ST. SOFIA
Byzantine CatholIc School
Sharing, Caring and Preparing
ШКОЛА СВЯТОЇ СОФІЇ
St. Sofia School
3540 Havenwood Drive
Mississauga, ON L4X 1M9
Tel: 905-625-0823
Fax: 905-412-3073
Website:
www.dpcdsb.org/SOFIA
Twitter:
@StSofia_DPCDSB
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. R. Trynoga, Assistant
PRAYER for the NEW YEAR
Virtue of the Month
SELF-CONTROL
Dear Lord, as this new year is born I give it to Thy hand,
Content to walk by faith what paths I cannot understand.
Whatever coming days may bring of bitter loss, or gain,
Or every crown of happiness; should sorrow come, or pain,
Or, Lord, if all unknown to me Thine angel hovers near
To bear to me that farther shore before another year,
It matters not — my hand in Thine,
Thy light upon my face,
Thy boundless strength when I am weak,
Thy love and saving grace!
I only ask, loose not my hand,
Grip fast my soul, and be
My guiding light upon the path
‘Til, blind no more, I see! Amen.
St. Elias Church
905-459-8888
Mitrophoric Archpriest Roman
Galadza, Pastor
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY DAY
Curriculum/Faith
Trustees
Brampton
A. da Silva
416-706-5679
D. D’Souza
416-528-8515
S. Xaviour
416-528-9622
Caledon
F. Di Cosola
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
416-528-6447
B. Iannicca
905-270-0536
E. O’Toole
905-812-5163
January 2016
Development
JANUARY 7th, 2016
School closed
Upcoming Dates
January 13th—Malanka Dance for students
January 14th—Happy New Year! Posivannia
January 18th—Holy Theophany, Feast of Jordan—Students at
Divine Liturgy at St. Mary’s Church at 10:30a.m.
January 18—22—Waste-Free Lunch Challenge
January 19th —Catholic School Council Meeting, 6:30 p.m. in
the Library. All are welcome to attend!
January 25—29– Kindergarten Registration
January 26th– Gr. 8 Graduation photos
REPORT CARDS will be sent
home February 2, 2016.
In this issue:
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Liturgical Activities
Winter Weather Messages
Transportation Info
Kindergarten Registration
January’s Virtue: Self-Control
“Like a city breached, without walls, is one who lacks self-control.” - Proverbs 25:28
In January, we celebrate the virtue of Self-Control. God wants us to do what we know and feel is right.
A person with self-control…
 Is patient
 Knows how to wait his/her turn
 Can calm him/herself down and think before reaching situations
 Knows how to avoid physical aggression (hitting, kicking, pushing, etc.)
 Can think things through
REFLECTION...
Self-control helps us to resist the temptation to do something that we will regret.
It also helps us to resist the temptation to do something that will harm ourselves
or others. Each time you exercise self-control you grow stronger in the Lord and
invite peace to settle over your life as you avoid any guilt you may feel from having made a poor decision.
A PRAYER for SELF-CONTROL
God be merciful to me, teach and instill within me the fruits of the Spirit,
Open our minds and help us to understand what you are calling us to do,
You graced us with a forgiving heart and a desire to please you.
God work inside our hearts and help your fruits of the Spirit to flourish
May we be witness to you and live true to the golden rule,
“treat others as we would like to be treated.”
Let us pray for the virtue of self-control so that we will resist the temptation
To cause harm to ourselves and others around us. AMEN.
Books to read with your child about self-control:
 Charlie Anderson by Barbara Abercrombie
 Emma’s Rug by Allen Say
 The Three Questions by Jan Muth
 Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco
 Grandma’s Secret Letter by Maggie S. Davis and
John C. Wallner
 The Great Elephant by Nik Ranieri
 The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
Pylypivka Activities
CHRISTMAS FOOD DRIVE
Thank you to all the families who were able to contribute non-perishable food items to our
Christmas Food Drive. Food was collected and boxed by the Student Council and sent to
support Mississauga Food Bank.
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF in UKRAINE & for
SYRIAN REFUGEES
Thank you to all St. Sofia families for their generous donations toward our
school’s efforts to provide humanitarian relief to the ongoing war in Ukraine
and to Syrian refugees. The donations were sent through the Ukrainian
Canadian Social Services and Pomich Ukrainy. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
Thank you to Pahn Baran, Pani Babicky,the Ukrainian Department, and the St. Sofia Student Council for leading these activities!
Svichechka
Students and staff participated in “Svichechka” (Lighting of Candles), sang koliady and stated intentions
on January 6, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. in our school gym.
ST. NICHOLAS CONCERT
On Thursday, December 17th, the
Kindergarten to Grade 5 students
delighted family, friends and staff by
singing, dancing, acting and playing
musical instruments. The students were
excited to find that when they arrived at
school the next day, St. Nicholas had
visited their classrooms leaving behind a
bag of wonderful gifts!
Thank you to the Catholic School Council
for their generous support of St. Nicholas
and to the parents and volunteers who
dedicated their time to support this
school event!! Also, thank you to the St.
Sofia community for the monetary
donations and winter items — your
generosity is greatly appreciated!
Holy Theophany
Each year at Holy Theophany
we remember the amazing
revelation of God’s nature
and the re-sanctification of
creation. We confirm our
belief in both the Holy Trinity
and our life in the world to
come every time we say the
Nicene Creed or make the
sign of the Cross.
For the Feast of Holy
Theophany, students will
attend a Divine Liturgy at St.
Mary’s on January 18th.
They are asked to bring a
small container with them
to church that day.
Catholic Community, Culture, and Caring
Region of Peel Public Health – Bullying Prevention
January’s Message is…
“Conflict is inevitable, bullying is not.”
Focus: Recognizing the difference between conflict and bullying.
Objective: At St. Sofia, students will learn to differentiate bullying from the daily conflict situations everyone faces. Students will learn how to use “I-messages” to deal with conflict
and initial bullying situations.
Something to think about… As schools start to focus on bullying and raise awareness with students, it is common for there to be a sudden upsurge in the identification of ‘bullying’ situation. It seems that everything becomes
bullying, especially with students. Becoming familiar with the definition is one step; learning to apply the definition to situations is the next.
Everyone faces conflict in daily life and through it can learn
to negotiate and build relationships. Bullying is a form of
violence that leaves no room for negotiation and seeks to
tear others down rather than build relationships.
The power imbalance between the person bullying and the
person being bullied is the best and quickest determinant of
bullying versus conflict. Power can come in many forms:
size, age, strength, number, social status, economic resources, ability, or sense of self. Children who bully usually
find pleasure in their behaviours and the reaction of others.
Weather Reminders
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
C, students should not go outside for
recess. DPCDSB policy uses a wind chill of –
20C as the determining temperature for
modified recesses. At St. Sofia, students
will remain inside when the wind chill is
reported to be –20C or lower and we will modify the
duration of lunch recesses when the temperature reaches –
18C. Please ensure children are dressed appropriately for the
cold weather.
Reminder: Children who are too ill
to go outside are too ill to come to
school. There is no supervision for
children to remain indoors for
recess.
Snow Stays On the Ground!
Snow is part of our winter
life in Canada, providing
both frustration and
enjoyment. We all like to
play in it; however, snow
and ice can be very
dangerous. In fact, most
injuries happen during
wintertime.
For safety reasons, OUR SCHOOL RULE must be that snow
stays on the ground – no snowball throwing, kicking snow or
any other activity with snow or ice that could be harmful,
which includes sliding on slopes, snowplow hills, or icy
patches.
A “Snowball Letter” will be sent home for parent
signature when a student breaks this school rule.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO REINFORCE
THESE SAFETY RULES WITH YOUR CHILDREN.
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION 2016-2017
Parents of Kindergarten Children with
Special Needs
Kindergarten registration for the 2016-17 school year
will take place at all Catholic elementary schools in
Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Bolton and
Orangeville on the following days:
On Tuesday, January 12th, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board’s Special Education and Support
Services Department will host a Kindergarten entry
planning information session. This meeting is for
parents and guardians of children with special needs
which affect their learning, such as vision, hearing,
physical, developmental or autism, who are entering
Kindergarten in September 2016.
Monday , January 25th *
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 27th 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 28th
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Friday, January 29th
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
*Snow Date (if required)
Tuesday, January 26th, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The meeting will be held at the:
Catholic Education Centre
40 Matheson Boulevard West
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. in Room 301.
For more information about this session,
please call Laura Conte at 905-890-0708 ext. 24011.
SNOW DATE-January 13, 2016
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL HERITAGE
The history of Catholic schools in Ontario since 1841 is one of dedication
and perseverance in the face of financial hardship and adversity. Due to the
commitment of the religious teaching Orders, the bishops and priests, the
teachers, parents and students, our forebears have handed to us a great gift
– a fully funded public Catholic school
system.
The courts of Ontario and Canada have reinforced the rights of the Catholic school system
with a number of judgments which affirmed the rights of separate school boards to:
(a) have their guaranteed powers in the Separate School Act of 1863 improved,
(b) receive equitable funding,
(c) prefer Catholics when hiring elementary and secondary school teachers,
(d) have their own buildings,
(e) have an exclusive Catholic school community.
The integration of religious truths and values with life is one of the most significant
elements that distinguish the Catholic school from other schools. This is a matter of crucial
importance today in view of contemporary trends and pressures to compartmentalize life and learning and to isolate the
religious dimension of existence from other areas of human life. The courts have recognized, over the years that Catholic
education is not a subject but rather a way to view the world that speaks to the interrelationship between faith, knowledge
and action. The Catholic school is a unique setting within which this ideal can be realized in the lives Catholic children and
young people. In our Catholic schools this reality can and is lived out.
TRANSPORTATION CONTACT INFORMATION
The school office closes at 4:30 p.m. After that time there is no one available to answer phone calls. We recognize that it
is important for parents to know the whereabouts of their child if the bus is delayed to due weather, traffic, etc.
Contact either STOPR at (905)890-6000 or check their website at www.stopr.ca or the bus company directly. Once the
school buses leave the school this is the best method to locate them.
Bus # 1
Bus # 2
Bus # 3
Bus # 4
Bus # 5
Bus # 6
Bus # 7
Bus # 8
Bus # 9
Bus # 10
Bus # 11
Bus # 12
Bus # 13
Bus # 14
Bus # 15
Bus # 16
Bus # 17
Bus # 18
SOF. 101
SOF. 102
SOF. 103
SOF. 104
SOF. 105
SOF. 106
SOF. 107
SOF. 108
SOF. 109
SOF. 110
SOF. 111
SOF. 112
SOF. 113
SOF. 114
SOF. 115
SOF. 116
SOF. 117
WSO. 190
Rte. 0313 Switzer-Carty
Rte. 0374 Attridge
Rte. 0005 First Student
Rte. 0026 First Student
Rte. 1435 First Student
Rte. 0006 First Student
Rte. 0283 Switzer-Carty
Rte. 0022 First Student
Rte. 0015 First Student
Rte. 1410 First Student
Rte. 0012 First Student
Rte. 0298 Switzer-Carty
Rte. 0036 First Student
Rte. 0220 Switzer-Carty
Rte. 1418 First Student
Rte. 1414 First Student
Rte. 1108 Switzer-Carty
Rte. 2442 Attridge
(905) 276-2224
(905) 855-7771
(905) 270-0561
(905) 270-0561
(905) 270-0561
(905) 270-0561
(905) 276-2224
(905) 270-0561
(905) 270-0561
(905) 270-0561
(905) 270-0561
(905) 276-2224
(905) 270-0561
(905) 276-2224
(905) 270-0561
(905) 270-0561
(905) 276-2224
(905) 855-7771
INCLEMENT WEATHER - CANCELLATIONS
Once again the prospect of inclement weather is upon us. A decision to cancel school
transportation and/or to close schools is usually made by 6:00 a.m. on radio stations. The
greatest confusion occurs when announcements effect transportation for certain geographic
areas.
If the announcement says: “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 including buses and
vans have been cancelled for the entire day.
If the announcement says: “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARDS BUSES
AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON AND COUNTY OF
DUFFERIN ARE CANCELLED. This means that ONLY BUS #10 AND BUS #16 are cancelled.
If the announcement says: “THE SCHOOL 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
schools and offices are closed to all staff and students.
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.
Web Resources:
Primary:
Clifford Big Red Dog Measuring Up
http://pbskids.org/games/math.html
Junior:
Units of Measure
www.onlinemathlearning.com
Measurement
People with measurement sense have an
understanding of the “howmuchness” of
different standard units. (A Guide to
Effective Instruction in Mathematics,
K-3, Measurement)
Family Math Activities
Grades K-2
Compare large cans with small cans and large boxes with small boxes. Which one is big? Which
one is small? How do you know?
Talk about heavy versus light items in a grocery store
Find the shortest and longest line in a grocery store
Estimate the number of footsteps between two trees on your walk
Keep a record of the daily temperature outside and your child’s outdoor activities. After a few
weeks, ask your child to look at the record and see how the temperature affected his or her activities
Grades 3-6
Have your child use a measuring tape or ruler to measure the dimensions of various household
items (e.g. food containers). Encourage your child to estimate the dimensions before measuring
Discuss how far a kilometer is
Walk a kilometer together – estimate the distance between two objects while on your walk
Grades 7 and 8
Measurement Game Show
www.resources.elearningontario.ca (OERB)
Ontario Education Resource Bank: user id “dpcdsbstudent”; Password “oerbs”
Learning About Special Education: Understanding Mild Intellectual Disability
The Ontario Ministry of Education defines Mild Intellectual Disability as a
learning disorder characterized by:
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An inability to profit educationally within a regular class without the need of considerable
curriculum modification and supportive service.
An inability to profit educationally within a regular class because of slow intellectual development;
A potential for academic learning, independent social adjustment and economic selfsupport.
MID students may find:
 The pace of the class moves too quickly for them.
 The language structure and vocabulary too complex and so will have difficulty following class discussions.
 The language in reading materials especially in content rich subjects may be
challenging when the student lacks background information, or there are
demands on higher level thinking and conceptualization e.g. inferencing
and seeing cause and effect relationships.
Special programming or placement in the regular class assists these students
in being with other students who are socially appropriate and where mental
stimulation can occur, even if curriculum expectations need to be modified.
Research has shown that it is not damaging to the higher functioning students.

Teachers focus on essential concepts and principles as a context for applying
Individual Education Plan (IEP) skills.
 Use IEP goals in ways that integrate students with their peers rather than isolating them.
 Whenever possible, teaching for meaning—build frameworks for meaning
 Spotlight the student’s legitimate successes and contributions.
 Use small groups for teaching needed skills, re-teaching by need.
For more information, go to:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/speced.html
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/guide/resource/index.html
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/LearningforAll2013.pdf