St. Pio of Pietrelcina Elementary School
S
4765 Huron Heights Dr., Mississauga, On. L4Z 4G9 Phone: 905 361 1327 Fax: 905 361 0165
Principal:
J. Lavalle
Vice Principal: R. Patterson
Secretary:
B. Petricca
Superintendent: T. Lariviere
Pastor: Father Sol, Father Charles
Parish: Sts. Peter and Paul
Trustee: A. Abbruscato 905 890 0708 ext. 24239
905 890 1221
416 459 0126
Newsletter
October 2015
Principal’s Message
Thanksgiving
.
September was a very busy month at St. Pio of Pietrelcina School.
the primary and junior levels. The students affected have made a
Thank
you to all who came out to our “Open House/Curriculum
smoothtransition
Night”
to our
organizing
On behalf and
of the entire
staff School
we would Council
like to wish for
you and
your famil such a
wonderful
Barbeque dinner. Your attendance sent an important
Thanksgiving!!
message of commitment to your child and the school. I would
God Bless,
also
like to thank our Trustee, A. Abbruscato for attending.
W. Jackson
On
Monday, October 12th, we will pause and take time from our
busy lives to celebrate Thanksgiving, a day where we humbly
count our blessings and give thanks for the bounty we enjoy. For
us, as a faith community, giving thanks to God takes center stage
as we realize the blessings we enjoy in being able to make faith
come alive in our school. Together, church, family and school,
work in strength and unity as a triangle of faith for the well-being
of our children.
May God’s blessings be with you and your family during this time
of Thanksgiving and throughout this school year.
Thank
J. Lavalle
Principal
Blessed are you, Loving
Father,
For all of your gifts to us.
Blessed are you for giving us
the
Gift of family and friends.
We pause and give you thanks,
Lord, for all these gifts:
For the rains that give life,
for the harvest.
As we rejoice in your kindness,
We pray for those who are in
need.
Open our hearts to them
And teach us to be generous to
others as you are to us.
Thank you, God.
Amen
Security at St. Pio of Pietrelcina School
During regular school entry and dismissal, we kindly ask that you
remain off the school yard and do not wait at the students’
entry or exit door, rather at a predetermined meeting place
outside of the school yard. A reminder that all visitors
INCLUDING PARENTS must come to the office, sign in and
pick up an identification badge. No one is allowed in the school
without proper identification. This procedure will help students and
staff in recognizing our many visitors at St. Pio.
If you are picking up your child at a time other than regular school
dismissal, we ask that you report to the office. We thank you for your
cooperation in supporting a safe environment at St. Pio School.
ST. PIO IS NOW ON
TWITTER!
For the latest school news and
information, follow us:
St. Pio School @ StPioDPCDSB.
Pray, hope and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer. St. Pio of Pietrelcina
This month we celebrate the Virtue
of
Empathy
God has given us the ability to form connections
with each other - to live together. Empathy helps us
to connect and live together in safe, caring,
inclusive communities.
An empathetic person believes that we all share one
Spirit; that we are many parts of one body because
we are all created in the image and likeness of God.
Let us pray for the grace and strength to be people
of empathy – people who can really identify with
and feel the concerns of those around us.
An empathetic person…
Listens attentively
Watches people’s body language
Notices and responds when someone is upset
Can name her/his feelings
Can see a situation from another person’s
point of view
Knows that different people may feel
differently about the same thing
Opening Mass
On Tuesday, October 6th at 9:15 a.m., we celebrated
our first Mass of the school year. Remember that
parents/guardians are always welcome to attend all of
our celebrations! A special thank you to Mrs. Graffi’s
gr. 2, and Mrs. Gonano’s gr. 3 classes for hosting the
mass!
Terry Fox Campaign
On October 2nd, students, staff and parents of the
St. Pio of Pietrelcina community took part in the Terry
Fox Walk. Thank you to everyone who participated in
this campaign to assist in cancer research, especially
those parents who were able to join us and assist in the
walk. Congratulations to Mrs. P. Botelho and Mrs. T.
Graffi for organizing another successful campaign.
Approximately $1300.00 was collected and will be
donated to the Terry Fox Foundation.
Book Fair
Thank you to the St. Pio of Pietrelcina
community for another successful
Scholastic Book Fair. Thanks to your
wonderful support, 115 new books
were purchased to add to our Library
collection. That was $1116.50 worth of
new books. Wow! Also, a special congratulations to
Jarrod in Mme. Tshiama’s Grade 1 class who won the
Family Event Door Prize - $25.00 in books for his
home library and $25.00 in books for his classroom.
Thanks again St. Pio for a successful Book Fair!
A special thank you to Mrs. L. Ferreira for her
time and dedication!
School Council
Thank you to the members of the School Council and
other parents who participated in the first School
Council meeting held Tuesday, October 6th at 7:00
p.m. The following members will represent the St. Pio
of Pietrelcina 2015/2016 School Council:
Chair – A. Freitas
Treasurer – G. Cantore
OAPCE Rep – A. Freitas
Fundraising Chair – A. Da Ponte
Members at Large – P. D’Souza, G. Napolitano, N.
Wigchert
Teaching Rep. – A. Paccione
Non-Teaching Rep. – A. Miskiv
General meetings of the School Council will be held
on the following dates at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome to
attend.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Please join us for the November 4th meeting when
Religious Education consultants Shelagh Peterson and
Paul DeVuono will be holding a presentation on the
Revised Health and Physical Education Curriculum.
School Council Update
.
Our annual major fundraiser Dance - a - thon will
take place on Friday, October 30th. We encourage
all students to participate in this fun-filled event by
collecting pledges from family and friends. The
kick - off assembly for this fundraiser will take
place on Friday, October 16th at 1:30 p.m. On this
day, students will bring home a package with
pledge forms and more details outlining prizes etc.
Thanks to all for your participation!
Thank you as well to our School
Council for organizing this yearly
fundraiser in support of St. Pio.
Kiss and Ride
For the safety of our students, please use the Kiss and
Ride lane to drop off your children. Please do not get
out of your car in the Kiss and Ride lane. This slows
down the whole process. Due to safety concerns,
please do not park in the school parking lot or the
bus lane, especially not at the bottom of the hill by
the school yard. We are asking you to help us teach
the children that the parking lot is not a safe place to
walk through. The Kiss and Ride procedure affords the
safest drop off for your children. If you must park,
please do so along the street or at Huron Heights Park
and walk your child to the entrance of their
yard. Please remember that the safety of our
students is our main concern.
Pediculosis
Although not a communicable disease, pediculosis
(head lice) is a concern to parents and teachers. Each
year it is common for outbreaks of pediculosis to
occur. Unfortunately, in recent years, head lice have
become increasingly common throughout North
America. They 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 of
lice is found at the school, we inform the
parents/guardians of the child(ren).
 If cases are found in a classroom, we shall
inform all parents of students in that class. We
request that you also check your own children
and, if you find lice, we ask that you inform us
so that we may advise you on the proper
treatment for them.
 Information can also be obtained from a
pharmacist or the regional health department.
 Even if cases are not reported from the
school, it is a wise precaution to check your
child’s head periodically. Teach them not to
use other people’s combs or hair brushes.
 If your children do have head lice, we will ask
you to keep them out of school until after they
have been treated with the correct shampoo
and their hair is entirely clear of both lice and
nits (eggs).
 Students may return to school after this
process is complete, however
parents/guardians are asked to continue
checking hair on a daily basis for at least 1
week after treatment.
Further information can be found by speaking with
your pharmacist, health care provider or contacting
Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700.
Liturgical Calendar for 2015/16
Parents are always welcome to attend our School
Masses and celebrations.
Celebration
Opening Mass
Remembrance Day
Service
Advent Mass
Ash Wednesday
Mass
School-wide
Reconciliation
Easter Mass
Closing Mass
Graduation Mass
Date
October 6th at 9:15
a.m. (school)
November 11th at
11:00 a.m. (school)
December 1st at
9:15 a.m. (school)
February 10th at
1:30 p.m. (school)
March 1st at
9:15 a.m. (school)
March 29th at
9:15 p.m. (school)
June 7th at
9:15 a.m. (Sts. Peter
and Paul Church)
June 24th at
5:00 p.m. (Sts. Peter
and Paul Church)
Circles of the Rosary
Once again this year, we welcome volunteers from the
Circles of the Rosary, Sts. Peter and Paul Church who
will be visiting classes once a month to pray the rosary
with our students. We are thankful for this initiative
which brings school, home and parish together. Please
encourage your child to pray the rosary at home with
you.
Youth Faith Ambassadors
The purpose of the Youth Faith Ambassador program
is to give grade 7 and 8 students an opportunity to
build on our school’s Catholic faith community with
student peers and to participate in experiences which
nurture spiritual growth. Students have signed up to
become involved in this program. Some examples of
activities they will become involved in are, prayers
over the announcements, food drives, decorating the
school with Catholic symbols, assisting in masses etc.
We will continue to highlight in our newsletters, the
activities that will be led by our Youth Ambassadors.
Picture Retake Day
Picture Retake Day will be on Wednesday,
November 4th.
Volleyball
The Junior Girls and Boys’ Volleyball teams have
been selected and have been practicing hard! The
teams have already played their first few games and
are off to a great season! Thank you to their coaches
Mrs. A. Paccione and Mlle. J. Moir.
Sts. Peter and Paul Mass Schedule
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
12:10 p.m.
12:10 p.m., 7:30 (Italian)
12:10 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
12:10 p.m.
12:10 p.m., 7:30 p.m. (only 1st
Friday of the month)
9:00 a.m., 5:00 p.m.
7:45 a.m., 9:00 a.m. (Italian choir),
10:30 a.m., 12:00 noon
Halloween Day at St. Pio
Students from Kindergarten to grade 8 may wear
costumes or the colours of orange and black to school
on Friday, October 30th. Remember, no masks or
fake weapons of any kind are to be brought to
school.
At school, we will also be stressing the fact that the
most important aspect of our activities at this time of
year is the celebration of two great Feast Days. On
November 1st we honour All Saints Day in our church,
and we are encouraged to pray that we might emulate
their example in our daily lives. On the following day,
November 2nd, we will remember all those who have
gone before us in faith by celebrating the Feast of All
Souls.
Halloween Safety
School Website:
www.dpcdsb.org/PIOPI
Be sure to visit our school website for
newsletters, calendars and other important
information.
Thanksgiving Food Drive
Our Thanksgiving Food Drive is currently under
way. Friday, October 9th is the last day to
contribute. Special thanks to Miss Campbell,
Mrs. Cugliari and our Youth Faith Ambassadors for
organizing this worthwhile event!
Student Absences/Lates
Please use our 24 hour answering service to
inform the school of late or absent students. We
must hear from a parent or guardian if a student
will be absent, arriving late or leaving early.
Phone 905-361-1327. If a pattern of
unexcused lateness or absents becomes
apparent, parents will be contacted by the
school.
The following are some safety rules to review with
your children:
Choose brightly coloured costumes
Use face paint instead of masks
Plan a safe route with your child
Remind your child of road safety rules
Accompany your children
Remind children not to enter homes
Check the treats before allowing your children to eat
them
Snacks and Treats for Students
We are asking that all parents please refrain from
bringing in eatable snacks and treats to the
classrooms for sharing amongst students. Several
students in our school suffer from severe food
allergies to nuts, peanuts, nut products, fish as
well as other foods. There is also a Ministry
PPM - a memorandum that sets out nutrition
standards for food and beverages in publicly
funded elementary schools in Ontario. For more
information about the new PPM please visit
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/150.
html. If you would still like to do something
special for the classroom, a small non-eatable
gift for each student or perhaps a classroom gift,
(ie. board game for inclement recess) may be a
great alternative. Again, we thank you for your
co-operation.
Progress Report Cards
Students will bring home a Progress Report
Card on Tuesday, November 17th, 2015. It
will communicate the student’s progress in
various subjects as well as next steps for
improvement. Teachers will contact parents if
an interview is requested.
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board is committed to a safe and healthy
environment for staff, students and visitors. In
recognition of the medical evidence that the health
of some people is affected by scented products, the
Board encourages staff, students, and visitors to
avoid use of scented personal care products.
Pets at School
Many parents take the opportunity to bring
their pets with them to school when dropping
off or picking up students. We would like to
remind parents, for safety reasons, if you have
brought a pet with you when meeting or
dropping off your child, we ask that you
please wait on the pathways or sidewalk next
to school property as dogs are not permitted
on the school grounds.
Pupil Accommodation Review Policy
Public Consultation
The Ministry of Education released the new Pupil
Accommodation Review Guideline (PARG) in
March 2015. This guideline sets expectations for
all school boards on managing and reviewing
underutilized school space, including potential
school closures, and for the greater coordination
and sharing of planning related information
between school boards and other community
partners.
The guideline requires all school boards in the
province to develop or revise Pupil
Accommodation Review Policies and to invite
public input into the policy before it is finalized.
A survey to collect feedback on the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board’s draft amended
Policy 6.51 Pupil Accommodation Review will be
available for review and comment on the Board’s
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 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 (GF
066, Network User Application and Agreement).
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” and the “Network User
Application and Agreement.” 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. Failure to
comply with these guidelines may result in a loss of
PED privileges and/or any other consequences
deemed necessary by school administration.
Students are responsible for the safety and
security of PEDs at all times and the Board
assumes no responsibility for lost, damaged or
stolen devices.
VoilaLearning.com
This year, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic DSB has
purchased a license with VoilaLearning.com
which provides an online-tutoring service. The
license was purchased based on the number of
French Immersion students in the board;
however, the service is extended to all FSL
students, including Extended and Core French
students. For instructions on joining the
service, follow these instructions:


Go to http://voilalearning.com/en/if-yourschool-board-has-registered/
Parents register in order to gain access to
an online tutor.