Principal: C. Jack January 2016 Newsletter St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic Elementary School 6930 Forest Park Drive, Mississauga, ON L5N 6X7 Ph. 905-785-0066 Fax: 905-785-0075 Board web site: www.dpcdsb.org School web site: www.dpcdsb.org/TCHLD A Prayer for the New Year A whole new year is mine today. May I be wiser, Lord I pray! I’ll strengthen friendships, old and true, and learn to cherish new ones too! May I keep on learning and grow a little better as I go. To cast aside each grudge and grief, and hold fast to a firm belief that life is joyous, gracious, good, when lived in terms of neighbourhood! To welcome fun, and play a while. To lighten work with a happy smile! I thank the Lord and every day remember him and kneel and pray in gratitude for strength and health, and blessings which are all my wealth! This year’s a gift from God to me to spend or sue or set me free. A whole new year is mine today. May I be wiser, Lord I pray. Vice-Principal: C. Sforza Administrative Assistants: J. Lusk, J. Hube Catholic School Council Chair: Elizabeth Cardoso Superintendent of Mississauga North: T. Cruz 905-890-1221 Trustee Ward 9 & 10 Esther O’Toole 905-812-5163 Parish Information Website: http://www.saintjohnofthecross.com/ Mass Times: Saturday: 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 8:00 a.m./10:00 a.m./ 12:00 p.m./4:00 p.m. Virtue of the Month- Self-Control God has given us the ability to choose. We are able to control how we react to what happens around us. Self-control helps us to resist the temptation to do something that we will regret. Self-control helps us to resist the temptation to do something that will harm ourselves or others. Self-control is one of the signs of a spiritually mature person. When we all use self-control, we can be sure that our school is a safe, caring community where everyone feels included and safe to learn and live. A person with self-control… Parish Mission Statement "As members of the St. John of the Cross Parish Community, we acknowledge that all we are and all we have are gifts from God. We take ownership of these gifts which are time, talent and treasure. We will use them in the service of our community and encourage others in the community to do the same”. Is patient and knows how to wait his/her turn Can calm him/herself down and think before reacting to situations Knows how to avoid physical aggression (hitting, kicking, pushing, etc.) Can think things through and do what is best for everyone Page 1 of 8 Together in Faith Religion played an important role in the development of Ontario schools. Religious groups founded a great many schools and had an accepted role in education, and as the Royal Commission on Learning wrote, “When Ontario’s school system was being established, few doubted that religion and schooling belonged together”. Protestant ministers often urged that children be educated so they could read the Bible. Eventually, differing views of Christianity caused arguments over the use of the Scriptures and prayers in schools. Anti-Catholicism influenced political decisions that discriminated against Catholics in the 1850s. Mitten Tree Taken from: Our Story. Our Tradition. Our Journey Community Advent Mass Thank you to all the families who were able to join the staff, students and pastoral team at our Advent Mass on Thursday December 3, 2015 at St. John of the Cross Parish. A special thank you to our choir that complemented our mass with their beautiful voices and the Catholic School Council for providing the tasty treats and the reception that followed after the Mass. Also a special thank-you to Esther O’Toole our Trustee who was able to attend. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Mitten Tree at the church during our Advent Mass, as well as the Primary Christmas Concert. We collected a large amount of mittens that have been distributed to needy schools within our school Board. Theology of the Body “How can I live my life in a way that brings happiness and fulfillment?” Singles, engaged couples, married couples, and youth 18+ are encouraged to attend. Presented over 2 consecutive Saturdays beginning Sat. Jan. 23rd from 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at St. Ignatius Loyola RC Parish Hall, 2300 Burnhamthorpe Rd W., Mississauga, L5L 3T6. For information and pre-registration contact Anthony Mendes 416-302-4253 or Tod Markelj TOB@bell.net. A fee of $20.00 per person or $25.00 per couple, which includes a workbook, will be collected during registration at the first session. School Procedures Allergy Awareness There are a number of students at St. Therese of the Child Jesus School that have a severe life threatening allergy to nuts. It is therefore imperative that families refrain from sending to school any foods that contains nut products, eg. Peanut butter, Nutella, snacks with nuts or any product that has “may contain traces of nuts” on the label. Due to the severity of allergies within our school, we ask that parents not send in any baked goods to share with classmates, not even during Primary Christmas Concert Thank you to everyone who were able to come out and watch the Primary Christmas Concert! The students helped to remind us all about the true meaning of Christmas. It was a wonderful show! Lego Club The Lego club will be starting in January. If you are interested in joining please see Mrs. Mills. Donations of Lego would be greatly appreciated. Page 2 of 8 special occasions such as birthdays or Christmas festivities. Non-food items are encouraged, such as stickers, pencils, etc. We will not be permitting any food items to be brought into a classroom to share. Winter Weather During the winter season, many parents are concerned about school policy on outdoor recess. It is generally accepted that when the wind chill factor drops below –25 oC, students should not go outside for recess. Dufferin-Peel C.D.S.B. policy uses a wind chill of –20 oC as the determining temperature for modified recesses. At St. Therese of the Child Jesus, students will remain inside when the wind chill is reported at –25 oC or lower and we will modify the duration of lunch recess when the temperature reaches –20 oC. As always, ensure your child is prepared for the extremes of Canadian weather. Inclement Weather and Transportation With the winter season fast approaching, we would like to remind you of bus cancellation procedures. Occasionally, because of inclement weather or other emergency situations, buses may have to be cancelled. Information regarding bus cancellation and other emergency information announcements can be obtained by listening to the radio stations or by visiting www.STOPR.com or the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board website: www.dpcdsb.org CKFM- 99.9 FM CHIN- 100.7 FM. 1540 AM CHUM- 1050 AM CJCL- 590 AM CFTR- 680 AM CHFI- 9801 FM JACKFM- 92.5 CBC- 740 AM CIAO- 530AM CFNY- 102.1 CFRB- 1010 AM DC- 103 FM CHAY-93FM Q107- 10701 FM CJMR- 1250 AM TALK640- 640 AM CHEZ ZP7.3 CJBC (Fr.)- 86 AM Make sure the announcement is for Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board in the region of Peel. If buses are cancelled the school will remain open, it is the responsibility of the parents to find transportation for their child both to school and at the end of the day. Once buses are cancelled they are cancelled for the entire day. Please consider making arrangements with your child(ren) on these days to alleviate the number of students that are anxious or unsure of how they will get home at the end of the day. Under extraordinary circumstances the announcement may be made that all Dufferin-Peel Catholic District Schools are closed. This decision is made by the Director of Education and will be announced on the board website, and on radio stations (see list above). On these days, classes will be cancelled and teaching staff, secretarial staff, support staff and administrators are not to be at work that day. Safe and Appropriate Play in the Winter Months When the snow falls it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of winter, but it is often hard to remember safe activity over the temptation of snow throwing or unsafe or unfair play. Some of our safe and considerate play expectations include not throwing snow balls, showing respect for other people’s snow forts, and staying off of the snow hills. If everyone follows these simple rules, then everyone can play safe during our winter months. Student Supervision On many occasions during inclement weather, students have been left unattended before school and/or directed by their parent/guardian to wait in the Main Office. Please be reminded that student supervision begins at 9:00 am, and it is not possible to supervise students prior to this time. For the safety of all of our students, please make arrangements for the supervision of your child. Students should not be left unattended during inclement weather before 9:00am. Page 3 of 8 Safety First Cold and Flu Season Please use discretion in keeping your child home to recover if they are ill. A child who is coughing, wheezing, vomiting or with fever, is not in a state to learn and risks infecting others. As well, if your child is well enough to attend school, they should be well enough to go outside at recess in supervised areas. Please be sure to continue to encourage your children to wash their hands frequently. Good hygiene is the best preventative measure, so we encourage students to use a tissue when coughing or sneezing, or their sleeve if without a tissue. In class, students are reminded to refrain from sharing pencils, erasers, scissors and snacks. If your child is absent, please let the school know by calling 905-785-0066, and press 1 for the 24 hour access in calling your child’s absence. Catholic School Council Upcoming Meetings for the 20152016 school year: February 11, 2016 April 14, 2016 May 12, 2016 June 9, 2016 Slippery Pathways Please be reminded to be very cautious when using the city pathways that lead into the back of the school property in the winter. These areas sometimes take some time to clear of snow and ice. If these paths are not cleared please use Summerheights Dr. sidewalks and enter the school property from the front of the school property on Forest Park Dr. Community Corner Extended French Parent Meeting Parents of grade four students who wish to enroll their child in the grade five Extended French for September 2015, are invited to attend information meetings as follows: A meeting for parents of grade four students will be held at St. Therese of the Child Jesus School on January 14, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Kindergarten Registration First Term Report Cards On Tuesday February 2, 2016 students will bring their 1st term report card. The Report Card emphasizes and gives examples of the learning skills and work habits required to be successful in school and for the future. It has ample space for teachers to add meaningful, clear, and personalized comments so you can understand how your child is performing. The Parent/Student Interview Conference will be held the evening of Thursday February 4th, 2016 and during the day on Friday February 5th, 2016. This is an important opportunity for teachers, parents, and students to discuss their child(ren)’s progress and next steps. Monday January 25, 2016 7:00-9:00 p.m. Wednesday January 27, 2016 9:00-3:00 p.m. Thursday January 28, 2016 9:00-3:00 p.m. Friday January 29, 2016 9:00-3:00 p.m. **Snow date Tuesday January 26, 2016 7:00-9:00 p.m.* If your child was born in 2011 or 2012, he or she can start Kindergarten in September 2016. Page 4 of 8 Dates to Remember January Goodbyes and Well Wishes This month we say goodbye to Long Term Occasional Teachers (LTO) Mrs. ArrudaOliveira as her contract has ended. We want to thank Mrs. Arruda-Oliveira for all that she has contributed to the St. Therese of the Child Jesus community and wish her the best in her future positions. We welcome Mrs. Zeehuisen back from her maternity leave. Clubs, Teams and Sports News Junior Basketball Teams Watch out Toronto Raptors! The Junior Girls and Boys Basketball season has begun! Thank you to the coaches, Mme. Marcinkiewicz and Mlle. Moreira, as well as Coach Mendoza and Coach Miller for your time and assistance! Tentative Team Game Schedule: Date * Feb 1 (NEW) Feb 2 Feb 9 Feb 16 Feb 25 Home Away Therese Albert Richards Therese Therese Avila Stock Therese FAMILY TOURNAMENT Time 4:15 Boys First 4:15 Girls play first 4:10 Girls play first 4:00 BOYS ONLY January 6- Epiphany January 7-Catholic School Council Meeting @ 7:00 p.m. January 11-Hepatitis and Meningitis Immunization January 14-Information Night for Extended French 7:00 p.m. January 18- P.A. day No school January 25- Kindergarten Registration 7:00-9:00 p.m. January 26-Snow Date for Kindergarten Registration 7:00-9:00 p.m. January 27-Kindergarten Registration 9:00-3:00 p.m. January 28-Kindergarten Registration 9:00-3:00 p.m. January 28-Ms. Donnelly and Madame Parents Grade 5’s go to Peel Safety Village January 29-Kindergarten Registration 9:00-3:00 p.m. Eco-Team As part of our eco initiatives for the school year, we will be participating in various eco activities such as: Monday: Veggie Day - Encourage students to bring in veggies for snacks. Tuesday: Fruits - Encourage students to bring in fruits for snacks. Wednesday: Wasteless Wednesday: Bring lunches in reusable containers. Thursday: Thirsty Thursday Use reusable water bottles to fill water up. Plastic bottles only add to the landfills. Friday: Lights Free Friday As a school, we will turn off the lights in our classrooms immediately after the morning announcements for 2 minutes. We will also try to minimize the use of electricity in whatever way we can. Thank you for your support! Eco Team The Trials of Alice in Wonderland St. Therese of the Child Jesus will be presenting “The Trials of Alice in Wonderland” on May 3 & 4, 2016 at 7:00 pm. The auditions are currently being held and the talent is amazing!! Students will also have the opportunity of applying to help out backstage and artcrew as well. Tickets will be sold sometime in April. Dates to Remember February February 2-First Term Report Card goes home February 4-Interview Night for First Term Report Card February 5-P.A. day for Interviews February 9-Hearts in Motion Dance February 10 – Ash Wednesday February 11-Catholic School Council Meeting 7:00 p.m. February 15- Family Day No School February 16- Deadline for Extended French Applications. No SNOW DATE. February 18-Lenten Mass @ 9:30 a.m. Page 5 of 8 Page 6 of 8 Page 7 of 8 Page 8 of 8