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
JANUARY 2016
Welcome back to 2016!
Principal’s Corner –
HAPPY NEW YEAR & WELCOME BACK!
Welcome back to all of our students, staff, parents, and guardians. We hope that your Christmas was filled with much joy,
friendship, and celebration. The New Year is a time for reflection as well as celebration, so let us keep God, our Father, in our
hearts and pray to Him for each day of 2016 that He will help us to do our best. The entire staff of St. Aidan School extends to
all our families the Peace of Christ in their lives, and a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year 2016
Sharing Our Blessings and Thanks…
We would like to begin the year by acknowledging and giving thanks to . . .

the students of St. Aidan for all their enthusiasm and spirit;

the many parents/guardians for all your wishes and gifts for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year;

our wonderful staff for their hard work, dedication, talents, and efforts in ensuring that our students are learning in a
safe, caring and inclusive Catholic environment;

our Trustees of the Board, D. D’Souza and F. DiCosola and our Superintendent S. Steer for their continual guidance
and support;

our Catholic School Council who have worked so hard at providing valuable and positive enhancements that help in the
students’ learning;

Father Jan and our parish team for their spiritual guidance and celebrations that they share with us;

our volunteers who support student learning and school activities;

All families and community members of St. Aidan for showing the true meaning of Christmas through your generous
donations. This Christmas of 2015, the school undertook the project of Operation Christmas Child and your
generosity was phenomenal and the project was most successful. On behalf of the recipients of the gifts - thank and
know that you put smiles on many children this Christmas.
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CATHOLIC EDUCATION
.
school board trustee, you must be registered as a separate
school supporter.
Putting Our Faith Into Action
BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS
Virtue of the Month . . .
So far, we have focused on the virtues of faith, empathy,
conscience and hope. In January, we will celebrate the virtue
of self-control. With the students we will be reinforcing that
people with self-control:
 Are patient with themselves and others;
 Think before they react (WWJD);
 Know how to wait their turn;
 Look for peaceful ways to solve conflicts;
 Can calm themselves down and think before reacting
to situations;
 Know how to avoid physical aggression (hitting, kicking,
pushing, fighting, etc.);
 Can think things through and do what is best for
everyone;
 Have the power to stand up for what is right;
 Understand that they cannot always have what they
want when they want it.
Our daily prayer for January will be . . .
Let us pray for the virtue of self-control so that we will resist
the temptation to cause harm to ourselves or to others around
us.
Our focus on self-control will have much more impact if it is
echoed at home. Please take some time to talk with your
children about the concept of self-control and how it is
important in your own life and how you can see it being
important in their lives. Working together, we’ll make a big
difference.
Are You Ticked?
Catholic Ratepayers: Have You Checked Your
Tax Bill to Ensure Proper Tax Support?
Help us to maintain our right to publicly
funded Catholic Education – if you are a Catholic ratepayer, we
urge you to check your property tax bill to ensure that your
support is directed to your local Catholic school board, in our
case, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.
If you are a tenant, you can verify your support by contacting
our Admissions Department at 905-890-0708 ext. 24511,
24512 or 24519 or your local municipal office. By ensuring that
you are accurately recorded as a Catholic school supporter, you
can help deliver a powerful message to the government about
the level of support for publicly funded Catholic education in
Ontario. In order to be eligible to vote for your local Catholic
Throughout the year, we endeavour to put our faith into action
in various ways. During this past season of Christmas, St. Aidan
School has been blessed with donations from the community
that truly demonstrate our faith in action. We would like to
acknowledge and extend our sincere gratitude to those who
provided help to the less fortunate families in our community.
Cram the Cruiser
We are very grateful to all of you who supported our nonperishable food drive. We were able to cram 2 Peel Police
cruisers with your donations. Your gifts will have brought aid to
the needy people in our communities. We could not do this work
without your support. On behalf of Ste. Louise Outreach
Society,
we
say
thank
you.
CONGRATULATIONS
COMMUNITY OF ST. AIDAN AND THANK YOU!!
New Year’s Mas
Come celebrate with us
The beginning of a New Year
at St. Aidan School’s gymnasium
Wednesday , January 13, 2016
@ 9:00 a.m.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
Catholic School Council Update
Before the Christmas holidays, your School Council was busy
completing the dance-a-thon fundraiser. The money raised will
go towards many initiatives for our school. Congratulations and
thanks again to everyone who participated in the fundraiser.
More details to come.
Next School Council Meeting
Wednesday, February 17th @ 6:30 p.m.
held in the library
All parents are welcome to attend. Please join us
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PROGRAM & CURRICULUM
Report Cards
Term 1 report cards will be on their way home on February 2nd .
This is a great opportunity to have a close look at your child’s
progress by examining their areas of strength and their needs.
It’s also an important time to set goals for continued learning
and achievement through determining “next steps” for learning.
Here are a few tips that may help you to understand the report
card as well as help you to discuss it with your child:

When the report card comes home take some time to
talk about the school term before you open it. Help
your child to feel comfortable about it through
positive and supportive communication.

When you’re reviewing the report card, focus first on
the positive aspects (the strengths). This shows your
child that you truly care about their accomplishments.
Encourage your child to talk about any areas that they
are having difficulty with (their needs). Ask them
questions that may help you understand their
difficulties from their point of view.

Be careful not to over-react to low grades – they
should be used as incentive for change, not a reason
for punishment.

Take some time to talk about ways your child can
improve their learning and achievement (their next
steps). Consider setting some achievable goals for
their learning over the next term. Tracking and
monitoring their goals can be motivating for learners.

Celebrate success! Remind your child that you are
proud of their achievement and that you appreciate
their efforts.
Interviews – All Will Be Expected to Attend
Once you receive the report cards, interviews will be held on
February 4th and 5th . It will be an excellent time for you and
the teacher to work together as a team to discuss ways you can
both help your son or daughter learn. More information will be
forthcoming regarding setting up the interviews and having
successful parent-teacher-student interviews.
Extended French - Reminder
Grade 4 parents/guardians who wish to enrol their child in a
Grade 5 Extended French class for September 2016 are
invited to attend an information meeting:
St. Anne School
124 Vodden Street, Brampton
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 7:00pm
At the present time, the above mentioned school is the
designated centre for our area. Applications will be accepted
at this centre until 3:00 pm Tuesday, February 16th, 2016.
RAZ Kids
The school has purchased access to RAZ Kids, an on-line reading
program for students in Grades Junior Kindergarten to Grade
3. Information has been sent home from your child’s teacher
about logging on at home for this reading resource. This
program allows children to not only read books on-line, but also
hear books and record their own voices reading leveled books.
Students will have access to their personalized log-in account
for one full year.
Junior & Senior Kindergarten Registration
Registration for Junior and Senior Kindergarten full-day
programs for the 2016-2017 school year will be held at all
Dufferin-Peel Catholic elementary schools on:
Monday, January 25, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Friday, January 29, 2016
7:00-9:00 pm
9:00-11:00 am1:00-3:00 pm
9:00-11:00 am1:00-3:00 pm
9:00-11:00 am1:00-3:00 pm
Tuesday, January 26, 2016 is the alternate
snow date for Monday, January 25th.
Junior Kindergarten - Children must be 4 years old by
December 31, 2016.
Senior Kindergarten - Children must be 5 years old by
December 31, 2016.
Parents/Guardians will require the following documents when
registering their child:

Registration form-obtained from school;

proof of age–birth certificate or passport;

original Catholic Baptismal Certificate of the Roman,
Greek or Ukrainian Rite (Eastern Church in full
communion with the Holy See of Room) for parent
(one) and child;

updated immunization records-immunization card, Peel
Health Form or Letter of Exemption;

proof of Canadian citizenship – birth certificate,
passport or permanent resident status;

proof of address – two of the following: property tax
bill, current utility bill, real estate document or
Government of Canada issued forms;

emergency rural address numbers for identifying your
property, if applicable

proof of English Separate School Support – may be
done at the time of registration by completing an
Application For the Direction of School Support
and/or a Separate School Lease Agreement (Peel or
Dufferin). .
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For more information, contact St. Aidan School at 905-8403042 or visit http://www.dpcdsb.org.
Parent Evening to Support the Transition of
Children with Differing Abilities into Kindergarten
- Reminder
There will be an information session for parent(s)/guardian(s)
of children with differing abilities including vision, speech,
hearing, autism, physical/medical and/or developmental delays
who are transitioning to Kindergarten in September 2016. The
information session will held at the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
Catholic Education Centre, Room 301
On Tuesday, January 12, 2016 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Snow date Wed., Jan. 13, 2016 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) are also reminded to register their child
at our school office. See official registration dates under
Kindergarten Registration 2016/2017
Monday, January 18, 2016
Professional Development Day.This day is dedicated to
Assessement, Evaluation &
Reporting
NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
SAFETY/SECURITY COMES FIRST
S
There is no outside supervision by teachers after 8:20
a.m. as they are in class starting their day with the students.
Arriving late interrupts prayers, announcements, and
teaching/learning time. Having students in the building on time
is a must.
During lunch, we ask that parents drop off lunches and leave
promptly. Please do not open the front doors for any visitors
as they are all to be vetted by the office.
Thank you for your cooperation and support in maintaining a
safe building for all of us in the St. Aidan School Community.
IMPORTANT: SAFETY ON SCHOOL PROPERTY
Driveway, Walkways, Kiss N’ Ride
Student safety continues to remain a priority at school. Many
thanks to parents/guardians who have been following the safe
and correct procedures for using the school driveway. With
the arrival of snow, additional difficulties may occur, but the
same procedures must be adhered.
Some safe practices which will continue include:
 Do not stop, park or get out of your vehicle in the bus
lane, Kiss N’ Ride lane or in the driveway at the front
of the school, at any time, even if you are running late
or picking up your child early. If you need to get out
of your vehicle to walk your child to the Kindergarten,
play yard or come into the school, park in a spare
parking space or park legally on the street and walk
onto the school property.

ALWAYS DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY! Be aware
of your surroundings at all times whether driving or
walking.

Before reversing ensure that the area behind and
beside your car is clear of pedestrians, vehicles, and
obstructions.

Look for pedestrians when driving through parking lot
aisles or roadways.

Follow marked signs. Adhere to the one way driving in
the parking lot.

Please do not ask your child to cross through the front
driveway where busses come in or cars drive through.
We would appreciate parents walking their children to
either end of our sidewalks.

Stay on walkways when walking next to or across
parking lot entry or exit areas.
Front Door Entry
The Front Door buzzer System is meant to keep everyone
within the building safe. This means that every person who
enters must be vetted by the office staff or a designated staff
member. This takes time and parents/ students/ visitors will
be required to wait patiently until the door can be answered.
First priority will be given to taking care of students inside the
school, answering telephones, and taking care of activity in the
front office before answering the front door.
We ask that students arrive on time to school. Please be
advised that if you drop your child off late in the morning
(after 8:20 a.m.) they may have to wait to be buzzed into the
school. It the responsibility of the parent(s) to wait with
your child(ren) until this can occur.
4

Look for cars before crossing parking aisles or road
ways.

Please respect the Fire Route and No Parking signs
around the school, as well as the handicap parking
spaces. There is no parking in the fire routes at any
time, for any length of time, for any reason. It is
unsafe and against the law!

Please consider walking to school when possible.

Arrive early and avoid the rush.

Parking Control will be out ensuring safety and
compliance – please park legally.

Everyone needs to be respectful to the School Staff
and be modeling appropriate behavior and language at
all times when driving on school property.

Just a reminder that children should not be dropped
off before 8:05 in the morning as there is no teacher
supervision until this time.

Finally – be very patient please.
Signing In, Picking Up Students, Notes
When visiting, parents and visitors are reminded to sign in on
the visitors log at the office. If a parent needs to pick up a
student during school hours for various reasons, it is important
to go to the office and sign the student out for attendance
purposes. Please provide a note to the teacher when removing
the student early from school. The sign-in/out sheet is located
in the office. This minimizes disruption to classrooms, keeps
our students safe, and maintains adherence to the Safe
Schools policies and procedures.
Personal Electronic Devices on Board Premises and/or
Board Sanctioned Events for Educational Purposes:
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board acknowledges
the value of the use of technology for learning. Students are
permitted to register and use personal electronic devices
(PEDs) on board premises and/or board sanctioned events for
educational purposes, under the direction of staff and only with
parent/guardian permission. Students may register their PED
for the purpose of connecting to the board wireless network.
Students are required to adhere to the student “Personal
Electronic Device Used with WI-FI Network Student
Agreement” (GF 337) and the “Network User Application and
Agreement.” (GF066)
Please be advised that the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board will not be responsible for any cost incurred
through the use of personal data plans.
PEDs are to be used responsibly and should not interfere with
learning; their use MUST comply with the Catholic Code of
Conduct, board policies and procedures.
Any personal
communications (i.e., phone calls, text messages, etc.) will
continue to be directed through the main office. Failure to
comply with these guidelines may result in a loss of PED
privileges and/or any other consequences deemed necessary by
school administration.
The school principal may authorize limited acceptable uses of
personal electronic devices during school-sanctioned activities
for a specific designated purpose outside of instructional
spaces and/or in common areas.
Students are responsible for the safety and security of PEDs
at all times and the Board assumes no responsibility for lost,
damaged or stolen devices.
Toys, Valuables & Personal Items for Students
We would like to remind parents/guardians that personal items
such as toys, trading cards, dolls, action figures, etc., can
become a distraction in the learning environment. Please do not
allow children to bring these items to school. Further, the
school will not be responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged
items.
Regular Attendance & Punctuality
As you well know, regular attendance and
punctuality are important life skills that apply
not only in the educational setting, but also in
other settings and especially in the work place. It is the
parent’s responsibility, as outlined in the Education Act to
ensure that their child is in regular attendance and on time for
school. A total of the number of the days absent and late are
documented and become part of the student’s record. When
regular attendance and punctuality are problematic, this will
require follow up from the school staff in order to discuss a
plan for helping the child to improve attendance and/or prompt
arrival.
Vacations During the School Year
We have also noted that families are taking vacations during
the school year, and therefore students are missing precious
school times. We do not give permission for a student to be
excused for vacations – the Education Act is clear on reasons
for absences from school. 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. Student learning is most effective when present in the
classroom, listening and participating in the daily instruction.
Please make all efforts to refrain from booking holidays during
the school year. Your cooperation and attention to this matter
is greatly appreciation.
5
Minimizing Interruptions to the School Day
We continue to work very diligently to minimize interruptions
to the classrooms for all students. All instructional time at
school is important time which should not be missed by
students. We are asking parents to make every effort NOT to
remove students early from classes.
Please make every effort to plan ahead and to communicate the
dismissal and pick up procedures with your child through the
agenda or in a note to the teacher. Our phone lines are busy
and getting information to teachers at the last minute can be
difficult. For safety reasons, it is also difficult to verify
persons who are calling on telephones.
Emergency Weather Procedures
There may be days during the upcoming winter months when
inclement weather presents a potential safety hazard to our
children. The inclement weather may cause disruption of bus
transportation and regular school operations. It is extremely
important that parents/guardians discuss with their children
the procedures they wish them to take to get home safely.
Details have been sent home outlining information regarding
BUS CANCELLATIONS OR SCHOOL CLOSING DUE TO BAD
WEATHER. It is being sent home again with this newsletter.
It is very important that you keep this information handy in
case of cancellations or changes due to inclement weather.
NOTE: If busses run in the morning, they will run in the
afternoon to take students home. However, if the busses have
been cancelled in the morning, they will not run in the afternoon
either.
You are the ultimate authority in deciding what wether
conditions you consider safe for your child. It is always better
to err on the side of caution than to risk a young life.
Daily bus cancellations and delays
may also be found on
www.stopr.ca
imperative that everyone adhere to these rules – this includes
before and after school also.
REMINDER - ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES
Please be diligent in informing the school office
when your child will be absent from school.
This will help the office to reduce the number of calls which need to
be made by the school.
Even when the buses have been cancelled,
be sure to call the school –
an answering machine is always available.
Call 905-840-3042 attendance line.
SCHOOL OPERATIONS
New Board Chair/Vice Chair
At the December Board meeting, trustees re-elected trustee
Mario Pascucci as Chair of the Board. Trustee Thomas Thomas
was elected Vice-Chair of the Board. We congratulate both
trustees and wish them a very successful and productive year.
Winter Has Definitely Arrived . . .
The cold weather is here and we
will monitor the outside temperature
according to Board Policy as to whether
the children will go outside for recess. However, it is imperative
that your children come to school prepared to go outdoors for
the recess and lunch hour breaks. It is the expectation that
each child comes dressed appropriately to go outside to enjoy
the winter and get some fresh air and exercise. It is highly
recommended that the younger children wear snow pants to
keep them warm and dry. It would be beneficial to have an
extra pair of track pants and socks in your child’s bag just in
case they do get wet.
Students who are ill or recuperating from an illness should
remain at home until they are able to participate in the school
day, including outdoor recess.
SNOW SAFETY For All Students
Announcements will be made and teachers will review our policy
that snow MUST STAY on the ground. For the safety of all of
our students on school property, there are to be no snowballs,
kicking snow or any other activity with snow or ice that could
be harmful. Although it may seem like a fun activity, our
experience has shown that serious accidents can and do occur.
Snowjobs, sliding on any hills created by snow ploughs, and
sliding on ice are also prohibited. Please discuss these safety
procedures and reinforce them with your children – it is
Change in Weather/Extra Indoor Shoes
The weather has changed and we continue to request that
everyone have an extra pair of shoes to be kept at school or
carried by students for indoor use. This helps to promote good
health and comfort and helps to keep the classroom floors dry
and clean, for everyone’s benefit.
6
Please Label . . .
It is very helpful if parents label items of clothing with their
child’s name, so that each person can more easily locate his/her
own clothing from the coat rack area. You may also consider
sending your child(ren) with extra clothes e.g. socks, mitts,
pants in their school bag.
KEEPING HEALTHY
Smoke-Free Facility
A reminder that it is against the law to smoke
anywhere on school property. This includes
inside or outside the school, parking lots, inside
the car, soccer fields and driveways. This law is applicable
24/7 and applies to students, staff, parents, and visitors.
There is a $305.00 fine for smoking or holding lit tobacco on
school property.
Hand Washing is Important
Hand washing, when done correctly, is the
single most effective way to prevent the
spread of infectious diseases such as the
flu. Please help us reinforce the proper techniques with your
children:
 Wet your hands with warm running water;
 Add soap and rub your hands together, making a soapy
lather. Do this away from the running water for at
least 15 seconds. Wash the front and back of your
hands, between your fingers and under your nails;
 Rinse your hands well under warm running water. Let
the water run back down into the sink, not down the
elbows. Turn the water off with a paper towel and
place it in the garbage;
 Dry your hands thoroughly with a clean towel.
Using good hand washing techniques helps to reduce the spread
of infectious diseases. In the event your child does get sick,
please use discretion in keeping them at home to recover and
reduce the potential for them to spread the infection/illness
to others.
Accident Insurance Reminder
In September, insurance packages were sent
home with your child. With all the activities
that take place at school in the playground, the
gym, extracurricular excursions, etc. accidents
do happen. The school board does not carry
accident insurance for students. Packages are still available
from the office.
This is an optional choice, but highly
recommended for all students.
Medications at School
For safety reasons, no child should bring
medication to school without prior approval
from the office.
The school will store
necessary
prescribed
medication
upon
completion of the ‘Request for Storage and Distribution of
Prescribed Medications’ form, which has been filled out, signed
by the parents and physician and returned to the school.
School staff, without the proper board documentation, cannot
store or distribute medication of any kind.
Anaphylactic Reactions
We strongly ask for your understanding and cooperation in
ensuring that your child does not bring to school any snack or
lunch items containing peanuts or nut products or traces of
peanuts and/or nuts.
Although this may cause some
inconvenience for you, it truly is a life threatening situation for
the children and adults on whose behalf we make this request.
. . . AND FINALLY
Mark Your Calendars
January 6
January 12
January 13
January 13
January 18
January 20
January 25
January 26
January 27
January 27-29
January 29
February 1
February 1-5
February 2
February 4
February 5
February 9
February 10
February 15
February 19
February 29
March 8
March 8
March 14-18
March 24
Feast of the Epiphany
Meeting re: 2016 Entry Planning for Students
with Differing Abilities Transitioning to
Kindergarten at the Board Office @ 7:00 p.m.
New Year’s Mass in school gym
Grade 4 to Silvercreek Outdoor Centre
P.A. Day – no school for students
St. Bonaventure’s Parent Engagement Event –
Lice Shack
JK/SK Registration @ 7:00-9:00 pm
Snow day JK/SK Registration @7:00 pm (only
if Jan. 25 is cancelled)
Family Literacy Day
JK/SK Registration @ 9:00- 11:00 a.m. 1:003:00 p.m.
Virtue of Self-Control Assembly
Term #2 begins
Book Fair Week
Reports sent home
Interview Evening
P.A. Day set aside for interviews
Shrove Tuesday
Ash Wednesday – Season of Lent begins
Ash Wednesday Liturgy @ 1:00 p.m.
Family Day – no school
Lenten Mass
Virtue of Respect assembly
Grade 8 Grad Photos in the morning
Sibling Photos in the afternoon
March Break – no school
Stations of the Cross
7
March 25
March 27
March 28
Please give the leaders of our world
Good Friday – no school
Easter Sunday
Easter Monday – no school
A courage born of peace
That they might lead us gently
Please check your child’s agenda nightly
for important dates & information
And all the fighting cease.
Please give to all upon this earth
I Leave You With This Thought . . .
A heart that's filled with love
A gentle happy way to live
With Your blessings from above.
Attachments

New Years Prayer
~ Charlotte Anselmo ~
Thank you Lord for giving me



Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR) Bus
Cancellations/School Closing Due to Bad Weather
School Year 2015-2016 Information Sheet
Math at Home for January
St. Bonaventure Parent Engagement Event Flyer
Information re: Parent Engagement Events provided by
SEAC
DPCDSB is on Twitter!
For the latest Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board news and information on schools, programs,
in-services, follow:
The brand new year ahead
Help me live the way I should
As each new day I tread.
Give me gentle wisdom
That I might help a friend
Give me strength and courage
So a shoulder I might lend.
St. Aidan is on Twitter!
For the latest news and information on our school please
follow us on twitter on
@StAidan CES
The year ahead is empty
Help me fill it with good things
Each new day filled with joy
And the happiness it brings.
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