34 Buick Boulevard, Brampton, ON L7A 3B9
PRINCIPAL ………………
SECRETARY …………….
SUPERINTENDENT …….
TRUSTEE ………………...
F. Bernard
C. Moore
S. Steer
D. B .D’Souza F. DiCosola
Tel: 905-840-3042
Fax: 905-840-0820
VICE PRINCIPAL ………..
PASTOR ………………….
PARISH …………………..
WEBSITE ………………...
M. Moncur
Fr. J. Gogolewski
Guardian Angels
www.dpcdsb.org/AIDAN
Enlightened by Knowledge. Enriched by Faith.
COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER #1
SEPTEMBER 2015
Principal’s Message
Welcome Back to All St. Aidan Community Members
We hope you enjoyed a sunshine-filled, fun and relaxing summer.
The smiles on your children’s faces on the first day of school are a true indicator of the sense of excitement and contentment I
have sensed at St. Aidan. I hope that both staff and students have had the opportunity to enjoy the many blessings that our
wonderful summer has brought to us and that everyone feels rejuvenated and eager to get back to school.
It is with great pleasure and honour that I join the community of St. Aidan. I am looking forward to the opportunity of being the
Principal of a community where staff, parents and our parish team work together to provide a positive faith and learning
environment for all of the students. It is my goal to encourage all of our students and staff to strive to be the best we can be
within our Catholicity. I am looking forward to getting to know the staff, students, parents/guardians and parish staff.
A new school year begins!! We, the Staff of St. Aidan would like to offer a warm welcome back to all returning students and their
families, and also extend a warm welcome to the new students to our community. We look forward to working with you in the many
opportunities and challenges that will fill this new school year in the important task of helping your child develop in learning. In
partnership, our staff, parents, and students will endeavour to make this a very special year – one that follows the Catholic
philosophy and passes along our rich faith story, and provides children with high standards and expectations in educational
excellence.
We look forward to working with all of you this year, and hope to meet all of you at our Open House/Meet the Teacher Night.
We are all excited about working with you and your children this year to provide a highly rewarding year, spiritually, academically,
emotionally and physically . . . I ask for your support and commitment to your children! I hope this coming 2015-2016 school year
will be the best one yet for everyone. May God bless us as we journey together.
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A New School Year – A Partnership
In order to ensure your child has the very best education, it is
important we keep the lines of communication open at all
times. Education is truly a collaborative effort between the
home and the school as you have valuable information that will
assist in programming for your child. We appreciate your input,
your bouquets and your suggestions for change. Should you have
any concerns about your child, praise, or comments, please do
not hesitate to share it with us.
Early and ongoing information sharing can help to
clarify and often alleviate concerns quickly. Begin
by contacting the classroom teacher who is the one
most able to deal effectively with your child’s learning and
behaviour. A time should be scheduled for you to speak to the
teacher, either by telephone, or at a meeting.
This newsletter is the first of a number of communications that
will give us an opportunity to let you know what is happening
here at school. Our newsletter will be provided to each home
each month either electronically on our website or through the
youngest or only child in the family. Classroom newsletters may
also come home from your child’s teacher. Please ask your child
for your copy and/or check knapsacks regularly for notices,
updates and encourage your child(ren) to bring these home to
you as they contain many important dates and information.
School Information
8:05 a.m. - 8:20 a.m. Yard supervision provided
(PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE AT SCHOOL BEFORE 8:05 a.m.)
8:20 a.m. Bell rings, entry & school day begins
9:45 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Recess Break Grades 1 to 8 (students go
outdoors)
11:24 a.m.–12:24 p.m. Lunch Break
12:24 p.m. Grade JK – 8 classes begin for the afternoon
session
1:47 p.m.–2:02 p.m. Recess Break Grades 1 to 8 (students go
outdoors)
2:50 p.m. Dismissal and students return to their homes
Our Trustees
Trustees work collaboratively with their community to shape a
vision for the board that is reflective of the input of parents,
students and community members. Trustees advocate for
excellence in education and act as role models to engender
confidence in publically funded education. In addition, Catholic
school trustees have a clearly defined role as stewards and
guardians of Catholic education.
We continue to work together with our Trustees D. B. D’Souza
(Wards 2, 5, 6) and F. DiCosola (Vice Chair of the Board,
Caledon/Dufferin). They can be reached at 905-890-1221.
Superintendent Steer’s Community Message
Please take some time to read the message from our Brampton
West Family of Schools Superintendent attached to this
newsletter.
CATHOLIC EDUCATION
Putting Our Faith Into Action
When you choose to send your child to a Dufferin-Peel school,
we assure you a holistic Catholic education. We do this
through . . .

teaching excellent Religious & Family Life Education in each
grade;

living our faith daily through prayer, celebration and
liturgy;

building community and “retreat”;

active involvement in charity and initiatives of social justice
from a Catholic context;

everything we do . . . is imbedded with Catholic values and
content;

assisting the Guardian Angels Parish team with the
preparation of students for the sacraments.
Our school is part of the parish of Guardian Angels Church. We
consider our Pastor, Father Jan Gogolewski, to be an essential
member of our school community. Our Pastoral Plan will be
available in the future.
Guardian Angels Parish
10630 Creditview Road Brampton, ON L7A 0T4
TEL: 905-970-9175 FAX: 905-970-1054
www.guardianangelsparishchurch.org
guardianangels@bell.net
Saturday
Sunday
Mass Schedule
5:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
12:30 a.m.
Additional information is available online
or by contacting the parish.
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The Virtues Program
Meet the Teacher/Open House
The Virtues Program will continue in our school throughout the
year. This program is cross disciplinary and relevant to
character formation, safe schools, and bullying prevention.
Each month we will continue to highlight one virtue through
school and classroom activities, assemblies and announcements.
The virtues we celebrate are as follows:
We look forward to meeting each of you at OPEN
HOUSE/MEET THE TEACHER Night Wednesday, September
23rd from 6:30 pm – 7:30 p.m. for the opportunity to mingle
and socialize, for parents/guardians to tour the school, to
receive information on curriculum and informally speak to
classroom teachers about this year’s programming/curriculum
and routines. This will not be an opportunity to discuss your
child’s academic progress . . . this will occur at a later date
when your child’s teacher will have had a greater length of time
to get to know your child better.
Your child‘s planner includes more information about virtues.
We are all eager to start the new year with you.
Faith (September)
Conscience (November)
Self-Control (January)
Kindness (March)
Acceptance (May)
Empathy (October)
Hope (December)
Respect (February)
Love (April)
Fairness (June)
Virtue of Faith for September
During September, to begin the school year, we celebrate the
virtue of faith. God has given us the ability to live together as
a family community.
Faith is the great virtue of believing in God and trusting that
God is with us.
A faithful person believes that we are created, guided by and
destined to be reunited with God. A faithful person believes
that God’s plan for us includes the right to be safe, especially
at school.
A faithful person . . .
 Prays regularly and reverently
 Learns from scripture stories
 Honours people’s God-given names
 Assumes that there is good in everyone
 Accepts the God-given worth of themselves and
others.
Sacramental Preparations
The school works together with the parish and parents to
prepare students for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy
Communion and Confirmation. Parents of Grade 2 and Grade 8
students will receive important information from the Guardian
Angels Parish Team regarding these sacraments. Please look
for this information in the future.
SPECIAL EVENTS
YOU ARE INVITED TO
ST. AIDAN SCHOOL’S
OPEN HOUSE
MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT
Keep this date open
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
SMILE! - Photo Day
Friday, October 23, 2015 is Picture Day for all students at St.
Aidan School. Further reminders will be communicated prior
to this date.
Class Reorganization
At the beginning of each school year, staffing is based on a
projected student enrolment that is calculated from the
previous spring. This projected enrolment takes into account
prediction of new students who may move into our school and
those moving out. Please note that your child’s placement is
tentative until our first Professional Development Day –
September 18th which is a reorganization day. Please see the
enclosed information.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
Professional Development Day
Faith Development & Reorganization & Program Priorities
September 18, 2015
No school for students.
Catholic School Council Elections
The St. Aidan Catholic School Council is established for the
purpose of developing, encouraging and promoting activities
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which will enhance the quality of school programs and improve
levels of student achievement. The council provides advice to
the Principal on issues outlined by the Ministry of Education.
The Catholic School Council of St. Aidan has consisted of a
dedicated and hard working group of parents.
that the required essential concepts and topics are
experienced. Whether your child is in a combined grade or not,
he/she will receive programs that are appropriate for his/her
age and ability. Information about combined classes is being
sent with this newsletter.
In keeping with the Ministry regulations, elections must be held
within the first 30 days of each school year. We are now
accepting nominations for positions on the 2015-2016 school
council. Should you wish to put your name forward to be part
of the school council, please fill out the attached nomination
form and return to the school. We hope that you will consider
becoming involved by joining our council.
Textbooks
It is very important that we can all work together to make our
school a better place in which to grow and learn. If you are
interested in getting involved, please consider joining our hardworking, energetic and passionate council.
Our first meeting with the new Catholic School Council is
scheduled for Wednesday, October 7th. All parents are
welcome to attend council meetings.
PROGRAM & CURRICULUM
Homework
All students will be encouraged to complete assignments in
class. There will be times when students will need to complete
work at home and bring it in the next day. Students who do
daily homework can gain positive academic skills and develop
life-long learning habits. You will find more information on the
Board’s Homework Policy in your child’s agenda.
We continue to ask for your support as we promote good work
habits at home for our students and ask that you help in the
following ways:
 monitoring daily homework and ensuring that your
child(ren) complete all tasks to the best of their ability;
 providing a consistent time and location for daily home
work; and
 communicating with and having dialogues with your child’s
teacher regularly.
Combined Grades
Many of our classes are organized as combined grades
according to enrolment and the number of teachers assigned to
the school. A combined class has a combination of students
from more than one grade. These students are engaged in
similar and differentiated activities in pursuit of common
learning goals. Teachers of these classes will provide a
curriculum for children which is equal in scope and challenge to
that of a single-grade class. While some experiences will be
similar for both grades, learning activities will be designed so
Textbooks are school property and are loaned
out to students with the expectation that they
will be returned at the end of school year in
good condition. The teachers keep a record
of each textbook that students are given. Please help to keep
our costs down by encouraging your child to take proper care of
them. There will be a replacement cost if the textbook is lost
or not returned at the end of the school year.
Excursions
Educational trips which extend learning opportunities in
curriculum areas and that are inclusive in nature may be planned
during the year. A limited number of trips at reasonable costs
may be planned by teachers. By law, the school must have on file
specific Board permission forms which must be signed by the
parent/guardian. If on the day of the excursion your child did
not return his/her form, the student will not be permitted on
the excursion.
A VERBAL TELEPHONE, FAX or E-MAIL
PERMISSION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTABLE.
Students will be reminded by their teachers about this policy
prior to the trip taking place.
Student Planners/Agendas
In an ongoing effort to assist students to become more
independent and responsible for their learning, all students
from Grades 1 to 8 have received a student agenda.
Teachers will:

check that classroom assignments are
recorded in the agenda;

ensure time is scheduled each day to
record assignments in the student agendas.
Students are responsible for:

recording all classroom assignments in their agenda;

carrying the agenda to and from school each day;

keeping the agenda neat and tidy;

completing all homework assignments.
Parents are asked to assist with the
agenda by

talking to their child about the agenda
and its use;

signing the agenda on a regular basis.
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It is our hope that by working together, students develop time
management, organizational skills and learn to accept
responsibility for classroom assignments. In addition, the
agendas are an excellent vehicle for teacher/parent
communication. We request your support in taking the time to
“walk” through the agenda with your child and encourage
him/her to use it on a daily basis.
but they also help to alleviate a heavy influx of calls on the main
telephone line each morning.
When reporting an absence, please state . . .
the child’s name – spell last name
the child’s grade
the child’s teacher, and
the reason for absence.
SAFETY/SECURITY COMES FIRST
School Visitors
For safety reasons and the protection of all children in our
care, you are reminded that by law all visitors (including
parents) must report to the office, sign in and receive an
identification badge. Please remember, to your child you are
the parent, but to other students you are most likely a
stranger. All staff will stop and question an unidentified person
in the school or in the school yard. If you are dropping
something off for your child, please do so in the main office.
School Insurance - Highly Encouraged
An application for school insurance for school-age children has
been sent home with each student in their welcome packages
which came home on the first day of school. If you require
more, please stop by the office to pick up additional
applications. As required by the Education Act and the
Ministry of Education, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board annually provides parents with information about
cost-effective student accident insurance coverage via student
courier. Although enrolment is voluntary, the board encourages
parents to take advantage of the inexpensive insurance
coverage, especially if their child(ren) participate in sports,
excursions/field trips, or, if parents do not have dental
insurance coverage. Parents alone have the right to insure their
children.
Enrolment is required in writing so there are two options for
enrolment:

Complete the traditional form and mail it directly to the
company, or

Photocopy the form and fax it to Reliable Life at 1-905522-7211 or 1-800-463-KIDS (5437).
"Safe Arrivals" - Attendance Verification
The Safe Arrival Program is designed to ensure that your
children arrive safely at school each day. We appreciate your
cooperation in calling the school to let us know that your child
will not be attending or will be arriving late. To help facilitate
this process, we ask that parents call the school at 905-8403042 between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 8:20 a.m. before the
morning of the absence. These times are for your convenience,
Students may not call and leave messages for you as we require
a parent’s voice/authorization. If we haven't heard from you,
and your child is not in school, we will attempt to contact you to
ensure that you know he/she is absent and your child is safe.
When your child returns to school, please provide the teacher
with a note regarding the specific reason for the absence.
Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy
The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of
Privacy Act (M-FIPPA) sets out the general rules which school
boards must follow regarding the collection, use, disclosure and
retention of personal information.
Please be aware that recording of students through printed
form (photographs), on film, by electronic means (videotaping)
or by any other means is considered a “collection of personal
information” and therefore certain rules apply for its
collection, use, disclosure, etc.
While the privacy rules in the Act are strong, signed parental
consent forms may or may not be required in any situation. The
photographing/recording of students would not be permitted
without the required informed parental consent.
Parking/
School
Driveway/
Kiss
’N
Ride
Safety is our priority. All parents/guardians are asked to
respect the NO PARKING zones at the front of the
school – this area is reserved as a fire route and for
buses only. Please follow the directional signs and
various painted lines/wording in the parking area.
In the interest of safety, we ask for the cooperation of all
parents who drive their children to school. Please use the Kiss
‘N Ride lane to drop your children off in the morning, and/or to
pick them up at dismissal.
We ask parents to follow directions from the staff on duty to
facilitate a smooth process. There is absolutely no parking
permitted on the Kiss ‘N Ride lane. Should you need to assist
your child to get out of the car, you will need to park in the
parking lot or on the street.
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More information will be coming home about using the Kiss N’
Ride at St. Aidan. Safety is of the utmost importance.
SCHOOL OPERATIONS
Dress Code
We ask for your support for a dress code that
is accompanied by standards of sensitivity,
politeness, and decorum.
Students are expected to be dressed in a clean, neat, and
appropriate manner conducive to the school environment.
Clothing must be free from offensive or questionable language
and pictures. Hats/caps must be removed in the school building.
Appropriate footwear must be worn at all times. Make-up, if
worn at all, must be natural looking.
No new stops will be added. Letters of permission will be issued
based upon distance, age of students, and special
circumstances.
Please note that the empty seat privilege can be withdrawn at
any time if the space is needed for a student who is eligible to
ride the bus. Courtesy transportation will not be allocated until
October.
BUS INFORMATION
For daily bus cancellations or delays
Is your child eligible for busing?
What school will your child attend?
Go to
http://www.stopr.ca
Appropriate clothing must be worn for physical education
classes (i.e. running shoes, shorts, t-shirts).
Bus Transportation- Courtesy Seats
Busing for St. Aidan School will be provided in accordance with
the policy set out by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board. The following distances are used to determine eligibility
for bus transportation:
K-1
Grades 2-4
Grades 5-8
Grades 9-12
1.0 km
1.6 km
2.0 km
3.8 km
At this time, we are verifying the number of eligible students
and route of the one bus that has been assigned to St. Aidan
School. The school board will not and cannot make changes to
routing during the first week or two of school. Any changes will
require some time to be implemented if the school board deems
them appropriate.
Given the distances established above by the Ministry of
Education and the school boards, this means that only certain
students of St. Aidan School are actually eligible for busing.
When it has been established that there is any space on the
one bus, students who do not meet the eligibility requirements
may apply for a seat in accordance with the Courtesy Seat
Policy.
Students who are not eligible can pick up a form to take home
to their Parents/Guardians who may request access to the
Courtesy Seat Policy This form must indicate their reasons for
requesting the empty seat on the bus, the bus number, and the
existing bus stop that their son/daughter would use. Final
decisions around the availability of courtesy seats will be made
once all students who are eligible to ride the bus have been
confirmed. Courtesy seat riders must use an existing bus stop.
Recess/Lunch Breaks
Recess breaks serve a special purpose in the school routine and,
except in unusual cases, students are not excused from going
outside. Students who are ill should be kept at
home to rest so they do not pass their germs on
to fellow students.
Students are encouraged to bring healthy food
for their recess breaks. Students will continue to
eat in their classrooms, supervised by staff members. We will
continue to work with the Peel Health Department on healthy
eating as well as physical activity.
Forms have gone home as to whether your child will be either
staying for lunch every day or going home for lunch.
For safety reasons, students who stay for lunch every day will
not be permitted to leave the school grounds unless they have
the parent’s written and signed permission and are picked up by
a parent/guardian.
Volunteers Make a Difference
If you have some time to give to our school as a volunteer,
please consider sharing your talents, energy, and time as a
volunteer (see attached form). All volunteers will require a
criminal reference check. In addition, you will also require a
volunteer authorization letter from the school Principal. Please
request both of these forms from the office
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be made and transportation plans confirmed before
students come to school as these are not “emergencies”.
YMCA Child Care Services
YMCA operates a before and after school program at St.
Aidan for children up to 12 years of age.
Please contact YMCA Child Care Services at 1-866-317-6251 or
come to see the YMCA staff here at the school before 8am or
after 3:00 pm. Feel free to visit their website.
The Lunch Area
Benches are available in the foyer for lunches. Please ensure
that your child’s name is on the lunch container. Also, please
let students know in the morning if they should expect to have
a lunch dropped off. They should be responsible to come down
and pick up their lunch. Students are not permitted to meet
their parents who are bringing their lunch outside in cars, etc.
We are not responsible for the items placed on this area.
Valuables – Do Not Bring to School
Students are requested not to bring valuables such as cameras,
cellphones, IPods, electronic games, money or items of
importance to school. The school does not accept responsibility
for the items above. Personal items should be marked with your
children’s name.
Children in Need of Protection
It is very important that you read the attached letter from the
Superintendent of Special Education & Support Services and
the Chief Social Worker, regarding the schools’ legal
requirements with respect to the Child and Family Services Act.
Late Arrivals, Early Leavers, Interruptions
Important, exciting,
serious, interesting,
stuff happens at St. Aidan
Staff members work diligently to ensure that time is not
wasted, and that all students are involved in all possible ways,
every moment of the day. It is extremely important that we
maximize the instructional time and reduce daily interruptions.
It is important for students to arrive on time and stay the
whole day. With this in mind we ask for your help in the
following ways:




Please make sure your children leave home so that they
arrive at the bus stop or on the school grounds on time.
Our entry bell rings at 8:20 a.m.
Please schedule out of school appointments and activities
for weekends, or before or after school hours . . . that way,
children will not miss out on any aspect of the programs we
are attempting to provide for them.
If it is necessary that your children leave school early,
make sure they know this in advance, and send in a written
note for their teacher. Staff will then try to ensure that
your children are ready to go when you arrive to pick them
up. In this way, we won’t be asked to disrupt the learning
of an entire class.
We will be refusing to allow students to use the office
telephones except in the case of an emergency.
Arrangements to go home with friends, staying for
sporting events or other activities, and so on will have to
KEEPING HEALTHY
Peanut and Nut Allergies
We are asking for your continued cooperation
in keeping our school safe for all children.
We have a number of students who suffer
from food allergies to nuts, peanuts and anything made from
nut products. If your child were to bring any of these foods to
eat, anything that your child touches in the school could cause
a life threatening situation for our allergic children in their
classrooms as well as other areas of the school. We cannot
guarantee that any classroom is nut free, but we are attempting
to minimize the exposure and keep our children as safe and
healthy as possible and give the parents of allergic students a
little peace of mind.
If everyone cooperates, we can limit the risks for these
children. Some of the precautions that parents, students and
staff can continue to use in the school will be as follows:





avoid sending your child with food that may contain any nuts
or nut products;
read the labels of other foods before you put them in your
child’s snack;
speak to your children about not sharing their snacks or
lunches, utensils and containers with other children,
especially with children with allergies;
clean hands and face immediately after eating peanut
butter or products containing nuts prior to coming to
school;
if you have caregivers who provide lunches or snacks to
take to school, we encourage you to share this information
with them; and
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
every child with a life-threatening allergy is highly
encouraged to wear a “medic alert” bracelet, with the
specific allergens identified.
We realize this request may require added effort for you when
preparing your child’s lunch and snacks, however, we express
our sincere appreciation for your support and understanding.
Medications
It is crucial that you notify the office with any
serious health concerns. If this applies to your
child you are asked to provide us with
treatment procedures in written format.
There is a Board policy on the storage and
administration of medication.
Where a student is required to take medication at school,
medication forms must be completed by you and your physician
prior to the storage and administration of any prescribed
medication by the school.
entirely escape outbreaks, but we will be able to bring them
under control quickly.
No Smoking on School Property
Consistent with the Tobacco Control Act, the Board’s policy
prohibits smoking and holding lighted tobacco anywhere in the
school or on school property by anyone, at any time. Please be
mindful and respectful of this policy when dropping off or
picking up children from school or attending school functions.
. . . And Finally
I Leave You With This Thought
We continue to strive to achieve our St. Aidan
School’s MISSION STATEMENT as follows:
The mission statement of St. Aidan School is
to provide a Catholic Education
that develops the unique talents and abilities
of each individual and
encourages all to follow in Jesus’ footsteps
to become models of service in the community.
Any medication brought to school must be stored in the office.
The storage and administration of an Epi-Pen requires
additional forms to be completed by physicians. The forms are
available from the school.
To ensure the safety of all our children, please do not send
medication to school unless you have made arrangements with
the school in advance.
Head Injuries
It is a requirement that should your child receive any type of
head injury during the school day, the office staff will contact
you and inform you of the injury.
Pediculosis
Pediculosis, or head lice, is a common occurrence in schools.
Head lice are parasites which have been common among human
beings for centuries. They are not connected with dirt and
neglect. Anyone can be infested with them.
Please check your children frequently and if you find them
infested, we would ask that you let us know so we can advise
you on the proper treatment.
If a child does become infested, we will ask you to keep your
child out of school until he/she has been treated with the
correct medicated shampoo and his/her hair is entirely clear of
both lice and nits (eggs). When the child returns to school, the
child needs to come to the office to be checked before going
to class. If we all cooperate in these procedures we can
address these occurrences in a sensitive manner. We may not
Mark Your Calendars
September 18
September 21
September 22
September 23
September 25
September 30
October 7
October 12
October 23
PA Day – no school for students
International Day Peace
Autumn begins
Open House/Meet the Teacher
School Council Nominations due
Terry Fox Run
School Council Elections if needed
First Catholic School Council meeting
Thanksgiving Day
Photo Day
Please check your child’s agenda nightly
for important dates and information.
Attachments
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Superintendent’s Opening Message to the Community
Information for Parents Regarding School Bus
Transportation
Child in Need of Protection Letter from S. Kendrick & G.
Carley
2015-2016 School Year Calendar
Elementary School Organization Plans for 2015-2016 from
S. McWatters
Combined Classes Information
Volunteer Form
Follow us on Twitter!
@DPCDSBSchools
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