ST. TERESA OF AVILA
6675 MONTEVIDEO ROAD
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO
L5N 4E8
PHONE: (905)858-3462 FAX: (905) 858-1673
Website: http://www.dpcdsb.org/AVILA
May 2015 Newsletter
Principal
M. Sturge
Vice Principal
E. Oliveira
Secretary
J. Sequeira
Superintendent
Mississauga North
Family of Schools
T. Cruz
(905) 890-1221
Pastor
St. John of the Cross
Fr. J. Kalluvila
Trustee Ward 9
E. O’Toole
(905) 812-5163
ST. JOHN OF THE
CROSS PARISH
6890 Glen Erin Drive
Miss., ON L5N 2E1
Tel: (905) 821-1331
Fax: (905) 858-8486
Email:
stjohnofx@rogers.com
Website:
www.saintjohnofthecross.com
MASS TIMES
Weekends:
Sat.: 5:00 p.m.
Sun.: 8:00 a.m., 10:00
a.m., 12:00 p.m., 4:00
p.m.
Weekdays: 9:00a.m.
PASTORAL TEAM
Fr. Joseph Kalluvila, O.Carm
Pastor
Fr. Abraham Kulanjiyil, O. Carm
Assoc. Pastor
John Cannon, Deacon
Kate Watkiss, Pastoral Associate
ACCEPTANCE
Dear God,
You have done such a marvelous job of creating us and the world
around us.
You have placed this creation, including all the people we meet, in
our care.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength to be
accepting of others.
We admit that we can never fully know your plan for the people
around us.
Grant us the strength to admit that our role is to invite others to
participate in your saving plan and then to accept the choices that
they make in their own lives.
Amen
Principal’s Message
The theme of this year’s Catholic Education Week is “Catholic
Education: Exploring Paths of Joy”. Each day of the week has a subtheme: Walking Together and Sharing our Story, Opening the
Scriptures, Welcoming Others to the Table, Recognizing Jesus in the
Breaking of the Bread, Proclaiming the Good News. Catholic Education
Week begins on Sunday May 3rd and continues until Friday May 8th.
Catholic Education week is an opportunity to celebrate the mission of
our Catholic schools as they endeavor to integrate the gospel values into
every aspect of school life. During this week the Catholic community
celebrates the unique and distinctive contribution that Catholic
schools make to our students, our community and our Province.
During Catholic Education week let each and every one of us
take some time to reflect on the significance of Catholic Education’s
presence and contribution in our Church and in our society. We invite
all members of our community, especially our parents, to participate
in the celebrations and activities that will mark our celebration of
Catholic Education Week.
M.Sturge
Principal
FAITH COMMUNITY
Our next mass will celebrate the season of Lent and
will be held on June 10th at 10:15 a.m., at the church.
Our mass is a reminder of the importance of
partnership between the church, home and school as
we all move along our faith journey. Please join us if
you are able.
Sacrament of Confirmation
The Archdiocese of Toronto has given notification
that the student candidates for the sacrament of
Confirmation has been moved from Grade 8 to Grade
7, in terms of sacramental preparation. This will be
effective September 2015.
Sharelife
Thank you for all of your support for our Sharelife
initiatives that supports a variety of Catholic
charities/initiative within our community. Thanks to
your generosity we were able to donate $925.05.
Virtue Assembly
The April virtue assembly focused on this month’s
virtue of love. Thank you to all of the
parents/guardians and family members who were able
to attend and congratulations to our students who
received certificates for the virtue of respect. Our
next assembly will be on Friday, May 22 at 10:50 p.m.
Please join us if you are able.
Catholic Education Week
Catholic Education Week this year takes place from
May 3–May 8, 2015. During this week the Catholic
community celebrates the unique and distinctive
contribution that Catholic schools make to our
students, our community and our Province. This
year’s theme is “Exploring Paths of Joy”. The five
sub-themes are:
 Walking Together and Sharing our Story
 Opening the Scriptures
 Welcoming Others to the Table
 Recognizing Jesus in the Breaking of the
Bread
 Proclaiming the Good News
More information is attached.
Student Information
It is important that we have up to date records of your
address, phone numbers, and emergency contacts in
the event that the school must contact you regarding
your child. Please inform the office or your child’s
teacher if any information changes throughout the
year.
Student Absence and Arrival Time
We ask that parents continue to call to notify the
school if their child will be absent and/or late. Your
phone call to the school saves us time trying to
ensure your child is safe. Remember that you can call
the school twenty-four hours a day to report your
child’s absence at 905-858-3462- option 1. Upon
reaching the school answering service please leave
the following information: a) Date of absence
b)Student’s full name c) Grade level and teacher d)
Reason for absence e) Date of return.
Students who are late must report to the office
and sign in. School staff is on duty at 8:15 a.m.
in the morning until 8:30 a.m. There is no
supervision for students before 8:15 a.m. and
students should not be dropped off prior for
safety reasons. Students should arrive at 8:25
a.m. to line up and enter the school with the rest
of the class and avoid being late. Full Day
Kindergarten student will be taken inside at 8:15
a.m.The school bell rings at 8:30 a.m. If you arrive
after the bell rings, please bring your child to the
office and sign them in. Thank you for your
cooperation.
Parking Lot Safety/Kiss and Ride
As always, student safety is a priority at St. Teresa
of Avila School. Please continue to use the available
parking spaces or park in the designated areas on the
street when picking up or dropping off your child. As
indicated in a letter sent out earlier in September,
the Mississauga Parking Enforcement will issue
tickets for those who are illegally parked. The Kiss n
Ride should be constantly moving to prevent a back
log of traffic. Children should not be walking
across the parking lot unattended in front of cars
or buses and will be directed to use the walkway in
front of the school. Please do not leave your
vehicle unattended in the Kiss and Ride. Thank you
to everyone who are using the Kiss and Ride safely.
We are asking for everyone’s patience and
cooperation to ensure that all of our students arrive
and leave school safely.
Storage and Administration of Medication
Parents are responsible for ensuring that all
medication and forms are updated annually for any
student who requires medication to be administered
at school. If your child requires medication please
have the necessary forms completed and return
them, along with any medication, to the office as soon
as possible. Forms are available at the school office.
Medical Alert-Anaphylactic shock- Nut
Allergies
Please be aware that there are students in our school
with a severe life-threatening food allergy
(anaphylaxis) to NUTs and PEANUTs. This is a
medical condition that causes a severe reaction to
certain allergens and can result in death within
minutes. Although this may or may not affect your
child’s class directly, please send lunches and snacks
to school with your children that are free from
peanuts or nut products. We ask that you do not send
in food products for the whole class to celebrate
birthdays or social occasions. A donation of a book or
game to the classroom is a safe alternative to food
products and will be enjoyed so much longer by the
children. Please feel free to contact your child’s
teacher if you have any concerns or questions. We
thank you for your co-operation and attention to this
health watch.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality of Student & Staff Personal
Information
We now live in an age where most parents/guardians
and many students have cell phones and other
Personal Electronic Equipment (PEDs) that have
photo, recording and videotaping features. The
temptation to take photos, video-tape friends,
teachers at school and other events is high,
especially when parent/family members are unable to
attend the event. The accessibility of these advanced
technologies make it, easy and immediate.
The concerns that schools have, is how can the
school, maintain and protect the confidentiality of
our students and staff when acts that seem so
innocent can potentially have serious/harmful
consequences. If photos, video clips are placed on
Facebook pages, YouTube and other websites, control
is lost on who can view it. In addition, written consent
from the participants must be secured to post such
information. Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board
adheres to strict policies and guidelines on
maintaining the confidentiality of students and staff.
At the beginning of each year, parents/guardians sign
forms granting/disallowing photos of their child(ren)
to be taken for school use (i.e., in classrooms, hallway
bulletin boards and assembly video presentations).
Schools should not post personal information on their
web-sites. Personal information is defined in Section
2 of the MFIPPAct, as 'recorded information about
an identifiable individual'. Personal information should
only be posted where in-formed consents have been
obtained from all affected individuals or from
persons who are legally authorized to consent on
their behalf.
Informed consent requires that the person
consenting understands the exact nature of the
information for which con-sent is sought, the
potential consequences of signing the consent form,
and be given the right to revoke the consent at any
time. As such, we require parents/guardians/students
to respect and adhere to Dufferin Peel’s policy on
Confidentiality of Student & Staff Information.
Custody of Children
On rare occasions, we are faced with difficult
situations in which non-custodial parents arrive at
school asking to visit their child or to take their child
home after school. We are best able to serve and
protect students when we are made aware of legal
custody arrangements, visitation rights and other
special instructions. If legal custody matters affect
your family, please ensure that our office and
classroom teachers are aware of any custodial
arrangements that may affect your child during
school hours.
Pediculosis
It is important to bring your attention to a problem
that occurs in most schools. Head lice are parasites
which have been common among human beings for
centuries. They are not in any way connected to
uncleanliness. If a case is found in our school, we shall
inform parents of the students in that classroom. If
your children do become infested, we will be asking
you to keep them out of school until after they have
been treated with the correct shampoo and their hair
is entirely clear of both lice and nits (eggs). We ask
that you check your own children regularly. If we all
cooperate in these procedures, we may not entirely
escape outbreaks, but we will be able to bring them
under control quickly.
Concussion Policy, Guidelines and Protocol
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has
developed a Concussion Policy and Guidelines for
students who have been diagnosed with a concussion
by either a medical doctor or nurse practitioner.
School staff cannot diagnose a concussion. Anytime a
student reports to the office with a head injury, the
parent/guardian will be contacted and the incident
will be entered into the school’s “Documentation of
Head Injuries” log. Your child will be given an
information pamphlet entitled “We want to give you a
heads up…Concussions are serious.” This pamphlet
outlines the signs and symptoms of concussions. It
also includes information about what to do if you
suspect your child has a concussion and how a
concussion is treated. Guidelines have been
developed by Dufferin-Peel CDSB to support a 10phase “Return to Activity” process following a
diagnosed concussion. These guidelines include 5
phases for “Return to Learn” followed by 5 phases
for “Return to Play”. With parental consent, school
administration will work collaboratively with school
psychology staff to monitor your child’s progress
through the 10 phases.
For more information, please contact the school.
Front Door Monitor System
For visitors and parents to our school, in order to
assist you better:
 Please stand facing the camera and ring the
bell once.
 Please wait for a response….remember,
schools are busy places!

For the safety of our students, we ask that
you always state the reason for your visit.
We also ask for your patience and understanding if it
is during prayers and announcements and if our
secretary is away from her desk for photocopying
etc. For students arriving between 8:00 a.m. & 8:15
a.m. for the Breakfast Club, please ring the bell once
and wait for a response: Thank you for your
cooperation and support!
SEVERE WEATHER & EMERGENCY EVACUATION
In rare circumstances, our students and staff may
need to evacuate the building as a result of an
emergency in the building or in the nearby community.
Our evacuation site is West Credit Secondary
School, located at 6235 Montevideo Road in
Mississauga. Board regulations and safety precautions
require this contingency plan. Should an evacuation be
necessary, you will be notified as soon as possible and
your child will be held at West Secondary School
until we make direct contact with a parent/guardian.
SCHOOL EVENTS & NEWS
ALLEGATION OF SEXUAL ABUSE REGARDING
THE LATE FR. JAMES (JIM) ROTH, OSFS
Information regarding an allegation of sexual abuse
of a minor related to the late Fr. James (Jim) Roth,
OSFS, is posted on the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board’s main webpage at
www.dpcdsb.org. Additional information, including
where to report abuse or suspected abuse, is also
posted on the website of Father Roth’s religious
order, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, at
www.tdprovince.org and the Archdiocese of Toronto
at www.archtoronto.org . Please consult these sources
as appropriate.
Avila’s Got Talent
The school is buzzing with the excitement of the
upcoming talent show. We look forward to
showcasing the many gifts and talents of our
students on Thursday May 7th starting at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets to the event are being sold out quickly. In
order to adhere to Fire code regulations, tickets
will not be sold at the door.
Athletics
The Intermediate co-ed basketball team has made it
to the family tournament. Congratulations go to the
team for their great efforts and for representing
our school proudly. Thank you to Mr. Rodrigues for
his time and talents as coach.
EQAO
Our Grade 3 and 6 students will be participating in the
Provincial EQAO assessments during the weeks of May
25th - June 5th. It is very important that your child
be present at this time.
Cancer Awareness Day
Our fundraiser has been going very well. Our
beautiful “Wall of Hope” mural has many daffodil
stickers on it. A total amount raised will be included
in next month’s newsletter.
MindUp
Our school has been working on a program that
fosters social and emotional awareness focusing on
breathing and attentive listening. We are in the early
stages of implementation at this time. Ask your child
about the Core Practice of breathing and what
function different parts of the brain are responsible
for that their teachers have been discussing with
them.
The Online Reporting Tool
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School board has
developed a new way to help nurture a safe, caring
and inclusive school environment. The Online
Reporting Tool is intended for students in grades 3 –
8 who become aware of bullying incidents and
negative behaviours. The student can simply ‘click’ on
the link found on our school’s website to fill out the
report. The report will then be directly emailed to
the principal and/or vice principal and will be dealt
with accordingly. It is important to recognize that
the Online Reporting Tool is an alternate reporting
option. It is best practice to speak directly with a
responsible adult at home and/or in the school. The
link is on our school website now.
Summer Literacy Camp
outside for recess. We ask that parents send extra
drinks (water and juice) to help keep children
hydrated.
Moving
If you are planning on moving out of the St. Teresa of
Avila school area, or are changing an address within
our school boundaries, please let the office know as
soon as possible. It is important that we are informed
so that we can provide the necessary transfer forms.
You will require these forms as part of your
registration into any school in the province.
School Organization for September 2015
The staff at St. Teresa of Avila School will meet in
May to discuss the academic and social/emotional
needs of your child and determine the class
placement that will best meet their needs. We
appreciate your input concerning any special needs
your child(ren) may have. Please submit any feedback
that you may have in writing by Friday May 15,
2015 to the office. Please do not make specific
requests for a teacher as current and tentative
assignments may change between now and September.
Wherever possible we will meet requests but the
final decision rests with the Principal.
Summer Literacy Camp will be held at St. Simon Stock
School from July 6- July 24, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 12
p.m. This three week program is offered to students
from S.K. to Grade 6 at a cost. Transportation is not
provided. Please contact your child’s teacher for more
information. The deadline for applications is Friday,
June 3rd.
DRESS CODE
Grade 7 & 8 Summer School
Clothing guidelines
Grade 7 & 8 students are eligible to attend Remedial
Literacy and Mathematics classes from Monday, July
2 to Friday, July 17, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30
p.m. upon recommendation from the Principal. There
is no cost for the program and bussing is provided.
If you are interested and require more information,
please contact your child’s teacher for an application.
The deadline for applications is May 29, 2015.
Warm Weather Guidelines
The effects of the sun can be quite harmful. Peel
Health recommends that parents be aware of sun
safety. We encourage our students to wear
sunscreen, protective hats and sunglasses while
Our school is committed to standards of neatness,
cleanliness, modesty and good taste. Students are
and appropriate to the school environment. With
warmer weather on the way, we will remind students
of dress code expectations. Your assistance and
support is greatly appreciated.
• Clothing should be neat, clean and without tears
and/or holes;
• Halter tops, tank tops, spaghetti strap tops, low cut
tops, mesh shirts, muscle shirts, cut-off shorts,
midriff tops which do not cover the abdomen and
bandanas are inappropriate attire school (walking
shorts are permitted);
• Patches, symbols or sayings on clothing shall not be
offensive to anyone who might read them, nor should
they promote negative messages
• Sunglasses and headwear such as hats/caps/visors
are inappropriate in the school building and classroom
Scholastic Book Fair
During Catholic Education Week, St. Teresa of Avila
will be hosting a Book Fair. Monday, May 4th in the
afternoon and Tuesday, May 5th are preview days.
Each student will have an opportunity to look at the
wide selection of books and other items at the Fair.
There will be no buying at this time. On Wednesday,
May 7th in the afternoon, students will have the
opportunity to come to the Book Fair with their class
to purchase. Parents are invited to the book fair on
Thursday May 7th from 3:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. Thank
you in advance for your support. The money raised
will help fund book buying in your child’s library. Get
a charge out of reading!
approximately 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Please look for
more detailed information to be sent home.
SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
The next School Council Meeting is Thursday, May 7
at 6:00 p.m. in the library. All Parents/Guardians are
welcome to attend.
Dates to Remember
May 3-8
Catholic Education Week- see
attached pamphlet
May 6
Crowning of Mary Presentation
Grade 1-3 at 9:15 a.m.
Grade 4-8 at 10:30a.m.
Pizza Lunch
May 7
-Dental Screening FDK, Gr.1 & Gr.
2
- Book Fair 3:30pm-6:30 p.m.
-School Council meeting- 6:00 p.m.
in the library
-“Avila’s Got Talent” performance
at 7:00 p.m.
May 8
Shining Stars day at St. Aloysius
Gonzaga
May 11
P. A. Day- No School
May 14
Welcome to Kindergarten
6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
May 18
Victoria Day- no school
May 20
Pizza Lunch
May 22
Virtue Assembly @ 10:50 a.m.
May 25June 5
EQAO assessment
May 2729
Grade 8’s Trip to Camp Brebeuf
ROLLERBLADES, SKATE BOARDS &
SCOOTERS
Students who wish to rollerblade, skate
board, cycle or ride a scooter to school
must remove their rollerblades or pick up
their skateboards or scooters as soon as
they enter or leave school property.
Bikes can be locked up at the new bike
rack in front of the school. The school
does not accept responsibility for their
safe keeping.
Textbook Policy
Textbooks are the property of the school and are
loaned out to students with the expectation that
they will be returned at the end of the 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 to the student if the textbook is damaged, lost
or not returned at the end of the school year.
GRADE EIGHT GRADUATION
Grade Eight Graduation is scheduled for Tuesday,
June 23rd, 2015 in the school gymnasium. A
Graduation liturgy will take place at 10:00 a.m.
followed by the awards ceremony. A luncheon and
afternoon dance for the graduates will follow at the
Mississauga Grand Convention Center from
Note in newsletter about door bell.