September 2015
ST. JOACHIM CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
435 Rutherford Road North, Brampton, ON, L6V 3V9
905-453-4472
God of wisdom and might,
we praise you for the wonder of our being,
for mind, body and spirit.
Be with our children as they begin
a new school year.
Bless them and their teachers and staff.
Give the strength and grace as their bodies grow;
wisdom and knowledge to their minds
as they search for understanding;
and peace and zeal to their hearts.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Principal
M. Di Nunzio
Vice Principal
I. Judd
Office Staff
L. Quiambao
Y. McCutcheon
Superintendent
D. Oude-Reimerink
Family of Schools
Brampton North
East
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…
Prays regularly and reverently
Learns from Scripture stories
Honours people’s God-given names
Assumes that there is good in everyone
Accepts the God-given worth of themselves and others
Let us pray for the grace and strength to be people of faith, people who can truly believe that God’s
plan for us includes the right to be safe at school.
Trustee
A. Da Silva
Parish
St. Anne
Parish Priest
Father J. Cherickal
Associate Pastor
Father F. Marrone
Parish Telephone
905 453-1303
“Through A
Celebration Of Our
Faith All Who Enter
Our School May
Grow Together As A
Christian
Community”
@StJoachimDPCDSB
ADMINISTRATORS’ MESSAGE
1
Welcome back to a new school year!
Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year! We hope that your summer holiday was a safe and enjoyable one. We
enjoy being part of a school community where students, staff, parents and our parish team, Fr. James, Fr. Francesco
work together to create a safe, caring, and positive learning environment that reflects our Catholic values and
traditions. We wish to extend a warm welcome to all of our new families and students who have moved into our
community over the summer months. We are also very excited to have a brand new group of kindergarten children
who will be starting school for the first time and returning in our Full Day Kindergarten Program. We look forward to
meeting all of you over the next few weeks as we start our new school year together. Ongoing communication
between the school and home is essential to supporting your child’s progress and success. As parents/guardians,
please feel free to contact the school at any time if you have any questions or concerns. Please get involved in your
child’s education by participating in our volunteer program or perhaps by joining our School Council. Your
involvement in your child’s education is vital. Communication is essential in the teaching/learning process. We along
with the staff at St. Joachim School, are committed to developing and maintaining strong community relationships.
Our staff has been working hard these past few weeks preparing for the beginning of the new school year. Thank
you to the teachers who have spent a great amount of time preparing both their curriculum and their classrooms.
Also, a great big thanks to our secretaries, Ms. Quiambao and Mrs. McCutcheon, and our custodial team, Mr.
Llanderal and Ms. Harris for doing such a wonderful job of preparing our school to welcome back our students.
Over the summer, Mrs. Leon decided to retire. We thank her for her contribution to our school community and the
development of our students. We welcome several new staff to our school:
Mr. Bude – Educational Resource Worker, Ms. Di Giambattista – Grade 5 & 6 French Immersion
Ms. Varajao – Grade 3 French Immersion, Ms. Francescutto – Grade 1 (Long Term Occasional teacher for Mrs.
Russo), Mrs. Rigato – Kindergarten (Long Term Occasional teacher for Mrs. Rossi)
We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our annual Meet the Teacher & Open House BBQ on Tuesday
September 22nd from 5:30-7:15 p.m.
God Bless,
I. Judd & M. Di Nunzio
1
September 2015
4SEPTEMBER 201
STAFF REORGANIZATION
St. Joachim staffing for 2015-2016 is based on a “projected student enrolment that is calculated each spring. Please see
the message from Sheila McWatters, the Associate Director of Instructional Services in regards to reorganization of
classes.
2
September 2015
SCHOOL HOURS
8:45
9:00
10:23 – 10:38
12:01 – 12:21
12:21 – 1:01
1:01
2:24 – 2:39
3:30
Supervision in the yard begins. Students may be dropped off at this time.
School starts for all students
Morning recess for students in Grades 1 – 8
NEW: All Students eat lunch
Lunch recess for students in Grades 1 – 8
Afternoon classes begin
Afternoon recess for students in Grades 1 – 8
Dismissal
IF YOUR CHILD IS NOT BAPTIZED
As a Roman Catholic School, we are charged by the Catholic community and the Church to create an atmosphere in which
your child will be able to experience and express our Catholic Faith. We also assist the parishes with preparing students for
sacraments. If your child is not baptized, he/she is unable to receive any of the sacraments, which are celebrated as a school
community with the local parishes. The Catholic Church has a program for school-aged children, which will assist you in
baptizing your child. You are encouraged to visit your parish Priest or contact the school for additional information.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL
ELECTION PROCESS FOR SCHOOL COUNCIL
The purpose of the St. Joachim Catholic School Council, which is mandated by the Ministry of Education, is through active
participation of parents, to improve pupil achievement and to enhance the accountability of the education system to
parents.
Parents must hold the majority of seats on School Council. A “Parent” is anyone who is the parent of a pupil in the school
where the child is enrolled. A person is not qualified to be a parent member of a school if:
 he/she is employed at the school or;
 he/she is employed by the Board at another school location and fails to take reasonable steps to inform voters of
the employment before the vote.
St. Joachim Catholic School Council is comprised of:
 parents,
 1 teacher representative,
 1 community representative,
 1 parish representative,
 1 member of non-teaching staff,

the principal, and
 1 member of OAPCE.
The School Council meets monthly but is mandated by the Ministry of Education to hold a minimum of four meetings a
year. All meetings are public meetings and opened to the parent community of St. Joachim School.
Nominations forms for parents/guardians representatives for School Council 2015/2016 school year will be available in the
main office from Thursday, September 10th to Thursday, October 1st inclusive. Completed nomination forms must be
received in the main office by 3:00 pm on Thursday, October 1st. Nomination forms can be found on our website.
If an election is needed, it will be held on Monday, October 5th at 6:30 p.m by secret ballot. Eligible voters must vote in
person. If anyone is interested in being part of an Ad Hoc Election committee, please inform the office by September 16 th.
Only those not running for council may be part of the committee. The first Catholic School Council will immediately follow
the election at 7:00 p.m.
School Councils are advisory in nature but have a tremendous impact on both the quality of education and day-to-day
activities within the school. The school council works co-operation with our school administrators in providing the best
educational experience for our students. We hope that you will decide to join the School Council Team and join us in our
commitment to Catholic Education and the future of our children.
3
September 2015
MEET THE TEACHER BBQ NIGHT
ANNUAL Meet the Teacher BBQ
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
BBQ PICKUP (5:30PM – 6:30PM)
Who: Families of students of St. Joachim
When: Tuesday September 22, 2015 5:30-7:15 p.m.
What can you do?
 Visit classrooms, meet staff and other families
 Try on sample sizes of our Spirit Wear
 Meet community partners
 Bring money to buy some treats (money raised will go toward Student Events at the school – ex. Aussie X Moves)
 Enjoy a BBQ meal:
Pre-pay and order BBQ please send one order per family & money or cheque payable to St. Joachim by Sept. 15th (pick up
order form outside staff room night of Open House – food will be outside). No BBQ items will be sold the night of Open
House.
Lost your order form? Find a copy on our website www.dpcdsb.org/JOACH
AUSSIE X IS COMING!
Aussie X is an in-school, camp, community sport and cultural program. Through the sports of AUSSIE
RULES FOOTBALL, CRICKET, NETBALL and RUGBY, we promote the powerful life lessons of Havin’ a Go
(trying new things), Goodonya Mate (praise others), You Little Rippa (celebrate ‘Havin’ a Go). The
program levels the playing field so that all kids, no matter their level of skill or ability, can enjoy the feeling
of getting active. Aussie X will be at St. Joachim from September 22 – 25th. A special parent event will be held on October
1st at 5:30! Mark your calendars.
ALLERGY ALERT
The safety of all our children is our number one priority at St. Joachim. We have many students and teachers who suffer
from severe allergies to nuts and nut products. Even if someone in the class doesn’t have the allergy, there are many
students who visit different classrooms and left over residue can cause them to have a life threatening reaction. It is the
school policy that food not be given out to the class for any special occasions (e.g. birthday, class parties). We suggest
bringing pencils or erasers, or some other non-edible treat for the students instead of food.
MEDICATION INFORMATION
HELP KEEP US INFORMED/MEDICATION
If your child has any health problems, allergies, etc., of which the office is not aware, please notify us as soon as possible.
Note, we cannot administer or store medication for your child (such as antibiotics, aspirin etc.) without board policy forms
that have to be filled out by a doctor. Should your child get sick, please pick up the appropriate forms at the office before
you go to the doctor (also available on school website), should medication need to be administered/or stored at the office.
Every year, medical forms for puffers, epi-pens, or other medication has to be filled out by the doctor for renewal. All
medication(s) and new forms were given to students on the last day of school in June last year. These forms must be
returned to the office before medication can be administered.
Also, if you have had a change of address, telephone number, babysitter or place of employment, please call the office to
update your files. Accurate and up to date information is key to your child’s safety.
4
September 2015
MEDIC ALERT – “NO CHILD WITHOUT”
The “No Child Without” program is provided by the Canadian MedicAlert Foundation through the supports of
its members, the Government of Canada, Lions Club of Canada and other generous donors. They provide free
medical identification services for students between the ages of 4 and 14. At no cost, children will be provided with a
MedicAlert bracelet, sports band or necklace so that all medical information is available 24 hours a day. If your child has a
medical condition, allergy or special need that should be communicated to emergency medical personnel in an emergency,
you may be eligible for this program. Please contact Mrs. Judd for more information and an enrollment package.
HEAD INJURIES AND CONCUSSION PROTOCOL
When a student receives an injury to the head, it is the Board Policy that we inform parents. We will notify you, or leave a
message even when it is a minor injury.
Concussion Policy, Guidelines and Protocol
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has developed a Concussion Policy and Guidelines for students who have been
diagnosed with a concussion by either a medical doctor or nurse practitioner. School staff cannot diagnose a concussion.
Anytime a student reports to the office with a head injury, the parent/guardian will be contacted and the incident will be
entered into the school’s “Documentation of Head Injuries” log. Your child will be given an information pamphlet entitled
“We want to give you a heads up…Concussions are serious.” This pamphlet outlines the signs and symptoms of
concussions. It also includes information about what to do if you suspect your child has a concussion and how a
concussion is treated. Guidelines have been developed by Dufferin-Peel CDSB to support a 10-phase “Return to Activity”
process following a diagnosed concussion. These guidelines include 5 phases for “Return to Learn” followed by 5 phases
for “Return to Play”. With parental consent, school administration will work collaboratively with school psychology staff to
monitor your child’s progress through the 10 phases. Should you have any questions, feel free to call the school office.
SCHOOL VISITORS
As a precaution against trespassers and to ensure the safety of all students and staff, the Dufferin–Peel Catholic District
School Board requires that all visitors must identify themselves at the office when entering the building. Parents are asked
to go directly to the front office by the front door only to register. No parents are allowed to enter the school at other
entrances or to go directly to a teacher’s room. Remember, your child knows you, but you are a stranger to other children.
Thank you for your cooperation with this policy.
PEEL REGIONAL POLICE YOUTH EDUCATION VEHICLES
All of the Peel Regional Police Youth Education vehicles are now fully marked cruisers. In the past, most Youth Education
officers were assigned unmarked vehicles. They now all have been assigned marked cruisers to enhance our visibility in the
community. These marked cruisers will be parked at the schools when officers are delivering their presentations – please
do not be concerned if you see a marked cruiser at school.
SCHOOL AGENDAS
Each student from grade 1 to 8 will receive a school agenda to assist with the development of organizational and time
management skills. This year, it also includes important forms that must be signed. They will be removed from the agenda
once signed and stored at school. This is an important tool to facilitate communication between home and school. We ask
that parents sign the agenda every day and return it to school. This is important to keep parents informed of homework
and important events, as well as to keep your child organized. Please see the agenda for information in regards to school
dress code and other important information.
5
September 2015
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!
If you can spare some of your time to:
 read to children
 assist children with publishing their work
 provide assistance in the literacy room
Please leave a message for Mrs. Heslop at 905 453-4472 (office number)
All volunteers must complete a criminal reference check before they can work in the school. This measure is to ensure the
safety of our students. Please see Ms. Quiambao in the office for more information.
STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE
Please note that the accident insurance form being sent home is voluntary, but the board encourages parents to take
advantage of the inexpensive coverage especially if your children participate in sports, excursions or field trips or, if you do
not have dental coverage.
If you wish to purchase insurance coverage for your child, please complete the form and mail it directly to the insurance
company. Please do not return the envelopes to the school. If you cannot find the form, please visit our website for an
online application or visit www.insuremykids.com .
LUNCH ROUTINES
For safety reasons, no student who stays at the school for lunch is permitted to leave school grounds during the lunch time
unless accompanied by a parent or guardian who signs them out at the office. Students are not allowed to leave school
property to go to Beckers.
If, on a special occasion, you are dropping a lunch off for your child, please advise your child in advance that they will pick
up their lunch that day at the lunch table in the hallway by the office. Please label the lunch with their name and teacher’s
name. Students will not be permitted to pick up their lunch until lunch begins at 12:01 in order to avoid disruptions to class
lessons. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
SPECIAL LUNCHES
This year we will be offering special lunches. Money collected from the sale of lunches will go towards student events,
Grade 8 Graduation, extra-curricular activities and technology.
Pizza Days – Pizza Nova will be our pizza day provider. The cost will be $2 a slice. We will send order an order soon for
October, November, December and January. We will not be collecting any money in the office. Each child needs to submit
an order form to his/her classroom teacher (if you are paying by one cheque for multiple children – please note that on
the order form). Pizza days will begin every 2nd Tuesday beginning October 6th.
Sub Days – Mr. Sub will be providing subs alternating Tuesdays (with Pizza Day) beginning in November. An order form
will be coming home early October.
PICTURE DAY
Friday, September 25th, is picture day for all students at St. Joachim School. “Edge Imaging Photography”
will be provided with class lists containing personal information (students’ ID, names, grade and
homeroom). These lists will be returned when the photography sessions are completed. If you do not
wish your child’s personal information to be shared with “Edge Imaging” or do not wish your child to
participate in the actual taking of the photographs, please contact Ms. Di Nunzio immediately. Photo
retake day will November 4th, 2015.
6
September 2015
RIDING THE BUS AND COURTESY SEATING
Transportation is coordinated through a central system called STOPR (www.stopr.ca). Parents can access all student busing
information, including eligibility for busing and pick up or drop off times through the internet at: http://businfo.stopr.ca/
All students who rode the bus under the “Courtesy Seat” policy last year, MUST REAPPLY. Courtesy seats are limited and
will not be assigned until late October as school admissions and demissions are not stable until this time. Priority will be
given to kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 students. Please complete a “Courtesy Seating Request Form” available at the
office (and on our website) and return it to school with your child should you wish to be considered for courtesy seating by
Monday, September 21st , 2015 You will be notified if your child is eligible to ride. Parents are required to make alternate
arrangements for their child until late October.
Students who are assigned a courtesy seat will receive a permission package to be signed and returned before they are can
start riding the bus.
Any questions or concerns related to busing, they should be directed to the board transportation department at 905 8906000 (we are “area west”). This number is also available on the website.
YARD SUPERVISION AND KISS ‘N RIDE
Please keep in mind there is NO supervision before 8:45 in the morning and students should not be dropped off before this
time. If you are bringing your child to school, we encourage parents to walk their children only to the fenced in area of the
school yard. We have ample supervision by teachers within the school yard available. The safety and security of our students
is our number one priority, and it is difficult for our supervisors to monitor the yard when there are many parents.
Remember, other parents are strangers to your child. When picking up students in grades 2 to 8 at the end of the day, we
ask that parents remain on the public pathway away from the immediate school doors and pavement. Students will be told
to meet their parents/guardians at the pathway. For parents of grade 1 students, we have a “hand to hand” policy, so
those parents may meet their child at the door.
Parents are reminded that there is no parking in the staff parking lot. We do not have the staff to monitor the parking lot
for safety. Parents are asked to park on side streets or in the few spots available at the front of the school, or in the spots
where the Kiss and Ride is located. Parents can walk their child to the fenced area, where teachers are there to supervise
the students.
The quickest and safest way to drop your child off at school is to use the Kiss and Ride lanes. Parents starting at 8:45 can
drive up the Kiss and Ride lane where teachers will monitor your child getting out of the car and direct them safely into the
school yard where they are being supervised.
Please be advised the Kiss and Ride lane is extremely busy in the morning, but from 8:45 to 8:50 is the best time to drop
off your child as it is the least busy period of time. We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation for the safety of all
students.
If you are driving your child to and from school, please be aware that the parking lot and driveways are very busy places at
arrival and dismissal times. Please park only in designated areas. Do not park your car in the Kiss and Ride Lanes as you
can be fined by the City of Brampton Parking Authority as this is also a designated fire route. Please consider parking on
a side street or walking to school.
PARKING
In order to ease congestion at the front of the school and to allow for buses to enter and exit the driveway freely, please
do not use the front driveway after 8:30 or before 3:40. Also be advised that any cars parked out front are subject to a
fine from the City of Brampton’s Parking Enforcement Officers as this is a fire route.
7
September 2015
STUDENT ABSENCE
In the interest of your child’s safety, it is very important to inform us if your child will be late or absent from school. We
have a 24 hour answering machine for parents to leave this information at any time. It is the school’s safe arrival program
that necessitates that the school will call your home or business if a message is not left on the machine explaining the
absence.
To record your child’s absence, Please call 905 453-4472 (24hrs) and follow the prompts. Leave the
following information in your message:
 Your Child’s name
 Your Child’s teacher’s name
 Date and time of absence
 Reason and duration of absence
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY DAY
Friday September 18th, 2015 has been designated as a professional activity day for Faith and
Reorganization. There will be NO school for students on this day as teachers will be involved in meetings
and possible reorganization.
SCHOOL WEBSITE
Please visit our website at www.dpcdsb.org/JOACH for the latest school information. We are also on Twitter!
Follow us @StJoachimDPCDSB
DPCDSB is also on Twitter! For the latest board news and information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools.
REMINDERS
To help ensure all of the following information is updated in a timely manner, please return the following to your child’s
teacher right away (the forms with the * can be found in the agenda for students in grades 1 - 8):
 Student verification form (coming home soon)
 Walking Excursions*
 Image Release*
 Lunch Hour Arrangements*
 Student Emergency and Early Dismissal Consent Form (coming home soon)
 Elementary Health and Physical Education Curriculum– Medical Information/Elements of Risk* (2 copies…one for
the school and one to remain in the agenda)
DATES TO REMEMBER
September 18 – PA Day (Reorganization and Faith Development) – no school for students
September 22 – 25 - Aussie X Moves for kids
September 24 – 7:00 p.m. Grade 7 Camp Brebeuf Parent Information Evening
September 25 – Picture Day for all students
September 29 – 7:00 p.m. Grade 8 Parent Information Meeting - Ottawa Trip
September 30 – a.m. Terry Fox Walk (wear red and/or white)
October 1 - 5:30 p.m. Aussie X Moves Parent Engagement Event
Early October – Breakfast Club and Milk Program Begin
October 5– 6:30 Catholic School Council Election (if required) 7:00 Catholic School Council Meeting
October 6 – Immunization Clinic Grades 7 & 8
October 12 – Thanksgiving Day – no school
November 4 – Picture Re-take Day
8
HOW CAN I HELP MY
CHILD SUCCEED?
1
2
3
Get involved in your child’s school life
Ask about their day – school work, friends,
their teacher. Let them tell you about the best
part of their day, and about what was not so
good. This will help you share their successes
and uncover any problems.
Stay connected with the school
Talk to your child’s teacher. Ask questions. This
can be as simple as sending a note to school
with your child. Or check with the school to
see if you can volunteer to help.
Make learning fun
Learning is not limited to the classroom.
Simple activities can build your child’s skills
and confidence. Talk about prices on a trip to
the grocery store to help older kids with
math. Make reading fun for younger ones by
pointing out the words all around you – on
street signs, posters, even cereal boxes!
The Ministry of Education has many tools
to help both teachers and parents.
Visit www.edu.gov.on.ca and discover
how you can help your child succeed in school.
Printed on recycled paper
06-377
ISBN 978-1-4249-3388-4 (Print)
ISBN 978-1-4249-3390-7 (PDF)
© Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2007
Cette publication est disponible en français.
This publication is available on the Ministry of Education’s
website at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca
AN INTRODUCTION TO
COMBINED
GRADES
WHAT IS A COMBINED
CLASSROOM?
Combined classes group children from two or
more consecutive grades in one classroom. Schools
combine classes for a variety of reasons. This
includes organizing classes to meet student learning
needs and combining grades to balance class size.
All classrooms include students with a range of
skills and abilities. Combined classes are neither
better nor worse than single-grade classes. They
are simply one of the many ways schools meet
students’ academic and social development needs.
HOW ARE STUDENTS
CHOSEN FOR COMBINED
CLASSES?
Principals and staff consider a variety of factors
when grouping children into classes, including:
> Learning styles
> Social skills
> Academic needs
> And many other factors
All classrooms, whether single-grade or combined,
include students performing at a range of achievement levels. In every case, schools strive to create
a classroom environment that will support the
needs of all students.
HOW WILL A COMBINED
CLASS AFFECT MY CHILD?
WILL MY CHILD GET
ENOUGH INDIVIDUAL
ATTENTION?
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Several studies have found that students in
combined classes do just as well as students
in single-grade classes. In fact, some students
actually do better in language and reading.
IMPROVED SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Canadian studies show that children in combined
classes have more opportunities for emotional
and social growth. The rich social environment
helps students:
> Learn how to work on their own and as part
of a team
> Build leadership abilities as they work
together and help each other
> Develop decision-making skills, and become
more self-motivated and responsible
> Learn in an environment that reflects the
real world. The diverse ideas and opinions of
classmates help expand students’ perspectives.
Every day, in both single-grade classes and
combined grades, teachers work with large
groups, small groups, and individual students.
But students in combined classrooms also benefit
from a broader support structure.
Younger children can ask students from the higher
grade for help. Older students learn by explaining
problems to their younger peers. In fact, peer
tutoring can help higher achieving and older
students reinforce their knowledge and positive
social behaviours.
HOW CAN THE TEACHER
TEACH MORE THAN ONE
GRADE AT A TIME?
Teachers use many different strategies to teach
students in combined grades. They may:
> Introduce a common topic then give each
grade a different task or problem.
> Break students into groups to study different
problems and report back to the class. These
groups can be flexible, including students with
varied interests and skills.
> Bring students together for activities like
health, physical education, and the arts.
The Ministry of Education has developed strategies
that help teachers reach a range of learners. For
example, teams from every school in Ontario have
been trained in differentiating instruction. This is a
strategy that looks at the individual learning needs
and progress of each student. The teacher can
then identify the range of needs in the classroom
and plan a program that meets the needs of all
the students.