Wishing You a Blessed and Prayerful Thanksgiving
PRINCIPAL:
VICE PRINCIPAL:
HEAD SECRETARY:
ASSISTANT SECRETARY:
ASSISTANT SECRETARY:
A. D’Agostino
V. Viola
M. Villella
A. Burt
M. Cafagna
OCTOBER 2015
120 Harvest Moon Drive, Bolton, Ontario L7E 2W1 Phone: (905) 857-7582
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS:
TRUSTEE:
HOLY FAMILY CHURCH
PASTOR:
ASSOCIATE PASTOR:
Fax: (905) 857-9353
L. Storey
F. Di Cosola
1-800-387-9501
905-951-8898
ST. NICHOLAS CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
Co-CHAIRS: K. Foschia and L D’ Orazio
Fr. L. Leger
Fr. D. Gikonyo
905 857-1938
SCECRETARY: M. Pacek
Treasurer: L. Girimonte
Community rep- N. D’Emilio Parish Rep: J. Christie
SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM: Please remember to phone in your child’s absence: 905 857-7582.
The answering machine is available 24 hours - Messages are picked up regularly.
For more information about school events, go to our school website: http://www.dpcdsb.org/NICHO
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Thanksgiving Prayer
In October we pause and take time from our busy lives to celebrate
Thanksgiving, a day where we humbly count our blessings and give
thanks for the bounty we enjoy. For us, as a faith community, giving
thanks to God takes centre stage as we realize the blessings we enjoy
in being able to make faith come alive in our school.
As Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board faculty, staff and
administration, we take our commitment to Catholic education
seriously. From the visible faith statements that mark entry to our
schools, to the sacred spaces that enjoy prominence and participation
within each classroom. Sharing daily reflections and prayers aloud
throughout our schools to begin and end our days. To the organized
presentation of Catholic faith within our elementary curriculum and
the celebration of monthly Catholic virtues that celebrate a lived
expression of our faith. We strive to offer solid and beneficial
instruction and participation in our Catholic faith. We strive to instill
a solid appreciation of the faith that make our schools Catholic, and
we work in union with Holy Family Church, for we cannot fulfill our
mandate without them. Ours is a sacramental faith, and without a
lived experience of our wider church community, our work is
incomplete and unfulfilled.
IN THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING, LET US
GIVE THANKS TO...…The students of St. Nicholas
and their families.…Our volunteers, staff, coaches, leaders
and all other people who give unselfishly of their time to children and are
sometimes taken for granted, but never go unnoticed or unappreciated.
Father in Heaven, Creator of all and
source of all goodness and love, please
look kindly upon us and receive our
heartfelt gratitude in this time of giving
thanks.
Thank you for all the graces and
blessings. You have bestowed upon us,
spiritual and temporal: our faith and
religious heritage. Our food and shelter,
our health, the loves we have for one
another, our family and friends.
Dear Father, in Your infinite generosity,
please grant us continued graces and
blessing throughout the coming year.
This we ask in the Name of Jesus, Your
Son and our Brother.
Amen
THANKSGIVING
LITURGY
Our Thanksgiving Liturgy will
be held on Thursday October
8, 2015. We will hold two
liturgies, one at 9:30am and the
second at 11:20am in the gym. All parents
are welcome to attend.
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Happy Thanksgiving!
PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES ON BOARD PREMISES
AND/OR BOARD SANCTIONED EVENTS FOR EDUCATIONAL
PURPOSES:
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board acknowledges the
value of the use of technology for learning. Students are permitted to
register and use personal electronic devices (PEDs) on board premises
and/or board sanctioned events for educational purposes, under the
direction of staff and only with parent/guardian permission. Students
may register their PED for the purpose of connecting to the board
wireless network. Students are required to adhere to the student
“Personal Electronic Device Used with WI-FI Network Student
Agreement” (GF 337) and the “Network User Application and
Agreement.” (GF066) Please be advised that the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board will not be responsible for any cost
incurred through the use of personal data plans.
PEDs are to be used responsibly and should not interfere with learning;
their use must comply with the Catholic Code of Conduct, board policies
and procedures. Any personal communications (i.e., phone calls, text
messages, etc.) will continue to be directed through the main office.
Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in a loss of PED
privileges and/or any other consequences deemed necessary by school
administration.
The school principal may authorize limited acceptable uses of personal
electronic devices during school-sanctioned activities for a specific
designated purpose outside of instructional spaces and/or in common
areas.
Students are responsible for the safety and security of PEDs at all
times and the Board assumes no responsibility for lost, damaged or
stolen devices.
PUPIL ACCOMMODATION REVIEW POLICY PUBLIC
CONSULTATION
The Ministry of Education released the new Pupil Accommodation
Review Guideline (PARG) in March 2015. This guideline sets
expectations for all school boards on managing and reviewing
underutilized school space, including potential school closures, and for
the greater coordination and sharing of planning related information
between school boards and other community partners.
The guideline requires all school boards in the province to develop or
revise Pupil Accommodation Review Policies and to invite public input
into the policy before it is finalized.
A survey to collect feedback on the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board’s draft amended Policy 6.51 Pupil Accommodation Review
will be available for review and comment on the Board’s website at
www.dpcdsb.org until 4:30 pm on Friday, October 16, 2015. Supporting
documents will also be available for reference and review. Please
consider reviewing and providing input on this policy.
CANADIAN COGNITIVE ABLITIES TEST (CCAT)
During the month of October, all grade 4 students will write the CCAT.
The results of this testing will indicate whether your child is eligible for
challenge programming for intellectually advanced students. In order to
qualify, the student must score at the 95th percentile or above on two of
the components and at the 90th or above on
the third. Results will assist teachers in
programming in the regular school setting.
ALLERGY AWARENESS
Life Threatening Allergies
We would appreciate the
cooperation of the entire
school community by not
sending any lunches or snacks that contain
peanuts/nuts. We want St. Nicholas to be a
safe environment for all students. Thank
you for your assistance with this. When
celebrating a special occasion, we
continue to encourage that only non-edible
treats be sent to school if they are to be
shared with other students.
 Students with life threatening
allergies are required to wear a
medical alert bracelet. Forms
can be found at the front office.
PRACTICE LOCKDOWN AND FIRE
DRILL
We have a scheduled practice Fire Drill
and Lockdown for October. St. Nicholas
continues to support safe practices with
students and staff in the school.
SCHOOL HOURS &
SUPERVISION
Supervision in the school
yard begins at 9:00 a.m.
Please do not drop your
children off at school prior
to that time as they will not be supervised.
The school day ends at 3:45 p.m. Parents
are asked to ensure that arrangements
are made for their children to leave
school at 3:45 p.m. Students are not
supervised after 3:45 p.m. The exception
to this is, of course, our students who are
bussed. The doors of St. Nicholas School
are open to parents who wish to visit or
confer
with
staff,
however
an
appointment is necessary, as the
classroom teacher’s first responsibility is
teaching the class during regular school
hours. Please report to the office upon,
entering the school. Thank you for your
support in keeping classroom interruptions
to a minimum and maintaining a safe
environment for our students.
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October is the month of the Rosary
SUPERVISION OF STUDENTS
Students are reminded that when they are lining up for the bus at a bus
stop prior to coming to school to be respectful of the homeowners
property. Parents please enforce and review this with your children.
Students are also reminded that they are to be respectful while on school
property after school hours. Let us be proud of our St. Nicholas
community by being respectful and kind.
SAFETY IN THE YARD
PRIMARY DROP OFF IN THE MORNING
We are asking parents who walk their children to the primary pavement
behind the school to stay behind the yellow line by the side of the fence.
The large volume of adults are interfering with staff member’s view of
our students. Thank you for your co-operation.
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE
Please give generously to our Thanksgiving
Food Drive for Caledon Community
Services. The donations will help support
families in need in our local community.
Please consider donating nonperishable food
items to allow families the opportunity to
have a festive Thanksgiving celebration.
Collection boxes will be placed in the front foyer. This year we there is
a need for pasta, pasta sauce, and canned meat. Our collection will
run through the month of October. Thank you to Mrs. Marbella, Mrs.
DeBartolo and Mrs. Porco for organizing this worthy act of charity.
TERRY FOX RUN
Congratulations to all our students for sharing in the
‘Unbreakable Spirit of Terry Fox’ during our Annual
Terry Fox Run. Students showed great determination
in running/walking /jogging many laps around the
courses which were located throughout the
community. Thank you to our student /staff marshals
who kept all our runners on course during the run.
Thank you is also extended to our Terry Fox
Committee for organizing this special event. They also organized a
school wide chalk-talk, whereby students chalked messages of hope on
school property.
BUS BUDDIES BRAVO!
Thank you to all bus patrollers who have voluntarily stepped
forward to be a Bus Buddy to students in grades 1 and 2.
Thank you to all Bus Patrollers who have voluntarily stepped
forward to be an additional set of eyes for our bus drivers.
These responsible and dedicated individuals will be trained to
support fellow students on and off school buses, on the way to
and from school. They have also been trained to help with bus
emergencies. Keep up the great work!
WORLD TEACHER DAY – OCTOBER 5
Over 100 countries around the world celebrate
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) World. Teacher’s Day.
We salute and say thank you to the teaching and
support staff at St. Nicholas School for
your on-going commitment to student
learning
WALK TO SCHOOL WEEK
St. Nicholas students are asked to
walk to School the week of
October 5 to 9, 2015. Let us work
together to reduce carbon
emissions. Walking is good
exercise and promotes a healthier
body and environment.
WASTE REDUCTION WEEK
We are asking our students to participate
in a Waste Reduction Week Waste
Reduction Week (October 19th – 23rd)
We are asking students to commit to
bringing a waste free lunch every day
during Waste Reduction Week. The Waste
Free Lunch Challenge is a school program
with a goal to help St. Nicholas decrease
the amount of garbage produced. This
program serves to educate students, staff
and parents about waste reduction.
QSP REMINDER
We are now in full swing
in our QSP—Family
Literacy Initiative. Online
orders continue throughout
the course of this year. If you wish, please
visit our school website where you can
find a link to order new magazines or
renew at any time during the year for
yourself or as a gift…birthdays, mother’s
day, father’s day etc. St Nicholas School
Group ID number is 3743556. Thank you
for supporting this on-going literacy
initiative. Happy Reading!
ROSARY APOSTOLATE
St. Nicholas is very fortunate to
have the Rosary Apostolate
team come to our school on the
second last Tuesday of the
month from October to May.
Through the Rosary Apostolate
volunteers, students are taught
how to say the rosary and the power
of praying the rosary.
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@st_nicholas15
Pray the Rosary Everyday
ST. NICHOLAS SPIRIT WEAR
St. Nichols school has teamed up with Game
Time A&M to offer school apparel. Order
forms will be available in a couple of weeks.
Stay tuned!
ALL STAR READING
Any parents interested in being an All Star Reading Coach are asked to
contact Ms. Morrone. It would require one to two, half days a week to
read with some of our primary students.
SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Congratulations to the Junior and Intermediate students who participated
in the softball tournament earlier this month. Congratulations to the
junior students who won the BECDM tournament!
2015 - 2016 SCHOOL COUNCIL
We welcome the new 2015-2016 executive and the parent
members of the Catholic School Council:
Co-Chairs K. Foschia and L. D’Orazio
Secretary M. Pacek
Treasurer L. Girimonte
Parish Rep J. Christie
Community Rep N. D’Emilio
Volunteer Coordinator L. D’Orazio
OAPCE Rep K. Foschia and N. D’Emilio
Teaching Staff. Rep. T. Marra
Non-teaching Staff Rep TBD
Vice– Principal Velia Viola
Principal Anna D’Agostino
This year’s Council Members include:
The dates for our future meetings are as follows:
October 22, 2015
February 18, 2016
November 12, 2015
April 14, 2016
December 10, 2015
May 12, 2016
January 14, 2016
June 9, 2016
All meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. in the school library. All
parents and guardians are welcome to attend these meetings.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
Thank you is extended to those members of the Catholic School
Council for their dedication and hard work on behalf of students at
St. Nicholas School. Your on-going commitment and efforts were
truly appreciated and made a difference for students.
BULLYING PREVENTION CORNER
The theme for the month of October is “Bullying is not
acceptable.” Students develop the ability to understand
and apply the definition of bullying through constant
exposure, repeated use and consistency. It
is important for students to have an
opportunity to share their own examples
of bullying situations. Setting the ground
rule of sharing experiences without using
names is imperative and provides a sense
of safety for all students. The main focus
of sharing these situations should be on
exploring feelings. Discussing feelings
allows students to develop and act with
empathy.
VIRTUE OF OCTOBER - EMPATHY
Virtue of the Month - Empathy
The Virtue that we will be focusing on for
the month of October is empathy. We
understand empathy to mean the ability to
identify with and feel other people’s
concern. An empathetic person believes
that we all share one Spirit; that we are
many parts of one body because we are all
created in the image and likeness of God.
VIRTUE AWARDS

Congratulations to our June Virtue Catch the
Spirit Award Recipients!
Kindergarten – Alessio C.
Primary – Luca Z.
Junior – Sabrina P.
Intermediate – Matthew M.
These students received a Virtue T - Shirt
for demonstrating and living the virtues at t.
Nicholas school.
DATES AHEAD
OCTOBER
1-31 Thanksgiving Food Drive
5-9 Walk to school week
8
Thanksgiving Liturgy
8
Dance-A-Thon Kick off pm
12
Thanksgiving Monday no school
16
BECDM Cross Country Meet
19-23 Waste Reduction Week
19
Federal Election-Polling Station
21
Grade 5’s to Queens Park
21
Grade 8 Ottawa Trip Parent Info 6:30pm
22
Catholic School Council 7pm
23
Secondary School Orientation Session
29
Halloween Dance-A-Thon
NOVEMBER
12
Catholic School Council 7pm
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