St. Charles Garnier School December 2015 A Blessing At Advent May all who work for a world of peace and reason, be granted the gifts of strength and courage… May the good that dwells within each human heart be magnified… May the blessings of truth and understanding be ours… May the joys of this Advent and Christmas season dwell within all of us… As we continue to grow and build for tomorrow, may we share Christ’s love and understanding with all. May God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; the worth of Christmas, which is love; the belief of Christmas, which is truth; the all of Christmas, which is Christ. Amen Principal’s Message A new Liturgical Year began on Sunday November 29 th. At Masses we lit the first Advent candle to symbolize the first week of waiting in anticipation for the coming of the Messiah. During the season of Advent we prepare as families and as a school to receive our Savior. We decorate our homes inside and out, we bake and we shop. Have we remembered the most important part of the Advent? Have you set up the manger to remind your family members of the story of the birth? Have you set up an Advent Wreath in a prominent position? Have you prayed together as a family to prepare for the coming of Christ? Have you reached out to those in need? Take time this Advent season to grow together as a family, sharing the gift of prayer and talking about what the coming of Jesus means to each person in your family. M.J. Vowles, Principal The Virtues The notion of virtue is deeply rooted in Catholic Christian Tradition. It is in a community of caring, committed partners that we find the space and time to become our best selves. The main thing to remember is that virtue is increased by two things: practice and prayer. By practicing the virtues, we develop habits of goodness that help us to resist temptation. December Virture of the Month is HOPE People of Hope: Keep a positive attitude Can bounce back from a tough situation Set and stick to their goals See the good in others even when they make mistakes Work to include other Let others know that they are good people The daily prayer of HOPE for December is: Let us now pray...for the grace and courage to be people of Hope. People who can see, participate in and contribute to God’s goodness emerging around us. Amen At St. Charles Garnier School, each virtue of the month is introduced over the P.A. during morning prayers. The virtue for the month of December is HOPE. At the end of the month, each classroom teacher will identify one student in their class who best exemplifies the particular virtue. A group picture of these students will be taken and displayed on the bulletin board across from the office door and each student will be presented with a certificate. Celebrate Christmas Sing-A-Long St. Charles Garnier School will be participating in a family sing-a-long on Thursday, December 17 at 9:15am in the gymnasium. All are welcome to attend. Christmas Holidays The last day of classes will be Friday, December 18, 2015. Students will return to school on Monday, Jan 4, 2016. Put An Angel on the Tree Thank you for your support of our Angel on the Tree school project. Just a reminder that gifts must be received at the school by Thursday, December 10, as the Children’s Aid Society will be picking the gifts up on that day. Thank you to Mrs. Demosani, Mrs. Eneh, Mrs. Corapi and Ms. Giansante for coordinating this project. Christmas Joy You are invited to join your child and share some “Christmas Joy”. Students will be painting ornaments and welcome you to join them. Monday, Dec 14 Tuesday, Dec 15 9:00 Ms. Giansante Ms. Mammoliti 9:45 Ms. Kicinski Ms. Corapi 11:00 Ms. Ricketts Ms. Valentine 1:00 Ms. Kraljevic Ms. Mullin 1:45 Mr. Marchant Ms. Sappong Advent Mass Please join us on Friday, December 11 at 9:30a.m. for our Advent Mass that will be held in our school gym due to renovations at the church. Things you should know: Winter Weather/ Recess Policy St. Charles Garnier School promotes responsibility, respect, civility and academic excellence in a safe learning and teaching environment. We would like to remind parents of the policy regarding recess: “Under ordinary circumstances, children who come to school are expected to participate fully in the school program”. This includes participating in breaks outdoors with the class. The recess break is vital for children and fresh air is not likely to worsen a cold if the child is dressed properly. If the cold or illness is severe, we respectfully suggest that the child not be sent to school. Cold Weather Reminders The weather can be quite changeable throughout the day. Please be sure that children are prepared every day with hats, coats, ski pants, mitts and boots, as the weather dictates. Outdoor activities will be much more enjoyable when children are properly prepared. Also, please ensure that your child brings an extra pair of pants and socks that can be left at the school in case they do need to change out of wet clothes. Volunteers: You are Appreciated During this Advent season, we would like to thank all our volunteers for their efforts in helping our children in our events sponsored by our School Council: helping in classrooms, library, school trips, pizza day distribution and any other contributions to the school community. Your time and efforts are noted and very much appreciated. Indoor shoes are also a must! Available supervision is outdoors at recesses. Storage/Administration of Medication Parents are responsible for ensuring that all medication and forms are updated annually. If your child requires medication, please have all pertinent forms completed and returned with the medication to the office as soon as possible. A reminder that children are not allowed to keep any medication in their desk, backpack or classroom (with the exception of an epi-pen if allergies are severe). All dispensing of medication requires medical permission and must be stored in the office. Please contact the school secretary, Ms. Giansante for appropriate forms. Lost and Found We have many items in our lost and found box. Please take time to go through the items as any remaining items will be donated to needy families. Ear Phones Due to hygienic purposes, students are asked to bring their own ear phones to school. They will use these ear phones during technology periods with the computer and iPads. To ensure that the ear phones are not lost or stolen, we encourage parents to purchase an inexpensive pair (e.g. Dollar Store) Also, we ask that you properly label the ear phones and place them in a zip lock bag. Remember to keep a spare pair of indoor shoes at school. Safety at St. Charles Garnier School It is important you are part of the process of teaching your child about punctuality. Students should be here each day in time to line up and enter with their class. If a child arrives late, they must come to the office for a late slip before they proceed to their classroom. Students who arrive late miss initial morning instructions. They may disrupt their peers who are listening to lessons. Please make every effort for your child to be here on time. We respectfully remind parents that they should not be escorting their children to their classrooms. Although you maybe a “familiar face” to the office, you are a stranger to many students. All visitors/volunteers/ parents must be identified with a visitor’s badge. Students have been instructed to look for this badge on any adult in the school who is not a staff member. Kindergarten Registration: 2016-2017 School Year Full-Day Kindergarten Registration 2016-17 Registration for Full-Day Kindergarten for the 2015-16 school year, will take place at St. Charles Garnier School on the following days: Monday, January 25, 2016 Wednesday, January 27, 2016 Thursday, January 28, 2016 Friday, January 29, 2016 * Snow Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2016 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.* 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. For more information about registration and the FullDay Kindergarten program, call 905-275-0509 or visit www.dpcdsb.org. Who are the Eco Eagles? We are a group of dedicated students who are determined to make our school eco friendly. We encourage others to be stewards of the environment by reducing our ecological footprint. Our upcoming campaigns will include: Makeover Monday - classes will all do their part to clean up the yard! Turn Down the Heat Tuesday - bring an extra sweater! All Classrooms will reduce the heat to conserve energy. Wasteless Wednesday - bring a litterless lunch to school! Freewater Thursday - bring a reusable water bottle to school - not plastic! Flickerless Friday - remember to turn off the lights! In order to reinforce our eco initiatives, we will be rewarding students with gotcha tickets where they can win prizes at the end of the month. So remember what Eco the Eagles says: “Eco Eagles always flock together, So have a heart and do your part.” Who is part of the Eco Eagles? Grade 4 Grade 6 Kacper P. Kathleen A. Rachel B. Mikee F. Rhianna S. Kyra C. Matthew F. Xymonna A. Caroline L. Sophia N. Jasmina C. Paulina I. Cristina C. Ronalyn Q. Sabrina D. Mikayla R. Caitlin O. Janessa R. Grade 5 Grade 8 Cristen G. Emmabelle S. Kristen T. Dannison M. Marianna O. Fabiana B. Staff Milcah S. Mrs. Giansante Mrs. Sawh Micaiah S. Mrs. Valentine Ms. Vowles St. Charles Garnier School 4233 Central Parkway East, Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1M7 Telephone: (905) 275-0509 FAX: (905) 275-5640 Tuesday, December 8, 2015 Dear Students/Parents/Guardians/Staff The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board strives to create a safe, caring, healthy and inclusive environment to all of its schools, including St. Charles Garnier Catholic Elementary School. In order to maintain a safe and secure learning and working environment for students, staff and community members, it is necessary to periodically undertake construction and renovation work at our schools. The following work has been identified for our school. The work is scheduled to be carried out during the Christmas Break, December 19 th thru to January 3rd, inclusive. We do not anticipate any significant impact on regular school operations. Scheduled Work: Asbestos abatement of sheet flooring, corridor of core school as it links to the portapak. There will also be minor abatement of floor tiles in classroom 4, classroom 10 and Gym Storage. It is the policy of the Board that during the abatement period, Board staff will ensure that all staff and contractors adhere to provincial regulations, including Ministry of Labour Health and Safety regulations, as well as the Board’s General Administrative Procedures and Health and Safety Manual. It is my practice to keep students, parents, guardians and staff informed of activities that relate to or impact on our school. If you have any questions regarding the abatement project, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, M.J. Vowles Principal cc: School Council Chair Area Trustee Superintendent of Schools Superintendent of Planning & Operations STUDENT TRANSPORTATION OF PEEL REGION (STOPR) BUS CANCELLATIONS/SCHOOL CLOSING DUE TO BAD WEATHER 2015 – 2016 SCHOOL YEAR During the winter months inclement weather may cause disruption of bus transportation and regular school operations. A decision to cancel school transportation and/or to close schools is usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be announced on the following radio and television stations: VIRGIN RADIOFM99.9 CFNY FM102.1/AM640 NEWSTALK1010 AM FM Z103.5 CHIN FM100.7/AM1540 GLOBAL NEWS CHUM AM1050 CJCL AM590 EZ ROCK FM97.3 FM93.1 CBC99.1 CTV CFTR AM680 CHFI FM98.1 CJBC (FR) AM860 FM Q107 CITYPULSE CANADA AM We will be communicating one of six standard messages to the radio stations. The six announcements and their effect on the transportation system are as follows: (Please note that the highlighted text only will be communicated by the radio stations). “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES SERVING ST. ANDREW, ST. BENEDICT AND ST. PETER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND R.F. HALL SECONDARY SCHOOL ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.” “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY”. This means that ALL buses which operate into, out of, and within the Town of Caledon are cancelled for the entire day. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON AND THE COUNTY OF DUFFERIN ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY”. This means that all runs listed under announcements #l and #2 are cancelled. Individual schools will be notified if this cancellation affects their school. 4. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE CITY OF MISSISSAUGA ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.” This means that ALL buses which operate into, out of, and within the City of Mississauga are cancelled for the entire day. “ALL DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.” This means that ALL transportation services provided by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and the Peel District School Board, including buses, vans and taxis have been cancelled for the entire day. “ALL BUSES ARE CANCELLED AND THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE DUFFERINPEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ARE CLOSED”. This means that ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and Peel District School board schools and offices are closed to all students and staff. Note: For Secondary School students Riding Public Transit, cancellation of service will be communicated by the respective transit property over the radio. Please be advised that Public Transit rarely cancels and that the level of service on days with inclement weather is unpredictable. November 2015