St. Sofia
Byzantine Catholic School
Sharing, Caring and Preparing
ШКОЛА СВЯТОЇ СОФІЇ
St. Sofia School
c/o St. Kateri Tekakwitha
Catholic Learning Centre
3556 South Common Court
Mississauga, ON L5L 2B1
Tel: 905‐625‐0823
Fax: 905‐412‐3073
Website:
www.dpcdsb.org/SOFIA
Principal
P. Kasij
Acting Principal
J. Dmytrasz
Vice‐Principal
I. Sauvé
Secretaries
N. Vereshchak
M. van Putten
Superintendent
T. Lariviere
905‐890‐1221
Parish Priests
Rt. Rev. Dr. Roman Pankiw,
Pastor Dean
Rev. R. Trynoga, Assistant
St. Mary’s Church
905‐279‐9387
Mitred Archpriest
Roman Galadza, Pastor
St. Elias Church
905‐459‐8888
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
January 2015
PRAYER for the NEW YEAR
Dear Lord, as this new year is born I give it to Thy hand,
Virtue of the Month
SELF-CONTROL
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.
SUPERINTENDENT MISSISSAUGA EAST FAMILY OF SCHOOLS
Effective January 1st, 2015 our new Superintendent of the Mississauga East
Family of Schools is Mr. Tim Lariviere. Effective January 1st, Mr. Charles
Blanchard is the Superintendent of Strategic Planning, Policy & Special Projects.
We welcome Mr. Lariviere to Mississauga East. We wish to thank Mr. Blanchard
for his support during his tenure with the Mississauga East Family of Schools
and wish him continued success in his new portfolio.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY DAY
Assessment and Evaluation
of Student Progress
Upcoming Dates
JANUARY 19th, 2015
January 12—13th— See/Hear Tes ng
January 14th—Happy New Year! Posivannia
January 19th—Holy Theophany, Feast of Jordan
January 19th– Term 1 Ends. Professional Ac vity Day:
January 20th – Term 2 Begins
January 26th —Catholic School Council Mee ng, 7:00 p.m. in
the Computer Lab. All are welcome to a end!
January 26—30– Kindergarten Registra on
January 26th— MS Readathon Presenta ons
January 27th—MADD Presenta on “A ermath”
January 28th—Virtues Assemblies for Self‐Control
January 29th– Gr. 8 Gradua on photos
No school for students.
REPORT CARDS will be sent
home February 3, 2015.
In this issue:
 Liturgical Ac vi es
 Winter Weather Messages
 Transporta on Info
 Kindergarten Registra on
 Pani Kasij’s Re rement
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 pa ent
 Knows how to wait his/her turn
 Can calm him/herself down and think before reaching situa ons
 Knows how to avoid physical aggression (hi ng, kicking, pushing, etc.)
 Can think things through
REFLECTION...
Self‐control helps us to resist the tempta on to do something that we will regret.
It also helps us to resist the tempta on to do something that will harm ourselves
or others. Each me you exercise self‐control you grow stronger in the Lord and
invite peace to se le over your life as you avoid any guilt you may feel from hav‐
ing made a poor decision.
A PRAYER for SELF‐CONTROL
God be merciful to me, teach and ins ll 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 tempta on
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 Ques ons by Jan Muth
Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco
Grandma’s Secret Le er 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 Eden Community Food Bank.
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF in UKRAINE
Thank you to all St. Sofia families for their generous dona ons toward our school’s efforts to
provide humanitarian relief to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The dona ons were sent through the
Ukrainian Canadian Social Services and Pomich Ukrainy. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
Thank you to Pahn Baran and the St. Sofia Student Council for leading these ac vi es!
Thank you also to Pani Iakovleva and the Ukrainian department for ini a ng the kni ng of warm
winter items to send to Ukraine!
Svichechka
Students and staff par cipated in “Svichechka” (Ligh ng of Candles), sang koliady and stated inten ons
on January 6, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in our school cafetorium.
ST. NICHOLAS CONCERT
On Thursday, December 18th, the
Kindergarten to Grade 5 students
delighted family, friends and staff by
singing, dancing, ac ng 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 gi s!
Thank you to the Catholic School Council
for their generous support of St. Nicholas
and to the parents and volunteers who
dedicated their me to support this
school event!! Also, thank you to the St.
Sofia community for the dona ons of
winter items and toonies — your
generosity is greatly appreciated!
Holy Theophany
Each year at Holy Theophany
we remember the amazing
revela on of God’s nature
and the re‐sanc fica on of
crea on. We confirm our
belief in both the Holy Trinity
and our life in the world to
come every me we say the
Nicene Creed or make the
sign of the Cross.
As the Feast of Holy
Theophany falls on a
Saturday, students should
obtain Holy Water at Church
and not at school
Catholic Community, Culture, and Caring
Region of Peel Public Health – Bullying Preven on
January’s Message is…
“Conflict is inevitable, bullying is not.”
Focus: Recognizing the difference between conflict and bully‐
ing.
Objec ve: At St. Sofia, students will learn to differen ate bul‐
lying from the daily conflict situa ons everyone faces. Stu‐
dents will learn how to use “I‐messages” to deal with conflict
and ini al bullying situa ons.
Something to think about… As schools start to focus on bullying and raise awareness with students, it is com‐
mon for there to be a sudden upsurge in the iden fica on of ‘bullying’ situa on. It seems that everything becomes
bullying, especially with students. Becoming familiar with the defini on is one step; learning to apply the defini‐
on to situa ons is the next.
Everyone faces conflict in daily life and through it can learn
to nego ate and build rela onships. Bullying is a form of
violence that leaves no room for nego a on and seeks to
tear others down rather than build rela onships.
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 re‐
sources, ability, or sense of self. Children who bully usually
find pleasure in their behaviours and the reac on 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
dura on 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 frustra on and
enjoyment. We all like to
play in it; however, snow
and ice can be very
dangerous. In fact, most
injuries happen during
winter me.
For safety reasons, OUR SCHOOL RULE must be that snow
stays on the ground – no snowball throwing, kicking snow or
any other ac vity with snow or ice that could be harmful,
which includes sliding on slopes, snowplow hills, or icy
patches.
A “Snowball Le er” 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 2015-2016
PARENTS OF KINDERGARTEN
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Kindergarten registra on for the 2015‐16 school year
will take place at all Catholic elementary schools in
Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Bolton and
Orangeville on the following days:
On Thursday, January 8th, the Dufferin‐Peel Catholic
District School Board’s Special Educa on and Support
Services Department will host a Kindergarten entry
planning informa on session. This mee ng is for
parents and guardians of children with special needs
which affect their learning, such as vision, hearing,
physical, developmental or au sm, who are entering
Kindergarten in September 2015.
Monday , January 26th
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28th 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 29th
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Friday, January 30th
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Snow Date (if required)
Tuesday, January 27th, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The mee ng will be held at the:
Catholic Educa on Centre
40 Matheson Boulevard West
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. in Room 301.
For more informa on about this session,
please call Laura Conte at 905‐890‐0708 ext. 24011.
SNOW DATE‐January 13, 2015
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL HERITAGE
The history of Catholic schools in Ontario since 1841 is one of dedica on
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 gi
– 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 integra on of religious truths and values with life is one of the most significant
elements that dis nguish the Catholic school from other schools. This is a ma er 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
educa on is not a subject but rather a way to view the world that speaks to the interrela onship between faith, knowledge
and ac on. The Catholic school is a unique se ng 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— REVISED
The school office closes at 4:20 p.m. A er that me 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
Bus # 19
Bus # 20
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
SOF. 118
WSO190
WSO 101
Rte. 0151
Rte. 0061
Rte. 0211
Rte. 0001
Rte. 1409
Rte. 0162
Rte. 0107
Rte. 0022
Rte. 0015
Rte. 1054
Rte. 1009
Rte. 1301
Rte. 0249
Rte. 0220
Rte. 1401
Rte. 0012
Rte. 1318
Rte. 0027
Rte. 2442
Rte. 1056
Stock
First Student
Switzer‐Carty
First Student
First Student
Stock
Stock
First Student
First Student
Switzer‐Carty
Switzer‐Carty
Stock
Switzer‐Carty
Switzer‐Carty
First Student
First Student
Stock
First Student
A ridge
Switzer‐Carty
(905) 829‐2040
(905) 270‐0561
(905) 276‐2224
(905) 270‐0561
(905) 270‐0561
(905) 829‐2040
(905) 829‐2040
(905) 270‐0561
(905) 270‐0561
(905) 276‐2224
(905) 276‐2224
(905) 829‐2040
(905) 276‐2224
(905) 276‐2224
(905) 270‐0561
(905) 270‐0561
(905) 829‐2040
(905) 270‐0561
(905) 855‐7771
(905) 276‐2224
INCLEMENT WEATHER - CANCELLATIONS
Once again the prospect of inclement weather is upon us. A decision to cancel school
transporta on and/or to close schools is usually made by 6:30 a.m. on radio sta ons. The
greatest confusion occurs when announcements effect transporta on 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 transporta on
services provided by the Dufferin‐Peel Catholic District School Board including buses and
vans have been cancelled for the en re 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 is 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.
No fica on: Informa on regarding bus cancella on and other emergency informa on announcements can be obtained by
visi ng www.stopr.ca or businfo.stopr.ca
A bus cancella on 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”
CONGRATULATIONS, PANI KASIJ! HAPPY RETIREMENT!
A er 36 years in educa on, Pani Kasij has
announced her re rement as Principal of
St. Sofia Byzan ne Catholic School, effec ve
January 31, 2015.
Pani Kasij started her career in 1978 as a
teacher at St. Sofia. Pani Kasij taught for 20
years. Then she became Vice‐Principal at sev‐
eral schools in Brampton, and finally returning
once again to the St. Sofia community to
proudly serve as its Principal for the past
seven years.
We are grateful to her for her leadership of staff and students in the pursuit of
excellence in student achievement and well‐being, development of the Byzan ne
Catholic faith, and of the goals of our Catholic School and Board Learning Plans.
Pani Kasij, for your dedica on and all the hard work you’ve done over the years,
thank you! Enjoy this new chapter of your life,
cherish every moment and most of all, have
fun! God bless you!
CONGRATULATIONS, PANI KASIJ! HAPPY RETIREMENT!
Dear Students, Teachers, Staff and Parents,
Making the decision to retire hasn’t been easy – my heartstrings always pulling at
me to be here for students, teachers and colleagues – that has been my calling. It has
been a privilege to be a Byzantine Catholic Educator and administrator for 36 years
with the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. Now it is an honour to reach a
point in my life when I can say I am a retired Principal from the best school Board in
Ontario.
As I look back, there are many memories that I will treasure from St. Sofia, the smiling faces of children greeting me when they get off the bus each day and share their
unconditional joy; the wonderful staff who dedicate themselves to educating our students; the caring parents who I’ve worked with, helpful office and support staff, pastors, priests, school councils, custodians, vice-principals and principals, superintendents, administrative staff, trustees and senior administration.
Throughout the years I consistently experienced a very close association with our Bishops from the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy, the parishes of St. Mary’s (Holy Dormition) and St. Elias Churches. Thank you Father Galadza , Mitrophoric Archpriest and Pastor, Rt. Rev. Mitered Archpriest Dr. Fr. Pankiw, Pastor and Fr. Trynoga for your spiritual
support, guidance and leadership.
Thank you to our parent community for your continued support, hours of volunteering and the patience and understanding that you have provided me throughout the years.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express my deepest thanks to Director, John Kostoff, Associate Directors, John Hrajnik and Sheila McWatters, and Superintendent Charles Blanchard for their leadership and to Chair and
Trustee Mario Pascucci, Trustee Anna Abbruscato and all trustees for their continued support to the St. Sofia School
community
I am grateful for being able to nurture our Byzantine Catholic faith and traditions, celebrating God’s presence in our
lives through Liturgies, Molebens, and daily prayers. A special thank you to the many Ukrainian teachers who have
provided an enriching learning opportunity and created many opportunities for us to celebrate Ukrainian traditions, language and culture. I am thankful to all who shared their expertise, guidance, kindness and helped me best serve the
needs of our community. The newly renovated school will be a great new beginning in the next chapter of this school’s
long-standing history.
To my Vice-principal, Pani Sauvé, I thank you for your commitment to Catholic education and am forever grateful
for the tremendous time and effort you contribute to help our students, your support and friendship. May you continue
to be blessed with health, happiness and success in your personal life and professional career.
Congratulations to Pahn Dmytrasz who will assume the role as Principal of St. Sofia School. I wish him much success as leader of our wonderful school.
It has been a wonderful journey and I have made every effort to serve the students, staff and parents of the St. Sofia
community with heart and soul, respect and commitment to Gospel values and to do what the Lord has told- ‘ to act
justly, to love mercy and kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.” –Micah 6:18
I pray that St. Sofia and her three daughters, Vera, Nadia and Lubov continue to be beacons of wisdom, faith, hope
and love for many years to come. My wish is for all to continue to cherish and nurture the gift of our school, work together to support the mission and vision of St. Sofia Byzantine Catholic School and ensure its future success.
May God continue to bless St. Sofia and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board with many happy and successful years and the motherly protection of the Most Holy Mother of God (Theotokos) be with you all.
St. Sofia, Pray for us.
Take care, be safe, Mnohaya Lita!
Sincerely,
cA ^tá|}
Principal