Holy Family School
61 Allan Drive, Bolton, ON L7E 1P7
Phone: (905) 857-1300
Newsletter #6
www.dpcdsb.org/HOFAM
Principal: M. Clarot
Secretary: M. Proctor
School Council Co-Chairs: M. D’Alelio / P. Ranieri
Superintendent: L. Storey 1-800-387-9501
Fax: (905) 857-9432
February 2015
Holy Family Church - Pastor: Fr. L. Leger - (905) 857-1938
Associate Pastor: Fr. David Gikonyo
Trustee: F. DiCosola - (905) 951-8898
Black History Month
Prayer For Lent
Lord Jesus Christ,
You gather your people
during this Holy Season of Lent
and call us to repent.
As we turn back to You once again,
open our hearts
so that we might be
transformed in Your image.
Remove any barriers that keep us from You,
so that we might live fully
the life we received at Baptism
and carry our cross each day.
By your grace,
may we turn to You in our abundance,
and share Your love
with the world around us.
Amen.
February is Black History Month.
During this month, Holy Family
School is recognizing and celebrating
the many contributions of Black Canadians and
famous Black people from around the world. Some
fascinating Canadian Black history facts will be
shared throughout the month.
Did you know:
The first Black person thought to have set foot on
Canadian soil was Mathieu Da Costa, a free man
who was hired as a translator for Samuel de
Champlain's 1605 excursion.
Ontario was the first province to respond to social
change when it passed the Racial Discrimination
Act of 1944, landmark legislation prohibiting the
publication and display of any symbol, sign, or
notice that expressed ethnic, racial, or religious
discrimination.
April 1946: Jackie Robinson Plays His First Game
for the Montreal Royals: He became the first Black
player in modern "organized" baseball.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Upcoming Events / Peel Health Message
Page 2
EQAO / Winter Weather Reminders
Page 3
EcoTeam News
Page 4
Virtue of the Month—Respect
Page 5
Next Generation Learning
Page 7
Dates to Remember
Page 8
Leonard Braithwaite became the first AfricanCanadian in a provincial legislature when he was
elected as the Liberal member for Etobicoke,
Ontario in 1963.
Michaelle Jean, was the first Black person to serve
as Canadian Governor General, in 2005.
M. Clarot
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all peo ple.
1
Parent/Teacher Interviews
Gr. 8 Grad Photo Day
First term reports go home on Tuesday, February
3rd. Parent/Teacher interviews will be held on the
evening of Thursday, February 5th and during the
day on Friday, February 6th. Confirmation of your
interview time will be sent home together with your
child’s report card.
Grad Photo Day for our Gr. 8
students is Thursday, February 26th.
More information will follow shortly.
P. A. Day / Family Day
Just a reminder that Friday, February 6th is a P. A.
Day. This day is set aside for Parent/Teacher
Interviews. There is no school for students on this
day. Family Day is on Monday, February 16th. The
school will be closed on this date.
March Break
March Break this year falls during
the week of March 16th – 20th.
School resumes after the break on
Monday, March 23rd.
Catholic School Council
The next council meeting will take
place on Monday, March 2nd, at
6:30 p.m. As always, all parents
are welcome to attend this open
meeting.
Valentine’s Day
Once again we are asking
parents to not send any food
on Valentine’s Day. If your
child would like to bring
something to share with his/her
classmates, we ask that alternatives
such as stickers, pencils or other non-food
items are considered. We also ask that students not
share their lunches, snacks or treats with other
students as a further prevention measure. We look
forward to your co-operation in continuing to keep
our school a safe environment for all.
Extended French Program
Please note that the deadline for the Extended
French application form is Tuesday, February 17th,
2015 and must be received in our school Main Office
by 3:00 p.m. at the latest. We hope that you and
your son/daughter will take the time to discuss the
merits of this program and consider the benefits of
receiving a bilingual education. If you have any
further questions, please do not hesitate to call Mrs.
Clarot.
Message from Peel
Public Health
Peel Public Health will be reviewing
immunization records of all students at our school.
Peel Public Health must have proof that your child
has been fully vaccinated (immunized) according to
the Ontario immunization schedule. If you receive a
letter from Peel Public Health, please ensure that
your child has received the required vaccine(s), then
give the date(s) your child received these vaccine
dose(s) to Peel Public Health immediately to update
your child’s record. Under the Immunization of
School Pupils Act, the Health Department has the
authority to suspend students from school if they do
not meet the immunization requirement. Students
whose immunization records are incomplete
may be suspended from school. For more
information, please call Peel Public Health at 905584-2216
or
visit
www.ImmunizePeel.ca.
Translation services are available.
National Sweater Day
National Sweater Day is coming up on
Thursday, February 5th.
The
temperature in the school will be
lowered and as such, staff and students
are asked to wear a sweater that day. Thank you to
everyone who is trying to make a difference, so that
we can have an eco-friendly school.
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all people.
2
E.Q.A.O. Testing
Grades Three and Six
Each year, all Grade 3 and 6 students in
Ontario are assessed in reading, writing
and mathematics. Developed by the
Education Quality and Accountability Office
(EQAO) after consulting with more than 1,000
teachers, as well as parents and the broader
community across Ontario, these assessments go
beyond traditional tests of the past. Their ultimate
purpose is to improve student achievement.
The Education Quality and Accountability Office
(EQAO) has developed the assessment that will be
used in all schools in the province. This office is
independent from the Ministry of Education and
Training and the Dufferin Peel Catholic District
School Board. It was established through legislation
by the Government of Ontario in 1996. The mandate
of EQAO is to design and oversee a fair assessment,
based on the provincial criteria. Every student in
Grade 3, 6 and 10 in the province will take this
assessment. Provincial assessment in reading,
writing and mathematics will take place during five
days that occur between May 25th and June 5th for
all students in grades 3 and 6. Kindly avoid booking
dental, doctor, etc. appointments during that time
period. Visit DPCDSB on the web for Board and
School profiles http://www.dpcdsb.org/EQAO
Winter Weather Reminders
Snow and Ice
Throwing snowballs and sliding on ice is fun.
However, as much fun as it is, snow and ice can be
very dangerous when there are many people in our
schoolyard. Most student injuries happen during the
winter time. Snow is always to stay on the ground.
The safety of your children is of the utmost
importance to us. Therefore, snowball throwing,
kicking snow or ice, or throwing snow at anyone is
not tolerated here at Holy Family School.
Indoor Footwear
Students are expected to wear shoes in the school
building at all times. Once students are at their
classrooms, they are expected to remove their
winter boots and replace them with indoor shoes.
Please ensure that your child has indoor footwear to
be worn in the school. Wet floors and hallways can
result in possible slippery conditions, which may
result in injuries. Please note that in the event of an
emergency evacuation, students will not have the
opportunity to put on shoes, boots, clothing articles,
etc. Please ensure that your child has a pair of
shoes at school, to keep their feet dry and warm
during wet and/or snowy weather.
Appropriate Dress
Please listen to weather reports and ensure that
children are dressed appropriately for the weather.
Students should be wearing winter coats, boots,
hats, gloves and scarves. Younger students are
also encouraged to wear snow pants. If your child is
prone to getting wet during recess or lunch hour,
please send a change of clothes, especially socks
and pants. We want our students to feel comfortable
outdoors and not get chilled because of
inappropriate winter dress.
Weather School Closures
During the winter months inclement
weather may cause disruption of bus
transportation and regular school
operations. A decision to cancel school
transportation and/or to close schools is usually
made by 6:00 a.m. and will be announced on the
following radio stations:
VIRGIN RADIO 99.9 CHUM 1050
CFNY 102.1
CJCL590
CJBC (FR) 860 AM
EZ ROCK 97.3
CJMR/CHWO 1250
CFRB 1010
CJBC (FR) 860 AM
FM/1540 AM
FOXY 88.5 FM
CITYPUL
GLOBAL NEWS
CFTO
THE WEATHER NETWORK
CFTR 680
CHFI 98.1
93.1 FM
Z103.5
CHIN 100.7
CBC
Please note that if busses are cancelled in the
morning, that they are cancelled for the entire
day. If you bring your child/ren to school in the
morning, please make sure that you have made
arrangements for your child/ren’s transportation
home after school.
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all peo ple.
3
CCCC School Climate
Survey 2014-2015
The Ontario Ministry of Education focus on Safe
Schools and Positive School Climate as well as its
Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy requires
that all schools across the province implement a
School Climate Survey for students every two years.
The Catholic Community Culture and Caring School
Climate (CCCC) Survey will take place late January
2015 for elementary students and mid February
2015 for secondary students. Students in Grades
3 through 12, as appropriate, will be offered the
opportunity to participate in the survey.
Parent/Guardian Survey
A parent/guardian CCCC School Climate Survey
has
also
been
developed
to
provide
parents/guardians an opportunity to express
feedback regarding their children’s school climate
experiences. Parents of all students in all grades, K
through 12+ are invited to participate. The CCCC
Parent Survey will be available for parents on
the board website http://www.dpcdsb.org/cec from
January 26 – March 6, 2015.
Implementation Information
All CCCC School Climate Surveys are anonymous
on-line surveys. Participants will access the surveys
via a secure link within a generic user account
hosted within Dufferin-Peel’s firewall. The account
containing the survey links will only be available
during the field test and live survey periods. Thank
you for your support of Dufferin-Peel’s efforts in the
area of Catholic Community Culture and Caring.
The Online Reporting Tool
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has
developed a new way to help nurture a safe, caring
and inclusive school environment. The Online
Reporting Tool is intended for students in grades 3
– 8 who become aware of bullying incidents and
negative behaviours. The student can simply ‘click’
on the link found on our school’s website to fill out
the report. The report will then be directly emailed
to the principal and will be dealt with accordingly. It
is important to recognize that the Online Reporting
Tool is an alternate reporting option. It is best
practice to speak directly with a responsible adult at
home and/or in the school.
Are You Moving?
If you know your family is moving
out of our boundary, we would like
to know. Each year, a number of
families move out of the area and it
assists us in our planning purposes to know
whether students will be attending our school next
year. Please inform the office at your earliest
convenience.
EcoTeam News
Updates from the ECOTeam. We have completed a
couple of energy audits in the school. The students
have been looking at all the classrooms to see how
many lights are being left on when no one is in the
room. They looked at the computers to see if the
monitors were closed down when they are not being
used. The students also looked at the window sills
to see if the blinds could be closed properly. We are
pleased to report that we had positive results in all
areas, but we can always continue to do better.
On Wednesday, February 4th, Holy Family School
will celebrate “Winter Walk to School Day”. We are
encouraging as many students as possible to walk
to school. Take the opportunity to have a walk with
your child and enjoy the fresh air as well as getting
some healthy exercise for the whole family.
We would like to remind you again that
Holy Family is an “IDLE FREE ZONE”,
please do not leave your car running
while waiting for your child. We are trying
to keep the air around our school fresh
and clean for breathing while we are
outside playing.
Our boomerang lunch program continues to be a
focus for us at the school. We are trying to reduce
the amount of garbage we produce each day.
Please remember to use re-useable containers and
water bottles. Take home any organic materials,
(apple cores, orange peels, banana skins bread
crusts and any other uneaten food). We can make
a big difference if everyone makes an effort.
National sweater day is coming up in February. We
will be celebrating this on Thursday, February 5th.
Please wear your favourite sweater that day. Let’s
make it fun for everyone.
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all people.
4
Youth Faith Ambassadors
The Youth Faith Ambassadors and
the EcoTeam will be collaborating
to collect milk bags to help in the
Ebola Outbreak efforts in Sierra
Leone. Milk bag mats are in great
demand. This social justice project
keeps non-biodegradable plastic
milk bags out of our landfills and are
recycled into sleeping mats for the needs of others
around the world. Beginning January 26, 2015, we
are encouraging staff and students to bring in clean,
dried milk bags (the outer shell only). There will be a
box set up in the front foyer to collect them. We will
be sending them to Mary Fix School who will be
sending them to Africa.. You can view how the mats
are made on YouTube. On YouTube, type in “plastic
milk bag mats” and there are a number of clips to
watch. Our participation in this program will help us
qualify towards eco-certification. Thank you for your
continued support.
Virtue of the Month
--Respect
In February we celebrate the virtue of respect. God
has given us the virtues of friends and companions
to keep us company and to help us out along the
way. Every person in our lives carries the Spirit of
God – and so every person is our brother or sister
through Jesus Christ. As brothers and sisters who
share one Holy Spirit, we are all valuable to God.
We all deserve to be shown courtesy, consideration,
sensitivity and thoughtfulness, which are different
ways of saying respect. That respect should come
first and foremost from ourselves. We have to
respect ourselves and then we will be able to respect
others. We should also expect to be treated with
respect by everyone we meet – our brothers and
sisters in Jesus. Through prayer and concentration,
we can get better at respecting ourselves, as well as
respecting those around us.
A respectful person…
Treats himself/herself and everyone else with
equal consideration and courtesy
Uses a positive tone of voice and body
language
Avoids swearing, name-calling, put-downs,
and inappropriate gestures
Says “Excuse me”, “Please”, “Pardon me”
Avoids gossip
Bullying Prevention Corner.
Telling an Adult about Bullying
is Not Tattling
February’s in class lesson focuses
on the difference between tattling
and telling. In dealing with bullying
situations, students are encouraged to
use the strategy, ‘telling an adult’. Although this
sounds simple and logical, there are many
difficulties and roadblocks associated with this
strategy. Younger children struggle to understand
the difference between telling and tattling, while
older children struggle with their desire to deal with
situations independently. The goal of telling an adult
is to keep people safe. Students will learn to identify
the difference between telling and tattling (reporting
and ratting), explore reasons students don’t report
bullying and understand how to effectively and
safely report to an adult.
Tattling/ratting is defined as telling in order to get
someone into trouble, or telling when there is no one
being hurt and no rule being broken that could result
in a dangerous situation.
Telling is defined as reporting unsafe behaviours to
an adult in order to get help for someone – to get
someone out of trouble.
Tips for parents:
-
-
-
use incidences where one child is telling you
about sibling behaviour to help children identify
whether they are tattling or telling
practice with your child how to ‘tell an adult’
about bullying (what happened, how they feel,
what help they desire)
develop awareness of the ‘reasons’ children
state for not reporting bullying to adults
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all peo ple.
5
Developing Mindsets that Promote Growth
What do we mean by “mindset”?
Mindsets are the assumptions and expectations we have for ourselves and others.
These attitudes guide our behavior and influence our responses to daily events.
Remember the Ontario Educational Resource Bank? Try ELO1411070,
Dr. Robert Brooks
Tips for Fostering a Growth Mindset:
Tip # 1. Practice What You Preach
Operations:
Understanding
Numbers
Numbers are used to
describe quantities, to
count, and to add, subtract,
multiply, and divide.
Understanding numbers and
knowing how to combine
them to solve problems
helps us in all areas of math.
 Model growth-mindset thinking with your child.
 Explain how you deal with challenges and how you continue to learn.
 Don’t label yourself in ways that demonstrate a fixed mindset
 “I’m a terrible cook.”
Family Math Activities
Family Math Activities 4-6
 “IK-3
always had trouble in math too.”
Involve your child in using numbers to solve
Look for situations involving proportional thinking in real life. Have
problems and make everyday decisions:

“We need six tomatoes to make our sauce for

your child explain his or her thinking:

Mr. C is driving and he has noticed that his lights are not working
dinner; and we have only two. How many
at full strength. They are dimming and losing 25% of their
more do we need to buy?
brightness. Should he drive at night? Why or Why not?
“Two guests are coming to eat dinner with us.

Gabriella promises to help her sister to do her paper route each
How many plates do we need? How many
day. Her sister says she’ll give her one quarter of her profits. Is
utensils?
this a good deal for Gabriella? Explain why.
Grades 7 & 8: Your Money Decisions!
Let’s discuss some factors affecting “Money Decisions”… Think about the last item of clothing that you bought.
What factors affected your decision?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Emotions: Was it how you felt looking at them?
Friends and Peers: Was it your friends and what you thought they would think about your choice?
Customs, Traditions, and Habits: Was it because it was the style of clothes that you have
always tended to wear in the past?
Family Members: Did other family members have any influence on your choice?
Latest Styles and Fads: Was it because of any latest style or fad?
Advertising: Was it because of any commercial, ad, promotion, or celebrity endorsement?
Incentives: Was it because of a “sale” that was on or a discount coupon that you had?
Your Values and Confidence: Was it because of what you thought – and what you
wanted – and your own sense of values, style, and knowing what you want?
So teach us
to number
our days,
that we may
apply our
hearts unto
wisdom
Psalms
90:12
Which of the above factors do you think have the most influence on your money decisions?
Elementary Program Team 2015
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all people.
6
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all peo ple.
7
February 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
1
Wed
2
-Mrs. Pellegrino’s
and Mrs.
Angelosante’s
classes to Silver
Creek Outdoor
Ctr.
8
-Reports go home
9
-Red/White/Blue
Day
15
10
16
22
11
23
12
7
13
14
-Hockey Practice
@ Caledon East
Arena
-Tuque Day/
Helene Nicole
Presentation
-Happy
Valentine's Day
20
21
26
27
28
-PIZZA DAY
-Gr. 8 Grad Photos —
a.m.
-PAN AM Games
-Hockey Tourn.
18
24
-Hockey Practice @
Albion Bolton Arena
6
-P.A. Day—No
school for
students
-Parent/Teacher
Interviews
-PIZZA DAY
-Scarf Day
-Ash Wednesday
Sat
5
-National Sweater
Day
-Parent/Teacher
Interview Evening
-PIZZA DAY
-Virtue Assembly
-HOT LUNCH
-Café/Loto Day
17
-Shrove Tuesday
-Dental Screening—
ELP & Gr. 2
-Deadline for Ex.
French Apps.
-Hockey Practice @
Albion Bolton Arena
Fri
4
-Walk to School
Wednesday
-Int. Speeches –
1:30 to 2:40 p.m.
-Rosary Apostolate—
p.m.
-Jersey Day
-Family Day—
School Closed
Thu
3
19
-PIZZA DAY
-Jr. Boys’ and Girls’
Basketball Tourn.
25
-Lottery for Ex.
French (if needed)
-HOT LUNCH
March 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
1
2
-School Council
meeting @ 6:30
p.m.
8
Wed
3
-BEACON Int.
Hockey Tournament
9
15
16
-March Break
begins
22
17
23
29
7
12
13
14
19
20
21
27
28
-March Break
ends
25
-HOT LUNCH
31 APRIL
-Lego Robotics
6
-Virtue Assembly
-PIZZA DAY
18
24
30
Sat
5
-PIZZA DAY
11
-HOT LUNCH
-The Great Gulp
Fri
-St. Patrick's Day
-Lego Robotics
-Palm Sunday
4
-BEACON Int.
Hockey Tournament
10
-Rosary Apostolate –
p.m.
-Lego Robotics
Thu
26
-PIZZA DAY
1
APRIL
-PIZZA DAY
-Holy Thursday
2 APRIL
-Good Friday
-School Closed
3
APRIL
4
-Holy Saturday
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all people.
8
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all peo ple.
9