.
At St. Teresa of Avila we continue to work together
to provide a safe, caring, inclusive and healthy
Catholic school community for all.
Virtue Assembly
Our first assembly will be held on Friday October 2nd
at 2:15 p.m. At this time we will be presenting
certificates of faith. All are welcome!
G.O.T.C.H.A.
We are continuing with our GOTCHA awards. The
entire staff are looking out for students who are
demonstrating acts of kindness either inside or
outside the school. If we catch a student, a certificate
will be awarded and posted on our bulletin board
outside the office.
Autumn Essentials Drive
You will be receiving information shortly regarding our
essentials drive lead by our Faith in Action Team. We
will be collecting essential items and donating to the
St. Vincent de Paul society to help out those who are
in need. Collection will run from Oct. 6-23rd. More
details will be forthcoming.
CCAT Testing
The Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test will be
administered to all grade 4 students on October 20,
21 and 22. In order to qualify for additional testing
students must score at the 95th percentile or above on
two of the three areas, and at the 90 th percentile or
above in the remaining area. If you do not want your
child to participate in this test, please indicate on the
form that will be sent home.
Progress Reports & Interviews
First term progress report cards will be going home on
Tuesday, November 17th. If requested by parents or
teachers, interviews will take place on the evening of
Thursday, November 19th or at a pre-arranged time
that is convenient for the teacher and parent.
However, you are encouraged to contact your
child(ren)’s teacher at any time if you have questions
or concerns about student progress.
Student Information
It is important that we have up to date records of your
address, phone numbers, and emergency contacts in
the event that the school must contact you regarding
your child. Please inform the office or your child’s
teacher if any information changes throughout the
year.
Student Absence and Arrival Time
We ask that parents continue to call to notify the
school if their child will be absent and/or late. Your
phone call to the school saves us time trying to
ensure your child is safe. Remember that you can call
the school twenty-four hours a day to report your
child’s absence at 905-858-3462- option 1. Upon
reaching the school answering service please leave
the following information: a) Date of absence
b)Student’s full name c) Grade level and teacher d)
Reason for absence e) Date of return.
Students who are late must report to the office
and sign in. School staff is on duty at 8:15 a.m in
the morning. There is no supervision for students
before 8:15 a.m. and students should not be
dropped off prior for safety reasons. Students
should arrive at 8:25 a.m. to line up and enter the
school with the rest of the class and avoid being
late. Please continue to call on each day that your
child is absent.
Parking Lot Safety/Kiss and Ride
As always, student safety is a priority at St. Teresa
of Avila School. Please continue to use the available
parking spaces or park in the designated areas on the
street when picking up or dropping off your child. As
indicated in a letter sent out earlier in September,
the Mississauga Parking Enforcement will issue
tickets for those who are illegally parked. The Kiss n
Ride should be constantly moving to prevent a back
log of traffic. Children should not be walking
across the parking lot unattended in front of cars
or buses and will be directed to use the walkway in
front of the school. Please do not leave your
vehicle unattended in the Kiss and Ride. Thank you
to everyone who are using the Kiss and Ride safely.
We are asking for everyone’s patience and
cooperation to ensure that all of our students arrive
and leave school safely.
Storage and Administration of Medication
Parents are responsible for ensuring that all
medication and forms are updated annually for any
student who requires medication to be administered
at school. If your child requires medication please
have the necessary forms completed and return
them, along with any medication, to the office as soon
as possible. Forms are available at the school office.
Medical Alert-Anaphylactic shock- Nut
Allergies
Please be aware that there are students in our school
with a severe life-threatening food allergy
(anaphylaxis) to NUTs and PEANUTs. This is a
medical condition that causes a severe reaction to
certain allergens and can result in death within
minutes. Although this may or may not affect your
child’s class directly, please send lunches and snacks
to school with your children that are free from
peanuts or nut products. We ask that you do not send
in food products for the whole class to celebrate
birthdays or social occasions. A donation of a book or
game to the classroom is a safe alternative to food
products and will be enjoyed so much longer by the
children. Please feel free to contact your child’s
teacher if you have any concerns or questions. We
thank you for your co-operation and attention to this
health watch.
Pediculosis
Although it is early in the school year, it is important
to bring your attention to a problem that occurs in
most schools. Head lice are parasites which have been
common among human beings for centuries. They are
not in any way connected to uncleanliness. If a case is
found in our school, we shall inform parents of the
students in that classroom. If your children do
become infested, we will be asking you to keep them
out of school until after they have been treated with
the correct shampoo and their hair is entirely clear
of both lice and nits(eggs). We ask that you check
your own children regularly. If we all cooperate in
these procedures, we may not entirely escape
outbreaks, but we will be able to bring them under
control quickly.
PED Policy
Personal Electronic Devices on Board Premises
and/or Board Sanctioned Events for Educational
Purposes:
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
acknowledges the value of the use of technology for
learning. Students are permitted to register and use
personal electronic devices (PEDs) on board premises
and/or board sanctioned events for educational
purposes, under the direction of staff and only with
parent/ guardian permission (GF 066- Network User
Application and Agreement, completed at initial
registration). Students may register their PED for
the purpose of connecting to the board wireless
network. Students are required to adhere to the
student “Personal Electronic Device Used with WI-FI
Network Student Agreement” and the “Network User
Application and Agreement.” The student agreement
GF 337 will need to be signed before students can
use the WiFi network.
Please be advised that the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board will not be responsible for
any cost incurred through the use of personal data
plans.
PEDs are to be used responsibly and should not
interfere with learning; their use must comply with
the Catholic Code of Conduct, board policies and
procedures. Any personal communications (i.e.,
phone calls, text messages, etc.) will continue to
be directed through the main office. Failure to
comply with these guidelines may result in a loss of
PED privileges and/or any other consequences
deemed necessary by school administration.
The school principal may authorize limited acceptable uses of personal electronic devices during
school-sanctioned activities for a specific designated
purpose outside of instruction-al spaces and/or in
common areas.
Students are responsible for the safety and
security of PEDs at all times and the Board
assumes no responsibility for lost, damaged or
stolen devices. More information will be forthcoming
regarding Personal Electronic Devices and the
aforementioned process.
Picture Taking
National Walk to School Day
Picture taking is not permitted by the public or media
without signed parental consent. Please be aware that
no pictures of students are to be posted on the internet. Parents are reminded that due to confidentiality
and privacy laws, pictures should NOT be taken at
school events such as concerts, sports games, or
liturgical celebrations. Your cooperation and support
is greatly appreciated.
Pope Francis’ latest Encyclical on the environment
invites us to be ‘Stewards of the Earth’. The National
Walk to School Day on October 7 provides an
opportunity to reduce gas emissions and answer our
Catholic call to care for God’s Creation. The benefits
of walking (and physical activity) is positively linked
to physical and mental health as well as academic
performance.
Visitors to our School
Help kick off our Walk or Wheel Wednesday’s
campaign by walking or riding to school on October 7.
Remember to map out a safe route and plan for extra
travel time!
All visitors and parents are asked to enter the building
through the front door and report the office. Please
sign in and obtain a visitor’s sticker if you plan to
remain in the building, as a volunteer or to watch a
performance, during school hours. If you wish to sign
your child out, he/she will be brought to the office.
Criminal Reference Checks
Anyone working in our school as a new employee or
volunteer must have a Criminal Reference Check
completed by the Peel Police. Criminal Reference
Checks are free of charge for volunteers. If you
are considering volunteering for a school trip during
the school year, please get a form in the school
office. Thank you to those who are able to share
their gift of time.
School Council
The first meeting was October 1 at 6:30 p.m. The
following outlines the 2015/16 new School Council
Executive members: Chair: T. Patterson, Co-Chair: C.
O’Leary, Secretary- C. Carty, Treasurer- M.
Thompson, Parish/Community Representative- A.
Patterson, OAPCE- Ontario Association of Parents in
Catholic Education- J. Tabares. All parents are
invited to attend our next meeting on November 5 th
at 6:30 p.m.
Toonie for Terry/Terry Fox Walk
Again, this year we were proud to participate in the
Annual Terry Fox Walk/Run for Cancer research. All
staff and students took part along with some parents.
The final tally for this worthy cause is still being
calculated and thank you for your donations and to
Mr. Abraham for organizing the event supported by
Mrs. David and all of our staff.
Waste-free Lunch Challenge
Did you know that school lunches are a major source
of waste in Ontario? The average student’s lunch
generates a total of 30 kg (66 lbs.) of waste per
school year, and an average elementary school
generates 8,500 kg (18,700 lbs.) of waste per year.
Last year St. Teresa of Avila families took the
waste-free lunch challenge, reduced waste by over
30% and won an award from the Recycle Council of
Ontario! Let’s see if we can improve on that number
this year and continue the pattern with Waste Free
Wednesdays throughout the year. Here are some tips
to help you pack waste-free:
Yes please
No thanks
REUSABLE lunch container
SINGLE-USE paper or
plastic bags
DISPOSABLE plastic
wrap, foil, wax, or
styrofoam
SINGLE-USE
containers
PAPER napkins
REUSABLE food storage
containers
REUSABLE drink bottle or
thermos
CLOTH NAPKIN to wash and
re-use
CUTLERY/SILVERWARE to
wash and re-use
HEALTHY snacks!
PLASTIC
forks/spoons
OVER-packaged
snacks
Custody of Children
On rare occasions, we are faced with difficult
situations in which non-custodial parents arrive at
school asking to visit their child or to take their child
home after school. We are best able to serve and
protect students when we are made aware of legal
custody arrangements, visitation rights and other
special instructions. If legal custody matters affect
your family, please ensure that our office and
classroom teachers are aware of any custodial
arrangements that may affect your child during
school hours.
Student Insurance
As required by the Education Act and the Ministry of
Education, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board annually provides parents with information
about cost-effective student accident insurance
coverage via student courier. Although enrolment is
voluntary, the Board encourages parents to take
advantage of the inexpensive insurance coverage
especially if your child participates in sports, excursions/field trips, or if parents do not have dental
and medical insurance cover-age. Enrolment in writing
is required. There are two options for enrolment: 1)
Complete the traditional form and mail it in or 2)
Photocopy the form and fax it to Reliable Life at 1905-522-7211 or 1-800-463 KIDS (5437). Parents
alone have the right to insure their children.
This information is also posted on the Board’s
website under the “Student & Parents”,
http://www.dpcdsb.org/CEC/Students+and+Parents/.
Front Door Monitor System
For visitors and parents to our school, in order to
assist you better:
 Please stand facing the camera and ring the
bell once.
 Please wait for a response….remember,
schools are busy places!

For the safety of our students, we ask that
you always state the reason for your visit.
We also ask for your patience and understanding if it
is during prayers and announcements and if our
secretary is away from her desk for photocopying
etc. For students arriving between 8:00 a.m. & 8:15
a.m. for the Breakfast Club, please ring the bell once
and wait for a response: Doors will not be open
when prayers and announcements are taking place
from 8:40a.m. to 8: 50a.m Thank you for your
cooperation and support!
Pizza Days
Forms will be going home with the newsletter and the
first pizza day will be on Wednesday October 14th.
Thank you to our parent volunteers for running this
program.
Cross Country
Pupil Accommodation Review Policy Public
Consultation
The Ministry of Education released the new Pupil
Accommodation Review Guideline (PARG) in March
2015. This guideline sets expectations for all school
boards on managing and reviewing underutilized
school space, including potential school closures, and
for the greater coordination and sharing of planning
related information between school boards and other
community partners.
The guideline requires all school boards in the
province to develop or revise Pupil Accommodation
Review Policies and to invite public input into the
policy before it is finalized.
A survey to collect feedback on the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board’s draft amended Policy
6.51 Pupil Accommodation Review will be available for
review and comment on the Board’s website at
www.dpcdsb.org until 4:30 pm on Friday, October 16,
2015. Supporting documents will also be available for
reference and review. Please consider reviewing and
providing input on this policy.
Junior and Intermediate students have been busy
with practices. Thank you to Mrs. Lillicrop, Mrs.
Ambrose-Leroux and Mrs. Lotesto for sharing your
gifts and talents with our students. A number of
students will be attending the Family meet on
October 8th at Erindale Park.
PALS
Our school will be running a PALS (Playground
Activity Leaders in Schools) program to support the
primary students. PALS leaders will receive training
with Mr. Grave, our Child and Youth Worker as well as
a Public Health nurse, C. Rampal. The PALS program
provides leadership opportunities for the Grades 4, 5
and 6 student leaders as they interact with younger
students and plan and lead fun and safe activities on
the playground. The PALS motto is, “There’s always
room for one more.”
Young Minds at Play
We are very fortunate at St Teresa of Avila to work
with a team of dedicated support staff. Dr. Tobin,
our Psychological Services Staff member works with
students, their parents and school staff to determine
student’s learning strengths and needs as well as
addressing behavioural and emotional needs. Mr.
Grave, our Child and Youth Worker, provides students
with strategies to adapt to various situations. Mrs.
Szagala is the School Speech and Language
Pathologist and works with students to develop their
oral language and Mrs. Roma is the School Social
Worker who supports students and families in the
school community. As part of the school’s team
process, we regularly meet to discuss student’s
behavioural and academic needs. Recommendations
from these meetings will be communicated to
parents, and various interventions may ensue.
One such intervention may be a referral to the Young
Minds at Play Program. Young Minds at Play is the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s version
of the Primary Project. The Primary Project was
developed over 50 years ago in Rochester, New York,
and provides support for students in Kindergarten to
Grade 2 to enhance school related competencies and
reduce social, emotional and school adjustment
difficulties by providing individual attention from a
caring adult. We are very fortunate to be able to
offer this program to students. Should your child be
a candidate for this program, you will receive
communication from the school shortly. If you
require more information about Young Minds at Play,
please contact Mrs. Sturge.
FDKA
DECE
DECE
F. Fernandes
A. Bhola
J.
McLaughlin(LTO)
L. Augusto
FDKC
DECE
N. Taylor(LTO)
T. Thompson
1A
J. Ventura-Roma
FDKB
1/2A
2A
I. Lotesto
2/3A
M. Ako-Adjei
3A
J. Flynn
4A
J. Farrell
4/5A
J. Black
5 Fr. Immersion
H. Langley
5/6A
P. Clarizia (LTO)
6A
L. Walker
6/7A
N. David
7/8A
J. Viscardi-Zuzzi
8A
Vice Principal
0.5
Principal
M. Lillicrop
Custodians
J. Pinto, T. Papa
Night Cleaner
D. Rabij
M. AmbroseLeroux
V. Zanini
A. Abraham
K. Tintinalli
S. Rodrigues
S. Fleury
V. Zanini
SERT/ ESL
SERC/SERT
Planning Time
FSL
.
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the
latest board news and information,
follow us @DPCDSBSchools.
Please visit our St. Teresa
Avila website at:
http://www.dpcdsb.org/AVILA
T. Beckett
Teacher
Librarian
ERW
CYW
Psychologist
Speech/Language
Pathologist
Social Worker
Parent & Family
Literacy Center
P. Basran
M. Sturge
V. Zanini
V. Stolf
E. Cavan
C. Coniglio
J. Cunningham
E. Grave
P. Tobin
P. Bilyk-Szagala
M. Roma
S. Markowski
Dates to Remember
October 5
Junior Volleyball game at St.
Albert of Jerusalem- 3:30 p.m.
October 623
Essential Food Drive- Faith in
Action committee
October 8
Opening Feast Day Mass- 1:00
p.m. at school
Michael Eisen parent workshop6:30p.m.-8:00p.m.
October 12
Thanksgiving Day- no school
October 1923
National Waste Reduction
Week
October 2023
Grade 4 CCAT testing
October 20
HPV & Hepatitis B
immunizations
October 29
Virtue Assembly at 9:00 a.m.
October 30
Hallowe’en Dance
- no
violent costumes please!!