ST. PETER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Education Week
46 Dawson Road, Orangeville, Ontario L9W 2W3 Catholic
Phone:
519 941-2741
PRINCIPAL:
SECRETARY:
SUPERINTENDENT:
A.M. Slak
L. Mongeon
L. Storey
TRUSTEE:
PASTOR:
(905) 890-1221
Fax: 519 941-4462
F. Di Cosola (905) 951-8898
Fr. Sean Lee Lung (519) 941 - 2424
SCHOOL COUNCIL CHAIR: N. Petrocco/T. Pittarelli
APRIL 2015 – NEWSLETTER #8
ssN
TARY SCHOOL
Ways to Love a Child
Give your presence.
Laugh, dance and sing together.
Encourage. Understand.
Call them love names.
Allow them to love themselves.
Ask their opinion. Learn from them.
Say yes as often as possible.
Say no when necessary.
Hello to the St. Peter Catholic School Community! April
has brought about another change in administration as
Ms. M. Parker continues to be on leave and Mrs. M.
DeVellis’ appointment at St. Peter has come to an end. I
extend special thanks to Mrs. DeVellis who has briefed
me on St. Peter School. My name is Mrs. A.M. Slak, and
I am very happy to have been given the opportunity to
be principal of St. Peter Catholic School. I am making an
attempt to catch up on all the wonderful things that are
happening at St. Peter’s and am thrilled with the warm
reception from staff and students! Over the next few
months, I look forward to meeting all the parents/
guardians in the community!
VIRTUE EDUCATION
Virtue for April is Love
This month we will celebrate the virtue of Love:
You are practicing LOVE when you…
· Are helpful to those in need
· Do not expect recognition for doing good
· Use kind and loving words
· Sacrifice for others
· Appreciate everything around you as a gift of
love from God
Be good to each other & we will make the world a
better place. It begins with each & every one of us!
Honour their no’s.
Apologize. Touch gently. Speak kindly.
Build lots of blanket forts.
Learn about parenting. Open up.
Fly kites together.
Change your routine.
Believe in possibilities.
Read books aloud.
Create a circle of quiet.
Teach feelings. Remove guilt.
Share your dreams.
Walk in the rain. Go barefoot.
Let them help. Sing during dinner.
Celebrate mistakes. Admit yours.
Let them cry. Don’t hide your tears.
Frame their artwork.
Honour their differences.
Cherish their innocence.
Answer their questions.
Show compassion.
Keep them in your hearts and in your
prayers.
Amen.
COMMUNICATION WITH STAFF
Parents/Guardians are encouraged to communicate with
school staff via agendas, telephone or person to person. We
discourage communication via board email. If you have any
concerns regarding your child and need to communicate with
their teacher please call to set up a meeting.
We thank you for your support in this area.
EMERGENCY RELEASE FORMS
These forms are now past due! We are still
awaiting many forms that have not been
completed and returned. Please complete the Emergency
Release Form and return it to the office as soon as possible.
Thank you.
CLASS LISTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2015
A reminder that Staff will soon be meeting to
organize class lists for September 2015. If there
are any special learning needs your child has that you feel we
should know when making up classes, please do so in writing
to the principal by April 30th. Letters received that list a
request for a specific teacher will not be considered. Please
limit comments to specific learning styles. Requests for your
child to be placed with a “friend” will not be considered. If
you feel your child has an ongoing conflict with another child,
please write us a letter and we will do our best to separate
them, if possible. All staff work hard to balance class lists by
abilities, gender and learning style. Please bear in mind that
small primary classes (max 20) often result in combined
classes throughout the school. As a result, requests for
students not to be placed in a combined grade will not be
considered.
PLAN AHEAD . . .
We are in the process of planning staffing and organizing
classes for the 2015-2016 school year. If you are planning
on moving out of the St. Peter school area, or simply changing
address within our boundaries, please let the office know as
soon as possible. Families with students who live outside of
the school area are reminded that they must apply through
the Flex Boundary policy to the Principal for permission to
attend the school in September 2015.
CHANGING PLANS, DROPPING OFF CLOTHING
AND HOME-WORK IN THE OFFICE
Parents/guardians are encouraged to remind their children
to remember to bring all their items to school in the morning.
Calling classrooms to remind students to pick up materials,
causes disruption to the class while lessons are being taught.
Picking up your child early? Please, send a note in the agenda,
send a note to the classroom teacher.
Uninterrupted instructional time is very important to the
learning environment of all our students. Frequent
interruptions to a classroom results in loss of concentration
and delivery of lessons which ultimately will affect a child’s
learning process. Staff will continue to receive messages in
their mailboxes and/or during recess times if necessary.
We thank you for supporting our efforts here at St. Peter.
Catholic schools are Catholic communities of faith! We
– parents/guardians, students, teachers, administrative
and support staff – walk and grow together in the faith
which we received at our Baptism. It is “together” that
we grow. Our growth is primarily a relationship with
God, who at our Baptism, called us by name and the
response to that growth is both personal and
communal. We grow in our faith in the nurturing
atmosphere of our Catholic community be that of our
local parish, our home, or our Catholic school
community.
The five sub-themes for each day of Catholic Education
week are:
 Monday – Walking Together and Sharing Our
Stories.
 Tuesday – Opening the Scriptures
 Wednesday – Welcoming Others to the Table
 Thursday – Recognizing Jesus in the Breaking of
Break
 Friday – Proclaiming the Good News
Every year, the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’
Association provides our Catholic schools with a
resource kit to help schools prepare for Catholic
Education week. Using these resources as well as our
own developed activities, we have prepared a series of
activities which will highlight how our school is
“Exploring Paths of Joy”. We hope to see many of you
during our school celebrations.
More information will be forthcoming.
EQAO for all grade three and grade
six students will take place for this
year during the period starting
Monday, May 25h to Friday, June
5th. We kindly ask that parents
refrain from booking appointments or holidays during this
time. Parents may visit the EQAO website at www.eqao.com
for resources and useful information regarding EQAO,
including sample tests from last year.
More information to follow.
EQAQ AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORING
Letters for EQAO – tutoring for Grade
3 & 6 went home Friday, April 10th. This is a wonderful
additional support for all students in Grade 3 & 6. Thank you
to Mrs. Nemett, Mrs. LaCute and Mr. Marchildon for giving
their expertise and time to support our students.
ALL STAR READING PROGRAM
The All Star Reading Program is up and running
thanks to the wonderful volunteers who are
able to give their time to support this rewarding initiative for
the students at St. Peter School community.
Our volunteer coaches are:
D.Ayala,
T.Schmidt,
D.Waltho,
B.Tonnelly
Volunteers like YOU, make a HUGE difference in the life of a
school! A special thank you to Ms. Koomen for planning,
organizing and training the All Star coaches.
ONLINE REPORTING TOOL
St. Peter - WEB PAGE
The Dufferin Peel Catholic District School
Board has developed a new way to help
nurture a safe, caring and inclusive school
environment. The Online Reporting Tool is intended for
students’ grades 3-8 who become aware of bullying incidents
and negative behaviors. The students can simply “ click” on
the link found on the St. Peter web page to fill out the report.
The report will then be directly emailed to the principal and
or vice principal and will be dealt with accordingly. It is
important to recognize that the Online reporting Tool is an
alternate reporting option. It is best practice to speak directly
with an adult.
GROWTH MINDSET:
WHAT DO WE TELL THE KIDS?
Carol Dweck Stanford Alumni Website
You have a bright child, and you want her to succeed. You
should tell her how smart she is, right? That’s what 85
percent of the parents Dweck surveyed said. Her research
on fifth graders shows otherwise. Labels, even though
positive, can be harmful. They may instill a fixed mind-set
and all the baggage that goes with it, from performance
anxiety to a tendency to give up quickly. Well-meaning
words can sap children’s motivation and enjoyment of
learning and undermine their performance. While
Dweck’s study focused on intelligence praise, she says her
conclusions hold true for all talents and abilities.
Here are Dweck’s tips from Mindset: Listen to what you
say to your children, with an ear toward the messages
you’re sending about mind-set. Instead of praising
children’s intelligence or talent, focus on the processes
they used.
Example: “That homework was so long and involved. I
really admire the way you concentrated and finished it.”
Example: “That picture has so many beautiful colors. Tell
me about them.”
Example: “You put so much thought into that essay. It
really makes me think about Shakespeare in a new way.”
When your child messes up, give constructive criticism—
feedback that helps the child understand how to fix the
problem, rather than labeling or excusing the child. Pay
attention to the goals you set for your children; having
innate talent is not a goal, but expanding skills and
knowledge is. Don’t worry about praising your children
for their inherent goodness, though. It’s important for
children to learn they’re basically good and that their
parents love them unconditionally. Dweck says, “The
problem arises when parents praise children in a way that
makes them feel that they’re good and love-worthy only
when they behave in particular ways that please the
parents.”
EARTH DAY – APRIL 22!
REDUCE WASTE AND CONSERVE
ENERGY! Here is the latest on news
from St. Peter’s ECO-Team
Week of April 14th: Waste and Energy audit (entire school).
April 16th: Dufferin County Waste department will visit to do
presentations for each class. April 22 - Earth Day:
Announcements and a EARTH DAY PLEDGE by all students
that will be featured on a central bulletin board to show our
commitment to help save our earth! May 4th - Electronic
Waste presentation in the gym (grades 4-8), two sessions,
junior and intermediate. June 9th: Eco-Schools will determine
the level of achievement (Gold, Silver or Bronze) for our
efforts this year! We are aiming for GOLD! With everyone’s
help and commitment we hope for GOLD! Special Thanks to
D. Luciani for spearheading this initiative
VISITORS TO ST. PETER SCHOOL
A reminder, for the safety of all our
students and staff, we ask that all visitors
please check in at the office and obtain a
Visitor’s badge. We ask that you sign in and out.
Thank you in advance for assisting us in keeping St. Peter
School safe.
REMINDER OF STUDENT DRESS CODE
With the warm weather finally approaching (we hope!), we
would like to take this opportunity to review the dress code
expectations at St. Cornelius School.
As a Catholic school, we believe that there must be a
commitment to high standards of modesty, neatness,
cleanliness and good taste. Therefore, while halter tops, short
shorts, spandex bike wear, muscle shirts and similar clothing
may be acceptable for beach wear, they are not appropriate
for classroom instruction. Shirts should be of appropriate
length to be able to be tucked into pants or a skirt. Shorts and
skirts should be appropriate length for school. Suggestive or
inappropriate language or violent symbols are not permitted
on any clothing or personal belongings.
Sunglasses and hats are not to be worn inside. Non-marking
running shoes are to be worn during physical education
classes. Tight and/or revealing clothing is not acceptable. We
appreciate your support.
PROTECTING YOUR SKIN FROM THE SUN
Overexposure to the sun can cause skin
damage. We remind students to take
precautions to protect their skin during
recess times. The following are some
suggestions to help protect the skin:
1. Wear protective clothing to cover the skin.
2. Wear a hat to protect both the eyes and skin.
3. When possible, stay out of direct sunlight.
4. Wear sun block, the higher the protection factor
number, the greater the protection.
STUDENT LATENESS
LET’S PUT A STOP TO STUDENT LATENESS!
School begins at 8:55
am sharp and students
should arrive at school
prepared to begin work
on time. Please review
the need to be
punctual with your children.
Once the last of the student lines have entered the building at
the back, the doors are closed and locked. A child who is
coming in late must report to the office for a late slip as part
of the safe arrival program. Lateness is a disruption to the
class and other students. Please try to impress upon your
child the need to be on time.
8:55 am
ELKP to Grade 8 Classes Begin
11:05 am – 11:20 am
Grades 1 - 8 Recess
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch
2:25 pm -2:40 pm
Grades 1 – 8 Recess
3:25
Dismissal
Supervision of pupils in the mornings begins at 8:40am.
To ensure your child’s safety, please do not bring your
child to school before 8:40 a.m. as no one will be
available to supervise students.
WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN
On Thursday, May 14th at 6:30 p.m., St. Peter School will be
welcoming new Kindergarten students and their families to
our community by hosting an evening of Full Day
Kindergarten learning experiences beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Families will be able to work and play with their children
using age appropriate, engaging tools and strategies that
promote literacy and numeracy. All of the activities are
developmentally appropriate for pre-school youngsters and
will help families prepare their children for school.
This event is sponsored by municipal and provincial
government agencies in cooperation with school staff and
neighbourhood services. Each family will receive a free bag of
educational activities to
continue practicing the
strategies learned during
this event.
Please call the school
office with your RSVP for
this great event! This is
for new Kindergarten
registrants only.
WELCOMING ALL KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN TO
YOUNG RIDER ORIENTATION DAY!
Introduce your children to school buses prior to the
first day of school
Tuesday, September 1 2015
9:00 am – 12:00 noon
We encourage you to participate
by bringing your kindergarten
children and elementary age
siblings to a one hour program
between the hours of 9:00 am
and 12:00 noon. Bus rides and a
school bus safety video are only
part of the informative fun.
More information will be forthcoming. .
READING AT HOME
As a parent you are a powerful influence on
your child’s success in reading. Reading with
your child conveys a critical message that
reading is both important and enjoyable. It is
essential to plan reading times when there
will be minimal distractions and interruptions. Your child can
learn that reading together at home is a priority. Reading
with your child can open the door to a life-long interest in
stories and books!
SPORTS NEWS: CURLING
On Wednesday, April1st, our school
curling club showed determination
leadership and school spirit when they
represented St. Peter at the Curling
Bonspiel at the Brampton East/
Caledon/Dufferin/Malton Family of
Schools Tournament. THREE CHEERS to the following team
members: Lindsey, Cameron, Justis, Declan. Thank you to
Mrs. Nemett for coaching the teams.
APRIL
14
BASKETBALL
On Thursday, April 23rd the Girls and
Boys intermediate Basketball Teams
will be facing off against other schools
in the BECDM Family of School
Tournament that will take place at St.
Andrew School. Best of Luck!
15
16
INDOOR FOOTWEAR
21
22
29
For SAFETY reasons, students MUST wear
“indoor shoes” in the school building at all
times. Please note that as the weather
changes, the snow has finally melted and
with all the rain over the last week, the fields are very wet.
Having a pair of shoes for outdoors will ensure that your child
will have a warm and clean pair to wear in the building and a
pair for the outside.
SOCKS AND SLIPPERS ARE NOT FOOTWEAR.
FIRE DRILL AND LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES
Throughout the year the school personnel
reviews safety procedures with students
on a number of topics. Emergency
evacuation drills are conducted to ensure
that everyone is aware of the procedures to follow in order to
exit the building safely. In the event of an unforeseen
emergency situation students and staff will evacuate to
Robert F. Hall and our second evacuation site is St. Timothy
Parish and Parkinson School. Students will continue to discuss
and practice procedures that are implemented in the event of
an emergency lockdown.
Nut Allergy Alert
We have several students who have life
threatening allergies to nuts, sesame seeds
and/or peanuts. We are asking that you help
us make St. Peter an allergy aware school by
refraining from sending your children with
peanut butter or other products containing nuts or nut oils
(i.e., Nutella). Contact with nuts, oils or derivatives could be
life threatening. Even the smell of the allergen may cause a
reaction. We thank you for your co-operation.
SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
Our next council meeting is scheduled for
Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 6:30 pm.
Please come out and join us! Great
opportunity to meet the new principal,
Ann Marie Slak.
Superintendent, Les Storey will also be attending.
18
20
30
MAY
1
2
4
6
8
11
18
25
JUNE
3-5
8
22
26
School Council meeting
6:30 p.m. in the school
library. Everyone is welcome!
EQAO – After-School Tutoring Begins
Gr. 3 & 6
Intermediate Boys Basketball practice
Dufferin County Recycling Presentation
Skills Canada Apprenticeship – Gr. 7 & 8
Muskoka Parent Information Night 6:30
First Communion at St. Timothy’s 10:00 a.m.
Peel Safety Village trip Grade 1’s
Intermediate Boys Basketball practice
Dufferin Arts Festival
EARTH DAY!
Peel Safety Village trip Grade 2’s
Library Walking Trip – FDK-A
ECO – Waste Presentation
Library Walking Trip – FDK-B
Diversity Conference
First Communion at St. Timothy’s 10:00 a.m.
Catholic Education Week “Exploring Paths of Joy”
OES Educational Tours Grades 4-6 & Grades 7-8
Robert F. Hall – Grade 7 Dance
St. Peter School Mass at St. Timothy’s 10:30 a.m.
DARE Arts – Grade 4-8
Battle of the Books
Provincial Priorities in a Catholic Context
No School for Students!
Victoria Day-No School
EQAO testing for all Grade 3 and 6 students
Testing May 25 – June 5
Muskoka Trip – Grade 8’s
Term 2 – Assessment & Evaluation of Pupil
Progress – No School for Students!
Graduation – Grade 8’s
Last day of school!
Edge Nights in April are Friday, April 10, 17, and 24th. We
have fun games and challenges – a great ways to make new
friends and experience our faith through talks and prayers.
It happens in the upstairs hall at St. Timothy Church from
6:45 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. ready for pick up by parents.
Students in Grade 6-7-&8 are invited and bring friends too!
ATTACHMENTS
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CCCSC Marketplace – Exploring Paths of Joy
Nutrition 101
Math At Home Insert
Summer Programs 2015
Parenting Workshop
Medication at
Treats