Principal:
Mrs. N. Resendes
Secretary:
Mrs. T. Sunseri
V O L U M E
1
I S S U E
D E C E M B E R
4
December Newsletter
Principal’s message
Superintendent:
Mrs. D. OudeReimerink
905-890-1221
Trustee
Mr. S. Xaviour
416-659-5635
Mr. F. Di Cosola
905-951-8898
St. Patrick Parish
Pastor:
Fr. V. Mariziliano
905-794-0486
School Council Chair:
Ms. A. Ranieri
School Website:
www. dpcdsb.org/
PATRK
2 0 1 5
Advent:
A Time of Hope
God of Hope you sent
us Jesus, the Light of
the World.
As we light our Advent candles one by
one, a week at a time,
may we rekindle within ourselves the desire to make peace
with Him.
May the flame of His
presence grow brighter and brighten our
hearts, in our school
and in our world.
May the God of Hope
fill us with joy and
peace this Christmas
by the power of the
Holy Spirit.
Amen
December has come upon us so quickly
and St. Patrick continues to be a busy
place. Students have been involved in
many activities going on in the school, including the choir, sports teams, Youth Faith
Ambassadors, Eco Team and Student
Council to name a few.
In keeping with St. Patrick’s tradition of
helping others, the school community will
be collecting hats and mitts as well as monetary donations to help those in need. A
letter has already been sent home but is
included again in this newsletter for your
information.
.
The Season of Advent is a time of expectation, waiting, caring, kindness, compassion
and hope. We strive to prepare our hearts
and our lives as we wait in great anticipation for the coming of Jesus. The birth of
Jesus signifies a new beginning that heralds new hopes and dreams that light up
our lives and give it new meaning. On behalf of the staff of St. Patrick School, I extend our best wishes during this Christmas
Season to you and
your family. We
hope that you will
be blessed with the
spirit and gifts of the
first Christmas—
peace, love and
goodwill toward all.
N.Resendes
Principal
PAGE
2
Virtue of the Month– Hope
This month we will celebrate the virtue of Hope. God has given us this Advent
season to focus our minds and hearts on the good all around us. Let us pray for
the grace and courage to be people of hope—people who can see, participate and
contribute to God’s goodness emerging around us.
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.
When weather conditions are 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.
Help your children come to school appropriately dressed
with boots, snowpants, scarves, hats and mittens on those really chilly days!
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.
Full Day Kindergarten for 2016-2017
All children turning age 4 by December 2015 are eligible to
register for Kindergarten in January.
Registration for Full-Day Kindergarten for the 20162017 school year, will take place at St. Patrick
School on the following days:
Next School Council
Meeting:
January 26, 2015 at
7pm
In the School Library
All parents are
welcome!
Monday, January 25, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Friday, January 29, 2016
7 p.m. -–9 p.m.*
9 a.m. -–3 p.m.
9 a.m.—3 p.m.
9 a.m.—3 p.m.
*Snow Date:
Tuesday, January 26, 2015 7 p.m.—9 p.m.
For more information about registration and the Full-Day
Kindergarten program, call (905) 794-0411 or visit
www.dpcdsb.org
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS
Christmas break is December 21st to January 1st. The last
day of school will be Friday, December 18th with dismissal
at 3:00pm. The first day of school in the new year will be
Monday, January 4th, 2016.
Merry Christmas !
Have a safe and enjoyable
holiday!
PAGE
3
Indoor/Outdoor Shoes
The students should have a pair of indoor shoes to wear at school in class
and for gym. Outdoor shoes/boots will be kept for outdoor use only and out
of the classrooms in order to reduce the amount of dirt and mud brought indoors. This will assist Mrs. Cromwell and staff in keeping the school clean.
Thank you for your co-operation.
Advent Events
Please join us for our Christmas Celebration K-Gr. 8
on Tuesday, December 15th at 9:30am. Also,
our Advent Mass on Friday, December 18, 2015 at
9:30am at St. Patrick Church.
From the Student Council:
The Student Council has been planning many
exciting things for the Christmas season:
Christmas Food Drive (Non-Perishable Food
Items) will be collected from December 2nd to
18th. All donations will go to the Caledon Food
Bank.
From the Youth Faith Ambassadors:
The Grade 7 & 8 Youth Faith Ambassadors
are excited to support various activities
throughout the school.
They have been involved in supporting Virtues
Education and in the month of December they
will be organizing two drives to
support those in need.
Firstly, we are collecting new
Hats and Mittens of all sizes
for those in need. Please feel
free to send those in as soon
as possible. The last day of
collection will be Dec 17th.
Secondly, we will be collecting
funds to support the purchase of items for
the Seniors at Leisure World and in support
of the Refugee family coming to St. Patrick’s parish. Any amount is welcome. For
more information please see the letter sent late
last month.
Spirit Week is December 14th to 18th:
Monday, December 14: Christmas story read
aloud day. Student Council members will go
class to class and read a story to the kids
Tuesday, December 15: Christmas Presentation
K-Gr. 8(9:30)
Wednesday, December 16: Christmas art activi-
ty day
Thursday, December 17: PJ & Movie Day
Friday, December 18: Advent Mass (9:30)/Spirit
of Christmas day (red white and green day or
Santa/elf hats) and Christmas caroling at
1:35pm
FAREWELL AND BEST WISHES
MRS. GARDIMAN!
Please join in extending Mrs. Gardiman happy
retirement wishes. After many years of service as an Educational Resource Worker at
our school as well as others in Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board, Mrs. Gardiman
will be retiring on December 31, 2015.
Mrs. Gardiman will be sorely missed for her
many contributions to the community of St.
Patrick’s School. We thank Mrs. Gardiman for
her dedication and commitment to her students and their communities. Enjoy a well deserved retirement Mrs. Gardiman!
PAGE
NEW: 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 in grade 7 & 8 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. Students will only be permitted to use PEDs in class, as per the teacher’s direction. The use of PEDs
will not in permitted in hallways or outside. 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
ar all times and the Board assumes no responsibility for lost, damaged or stolen devices.
Parent Evening to Support the Transition of Children with Differing Abilities into
Kindergarten 2016
There will be an information session for parent(s)/guardian(s) of children with differing abilities including vision, hearing, autism, physical/medical and/or developmental delays, who are transitioning to Kindergarten in September 2016. The information session will be held at the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board -- Catholic Education Centre, Room 301 on Tuesday, January
12, 2016, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Snow date, Wednesday, January 13, 2016, from 7:00
p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Parent(s)/Guardian(s) are also reminded to register their child at their
school. Official registration dates are Monday, January 25th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The
snow date for the evening registration is Tuesday, January 26th, 2016, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00
p.m. Additional registration dates are January 27th, 28th and 29th, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m.
4
PAGE
Pizza and Subway Lunches
Pizza and Subway Lunches continue to
run on this year. All profits from this fundraising initiative will go to support various school
initiatives (technology, school presentations,
supplementary resources, etc.).
We would like to give special thanks to Mrs.
Sunseri for organizing Pizza and Subway
Lunch days for our students. Also, thank you
to Ms Cromwell, Mrs. Moscatiello, Mrs. Guglietti and Miss Murra for
supporting pizza distribution.
Regular Attendance and Punctuality
Regular attendance and punctuality are important life skills that apply not only in the educational setting, but also in various other settings and especially in the work place. It is a
parent’s responsibility, as outlined in the
Education Act, to ensure that their child is
in regular attendance and on time for
school. When regular attendance and
punctuality are problematic and not due to illness, a letter will be sent home and eventually if there is no improvement, a meeting with
the Board Attendance Officer may be required
in order to discuss a plan for helping the child
improve attendance and/or punctuality. A total of the number of days absent and late are
documented and become part of the student’s
record. When a student arrives late, it can be
a disruption to his/her learning as well as to
the learning of the other students in the class.
Students should arrive on time to line up with
their peers when the bell rings between 8:15
and 8:30am.
Parents are asked to use the school year
calendar when planning family trips to ensure that they do not take place during
school days. It is important to address frequent absences and late
arrivals for non-medical
reasons early as they
may have a long-term
negative impact.
Early Dismissal
We understand that there will be times when
students must be picked up during the day
due to dentist/doctor appointments, etc. In
these cases, parents must send in a note to
the teacher with the pick up time. Make sure
to tell your child what time you will be picking
them up so that they can meet you in the office. Parents/guardians must come into the
office to sign their child out of school. By
sending in a note to the teacher we will avoid
unnecessary interruptions to the classroom.
Also, we would ask that you try to avoid picking up between 2:30 and 3:00pm if possible,
due to the fact that classes are trying to summarize learning and prepare for the end of
the day. Students may miss valuable pieces
of information, homework or handouts.
Child and Family Service Act
The Child and Family Services Act compels
educators to report any issue that may compromise a child’s welfare. If school staff suspect any issues that may affect a child’s safety the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) must be
contacted. It is not the role of the educator to
investigate-that is the role of the Children’s
Aid Society.
2014-2015 EQAO Results
The EQAO results from the May 2015 Primary and Junior Assessments have been re-
leased.
5
From St. Patrick’s Church
Dear parents, children, staff and administra ons of our parish schools: Blessings upon all of you, dear friends: parents, students, teachers, administrators and staff. Advent has arrived, and with Advent a precious gi from Pope Francis: the Jubilee of Mercy. How beau ful it is to realize that we are truly “loved” by God. There is nothing that will keep us away from his Love. I wish to thank in a special way those families that have made a commitment this year to journey with their children to the Sacraments of Reconcilia on, Eucharist and Confirma on. A special thank you to families who have renewed their commitment of making the Sunday Eucharist a part of their weekly events as a family. During this Holy Year of Mercy, our parish you will welcoming pilgrims from all over the Archdiocese. Along with a few other churches spread throughout the city of Toronto and its surroundings, St. Patrick’s has been chosen as a Jubilee Church where people will walk through its Holy Doors to celebrate God’s Mercy and receive the gi of Indulgences. Our Holy Doors will be officially opened on Sunday, December 13, beginning with a procession from St. Patrick’s School at 3:30 p.m. It will be followed by a mass added to our Sunday schedule, at 4 p.m. Very shortly we will once again be celebra ng Christmas. My prayers will be with all of you and with the needs of your families over the next several weeks and especially at Christmas. For those who may not have the opportunity of knowing our mass schedule for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, please note note: CHRISTMAS EVE, DECEMBER 24 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 10 p.m. (in Italian) 12 midnights. CHRISTMAS DAY, DECEMBER 25 8:30 a.m. 10 a.m. 11:30 a.m. (in Italian) 1:00 p.m. Normally we also have a mass at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, BUT NOT ON CHRISTMAS DAY. I hope and pray that all that is taking place in your homes and in the lives of your family may truly be embraced and blessed by the loving MERCY of our God. With friendship and prayers, Fr. Vito Marziliano, Pastor. December 2015
Sun
6
Mon
7
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
Mathletes
Presentation
Sub Day
Gr.7 & 8 Immunization
Pizza Day
8
9
10
11
Sub Day
12
Pizza Day
Gr.8 Confirmation 7pm
13
14
15
16
Christmas sto- Christmas Sto- St. Michael’s Secry Presenta- ondary: Catholic
Spirit Week ry read aloud
Music
tion K-8
Education
day
9:30am
Presentation
17
18
PJ & Movie
Day
Mass at 9:30am at
the Church
Spirit of Christmas
day (red white and
green day or Santa/elf
hats) and Christmas
caroling
Christmas art activity day
Pizza Day
Sub Day
20
21
22
23
24
Christmas
Break
27
19
25
26
Christmas
Day
28
29
30
31
Please note changes in event times are sometimes unavoidable. For the most up
to date month at a glance is always on our website: http://www.dpcdsb.org/
PATRK/events.
YOUTH FAITH AMBASSADORS CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN
at St. Patrick Catholic School
…"Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you
gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you
gave me clothing….” Matthew 25:34-36
November 25, 2015
Dear Parents/Guardians:
The Christmas season is fast approaching and we are looking forward to making it a special holiday season for
our families, with lots of planning and celebrating. While we enjoy and celebrate the season we must not forget
there are families less fortunate who struggle throughout the year, especially during the holiday season.
This year our school is working with Father Vito and Holy Spirit Catholic School to support senior citizens at
LeisureWorld in Brampton. As a community, will also be supporting the refugee family that St. Patrick’s
church is sponsoring. Hopefully, with our help, our brothers and sisters will have a joyous and blessed
Christmas.
We are asking families to donate a monetary gift. Our Youth Faith Ambassadors and the Helping Hands
Committee from Holy Spirit Catholic School will use the money collected to purchase items for our brothers
and sisters. Items that we are hoping to purchase may include grocery store vouchers, toys for the children,
items for the parents and seniors, toiletries and other Christmas treats.
It is our hope that through this charitable activity we can remind our children how
important it is during this holiday season to think of others less fortunate. Our
deadline for donations will be Monday, December 7, 2015. Donations envelopes
have been provided.
We will also be collecting Hats and Mittens of all sizes for those in need. These will
be given to St. Patrick Church for distribution to agencies in the community.
We would like to thank you in advance for your support and generosity. Our community has always been
generous when it comes to reaching out and helping others. With your help we can continue to make a
difference. If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to contact the school.
Thank You,
Youth Faith Ambassadors
Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board
Catholic Global Learning Centre North Parent/Guardian Interest Survey
November 2015 Catholic Global Learning Centre North Parent/Guardian Interest Survey: November 22 – December 5, 2015 The Dufferin‐Peel Catholic District School Board is investigating the possibility of opening an additional regional elementary Catholic Global Learning Centre at an existing Dufferin‐Peel Catholic elementary school located north of Highway 401. The new centre will be modelled after St. James Catholic Global Learning Centre in south‐east Mississauga. Like the St. James Catholic Global Learning Centre, the learning experience to be offered at the proposed Catholic Global Learning Centre North embraces a global focus. Modelled after an internationally recognized program, the Catholic Global Learning Centre North will teach the Ontario Curriculum via an integrated, inquiry‐based approach aligned with the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations. All students attending this school will participate in this program. Once the program has been established, the plan is to apply for formal certification as an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program and Middle Years Program site. Interested parents and guardians are asked to complete an online survey that can be accessed from the board website’s main page at www.dpcdsb.org or, also, from any Dufferin‐Peel elementary school website. Participation in this survey is voluntary and parents may choose to stop completing the survey at any time. Parents will not be asked to identify themselves or their child/children. The information collected through the survey is for planning purposes only and will be used to inform recommendations about the potential site and more details which will follow at a later date. Please note that the survey closes on December 5, 2015. Board Policy 24.00 ‐ Access to Elementary Regional Programs of Choice The process for accessing elementary regional programs of choice must be equitable for all eligible pupils within the Board’s jurisdiction. If applications received by the due date exceed the available pupil places allotted to the regional program, a lottery process specific to the regional program will be activated to fill available pupil places. All eligible applicants, including siblings of pupils currently registered in the regional program, will participate in the lottery process. PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
AND THE
DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Keaton Centre, 5685 Keaton Crescent, Mississauga, Ontario. L5R 3H5
Phone: (905) 890-6000
Fax: (905) 890-6033
www.stopr.ca
NOTICE TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF TRANSPORTED STUDENTS
TOWN OF CALEDON
To help parents/guardians better understand the nuances of school bus cancellation notices as
they relate to the Town of Caledon, the following clarification is provided with reference to a typical
media statement:
“THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND THE PEEL
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON ARE CANCELLED”
This means that all school buses in the jurisdictional area of the Town of Caledon, including
Bolton, Caledon East, as well as all villages and rural areas, are cancelled. This affects all
elementary students who are bussed to St. Cornelius, Holy Family, St. John Paul II, St. John the
Baptist and St. Nicholas, as well as all secondary students who are bussed to Robert F. Hall and
St. Michael Catholic secondary schools.
Please note that a notice that “the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and Peel District
School Board buses are cancelled” indicates that all buses are cancelled including all bus runs in
the Town of Caledon. Similarly, a notice indicating that “the Dufferin-Peel schools are closed”
would include the closure of all schools in the Town of Caledon.
While cancellation notices are indicated on various news channels, including TV and radio
stations, typically by 6:00 am, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board also posts the
information by numerous means, typically by 6:10 am.
Here are ways parents/guardians and students can check on cancellation/closure notices:

Visit the Board website at www.dpcdsb.org or any Dufferin-Peel Catholic school website,
where a yellow ALERT banner at the top of the page will advise of any cancellations or
other relevant alert messages.

Phone (905) 890-1221 to hear opening recorded message (eg. “Thank you for calling the
DPCDSB on Wednesday, January 29. Please be advised that buses in Dufferin County
and Caledon are cancelled today….”

Twitter – all cancellations/closures are tweeted. Follow the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board @ DPCDSBSchools.

eCommunity email blast – subscribe through the Board website www.dpcdsb.org to
receive board information on a regular basis. Cancellation notices are emailed to
subscribers.
STUDENT TRANSPORTATION OF PEEL REGION (STOPR)
BUS CANCELLATIONS/SCHOOL CLOSING DUE TO BAD WEATHER
2015 – 2016 SCHOOL YEAR
During the winter months inclement weather may cause disruption of bus transportation and
regular school operations. A decision to cancel school transportation and/or to close
schools is usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be announced on the following radio and
television stations:
VIRGIN RADIOFM99.9
CFNY FM102.1/AM640
NEWSTALK1010 AM
FM Z103.5
CHIN FM100.7/AM1540
GLOBAL NEWS
CHUM AM1050
CJCL AM590
EZ ROCK FM97.3
FM93.1
CBC99.1
CTV
CFTR AM680
CHFI FM98.1
CJBC (FR) AM860
FM Q107
CITYPULSE
CANADA AM
We will be communicating one of six standard messages to the radio stations. The six
announcements and their effect on the transportation system are as follows: (Please note that
the highlighted text only will be communicated by the radio stations).
1.
2.
“THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES SERVING
ST. ANDREW, ST. BENEDICT AND ST. PETER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND R.F. HALL
SECONDARY SCHOOL ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”
“THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND PEEL
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON ARE CANCELLED FOR
TODAY”.
 This means that ALL buses which operate into, out of, and within the Town of Caledon are
cancelled for the entire day.
3. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND THE PEEL
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON AND THE COUNTY OF
DUFFERIN ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY”.
 This means that all runs listed under announcements #l and #2 are cancelled.
 Individual schools will be notified if this cancellation affects their school.
4. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE CITY OF MISSISSAUGA ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”
 This means that ALL buses which operate into, out of, and within the City of Mississauga
are cancelled for the entire day.
5. “ALL DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND PEEL DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”
 This means that ALL transportation services provided by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board and the Peel District School Board, including buses, vans and taxis have
been cancelled for the entire day.
6. “ALL BUSES ARE CANCELLED AND THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE
DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD ARE CLOSED”.
 This means that ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and Peel District School
board schools and offices are closed to all students and staff.
Note: For Secondary School students Riding Public Transit, cancellation of service will be
communicated by the respective transit property over the radio. Please be advised that Public
Transit rarely cancels and that the level of service on days with inclement weather is
unpredictable.
November 2015
Friday December 4, 2015
5:30pm – 8:00pm
Gore Meadows C.C. & Library
Family friendly activities include carolling and festive
music, holiday themed games, tree ornament making,
cupcake decorating and more!
Join the Library at 4:00pm for a creation station activity!
FREE ADMISSION with a non-perishable food donation per person