September 2015
Prayer for a New School Year
Lord Jesus, we ask for Your help as we begin this new school year.
Allow us to experience Your presence in the many blessings You put before us.
Open our eyes to the new challenges and exciting opportunities that this new school year brings.
Open our hearts and minds to new friends and new teachers.
Give us a generous spirit to be enthusiastic with our studies and courage to accept new opportunities.
Help us to be attentive to one another and let us experience Your presence in our new friends.
Jesus, inspire us to do our best this year.
For this we ask through Christ Our Lord,
Amen
Principal’s Message
Welcome Back Everyone! I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing summer and are ready
to get back into a new school year! With our exceptional staff, we will do our best to help
your child experience spiritual, academic, social and emotional growth during the 20152016 school year. As in the past here at St. John Fisher School, we always encourage a
partnership between students, teachers, parents and our Parish to promote a positive
learning experience for our students. As the new school year begins, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all
newcomers in our community and to welcome back all those returning to our school.
We have quite a few fantastic new additions to our staff this year as well! Welcome to: Ms. Brassard (CYW),
Mrs. Jaksa (Planning Time), Ms. Marieiro, (DECE), Mrs. Pellegrino (Planning Time), Ms. Sassano (ERW) and
Mrs. Scarcello (FDK). And we are thrilled to welcome back to Mrs. Blanco (Gr. 6/7), Mrs. DiNucci (Gr. 3/4),
Mrs. McGrath (Gr. 1), Mrs. Rich (Grade 1) and Ms. Way (Gr. 2/3). We are truly blessed to be working with all of you
at St. John Fisher School!
An extra special thank you to our custodians A. Musacchio and B. Bono for their hard work in making our school look
spotless! With many large scale summer renovation projects, we are especially thankful for their dedication in
preparing for the new school year. We would like to take an opportunity to congratulate and wish our Assistant
Secretary, Mrs. Guastelluccia, well as she has moves into her new role. We will miss her. Please welcome
Mrs. Celebre to our school as she will be assisting in the office for the next little bit! We would like to thank our head
secretary, Mrs. Tari, for ensuring a smooth start to the year and for all she does throughout the year for the
community.
Please note that subsequent newsletters will be sent home with only one child in the family to promote
environmental responsibility. We also encourage you to fill in the attached form consenting to receiving electronic
newsletters. As well, our newsletters will be readily available for download on our St. John Fisher School website at
http://www.dpcdsb.org/JFISH. We look forward to meeting all parents/guardians at our Open House on Thursday
September 24th. May God Bless you and your family throughout the 2015-2016 school year!
St. John Fisher School Prayer
Teach Us, Lord
to learn from our mistakes and from our accomplishments.
Grant us,
the patience to learn new things,
so that one day we may teach others,
what we have learned.
Uncover our love for education and guide us,
to learn in your light.
We ask this, through Christ our Lord
Amen
September Virtue of the Month
To begin the new school year, we’ll focus our attention on the first of our virtues – faith. Faith is the great virtue of
believing in God and trusting that God is with us.
A faithful person believes that we are created, guided by and destined to be reunited with God. A faithful person
believes that God’s plan for us includes the right to be safe, especially at
school.
A Faithful Person...

Prays regularly and reverently

Learns from Scripture stories

Honours people’s God‐given names

Assumes that there is good in everyone
Sacramental Preparation
First Confession and First Communion
The parent meeting for the Sacrament of First Communion and First Confession (Grade 2) will take
place on Wednesday September 30, 2015 p.m. at St. John Fisher Church.
First Confession will be held on: Sunday April 10, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. in the Church
First Communion will be held on : Sunday May 15, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. in the Church
Confirmation
The parent meeting (for students in both grades 7 and 8) for the Sacrament of Confirmation will take
place on Wednesday September 23, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at St. John Fisher Church.
Confirmation will be held on: Thursday May 12, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the Church
For further information, we ask that you kindly contact the St. John Fisher Church directly at 905-793-6610
School Masses
We welcome the community to join us in celebrating mass throughout the school year. Should there be changes to
these initial dates, a note will be send home with the students.
Advent Mass– Thursday December 17, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. in the Church
Lenten Mass– Monday March 21, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. in the Church
End of Year Mass—Monday June 27, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. in the Church
PD Day - September 18th, 2015
Our first PD Day of the year is on Friday, September 18, 2015. There will be NO SCHOOL for students
on this date. Staff will be meeting during the day for faith development, school improvement planning
and on re-organization plans as necessary.
School Hours Supervision
Supervision in the school yard begins at 8:15 am. Please DO NOT drop off your children prior to that time as they
will not be supervised. The doors of St. John Fisher are open to parents who wish to visit or confer with staff,
however, an appointment is necessary, as the classroom teacher’s first priority is teaching the class during regular
school hours. Please report to the office upon entering the school. Thank you for your support in keeping
classroom interruptions to a minimum.
School Hours 2015-2016
The following schedule will be in effect this year:
· 8:30am - Morning classes begin
· 9:53am - 10:08am - RECESS
· 11:31am - 12:31pm - Lunch
· 1:54pm - 2:09pm - RECESS
· 3:00pm - Classes Dismissed
School Absenteeism - Attendance Verification Program
The purpose of this program is to ensure that your child arrives safely at school. Please call the
school at (905) 793-8900 to inform us if your child(ren) will not be attending school for the day or if
they will be late. We have an answering machine so that you can call during the evening and early
morning hours. If you do not contact the school, we will attempt to contact you. Your cooperation
is greatly appreciated! If your child must be absent for a considerable length of time due to
medical reasons, please let us know so that work packages can be sent home.
St. John Fisher School Open House
We will be having our annual Open House on Thursday September 24th beginning at 5:30 p.m. with a
BBQ sponsored by our Parent Council and class visits from 6:30 -7:30 p.m. We hope to see you there!
All Star Reading-Volunteers Wanted
The All-Star Reading Program is in need of volunteers. All Star Reading is a remedial program aimed at supporting
struggling readers in Grades 1 and 2. Volunteers must commit to 1.5 hours weekly. The require‐
ments to volunteer include providing a copy of your valid Criminal Reference Check, an interest
in working with young children and proficiency in reading and writing in English. A training session
will be provided for new volunteers. If you meet the above requirements and are able to volun‐
teer, please contact Mrs. D’Agostino, our SERT teacher, through the school office.
Textbooks
School textbooks are school property and are loaned to the students annually. The expectation is that
textbooks will be returned at the end of the school year. Students are responsible for these textbooks
and will be asked to pay if these books go missing or have been vandalized. The cost of an average text‐
book is about $50.00 each. Please encourage your child to take care of textbooks!
Picture Day
Picture day will be held on Wednesday October 21, 2015. Reminders will be sent home closer to the date.
Allergies In The Classroom
As we begin a new school year, we would like to inform you that St. John Fisher is an allergen aware
school. There are pupils and staff in attendance who suffer from severe and life threatening aller‐
gies to certain foods, such as peanut and nut products. Exposure to even the smallest quantities
can cause severe life threatening reactions. Anaphylaxis is a severe and life threatening allergic re‐
action. The most common allergen triggers are food, insect stings, medications, and latex. An ana‐
phylactic reaction involves symptoms from two or more body systems. We at St. John Fisher School
would appreciate the cooperation of the entire school community by NOT sending any lunches or
snacks that contain nut or nut byproducts which could potentially harm a pupil. Please make sure that all of your
children’s caregivers are aware of the food restrictions. Please do not send food for birthdays or special occasions.
There are many alternatives such as stickers and pencils. If you have any questions, please talk to your child’s
teacher or the school staff. We look forward to your co-operation in making this a safe year for all of our pupils.
School Agendas
We wish to thank the St. John Fisher School Council for providing the funds to purchase agendas for
all students from grades 1-8. Please review the student agenda with your child. In particular, please
review the beginning pages, which provide pertinent information about our school which requires a
PARENT signature. If your child loses their agenda, it will be their responsibility to replace it.
Lunch Policy
Thank you for completing the Lunch Permission Form and returning it to your child’s teacher. This
will ensure that the school is aware of where you prefer your child(ren) to be over the lunch hour.
Any changes to the agreement throughout the year must be submitted in writing to the teacher
and/or office. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Once children have arrived back at school, they must
remain on school property. They are not permitted to leave school again without written permission. A table has
been placed outside the office for lunches. Lunches should only be dropped off on rare occasions. If you are
dropping off a lunch for your child please clearly label your child’s name and teacher’s name on the outside of the
lunch bag/container and place it on the lunch table in the front foyer. Classes are not to be interrupted for
students to pick up lunches. Please advise your child(ren) to expect a lunch to be dropped off. They will be
School Council Election Information
We would like to thank the St. John Fisher School Advisory Council for all of their support last
year. Their fundraising initiatives have assisted many programs in the school. We value their
input into a variety of educational issues. To last year’s members, please consider returning
this year. We look forward to your skills and contributions.
Parents interested in seeking election should adhere to the following timelines:
Self nomination forms can be picked up at the school office or call the school and one will be
sent home with your child. These are available from Friday Sept. 11– Thursday Sept. 17. Completed SelfNomination forms must be received in the office by Thursday Sept. 17 @ 3:00 p.m. Our First School Council meet‐
ing date will be announced shortly on our website.
Student Verification Form
In the event that your child becomes ill at school or is injured in an accident, it is imperative that we contact you or
a person designated by you as an alternate. Our information on file must be accurate and current. This form will
be sent home with your child. Please sign and return the form (with the appropriate corrections if necessary) to
school by Friday September 25, 2015. It is crucial that you contact us with any changes as soon as they occur
throughout the year.
Transportation Eligibility and Courtesy Seating
Our Transportation Department will provide bussing for students who live at or above the
following distances from the school:
Kindergarten –Grade 1
Grades 2 – 4
Grades 5 - 8
1.0 km
1.6 km
2.0 km
Parents are responsible for making arrangements for their children’s transportation unless they are eligible for bus
transportation. When it has been established that there is space on a full size bus, students who do not meet
eligibility requirements may apply for a seat in accordance with the "Courtesy Seat Policy". If you wish to be
considered for a courtesy seat, please indicate this in writing to Mrs. Choporis stating the name of your child, grade,
address and the street names of the existing stop you are requesting. Letters will be received the first day of school
and seats will be awarded by considering furthest, siblings and grade level (e.g., younger students will receive
preference). The decision on the distribution of courtesy seats may be rescinded during the year if new students
enrol who are eligible for the seat. Courtesy seating will not be assigned until October.
Bus Safety
It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that Kindergarten and Grade 1 students are met at the
bus stop each day by an adult. Children who do not see a parent or babysitter will remain on the
bus and will be returned to the school to be picked up there by the parent/babysitter. Kindergar‐
ten and Gr. 1 students will be given a bus tag that must be placed on their knapsack. Please
ensure that the bus tag is visible. If the tag gets lost or damaged please let your child’s teacher
know and it will be replaced. Eligible bus students in grade 2-8 will also receive a bus tag which
must be attached to their backpacks.
Indoor Footwear Requested
Please ensure that students keep a pair of running shoes or other appropriate footwear at
school so that their feet remain dry and clean at all times. As well, because so many areas of our
schoolyard can be quite muddy at certain times of the year, this would assist in keeping mud and
dirt out of the classrooms. Also, in case the need to evacuate the school, students do not have
time to put on boots so, indoor footwear is necessary.
Emergency Evacuation
We have a detailed emergency and fire evacuation plan. In the event that we do have to evacuate, our
first destination will be St. John Fisher Church. If we need to move further from the school, the Balmoral
Recreation Centre would be an alternate location.
Pizza Lunch Days
Parent Council Pizza Day– Tuesday September 29, 2015
Toonie Tuesday Pizza Days will begin in October. The first Pizza Day will be on Tuesday October 6th.
Safe School Mission Statement
St. John Fisher School is a Catholic community that respects and promotes the uniqueness of all its members. By
following the teachings of Jesus, we pledge to provide everyone with a safe, caring and peaceful environment,
which ensures the respect and acceptance of all. Because of these beliefs, bullying will not be tolerated. Your child
deserves a safe environment to work, learn and play in. If you have any concerns, please contact us. Thank you for
supporting us as we support your child.
Visitors & Volunteers – Process
For the safety of staff and students, all visitors to our school (including parents)
are required to enter the building through the front doors, report immediately to
the office and sign in. Please note that pets are not permitted on school property
at any time. As you are aware, any individual who works as an employee of the
Board or volunteers to assist with our programs MUST have a Criminal Reference
Check (CRC) completed by the Peel Police.
ALL volunteers MUST have a valid CRC even for one-time events, such as field
trip supervision.
We strongly recommend that parents/guardians who are interested in supporting school programs in this
manner, please begin this process ASAP. For all volunteers, CRC are free of charge. Further information and
forms are available through the main office.
Head Injury Policy
When a student receives an injury/bump to the head (however minor), it is a Board Policy that
we inform parents. Either a note will be left in your child’s agenda, or a phone message will be
left at one of your contact numbers. This is precautionary only and we ask that you check your
child when they get home for any signs of a concussion or illness.
Agenda’s should be checked by parents daily for this reason, as well as to check for any
notes from the teacher or office.
Staff Communication
Every effort will be made by your child’s teacher to keep you informed of his/her
progress and involvement in class. If you wish to speak with a teacher, a note sent with
your child requesting a call is usually sufficient. If, however, you wish to contact a
teacher by telephone, please telephone the office and they will leave the teacher a
message.
We also ask your consideration in NOT dropping into classes unannounced during
school hours.
If your child is late and you are bringing him/her to school, or if you come to school to meet your child or to pick
him/her up for an appointment we respectfully request that you check in at the office and SIGN your child out.
The SIGN OUT Log is located in the office. For arrival or return to school students are asked to sign into the main
office.
Reorganization of Classes
As each school year begins, reorganization of classes due to enrollment may be a con‐
sideration. If we must reorganize classes, please be assured that we will do so with the
interest of your child(ren) foremost in our minds. We will inform you in the event that
any class reorganization is required. Your patience and cooperation is appreciated.
Student Accident Insurance
The Board takes every precaution to provide a safe learning environment for students, but accidents can and do hap‐
pen. Some families have private accident insurance which is able to respond to costs arising from injuries. However,
many families do not. As required by the Education Act and Ministry of Education, the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board annually provides parents with information
about effective student accident insurance coverage. Please take some time to read over
the pamphlet sent home with your child. Although enrollment is voluntary, the board en‐
courages parents to take advantage of the inexpensive insurance coverage, especially if their
child/children participate in sports, excursions/field trips, or if parents do not have dental
insurance coverage. The information pamphlet will be sent home with your child.
Child and Family Services Act
The Child and Family Services Act compel educators to report any issues that may compromise a child’s welfare. If a
staff member suspects any issue that may affect a child’s safety, then the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) must be con‐
tacted. It is not the role of the educator to investigate. That is CAS’s role.
Visitors In The School
In order to maintain a safe school environment for your child, please remember that if you are
visiting our school, you MUST sign in at the front office and obtain a Visitor’s Pass to identify
yourself as a visitor. Teachers will be questioning adults on school property without proper
identification. If you are picking up your child, please send a note to your child’s teacher or notify
our office to inform us of this arrangement. If you are picking up your child after school, we ask
that you use the Kiss’n’Ride laneway. We thank you for adhering to this policy.
Excursions and Field Trips
Educational trips that extend learning opportunities are encouraged. Teachers must follow
appropriate Board procedures and by law, the school must have on file permission forms
which must be signed by parents. VERBAL PERMISSION cannot be accepted . If, on the day of
the excursion, your child has not returned his/her forms, and the parent/guardian cannot
come into the school to sign the permission forms, the student will remain at the school.
Students will be reminded by their teachers about this policy prior to the trip taking place.
Combined Grades
Combined classes are inevitable as classes are developed according to the number of students in each grade level.
Ratios of the number of students per class are determined by the Board and Ministry of Education. Every year,
concerns arise over the issue of split/combined grades in all schools. Common perceptions are that these
classrooms provide curriculum that is too challenging for some students or not challenging enough for others.
Neither is true. As is the case in every classroom, students who are ready for more enhanced learning or who
require review, receive variable programming. Please see accompanying documentation for more explanation.
Our Parish Team
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome back Father Grima and the Parish Team of St. John
Fisher Church. We truly appreciate all of their hard work and above all their dedication to the entire St.
John Fisher Community. We look forward to their continued spiritual guidance with our staff and
students!
BYOD– Bring Your Own Devices
Our vision of education in Dufferin-Peel Catholic schools is rooted in the gospel values of faith,
hope and love. All sectors of society, including the education sector, must work to keep pace
with our rapidly changing world. Our teaching and learning environments - our schools and
classrooms - must continue to change and adapt to ensure that our students continue to succeed. Our students
and staff are already engaged as 21st century learners, living and shaping ways of being, becoming and belonging
in our world. St. John Fisher School is a PED ready school. We participated in the pilot back in May 2015 with
great success. To that extent, a DPCDSB Personal Electronic Device Used with Wi-Fi Network Student Agreement
will be sent home with your child. It is also be available on our website for download. Please read it over and
have yourself and your child sign it so that they may bring their devices to school to be used for educational pur‐
poses as directed by staff.
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 permis‐
sion (GF 066, Network User Application and Agreement). 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.”
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 re‐
sult 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 schoolsanctioned activities for a specific designated purpose outside of instructional 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.
Newsletters and Electronic Communication
In an effort to be more environmentally responsible, St. John Fisher School would like to provide information
electronically to parents/guardians through direct email to students’ homes. Canada’s anti-spam legislation
requires a signed Consent Form in order to be able to communicate electronically with parents/guardians when
sending newsletters and other forms of communication which include promotional information. By signing the
Consent form (included in this newsletter) and providing us with an email address, you will be able to support
our efforts to protect our environment by reducing the amount of paper and electricity we use in preparing pa‐
per newsletters. We will be able to send you our school newsletter, as well as any important updates, efficiently
and effectively. Of course, should you prefer not to give us your email address, we will continue to provide a
paper copy of the newsletter for your child to bring home. Please note that if you signed a consent form last
year, there is no need to resubmit it this year. If you received a paper copy, this means we do not have an email
on file for you and we would then encourage you to send in a signed form. Timely, on-going communication is
essential to maintaining healthy school-home relationships and we hope that this initiative will support and
Improve the level of communication between the school and home.
September 2015
Sun
6
13
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
27
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
7
8
9
10
11
12
Labour Day
Holiday
Welcome
Back! First
Day of
School!
14
15
16
17
18
19
PD Day No School for
students
Grades 7 &8
20
Fri
21
28
22
23
24
25
Grade 7 & 8
Parent
Meeting for
Confirmation
at 7:00 p.m.in
the Church
-Fundraiser
Kick Off
-Open House
BBQ @ 5:30pm
-Class visits @
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Terry Fox
Run
29
30
The NED
Show
Terry Fox Run
(Rain Date)
1st Communion
Parent
Council
Pizza Day
Parent Meeting
at 7:00 p.m. in
the Church
26