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
April 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
Dear God,
Love
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 love.
We want to love like Jesus loved -- without holding back; without
wondering what’s in it for me; so that everyone around us will
know what your love looks like.
May we find the courage to forget ourselves on purpose for the good
of your people.
We ask this in name of Jesus, our brother, who lived to show us
your way. Amen.
Principal’s Message
At this time, I would like to inform you that Mrs. Del Grosso-Milek has just been
promoted to Principal and will begin her new role at her new school on April 1 st. On
behalf of the entire school community, we would like to congratulate and thank Mrs.
Del Grosso-Milek for her countless contributions to St. Teresa of Avila and wish her
well in her new school. She will be greatly missed by everyone.
We would also like to extend a warm welcome to Mr. Oliveira who will be our new Vice
Principal here at St. Teresa of Avila.
As Catholics, we recognize Easter as the most sacred and holy time in our Liturgical
year. During the forty days of Lent, we reflect on our own relationship with God. We
walk with Jesus during his forty days in the desert and we do acts of penance, prayer
and sacrifice. We strive to repair broken relationships with others and with our
Lord. We anticipate with joy the healing power of Christ which is manifested in the
resurrection on Easter Sunday.
As a faith community we have embraced the spirit of Lent. Our student Lenten
promises show how we can all be more like Jesus. On Holy Thursday, our students will
participate in a morning of Lenten activities, a reenactment of the Last Supper
followed by a dramatization of the Stations of the Cross in the afternoon.
May the peace and joy of the risen Christ be in your homes and hearts this Easter.
M. Sturge
Principal
FAITH COMMUNITY
Our next mass will celebrate the season of Lent and
will be held on Friday, April 10th at 1:00 p.m. at the
school. 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.
Lenten Retreat Day
This year we will be having a Lenten Retreat day on
Holy Thursday. Students will participate in a variety
of activities to help nourish their faith and to prepare
for Easter.
Stations of the Cross
On April 2nd at 12:30 p.m., in the gymnasium,
students will present the Stations of the Holy Cross;
Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for us. Thank you to Mr.
Abraham and Ms. Tintinalli and our students for their
dedication and efforts for this presentation.
Sharelife
Sharelife supports a variety of Catholic
charities/initiative within our community. To show
our support we will be celebrating Sharelife Spirit
Week from April 7-10th. We are asking for a
donation of $ 2.00 per student to participate in daily
fun activities. Donations to be collected the week of
March 30 - April 2nd. Funds generated will go
directly back into our community to support Sharelife
initiatives. A letter was sent home with more details.
Virtue Assembly
The March 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.
Thank you to Mrs. Evans and Miss Taylor for
organizing the beautiful assembly and for the
dedicated participation of the students. Thank you to
Mr. Abraham for his audiovisual support. Our next
assembly will be on Thursday, April 30th at 12:45 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 will follow to indicate what
activities will be taking place during this week.
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
Athletics
The Intermediate co-ed basketball team is up and
running with a lot of effort, determination and skill
being demonstrated. We look forward to an exciting
season. Thank you to Mr. Rodrigues for his time and
talents as coach.
Autism Awareness Day
Thursday, April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day.
Iconic landmarks around the world such as the CN
Tower will glow with blue light. This is to create
awareness and to show support for Autism. St. Teresa
of Avila students are encouraged to join the staff and
the rest of the world and wear blue clothes to “Light
up our school Blue.”
Chess
Congratulations to our Junior and Intermediate Chess
teams! They competed in the annual Mississauga
North Family Chess Tournament on March 11th at St.
Simon Stock Elementary School. Both teams moved
on to the quarter finals but faced very tough
teams. We look forward to next year's tournament.
Congratulations to Kyle S., Richter I., Alex E., Ethan
L., Eduardo S., Jonathan D., Jonathan, S.,Ismael B.,
Divine A. and Andre M.
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. Further information will
follow.
Mission Milk bags
We are asking for your help again this year. We will
be collecting milk bags in the front foyer of our
school. These bags will eventually be woven into mats.
The mats are being shipped to Sierra Leone on a
continuous basis by Canadian Food for Children, along
with other supplies, and will be used in the Ebola
clinics to provide something comfortable for patients
to lie on. Please see the link below for this inspiring
video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhyhNrEMfY
A&feature=share
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.
Cancer Awareness Day
Our school will be participating in a voluntary
fundraiser for cancer during the week of April 27 to
May 1st. Students are asked to bring a $2.00 donation
to support this worthy cause. Once a donation is
received, students will receive an “I’m wearing a
daffodil for……” sticker to be placed on a Wall of
Hope located in the front foyer. Since cancer has
touched the lives of so many, we are hoping to do
what we can to make a difference. Our whole school
will be invited to wear yellow on Wednesday, April
29th to show our support for this worthy cause. More
details will be forthcoming.
Summer Literacy Camp
Summer Literacy Camp will be held at the following
schools: Father Daniel Zanon, St. Bernard Clairvaux,
St. Timothy, St. Gerard, St. Simon Stock and St.
Vincent de Paul. 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.
Grade 7 & 8 Summer School
Grade 7 & 8 students are eligible to attend Remedial
Literacy and Mathematics classes from Monday, June
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 to
St. Faustina. 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.
DPCDSB is on Twitter! For the latest board
news and information, follow us
@DPCDSBSchools.
Please visit our St. Teresa Avila
website at:
http://www.dpcdsb.org/AVILA
Dates to Remember
April 1
Welcome Mr. Oliveira
April 2
HOLY THURSDAY
“Light it Blue”- Wear Blue in
support of Autism awareness
April 3
GOOD FRIDAY
April 6
EASTER MONDAY- no school
April 7
Crazy Hair/Hat Day
April 8
Backwards Day
Pizza Day
April 9
Hawaiian/Beach Day
April 10
Easter Mass at 1:00 p.m.
Twin Day
April 22
Pizza Day
April 29
Yellow Day in Support of
Cancer
April 30
Virtue Assembly at 12:45
p.m.- All Are Welcome