Holy Family School
61 Allan Drive, Bolton, ON L7E 1P7
Phone: (905) 857-1300
Newsletter # 9
www.dpcdsb.org/HOFAM
Principal: M. Bracco-Clarot
Secretary: M. Proctor
Catholic School Council Co-Chairs: P. Ranieri/M. D’Alelio
Superintendent: L. Storey 1-800-387-9501
Superintendent: P. McMorrow 1-800-387-9501
Fax: (905) 857-9432
May 2015
Holy Family Church - Pastor: Father L. Leger
Associate Pastor: Fr. D. Gikonyo
Church Ph. (905) 857-1938
Trustee: F. Di Cosola (905) 951-8898
Our Dear Mother Mary
Mary, Virgin Mother of Jesus,
our dear Mother, too.
We give ourselves to you,
that you may protect us
and guide us to Jesus, your Son.
Keep us from all sin
that we may love Jesus
with a pure love
as you always did.
May we always enjoy
the help of your prayers,
for you bring us life and salvation
through Jesus Christ your son.
Amen.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Catholic Education Week
Page 2
E.Q.A.O. Testing
Page 3
Classroom Interruptions
Page 4
Recess Reminders/Dress Code
Page 5
DPCDSB Summer Programs
Page 6
EcoTeam News...Pg. 7 /// Virtue of the Month…Pg. 8
On Mother’s Day we celebrate our
mothers, who have brought us into life and
have loved and cared for us.
There are so many mothers to honor:
grandmothers, godmothers, adoptive mothers,
stepmothers, foster mothers and friends’
mothers. And, there’s Mary, the Mother of
God. Jesus made her the mother of all people.
By tradition, the Catholic Church dedicates
each month of the year to a certain devotion.
In May, it is the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a
good time to begin praying the rosary daily.
And, of course, there’s Mother Earth. This title
for our planet is one way of saying that God
has made the earth a holy home for all living
things. In different ways, any one or more of
these mothers has earned our love.
On Mother’s Day, think about how much
your mother does to care for you and how
much she loves you.
To all mothers in our school community,
from all of us at Holy Family School, Happy
Mother’s Day!
M. Clarot
Math @ Home…Pg. 9 /// Dates to Remember…Pg. 10
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
Rosary Apostolate
Book Fair
On Tuesday, May 12th, we will have
our final rosary visit for the year.
We will
be
having two
celebrations in the gym. The
Grade 4 to Grade 8 classes will
celebrate Mother Mary from 9:45 a.m.
to 11 a.m. The JK to Grade 3 classes will
celebrate from 11:35 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. We want to
take this opportunity to thank the Rosary Apostolate
for their ongoing commitment to our school. Their
visits have been a great spiritual learning
experience. We are looking forward to continuing
this next year.
During Catholic Education
Week, Holy Family will be
hosting a Scholastic Book
Fair in the library. The fair will
run from Monday, May 4th,
through Thursday, May 7th. Students will be invited
to view and purchase books at various times
throughout the day. The fair will remain open until
4:30 pm each day so parents may visit as well.
Catholic Education Week
“Catholic Education Week:
Exploring Paths of Joy” is
scheduled for the week of
May 3rd – May 8th, 2015. The
scriptural passage that guides our
theme is: “Were not our hearts burning
within us while He was talking to us on the
road?” - Luke 24:32
The sub-themes for Catholic Education Week
2015 are as follows:
1. Walking Together and Sharing our Story
2. Opening the Scriptures
3. Welcoming Others to the Table
4. Recognizing Jesus in the Breaking of the Bread
5. Proclaiming the Good News
Catholic Education Week begins on a Sunday to
highlight the partnership that remains the foundation
of Catholic education between our Catholic schools
and local Catholic parishes. Throughout Catholic
Education Week, we ask you to reflect on the
significance of Catholic education’s presence and
contribution in our Church, and in our society. We
invite all members of our community, to participate
in the celebrations and activities that will mark the
celebration of Catholic Education Week 2015 in our
schools.
National Denim Day
On Thursday, May 7th and Friday, May
8th, students will be coming around to
accept donations for flower ribbons for
the CURE Foundation for Breast
Cancer. No donation is too little. We are asking that
students and staff wear denim and a flower ribbon
on Tuesday, May 12th to show their support for
Breast Cancer awareness.
Holy Family Talent Show
Our Holy Family Talent Show will be taking place on
Friday, May 8th, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. Those students
participating will be performing the talents of singing,
dancing, and piano along with comedy and skipping.
All of the students have been working very hard to
make it a great talent show.
P. A. Days
Please note that Monday, May 11th and Monday,
June 8th are P. A. Days. There is no school for
students on either of these days. Please note that
the final report cards go home on Wednesday, June
24th. The last day of school is Friday, June 26th and
school resumes again on Tuesday, September 8th.
Victoria Day
Just a reminder that Monday, May 18th is Victoria
Day. This is a holiday and therefore school will be
closed. We wish all our students and their families
a safe and relaxing long weekend.
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.
2
School Council Meeting
Our next School Council
meeting is scheduled for
Monday, May 25th at 6:30 p.m.
As always, all are welcome to
attend.
Grade 8 Graduation
The grade 8 Graduation Mass
will take place on Thursday,
June 25th at 7 p.m. at Holy
Family Church. The Grad BBQ
and Dance will take place the
end of June. Further details will
be made available shortly.
Welcome to Kindergarten
Night
All new junior kindergarten
students attending Holy Family
School in September are invited
to join us (along with their
parents) at our Welcome to
Kindergarten evening, on Wednesday, May 27th
starting at 7:00 p.m. Welcome to Kindergarten is an
orientation program where families participate in
activities that will help junior kindergarten students
prepare for school.
E.Q.A.0. Testing – Grades 3 & 6
EQAO assessment for Grade 3 and
Grade 6 students will run from May 25th
to June 5th. We kindly ask that parents
refrain from booking appointments or
holidays during this time. Parents may visit
the EQAO website at www.eqao.com for many
resources and useful information regarding EQAO,
including sample tests from last year.
How can you help your child with testing? First
of all, talk with your child and help reduce the anxiety
related to any type of testing situations. You should
also be sure that your child has enough sleep, eats
a nutritious breakfast and is well hydrated.
Research shows that students who are well rested
and have enough fuel to stimulate brain activity
achieve higher scores on average.
Allegation Of Sexual Abuse
Regarding The Late Fr. James
(Jim) Roth, Osfs
Information regarding an allegation of sexual
abuse of a minor related to the late Fr. James (Jim)
Roth, OSFS, is posted on the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board’s main webpage at
www.dpcdsb.org. Additional information, including
where to report abuse or suspected abuse, is also
posted on the website of Father Roth’s religious
order, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, at
www.tdprovince.org and the Archdiocese of
Toronto at www.archtoronto.org . Please consult
these sources as appropriate.
Confirmation
Confirmation for students in
grade 8 will take place at Holy
Family Church on various dates
over the next few weeks. This is
an important step in the lives of our grade
8 students as it marks their full acceptance and
commitment to the larger church community. While
we celebrate, we also need to acknowledge the time
and effort of the many people involved in supporting
our students along the way. The list includes
teachers, parents, the parish team, and a significant
number of other adults who continue to work hard in
preparing our students for this sacrament. A special
thank you to Father Larry, Father David and
Catherine Ecker.
Change to Confirmation
The Archdiocese of Toronto has notified all DufferinPeel Catholic District Schools that the elementary
school grade candidates for confirmation is to be
moved from Grade 8 to Grade 7, effective
September 2015. If your child is currently in gr. 6 or
7 and you did not receive the letter from Holy Family
Church concerning the upcoming Confirmation
meetings, please contact the office.
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
First Communion
Classroom Interruptions
We congratulate our grade 2
students – both those who have
already received the sacrament
and those who will be receiving
Holy Eucharist for the first time in
the month to come. Again, we would like to
acknowledge all those who were instrumental in the
preparation of our students.
Recently there has been an increase in the
number of calls to the office requesting that
messages be relayed to students in their
classrooms. Most of these messages concern
end of day arrangements. This of course
involves unnecessary interruptions in the
classroom.
While we are aware that
emergencies do come up, we would ask parents
to please ensure that your children are aware of
what home time arrangements are. Also, please
use your child’s agenda to advise the teacher of
any changes to the usual routine and/or if your
child is being picked up early. Thank you for
your cooperation.
2014 – 2015 Yearbook
Yearbooks are once again available
to the students of Holy Family School
at a cost of only $12.00 each, same
as last year. Order forms will be
distributed to students soon and the
last day to order is Friday, May 29th.
Are you Moving?
We are in the process of
planning
staffing
and
organizing classes for the
2015- 2016 school year. If you
are planning on moving out of the Holy Family area,
or simply changing addresses within our boundaries,
please let the office know as soon as possible.
Student Lates
Students who arrive at school late
are out of sorts and rushed into
beginning their day. This also
disturbs the class and interrupts
lessons. A late arrival for your child is not healthy.
It places them in a rushed frame of mind for the
remainder of the day. In addition, students who
arrive at school late lose out on time to socialize
and greet their peers prior to the bell ringing at
9:15 a.m. We suggest that parents have children
get their school items (homework, shoes and
lunch) ready the night before. By placing their
bags at the door ready for a quick morning
departure, students are ready to go!
Safety Procedures
To help eliminate trespassers, reduce the traffic
existing in the halls at entry and dismissal times and
prevent
unnecessary
interruptions
to
the
teaching/learning process your child receives each
day, we need your support and co-operation in
adhering to the following procedures:
 All visitors and parents/guardians are to report to
the office. If you are picking up your child before
dismissal (i.e. for an appointment), please wait
for your child in the office.
 Students are to be picked up and dropped off at
their designated pick up and drop off areas only.
 If your child is coming into the school after the
start of the school day, they are to come to the
front office to obtain a late slip.
 Students are NOT permitted to leave the school
grounds for any reason unless they bring a
written, signed and dated permission note from
his/her parent, or unless a parent/guardian
comes to take the child out of the school.
 If someone other than a parent or the usual
caregiver for your child is picking up your child,
please advise your child’s teacher or the office
through a note or phone call.


If you are dropping off a lunch or other items
during school hours, please leave them at the
office. Do not proceed to your child’s classroom.
If you have an appointment with a teacher, or
you would like to make an appointment, please
report to the office and we will inform the teacher.
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.
4
Recess Reminders
We continue to reinforce the need for students to
play games and activities safely. At Holy Family
School, we ask students to keep their hands and feet
to themselves. This means that activities such as
contact sports, tackling, play fighting, tripping,
pushing, pilling on and any rough play are not
permitted. Students are consistently reminded of
these rules by staff, supervisors and administration.
We recommend parents have conversations with
their children about the types of games they play at
school. We need your help to reinforce with them the
dangers and consequences of rough play and the
importance of notifying staff on duty of any problems
during recess time. The health and safety of our
students is always our priority at Holy Family School.
Lunch
Now that the warmer weather is upon
us, we are noticing an increase in the
number of students leaving the school
property to buy their lunch. Except for those
students who provided their teacher with a signed
Lunch Permission Form at the start of the year, a
written note with the date and parent’s signature is
needed for children to leave the school grounds to
buy their lunch. Please be aware that students are
not supervised when they leave school property.
Please discourage your child from going out for
lunch. Have them remain at school during the lunch
hour where they are supervised by school staff. Your
child is not allowed to bring food back into the
school, due to allergies. They need to finish their
lunch and then return to school. Thank you for your
support.
Be Sun Safe
Overexposure to the sun can
cause skin damage. We remind
students to take precautions to
protect their skin during recess
times. The following are some suggestions to help
protect the skin:
Wear protective clothing to cover the skin.
Wear a hat to protect both the eyes and skin.
When possible, stay out of direct sunlight.
Wear sun block; the higher the protection factor
number, the greater the protection.
Dress Code
With the warmer weather soon
upon us, we remind students that
Holy Family School is committed to
standards of neatness, modesty and good
taste. Students are encouraged to dress modestly at
school. We ask that students not wear: tank tops,
muscle shirts, halter-tops, very short tops or very
short shorts. Furthermore, we remind students that
pants are to be worn around the waist. These
requests are directed more towards our junior and
intermediate students. A little more latitude is given
to younger students. T-shirts with inappropriate or
offensive language or pictures are not allowed at
school. Students who wear unacceptable clothing to
school may be asked to telephone their parents to
arrange to have a change of clothing brought to
school for them. We thank parents and students for
your cooperation. We also would like to remind
parents that with the rainy season still upon us, there
are puddles and mud in the school yard where
children can get wet socks and clothing. We suggest
that you place an extra pair of socks and track pants
in your child’s backpack in the event that a change
of clothing is necessary.
Young Rider Orientation Day
Introduce your children to school buses prior
to the first day of school
Saturday, August 22, 2015
9:00 am – 12:00 noon
We encourage you to participate by bringing your
kindergarten children and elementary age siblings to
a one hour program between the hours of 9:00 a.m.
and 12:00 noon. Bus rides and a school bus safety
video are only part of the informative fun. To confirm
your attendance and preferred time slot, please call
Parkview Transit at 905-846-1070.
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
DPCDSB Summer Programs
Mammolitti and Mrs. Posteraro, who made this trip
possible.
Elementary Summer School Grades 7 and 8
Monday, June 29th to Friday July 17th, 2015
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: St. Cornelius School
Students recommended by the Principal
Bussing provided at home school pick up points
Summer Literacy Camp Grades SK to 6
Monday, July 6th to Friday, July 24th, 2014
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. daily
Location: St. Nicholas School
Fee for Service Program
No transportation provided
(Registration is available only
through teacher referral)
Deadline for applications: May 29th, 2015
Adult Programs
Adult CO-OP Programs
ESL English as a Second Language
LINC Language Instruction for Newcomers
FSL / Adult Computer Classes
On-going adult registrations
For more information contact 905-891-9263
For more information and registration forms
regarding any of these programs please contact
your local elementary school or
visit the Board website at
http://www.dpcdsb.org/CEC/
Cedar Glen Trip
On Wednesday, April 8th until Friday, April 10th the
grade 6 students went to the YMCA Cedar Glen
Outdoor Education Center. The students worked on
various team building activities which included a
team maze challenge, archery, hiking, wall climbing
and various others. Thank you to our volunteers,
Mrs. Di Febo, Mr. Campbell, Mrs. Albanese, Mrs.
Campbell, Mr. Fanara, as well as teachers, Mrs.
Holy Family Dance Team
On, Tuesday, April 21st, 2015
the Holy Family Dance Team
attended the 10th Annual
Brampton, Caledon, Malton
Dance Showcase. The Dance
Team was awarded Platinum
which is a score of second highest overall. The
students displayed great dancing skills as well as
sportsmanship to the other schools. Congratulations
to the following team members: Sophia C., Olivia G.,
Sara G., Samantha S., Chiara C., Vanessa
R., Sabrina S., Mia P., Mariangela F., Sophia A.,
Sydney B., Alessia R. and Taylor G. Great job girls!!
Thank you also to their coaches, Ms. Mendes and
Mdm. Fazio.
Intermediate
Basketball
Tournament
Congratulations to the Boys’
and Girls’ Intermediate Basketball teams for
demonstrating
great
sportsmanship
and
determination. Our boys’ team consisted of: Mark C.,
Alex R., Edan F., Adam C., Matthew D., Jordan A.,
Nick B., Noah M., and Joseph C. Thank you to our
coaches Mrs. Bertani and Mrs. Mammoliti. The girls’
team consisted of: Alexa F., Larissa Z., Bailey M.,
Tea M., Melina B., Martina C., Megan C., Daniella
F., Nadia M., Ashley C., and Vanessa C. Thank you
to our coaches Mrs. Posteraro and Mrs.
Mammoliti. Also a thank you goes out to our score
keepers and time keepers: Matthew C., Anthony H.,
and Cristian C.
Remember you can access our monthly
school newsletters as well as other
relevant information on our school
website at: www.dpcdsb.org/HOFAM
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.
6
Eco Team News
Our spring weather is slowly
getting warmer. We are looking
forward to getting outside to work
in our gardens. We are enjoying
the spring bulbs that have
appeared at the front of the school. Thanks to the
efforts of our gardeners last year, we are seeing the
new plants starting to grow in our gardens. We are
hoping that the many new perennials donated to our
gardens will start to pop through the ground and we
are looking forward to their beauty.
During the month of April, we celebrated Earth Day.
This gave us an opportunity to reflect on what we
can all do to help make this beautiful Earth a place
where we can all enjoy. Please remember that if
everyone does a little thing, we can all make a BIG
difference. Over the next few weeks, the classes will
be taking part in our annual yard clean up.
A special thank you to some students from Mrs.
Posteraro’s class: Massimo D., Emily S., Lucas A.,
Carly C., Hannah B., Dylan L., Nicolas E., and
Emma P. for designing and painting a beautiful rain
barrel for the Town of Caledon. The theme was the
Pan Am games and all the students worked very
hard on this project.
We would also continue to remind everyone that we
need to continue with the boomerang lunches.
Please take home and put your organic materials in
the compost. Our garbage waste is less and it is
starting to show that we care, but we can still do a
lot better. Again remind your parents to turn off the
car when dropping off and picking up students if they
are waiting. It is a Town of Caledon bylaw. We need
to keep our air as clean as possible.
A special big Thank You to all the ECO Team
members for their hard work this year. The
application has been submitted to the Ontario Eco
Schools Certificate program. This will enable us to
keep our status as an Eco school within DufferinPeel and the Town of Caledon. With everyone’s help
we will continue to keep Holy Family School Green!
Youth Faith Ambassadors
On Thursday, April 16th, The Youth
Faith
Ambassadors visited The Canadian Food for
Children Warehouse, a charity developed by Dr.
Simone, for the second time this year. The students
helped sort donated clothes and items, loaded a
shipping container headed to Sierra Leone and
Ecuador and prepared flyers for mailing. The
students worked well together and with the other
volunteers. The students had a wonderful
opportunity to see how people’s generosity can help
so many people around the world.
Milk Bags
Thank you to everyone who has
sent in milk bags. We will continue
to collect empty, clean milk bags
that will be reused to support Dr.
Simone’s mission in Africa.
DPCDSB is on Twitter! For the
latest board news and information, follow
us @DPCDSBSchools
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
Virtue of the Month-Acceptance
Bullying Prevention Corner
The bullying prevention message for
This month we will celebrate the
virtue of Acceptance. One of
the great wonders of the world
we live in is that no two people
are exactly alike. We may share
biological families or national identity or cultural and
ethnic identity but we are all very unique and distinct
creations. God breaks the mold every time! It can
also be a challenging fact of life if it makes us afraid.
Sometimes differences are scary—especially if we
haven’t learned about or don’t understand how
people are different. The virtue of acceptance
describes our ability to look at the attitudes and
actions of those around us and then just stop and
consider without judging them. The virtue of
acceptance means that we look beyond what we
see—a person’s skin colour, ethnic background,
religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, and see a
person created and loved by God. It’s especially
important for us to stop and think if what we are
made uncomfortable by seeing or hearing others act
differently then we might choose to act.
An accepting person…
Is friendly and open to all God’s people,
regardless of age, beliefs, gender, culture or
ability
Sees the positive traits in all people even if s/he
disagrees with them
Avoids judging or stereotyping others
Understands that there may be more than one
way to do things
Sticks up for the “underdog”
May is “Bullying is not a normal part
of growing up.” We need to dispel the
myth that bullying is just a normal part
of growing up and understand why it
happens. Bullying is a relationship problem—it is
about a sense of entitlement, power and control.
Using bullying behaviours is not something we
outgrow but rather adopt as a way of interacting with
others throughout our lifespan. Childhood bullying
may evolve into dating violence, gang activity,
assault, sexual harassment, workplace harassment,
marital violence, child abuse and elder abuse
(Peplar). Research demonstrates that by age 24,
60% of identified bullies have criminal records
(Olweus). Learning how to effectively deal with
feelings of anger and finding positive ways to feel
powerful are proactive steps to changing or
preventing the use of bullying behaviours. We don’t
tend to bully those we consider worthy. In turn, when
someone is bullying others we must remember to
value that person while helping them deal with their
bullying behaviour.
Tips for parents:
Learn to recognize warning signs that your child
may be involved in bullying others.
Role model appropriate anger management
strategies and effective apologies for and with
your children.
Don’t label children; deal with the problem
behaviours while maintaining a child’s sense of
worth.
Directly supported…. by 2.4 million ratepayers,
Ontario’s English and French Catholic schools annually
educate approximately 670,000 students – a third of all
students in the province. Catholic education is an
essential pillar in Ontario’s publicly-funded education
system, which is admired around the world. The
distinctive partners in the system work cooperatively,
creating a stronger whole.
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.
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
May 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
-Grs. 1-5 trip to
Aquarium
-Gr. 7s to Diversity
Conference
3
4
-Kickoff to Catholic
Education Week
-Virtue Assembly @
10 a.m.
-Book Fair
10
-Happy
Mother’s Day
5
-Book Fair
11
-P.A. Day—No School
for Students
17
12
18
19
-ELPs to Kortright Ctr.
25
26
-School Council Mtg.
@ 6:30 p.m.
-EQAO testing begins
7
-PIZZA DAY
-Numeracy Night
-Book Fair
13
-Rosary Celebration
Gr. 4 – 8 @ 9:45 am
JK – Gr. 3 @ 11:35
am
-National Denim Day
-Victoria Day—School
Closed
24/31
6
-HOT LUNCH
-Book Fair
8
9
-Talent Show
@ 9:30 a.m.
-ELP Mother’s Day
Tea @ 11:30 a.m.
14
15
16
21
22
23
29
30
-PIZZA DAY
20
-PIZZA DAY
27
-Welcome to
Kindergarten Night
@ 7:00 p.m.
28
-PIZZA DAY
-Last day for
Yearbook Orders
June 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
1
2
Thu
3
Fri
4
-PIZZA DAY
7
14
8
9
-P.A. Day—No school
for students
-Int. Soccer
Tournament
-Gr. 7 & 8 QuebecTrip
15
16
10
-Int. Soccer
Tournament
-Gr. 7 & 8 Quebec
Trip
21
22
23
-Happy
Father's Day
28
6
11
12
13
-Track & Field
-Gr. 7 & 8 Quebec
Trip
18
19
20
26
27
-PIZZA DAY
24
-Reports go home
29
5
-Last day of EQAO
testing
-Virtue Assembly
-PIZZA DAY
-Gr. 7 & 8
QuebecTrip
17
-End of Year School
Mass @ 10 a.m.
Sat
25
-PIZZA DAY
-Gr. 8 Grad @ Holy
Family Church @
7:00 p.m.
-Last Day of School
30
-Have a great
summer. See you on
September 8th
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.
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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.
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