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
January 2015 Newsletter
Principal
M. Sturge
Vice Principal
E. Del Grosso-Milek
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
Virtue of Self-control
Dear God,
You have done such a marvelous job of creating us and the world
around us. Sometimes life is easy… sometimes life is challenging. We know
that you do not want us to suffer. We know that you do not want us to
make other people suffer.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength to keep a sense of
self-control. We hope that by remaining calm in the middle of difficult
situations, we can contribute to making our school a safer, more caring,
and more inclusive community.
May your virtue of self-control help us to make decisions that serve the
good of all your people--in our families, neighbourhoods and school
community. We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son, who lived to show
us your way. Amen
Dear Parents and Guardians,
On behalf of the staff of St. Teresa of Avila, I wish everyone in our community a very
healthy and prosperous 2015. I hope that you had a blessed and enjoyable Christmas
holiday with family and friends. Deep gratitude is extended to all for your generous
donations to our Angel Tree. Your generosity has made a difference in the lives of
others.
It is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of Mrs. Carriere who passed away over
the holidays. She was a dedicated and passionate teacher who made many contributions
to the students and staff of our school. She will be greatly missed and our prayers go
out to her family during this very difficult time.
The month of January will focus on the virtue of “self-control”. Each time we exercise
self-control, we grow stronger in the Lord and invite peace to settle over us and we
avoid any guilt we may feel from having made a poor decision. We will continue to
recognize students who consistently make good decisions through our Virtue
assemblies and G.O.T.C.H.A awards.
Communication is important between school and home in order to ensure that all are
informed of student progress. Therefore, I encourage you to continue to communicate
with your child’s teacher. As we begin 2015, I would like to wish each and every one of
you a Happy New Year filled with good health, love and God’s continued blessings.
M.Sturge
Principal
FAITH COMMUNITY
Virtue Assembly
The December virtue assembly focused on this month’s
virtue of self-control. 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 hope. Thank you
to Madame Fleury and Madame Cosentino for
organizing the beautiful assembly and for the
dedicated participation of the students. Our next
assembly will be on Thursday January 29th at 12:45
p.m. Please join us if you are able.
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.
Winter Weather
During the winter season, many parents are
concerned about school policy on outdoor recess. It is
generally accepted that when the wind chill factor
drops below -25°C, students should not go outside
for recess. Dufferin-Peel C.D.S.B. Policy uses a wind
chill factor of -20° C as a determining factor for
modified recess. We ask that students come dressed
appropriately with hats, gloves, mittens etc. Where
possible, please put identification on your child’s
belongings. Please note that all students should have
indoor shoes during the winter months so that the
classrooms are kept as clean and dry as possible.
During the winter months, inclement weather may
cause disruption of bus transportation and regular
school operations. A decision to cancel transportation
and/or close schools is usually made by 7:00 a.m. and
will be announced on the Board website and the
following radio stations:
CKFM – 99.9 FM
CHIN – 100.7 FM, 1540 AM
CHUM – 1050 AM
CJCL – 590 AM
CFTR - 680 AM
CHFI – 98.1 FM
JACKFM – 92.5 FM
CBC – 740 AM
CIAO – 530 AM
CFNY – 102.1 FM
CFRB – 1010 AM
DC103FM
CHAY – 93 FM
Q107 – 107.1 FM
CJMR – 1250 AM
TALK640 – 640 AM
CHEZ ZP7.3
CJBC (Fr.) 86
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!
Flu Season
To reduce or prevent the spread of the flu, it is
important to use certain measures such as washing
hands, cough and sneeze etiquette, eating
nutritiously, getting plenty of sleep and staying home
when ill. Custodial staff help prevent the spread of
disease through protocols such as: cleaning hard
surfaces, washrooms being cleaned and disinfected,
paper is stocked, and soap dispensers are
checked/and filled. Hand sanitizers are also placed in
the office, library and various classrooms throughout
the school.
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
Young Minds at Play
We are very fortunate at St Teresa of Avila to work
with a team of dedicated support staff. Dr. Tobin,
our Psychological Services Staff member works with
students, their parents and school staff to determine
student’s learning strengths and needs as well as
addressing behavioural and emotional needs. Mrs.
Bennett, our Child and Youth Worker, provides
students with strategies to adapt to various
situations. Mrs. Szagala is the School Speech and
Language Pathologist and works with students to
develop their oral language and Mrs. Roma is the
School Social Worker who supports students and
families in the school community. As part of the
school’s team process, we regularly meet to discuss
student’s behavioural and academic
needs. Recommendations from these meetings will be
communicated to parents, and various interventions
may ensue.
One such intervention may be a referral to the Young
Minds at Play Program. Young Minds at Play is the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s version
of the Primary Project. The Primary Project was
developed over 50 years ago in Rochester, New York,
and provides support for students in Kindergarten to
Grade 2 to enhance school related competencies and
reduce social, emotional and school adjustment
difficulties by providing individual attention from a
caring adult. We
are very fortunate to be able
to offer this program to students.
Should your
child be a candidate for this program, you will receive
communication from the school shortly. If you
require more information about Young Minds at Play,
please contact Mrs. Sturge.
Eco-school News
Congratulations to our school for winning a wastefree lunch challenge. Thanks to all for their
participation and for doing your part in being
stewards of the earth.
School Council
Health and Wellness Committee
We would like to thank our School Council for
supporting a number of initiatives within the school
the first being the development of a literacy room.
This will be a two year process but will ensure that
our students are equipped with rich, literacy
materials to enhance their achievement. In addition,
the Raz Kids on-line reading program has been
purchased for our students from K- 4. Please feel
free to speak with your child’s teacher if you have
any questions about this program. The School Council
has also purchased the student agenda’s for the year
and has supported our Artists in the School program.
All parents are invited to attend our next meeting on
Tuesday January 14, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. in the library.
Staff, students and our Peel Public Health nurse have
been meeting to plan a variety of activities focusing
on both Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. Fun Fit
Friday’s will be starting where the whole school will
be completing Daily Physical Activity at the same
time. More information will follow on upcoming
initiatives.
Games Club
Several staff members would like to start a games
club to be held during a lunch hour. If you have any
lego or board games in good condition that you could
donate to this worthy cause please bring them in to
the office. Thank you
Full-Day Kindergarten for 2015-16
St. Teresa of Avila School welcomes French
Immersion!
Registration for Full-Day Kindergarten for the 201516 school year, will take place at St. Teresa of Avila
School on the following days:
The French Immersion Program at St. Elizabeth
Seton Elementary School was established as a Grades
1 to 4 program with St. Teresa of Avila Elementary
School as the sister site that would continue the
Monday, January 26, 2015- 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
*Snow Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2015 - 7:00-9:00
p.m.
program for students in Grades 5 to 8. We are
excited to welcome the Grade 5 French Immersion
Program and students at St. Elizabeth Seton
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, January 28, 29, 30,
2015
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
beginning September 8th, 2015. Administrators of
St. Elizabeth Seton and St. Teresa of Avila will be
working closely together to support a variety of
transition activities. Please contact the school office
The following documents are required for
registration:
should you have any further questions.
Extended French Information Meeting
Grade 4 parent(s)/guardian(s), who wish to enroll
their child in a Grade 5 Extended French class for
September, 2015 are invited to attend an information
meeting at: St. Therese of the Child Jesus at
6930 Forest Park Drive, Mississauga, L5N 6X7. It
will be held on January 15, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
At the present time, the above mentioned school is
the designated centre for our area. Applications will
be accepted at that center until 3:00 p.m. Tuesday,
February 17th, 2015.

Registration Form

Proof of age of the child
Birth certificate or passport.

Original Roman Catholic baptismal certificate
For child and/or parent/guardian. Includes baptismal
certificates from an Eastern Church in full
communion with the Holy See of Rome. If the child
has not been baptized, and the parent/guardian is a
baptized Roman Catholic or has been baptized in an
Eastern Church in full communion with the Holy See
of Rome, the parent/guardian must bring their own
baptismal certificate.

Updated immunization records
Immunization Card, Peel Health Form or Letter of
Exemption.


Proof of Canadian citizenship
Happy New Year & Welcome
Back!
Dance Program
January 6
R.A.I.D. Grade 6 students
Proof of home address
January 8
Intermediate Ski Trip- Gr. 7 &
8
Emergency rural address numbers
For identifying your property, if applicable.

January 5
Birth certificate, passport or permanent resident
status.
Two of the following: property tax bill, current utility
bill, real estate document or Government of
Canada issued forms.

Dates to Remember
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).
Please be sure to bring complete documentation with
you when you register. Admissions are open to
Catholic children and children of Catholic parents.
Kindergarten students must be at least 4 years of
age by December 31, 2015.
For more information about registration and the
Full-Day Kindergarten program, call 905-8583462 or visit www.dpcdsb.org
Please visit our St. Teresa Avila
website at:
http://www.dpcdsb.org/AVILA
DPCDSB is on Twitter! For the latest
board news and information, follow us
@DPCDSBSchools.
January 9
Dance Program
Immunizations- Gr. 7 & 8 Hep.B
Gr. 8 girls- HPV
January 12
Dance Program
January 14
PIZZA LUNCH
Rosary Apostolate to visit
School Council meeting @ 6:30
p.m.
January 16
Dance Program
January 19
P.A. Day- Assessment &
Evaluation of Pupil ProgressNO SCHOOL for students
January 23
Dance Program
January 26
Dance Program
Full Day Kindergarten
Registration 7:00-9:00 p.m.
January 27
Full Day Kindergarten
Registration Snow date
January 28
PIZZA LUNCH
January
28,29,30
Full Day Kindergarten
Registration 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
January 29
Virtue Assembly @ 12:45 p.m.
January 30
Dance Program