Principal:
V O L U M E
Mrs. N. Resendes
Secretary:
Mrs. T. Sunseri
Mr. S. Xaviour
416-659-5635
Mr. F. Di Cosola
905-951-8898
St. Patrick Parish
Pastor:
1
A New Beginning
Mrs. D. Oude-Reimerink
Trustee
I S S U E
September Newsletter
Superintendent:
905-890-1221
1 ,
Lord, help us to make the best of
a new beginning.
Guide our children to make wise
decisions and achieve to the best
of their abilities in all of their
endeavours.
Bless our staff with the gifts of
wisdom and patience that they
may assist students in seeking
knowledge.
Fr. V. Marziliano
Grant out parents generous
hearts to encourage and
support their children.
905-794-0486
School Council Chair:
Mrs.. C. Oppedisano
School Website:
www. dpcdsb.org/PATRK
Together, help us to create a
community of learners that
teaches not only skills for
success but all that we need to
live our faith fully in the world.
Amen
Professional
Development Day
Friday September 18th is a Professional
Development Day for teachers. There will
be no classes held on this day. Please make
sure you mark your calendars and make appropriate arrangements.
O
S E P T E M B E R
2 0 1 5
Principal’s message
Welcome to the 2015-2016 school
year! I hope that your summer holiday was a safe and enjoyable one.
Our staff has been working hard
preparing for the beginning of the
new school year. Thank you to the
teachers who have spent a great
amount of time preparing both their
curriculum and their classrooms.
Also, a great big thanks to our secretary, Mrs. Sunseri for her work in
the office. Special thanks to our
custodial team, Mrs. Cromwell and
Mr. Misfud for their flexibility and
support with the renovations during
the summer months as well as preparing the school to welcome back
our students.
I would like to take this opportunity
to welcome back Miss Gallo who
will be working with Ms Cervoni in
Kindergarten. I would also like to
welcome Miss Fyles who will be
working in the capacity of Educational Resource Worker, Miss Barrasso to the grade 4/5 class and
Ms Rukin who is our new School
Social Worker.
The staff and I look forward to
working with you and your children
to provide a highly rewarding year
for all of our students.
God Bless,
Mrs. N. Resendes
Principal
.
PAGE
2
Virtue of the Month– Faith
A Catholic Faith Community is rooted in a set of common beliefs which are inspired by the
life mission and teaching of Jesus. As a Catholic community we are called to learn, to
grow and to become more like Jesus in the way we see and treat others. Our Catholic faith
plays an important role in helping us shape schools that are safe, caring and inclusive.
Catholic School education provides us the opportunity to integrate virtue formation into all
areas of our school life within the context of our faith. St. Patrick will be continuing the
“Virtues Program” this year. This program is designed to help us nurture virtue and character development in the lives of our students. Each month, the entire school will focus on a
different virtue. Classroom activities, school wide activities and assemblies will all focus on
the nurturing of a specific virtue. We would appreciate your support in discussing these
virtues with your child and encouraging behaviours that would demonstrate these virtues.
Here is a list of the virtues we will be nurturing this school year: September—Faith, October
–Empathy, November-Conscience, December-Hope, January-Self Control, FebruaryRespect, March-Kindness, April-Love, May-Acceptance & June-Fairness.
School Start and End Times
8:30am
10:36 to 10:56 am
10:56 to 11:16am
12:39 to 12:59 am
12:59 to 1:29 pm
3:00 pm
JK to Grade 8 Classes Begin
Gr. 1 to 8—Nutritional Break
Grades 1 to 8 Outdoor Recess
JK to Grade 8 Lunch
Grades 1 to 8 Outdoor Recess
JK to Grade 8 Dismissal
Supervision of pupils in the mornings begins at 8:15 am. Please do not bring your children
to school before 8:15am as no one will be available to supervise them.
PLASP—After School Child Care
Parents who are in need of child care after school can take advantage of the PLASP
Child Care Program being held at St. Patrick School. For more information contact
PLASP at: 905-890-1711.
Visitors in the School
As you know St. Patrick School has a
Secure Entry System. All visitors
(including parents, guardians, volunteers) must report to the front door and
come to the office to sign in and pick
up a visitor’s sticker. Parents are
asked to be patient in the event that
office staff are not able to answer the
door immediately.
The number of students enrolled in a school determines the number of classes
and teachers. As the school year begins, new students may still be registering
at St. Patrick School, while others may be leaving. Therefore, there is a possibility of having to reorganize classes. Parents will be notified by the September 18th Professional Activity Day should it be necessary to make
changes in order to balance the size of classes. Until that time, all class placements are tentative.
School Council Elections
We would like to invite all parents to consider being a member of our Catholic School Council. The
aim of the council is to support school activities and students through involvement and fundraising.
Nomination forms for the 2015-2016 School Council are available in the office and will be accepted
between Sept. 8-22 between 8:00-3:30pm. If necessary elections of the new school council will
take place on September 29 after the completion of our final 2014-2015 Catholic School Council
meeting which commences at 7:00pm. All meetings are public and opened to the parent community of the school. The Catholic School Council works in co-operation with the school principal in
providing the best educational experience for students. It is important that we all work together to
make our school a better place to grow and learn.
ST.
PATRICK
VOLUME
1,
ISSUE
1
PAGE
Student Information Forms
3
A package of student Information forms will be sent home with your child. It is very important that all forms be completed. Please return the forms promptly to your child’s classroom teacher. A package of forms needs to be completed for each child. Please keep us
informed of any changes to home, work or emergency contact phone numbers
throughout the year. In the unfortunate event that your child is ill or injured we must
be able to make contact.
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 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.
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.
Attendance Verification
Program
If your child is going to be absent
from school, please call our office to
report his/her absence before
8:30am on the day of the absence.
You may call at any time and leave a
message on the answering service.
Thank you for your assistance in this student safety
initiative.
905-794-0411 Press 1
Sabrina’s Law—Anaphylaxis
Reaction
As we begin the new school year, we would like to inform you that St. Patrick School is an allergen aware
school. There are pupils in attendance at our school
who suffer from severe and life threatening
allergies to peanut and nut products. Exposure to the smallest quantities can cause
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 and nut products. We
want St. Patrick to be a safe environment for all students. Thank you for your assistance with this initiative.
Open House / Meet the Teacher Night
Our Annual Open House and meet the teacher night has
been scheduled for October 1, 2015. Classrooms will be
open from 6:30pm to 8:00pm so you can have an opportunity to visit your child’s teacher
School Agendas
Students in Grades 1—8 will be using school agendas to
help develop their organizational skills. There is no cost for
the agendas as we using these as a teaching tool and a
form of communication with the home and school. There is
valuable information for the school and the School Board
provided in the agenda and we encourage you to go
through it with your child throughout the month.
Birthday/Holiday Treats
As a result of a significant amount of students with severe allergies, we will NOT be permitting sharing food
treats in the school in honour of birthdays or holiday
occasions.
Alternatively parents can consider sending a non-food
treat such as stickers, pencils etc. to celebrate your
child’s birthday. Another great idea is to donate a book
in your child’s name to the class or school library.
We truly appreciate your cooperation in this serious
matter.
Important Parking Lot Information
PAGE
4
Morning Drop-Off Routine
Parents who do not wish to park their car in a designated parking spot may drop off children using
the DROP OFF ZONE established in the parking lot, at the bend near the school yard. This has
been identified with painted lines on the pavement in the near future and a stop sign installed as
well.
Parents are asked to stop at the drop off zone and students should disembark from the right side of
the vehicle. Other vehicles are asked not to pass cars waiting to drop off. Students exiting
vehicles should not be going around the back of the vehicle to the trunk as this is unsafe. By following
this system we can have two cars unload at a time. Once those vehicles have moved on then the next vehicles
can pull up and unload. Buses will be asked to wait behind the line up and then pull up in front of the school to
unload, as usual. We ask that cars no longer pull up against the curb in the area along the sidewalk/garden.
End of the day Pick-Up Routine
We would ask that if there are no more parking spaces available in the parking lot that parents wait in
the church parking lot until they see that the 3 large school buses have arrived. Once all of the buses
have arrived. Parents are asked to pull up behind the buses in a line. No cars will be permitted to leave
the parking lot until all buses have departed. Once the buses have left parents are asked to pull up to
the curb and we will call your children out for you. Thank you for your cooperation with this pick up system.
Volunteers:
If you are interested in volunteering at the school please let the office know. As you are
aware, any individual who works as an employee of the Board or volunteers to assist with
our programs MUST have a Criminal Reference Check (CRC) completed by the Peel or Caledon Police. All volunteers MUST have a valid CRC even for one-time events, such as field
trip supervision.
We strongly recommend that parents/guardians who are interested in supporting school programs in this manner, please begin this process ASAP. For all volunteers, CRC are free of
charge. Further information and forms are available in the main office.
QuesƟons or
Concerns?
905‐890‐6000
or
1‐800‐668‐1140
Important
Please have your child's
OEN (Ontario Education
Number) ready when calling.
STOPR will not be able to
give out student information
without it. You can find the
OEN number on the report
card or by contacting the
school.
STUDENT BUSSING
STOPR (Student Tr anspor tation of Peel Region) deals with all bussing issues on
behalf of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.
Parents of JK, SK and Grade 1
students must ensure:
1. that they or a designated
caregiver are at the bus stop
to meet their child when the
bus arrives
AND
2. that their child is wearing the
required identification.
TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
WEBSITE:
businfo.stopr.ca
PAGE
Hepatitis B. & Meningitis Inoculations Gr. 7
& HPV Vaccinations Gr. 8 Girls
Peel Health will continue to offer free immunization of Hepatitis B & Meningitis for students in
Grade 7. It is given as a series of two injections
over a period of six months. Grade 8 girls will
also receive free HPV Vaccinations. If you have
any questions please call the Peel Health Department at 905-799-7700.
Terry Fox Run & BBQ
On October 2, in the afternoon, St Patrick
School will participate in the Terry Fox Run to
commemorate Terry Fox’s efforts on Cancer
Research. The students will be running/walking
on the school property and then going over to
the church park for a BBQ lunch. A big thank
you to the School Council for organizing and
coordinating the BBQ. Students are asked to
bring a Toonie for Terry. More detailed information will be sent home in the near future.
Book Fair
Miss Rizzi will be hosting a Book Fair in the Library the
week of September 28th. Parents are welcome to visit
the book fair with their children during the OPEN
HOUSE on October 1, 2015 after 6:30pm.
Fire and Lockdown Drills
Throughout the year, various drills are initiated to ensure that in case of emergencies our students are aware
of the various procedures for their safety. They are
actively involved in the practice of these drills with the
view that if there is an emergency, their rehearsals will
allow for prompt and safe actions which will enhance
their safety. We ask that you spend some time discussing the necessity for these drills with your
child and address any fears they may have.
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news and
information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools.
Student Accident Insurance Forms
Optional Hot Lunches
In the near future information will be
sent home regarding hot lunches that
parents can choose to purchase for
their children if they would like to.
Stay tuned for information about purchasing hot lunches. All food sold through
the school must be and is in compliance with
the Ministry of Education Healthy Food and
Do Not Bring Valuables to School
Pupils are requested not to bring valuable items to
school. The school cannot assume responsibility for these lost or damaged
items.
Medication at School
Please contact the office to obtain
the appropriate medical forms if you require the
school to store and distribute your child’s medication during the school day. These must be
completed by the parent and doctor. If your
child has a severe medical condition or allergy,
please meet with school administration to provide up to date information.
The Dufferin-Peel catholic District School Board requires
that parents and/or guardians provide written acknowledgment that they have received the ‘insuremykids’ student
accident insurance brochure. This requirement applies to
all students participating in out-of-school excursions and or
extra-curricular sports acitivites.
Although the Board takes every precaution to provide a
safe learning environment for students, accidents can and
do happen. Some injuries result in medical, dental or other
expenses that are not covered by the provincial health care
or employer group plans. As a parent, guardian or an adult
student you become responsible for these expenses. Some
families have private accident insurance which is able to
respond to costs arising from injuries however many families do not.
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic does not and cannot insure
students. Coverage may be purchased by the parents/
guardians or an adult student, through the Reliable Life insurance Company (www.insuremykids.com) or through
their family’s individual work or private plan.
As required under the Education Act, the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board arranges for the distribution
of student accident insurance brochures however the
Board assumes no responsibility for the cost of the plan,
applications, premium payments or claims; nor does the
board receive any remuneration from the Reliable Life Insurance Company.
5
September 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
1
2
Thu
Fri
Sat
3
4
5
11
12
18
19
PA Day
6
7
8
Labour Day
First Day of
School
9
10
16
17
Welcome Back!
13
14
15
PA & ReorganizatonDay
No School
20
21
22
23
Last Day for
School Council
Nominations
27
28
29
School Council
Elections and
Meeting 7pm
30
24
25
26
Keaton Centre, 5685 Keaton Crescent, Mississauga, Ontario L5R 3H5
Phone: 905 890-6000 Fax: 905 890-6033
Information for Parents Regarding School Bus Transportation
September 2015
Welcome back to another school year!
Please note the following Transportation information.
Eligibility for Transportation is based on distance criteria established by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board Policy. Students residing within their school’s attendance boundary and
living in excess of the following distance criteria from their school are eligible for transportation:
Kindergarten to Grade 1:
Grades 2 to 4:
Grades 5 to 8:
Grades 9 to 12:
1.0 km
1.6 km
2.0 km
3.8 km
Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR) is responsible for administering the transportation
policy for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and for planning and implementation
of the transportation for all eligible students within Peel Region.
Contacting STOPR:
STOPR operations are divided into 3 defined zones, East, West and Special Needs Transportation.
The East and West zones manage all regular home to school busing for all of Peel Region and the
dividing line between these zones is generally Kennedy Road.
When calling into our office for school bus information, please make sure that you have your child’s
Ontario Educational Number (OEN) available. The OEN number can be found on your child’s report
card or is available from your school.
STOPR staff will ask for your child’s OEN to ensure your child’s personal transportation information
is secure and is shared only with the appropriate person.
Telephone contact:
Toll free:
Fax:
(905) 890-6000 (East, West and Special Needs Transportation)
1-800-668-1140
(905) 890-6033
**Important note for all Parents who live within Dufferin County**

For parents who live within Dufferin County, please note that all transportation is handled
by the Wellington-Dufferin Student Transportation Services Consortium (STWDSTS)
All parents living within Dufferin County should contact STWDSTS at 519-824-4119 or toll
free at: 1-888-292-2224 or visit their web site at: www.stwdsts.ca
STOPR Web Site:
Page 2.
We recommend that you take a moment to review our web site as it is available to you 24 hours per day,
7 days per week at: www.stopr.ca
Our web site is your source for the most up to date transportation information such as bus delays and
cancellations as well it can provide you with important information such as “what school do I attend” and
“am I eligible for transportation”. In addition you can also access important school bus safety information
as well as “Transportation Procedures”, “Forms”, Courtesy Seats” and “frequently asked questions
concerning student transportation”.
Parents can also access their children’s bus route information and details through the web site by clicking
on the “Your Child’s Busing Information” tab located on the main page. You will need your child’s Ontario
Educational Number (OEN), home address, school and grade in order to retrieve your child’s bus
information from the web site.
Parents can now sign-up to receive automatic e-mail notifications of delays or cancellations for their
children’s bus run. Parents should go to www.stopr.ca and click on the “bus delays and cancellations” link
and then click “subscriptions” to sign up for this service
Bus Stop Locations and “Primary Protocol”:
Please note that “door to door” or “home bus stop” locations are not generally provided. STOPR
establishes bus stops in safe and appropriate locations that can service multiple families and students.
Typically these stops are located at intersections or “group” locations that provide an area for all
students/parents to wait for their bus away from the roadway.
Please note that Parents/Guardians are responsible for the safe conveyance of their children to and from
the bus stop location and it is expected that all transported kindergarten and grade 1 students are always
met by a parent/guardian at the end of the day at their bus stop location. There is simply no substitute for
an adult’s supervision at the bus stop as this is the most critical moment for student safety. Students in
kindergarten and grade 1 must always be met at their bus stop each day under our “Primary Protocol”.
For more information on school bus safety and the “Primary Protocol” please contact our office or go onto
our web site at www.stopr.ca.
Requests for changes for a Student’s Transportation:
STOPR is responsible for the safe and efficient transportation of approximately 60,000 students
each school day. Please note that during school start-up in September, the STOPR office is
extremely busy and staff are focused on critical issues such as eligible students requiring
transportation, bus overloads and route timing issues. Requests for a change in a bus stop location
will be addressed after school start up is completed later in September.
On behalf of all the staff at Student Transportation of Peel Region, Welcome Back to Another
School Year! and we look forward to serving your transportation needs this year.
Thank you
Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR)
(905) 890-6000 or 1-800-668-1140 www.stopr.ca
A letter from St. Patrick’s Church Pastor:
Fr. Vito Marziliano
Dear students, parents, teachers and staff of our parish schools: Greetings, blessings and a happy new beginning and another academic year opens its doors to us. Please remember that all of you have a special place in the heart of our faith community in St. Patrick’s Church. We look forward to our gatherings as we celebrate and deepen our understanding and appreciation of the faith. As many lessons that we can learn day after day, both adults and children, there is no greater lesson than the understanding that God is Love and that Love is freely and abundantly given to each one of us. I look forward to being part of our school lives once again, as I begin the second year of my mandate here at St. Patrick’s. I look forward to welcoming you to our Sunday Eucharist, where the entire community gathers around the Table of God’s Love on Sundays. For those who may be new in our community, here is a schedule of our Sunday Masses. Please know that there is special room for you in all of these celebrations: Saturday evening at 5:00 p.m. (time for confessions from 4 to 5 p.m.) Sunday morning 8:30 a.m.; 10 a.m.; 11:30 a.m. (in Italian); 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. I also wish to remind parents of children making their First Communion this year (grade 2, or older grades who did not yet have an opportunity to celebrate First Communion) and parents of Confirmation candidates (grades 7 and 8) who were not able to attend our information meetings in June, to PLEASE COME TO ONE OF THESE TWO MEETINGS: Wednesday, September 9 OR Thursday, September 10 at 7:00 p.m. in the church. Registrations will follow, but this meeting is important to attend, prior to the registrations. Once again, welcome to a new beginning. Let us together as FAMILY, SCHOOL AND PARISH make it a year to remember. With friendship, Fr. Vito Marziliano, Pastor St. Patrick’s Church.