October 2015
35 Black Oak Drive
Brampton, ON
L6R 1B9
Ph.: 905-458-7080
Fax: 905-458-1657
Principal
R. Pazzelli
Vice-Principal
A. Fiore
Head Secretary
P. Giuliano
Assistant Secretary
R. Reda
Superintendent
L. Storey
905–890–1221
Trustee
S. Xaviour
905–890-1221
Parish
St. Marguerite
d’Youville
2490 Sandalwood Pkwy
Brampton
905-792-8049
Pastor
Fr. R. Mignella
School Council CoChairs
V. Pedley
L. Alonzi
School Website:
www.dpcdsb.org/PROVI
Thanksgiving Prayer
Thank you, Father, for having created us and given us to each other in the
human family. Thank you for being with us in all our joys and sorrows, for
your comfort in our sadness, your companionship in our loneliness. Thank
you for yesterday, today, tomorrow and for the whole of our lives. Thank you
for friends, for health and for grace. May we live this and every day conscious
of all that has been given to us. Amen
THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF
FERNFOREST WAY!
In order to develop Community
relations and partnerships, Our Lady
of Providence School was invited by
the City of Brampton to take part in
‘Community Parks Week’. It was a
great opportunity to showcase
Brampton’s Parks and further
encourage park stewardship among
our students.
Students were asked to take part in
two events: the official opening of
‘Fernforest Way’ parkette and the
planting of bulbs at Blue Oak Park.
Students were invited to take part in
park activities (sack race, tug-of-war,
slides as well as being treated to barb-ques hot dogs, snacks and drinks).
Older students planted bulbs and
were treated to lunch and competitive
fun activities!
What a great way to introduce
students to park fun, physical
activity, good food and friendships!
Students are still talking about it!
OPEN HOUSE & BAR-B-QUE:
OPENING/ THANKSGIVING MASS:
Our Lady of Providence Open
House and Bar-b-que evening
was a great success! We were
pleased to meet the hundreds of
people that came out to this
event. The students were
excited and proud to take their
parents around to meet their
new teachers. It was also a
great opportunity to meet you all!
Our Opening Mass took place on Thursday,
October 1, 2015. At this Mass we also
celebrated the Thanksgiving season with
a FOOD DRIVE! We thank you for your
food donations and hope that you had a
blessed Thanksgiving with your family
and friends!
HEAD INJURY POLICY:
When a student has any blow
to the head, it is Board Policy
that we contact one of the
child’s parents to inform
them. W e are required to
notify you even for very
minor injuries, and we ask that parents not
become alarmed should you receive a call.
BRINGING LUNCHES TO SCHOOL:
When dropping off lunches to school, please
be sure to report to the Office to
do so! Let your child know to
go to the Lunch table at lunch
time to pick up the lunch!
Please label the lunch with your child’s name
and classroom teacher’s name! This will help
to ensure that mix- ups don’t occur!
PICKING UP STUDENTS:
If you are picking up students at
lunch time or at the end of the day,
please have your child meet you at a
pre-arranged place, or wait for your
child outside the school near their
dismissal doors. W e ask that you
not come into the school and wait at
the classroom doors.
If you are picking up your child during the
school day, please pre-arrange this with a note
to the teacher and then pick up and sign out
your child at the Office.
If you are not able to send a note, please
telephone the school and we will have the
student wait in the Office for you.
HALLOWE’EN:
As in the past, students are to abide by their teachers’
directions regarding if and when to wear
Hallowe’en costumes. However,
Hallowe’en costumes are NOT to depict
VIOLENCE, DEATH or GORE!
PROFANE LANGUAGE will also not be
accepted.
Students depicting any of these themes, will be asked
to take off their costumes or go home to change.
If the teacher approves the wearing of costumes, and
approval is granted by you, please be aware that we
cannot take responsibility for torn, stolen or soiled
costumes!
For these reasons, you may wish to encourage your
child to wear ORANGE & BLACK instead.
RECEIVING NEWSLETTERS
ELECTRONICALLY:
Please note that in our efforts to be
more ECO-Friendly, we encourage
our parents / guardians to access
our Monthly Newsletters by
visiting our school website at:
www.dpcdsb.org/PROVI and view all of our
Newsletters there. All information can be retrieved
from previous months in case an event or date has
been forgotten.
We also encourage you to sign up for the Providence
Monthly Newsletters to be automatically delivered to
your mailbox. If you have already completed a
CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation), you do not
need to resubmit an new one this year.
If you did not already sign up for electronic delivery
and wish to do so now, we have additional copies
the CASL Consent Form in the Office. Please ask
your child’s teacher for one.
Please note that Email Addresses are never shared
with others.
SCHOOL VISITORS:
VOLUNTEERS WANTED:
For safety reasons, which I am sure
you will understand, a reminder
goes out to all visitors, including
parents, to make sure you come to
the Office to sign in and obtain a
‘Visitor’s Badge’, before entering
the school if given approval.
If you have some time to offer, please
consider being a volunteer in the school.
You may wish to spend some time to
assist in skills development for a student
or to assist the teacher in programme preparation.
It’s not too late to indicate your interest.
We appreciate your understanding as we
continue to provide a safe environment for our
students!
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION &
PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT:
The Municipal Freedom of
Information & Protection of
Privacy Act (M-FIPPA) sets
out the general rules which
School Boards must follow
regarding the collection, use,
disclosure and retention of
personal information.
Please be aware that recording of students
through printed form (photographs), on film, by
electronic means (video taping) or by any other
means is considered a ‘collection of personal
information ‘ and therefore certain rules apply
for its collection, use, disclosure etc.
While the privacy rules in the Act are strong,
signed parental consent forms may or may not be
required in all situations. The photographing /
recording of students would not be permitted
without the required informed parental consent.
STAY CONNECTED: SIGN UP TODAY!
Parents and Guardians of
Dufferin-Peel Catholic students,
can stay up-to-date with the
Board news and information by
joining Dufferin-Peel eCommunity. Members
will receive the latest news and information by
email, including news releases, school activities
and events, Board Sign up online at:
www.dpcdsb.orgmeeting highlights, school and
bus cancellations, plus useful tips for parents and
students.
Please ask the Office, or Mrs. Thimio for a form.
Fill out the form and send it to Mrs. Thimio at the
school.
ATTENDANCE:
The Education Act states that it is
mandatory for all students, between the
ages of six years and eighteen years, to
attend school every day. School Social
Workers are mandated to intervene with
students and their families whenever students are
identified as truant.
Some reasons why students do not attend:
 Mental health problems:
 Peer difficulties
 Academic struggles
 Boredom
 Lacking motivation
 Parent/child conflict
 Family issues
Some reasons why students should attend school:
 Academic success
 Increase ability to gain employment
 Develop social skills
 Keep out of trouble in the community
 Learn social norms
 Increase self-esteem
 Develop routines
How we can support students:
 Teachers identify students’ absences early
 School makes referral to the school Social
Worker
 School Social Worker assesses and determines
best course of action and works as a team to
resolve difficulties.
PARENTS IN THE YARD:
A reminder that the school yard is for students and
staff only. Although your child may know who you
are, others are uncertain. We kindly ask that if you
are picking up your children, please report to the
Office.
HOMEWORK:
All students will be encouraged to
complete assignments in class. There
will be times when students will need
to complete work at home and bring it
in the next day. Students who do daily
homework can gain positive academic skills and
develop lifelong learning habits.
We continue to ask for your support as we
promote good work habits at home for our
students and ask that you help in the following
ways:
LOCKDOWN & FIRE DRILLS:
There may be situations here at the school,
under the direction of the Police, when we
may need to ‘lockdown’.
The School Board has mandated that
lockdown procedures be added to the school’s safety
routines. Essentially, the lockdown procedures
attempt to secure students in their own classrooms in
the event that there is a high risk incident in
proximity to the school or when there is a threat
from an individual on school property.
Lockdown procedures follow in accordance with
Board Policy. The school will conduct one
‘Lockdown Procedure’ drill in the Fall and one in
the Spring.
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Monitoring daily homework and ensuring that
your child(ren) complete all tasks to the best
of their ability
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Providing a consistent time and location for
daily home work
Fire drills are also practiced by students in order to
ensure speedy evacuation of the school in case of
fire or smoke.
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Communicating and dialoguing with your
child’s teacher regularly
There are six fire drills scheduled throughout the
course of a school year.
Students from Grades 1 to 8 have received a
Student Agenda. These should be used on a daily
basis as an organizer and as a tool to develop
study skills. The agenda is also an excellent
means of communication between home and
school.
HOMEWORK HELP, 2015-2016:
Gr. 7 & 8 students can once again take advantage
of a free ‘Homework Help’ website:
homeworkhelp.ilc.org.
There are online tutors who are
ready and willing to help with any
Math. homework question. Gr. 7 &
8 students have already been
registered by their teachers.
Now, students can access this support Sunday
through Thursday from 5:30 to 9:30 pm.
Students will remain anonymous online!
Encourage your child to take advantage of this
valuable Ministry of Ed. support!
Register at: ontario.ca/homeworkhelp.
LOST AND FOUND BOX:
There are already numerous clothing
items in our ‘Lost and Found’ box.
Please take a moment to visit the school
for any lost articles that your child may have.
SMOKING ON SCHOOL PROPERTY:
Consistent with the Tobacco Control Act, the
Board’s Policy prohibits smoking and
holding lighted tobacco anywhere in the
school or on school property by anyone,
at any time.
We ask parents to be respectful of this Policy when
dropping off or picking up children from school or
attending school functions.
SPIRIT DAYS AT OUR LADY OF
PROVIDENCE:
As a Catholic school community, we reach out and
respond to the needs of others through charitable
works.
In order to do this, we will organize
activities that will contribute funds
for Share Life.
To this end, we have planned five Spirit Days.
Students are asked to bring a ‘tooney’ while having
fun focusing on a particular theme!
Students who bring in a tooney will also have an
opportunity to earn a prize!
A list of these five days themes and dates will be
sent to you shortly.
Thank you in advance for your support of these
charitable initiatives.
SCHOOL COUNCIL NOMINATIONS:
I wish to thank those of you who submitted
nominations to be part of the School Council.
The first meeting took place on Monday, October 5,
2015.
Please see attachment for the
Parent Members as well as the
Staff named for the 2015-2016
‘Our Lady of Providence
Catholic School Council’.
SCHOOL COUNCIL FUTURE MEETING
DATES!:
The School Council has set the following dates for
their meetings so far. They begin at 7:00 pm and
end by 8:30-9:00 pm. We will meet:
PRIORITIES FOR SCHOOL COUNCIL
GENERATED FUNDS EXPENDITURES:
At the start of the school year, it is appropriate that
priorities are established and made known to the
community, of how School Council funds will be
spent. The following list indicates some of the
various items, projects and initiatives that may be
considered for this year, to name a few.
School Council members will assist to determine
direction of the disbursement of funds:
Family Engagement Events
Scientist in the School
Artist in the School
Graduation Assistance
Dance Programs
PRO Grant—Raising Resilient Children—
Reducing Stress
If you have any questions, please call.
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Monday, Oct. 5
Monday, Nov. 2
Monday, Dec. 7
Monday, Jan. 11
Monday, Feb. 8
Monday, Mar. 7
Information and Collection Envelopes for our Dance
-a-thon have been sent home.
Monday, Apr. 4
Monday, May 2
LIBRARY NEWS:
Monday, June 6
Please let us also know if you can also assist in the
year’s initiatives that will be planned by the School
Council!
QSP MAGAZINE FUNDRAISER:
The QSP Magazine programme offers great prices
on magazine subscriptions, promotes reading and
our school earns a profit at the same time.
The School Council has launched its first fundraiser
with the QSP drive. If each family purchased two
magazine subscriptions we would reach our School
Goal!
Thank you for your continued support!
HALLOWE’EN DANCE-A-THON:
The Parent Council is already planning the nest
school fundraiser!
By now your children should have brought home
library books. Students have access to all 20,000
items here in the OLOP library.
A reminder that it is a good idea to keep library
books in a special place away from food, babies and
pets. This helps lengthen the life of our books.
Thank you to all our students who help. They will
continue to go through a training period and then
volunteer their recesses to help keep our library
organized and tidy.
October is also the month when the 2015 Forest of
Reading nominated titles will be released to the
public. Soon after the lists are made public, we will
start preparing for our participation in this provincial
reading program here at OLOP (Blue Spruce, Silver
Birch Express, Silver Birch and Red Maple Book
Clubs).
On Friday, October 30, 2015, students will be taking
part in a ‘Halowe’en Dance-a-thon. Each class will
enjoy some time dancing in the gym with a
professional DJ who will be sure to provide students
ongoing beats to popular music and guaranteed fun!
BOOK FAIR:
If teachers allow, students can wear their costumes!
All fundraiser funds will enhance curriculum
opportunities!
More details will follow closer to the event.
Our Book Fair is scheduled for:
Monday, November 16 to Thursday, November 19.
Please mark your calendar with these dates.
ALLERGEN AWARE ENVIRONMENT:
COLD AND FLU SEASON:
At OLOP, there are a number of
children who have life-threatening
food allergies, such as peanuts, nuts,
products containing the peanuts or
nuts and/or other foods.
Classrooms with students who have peanuts, nut
allergies or other allergies will be designated as
allergen aware environments!
In classrooms that have been determined as
allergen aware environments, students have been
asked not to bring any foods that have the
designated allergens (you received a letter that
outlined the specific allergens for your child’s
class).
In the event that a student brings food with
products designated as an allergen for that
particular class, he/she will be asked to eat
elsewhere in the school. In this way, we are
attempting to minimize the risks to those students
who may be in danger!
As cold and flu season approaches,
the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board continues to be
vigilant in ensuring that our schools
are clean and that our school
communities are educated regarding good hand
hygiene and cough etiquette. These practices are
promoted on an ongoing basis, but as the
prevalence of colds and flu increases, our Board
increases the cleaning of contact surfaces, as well
as reminds schools to review cold and flu
prevention with students and staff.
MEDICATION:
Where a student is required to take
medication at school, Medication Forms
must be completed by you and your
physician prior to the storage and
administration of prescribed medication.
The forms are available at the Office.
WOWBUTTER:
WOWBUTTER is a soy product that
simulates peanut butter and has recently
been brought to schools by students as a
peanut butter alternative.
The Board has consulted with the
Anaphylactic Society and the Peel Health
Department. They have indicated that DufferinPeel has created safe measures to ensure that
students with food allergies are safe in schools.
To that end, it is the Board’s recommendation with
the support of both the Anaphylactic Society and
the Peel Health Department that schools do not
encourage the use of WOWBUTTER.
Therefore, students should not be bringing
WOWBUTTER to school!
Call the school if you have any questions!
Many resources are utilized from our regional
health units.
A reminder, as well, that communicable diseases
can be contracted in public places throughout the
year. For example, cold-related viruses, such as
Enterovirus, are transferred from person to person
through hand contact.
Cold and flu viruses typically peak from December
through February, but can start as early as October.
Regional Health Unit Resources:
Please assist us by reviewing good hand washing
procedures, as well as other preventative measures,
as outlined in the various Peel Health and
Wellington Dufferin Guelph (WDG) recourses
available to you through their websites. As always,
children who are unwell, should be kept at home.
Flu Clinics:
Also available on the Peel health & WDG
websites, are the schedules of local Flu Clinics.
For more information, visit the health unit websites:
Peel Health website: http://www.peelregion.ca/
health
 Wellington Dufferin Guelph Health website:
www.wdgpublichealth.ca
Direct links to the above information can be found
in the Parent section of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board website at www.dpcdsb.org
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Attachments:
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October and November Monthly Calendars
2015-2016 School Council Members
Staff List
IB Programme at Notre Dame S.S.
CYBER ACADEMY Police Sessions