PRINCIPAL
Maria Masucci
September 2015
SECRETARY
Miryam Dziedzic
Principal’s Message,
SUPERINTENDENT
David Amaral
(905) 890-1221
PARISH
St. Ignatius Loyola Parish
2300 Burnhamthorpe Rd W
Mississauga, ON L5L 3T6
(905) 820-1444
PASTOR
Fr. T. Hanley
Associate Fr. C. Egbulefu, C.C.E.
TRUSTEE WARDS 2 & 8
Sharon Hobin
(905) 301-1210
FAX (905) 569-9052
sharon.hobin@dpcdsb.org
ST MARK SCHOOL
3675 Sawmill Valley Drive
Mississauga, ON L5L 2Z5
PHONE
(905) 820-9477
ATTENDANCE
(905) 820-9477
Press # 1
FAX
(905) 820-1229
www.dpcdsb.org/schools/MARKE
Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year! As the new school year begins, I would
like to extend a very warm welcome to all the new families in our school community and to all those returning to St. Mark School. A special greeting is extended to our Kindergarten students who are starting school for the very first
time. I hope you all had a restful summer and are ready for a new school year.
The smiles on your children’s faces on the first day of school are a true indicator
of the sense of excitement and contentment in returning or starting anew at St.
Mark School. It is an honour and a blessing to serve as Principal in our vibrant
school community, and I look forward to a wonderful year with many opportunities for learning, growing and serving in the love of Christ. Together with my
dedicated and enthusiastic staff, we will ensure all students experience spiritual,
academic, social and emotional success throughout the school year, as highlighted in St. Mark School’s Mission:
St. Mark School, a diverse Catholic community of life-long learners, rooted in
faith and guided by our Gospel values, works collaboratively to ensure each
individual develops to his/her maximum potential in accordance with standards
set out by the Ministry of Education. We are committed to student well-being
and student achievement. We are committed to meeting the needs of all students
by providing ongoing assessment and a system of support that will ensure student success for all.
Thank you to our school team, who have spent a great amount of time preparing
curriculum and learning environments for your children. We welcome to our
school team this year, Ms. Vlasic, Ms. Tuason and Mr. Tierney. A great big
thanks to our school secretary, Mrs. Dziedzic for her work in the office. Special
thanks to our custodial team, Mrs. Goncalves, Mrs. Gonzales and Mr. Baberan
for their hard work in preparing the school to welcome back our students and
educators.
As we anticipate the successes of the year ahead, I encourage you to remember
that each success will be the result of the mutual support and partnership we
establish as educators, parents/guardians and school community. We are truly
blessed to have a devoted Parish Team, involved Catholic School Council and
supportive parents/guardians. I look forward to continue working with David
Amaral, as our Superintendent of Mississauga South and our devoted trustee,
Sharon Hobin. The staff of St. Mark School is committed to working with all
partners to support our children in their quest for knowledge, happiness and spiritual development.
Principal’s Message Cont’d…
I encourage parents and staff to establish ongoing and open
communication, as it is essential in supporting your children’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 school activities or perhaps
by joining our Catholic School Council. I look forward to
your continued support and commitment to our children and
school community. Hope to see you at our Beginning of the
School Year Celebration and Open House/Curriculum Night
on September 30th. I am sure it will be a highly rewarding
school year for all our children and families.
FIRST RECONCILIATION AND
FIRST COMMUMUNION
We invite the parents/guardians and the Grade 2 candidates to an
important information and registration meeting at St. Ignatius
Loyola Church on Wednesday, October 7, 2015 at 7:00 pm. Further details will be included in the First Reconciliation and First
Holy Communion packages that will be sent home with the Grade
2 students in September. We hope that parents and students will
make a special effort to attend this meeting.
SCHOOL HOURS
Our school hours are:
8:30 am
9:55 am-10:10 am
11:30 am-12:30 pm
1:55 pm-2:10 pm
3:00 pm
God Bless,
M. Masucci
VIRTUE OF THE
MONTH– FAITH
A Catholic Faith Community is
rooted in a set of common beliefs which are inspired by the
life mission and teaching of
Jesus. As a Catholic community we are called to learn, to
grow and to become more like
Jesus in the way we see and
treat others. Our Catholic faith
plays an important role in helping us shape schools that are
safe, caring and inclusive. Catholic School education provides
us the opportunity to integrate
virtue formation into all areas
of our school life within the
context of our faith. St. Mark
School will be continuing the
“Virtues Program” this year.
This program is designed to
help us nurture virtue and character development in the lives
of our students. Each month, a
specific virtue is highlighted via
reflections and activities. We
would appreciate your support
in discussing these virtues with your child and encouraging behaviours that would demonstrate these virtues.
CATHOLIC CODE OF CONDUCT
The Catholic Code of Conduct can be found in the front of
your child’s agenda. Please review this information with
your child/children. Behaviour and school expectations will
be reviewed with all students at our assemblies and with
their classroom teacher.
Start Time
Recess
Lunch
Recess
End Time
Staff are on duty for 15 minutes before the start of the school day
and throughout the entire noon hour. You may safely leave your
child in the school yard upon arrival in the morning or upon returning to the school after lunch.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FRONT DOORS
LOCKED
As you know, St. Mark School has a Secure Entry System. All
visitors (including parents, guardians, volunteers) must report to
the front door and come to the office to sign in and pick up a visitor’s sticker. Parents are asked to be patient in the event that office staff are not able to answer the door immediately.
The following protocol is:



All outside doors are locked and entry can be gained only
through the front door.
All visitors, including parents/guardians must sign into
the office and wear a visitor’s badge.
The co-operation and understanding of parents/guardians will be
an important factor in the success of our new protocol. In this
regard, parents/guardians are encouraged to:



Arrive at school on time to allow children to enter with their
classmates to avoid front entry lates.
Send lunch with your child in the morning to limit traffic in
through the front door at lunch time.
We respectfully request that you limit your visits to the
school during the daytime as much as possible, in order to
protect the instructional time and reduce interruptions.
SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM
This system, which allows parents to call in student absenteeism 24 hours a day, supports our Safe Arrival Program. If
both lines into the school are busy, your call is automatically
routed to the school answering system. The office staff picks
up the phone messages on a regular basis and will relay messages to staff members. We thank all parents/guardians who
continue to call the school when their children are absent.
Your support ensures that our Safe Arrival Program works
efficiently to ensure the safety of our students. When we do
not receive your call, we are concerned about your child. We
then call home, your workplace or an emergency contact
number. Please let us know if your telephone numbers
change. Please help us to save valuable time and ensure the
safety of your child by calling in all absences. Our Attendance Verification Phone number is (905) 820-9477.
out and in at the office by a parent/guardian. Your cooperation and support of this important supervision/safety
initiative is appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Please remember that to other children you are a stranger.
When entering the school, please report to the office. Any
individuals wandering the school without appropriate identification will be asked to go to the office. Please help us to
monitor a safe and welcoming environment for your children.
As well, parents are asked to bid your children farewell from
beyond the playground. Only students and staff are to be in
schoolyard. Again , this is to ensure the safety of your children and your attention to this is most important.
Please be reminded that dogs are not permitted in the
schoolyard area at any time. The excitement of the children
or the bell ringing can frighten dogs.
Students who are late for school are required to report to the
office to obtain an Admit Slip prior to going to class. Students who are habitually late may be contacted by the School
Attendance Officer.
KISS & RIDE SAFETY
STUDENT VERIFICATION SHEET

A student verification form will be sent home with your
child. All sheets (even those which have correct information)
should be returned to the appropriate classroom teacher.
Please keep us informed of any changes to home, work or
emergency contact phone numbers throughout the year. If
you have not returned yours, please do so, as this will help us
to update our records.
GOING OUT FOR LUNCH
Please inform your child’s teacher of regular lunch arrangements for your child. Also, for safety reasons please be advised that a note to the classroom teacher must occur each
time there is a change in the routine. This is especially important for a child who has permission to leave school property during the noon hour who normally stays for lunch. Students are allowed to go out for lunch only if a note is provided. ***Standing Notes*** indicating that a child can
leave school property anytime he/she chooses are NOT acceptable. As a school staff , it is important for us to know
each time a child leaves our care at noon hour that permission
has been given and that parents know the exact whereabouts
of their child(ren).
VISITORS TO SCHOOL
When you come to the school, please report to the office,
sign in, and take a tag. Prior to leaving, sign out and return your visitor’s tag. In addition, any students leaving
or returning to the school due to appointments must be signed
St. Mark School is proud of its Kiss and Ride Program. In
order for it to continue to run smoothly and safely for all our
students, everyone needs to follow the same procedure.





To drop students off at school please drive into the west
entrance and along the center lane until you round the
corner and drop off at the person on duty.
In order to ensure the safety of your children, please do
not let your children out of the car until you are at the
front of the lane. Children should exit on the sidewalk
side!
Never drive in the bus lane.
Never leave your car unattended in the school driveway.
It is against the law and you may be ticketed by police
who regularly patrol the area.
If you need to walk your child to the yard or you need to
stop into the office, please park in the parking lot. We
appreciate your cooperation in following these procedures. Your children’s safety is our main concern.
Crossing Guards: Please adhere to the Crossing
Guards’ directions. This includes drivers.
MEDICATION
School staff cannot administer medication, including aspirins
and Tylenol. A “Request and Consent for Administration of
Medication” form must be completed and signed by a doctor.
A properly labeled container is required, including the instructions and conditions that are to be followed for the administration of the medication and this will be done at the
office.
Parents of children with life threatening medical concerns/allergies are asked to notify Mrs. Dziedzic in the
school office and fully complete an Emergency Medication Protocol form each September and return it to the
school as soon as possible with a student photo.
All medication is stored in the Health Room area. The only
exception to this requirement has to do with any child who,
because of life threatening allergies, must carry medication.
THE LAW, BILL 3, AN ACT TO PROTECT
ANAPHYLACTIC PUPILS
Bill 3, Sabrina’s Law, An act to protect anaphylactic pupils
received royal assent in June 2005 making it law for each
school in Ontario to provide an anaphylaxis management plan
that will reduce the risk of exposure to anaphylactic causative
agents (eg. Peanuts/tree nut protein) in the classroom and
common school areas.
Avoidance and Prevention
In order to provide the minimized allergen environment required by Bill 3 we need your support and cooperation of
you, the parents/guardians and the school community. Students are requested to bring lunches and snacks free of peanuts/tree nuts and products that state they “may contain” peanuts/nuts such as donuts, granola bars etc. We invite you to
read the labels of food items to check for possible peanut/nut
ingredients prior to sending them to school. If your child eats
lunch at home and has eaten peanut butter we request that
she/he washes their hands thoroughly prior to returning to
school.
If you have caregivers who provide your child(ren) with
lunches or snacks, we ask your cooperation in sharing this
information letter with them.
Birthday/Holiday Treats
We recognize that some parents wish to mark their child’s
birthday by sending a cake, cookies, “Tim Bits” and other
food items to the class. Because of peanut, milk, egg and
other allergies we regret that we will not be able to accept
food as a way of celebrating.
If you wish to give something to the class such as; pencils, or
stickers or a book for the classroom library will be accepted.
We remind you that your child’s birthday will be celebrated
with an announcement over the P.A. We hope you will help
us implement this policy.
Thank You For Your Support
We realize this request may require added planning and effort
on your part when packaging your child’s lunch and snacks,
and we wish to express our sincere appreciation for your support and cooperation in making your child’s classroom and
school site a safe learning environment for all.
PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES ON
SCHOOL PROPERTY (PED POLICY)
It is Board Policy that all personal electronic devices (PEDs)
must be turned off and not used within school premises or
during school sanctioned activities such as field trips, sport
events, retreats, etc. To prevent loss or damage of PEDs, we
encourage students to leave their PEDs at home. The schools
is not responsible for loss and/or damage.
TOONIES FOR TERRY
The Terry Fox National School Run Day was one of the largest events in Canadian history: 9,000 schools with over 3 million students took part. The feedback from schools and participants was consistently "It was amazing to know that on the
same day, millions of other students and educators were running/walking for cancer research". In response to the overwhelming success of the event and numerous requests made
by educators and volunteers, The Terry Fox National School
Run Day became an annual event.
We will have our Terry Fox National School Walk/Run on
Friday, October 2, 2015 at 12:30 pm and once again Mr .
Kennedy is organizing St. Mark staff and students to participate. Staff and students are asked to bring in a “Toonie for
Terry” in support of cancer research.
TRANSPORTATION
Please be advised that the following website, www.stopr.ca is
available to parents 24 hours per day 7 days per week. This
website is your source for the most up to date transportation
information such as bus delays and cancellations as well it
can provide you with important information such as “what
school do I attend” and “am I eligible for transportation”. In
addition you can also access important school bus safety information as well as “Transportation Procedures”, Forms”,
Courtesy Seats” and “frequently asked questions concerning student transportation”.
Parents can also access their children’s bus route information
and details through the web site by clicking on the “Your
Child’s Busing Information” tab located on the main
page. You will need your child’s Ontario Educational Number (OEN), home address, school and grade in order to retrieve your child’s bus information from the web site.
The bus run and route number, bus stop location and morning
pick-up and afternoon drop-off times specific to only your
child can be obtained through this process.
COURTESY TRANSPORTATION
PROCEDURE
St. Mark Tentative Staff List
School Year 2015—2016
Ms. M. Masucci
Mrs. M. Dziedzic
Principal
Head Secretary
Mrs. F. Pereira
Mrs. A. Lyon
Mrs. M. Legere
Ms. S. Ramelli
Mrs. B. Kuta
JK/SK
JK/SK
Gr 1/2
Gr 1/2
Gr 3
Room
Room
Room
Room
Room
109
113
117
119
118
Courtesy Transportation may be withdrawn at any time for
any of the following conditions:
Mr. M. Paterson
Mrs. B. Johnson
Mrs. M. Lein
Mrs. S. Mahoney
Gr 4
Gr 5/6 Gifted
Gr 5
Gr 6
Room
Room
Room
Room
215
219
216
214



Ms. M. Tuason
Mrs. R. Keddy
Ms. N. Vlasic
Gr 7/8
Gr 7/8 Gifted
Gr 8
Room
Room
Room
205
208
207
Mr. J. Kennedy
Mrs. C. Tinkham
SERC
Room
Library/Planning/ESL
213
Mrs. R. Gergely
Mr. J. Young
FSL
FSL
Room
Room
202
201
Ms. A. Jackson
Mr. M, Tierney
Mrs. D. Firlotte
Ms. D. Williams
Ms. M. Tardicella CYW
ERW
ERW
ERW
DECE
Room
Room
Room
Room
106
203
203
116
113
Room
114
Room
113/109
Courtesy Transportation is assigned on an annual basis. Requests for courtesy transportation must be submitted to the
school, by the parent/guardian each year using Courtesy
Transportation Form (TFL004). During the first five weeks
of school, up to and including October 9, 2015, no Courtesy Transportation seating will be approved or implemented. This will allow STOPR staff to mor e efficiently accommodate the needs of identified eligible students.
Seating is required for eligible students;
Altering the route is necessary; and
Student behavior is unacceptable.
TRANSPORTATION ELIGIBILITY
Please be reminded that the distance criteria for eligibility for
transportation increases at specific grade levels. Effective
2015-2016 school year, the distance criteria for transportation
eligibility will be:
Kindergarten and Grade 1
Grades 2—4 inclusive
Grades 5—8 inclusive
Grades 9—12 inclusive
1.0 kilometers
1.6 kilometers
2.0 kilometers
3.8 kilometers
Parent/Student/General Public Inquiries
905-890-6000 or 1-800-668-1140
STAFFING/SCHOOL ORGANIZATION
The beginning of each school year is always marked by unexpected changes which require all of us to be understanding,
accommodating and flexible The September school organization is based on projected enrolment prepared by the Board’s
Planning Department. Such enrolment projection determines
the number of teachers assigned to the school and consequently, the grade and class configurations.
In the event that student enrolment falls below or above projections, an adjustment to the number of teachers assigned to
the schools follows, which may affect the placement of your
child.
We may need to reorganize the classes as ou can see them
below. Therefore, please note that your child’s class is not
final until after reorganization occurs. If reorganization is
necessary, we will work as quickly as possible to establish
new student and/or teacher assignments. We will endeavor to
keep the best interests of your child in mind of a new class
placement is required.
Mrs. B. Goncalves
Mr. B. Baberan
PLASP
Room
Head Custodian
Night Custodian
FIRE AND LOCKDOWN DRILLS
Throughout the year, various drills are initiated to ensure that
in case of emergencies our students are aware of the various
procedures for their safety. They are actively involved in the
practice of these drills with the view that if there is an emergency, their rehearsals will allow prompt and safe actions which
will enhance their safety. We ask that you spend time discussing the necessity for these drills with your child and address
any fears they may have.
STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE FORMS
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board requires that
parents and/or guardians provide written acknowledgement that
they have received the “insuremykids” student accident insurance brochure. This requirement applies to all students participating in out-of-school excursions and/or extra-curricular
sports activities.
Although the Board takes every precaution to provide a safe
learning environment for students, accidents can and do happen. Some injuries result in medical, dental or other expenses
that are not covered by the provincial health care or employer
group plans. As a parent, guardian or an adult student you
become responsible for these expenses. Some families have
private accident insurance which is able to respond to costs
arising from injuries however many families do not.
PLASP BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic does not and cannot insure students. Coverage may be purchased by the parents/guardians
or an adult student, through the Reliable Life insurance Company (www.insuremykids.com) or through their family’s individual work or private plan.
Sept 18 PA Day—No School for Students
As required under the Education Act, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board arranges for the distribution of
student accident insurance brochures however the Board assumes no responsibility for the cost of the plan, applications,
premium payments or claims; nor does the board receive any
remuneration from the Reliable Life Insurance Company.
PEEL HEALTH
Peel Health will continue to offer free immunization for Hepatitis B for students in Grade 7 and HPV for
Grade 8 girls. If you have any questions please call the Peel
Health Department at 905-799-7700. The clinic day is scheduled for Monday, September 28, 2015.
VOLUNTEERS
If you are interested in volunteering at the
school please let the office know. As you are aware, any individual who works as an employee of the Board of 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 in the
main office.
SCHOOL COUNCIL
School Council Nomination forms will be available in the
office up until Friday, September 25, 2015. We will hold
elections for the School Council members on Monday, October 5, 2015 at 6:30 pm.
This program runs for school age children up to 12 years of
age, at this school. Want to know more? See the PLASP staff
at this school; Call PLASP at 905-890-1711; visit our website
at www.plasp.com
Dates to Remember
Sept 24 Gr 8 McMaster Trip
Sept 25 School Council Nomination Forms Due
Beginning School Year Celebration @ 10:30 am
Sept 28 Hep B Gr 7’s and HPV Gr 8 Girls Peel Health
Sept 29 School Photo Day
Sept 30 Curriculum Night @ 7:00-8:00 pm
Oct 2
Terry Fox Walk/Run @ 12:30 pm
Oct 5
School Council Mtg @ 6:30 pm
Oct 7
1st Reconciliation/Communion Parent Mtg.
@ 7:00 pm St. Ignatius Loyola Parish
Oct 8
Thanksgiving Mass @ 10:15 am
Oct 9
Peel Health Dental Screening JK, SK and Gr 2
Oct 12 Thanksgiving Day
Oct 15 Queen of Apostles Retreat Centre Gr 7 & 8
Oct 20 Family Cross Country Meet @ Erindale Park
Oct 27 Board Cross Country Meet @ Centennial Park
Oct 29 Photo Retake Date
September 2015
Sun
6
13
Mon
7
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
8
9
10
11
12
16
17
18
19
Labour Day
First Day of
Classes
14
15
PA Day
No School For
Students
20
21
22
Lunch Lady
27
28
Lunch Lady
Peel Health
Hep B. Gr 7 and
HPV Gr 8 Girls
23
First Day of Fall
29
School Photo
Day
30
Curriculum
Night
7:00-8:00 pm
24
Gr 8 McMaster
Trip
25
Beginning School
Year Celebration
@ 10:30 am
School Council
Nominations Due
26
October 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
Fri
Sat
2
3
Terry Fox Walk/
Run @ 12:30 pm
4
5
6
Lunch Lady
School Council
Mtg. @ 6:30 pm
11
12
13
7
8
9
First
Reconciliation/
Communion
Parent Mtg @
7:00 pm Loyola
Parish
Thanksgiving
Mass @
10:15 am School
Peel Health
Dental Screening
JK, SK and Gr 2
14
15
16
17
22
23
24
29
30
Thanksgiving
Day
18
25
10
Queen of
Apostles
Retreat Centre
Gr 7 & 8
19
20
Lunch Lady
Miss. South
Cross Country
Meet @ Erindale
Park
26
27
Lunch Lady
Board Cross
Country Meet @
Centennial Park
21
28
Photo Retake
31
Halloween