September 2014 Prayer for a New School Year 35 Black Oak Drive Brampton, ON L6R 1B9 Ph.: 905-458-7080 Fax: 905-458-1657 Principal R. Pazzelli Dear Lord, as we begin this new school year, we gather once again as your community of believers. We thank you for the energy and the spirit that you renewed in us through the summer months. We thank you for the time to enjoy our family and friends and to reflect on what is important in our lives. Let this year be marked by enthusiasm and love so that, with the inspiration of your Spirit, we may continue to grow in our faith. Help us to fulfill your hope for us with honest intentions and works of faith. Let us be gentle with ourselves and bring laughter, joy and love to others. We ask this in your name. Amen Vice-Principal A. Fiore Principal’s Message… Head Secretary P. Giuliano I am excited to continue as the Principal of Our Lady of Providence School! I have already experienced how dynamic and welcoming the Staff and Community has been! Assistant Secretary R. Reda On behalf of Ms Fiore, the Vice Principal, and the Our Lady of Providence staff, I would like to welcome you back and I hope that you and your family had an opportunity to enjoy a relaxing summer. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome new students and their families to our school. I’m sure you will find the entire OLOP staff, students and parents to be very welcoming. Superintendent L. Storey 905–890–1221 Trustee S. Xaviour 905–890-1221 Parish St. Marguerite d’Youville 2490 Sandalwood Parkway East, Brampton 905-792-8049 Pastors Fr. R. Mignella School Council CoChairs K. Cespite L. Alonzi School Website: www.dpcdsb.org/PR OVI Each school year brings new and wonderful opportunities to make a difference in the lives of your children. The staff at Our Lady of Providence School remains committed to the education of the whole child; spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, physical as well as hands-on active learning in which your child’s individual needs, strengths and interests are addressed. In order to keep you informed of events at the school, you will be receiving a monthly enewsletter (or hard copy – letter included) the first week of every month. You can also visit our website which will be updated regularly. If you have any concerns about your child(ren), please contact the teacher immediately to discuss them. A phone call at the onset of a concern usually resolves it before it becomes a problem. On our part, if we have any concerns about your child, we will also contact you at the earliest opportunity. Ms Fiore and I have an open door policy, so please do not hesitate to come in and introduce yourself or to bring concerns/suggestions forward. I wish each of you a year filled with rewarding opportunities and look forward to the blessings that Our Lady of Providence students will experience. Wishing everyone a wonderful school year! R. Pazzelli Principal Our Lady of Providence Growing in God’s Loving Care Beginning in October, newsletters will be distributed to the youngest or only child of each family. 1 SEPTEMBER – VIRTUE OF FAITH STAFFING / SCHOOL ORGANIZATION: 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. 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 school follows, which may affect the placement of your child. A faithful person believes that we are created, guided by and destined to be reunited with God. A faithful person believes that God’s plan for us includes the right to be safe, especially at school. A Faithful person… Prays regularly and reverently Learns from Scripture stories Honours people’s God-given names Assumes that there is good in everyone Accepts the God-given worth of themselves and others Staffing and student class placements are not finalized until mid-September. SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION: SCHOOL HOURS: FIRST COMMUNION and RECONCILIATION – GRADE 2 STUDENTS An Information Meeting and Registration will be held on Wednesday, October 7 at 7:00 pm or Saturday, Oct. 17 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Marguerite d’Youville Parish. 8:30 am 8:45 a.m. 10:45 – 11:00 . 11:45 – 12:45 p.m. 2:00 – 2:15 p.m. 3:15 p.m. CONFIRMATION – GRADE 8 STUDENTS An Information Meeting and Registration will be held on Wednesday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m. at the church. If your child will be confirmed you must attend this meeting. Please refer to the attached document regarding additional Liturgical Calendar Dates. VOLUNTEERS - CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECK: We are pleased to welcome our volunteers for another year to supporting learning in our school. We appreciate their commitment & support and look forward to a great year! The DPCDSB has implemented changes to their Criminal Reference Check / Declaration Form procedure. In accordance with the Safe Schools Act, all volunteers, including those going on one day school trips, must have a Criminal Reference Check. Criminal Reference Checks Anyone working in our school as a new employee or volunteer must have a Criminal Reference Check completed by the Peel Police. CRC are free of charge for volunteers. Forms will be available from the office. Yard Supervision begins Start Bell – school begins Morning Recess Lunch Afternoon Recess Dismissal SAFE SCHOOLS INITIATIVES: a) Before School Hours Supervision For your child’s safety, we request that he/she not be on school property until supervision begins at 8:30 a.m. b) Front Door Entry Our school is now equipped with a front door speaker/buzzer/video monitoring system. The installation of this system has allowed us to enhance the safety and security of students and staff by locking the front doors after classes begin. This change in access to our school requires a new access protocol that will apply to all visitors, including parents and guardians. c) Attendance and Punctuality All students are expected to attend school regularly and punctually. In the event that your child will be late or absent, please call the school and follow the prompts to leave a message. This can be done 24 hours a day. For students who are absent and for whom a call is not received, we will attempt to contact you. Growing in God’s Loving Care 2 PLEASE CALL: 905-458-7080 TRANSPORTATION 2015-16 Please leave the following information: Transportation is provided to students who meet the guidelines as follows: Date of the absence Student’s full name Grade level and teacher Reason for absence Kindergarten and Grade one students who live 1.0 km from the school Grades 2-4 who live 1.6 km from school All students who arrive after 8:45 a.m. or 12:45 p.m. must obtain a Late Slip. The safety of all the children is our shared concern and priority. e) School Driveway We respectfully ask that drivers refrain from stopping or parking in the Drive – Thru Lane in front of the school. This area is a FIRE ROUTE and fines for a violation are high. Stopped or parked cars also create a safety hazard. f) 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 divisional assemblies. g) Respect for Self, Respect for Others As a staff, we continue to work together to provide example and consistency in modeling Jesus’ message to our students. We will assist and remind students of the importance of being respectful and working together to create a safe, caring, inclusive community. COMMUNICATION: Open communication between home and school is very important. Although we will be reporting to you formally during the year, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time if you have questions or concerns. A phone call at the onset of a concern usually resolves itself before it becomes a problem. On our part, if we have any concerns about your child, we will also contact you at the earliest opportunity. Please use your child’s Agenda to maintain communication with the teacher. If you wish to meet with a teacher please phone the school for an appointment. Thank you! Grade 5-8 students who live 2.0 km from school. Please visit the following website to determine bussing eligibility for your children. www.stopr.ca. There are a number of features on that website, the most important being “Am I Eligible for Transportation?” Should you find that your child is eligible for transportation, route information will be posted on the site, as well as at the front of the school. COURTESY SEATING A limited number of seats are available for students who are ineligible for bussing. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of available spots, criteria are taken into consideration, such as age of the student and distance of home address from the school. Application forms are available in the main office. We will inform applicants in October, after the Thanksgiving weekend, as to whether a seat can be provided. LUNCH POLICY: Please be reminded that the lunch hour is from 11:45 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. Where children stay for lunch, they will eat with their classmates and remain on school property. Students eat lunch daily from 11:45 p.m. until 12:05 p.m. If you are delivering your child’s lunch to school, please do so between 11:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. When lunches are delivered late, it reduces the amount of time that students have to eat. Please also write your child’s name on his/her lunch bag and place it on the table by front entrance. Thank you for your support. For safety reasons, if a student is going home for lunch, a written request signed and dated in your child’s agenda or a separate note from you is required for each occurrence, unless you have indicated that your child goes home every day. Growing in God’s Loving Care 3 PEANUT AND OTHER LIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES – SABRINA’S LAW ANAPHYLAXIS REACTION: As we begin the new school year, we would like to inform you that Our Lady of Providence School is an allergen aware school. There are pupils in attendance at our school who suffer from severe and life threatening allergies to certain foods, such as peanut and nut products. Exposure to the smallest quantities can cause severe and life threatening reactions. Anaphylaxis is a severe and life threatening allergic reaction. The most common allergen triggers are food, insect stings, medications, exercise and latex. An anaphylactic reaction involves symptoms from two or more body systems. We would appreciate the cooperation of the entire school community by NOT sending any lunches or snacks that contain peanuts/nut products. We want Our Lady of Providence to be a safe environment for all students. Thank you for your assistance with this initiative. If your child has been diagnosed with this allergy and you have not notified the school, please do so immediately. There are forms that must be completed. A written communication will be sent to the parents of children notifying them of the nature of a life threatening allergy when it is specific to their child’s classroom. Your continued cooperation in support of our efforts to create a safe and healthy learning environment for all is greatly appreciated! HOMEWORK POLICY: Please refer to your child’s agenda that outlines the Board’s Homework Policy. It is also available on our website. VALUABLES, PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES ON SCHOOL PROPERTY (PED POLICY:) Students are requested not to bring valuables, items of importance or money to school. The school does not accept responsibility for the above. Every effort will be made to help students find missing items. Personal items should be marked with your child’s name. Cell phones are not to be used on school property unless it is for instructional purposes. STUDENT DRESS CODE: Board Policy states that all students are expected to dress in clean, neat and practical attire. Appropriate attire is the criterion for acceptable dress that most often reflects our attitude toward any given situation. The expectation here is that we avoid such recreational wear such as tank tops, halter tops, muscle shirts, tube tops, spaghetti straps, short shorts, cut offs, hats/headgear, wallet chains and shirts with inappropriate logos/symbols. Please do not send birthday snacks / cakes / treats into the school. There are many alternatives such as stickers and pencils. The items are contrary to both the philosophy of our Catholic schools and the standards that we set as parents and educators. We appreciate the cooperation of the entire school community. We want Our Lady of Providence Catholic School to be a safe environment for all students. All students are reminded to have sports equipment and after school arrangements made prior to coming to school each day. The school phone is to be used for emergency purposes only. MEDICAL CONCERNS: STUDENT VERIFICATION FORMS: If your son / daughter has any medical concerns, please ensure that you inform the school. Information may be shared directly with the classroom teacher and office. If medication is required, forms will be sent for completion by parents and the family doctor. All information is held in confidence. Student Verification Forms for each child has been sent home. All forms should be returned to the appropriate classroom teacher by no later than Thursday, Sept. 17. This information will help us to update our records. We ask you to return this form even those which have correct information. USE OF TELEPHONES: Growing in God’s Loving Care 4 STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE FORMS: LUNCH/MILK PROGRAM: As required by the Education Act and the Ministry of Education, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board annually provides parents with information about cost effective student accident insurance coverage via student courier. Although enrolment is voluntary, the board encourages parents to take advantage of the inexpensive insurance coverage, especially if their child/children participate in sports, excursions/field trips, or, if parents do not have dental insurance coverage. We have started our milk program again this year. We will announce over the PA when we will start selling milk (chocolate and 2% white) at lunch time (11:45 – 12:00 pm) every day for $1.00. We will commence our lunch program soon with Pizza and Sub Sandwiches. Keep a look out for order forms coming home soon. We will also post the information on our website. www.dpcdsb.org/PROVI You may purchase coverage for your child at www.insuremykids.com or by calling toll free at 1-800-463-KIDS (5437). Please direct your question to a Reliable Life Insurance Representative BAR-B-QUE AND OPEN HOUSE: The Our Lady of Providence Bar-b-que and Open House will take place on Monday, September 28, 2015. Order forms to request hamburgers or hot dogs have gone home. CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL: Communication between home and school is greatly enhanced by parental involvement with the Catholic School Council. All parents/guardians are encouraged to come out to meetings and participate. The aim of the Catholic School Council is to promote the vision, values, sacramental life and Catholic practices of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and the Catholic community it serves and to advise the principal and the Board. Catholic School Council Elections: According to Ontario Regulation 612, School Council elections must take place within the first thirty days of each school year. Nomination Forms will be made available at the office. All parent nominations must be submitted by Friday, October 2, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. We encourage all parents to consider running for School Council. It is a great opportunity to get involved in the school community. Our first Catholic School Council Meeting will take place on Monday, October 5, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. beginning with elections. The Bar-b-que takes place from 5:30 – 6:15 pm. The Open House (when classes are available for visits) takes place from 6:15 – 7:45 pm. This event is a wonderful way to meet other members of the school community, teachers, administration, parents and students alike. School Council will also host a recruitment table for Nominations for membership in our Catholic School Council. Please consider nominating yourself! TERRY FOX RUN: Our Lady of Providence Catholic School Terry Fox Walk will take place on Wednesday, September 30, 2015. Students will be assigned a walking route in the neighborhood . While this event is a fun day for students, it is also an important occasion to focus on the ongoing efforts of many to continue the research that leads to better treatments, a cure and to maintain student awareness. Thank you for your support! More information will follow. Growing in God’s Loving Care 5 PICTURE DAY: The school photographer is LIFETOUCH. Photographs of students will take place on Friday, October 9, 2015. All JK to Grade 8 students will have their photo taken in the morning or afternoon. If your child should happen to be absent that day, picture retakes will take place on: Friday, November 13, 2015. DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news and information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools. ATTACHMENTS: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 2015-2016 School Year Calendar Child and Family Services Letter Liturgical Calendar Dates OPEN HOUSE & Bar-b-que Invitation School Council Nomination Form DATES TO REMEMBER: September 18 PA Day – no school 21 School Council Nominations accepted 28 Bar-b-que and OPEN HOUSE at 5:30 & 6:15 30 Terry Fox Run Confirmation Information Night (7:00) October 1 OPENING MASS at 10:00 am 2 Final Day for Submission of School Council Nominations 5 School Council Meeting and Elections at 7:00 pm 7 Reconciliation + First Communion Info and Enrolment Night at 7:00 pm 9 Picture Day 12 Thanksgiving Monday 17 Reconciliation + First Communion Info and Enrolment at 10:30 am 30 Hallowe’en Dance-a-thon Fundraiser In an effort to help protect our environment and reduce the amount of paper that we use at our school, we have implemented a process where families can receive their monthly newsletters and other information through e-mail. Should you wish to receive newsletters and other school information via e-mail, please ensure that you have provided your email address to the Office via the Verification Form that you have received on the first day of school. LIBRARY NEWS: Hello everyone and Happy New School Year! I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Maygan Thimio and I am the new TeacherLibrarian here at Our Lady of Providence School. I am very excited at the prospect of working with your children this school year. Students will soon be checking out library books. If they are young enough, please consider taking time to read their library books together. If your children are readers, you may wish instead to ask them about what they are reading. Please encourage your child to return their books on time and in good condition. A reminder that with wet weather children must take extra care of their library books. Books damaged by water are more prone to tears and end up discarded. In October, the Ontario Library Association will release their list of nominated titles for the 2016 Forest of Reading Awards. We will place our order for these books as soon as those lists are made public. In December, students will be invited to consider whether or not they wish to participate. In January, students in Grades 4 to 8 will be offered the chance to participate in these voluntary reading programs. They run during the lunch hour and the format is similar to an adult book club. The Blue Spruce Book Award for kindergarten to Grade 3 students is run during class time. A huge and heartfelt thank you goes out to the many families who have donated gently loved books to our school library over the summer. As we move into fall, should you come across books no longer being used in your home remember that they will always be welcome here, assuming they are in great condition. I look forward to meeting you at the Open House in September if not before. Growing in God’s Loving Care 6 Growing in God’s Loving Care 7 Growing in God’s Loving Care 8 OUR LADY OF PROVIDENCE LITURGICAL CALENDAR DATES 2015 – 2016 Masses Opening: Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. @ Providence Advent: Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. @ Providence Lent: Ash Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016 Thursday, March 3, 2016 (teacher to pick up Ashes) at 1:00 p.m. @ Providence Closing Mass: Thursday, June 2, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. @ Providence Graduation Mass: Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. @ St. M. d’Youville Church ********************* Sacraments Grade 2s: Holy Communion / Reconciliation Enrolment: Wednesday, October 7, 2015 Saturday, October 17, 2015 at 7:00 pm @ St. M. d’Youville Church at 10:30 am @ St. M. d’Youville Church First Reconciliation Practice: Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 10:30 am @ Providence First Reconciliation: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at 6:30 pm @ St. M. d’Youville Church Holy Communion Prayer/Activity: Friday, April 15, 2016 at 10:00 am @ St. M. d’Youville Church First Holy Communion: at 10:30 am @ St. M. d’Youville Church Saturday, April 23, 2016 Grade 7s & 8s: Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 7:00 pm at @ St. M. d’Youville Church Confirmation Enrolment: Confirmation Retreat: Friday, November 13, 2015 at 9:30 am – 1:00 pm @ St. M. d’Youville Church Reconciliation for Confirmandi: During January and February, 2016 Confirmation Practice: Sunday, May 1, 2016 at 5:30 pm @ St. M. d’Youville Church Confirmation: Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 7:00 pm @ St. M. d’Youville Church Post Confirmation Visit: Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 10:30 am @ Providence Growing in God’s Loving Care @ Providence 9 OUR LADY OF PROVIDENCE ANNUAL BBQ/OPEN HOUSE MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28TH 2015 BBQ EATING TIME (5:30 pm – 6:15 pm) CLASSROOM VISITS (6:15 pm –7:45 pm) Dear Parents / Guardians: Relax! Forget the dinnertime rush. The staff of Our Lady of Providence School would like to invite you to our annual BBQ & meet the teacher night ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28th - RAIN OR SHINE. With the help of P & P Catering Inc. we are pleased to offer you a variety of excellent and freshly prepared food. Please complete one order form per family (make sure you order for the whole family). Return order form with your cash or cheque made out to Our Lady of Providence School in an envelope or sealed baggie marked BBQ no later than Thursday, September 17th. Please provide exact amount as change will not be given. *** Your order form will be at the BBQ site for pick up ***** ORDERS SENT AFTER THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17th WILL NOT BE PROCESSED **NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO FOOD FOR PURCHASE ON BBQ DAY** NO REFUNDS OR RAIN CHEQUES AS FOOD HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR YOU *Please use only one order form for the whole family. FAMILY NAME______________________________________ STUDENT’S NAME__________________________ TEACHER/HOMEROOM___________________________ FOOD CHOICES: Amount Ordered ($) Total Jumbo Chicken Hot Dog on a bun $3.00 @ _________ = ______ 1/4 Pound All Beef Burger on a bun $4.00 @ _________ = ______ 1/4 Pound Organic Veggie Burger on a bun $4.00 @ _________ = ______ Jumbo European Sausage on a bun $4.00 @ _________ = ______ Cold Drinks (water, juice or pop) $1.00 @ _________ = ______ Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie $1.00 @ _________ =______ Kettle corn ( sweet & salty popcorn) $2.50 @ _________ =______ Chips (ASSORTED VARIETY ) $1.00 @ _________ =______ Cotton Candy $3.50 @ _________ =______ Above come with all appropriate condiments Total Amount Enclosed: _____________ Visit us at www.pandpcatering.ca Growing in God’s Loving Care 1 0 Growing in God’s Loving Care 1 1