St. Sofia
Byzantine Catholic School
Sharing, Caring and Preparing
ШКОЛА СВЯТОЇ СОФІЇ
St. Sofia School
Virtue of the Month
3450 Havenwood Drive
Mississauga, ON L4X 1M9
Tel: 905-625-0823
Fax: 905-412-3073
Website:
www.dpcdsb.org/SOFIA
Twitter
@StSofia_DPCDSB
CONSCIENCE
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Principal
J. Dmytrasz
Vice-Principal
I. Sauvé
Secretaries
N. Vereshchak
P. Trussler
Superintendent
T. Lariviere
905-890-1221
Parish Priests
St. Mary’s Church
905-279-9387
Rt. Rev. Mitred Archpriest Dr.
Roman Pankiw, Dean, Pastor
Rev. Roman Trynoga, Assistant
St. Elias Church
905-459-8888
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that
we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Mitrophoric Archpriest Roman
Galadza, Pastor
Trustees
Brampton:
A. da Silva
D. D’Souza
S. Xaviour
Caledon:
F. Di Cosola
Dates to Know...
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416-706-5679
905-495-3377
416-705-1030
905-951-8898
Mississauga:
M. Pascucci
905-302-3096
mario.pascucci@dpcdsb.org
S. Hobin
905-301-1210
A. Abbruscato
416-459-0126
T. Thomas
416-845-8225
L. del Rosario
905-542-8747
B. Iannicca
905-270-0536
E. O’Toole
905-812-5163
November 2015
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Nov 10—Catholic School Council
Meeting at 6:30 pm, Room 113.
 Nov 11 - Remembrance Day
Ceremony, 10:30 a.m. All welcome!
 Nov 16 - 20 - Bullying Awareness
and Prevention Week
 Nov 17 - Progress Reports sent
home with students
Nov 19 - Parent-Teacher Interview Evening until 8:50 p.m..
Nov 19 - Canadian Opera Company performance of The Bremen
Town Musicians for Grades 1—6 students.
Nov 23 - First Solemn Holy Communion Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Nov 27 - Memorial service for Holodomor Victims, 10:30 a.m.
Nov 28 - Pylypivka begins...
Dec 17 - St. Nicholas Concert, 6:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Church Hall
In this issue:
 November’s Virtue
 Bullying Awareness &
Prevention Initiatives
 Progress Report Cards
 Criminal Reference Checks
 FSL Programs—SK and
Grade 4
 Student Health & Safety
 Catholic School Council
 Green Team Update
 Library News
 Math @ Home
November’s Virtue: Conscience
During the month of November, we celebrate the virtue of Conscience. Conscience is the voice of
God within us. A developed conscience helps us to make decisions that encourage and support truly
loving relationships. We trust that the common Spirit we share
inspires us and guides us to make good decisions if we allow our
conscience to be well-formed. A person of conscience allows prayer
and scripture to influence him/her.
A Person of Conscience…
 Chooses the “right thing” and feels good about it
 Can see how his/her actions may hurt others
 Admits his/her actions may hurt others
 Says “sorry” and tries to make up for mistakes
 Keeps promises
A Prayer for Conscience
Gracious and merciful God of all creation,
During this season of remembrance, we remember how you have gifted us with free will,
You have given us the virtue of conscience in order to bring to life your plan
for a safe, caring, inclusive community here at St. Sofia.
May your virtue of conscience free us to make decisions that serve the good of all your people.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, who lived to show us your way. AMEN.
REMEMBRANCE DAY “Lest We Forget”
On Wednesday, November 11,
the staff and students at St. Sofia
School will honour, remember,
and pray for those who fought
for and gave their lives for our
peace and freedom. Every year
on November 11, Canadians
pause in a moment of silence to
honour and remember the men
and women who have served,
and continue to serve Canada
during times of war, conflict and
peace. We remember the more
than 1,500,000 Canadians who
have served throughout our nation’s history and the more than
118,000 who made the ultimate
sacrifice. All are welcome to join
us on November 11th, 10:30am
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
the torch; be yours to hold it high.
If we break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
By John McCrae
METROPOLITAN ANDREY SHEPTETSKY WEEK
From November 2—6, our school honoured and prayed for
Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyj. His great leadership and
determination helped to renew the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
He was a true pastor to his people.
God grant him eternal rest.
Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyj is a man to be honored and
emulated. He dedicated his life to God, to the Church and to the
Ukrainian culture and heritage. He showed his great love for the
Ukrainian people (and people of all nationalities as well)
especially the students and the young people. His deeds should
inspire our lives. By following his example we can dedicate our
lives to God’s laws and His love.
After learning the ways in which Metropolitan Andrey lived his
life fully and wisely, we, too, can make wiser choices to give
meaning to our lives and to live our lives fully. To help us make
wiser choices Metropolitan Andrey wrote a prayer about the
Holy Wisdom of God. We have to remember that Holy Wisdom
is also called Saint Sofia. And the Holy Wisdom of God has a
special meaning for us today in this school.
81st COMMEMORATION of the HOLODOMOR
FAMINE—GENOCIDE in UKRAINE
On Friday, November 25, the students will gather in the cafetorium to commemorate the
Great Famine in Ukraine in 1932-1933. All are welcome to attend at 10:30 a.m.
Eighty-one years ago, millions of Ukrainians were deliberately starved to death. This
engineered famine is known as Holodomor, which means “inflicting death by starvation”.
Ukraine was a republic of the Soviet Union in 1932-33. The Communist regime first took the
people's land, then seized all the grain in Ukraine. In many areas, it confiscated all other food
as well, leaving farmers and their families with nothing to eat.
The harvest had been plentiful, but the Ukrainian people were forbidden from keeping any of
it, and millions of Ukrainians starved while Soviet authorities sold the grain or exported it
abroad.
During the Holodomor and for seventy years afterwards, the USSR denied the famine. It
was unlawful to mention it. Many in the West, especially those sympathetic to the
Communist regime, chose to disbelieve accounts of intentional starvation. With the
collapse of the USSR in 1991, archives were opened for the first time for Holodomor
researchers.
Through Acts of Parliament, the governments of Canada and five provinces, including
Ontario, recognize this act as genocide and set aside a day of remembrance for the millions
who were starved to death, many of whom were children. In many schools across Canada,
this is done on the 4th Friday in November. Many survivors have descendants now living in
Canada.
Source: http://holodomor.powweb.com/education/events-and-activities/holodomor-memorial-day.html
NOVEMBER PROGRESS REPORT CARDS
With the release of Growing Success, Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario Schools (2010), a
number of changes have occurred in reporting practices in elementary schools, particularly affecting students
in grades one through eight. There no longer are three report cards per year. Instead, students in grades one
through eight will be receiving a progress report to be sent home on November 17, 2015, and two provincial
report cards to be sent home on February 2, 2016 and June 28, 2016.
Full-Day Kindergarten students will receive their report cards in June.
Parents of Full-Day Kindergarten students will be provided with
opportunities to meet with their child’s teacher to discuss progress
during each reporting period.
The parent, teacher, student conferences for grades 1– 8, as
requested by the classroom teacher, are scheduled for the evening
of Thursday, November 19, 2015. However, you are encouraged to
contact your child(ren)’s teacher at any time you require clarification,
or if you have questions or concerns about your child’s progress.
Teachers will endeavour to meet with ALL parents during Term 1
reporting and then, on a needs, or by request basis for the Term 2.
Thank you for your continued support of our students and teachers!
A HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING OF KEY ISSUES RELATED TO CATHOLIC EDUCATION
How long have Catholic separate schools been educating Catholic children and contributing to the public
good in Ontario?
For about 170 years. In the early 1800s there were separate schools in many cities, towns and townships. In
Peel, three separate schools opened before Confederation (1867): St. James in Malton in the 1830s, St. John’s
Agriculture College (1861) and St. Patrick (1861), both in Wildfield.
Why did the United Legislature of Canada East and Canada West keep improving separate school legislation?
It responded to Catholic parents, trustees, bishops and
priests, editors of the four Catholic newspapers,
members of the business and professional world, all of
who argued for legal and financial rights for separate
schools.
A great resource for you to explore…
“OUR STORY, OUR TRADITION, OUR JOURNEY”
ISBN 978-0-92138-50
EXTENDED FRENCH INFORMATION
MEETING for Gr. 4 parents
Parent(s)/guardians, who wish to enroll their
Grade 4 child in Grade 5 Extended French class
for September 2016 are invited to attend an
information meeting at:
St. Thomas More Catholic School
3270 Tomken Road,
Mississauga, Ontario
905 279-6472
Full-Day Kindergarten Registration
for 2016—2017
Registration for Full-Day Kindergarten for 20152016 will take place at St. Sofia on:
Monday, January 25, 2016 — 7:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m. **
Wednesday, January 27, 2016 — 9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 28, 2016 — 9:00 a.m.— 3:00 p.m.
Friday, January 29, 2016 — 9:00 a.m.— 3:00 p.m.
** Snow Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2016 — 7pm—9pm
Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.
The deadline for submission of completed
applications for the Extended French program
for the 2016-2017 school year will be
by 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 16, 2016.
For more information about registration and the
Full-Day Kindergarten program, call 905-277-0990 or
visit www.dpcdsb.org
GRADE 1 FRENCH IMMERSION
As a parent/guardian of a child in Dufferin-Peel Senior/Year 2 Kindergarten
classroom, parents may wish to consider the French Immersion program as a
possibility for Grade 1 in September 2016. French Immersion is a program in
which 90% of the Grade 1 instruction is delivered in French. Instruction in
English is added in later years.
Transportation is NOT provided for students. It is the responsibility of
parents/guardians to transport their children to and from the French
Immersion Centre.
A letter was sent home with Senior Kindergarten students inviting families to apply for their child’s placement
in French Immersion Grade 1, beginning September 2015. French Immersion sites are located in various schools
in Dufferin-Peel. Please check this letter for further details about the application process and deadlines.
French Immersion Centres
Session Location
Date and Time
St. Gertrude
St. Pio of Pietrelcina
St. Pio of Pietrelcina
4765 Huron Heights Drive, Miss.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 7:00
p.m.
Our Lady of Providence
St. Angela Merici
St. Joachim
St. Angela Merici
83 Edenbrook Hill Drive, Brampton
Tuesday, November 11, 2015 at 7:00
p.m.
Divine Mercy
St. Elizabeth Seton
St. Margaret of Scotland
Thursday, November 12, 2015 at 7:00
2266 Council Ring Road, Mississauga p.m.
Neighbourhood Policing Unit
Our NPU officers have been
assigned to liaise with
elementary school principals
in the Region of Peel once
again this year. Peel Police
are committed to continuing
to strengthen partnerships
with schools.
Our NPU Officers will be visiting our school regularly
and do presentations for students and staff. This
year, our school Youth Education Officer wiil be
Constable Holly Faulkner, who will do presentations
on timely topics such as bullying prevention,
Internet and personal safety as well as making safe
choices.
Fire Drills & Lockdown Practices
We are required to conduct three fire drills in the fall and
three in the spring. We are also required to practice two
lockdown drills during the year. Lockdown drills involve
students moving away from the classroom door to a location within the classroom away
from windows. Lights are turned
off and doors are locked. These
practices are to ensure that students and staff are prepared in
case we should need to go into
lockdown. Lockdown would be
initiated by police and/or board
personnel.
Mandatory Criminal Reference Checks for Volunteers
According to Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board General Administrative Procedures 318.00 801.00
14.05, Criminal Background Check (CRC) including a Vulnerable Sector Police Records Search is
required for ALL volunteers that will come into direct and regular contact with students.
Parents/Guardians/Volunteers who wish to assist with supervision of educational excursions (field trips) are also
expected to have completed a Criminal Background Check and Vulnerable Sector Search.
Volunteers who have previously submitted a valid CRC will be required to complete an Annual Offence
Declaration each September. See our school secretary, Pani Vereshchak for more information. The principal is
required to report to the Superintendent of Human Resources any charges or convictions listed on the Criminal
Background Check of the Offence Declaration. Vulnerable sector forms are available from our school office and
require P. Dmytrasz’s approval prior to processing by Peel Regional Police. Due to the high volume of requests,
Peel Regional Police do require 3—6 weeks for processing.
CRC’s previously obtained for community organizations e.g. Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, soccer, hockey and the
like are NOT acceptable for our purposes. A separate and new CRC specific to the school is required.
These new policies will have direct impact upon teachers’ ability to plan and facilitate educational excursions for
your son/daughter. Parents play an integral role to help augment learning experiences. If interested, don’t delay
in applying for a Vulnerable Sector/Criminal Reference Check.
Examples of volunteer experience requiring Vulnerable Sector (Criminal Reference Checks):
Catholic School Council
Class excursions (field trips) Local community walk
(e.g. Terry Fox)
In-class support
Book Fair help
Library help
Pizza Day
Dance-a-thons
Helping with school socials Kindergarten Play-Day
E.g. At church after liturgies Gr. 1—8 Play-Day
We need you!
Coaching
Driving Athletic teams to
tournaments and meets
INTERMEDIATE VOLLEYBALL
Over the past two months, our Intermediate boys and girls
volleyball teams have been waking up early and giving up
recesses to practice daily. Their hard work and effort has really
paid off. Both teams have worked to refine and develop their
skills and strategies in this very competitive sport.
A special thanks to the coaches for their unwavering
commitment and belief in the students!
Boys Team: Adrian H., Vlad K., Marko Z., Daniel L., Roman D.,
Peter B., Michael T., Roman K., Matthew T., Maksym K.,
Theodore I., Dennis F.
Girls Team: Natalie D., Nicole M., Zorianna P., Ivanna S., Sophia S., Christina T.,
Yulia T., Olena C., Julia H., Larysa C., Sarah H., and Anna S.
SCHOOL YARD SAFETY
Rough play on the schoolyard can
lead to injuries. Pushing, shoving,
play fighting are forms of
unacceptable play that compromise
student safety. Please reinforce with
your children the “keep your hands
and feet to yourself” rule.
Vacations During the School Year
The expectation is to have students in school for the full school
year — September to June. Teachers have
a great deal of curriculum to cover and need
sufficient time to properly assess and evaluate student learning. Please make all efforts to refrain from booking holidays during the school year. Your consideration, cooperation and attention to this matter is
greatly appreciated.
STUDENT COUNCIL 2015 –2016
Introducing this year’s
Student Council…
MICHAEL T. PETER D.
ANNA S.
YULIA T.
PETER B.
IVANKA S.
Under the direction of Pahn Baran and
Pani Babicky, the Student Council are
working hard to ensure a faith-filled
and fun-filled school year for all the students at St. Sofia!
They will be leading many initiatives to bring awareness
about many issues important to students and our school community. They were able to successfully lead our first Food
Drive of the year where the very generous donations of our
families were sent to Mississauga Food Bank.
We look forward to more exciting events as the year
progresses!
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL 2015-2016
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL EXECUTIVE TRAINING:
On Saturday, November 7, 2015, members of the executive council
will participate in a webinar Training Session for Catholic School
Councils, to help members clarify roles and responsibilities of the
School Council. This is an excellent opportunity to foster
relationships with other parent representatives on School Councils.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF SCHOOL COUNCIL:
Catholic School Councils are an integral part of the school community,
working in partnership with home, school and parish. Examples of
some of the initiatives supported by school council at St. Sofia include
organization of pizza days, support of the St. Nicholas concert, fundraising events, to name a few.
The three goals and objectives of School Council are to:
1) Support school administration and staff to augment and supplement school curriculum needs such as
literacy and numeracy initiatives;
2) Support the efforts of extra-curricular activities; and
3) Facilitate open communication and sharing of information within School Council and to the general
OUR UPCOMING MEETING is on November 10th at 6:30 P.M.in Room 113 - ALL ARE WELCOME!!
FOOD ALLERGIES
Each year, attention is drawn to the fact that in our school we
have students who suffer from food allergies. The most common
of the food allergies is the “peanut allergy.” For students who
have this severe allergy, it can be a life-threatening situation.
While we cannot guarantee that food containing certain
allergens is never brought to school, we do request that parents,
especially those whose children are in classes with anaphylactic
children, cooperate and refrain from sending potentially
dangerous food items to school (items with nuts, peanuts or
made with peanut
oil). Thank you for
your cooperation and serious attention to making St.
Sofia School an “allergy-safe” environment. Parents
please advise school staff if your child’s medical needs
have changed or if he/she has developed any allergies
of which we need to be aware.
ST. SOFIA GREEN TEAM
WASTE REDUCTION WEEK A GREAT SUCCESS!
The Green Team is happy to report that the students
of St. Sofia made great efforts to reduce the amount
of lunchtime waste through their efforts of bringing
litterless lunches to school, along with making efforts
to reduce the amount of garbage each student
produced. Through the Green Team’s Waste Audit,
it was discovered that less than half of what is
regularly garbage was produced that week. Way to
go students! Thank you to parents for also helping
to support greater awareness of environmental
stewardship and sustainability.
Parents are encouraged to help their children
develop responsible habits and choices when it comes to
lunches and snacks. Students are encouraged to bring
litterless lunches and re-useable water bottles. Items such as
Tupperware, cutlery from home, cloth napkins and the like
help to cut down waste. Also please consider avoiding nonrecyclable items such as plastic wrap, plastic cutlery, sandwich
bags and juice boxes!
The GREEN TEAM will be introducing their USED CELL PHONE
CAMPAIGN and they are hopeful that everyone at St. Sofia will
contribute their broken or outdated cell phones for recycling.
More information to come!
UNIFORMS and INDOOR SHOES
Parents are asked to help enforce proper uniform and footwear at St. Sofia. All students should be in
compliance with the correct uniform items and footwear. Shirts should be tucked in, proper cardigans or
sweaters (not personal sweaters or hoodies), pants, tunics, skorts, etc. should be from our uniform
provider. A number of students have been wearing brightly coloured running shoes. Indoor shoes should
be dark, preferably black or navy. Running shoes are only for gym, DPA, or recess use. Students should not
be wearing running shoes, boots (e.g. Uggs), or moccasins as part of their everyday uniform. Uniform
checks will begin shortly and students who are not wearing a proper uniform will be issued a parent letter
asking to have the uniform item not in compliance, corrected. Students’ are “uniform” in their appearance
when they are compliant with uniform expectations. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance.
matter.
In order to keep our students safe and their working
environment clean, please ensure that your child has a
pair of “indoor” shoes at school. It will reduce the
amount of dirt, mud and snow brought indoors. These
shoes should conform with St. Sofia uniform policy.
Boots of any kind are not considered part of the school
uniform.
THE COLDER WEATHER Has Arrived!
As the temperature begins to drop, please ensure that your child comes to school
prepared to participate in all activities including outdoor recess. All children should
have hats, scarves, gloves, warm coats and boots, labeled with their names.
In colder weather we often receive requests for children to remain indoors when
students have a cold. Please note that we cannot accommodate this request, as we
have neither the facilities, nor the staff to supervise these students. If you feel your
child is not well enough to go outside, please keep your child at home; moreover,
health officials indicate that fresh air is beneficial, as long as students are dressed
appropriately.
On extreme cold days, we limit the amount of time that students spend outdoors. We obtain our weather
information from the Environment Canada Weather Information Line and follow board guidelines. With the
exception of these occasions, all children will go out for every recess.
TRANSPORTATION IN WINTER
During the winter months, inclement weather and/or poor road conditions may cause the disruption of bus
transportation and regular school operations. In these cases, parents/guardians should develop alternate
care/transportation arrangements. A decision to cancel bus transportation and/or to close schools is made by
6:00 a.m. Decisions are based on several factors including precipitation, air temperature and road conditions. A
decision to cancel bus transportation may be system wide (where all buses in Dufferin County and the Region of
Peel are cancelled) or municipality specific (where buses in one or more municipalities are cancelled). If buses
are cancelled in the morning, they will not operate in the afternoon. Therefore students transported to school by
parents require the same transportation home.
Notification: Information regarding bus cancellation and other emergency information announcements can be
obtained by visiting www.stopr.ca or businfo.stopr.ca
A bus cancellation and/or school closure message will also be available online at www.dpcdsb.org.
Parent/student general inquiries, please call 905 890-6000 or 1-800 668-1140.
Regular attendance & Punctuality
Regular attendance and punctuality are important life skills that
apply not only in the educational setting, but also in various other
settings and especially in the work place. When a student arrives
late, it is a disruption to his/her learning as well as to the learning of
the other students in the class. A total of the number of days absent
and late are documented and become part of the student’s record.
Students should arrive on time to line up with their peers when the
bell rings. It is important to address frequent absences and late
arrivals for non-medical reasons early as they may have a long-term
negative impact. It is a parent’s responsibility, as outlined in the
Education Act, to ensure that their child is in regular attendance
and on time for school. When regular attendance and punctuality are problematic, a meeting
with parents, the principal, and other school personnel may be required in order to discuss a
plan for helping the child to improve attendance or prompt arrival.
St. Sofia’s Bullying Awareness & Prevention initiatives
At St. Sofia, we have a commitment to make bullying awareness and prevention a priority. This
priority will be undertaken through a comprehensive plan for the creation of “bully-free” learning
and work environments characterized by friendships founded on mutual acceptance, inclusion,
and respect for the dignity of each person, created in God’s image.
St. Sofia cares! The best way to protect students from bullying and other forms of aggression is to establish clearly articulated expectations for behaviour and
to work collaboratively to engage the entire community in taking responsibility for school safety. This requires leadership from administration, staff, and parents, who must consistently model and reinforce pro-social behaviour, mutual respect, and a deep caring for the well-being of all members of the community.
The most effective approach to bullying prevention is within a whole-school approach. This approach is
articulated in all Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board schools through
local Catholic Community, Culture and Caring Action Teams (CCCAT), which meet
a minimum of three times per school year, and include membership from
administration, teaching staff, support staff, parents, students, and the broader
community. The combined efforts of students, parents and community members
working together with educators to create a school-wide plan, is required to
develop a school community where students and staff feel respected and parents
and community members are welcomed.
All members of the community have a
responsibility to create and maintain a positive
climate by ensuring
that no one feels
demeaned, belittled
or humiliated, and all
feel
free
to
express,
without
fear of ridicule,
their creativity and
individual gifts in the service of others.
To establish this positive climate, staff,
students, parish and community partners
collaborate in a process of authentic Catholic
community building.
Students are made aware that bullying
behaviours may result in suspension and/or
expulsion, and those
who choose to bully
others will participate
in interventions,
consequences and
ongoing supports to
help them behave in
more positive ways.
St. Sofia in Action!
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Daily prayers, school-wide announcements using
Gospel values and virtues which focus on school
rules, suggestions on how to get along, WWJD?
Virtue announcements and assemblies
Class-wide social skills for each grade level.
“WITS” program: Walk away, ignore, talk it out,
seek help.
Individual sessions to help resolve/discuss
solutions
At recess time to help younger students develop
positive peer interactions and friendship skills,
which develops a positive school climate.
Reward system for incentives as needed
(depending on students’ understanding)
Creating a “Peace Place” in the classroom for
conflict resolution, discussion, and reflection.
Youth Education Officer presentations.
Regular communication and presence of our
Neighbourhood Policing Unit.
Teacher and staff professional development
opportunities, workshops, and resources (e.g.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusive education
workshops, Bullying Prevention Symposium).
Board Progressive Discipline policy (e.g. Think
Paper, detention, letter home, parent meeting,
available support services such as CYW, Social
Worker or community agencies such as Peel
Children’s Centre).
Peel Public Health—Bullying Prevention Program
Just to name a few!!
COLD and FLU SEASON
As cold and flu season approaches, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board continues to be vigilant
in ensuring that our schools are clean and that our school
communities are educated regarding good hand hygiene and cough
etiquette. These practices are promoted on an ongoing basis, but as
the prevalence of colds and flu increases, our board increases the
cleaning of contact surfaces, as well as reminds schools to review cold and flu prevention with students and staff.
Many resources are utilized from our regional health units.
A reminder, as well, that communicable diseases can be contracted in public places throughout the year. For
example, cold-related viruses, such as Enterovirus, are transferred from person to person through hand contact.
Cold and flu viruses typically peak from December through February, but can start as early as October.
Regional Health Unit Resources
Please assist us by reviewing good hand washing procedures, as well as other preventative measures, as
outlined in the various Peel Health and Wellington Dufferin Guelph (WDG) resources available to you through
their websites. As always, children who are unwell, should be kept at home.
Flu Clinics
Also available on the Peel Health and WDG websites, are the schedules of local Flu Clinics.
See: http://www.peelregion.ca/flu/clinics/
Direct links to the above information can also be found in the tab marked ‘Parents’ on the Board website
http://www.dpcdsb.org
LIBRARY NEWS by PANI NEAVE
We are happy to announce that the St. Sofia
Library is now officially open to students and
staff! Everyone has been extremely patient as
the installation of the new library shelving
experienced many
delays. We are
happy to say that the library looks
beautiful and students have been excited
to return for lessons with Pani Neave as
well as book exchanges and more!
Thank you once again to our Catholic
School Council for so generously giving
to our students!
Web Resources:
Primary: Hickory Dickory Dock
www.ictgames.com
Junior: Clockworks www.bbc.co.uk/
schools/ks1bitesize/numeracy/time
Time
Students need to learn to tell time on both analogue and
digital clocks. The world is increasingly digital but
there are still analogue clocks in use. Telling time helps
develop skills in proportional reasoning, fractions, skip
counting and understanding elapsed time. Use every-
day activities and make it fun!
FAMILY MATH ACTIVITY
K-3
Make it a practice to use timers as a tool to teach your child the
length of a minute or group of minutes (“You have ___ minutes to
get ready for ___.”)
Grades 4-6
Discuss with your child how much time has passed (“You started
school at 8:30 and you finished at 3. How long were you at school
today?”), or how much longer it will take (“How much longer did it
take a shower than brush your teeth?”).
Grade 7 and 8 - Free Math Tutoring!
Homework Help is more than just free tutoring Sunday to Thursday nights from 5:30 to
9:30 pm. The site offers a wide variety of resources such as videotaped lessons and interactive tutorials. Plus students get a virtual locker to keep a record of their sessions
which is great for review before tests and end of the unit evaluations.
Register today at https://homeworkhelp.ilc.org/ .
All you need to register is your student OEN number which is found on your report card.
If you have additional questions, please contact
your classroom teacher
LARYSA’S GIFT of LOVE
Congratulations to Larysa
D. in Pani Mazur’s class for
her generous donation of
her long, beautiful hair to
A Child’s Voice Foundation
—Angel Hair for Kids!
Larysa was inspired by
Katrina Z., a former
student at St. Sofia. Thank
you, Larysa, for now being
an inspiration to others
who may now want to
follow in your footsteps of love and beautiful act of kindness!
Angel Hair for Kids™ is a program of A Child’s Voice Foundation™ that provides wigs and hair loss solutions
to financially disadvantaged children in Canada who have lost their hair due to a medical condition or
treatment. Using hair that is generously donated to the program, the foundation can create wigs and hair
systems and provide them at no cost to the child’s family. It takes 10-12 donated ponytails to make one
hair prosthesis and $800 to $1000 is budgeted by the foundation to cover manufacturing and related
costs.
Every year many children in Canada will lose their hair due to conditions such as cancer treatments,
alopecia and even burns. We believe that providing a wig or hair loss solution will increase a child’s self
esteem and improve their self image, during a difficult and
sometimes painful time in their lives. We hope to help them
face their condition
and daily life with a
greater confidence.
Since the program’s
inception only three
years ago we are
proud to say that we
have helped over 150
children, and the
demand is steadily
increasing.