Principal:
N. Resendes
Secretary:
V O L U M E
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I S S U E
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February Newsletter
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 6
Principal’s message
T. Sunseri
Superintendent:
D. Finegan-Downey
905-890-1221
Trustee(s):
S. Xaviour
416-528-9622
F. Di Cosola
905-951-8898
St. Patrick Parish
Pastor:
Fr. V. Mariziliano
905-794-0486
School Council Chair:
A. Ranieri
School Website:
www. dpcdsb.org/
PATRK
The month of January has gone quickly and
soon our thoughts will turn to preparations for
the Lenten season.
The Catholic School Council will be continuing the tradition of making pancakes for all of
God of love and mercy, you call us
the students on February 9th. More information
to be your people. Make us holy
on this event will be going home shortly. Thank
people radiating the fullness of Your
you to our vibrant Catholic School Council that
love. Help us to recognize our neigh- continues to support and organize so many excitbor in everyone we meet, whatever ing events for our students.
the person’s colour, race, religion,
We will be distributing ashes to the students
culture or gender. Help us to share at our Ash Wednesday celebration, February
our love with all people even if they 10th, in the school gym at 11:25am. As always,
do not ask for it and even if they re- Parents are welcome to attend.
On another note, I would like to wish Superinject it.
Form us into a community of people tendent Oude-Reimerink congratulations and
best wishes on her retirement. Superintendent
who care, expressing your compasOude-Reimerink has been a great supporter of
sion. Remind us day after day of
Catholic Education in Dufferin-Peel and it has
our baptismal call to serve, with joy
been an honour to work with her. She will be
and courage. Give us a deeper ap- sorely missed.
preciation of the contributions that I would also like to take this opportunity to welour brothers and sisters of all culture come our new Superintendent Brampton Northhave made to society and to the
East Family of Schools, Ms. Finegan-Downey
effective February 1st. Superintendent Fineganbuilding of Your reign. Teach us
how to grow in wisdom, grace and Downey brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role. We look forward to working
joy in Your presence.
Through Jesus and in Your spirit, we together with her in Catholic Education.
The partnership between home and school conmake this prayer.
tinues to be an essential component to student
success. Thank you for your continued support.
Amen
N. Resendes
Principal
Prayer During Black History
Month
PAGE
2
Virtue of the Month– Respect
OThis month we will celebrate the virtue of Respect. The virtue of respect reminds
us that every person in our lives carries the Spirit of God and so every person is
our brother or sister through Jesus Christ. As brothers and sisters who share on
Holy Spirit, we are all valuable to God. We deserve to be shown courtesy, consideration, sensitivity and thoughtfulness, which are different ways of saying respect.
That respect should come first and foremost from ourselves. We have to respect
ourselves and then we will be able to respect others.
DRESS FOR THE WEATHER
Now that colder weather is upon us, we respectfully remind you to ensure that
your children come to school dressed warmly to participate in recess activities.
Students need to be dressed appropriately in order to enjoy the outdoors.
Please help your child come to school appropriately dressed with boots, snowpants, scarves, hats and mittens on those really chilly days.
According to the School Board policy students go outside to temperatures of
–25. When weather conditions are this severe, we may reduce the outdoor playtime or have indoor recess. Fresh air and exercise are vital components for successful learning, so we will endeavor to have children play outside whenever
possible. For health reasons and to help keep the school safe and clean, we ask
all students to have indoor shoes. Thank you for your support in this matter.
2015-16 School Year Calendar
Additional Professional Activity Day:
Monday, April 11, 2016
Terms of the recent contract settlement between the
teacher federations and the Ministry of Education included the provision of an additional Professional Activity Day
for the 2015-2016 school year for both elementary and
secondary schools. Recently, boards were directed to
schedule this additional Professional Development Day
on or before April 15, 2016.
In the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, the designated additional Professional Activity Day has been scheduled for Monday, April 11, 2016.
Therefore, there will be no classes for either elementary or secondary students on Monday, April 11, 2016.
Next School Council
Meeting
April 5, 2016 at 6:30pm
In the Library
All parents are welcome!
Bus Cancellation Information: As you
are aware bus cancellations and School Closures are announced on the radio, tv news stations as well as on the Dufferin-Peel website
homepage or www.stopr.ca. If buses are cancelled in the morning, this also applies to the
afternoon buses. Therefore, if you choose to
drive your child to school when buses are cancelled, please be advised that you will also be responsible for pick-up at
3:00pm. Thank you.
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3
Important notice for Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of students in SK/Year 2 Kindergarten
The French Immersion Online Application System is now open for submissions. To apply, go to
www.dpcdsb.org.
Applications will be accepted until February 12, 2016
Reminder:
• All eligible submissions are accepted and, in the event that the number of applications is greater than
the number of spaces available at a French Immersion school, a centralized, computer-generated lottery will be held at a date yet to be determined.
• Some French Immersion schools offer Grades 1 to 8 and others offer Grades 1 to 4, with Grade 5 to 8
offered at a nearby school. Please refer to the Board website for more information.
• Parents and guardians of students registered in the program are responsible for providing transportation for their child(ren) to and from their registered French Immersion school. *****Please note that for
students living inside the regular school boundaries of a French Immersion school, eligibility for student
transportation is based on the policies established by the school board.*****
• A successful placement in the French Immersion School does not guarantee placement of younger
siblings in future years.
If more details are required, please review the board website for up-to-date information. You may also
contact your child's present school, the principal of the French Immersion school in your area, or the
board's French as a Second Language Consultant at (905) 890-0708 extension 24307.
REPORT ALL
ABSENCES AND
LATES
A gentle reminder to leave
a message on the Attendance Line (905 794-0411
Option 1) before 8:30am.
The message system is
available 24 hours for your
convenience.
On days that buses are cancelled and your child is
NOT a bus student but will remain at home an absence must be reported by 8:30am. Punctuality is an
extremely important building block in every student’s
learning foundation from Junior Kindergarten to grade
8. The routine of being prepared for the beginning of
class on a daily basis ensures that each day gets off
to a good start.
P.A.L.S. Playground Activity Leaders in
Schools
We continue to run the P.A.L.S. program in our school.
The main goals of this program are to: encourage students
to be physically active by playing games at recess, preventing bullying from happening at school and to give older students the opportunity to become leaders on the playground. Sincere thanks are extended to Miss Guglielmi for
organizing and promoting this valuable initiative. Thanks
also to our student leaders for volunteering to help in this
activity on Thursdays.
Full Day Kindergarten September
2016
We have begun registration for Kindergarten for September. If you have children ready to start Junior Kindergarten
in September please register them as
soon as possible.
Parents/Guardians should being the following:
 Proof of age (stmt. of Live Birth or
Birth Cert.)
 Original Catholic Baptismal Certificate
 Updated immunization records)
 Proof of Canadian citizenship or
Landed Immigrant )
 Proof of address (utility bill, purchase/lease agreement) For more
information, please visit our
school website or call the Admis-
PAGE
Student Report Cards
Term One, Grade one to Grade eight Report Cards go home on Tuesday, February
2nd. Parent/teacher/student interviews for
JK to grade 8 students will be held on the
evening of Thursday, Feb., 4, 2016 and
during the day on Feb., 5, 2016.
Family Day is Monday, February 15,
2016. There will be no School that day.
Minimizing Class Disruption
The instructional day begins promptly following morning announcements. In order
not to miss valuable instructional time, students should not be picked up from school
early, if possible.
By trying our best not to disturb classes,
except in very important situations, we are
reducing disruptions to quality teaching
and learning time. We understand that
there will be times when disruptions will be
necessary and unavoidable. In these cases please send a note in advance to your
child’s teacher when you child needs to be
picked up early as to who will pick them up
and then meet them in the office and sign
them out.
If delivering lunches to your child at school,
write your child’s name on the lunch bag
and leave them on the lunch table between
the front doors. Please ensure the lunch is
there by 12:35pm. Since we are a secure
building this should not be a daily routine.
We appreciate your support in minimizing
disruptions to classes, whenever possible.
EQAO
The EQAO Assessment will be administered between May 25 to June 8, 2016.
Grade 3 and 6 students are preparing diligently for this assessment. It is very important that all students are present at
school during this time. More information
to follow.
Exploring the Paths of Joy
May 1st to 6th
Our Archdiocese is home to five English and one
French Catholic school board, made up of more than
500 schools and close to 300,000 students. We celebrate the tremendous gifts of each one of our students
along with all those who support them on the journey.
Each one of us has a role to play. Our parishes provide a solid foundation, the rock on which we build our
faith with priests who guide and shepherd us on the
journey. The home is another critical component of our
faith formation, where parents ensure that the thread
of faith is woven through the family, allowing children
to live a faith that acts in all that they do. Our Catholic
teachers provide leadership in our parish schools by
following the example of Jesus Christ, teacher and
friend, as we form our young people to be citizens who
are inspired by their faith.
In addition to offering prayers for all those involved in
Catholic Education, we offer some practical suggestions to help engage our community:
1. Ensure that your property taxes indicate you are a
separate school supporter. This demonstrates to the
government your support of our publicly funded Catholic schools.
2. Consider being more directly
engaged in our publicly funded
Catholic schools. Join our
School Council or volunteer in
our school.
Shrove Tuesday– Tuesday, February 9th
St. Patrick school will be celebrating Shrove Tuesday
with pancakes generously provided by the School
Council. Shrove Tuesday (also known as Shrovetide
Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday and Pancake Day) is the
day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.
The expression “Shrove Tuesday” comes from the
word shrive, meaning “confess”. Related popular
practices are associated with celebrations before the
fasting and religious obligations associated with the
penitential season of Lent. The term Mardi Gras is
French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the
last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual
fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash
Wednesday. Pancakes are associated with the day
preceding Lent because they were a way to use up
rich foods such as eggs, milk and sugar before the
fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. The liturgical
fasting emphasized eating plainer food and refraining
from food that would give pleasure: In many cultures,
this means no meat, dairy or eggs.
4
PAGE
A letter from St. Patrick’s Church Pastor: Fr. Vito Marziliano
DEAR PARENTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS
AND SUPPORT STAFF OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES AT ST.
PATRICK’S PARISH:
Peace and blessings to all, on this beginning of a new month, February, in the Jubilee Year of Mercy. We have celebrated this past
week the First Confessions of many of our children. How beautiful
it is to remember that God loves us. That no matter what, we are
truly and will always remain, his beloved children. It is the joy and smile on the faces
and in the hearts of our little ones that remind us of this fact. May we always learn
from them and do our best to let them remember this great and magnificent truth.
Within a few days, on February 10, Ash Wednesday, we begin the Season of
Lent. What a great gift we have been given to examine the extent of God’s love and
acknowledge that at times we have not been ready to welcome this gift. Lent offers us
an opportunity to re-examine our life, our journey of faith, our responses to events and
situations that surround us. All to be examined in the light of God’s Mercy.
May the weeks ahead, leading us to Easter, help us celebrate new beginnings. I remember you all in our celebrations and pray that continued blessings may come upon
you and all your loved ones. Please remember that every day of the week and on
weekends, during this Jubilee of Mercy, our church and the Holy Doors continue to be
open from 7 a.m. To 9 p.m., welcoming you all in prayer, silence and celebrations. On
Ash Wednesday, our parish masses will be celebrated at 8:30 a.m. In English, 1 p.m.
In Italian, and 7:30 p.m. In English. I will be visiting our schools and blessing ashes on
Monday and Tuesday that same week, so that each school may hold a para-liturgy on
the Wednesday, with the distribution of ashes.
Please remember that our parish church is always ready to welcome you in prayer. Saturday evening at 5 p.m. (in English, the first Sunday Mass of the weekend),
Sunday at 8:30 a.m. (Eng), 10 a.m. (Eng), 11:30 a.m. (Ital.), 1:00 p.m. (Eng), 7:30 p.m.
(Eng). There is room for you and your family, both in our pews, and above all, in the
heart of God.
Blessings upon all,
Fr. Vito Marziliano,
Pastor.
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6
February 2016
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
1
2
3
Term 2 begins
Report Cards
go home
Sub Day
Special
Presentation:Loretta
Penny– Journey to the Amazon
7
8
Thu
Fri
Sat
4
5
6
Interview
Evening
PA Day
No School
Pizza Day
9
10
11
Ash Wednesday
Sub Day
14
15
16
17
18
23
24
25
Sub Day
28
19
20
Grade 6s at
Silvercreek
Pizza Day
Sub Day
22
13
Pizza Day
Family Day
No School
21
12
26
27
Pizza Day
29
From the Student Council….
From Monday February 9th to Friday February 13th, St. Patrick School will be having a winter spirit week
in celebration of Valentine’s Day and Black History Month. The students will be able to participate in fun
events and be able to dress up on occasion. More information will follow
shortly.
Chocolate Fundraiser
At the last School Council meeting, the Council decided to do a chocolate
fundraiser beginning just before March Break. Nestle chocolates will be
available to those families interested in supporting this fundraiser. More information will follow in March.
INTERNATIONAL
Student Programs
Welcoming students from around the world
INFORMATION NIGHT
February 23, 2016
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Learning Centre
3566 South Common Court, Mississauga
Information regarding the International
Student Program, Summer ESL Credit
Program for International Students,
Student Exchange Program, and community
supports available to newcomers, will be
shared. Full details of the various programs
and opportunities will be provided by
several guest speakers and there will be an
opportunity to ask questions.
Kindergarten to Grade 12
High Academic Standards
and Achievement
Catholic Values
Wide variety of specialized programs
Full access to ESL and support services
Located in the Greater Toronto Area
Direct access to public transit
Easy access to world renowned
colleges and universities
For more information, visit www.dpcdsb.org
or call 905-412-3341 ext. 31460 or email rita.borg@dpcdsb.org