St. Gerard School
Newsletter
1300 McBride Avenue
Mississauga, Ontario
L5C 1M8
Tel. (905) 277-4512
Fax (905) 277-0647
www.dpcdsb.org/GERAR
September 2015
Principal:
S. Calvert
Secretary:
A. Miller
St. Martin of Tours Parish
Pastor:
Fr. Joyson Pottackal
Associate Pastor:
Fr. Gijo
Trustee:
L. del Rosario
(905) 890-1221
luz.delRosario@dpcdsb.org
Superintendent:
D. Amaral
(905) 890-1221
Message from the Principal
On behalf of the Staff of St. Gerard School I would like to welcome back all students,
parents and those new to our Community.
At. St. Gerard School we are dedicated to providing excellence in Catholic Education,
doing our best to promote the Spiritual, Academic, Social and Emotional growth of our
students. We also work closely with our community partners and our Parish. Your support in working collaboaratively with our staff for the support of our students is greatly
appreciated.
We would like to welcome out new staff. In grade 1/2 we have Mrs. Rice aand in our
Needs Moderate room we welcome Mrs. Evans as our new teacher. Mrs. Fernandes is
now our planning time teacher. We would like to welcome the teachers covering our
Maternity Leaves. Ms Connor for Mrs. Alphonso, Mr. Vidot for Mrs. Doria, Miss Collins
for Mrs. Spagnoli and Miss Pavao for Mrs. Escobar.
We also have a new student Monitor Mrs. L. Fernandes.
Our Learning Focus this year will continue with our accountable talk and Growth Mindset. We will be applying this not only to the learning skills but there will be a focus on
Math and our delivery of the program to best meet the needs of our diverse learners.
There will also be some changes as we use additional technology in the classrooms. Last
year we were involved in a pilot of using tablets in the classroom and this year we are
extending that learning to all students. Please join us at our open house. at 6:30 there
will be a presentation to Parents in the gym to discuss our focus for the year.
We look forward, with enthusiasm the beginning of a new school year.
School Council Chair:
M. Sousa
DPCDSB is on Twitter!
For the latest board news
and information, follow us
@ DPCDSBSchools.
S. Calvert, Principal
A NEW BEGINNING
God, our Father
We celebrate a new beginning today.
A beginning that reflects our history,
our actions and our present, and gives hope for the future.
We have worked hard to use the gifts you have given us to learn
and discover, to understand and appreciate this world you’ve given us.
Now, as we continue our journey we ask that you help us to continue
to grow and to learn so that we will become the best we can be.
Amen
Dates to Remember
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Sept. 15, 17, 22—Parent
Meeting—Confirmation—6:30 pm
at the Church
Sept. 16—Big Kid Entertainment—
”Rapunzel” - 1:20 pm in gym
Sept. 18—PA DAY—no school for
students
Sept. 24—PICTURE DAY
Sept. 24, 29—Parent Meeting—
First Communion—7:00 pm at the
Church
Sept. 30—HEP B / HPV clinic—
Round 1 for grade 7 and 8 students
Oct. 7—Beginning of year /
Thanksgiving Mass — 10:00 am
Oct. 12—Thanksgiving Day
Oct. 24, 25, 31, Nov. 1, 7, 8—Rite
of Enrolment—Confirmation
Oct. 28—PICTURE RETAKE DAY
Nov. 17—Progress reports sent
home
Nov. 19—Interview evening
Dec. 7—HEP B / HPV clinic—Round
2 for grade 7 and 8 students
Dec. 8—Advent/Christmas Mass—
10:00 am
Dec. 21 to January 1—Christmas
Break
Jan. 4—First day back from Christmas Break
SCHOOL HOURS
Yard Supervision begins at 8:45 a.m.
School begins: 9:00 a.m.
Recess:
10:20—10:35 a.m.
Lunch Hour:
12:00—1:00 p.m.
Afternoon Recess:
2:30– 2:45 p.m.
Dismissal:
3:30
OPENING SCHOOL MASS
Our opening school Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, October
7th at St. Martin of Tours Church at 10:00 a.m. All are welcome!
OPEN HOUSE
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STUDENT AGENDAS
Students in grades 1—8 will be given agenda books by their teachers.
Students are encouraged to use their agendas to assist them in organizing and managing their time effectively. Students are expected
to bring their agenda to school and home daily. In addition, the
agenda is one of a variety of means of communication available to
parents and teachers.
UPCOMING P.A.DAY
Friday, September 18th is a Professional Activity Day. This day is reserved for
any possible reorganization of classes that may need to take place., as well as for
staff faith and curriculum development.
STUDENT EMERGENCY INFORMATION
In the near future, your child will receive a copy of an information sheet which
contains your address, phone numbers, emergency contacts and health information as it currently exists in ourrecords. We ask that you take a few minutes
and check over this information to ensure that it is accurate. Please make any
changes and / or additions as needed directly on the sheet, sign it and return it to
your child’s teacher. Please add area codes for all phone numbers. ALL SHEETS
ARE TO BE RETURNED TO THE SCHOOL, if possible, the next day after receiving
them. Please sign and return them even if there are no corrections needed. It
is very important that we have accurate phone numbers / emergency contact persons in case we need to contact you in an emergency. Lunch time instructions
and Walking Excursion forms need to be returned to your child’s teacher as well.
PICTURE DAY
Thursday, September 24th is the day we will look our best and
have our biggest smiles for the year. Please note that re-take day is
scheduled for October 28th.
SAFETY REMINDERS
 If your child is going to be late or absent please call the school at 905-277- 4512 and leave a
message clearly stating your child's name, teacher name, grade and the number of days your
child will be absent. The line is available to you 24 hours a day. If your phone number, cell
number or work numbers change, please notify the office. It is necessary that we have the
most up to date information in order to reach you in case of an emergency.

Arrive at school on time to allow children to enter with their classmates to avoid front entry lates. When a
child is late they miss valuable teaching time. Late arrivals cause disruption to the other students and also to
the teacher who has already started lessons for the day. Students should enter and exit the school by their
designated door and only enter or exit thru the front door if they are late or are being picked up early. In
order to help ensure the safety and security of our children, please remember, that to many of them, you
are a stranger so as a visitor to the school you must always report to the office first. A reminder to parents
the supervision in the yard begins at 8:45 am therefore, children should not arrive or be dropped off before
this time.
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When dropping off or picking up your children from school, the safety of all students and staff must be
considered. Vehicles are stopping in non designated areas such as the front and side of the school, the plaza across the street as well as the driveways located at the front of the school and the back of the plaza. The
students being dropped off in these areas are at risk of being hurt when crossing without the aid of the crossing guard. Please use the Kiss and Ride area located in the Church parking lot if you are driving your children
to school. If you walk them to school, please cross with the crossing guard. Thank you for your consideration
and co-operation with this important manner.
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Send lunch with your child in the morning to limit traffic in through the front door at lunch time. If you are
bringing a lunch for your child either because they have forgotten it or as a treat, we have provided a table
in the foyer for you to leave the lunch. It is not necessary for you to wait. Your child is instructed to pick
up his/her lunch at 12:00. This will help us keep all the children safe as well as limiting the congestion and
noise in the school front hall. During the lunch hour, all students who stay for lunch, and those who go
home for lunch, are expected to follow the same routine every day. Consistency in this routine will help to
ensure the safety of students. If there is a change in the routine, parents are asked to send the teacher a dated and signed note explaining the change.
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SCHOOL ACCESS PROTOCOL: School front doors locked—Visitors may gain entrance to the school by pressing a buzzer mounted on the wall outside the building, beside the front door. Your co-operation and understanding will help us to manage instructional time and safety for your children. We respectfully request that
you limit your visits to the school during daytime as much as possible in order to protect instructional time
and reduce interruptions to the classrooms.
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Traffic Safety / Crossing Guard
For the safety of the children, please ensure that your children cross at the appropriate intersection and adhere to all crossing guard directions. The City of Mississauga provides a crossing
guard to assist students to cross safely to the school.
Peanut and Other Life Threatening Allergies, Sabrina’s Law Anaphylaxis Reaction
There are some students in our school with a severe, life-threatening allergy to peanuts and nuts. This is a medical condition that causes severe reaction to certain allergens and can result in death within minutes. We ask
that you do not send food treats to school as well as being mindful to not send lunches or snacks that contain
peanuts/nut products. We cannot guarantee that any classroom is nut free, but we are attempting to minimize
the exposure and keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible.
VIRTUES EDUCATION
During this school year we will
continue with the Virtues Education initiative. A virtue is a habit
or established capacity to perform good actions according to a
moral standard. A Catholic
school is an ideal place to practice and prepare to live a virtuous life. When we demonstrate
these virtues, we are making the
presence of God visible in the
world around us. We are contributing to nurturing a loving,
peaceful environment, free of
discrimination and bullying.
During the month of September
we will focus on the virtue of
Faith. Faith is an attitude, which
encourages us to involve God in
our lives and helps us develop
and maintain our relationships
with God and with others, when
things are going well and when
they are not.
Confirmation change for 2015 / 2016
Under Code 891 of the Code of Canon Law, Confirmation is to be administrated at the age of discretion unless the Bishops’ Conference has decided on a different
age. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops have
decreed that, in our rite, the sacrament of
Confirmation shall be conferred at an age
determined by the diocese. The Archdiocese
of Toronto has notified us that the elementary school grade for candidates for confirmation is to be moved from Grade 8 to Grade 7, effective September 8, 2015, in terms of sacramental preparation. Local pastors have been notified and will decide
how to implement this change at the parish level.
School Calendar
Attached is the 2015—2016 School Year Calendar.
School Newsletters
The school newsletters will keep you appraised of dates
and events occurring during the school year. It is only
one vehicle for providing communication between
home and school. A newsletter will be sent home
monthly with your child as well as being posted each
month on our school website.
Before and After School Programs
Visit www.plasp.com and register your child
online today.
PLASP Child Care Services operates Before and After
School Programs for children up to 12 years of age at this
school.
The Before School Program operates from 7:30 a.m. until
school start. A nutritious breakfast is served daily.
The After School Program begins once school is dismissed
and goes until 6:00 p.m. Children participate in recreational
activities, are served a nutritious snack daily and have time
for homework.
After School Program for children in Full Day Kindergarten
PLASP After School Programs, at this school, follow the Kindergarten curriculum based on children learning through
play. Snacks and age appropriate activities are provided
daily.
Fee assistance is available.
PLASP PLAYGROUND SAFETY
The PLASP program has a permit for their before and after
school. During the warm weather, this often involves outdoor play. Please do not interfere with their play areas or
programs. Students and adults are asked to avoid walking
through their playground, riding bikes there, etc…
Thank you for your cooperation.
Criminal Reference Checks—Declaration Forms
Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board has implemented changes to their Criminal Reference Check/
Declaration Form procedures. In keeping with the Safe
Schools Act, all volunteers including those going on one
day school trips, MUST have a Criminal Reference
Check. If you have the time or inclination to be a volunteer, assist with school trips, drive for sports events,
assist with our fundraiser, be an active member of
school council or dealing with children in any capacity,
please contact the office for a criminal reference check
form. Criminal Reference Checks are FREE for volunteers.
If you already have an updated Criminal Reference
Check on file at the school, you must complete an Annual Criminal Offence Declaration Form. Please come
into the school office for this form. Thank you for your
support.
Blended Grades—Did you know?
A blended grade class is comprised of students from
two consecutive grades. Combined classes are a reality
in the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, as
with all schools in Ontario and have been an educational reality dating back to the “one room school house”.
Teachers of all classes, single or combined grade, strive
to meet the range of individual student needs. This is
achieved through the implementation of varied teaching and assessment strategies and working with students in a variety of groupings. Teaching strategies and
groupings are chosen as appropriate to the learning
styles of the students in the class.
Tentative Class Assignments
The number of students enrolled in a school determines the number of classes and teachers. As the
school year begins, new students may still be registering at St. Gerard School, while others may be leaving.
Therefore, there is a possibility of having to reorganize
classes. Parents will be notified by the September 18th
PA Day should it be necessary to make changes in order
to balance the size of classes. Until that time, all class
assignments are tentative.
Student Accident Insurance
As required by the Education Act and the Ministry of
Education, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board annually provides parents with information
about cost-effective student accident insurance coverage via student courier. Although enrollment is voluntary, the board encourages parents to take advantage
of the inexpensive insurance coverage, especially if
their child/children participate in sports, excursions/field trips, or, if parents do not have dental insurance coverage. Enrollment is required in writing so
there are two options for enrollment:
·Complete the traditional form and mail it in or
·Photocopy the form and fax it to Reliable
Life at 1-905-522-7211 or
1-800-463-KIDS (5437).
Parents alone have the right to insure their children.
See attached brochure.
Medications at School
When parents request that medication be stored at
school and made available by school personnel, the
parent /guardian is responsible for the completion of a
Storage and Distribution of Medication Form. These
forms can be obtained from the school office and must
be completed by both the parent and the physician.
The completed form is placed on file at the office. Medication is stored, after consultation with parents, and
made available to students under the supervision of
school personnel. To ensure the safety of all students,
please do not send medication to school, unless arrangements have been made with the Principal in advance.
Medical Alerts
If your child has a severe allergic reaction to peanuts,
peanut by-products, bee/wasp stings etc., please call
the school as soon as possible. There are medical forms
that will need to be filled out. It is important that the
information you provide us with is accurate and up to
date.
Fire Drill / Lockdown Procedures
In accordance with Ministry regulations, three fire drills
will be conducted in the fall and three in the spring per
school year. While we hope that a real fire situation
never arises, this practice helps prepare students in the
event of a real fire. In addition, our School Board has
established lockdown procedures should a high risk incident involving weapons occur in the school, or on
school property, that could endanger the lives and safety of students and staff. We will practice the Emergency Lockdown Procedure with students two times during
the school year and review it periodically.
Bikes, Skateboards, Rollerblades & Scooters
Students who ride bicycles to school are reminded that
once they are on school property, bicycles are to be
walked to the bike rack, locked up and are not touched
until dismissal time. Please keep in mind that the
locked bicycles are not supervised and leaving them on
the school grounds you do so at your own risk.
Skateboards, scooters and rollerblades are not allowed
at school.
Reporting Head injuries
FIRST COMMUNION – GRADE 2 STUDENT
There will be a Parent meeting for parents of Grade 2 students on Thursday, September 24th
at 7:00 p.m. or Tuesday, September 29th at 7:00 p.m. at St. Martin of Tours Parish. If your
child will be celebrating first reconciliation and First Communion this year you must attend
one of these meetings.
Following the Parent’s Meeting, you will sign up for a 1st Communion date.
CONFIRMATION – GRADE 8 STUDENTS
There will be a Confirmation meeting for parents of Grade 7 and Grade 8 students on Tuesday, September 15th at 6:30 p.m. or Thursday, September 17th at 6:30p.m. or Tuesday, September 22nd at St. Martin of Tours Church. If your child will be confirmed you MUST attend one of these meetings. Confirmation this year will be celebrated Tuesday, April 7th at 7:00 p.m.
The LUNCH LADY
We are offering students an opportunity to have a hot lunch which is brought in by the Lunch Lady.
The Lunch Lady has provided hot lunches to children across the country. The service is affordable
and healthy. Soon you will receive a menu with dates, prices, and instruction for ordering.
TERRY FOX FUNDRAISER FOR CANCER RESEARCH:
On ——8888888************ St. Gerard will be participating in a school initiative to
help collect donations for the Terry Fox Foundation to support Cancer Research. Nominated as one of Canada’s greatest Canadians, Terry Fox has been able to fulfill his ultimate dream of raising funds for cancer research toward finding a cure for cancer. St.
Gerard students and staff will have an opportunity to help carry out his Marathon of
Hope. Once again this year, we will be going on our own Marathon of Hope, and students will be encouraged to participate by raising “Toonies for Terry”.
School Council Information
MESSAGE FROM DAVID AMARAL
SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION, MISSISSAUGA SOUTH FAMILY OF SCHOOLS
September 8, 2015
Dear Families:
Welcome back to another year of learning! A special welcome to all of our students who may be joining our Mississauga South
Family of Schools, and, in particular, to our new Full Day Kindergarten students who are beginning their journey in learning in
their Catholic School. The Mississauga South Family of Schools is a very active and vibrant Family of Schools where the love
of Christ can be found in our hallways, our classrooms and in our daily endeavors. The Family of Schools consists of 22 elementary schools and 4 secondary schools, all of which are served by extremely dedicated Administrators, teachers and support staff who put the needs of every child first and truly believe in the potential of each and every child. 8 parishes and pastoral
teams support our schools’ liturgical plans, working in partnership with teachers and students to provide spiritual nourishment
and development of our students and their teachers. Furthermore, our school communities are privileged to be served by 4
dedicated trustees: Mario Pascucci (chair of the board, Wards 1 and 3), Sharon Hobin (Wards 2 and 8), Luz del Rosario
(Wards 6 and 11) and Bruno Iannicca (Ward 7), each of whom brings with them a wealth of experience and a relentless passion for Catholic Education and the success of all students.
Pope Francis states, “The mission of schools is to develop a sense of truth, of what is good and beautiful. True education enables us to love life and opens us to the fullness of life.” Therein lies the transformative power of Catholic education; a treasure
that has been forming quality young men and women… young men and women who are not only solid academically but wellrounded citizens who have contributed positively to our society, both locally and on a global scale, for over 170 years. You
have chosen a Catholic education for your child. I encourage you to remain steadfast in your efforts to ensuring that the enduring gift of Catholic education is protected and promoted. Jesus is indeed at the very center of our mission in Catholic education.
We will continue to celebrate the story of Jesus, and of Catholic Education this year within the theme of Catholic Education
Week, “Opening Doors of Mercy”. All schools will continue their focus on responding to the Board’s Strategic Plan, as set out
by our trustees, namely the tenets of: Catholicity, Catholic Learning Environment, Catholic Community Engagement, ParishHome-School Relationships, Stewardship of our Physical Environment, Technology, and Sacredness of our Environment.
The education of any child is indeed a co-operative endeavor. As parents, you are requested to be part of your child’s education. You are encouraged to ask questions about your child’s learning and to work collaboratively with your child’s teacher and
school to ensure that your child is receiving the highest quality Catholic education. We look forward to continue working with
you, your child’s “first teacher”, as we endeavor to provide a high quality, Catholic education that supports the spiritual, intellectual, aesthetic, emotional, social, and physical capabilities of each individual to live fully today and to meet the challenges of the
future, thus enriching the community.
I wish you, the families within the Mississauga South Family of Schools, a very successful and productive year full of wonder
and learning and witnessing the love our Lord has for us. Our vocation in providing your child with the highest quality Catholic
Education is a privilege and one we hold very dear; it is indeed a sacred trust.
God Bless,
David Amaral
Superintendent of Education