St. Philip School
345 Fairview Road West
Mississauga, Ontario L5B 3W5
(905) 306-8420
www.dpcdsb.org/PHILP
September 2015 - Volume 1
Principal’s Message
Principal
G. Hilton
Head Secretary
J. Corvari
School Council Chairs
R. Da Ponte-Matos
Superintendent
T. Lariviere
Mississauga East
905 890-1221
Trustee
B. Iannicca
bruno.iannicca@dpcdsb.org
905 270-0536
Dear Parents/Guardians of the St. Philip Catholic School Community,
On behalf of the entire staff, I am very pleased to welcome you and your children to the
2015-2016 school year at St. Philip School! We hope that everyone had a fun, safe and
relaxing summer! To the many families joining our school community for the first time,
we extend a special and warm welcome. We would also like to extend a special greeting
to our Junior Kindergarten children who are starting school for the first time, and hope
that they will develop many happy memories of our school as they begin this important
journey.
Thank you to all staff for the time given over the summer to ensuring a successful
beginning to the school year. Our teachers have been extremely busy organizing
classrooms, taking courses, and planning curriculum. I would like to thank our dedicated
staff for their efforts in making our students feel welcome. A special thank you, as well,
to our custodial team. Mr. Peczkowski, Mr. Amaral, and Ms. Mortka who worked very
hard over the summer preparing our school for the new year.
We are so fortunate at St. Philip School to be affiliated with Cristo Rei Parish! The
energy and enthusiasm of Fr. Carlos Macatangga, and the entire parish team at Cristo
Rei, is a great asset for our school. We look forward to another year of working closely
with Fr. Carlos, and we thank him for the spiritual guidance he provides to our
community.
We also look forward to continuing to work closely with our local trustee, Mr. Bruno
Iannicca, and our superintendent, Mr. Tim Lariviere.
Parish
Cristo Rei Church
3495 Confederation Pkwy
905 270-1133
www.cristoreiparish.com
Pastor
Fr. Carlos Macatangga
Please note that our Open House this year will take place on Thursday, October 1.
We will be having a BBQ from 5:00PM to 6:00PM. Parents are invited to gather in the
gym at 6:00PM, and the classroom visits are scheduled from 6:15 to 7:15PM. We hope
to see you there!
School Website
www.dpcdsb.org/PHILP
Wishing you all the best as we begin this new school year!
Greg Hilton
Principal
Finally, thank you very much to all of you! As always, please don’t hesitate to contact
me, or any of the school staff, if you have any questions or concerns about your
child(ren)’s education.
TRUSTEE MESSAGE:
Dear Parents and Guardians:
I want to take this opportunity to welcome you to the
beginning of the 2015-16 school year. I hope your
summer was a safe and enjoyable one.
As I travelled throughout our community and beyond
during the recent past weeks, I was struck by the number
of happy parents and children I saw at church, shopping
malls, grocery stores and even the beach, as back-toschool day crept closer and closer. In speaking to parents,
one of the themes that stood out was how much everyone
was looking forward to “getting back to the routines and
rhythms of school.” Well, we’re officially back and, I hope
that the first day was enjoyable and memorable for both
you and your child(ren).
I look forward to seeing you during the school year. If you
have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact
me at (905) 270-0536.
God Bless.
Bruno Iannicca
Trustee Ward 7
Mississauga DPCDSB
FAITH FOCUS
1st COMMUNION: PARENT INFORMATION
MEETING
Parents of all students in grade 2 who are expecting their
child to receive the sacrament of First Communion at
Cristo Rei Church are strongly encouraged to attend a
parent information meeting at the church on Friday,
Sept. 18 @ 7:30PM in the parish hall. Please bring your
Baptismal Certificate to this meeting. Please contact Fr.
Carlos at 905 270-1133 if you have any questions about
this meeting.
CONFIRMATION: PARENT INFORMATION
MEETING
The Archdiocese of Toronto is changing the year of
Confirmation to gr. 7 from gr. 8. This year, therefore, is a
year of transition where students from both gr. 7 and gr.
8 will be receiving Confirmation. Parents of all students
who are expecting their child to receive the sacrament of
Confirmation at Cristo Rei Church are requested to attend
a parent information meeting at the church on
Wednesday, Sept. 16 @ 8:00PM in the parish hall.
Please bring your Baptismal Certificate to this meeting.
Please contact Fr. Carlos at 905 270-1133 if you have any
questions about this meeting.
FIRST SCHOOL MASS
Our first School Mass will be held at 1:00PM on Friday,
October 9. Please join us at Cristo Rei Church to
celebrate our new school year and Thanksgiving.
VIRTUES INITIATIVE
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. Philip School will be
continuing to reinforce 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 and school wide activities will
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. A description of each virtue can be found at the
beginning of your child’s agenda.
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
Faith
Empathy
Conscience
Hope
Self Control
Respect
Kindness
Love
Acceptance
Fairness
Every month we celebrate a virtue, and an antibullying message, with a whole-school assembly
featuring the talents of our students. We would be
very pleased to have you join us at the school for any of
these assemblies.
SAFE, CARING, HEALTHY, & INCLUSIVE
SCHOOLS
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s initiative to
create safe, caring, healthy and inclusive school
communities is rooted in our Catholic identity, in
particular, our shared belief in the dignity of all persons
created in God’s image. Safe Schools Policies include
Bullying Prevention and a school wide Progressive
Discipline approach. Please review the school board’s
Progressive Discipline policy found in your child’s agenda.
BULLYING PREVENTION INITIATIVES
At St. Philip School we have a variety of Bullying
Prevention Initiatives, including our Virtues Program,
Positive Climate Initiative, PALS, and other meaningful
school-wide and classroom programs and activities.
Education to help our students recognize and respond
properly to any instances of bullying will continue to be a
central focus for our school. As you’ve read above, every
month our virtue assemblies highlight a specific virtue,
and these assemblies also focus on different aspects of
our anti-bullying initiatives. Some of the topics
covered in our anti-bullying messages are: the definition of
bullying, the different types of bullying (physical, verbal,
social/emotional, and cyber), and the proper response of
the target and the bystander.
Expectations around behavior and discipline will be
reviewed with all students by administration during
classroom visits, and a whole-school assembly during the
month of September. Please review the Catholic Code of
Conduct with your child(ren), which can be found in the
school agenda.
ACADEMIC FOCUS
ST. PHILIP SCHOOL STAFF 2015-2016
(TENTATIVE)
I know you will join me in extending a warm welcome to
the new staff members joining our community this year:
-Mme. Guindy will be in for Mme. Gaeta-Santos until
the end of December.
-Mr. Middleton is our new Child & Youth Worker.
As we start the new school year, staffing and student
class placements are still tentative. Therefore, please
note that your child’s class is not final until after
reorganization occurs. If reorganization is necessary, it
would begin to take place during the PA Day scheduled for
Friday, September 18. A note from the school board School Reorganization Plans for 2015-2016 -and a
message from the Ministry - An Introduction to Combined
Grades – is attached. Please let us know if you require an
extra copy of these documents. If your child’s placement
or classroom teacher changes, you will be notified in
writing.
The following is our tentative staff list for the 2015 -2016
school year.
Teacher
K. Samson
J. Wang
J. Roy
N. Pipe
G. Hrovat
G. Giannini
S. Moher
P. Kozma
S. da Silva
K. Parisotto
M. Iannucci
R. Pilotti
L. Sasso
N. Mason
L. Mundy
D. Berlingieri
M. Commisso
C. Guindy
H. Morris
G. Cavan
Grade
Full-Day Kindergarten teacher
FDK DECE
1
2
3
4
5
6/7
7/8
5 & 6 Extended French (English)
5 & 6 Extended French
7 & 8 Extended French (English)
7 & 8 Extended French
Resource Teacher
Resource Teacher
Planning Time
Planning Time
French as a Second Language Teacher
Teacher Librarian
Educational Resource Worker
SCHOOL HOURS
8:15 Supervision in the yard
8:30 School Entry
10:30 – 10:45 Morning Recess
11:30 – 12:30 Lunch
12:30 All afternoon classes begin
1:50 – 2:05 Afternoon Recess
3:00 Dismissal
Please note that supervision in the playground begins at
8:15 AM. Please do not leave your children unattended
in the school grounds before the teachers begin their duty.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY DAY
Friday, September 18 is a Professional Activity Day for
teachers. There will be no school for students. Teachers
will be involved in professional development activities and
reorganization of classes if necessary.
COMMUNITY FOCUS
ST. PHILIP SCHOOL CURRICULUM NIGHT /
BBQ
Should an election be necessary, each Parent/Guardian of
a student enrolled in the school shall be entitled to one
vote for each vacant Parent/Guardian membership position
on the School Council.
Please reserve Thursday, Oct. 1 for St. Philip’s
Curriculum Night / BBQ. This is your chance to enjoy
burgers and hot dogs with your children, and then meet
their teachers and receive important curriculum
information. The BBQ is scheduled from 5:00 to 6:00PM.
Parents are invited to gather in the gym at 6:00PM, and
the classroom visits are scheduled from 6:15 to 7:15PM.
More information will be sent home shortly. We would be
very grateful for any parent volunteers to help us with this
BBQ. Please contact the school if you are available to help
out.
If necessary, an Election Committee shall be struck by the
School Council to help plan the election process, the
gathering of nominations, and the running of the elections.
The election, if necessary, would take place on Monday,
Oct. 5.
PIZZA DAYS
PICTURE DAY
We are pleased to announce that, once again, the St.
Philip School Council will be offering Pizza Days every
Thursday beginning Sept. 25.
Our picture day is on Wednesday, October 21. If your
child should happen to be absent that day, a picture
retake day session for only those students will be held
Wednesday, November 25.
THE LUNCH LADY PROGRAM
This program makes hot lunches available to students
every Tuesday beginning Sept. 22. Order forms are
available in the office, and completed forms are due by
Sept. 14.
ST. PHILIP SCHOOL COUNCIL
We would like to thank the St. Philip School Council for all
of their support last year. Our main fundraising initiatives
last year were Pizza Days, Hallowe’en Danceathon, and
the Spring catalogue. Your support of these School
Council projects helped to fund the following programs
and initiatives in the school:





The purchase of fans to help cool the classrooms
Grade 8 Graduation
Sacraments and Senior Kindergarten Graduation
Scientists in the School
Fall BBQ
If you are interested in being a member of the 2015-2016
St. Philip School Council please fill in the nomination form
attached to this newsletter (forms are also available in the
school office). Nomination forms are due back in the
school office no later than Monday, September 21
at 9:00AM.
Our first School Council meeting of 2015-16 is set
for Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 6:30PM at the school. All
parents and guardians of St. Philip School students are
always welcome to attend School Council meetings.
Please consider being part of this very important group!
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND
EXCURSIONS
Students will have the opportunity to take field trips and
participate in a number of extra-curricular activities.
Permission forms will be sent home to be filled out, signed
and promptly returned to school.
NO STUDENT WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE ON A
TRIP OR EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY WITHOUT
WRITTEN CONSENT FROM THEIR PARENT
/GUARDIAN. VERBAL CONSENT OVER THE
TELEPHONE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
No exceptions will be allowed. Teachers give ample notice
for trip consent forms. We encourage parents to support
these educational opportunities by volunteering to assist
and supervise these excursions. For the safety of your
child, excursions lacking appropriate adult
supervision will be cancelled.
ACCIDENT INSURANCE FORMS
The Board takes every precaution to provide a safe
learning environment for students, but accidents can and
do happen. Some families have private accident insurance
which is able to respond to costs arising from injuries.
However, many families do not.
Under the Education Act, Ontario School boards are
empowered to: “provide, by contract with an insurer under
the Insurance Act, accident and life insurance for pupils,
the cost of which is to be paid on a voluntary basis by the
parents or guardians.” R.S.O. 1990, c.E.2, s. 176, par. 4.
September. Please see our school secretary for
more information.
The ‘Basic Plan’ coverage for school days only can be
purchased annually for $32.00 per child and includes a 10year dental benefit feature. Family discounts are
available. Plans can be purchased for post-secondary and
mature students and in some cases visitor or immigrant
students. More complete packages include 365 day per
year coverage; the Super Plan Plus has a travel
component.
If you are interested in volunteering next year and would
like to assist with supervision of school trips, please obtain
the criminal reference check forms from the school office.
It may take up to six weeks to process your Criminal
Reference Check, so, if you are interested in volunteering,
please start the reference check process as soon as
possible. We look forward to working with you for the
benefit of all students at St. Philip School.
Coverage may be purchased at any time during the school
year. As the cost is very competitive, it will remain the
same regardless of when it was purchased. The best
value for parents exists in purchasing the insurance in
September. Coverage becomes effective at the date of
purchase”.
DOBKIN PARK CONSTRUCTION
You may purchase coverage for your child at
www.insuremykids.com or by calling toll free at 1-800463-KIDS (5437).” Please direct your question to a
Reliable Life Insurance Representative.
Student Accident Insurance Brochures have already been
sent home with students. If you did not receive one,
please contact the school.
Participation in all extra-curricular activities or
excursions will require acknowledgement of receipt
and awareness of Student Accident Insurance
available for purchase.
This information is also posted on the Board’s website
under “Student & Parents”
http://www.dpcdsb.org/CEC/Students+and+Parents/.
REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR 20152016
Interested in volunteering at St. Philip
School for 2015/2016? During the
school
year,
volunteers
support
programs and activities at the school.
We appreciate and rely on parents who
can devote a small portion of their time
to help.
People who volunteer in schools are required to have
completed Criminal Reference Checks (CRC).
Parents/guardians/Volunteers who assist with
supervision of school trips are also expected to
have completed a Criminal Reference Check and
Vulnerable Sector Search. Volunteers who have
previously submitted a valid CRC will be required to
complete an Annual Offence Declaration each
The City of Mississauga has begun construction of a new
storage shed and washroom facilities at Dobkin Park, just
north of the city parking lot off Fairview Road. City officials
have consulted with our community at meetings such as a
public meeting held at our school in June of 2014, and
have incorporated community ideas in the design of the
building. We continue to be in contact with the city
throughout construction to minimize traffic impacts around
the school during our busy times, and to maximize the
availability of the city parking lot to members of our school
community. They will be closing the city parking lot for a
period of about 3 weeks beginning in late September. This
is necessary for the construction of the new facility. We
anticipate the lot will be open after this time. Please
contact me at the school if you have any questions.
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
PLASP Child Care Services operates an After School
Program at this school.
The After School Program begins once school is
dismissed and goes until 6:00 p.m. Children participate in
recreational activities, are served a nutritious snack daily,
and have time for homework.
Fee assistance is available.
To register your child, visit the PLASP
Program Director, After School. For further
information, call 905.890.1711 or visit
the website at www.plasp.com
SCHOOL ORGANIZATION
TRANSPORTATION &
POLICY 2015 -2016
COURTESY
ATTENDANCE
SEAT
Transportation
eligibility
is
determined based on the home
address of the child.
Please be aware that until the bus companies settle their
routes during the early weeks of October, only students
eligible for transportation under the school board’s
transportation policy will be provided bussing.
At St. Philip School, the only students in the regular
program who are eligible for bussing are the
kindergarten and grade 1 students. Extended
French students who are in grades 5 to 8 and live
beyond two (2) kilometers from the school are also
eligible.
If you wish to be considered for a courtesy seat,
please indicate this in writing to the Principal
stating the name of your child, grade and address,
via the “Courtesy Seat” application available in the
Office in September. “Courtesy Seats” will be awarded
based on first come, siblings, and age/grade level (i.e.
younger students will receive preference).
Courtesy seats may be rescinded during the year if new
students enroll who are eligible for the seat.
REMINDER: Applications for bussing through the
“Courtesy Seat” policy may be obtained at the
school office in September. Assignment of courtesy
seats will only begin in the early weeks of October
when the transportation department indicates the
number of courtesy seats available.
If you
completed a courtesy seat application this year for
your child to ride the bus, you must do so next
year, and you will be responsible for his/her
transportation until you receive in writing from the
office that your child may ride the bus. Again, the
earliest this will take place is during the early
weeks of October.
Parents are reminded that they can access information
about buses online at www.stopr.ca or businfo.stopr.ca.
You will need your child’s OEN number. This number
appears on the right hand side of your child’s report cards.
This is a secure number and should not be shared with
others.
Our attendance line is: 905-306-8420. Please call to
register an absence. You can call 24hrs a day,
including weekend,s if you know your child will be
absent from school. An answering machine is available
to take information.
Please provide the following information:
• Name(s) of student(s)
• Name of student’s teacher(s)
• Grade of student(s)
• Reason for absence
If an absence is not reported, our policy is to call home to
verify student absenteeism. A parent or guardian must
sign out students at the office who leave early.
All students are expected to attend school regularly and
punctually. All students who arrive after 8:30 a.m. or
12:30 p.m. must obtain a late slip from the office. This
measure is to ensure the safety of your child. We thank
you for your continued support in following this procedure.
VALUABLES
We ask that you please keep your child’s valuables at
home. Staff cannot be responsible for any valuables that
your child brings to school. Money, jewelry, electronics,
toys etc. should be kept at home
STUDENT VERIFICATION FORMS
Student verification forms will be sent home during the
week of September 14. These forms are very important
and should be updated and returned to the school as soon
as possible. We rely on this information in cases of
emergencies. Please fill them out carefully. If any
information changes throughout the year, please let Mrs.
Corvari know so that we may update our files.
CUSTODY OF CHILDREN
On rare occasions, we are faced with difficult situations in
which non-custodial parents arrive at school asking to visit
their child or to take their child home after school. We are
best able to serve and protect students, when we are
made aware of legal custody arrangements, visitation
rights and other special instructions. If legal custody
matters affect your family, please ensure that our office
and classroom teachers are aware of custodial
arrangements between parents that may affect your child
during school hours. Please ensure that a copy of the
Court Order is on file at the school office.
LUNCH POLICY
Please ensure that you complete the Lunch Permission
Form and return it to your child’s teacher. This will ensure
that the school is aware of where you prefer your child
(ren) to be over the lunch hour. The classroom teachers
will keep the forms and a master list will be housed in the
main office. Any changes to the agreement throughout the
year must be submitted in writing to the teacher and or
office. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Once children have arrived at school, they must remain on
school property. They are not permitted to leave school
property without written permission. This includes
appointments and lunch.
Students who are staying for lunch should bring a
lunch to school. If you are dropping off your child’s
lunch, a table has been placed in the office for lunches.
Also, for those dropping off a lunch for your child, please
park your vehicle in a designated parking spot and not in
front of the school, as this is a fire route. Please clearly
label your child’s name and teacher’s name on the outside
of the lunch and place it on the lunch table. We would
appreciate it if you do not ask your children to meet
you outside in the parking lot as this creates a
dangerous situation for those parents who are
picking up their children in the “Kiss and Ride” area
and then driving through or backing out of a
parking space. Classes are not to be interrupted for
students to pick up lunches. Please advise your child(ren)
to expect a lunch to be dropped off. They will be allowed
to come down and pick up their lunch at 11:30 AM. If
they are unaware that a lunch will be dropped off, we will
call them down at 11:30 AM.
COMMUNICATION
Open communication between home and school
is very important. Although we will be reporting
to you formally during the year, please do not
hesitate to contact us at any time if you have questions or
concerns. A phone call at the onset of a concern usually
resolves itself before it becomes a problem. On our part, if
we have any concerns about your child, we will also
contact you at the earliest opportunity.
peanut/nut by-products. As in the past, in order to not put
any child at risk, we are requesting that PEANUTS,
PEANUT BUTTER, PEANUT OILS AND ANY
PEANUT/NUT BY-PRODUCTS NOT BE BROUGHT
INTO THE SCHOOL. Please also do not send any
products that look like peanut butter (e.g. Wow Butter) as
it is difficult to distinguish these products. We are also
asking parents not to send food items to school
when celebrating special occasions such as your
child’s birthday. There are many alternatives such
as pencils, stickers, etc., which can be safely
enjoyed by all students.
TEXTBOOKS
School textbooks are school property and are loaned to
the students annually. The expectation is that textbooks
will be returned at the end of the school year. Students
are responsible for these textbooks, and will be asked to
pay if these books go missing or have been vandalized.
STUDENT AGENDAS
Student agendas have been ordered for students in
Grades 1-8. The agenda is a very useful tool to help them
organize and track assignments, homework reminders,
and special events. The student agenda is also an
excellent tool to support parent/teacher communication. It
is a valuable tool in communicating between home and
school. Please review our school policies, in the
agenda with your child.
PICTURE TAKING
From time to time we take pictures of school events to
include in our year-end slide show, and other in-school
events throughout the year. If you do not want your
child’s picture used in these events, please ensure you let
your child’s teacher know in writing.
Picture taking is not permitted by the public or media
without signed parental consent. Please be aware that no
pictures of students are posted by the school on the
internet or the school website.
ALLERGIES
PED (PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES)
POLICY
We would like to remind you that St. Philip School is an
allergen aware school. We have a number of students in
our school who have severe allergic life threatening
reactions to peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oils and any
The DPCDSB has updated and modified their PED policy
for students. Details are forthcoming. In the interim, all
PEDs must be kept out of sight, turned off, and not used
within school premises or during school-sanctioned
activities, such as retreats, field trips, sports events, etc.
To prevent the loss or damage of PEDs, we encourage
students to leave their PEDs at home as the school cannot
be responsible for their safe keeping. Parental support is
requested and greatly appreciated.
WARM WEATHER DRESS CODE
September still promises to afford us some
warm weather. We believe it is important
at this time, therefore, to review our warm
weather dress code.
We would like our students to be neat, clean and
comfortable for learning. Students are expected to dress in
a manner and attire suitable for the occasion and
appropriate to the school environment.
Boys must wear full length t-shirts with sleeves (no muscle
shirts or cut off t-shirts are allowed for regular classes or
gym wear). Girls are not to wear anything strapless,
spaghetti straps or have bare midriffs. Shorts are allowed
provided they are modest. No short shorts or cut-off jeans
will be allowed. If students do not adhere to these
guidelines, parents will be called and requested to provide
suitable attire.
Also, please be aware of the reports given on TV and radio
regarding the harmful effects of the UV rays from the sun.
Remember to dress your children appropriately to ensure
protection. Make sure that they put on sun block, wear a
hat, sunglasses, and wear light coloured clothing!
School guidelines are:
1. The top of the pants must meet the bottom of the
shirt with no exposure of midriff or undergarments
at anytime, even if the wearer is reaching up.
2. Students should not wear short-shorts, tight
spandex biking shorts or cutoffs.
3. Tank tops, halter tops, spaghetti strap tops,
muscle shirts, mesh shirts or any other clothing
which leaves the wearer with a bare shoulder, a
bare back or a bare middle may not be worn.
4. Clothing
with
suggestive,
offensive,
or
inappropriate slogans or pictures, particularly
those of a sexual, racial or violent nature on tshirts, hats or sweat-shirts are not acceptable.
We ask for your continued support for a dress code that
reflects a Catholic school as a place for serious work,
accompanied by standards of sensitivity, modesty,
decorum, and respect.
Thank you in advance for your continued support and
cooperation!
MOVING?
If you are planning to move out of the St. Philip
school area, or change address within our
boundaries, please let the office know as soon
as possible.
Please keep us informed of any address, phone number or
medical changes for your children. It is of the utmost
importance that our records be up to date. If your child
should get sick or hurt, we must have accurate contact
information.
STORAGE/ADMINISTRATION OF
MEDICATION
Parents are responsible for ensuring that all medication
and forms are updated annually. If your child requires
medication, please have all pertinent forms completed and
returned with the medication to the office as soon as
possible. Forms are available at the office.
All medication is stored in the office area. The only
exception to this requirement has to do with any child
who, because of life threatening allergies, must carry
medication.
PETS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY
There are no pets allowed on school property during the
school day. This includes drop-off and pick-up times.
Please call the school if you have any questions about this
Board policy.
AFTER HOURS SCHOOL ACCESS
Please be reminded that access to the
students’ classrooms after school is
prohibited. Our custodial staff are under
strict orders not to allow students and parents to enter
classrooms for the purpose of picking up forgotten books
or homework.
This is to ensure the safekeeping of the students’,
teachers’, and school’s property. We ask that you respect
this school policy and permit our custodians to perform
their duties without interruption.
PARKING LOT and KISS’N’RIDE REMINDERS
INDOOR FOOTWEAR and EXTRA CLOTHING
REQUESTED
Thank you very much to the many parents who safely use
the parking lot and the Kiss’n’Ride drop-off and pick-up
area! The patience and courtesy demonstrated by our
community goes a long way in maintaining a safe
environment for all!
A few reminders to help ensure a safe parking lot:
-Parents wishing to drop off children at school are asked
to please enter from the east driveway only and exit
from the west driveway only.
-If you wish to use the Kiss'n'Ride lane (the lane next to
the sidewalk), we ask that you please stay in your vehicle
and let your child(ren) exit the car on their own, and from
the sidewalk side only.
-If you believe your child needs assistance in
exiting the vehicle, then we ask that you use the
parking spots at the front of the school, in the
parking lot next to the school, or available parking
on the street. You can then exit the vehicle with your
child and safely walk with them to the school, and this can
all be done without causing a delay for those who are
using the Kiss'n'Ride in the manner for which it was
designed.
-We also ask that you please pull up as far as possible
in the Kiss'n'Ride area (ideally to the stop sign),
before letting your child(ren) out. We realize this may
result in a slightly longer walk for your child(ren), but it
really helps the Kiss'n'Ride to avoid being backed up.
-Please have children leave or enter your car only
when you are in the curb lane in Kiss’n’Ride. Please
do not block the drive-thru lane.
-Please also remember that the bus lanes at the front of
the school are always reserved for busses. This is not an
area for parents to park and drop off their children.
-Please consider dropping your child off a few minutes
earlier in the morning, or picking them up a few minutes
later at the end of the day. Even on the busiest of days in
Kiss’n’Ride, there’s usually very little traffic between 8:15
and 8:20 in the morning, and after 3:05 in the afternoon.
Thank you for your attention to these matters. We know
that everyone is in a hurry, especially in the morning dropoff time, but our number one concern is always the safety
of all members of our community at St. Philip School.
Thank you for taking the time to be considerate of others
by following these important safety reminders!
Please ensure that students keep a pair of indoor shoes at
school so that their feet remain dry and clean. We also
strongly recommend keeping extra socks, pants, and other
clothing at school in case a student gets muddy or wet.
PEDICULOSIS
Although it is early in the school year, it is important to
bring to your attention the problem which occurs at some
time in most schools at least once every year. Head lice
are parasites which have been common among human
beings for centuries. They are not connected in any way
with dirt or neglect. If a case is found in our school, we
shall inform parents. We ask that you also check your own
children regularly. If you find them to be infested, please
notify the office.
HEPATITIS/ MENINGITIS/HPV CLINIC
Peel Health will continue to offer free immunization
against Hepatitis B/Meningititis for students in Grade 7 and
for Grade 8 students that missed the Grade 7 vaccination.
It is given as a series of two injections over a period of six
months.
Also available is the non-compulsory HPV
immunization for Grade 8 female students. This is a series
of three injections given throughout the year. More
information will be sent home. If you have any questions
please call the Peel Health Department at (905) 799-7700.
Health Departments, by law, must keep a current record
of your child’s immunizations. It is the responsibility of
parents to keep their child’s records up-to-date. The date
for the first clinic is Nov. 18.
HOT WEATHER PLAN
With some hot weather expected again next week, we
wanted to inform you of St. Philip School’s plan to promote
comfort and safety for our students in the midst of high
temperatures:
1. All students are encouraged to:
• bring and use sunscreen (SPF 15 minimum)
• wear light, layered clothing, including a hat while
outdoors
• stay in shaded areas when possible, and
maintain activity level to a minimum when outside
at recess
• bring their own supply of water (preferably in a
reusable canister). Students are encouraged to
drink extra water in times of high heat. Water, of
course, is also available throughout the school at
our drinking fountains, and is available to students
on an “as needed” basis
2. Extra fans have been purchased by the school (with the
support of the School Council), and are located in each of
the classrooms.
3. The school will monitor daily heat advisories, and will
adjust outdoor activity schedules as necessary.
4. Classes will rotate to make use of cooler areas of the
school, such as the library.
5. All staff have received Peel Region’s Hot Weather
Guidelines, which includes information on monitoring
students for any signs or symptoms of heat-related illness.
Thank you for your support in helping us to promote the
comfort and safety of our students during this hot spell,
and please contact us at the school if you have questions
or concerns.
SAFETY MEASURES AT ST. PHILIP SCHOOL
We strive to make sure that our school is a safe, caring,
healthy and inclusive place in which to learn and to work.
Fire drills, lockdown drills, visitors’ badges/sign in, and
other safety and security protocols and practices are
important components of our commitment to maintaining
a safe and secure school environment.
Under our front door speaker/buzzer/video monitoring
system, visitors may gain entrance by pressing a buzzer
mounted on the wall outside the building, beside the front
door. The buzzer activates a two-way speaker and camera
system. The Office will then be able to determine who is at
the door, by observing on a video monitor.
The following are also part of our safety protocol:
 All outside doors are locked or monitored, and
entry can be gained only through the front door.
 All visitors, including parents/guardians must sign
into the office and wear a Visitor’s badge.
 Access during lunch time may be delayed
depending on the availability of staff who are
required to monitor the new system.
The co-operation and understanding of parents/guardians
is appreciated. In this regard, parents/guardians are
encouraged to:
 Arrive at school on time to allow children to
enter with their classmates to avoid front entry
lates.
 Send lunch with your child in the morning to limit
traffic in through the front door at lunch time.
 We respectfully request that you limit your visits
to the school during the daytime as much as
possible in order to protect the instructional time
and reduce interruptions.
Thank you for your understanding and co-operation as we
work together to promote the safety of everyone at St.
Philip School!
Upcoming Important Dates
-Wed Sept. 16 … Confirmation mtg for parents and Gr. 7 and Gr. 8
candidates 8:00PM @ Cristo Rei
-Fri Sept. 18 … PA Day
-Fri Sept. 18 … 1st communion mtg for parents 7:30PM @ Cristo Rei
-Thurs Oct. 1 …BBQ & Curriculum Night beginning @ 5:00
-Wed Oct 9 … Opening & Thanksgiving Mass 1:00PM @ Cristo Rei
- Wed Oct 21 … Photo Day
-Thurs Nov 18 … Gr 7 Hep B & Meningitis, Gr. 8 girls HPV
-Thurs Nov 25 … Photo Retakes
-Tues Dec 1 … Advent confessions beginning at 9:30AM
-Thurs Dec 3 …. First Reconciliation 7:30PM @ Cristo Rei
Please visit our school website at www.dpcdsb.org/PHILP for
the latest school information.