www.dpcdsb.org/SEBAS
PRINCIPAL: D. Marchand
VICE-PRINCIPAL: S. Kearns
SECRETARY: Z. Kameka
SECRETARY: M. van Putten
T. Cruz
905-890-1221
Follow us on Twitter @DPCDSBSchools
MARCH 2016
3460 Aquinas Avenue, Mississauga ON L5M 7L2
Phone (905) 607-0107
Fax (905) 607 – 2535
Lord, the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope.
Help us to live as new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal.
Grant us wisdom to know what we must do, the will to want to do it, the courage to undertake it, the perseverance to continue to do it, and the strength to complete it. Amen
S. Hobin (Wards 2&8)
905-301-1210
E. O’Toole (Wards 9&10)
905-812 - 5163
Merciful Redeemer Catholic Church
2775 Erin Centre Boulevard
Mississauga, Ontario
L5M 5W2
Tel: 905-812 - 0030
Fax: 905-812 - 0011
Pastor: Fr. Vid Vlasic
Associate Pastor: Fr. Scott Birchall
Email: office@mercifulredeemer.org
Website: www.mercifulredeemer.org
March 4 th ~ “We Are One” conference at Merciful Redeemer Church
March 4 th ~ End of Eden Food Bank food Drive
March 9 th ~ Grade 7 Parent Meeting for outdoor trip at 6:00 PM in gym
March 10 th ~ School Advisory Council Meeting 6:30 PM
March 14 th - 18 th ~ March Break
March 20 th ~ Palm Sunday
March 21 st ~ St. Sebastian celebrates Earth Hour
March 22 nd ~ Great Gulp competition for Eco School initiative
March 24 th ~ Holy Thursday- Stations of the Cross 1:30 PM
March 25 th ~ Good Friday
March 27 th ~ Easter Sunday
March 28 th ~ Easter Monday
April 2 nd ~ Confirmation at Merciful Redeemer /10.30 AM – Grade 7 Students
1.00 PM – Grade 8 Students
April 9 th ~ CSAC Market Place at St. Joe’s Secondary in Streetsville
April 11 th ~ P.A. Day no school for students
April 13 th ~ International day of Pink
April 20 th ~ Junior and Intermediate Heads up Academic Competition
April 21 st ~ Grade 8 Grad Photos
April 22 nd ~ Earth Day
April 24 th ~ Gr. 2 First Holy Communion 3:00 PM @ Merciful Redeemer

GRADE 2 – FIRST COMMUNION
Please note that the parish is your first source for obtaining information for sacramental preparation. Please be sure to obtain a bulletin at weekend Masses.
First Holy Communion will be on Sunday, April 24 th , 2016 @ 3:00 p.m. at Merciful Redeemer
Church.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL
The next C.S.A.C. meeting is set for Thursday, March
10 th , 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in the school library. All parents and guardians are welcome to join!
USE OF SNOW
Students are reminded that throwing snow or snowballs on school property is strictly prohibited. Although it may seem to be a fun activity, the practice of throwing snow is unsafe and can lead to serious accidents. We also actively discourage students from playing on snow mounds, or sliding down hills.
GRADE 7 & 8 CONFIRMATION
Please note that the parish is your first source for obtaining information for sacramental preparation.
Please be sure to obtain a bulletin at weekend Masses. Grade 7 & 8 Confirmation
Candidate Confessions will be on Tuesday, March 1 st , 2016 at 9:30 a.m.
at St. Sebastian School. The Sacrament of Confirmation will take place on Saturday, April 2 nd , 2016 at @ 10:30 a.m. for grade 7 students and 1:00 p.m. for grade 8 students at Merciful Redeemer
Church.
SCHOOL LATE POLICY
It is very important that students arrive to school on time and ready to work, as late arrivals disrupt instructional activities and classroom routines. We respectfully request that whether students walk or are driven to school, that they are at school before the bell rings at 9:00 a.m. Once the bell has rung, students who come in through the front doors must get a late slip from the front office. Arriving on time and being prepared to learn helps students form good work habits and provides a positive beginning to the day in addition to demonstrating respect for themselves, their classmates and their teachers. Supervision for students begins at
8:45am, please do not drop students off earlier then
8:45am as there is no supervision prior to 8:45am.

MARCH ECO NEWS: EARTH HOUR 2016 and
THE GREAT GULP CHALLENGE
EARTH HOUR 2016
Throughout the month of March, our
Spartans will be challenged to participate in two great Eco-initiatives. The first Ecoinitiative that we will be undertaking is to be done as a community. On Saturday March,
19 th between the times of 8:30pm and 9:30pm,
Canada will be taking in part in a global movement to lessen our energy consumption during Earth Hour. This will give all nations an opportunity to shine a light on issues of climate change and make a small difference. We would like to encourage our parents and students to take part in this great eco movement to lessen our carbon footprint and talk about the issues that are connected to climate change. So, turn off your lights, electronics, appliances, and devices, and instead pull out some great board games, a deck of cards, old family photo albums and have some great family time playing and talking in the candle light.
As a school family, we will be celebrating our Earth Hour on
Monday, March 21 st between the hours of 1:00pm and
2:00pm. During that time, teachers and students will be participating in a few activities to bring about awareness for climate change. For more information regarding Earth Hour
2016, please follow the link attached to the World Wildlife
Federation. https://www.earthhour.org/
THE GREAT GULP CHALLENGE
Our second eco-initiative for the month of
March is to participate in the Great Gulp
Challenge. This challenge is to bring about awareness on fresh water consumption and waste. Our wonderful team of Earth Angels will be conducting classroom presentations and experiments to show all students the difference between tap, filtered, and spring water. On Wednesday, March 23 rd , our students will be asked to bring in reusable water bottles and participate in this wonderful event.
The Eco Team and Mrs. Steflik, would like to thank all parents/guardians, students, and St. Sebastian Staff for your continued participation in all this wonderful events.
KISS AND RIDE
REMINDERS
We encourage parents to drop off children at the designated drop off points. For those parents using the Kiss & Ride, this area is for drop off and pick up only.
For the safety of all our students, you may NOT park in this area.
Parents dropping off FDK children are asked to drop off in the
West parking lot. Please be aware of the fact that at times congestion creates gridlock conditions. If you find the slow movement of traffic to be unacceptable, consider another means of dropping off your children. Impatience often leads to poor or unsafe behavior on the part of drivers.
If you are delayed in the parking lot by buses dropping off or picking up students, please be patient in trying to exit.
Exercise extreme caution when driving. At times, it can become congested, and extra care is needed both on school property and on the roadway in front of the school. Please obey all traffic signs, including the one way sign, marked DO NOT ENTER, posted at the
East driveway entrance. If there are any parent volunteers interested in working the Kiss & Ride on a daily basis, please notify the school, as soon as possible.
PARENT & VISITOR SIGN IN AT
OFFICE
Parents and visitors are required to check into the office to sign in BEFORE being allowed to enter school property. You may be a parent to your child, but to others you are a stranger. In addition, parents are reminded that they are to remain outside when dropping off or picking up students. Your co-operation is appreciated and we thank you for helping us maintain a safe environment for all our children.

GRAD PHOTOS
Grade Eight Grad Photos take place
Tuesday, April 21 st , 2016. More information to follow.
Kidssentials Hot Lunch for April – June will be available to order online the first week of March .
Take a break from packing lunch and place an order at: http://www.kidssentials.com
Field Trip Cancellation Policy Update for
Kidssentials Lunch Dates:
If you have ordered a Kidssentials lunch on a date your child will be away on a field trip, please contact
Kidssentials to cancel the meal as soon as you receive the field trip form. Kindly provide as much notice as possible
– 2 business days’ notice or more - to help them plan most efficiently. Last minute cancellations are accepted until
8am on the day of the cancellation.
Employment Opportunities: If you live in the
Oakville/Mississauga area and would like a part-time job working while your child is in school, contact us today and apply by phone or email.
Kidssentials may be contacted at:
905.855.1914 | mail@kidssentials.com
| http://www.ki
dssentials.com
RECESS BREAKS
Recess breaks serve a special purpose in the daily life of a school. Students, except in exceptional circumstances, will not be excused from going outside. If your child is sick, he or she should be at home recuperating and not spreading illness throughout the classroom. There is no indoor supervision at recess, as staff is occupied elsewhere, or on duty outside. Students require a medical note from a doctor to stay in during recess.
WINTER DRESS
It is imperative that all students come to school ready to participate in all activities, including outdoor recess.
Please ensure that your children come to school dressed accordingly; with hats, scarves, gloves, winter outerwear and boots. As well, all students should have indoor footwear at school. This is essential in case of an emergency evacuation. The students will not have time to change their footwear. We also recommend that students keep extra clothing such as socks and pants at school in case their original clothing gets wet.
INDOOR / OUTDOOR
SHOES
The students should have a pair of indoor shoes to wear at school in class and for gym. Outdoor shoes/ boots will be kept for outdoor use only in order to reduce the amount of dirt and mud brought indoors. This will assist our custodial staff in keeping the school clean. Thank you for your co-operation.

INCLEMENT WEATHER CANCELLATIONS
During the winter months inclement weather may cause disruption of bus transportation and regular school operations.
A decision to cancel school transportation and/or to close schools is usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be announced on the following radio and television stations:
 VIRGIN
RADIOFM99.9
 CHUM AM1050
 CFTR AM680
 CFNY
FM102.1/AM640
 CJCL AM590
 CHFI FM98.1
 CFRB AM1010
 EZ ROCK FM97.3








FM Z103.5
CBC99.1
CITYPULSE
GLOBAL NEWS
CTV
FM93.1
FM Q107
CHIN
FM100.7/AM1540
 CJBC (FR) AM860
We will be communicating one of four standard messages to the radio stations. The four announcements and their effect on the transportation system are as follows: (Please note that the highlighted text only will be communicated by the radio stations).
1.“DUFFERIN -PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL
BOARD BUSES SERVING ST. ANDREW, ST.
BENEDICT AND ST. PETER ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS AND R.F. HALL SECONDARY SCHOOL
ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”
2. 2.“THE DUFFERIN -PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND THE PEEL DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF
CALEDON AND THE COUNTY OF DUFFERIN ARE
CANCELLED”.
This means that all runs listed under announcement #l PLUS the following are cancelled. All schools in the Town of Caledon and all school runs that begin in the
Town of Caledon. Individual schools will be notified if this cancellation affects their school.
3. 3.“THE DUFFERIN -PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES ARE CANCELLED.” This means that: ALL Transportation services provided by the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board and The Peel District School
Board, including buses, vans and taxis have been cancelled for the entire day.
4. 4.“THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE
DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL
BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
ARE CLOSED.” This means that: ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board ad Peel District School Board schools and offices are closed to all students and staff.
PLAYGROUND
SUPERVISION
Playground supervision begins at
8:45 a.m.
Parents should not drop off their children prior to
8:45 a.m. For your child’s safety, we request that he/she not be on school property until scheduled supervised times.
FLEX BOUNDARY STUDENTS
A reminder to parents that they are to request in writing, every year, if they wish to attend a school other than their own neighborhood school. I would like to draw your attention to the following conditions under which permission is granted: a) Transportation is your responsibility b) This permission for attendance will be reviewed by the principal annually c) The student admitted under this procedure does not automatically become eligible for the secondary school serving this school.
In the month of March letters will be sent to all current flex boundary students as part of the annual review. Please watch for this letter if your child is attending St. Sebastian
School on Flex Boundary Permission.
BUS INFORMATION
Please check the Region of Peel’s Transportation Department’s websites ( www.stopr.ca
and https://businfo.stopr.ca/ ) to check for delays and cancellations. All concerns and complaints regarding bus transportation are to be made directly to the S.T.O.P.R. at
905-890-0614.

FIRE AND LOCKDOWN
DRILLS
As part of DPCDSB’s safety protocol, every school is required to hold three fire drills and one lockdown drill each term in order to familiarize students with procedures to follow in the case of emergency. Our students have demonstrated excellent skill during these practices .
LITTERLESS SNACKS/LUNCHES
Students and staff are encouraged to be environmentally friendly, by reducing the amount of paper and plastic waste from lunches and snacks. Students are reminded that food wrappers should be disposed of before going out onto the yard and to use the classroom garbage cans for any waste. Teachers will give the students an opportunity to have their snack inside either before or after recess. Snacks are not allowed on the playground at any time.
BRINGING LUNCH FOR STUDENTS
If you are bringing lunch to a student, please drop off the lunch at the table on your right as soon as you enter through the school front doors. Please make sure your child’s name, grade, and teacher is attached to the lunch, and your child knows to go down to the front door at lunch time (a note to your child’s teacher might help with this).
Please do not wait in the front foyer as it becomes very crowded at lunch time. Thank you to parents and care-givers for doing such a good job so far this year following the procedures for bringing lunch to students!
ADULT AND YOUTH AMBASSADORS
Youth Faith Ambassadors are utilizing many talents to engage in authentic Lenten Ministry throughout our school. Liturgists are visiting classes weekly to lead their peers in Lenten liturgies. Artists have created posters illustrating the Stations of the Cross, with relevant reflections for today's times. Presenters are offering their peers an invaluable opportunity to engage with the Ontario Catholic School Graduate
Expectations, through informative presentations, ongoing support and encouragement to meet these expectations, and ultimately, a record of what this has looked like and involved in every classroom. With the commencement of the Easter Season, efforts from all classes will be shared and recognized in a school-wide liturgical assembly, and illustrated through the creation of artistic symbols. Meanwhile, staff have been gathering for weekly Lenten liturgies in the front foyer, and will also be volunteering their time at Eden Food
Bank in March. Ms. A. Fernandes, Mrs. S. Fernandes,
Miss. McNamara, Mrs. Mountjoy, Mrs. Steflik and
Mrs. Tomasovic, appreciate the support of the St.
Sebastian School community, with this ministry.
FOOD DRIVE
Please remember that we are asking for food items donations to be given to Eden Food for Change. The last day for donations will be Friday, March 4 th , 2016. Thank you for your generosity.

This month we will celebrate the virtue of kindness.
Kindness can only be seen through actions.
It’s not enough to say I will be kind or I am kind.
We must show that we are kind by our words and our actions.
Through prayer and concentration, we can get better at showing kindness to everyone we meet.
At no point in time should students be dropped off in front of the school. Stopping at the front of the school poses a very real safety concern. As the weather becomes more spring-like, we are hoping that the practice of stopping at the front of the school ends. We have two parking lots and a Kiss & Ride lane to accommodate parents wishing to drop off students. The front of the school is only to be used by busses. Please be aware of the signage around the school indicating fire routes. These areas are not to be used as parking lanes. In other words, do not exit your car in fire routes. The City of Mississauga
Parking Enforcement will ticket any vehicle stopped in a fire route. The Kiss & Ride and front of the school are fire routes.