Principal: C. Athaide
Secretary: C. Ross
St. Dominic School
Superintendent:
Phone: 905.278.9821
Tim Laviriere
905-890-1221
V O L U M E
1 ,
I S S U E
4
Fax: 905.278.1153
D E C E M B E R
2 0 1 5
D E C E M B E R
2 0 1 5
Chair/Trustee:
M. Pascucci
905 302 3096
Merry Christmas
905 890 0708 ext 20161
mario.pascucci@dpcdsb.org
www.TrusteePascucci.ca
Pastor: Fr. Philip Jones
The mission of the St.
Dominic School
Community is to promote
and foster Catholic
attitudes, values, and beliefs
in a supportive and caring
learning environment.
Together with dignity and
respect, we strive to inspire
life-long learning and
encourage students to
attain their full potential as
Christians.
Attachments :
Math Newsletter
Christmas
Holidays
December
21, 2015January 1,
2016
O
Jesus,
Our savior,
thank you for
living among us
and showing us the
way to God. Thank you
for being born at Christmas.
Your presence among us is our
greatest gift, one that gives us peace
and joy. Thank you too for all those who
show us how to follow you and for all your
angels and saints who watch over us with such
great love. Thank you very much for all our blessings.
Bless and watch over all of your people in this Christmas
season
and
always.
AMEN
Principal’s message
As we begin this Advent season, we ask for the gift of patience. Patience with the crowds. Patience
with the busy-ness. Patience with each other. Patience with ourselves. And patience as we wait for
the birth of Jesus. This is a time when we find ourselves turning to the comfort and security of familiar routines, places and people. For many, this is a time of personal and spiritual renewal for we understand that the Christmas message is truly about God’s great love for us.
This month at St. Dominic School, we are collecting gift cards for the annual Angel on the Tree project, an outreach
project that our students, staff, and community embrace with great enthusiasm. We are also asking for loonie and
toonie contributions for Chalice so we can purchase goats for family in developing countries. We are collecting
items for Vita Manor and the homeless. We will celebrate Mass on December 9, have weekly Advent Liturgies every
Monday and pray the Rosary. We will focus on the seasons of Advent and Christmas through daily reflections. We
will rejoice in the spirit of the season in these and many other ways, and we will pray for peace in our New Year.
Trying to simplify the season is not easy, but the rewards are great. We teach our students about our faith traditions;
we share our familiar Christmas story of new life, of a most special child born in a most ordinary manner … the
Child of God, born a refugee, who was extraordinarily both God and human … the Word made flesh. We invite you
to join us in becoming Advent people … embrace this time in our faith as an invitation to reconnect with your
Christmas story.
May this time of anticipation and waiting nourish our hearts, minds and souls. On behalf of the staff of St. Dominic
School, may God’s grace and goodness brought to us through the birth of Christ bless you and your family with renewed hope, peace and love now and in the New Year!
Mrs. Athaide
Virtue for December– HOPE
This month, we will celebrate the virtue of hope.
We believe that God comes to us as a real human who can show us
the way of life.
We understand that both the world and its people are from God and so are essentially good. Furthermore, God has given us this Advent season year after year in
order to focus our minds and our hearts on the good all around us.
Year after year, we are reminded that God chose to send his Son to us because we
are worth it. God knows how great we can be when we all come together.
Much appreciation is extended to the 2015-2016 Parent Advisory Council
for all of their hard work and dedication towards the betterment of St.
Dominic School community.
Our next meeting will take place on January 25, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in the
school library.
All Parent Advisory Council Meetings will be at 6:30 p.m. in the library
on the following dates: February 22, 2016 March 7, 2016 April 18, 2016 May 30,
2016. Babysitting will be available. All parents are welcome!!
The staff at St. Dominic School would also like to thank the Parent Advisory Council for providing us with a Christmas Staff Luncheon on December 17, 2015.
St. Dominic’s Movie Night
December 3, 2015
Dinner from 6:00-6:45 p.m. (if you pre-ordered)
Movie begins at 7:00 p.m. (Parents must remain with their
children while watching the movie. There is no cost for
watching the movie.)
Thank you to Parent Advisory Council for organizing this
event.
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St. Dominic Parish News
3
November 28/29 - Advent begins
December 5 – after 5pm Mass – Tree lighting with carols and evening with Santa and food in the hall afterward.
December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception – St. Michael’s Cathedr al Tour – please refer to the church bulletin
December 9 – 9:15 am – Queen of Heaven & St. Dominic Schools Advent Mass
December 12 – 10am – 2pm – return of the gift cards and refreshments
December 12 and 13 - Christmas bake sale after each Mass - If you would like to bake some Christmas treats for us, please deliver them to the hall
on Friday December 11 or the morning of December 12 – Thank you!
December 15–1:30 pm – St. Dominic School Full Day Kinder gar ten childr en - Christmas Concert in the church
December 16th – Ar chdiocesan Day of Confessions 10am – noon, 2pm – 4pm Reconciliation Service 7pm followed by confessions until 9pm
December 17 – 7 pm - Queen of Heaven/St. Dominic Schools Family Advent Mass with refreshments afterwards. December 17 is Pope Francis’
78th birthday. O Antiphons begin today
December 19 – 10am - Children’s Pageant rehearsal – If you wish a part in the play please attend this rehearsal.
December 19 and 20 – Christmas bake sale after each Mass - If you would like to bake some Christmas treats for us, please deliver them to the
hall on Friday December 18 or the morning of December 19 – Thank you!
December 20 – 1pm – Today is decorating Sunday in the church. Please come out and help us! Many hands make light work. Refreshment following.
December 24/25
MASSES ON CHRISTMAS EVE – 5pm – Children’s play, 7pm, 9:30pm and 12 Midnight
MASSES ON CHRISTMAS DAY – 9:30am and 11:30am
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT FRIDAY JANUARY 1, 2016, IS A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION. Masses for New Year ’s – Thursday
December 31st - 5pm and Friday January 1st – 9:30 and 11:30
Celebrating Advent
The season of Advent begins with the fourth Sunday before Christmas. This year, the liturgical season of Advent began on
Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015. “ Advent is a Latin word meaning “the coming”. During the season of Advent, Christians across the
world prepare for the celebration of the coming of the Lord into the world through the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ. Advent is
a time to celebrate light in the midst of darkness, as symbolized best by the Advent Wreath. Most popular of the Advent customs handed down to us is the Advent Wreath made of evergreens bound to a circle of wire. The wreath is German in origin. It
represents the cycle of thousands of years from Adam to Christ during which the world awaited the coming of a Redeemer. It
bears four candles, equally spaced, three purple ones to be lighted on the "penitential" Sundays, and a rose-colored one for
Gaudete, the joyful Sunday in Advent. It is meant to lift our spirits, just as the liturgy for that day tells us to rejoice.
What do the symbols mean?
The circle which never ends, teaches us that God and the joy of eternity never ends. The wreath made of evergreens, which
never change reminds us that God’s love never changes. The purple ribbons, which decorate it,
symbolizes penance. The candles with their light tells us that Christ is the light of the world. The
prayers said with the lighting of the candles ask God to str engthen us to pr epar e to listen
and to respond.
The 1st candle is purple and it represents HOPE.
The 2nd candle is purple and it represents LOVE.
The 3rd candle is pink and it represents JOY.
The 4th candle is purple and it represents PEACE.
At St. Dominic we emphasize the implications of the birth of the Saviour thorough our actions.
We ensure that Advent is a time where we emphasize charity and social justice. On November 30, December 7th and 14th we
will gather in the gym together and celebrate the lighting of each advent candle as we wait for the birth of Jesus. On December
9th we will gather at St. Dominic Par ish for our Advent School Mass with Queen of Heaven School. On December 17th
we will be having a Family Mass at St. Dominic Parish at 7:00 p.m. with Queen of Heaven School. A reception will follow the
mass. May the joy and peace of Advent be with you and your family today and all through the year.
Angel on the Tree
This year we will continue to support the St. Dominic community as we focus on Christmas at our school. Through your
support, our students realize that Christmas can provide an opportunity to reach out to others and lend a helping hand.
Our Angel on the Tree Christmas project begins on Dec. 1st and runs until Dec. 8th. On the tree, there will be Santa tags
which ask for a gift card. These gift cards can be purchased from grocery stores or Department stores such as Walmart.
These gift cards will enable the family to purchase their Christmas dinner or items for their children. When students return
with their purchased gift card please return the Santa tag with it. Once the gift card is returned, your child will receive an
angel to place on our Christmas tree. We need all gifts by Dec. 11th. We wish to thank you for your kindness and generosity at this time of year.
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Intermediate Volleyball
Boys Team
Congratulations to our Boys Intermediate Volleyball team. They had a busy season with five tournaments in two weeks,
including a nail-biter playoff game against St Philip. The boys came together to form a well-coordinated team which displayed excellent skills and team spirit. We faced tough competition in our pool of teams. We look forward to next year's
competition.
Team List: Alex, George, Ethan, Nathan, Yorgen, Sasha, and Linkin.
Girls Team
Congratulations to the members of the Intermediate Girls Volleyball Team for the completion of a very successful season. The
girls showed tremendous progress throughout the season, and improved with each game. They won 3 of 4 games and advanced to
the competitive round. They now have an opportunity to advance to the Mississauga East Family Tournament. Good luck to the
girls, and we look forward to watching you play next season!
Team List: Ava, Mary, Nicole, Melanie, Leah, Alyssa, Nikki, and Ella
Special thanks to their coaches: Ms. Arduini, Ms. Rodrigues, Mr. Messenger and Mr. Czernkovich.
Sacramental Information from St. Dominic Parish
First Communion Celebration – Saturday, April 23 at 5 pm Mass and Sunday, April 24 at 9:30 am and 11:30 am
Masses
Parent/Candidate Meeting and Confirmation Registration
Confirmation Registration (Grade 7’s only) is – Monday, March 7 at 7 pm
Confirmation Enrollment – Saturday, April 2 at 5 pm Mass and Sunday, April 3 at 9:30 am and 11:30 am Masses
Bullying Awareness
Bullying awareness week was acknowledged throughout all Dufferin-Peel CDSB schools, November 16—21st, 2015. We
had a bookmark contest and the following students were our winners: Ella U., Paulina P., Santiago S.I. , Rocky C., Jacob
G., and Bella B. During our Virtue Assembly we held an assembly where our PALS leaders performed a drama presentation on how to solve problems in the school yard. Our school is committed to stop bullying and make students more aware
of the effects their actions have on their peers.
Cold Weather Guidelines
Winter’s here and therefore please ensure your children are dressed appropriately. Children who are too sick to go outside at recess
should be resting at home. We ask parents to ensure children come with mitts/gloves, winter outerwear, hats, boots and
scarves. We also recommend that students bring an extra pair of socks and mitts and have a pair of indoor running
shoes. It is imper ative that all students have a pr oper pair of r unning shoes for Physical Education classes. Running shoes with platforms or wheels are not safe.
While many of our Intermediate students like to dress according to fashion, fashion does not always successfully consider weather conditions. Please ensure that your child is dressed in order to be both comfortable and warm while they are outdoors
during recesses.
Snow and Ice
Snow is part of our winter life in Canada, providing both frustration and enjoyment. We all like to play in it; however,
snow and ice can be very dangerous. In fact, most injuries happen during wintertime. For safety reasons, our school rule
must be that snow stays on the ground – no snowball throwing, kicking snow or any other activity with snow or ice that
could be harmful, which includes sliding on slopes or icy patches. Thank you for taking the time to reinforce these safety
rules with your children.
Movie Night is On December 3
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest
board news and information, follow us
@DPCDSBSchools. Also St. Dominic is on
Twitter @AthaideSt
Students are encouraged to wear their Christmas Pajamas and bring a blanket and a pillow!
Students must be accompanied by a parent.
2015-16 Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten registration for the 2016-2017 school year, will be held at all Dufferin-Peel
Catholic elementary schools on the following dates:
Please note: Registration
January 25* 2016 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Packages can be picked
January 27, 28, 29from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
up before this date at the
*Snow Date: January 26, 2016- 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
school office
Dufferin-Peel will be offering the Full-Day Kindergarten program in all Catholic elementary schools in Mississauga, Brampton,
Caledon, Bolton and Orangeville. Registration materials will be available for pick-up at the schools by January 11, Parents/
guardians are to register their child in person at their designated Catholic school. To find out which Catholic school is in your area,
please contact our Planning Department at 905-890-0708 ext. 24440.
School Board at 905-890-1221.
Parent Evening to Support the Transition of Students with Differing Abilities into Kindergarten
There will be an information session for parent(s)/guardian(s) of children with special needs such as vision, hearing, autism, physical/medical and/or develop-mental delays who are entering Full Day Kindergarten in September 2016. The information session
will be held at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board -- Catholic Education Centre, Room 301 on January 12th,
2016 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. (January 13th is the Snow Date) Par ent(s)/Guar dian(s) ar e also r eminded to r egister their child
at our school office. Kindergarten registration for the 2016-2017 school year, will be held on January 25th* from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00
p.m. and January 27th, 28th, 29th from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. *A snow date has been designated on January 26th, 2016.
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. Philip School
345 Fairview Road West, Mississauga, L5B 3W5
Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.
905-306-8420
At the present time, the above mentioned school is the designated centre for our area. Applications will be accepted at that
centre until 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 16th, 2016.
Christmas Concerts
On Thursday, December 10th, Grades 1-8 will be performing their Christmas concert. In order to accommodate all parents we will be assigning two tickets per family. We are asking for a $1.00 donation
per ticket and money will be donated to St. Dominic Church to assist with the Share Life campaign.
We encourage parents to attend our day performance at 1:00 p.m. as we will not be able to accommodate everyone during the evening at 6:30 p.m.. We will assign tickets on a first come first serve basis.
Parent Events
January 27, 2016 DRAPCE Event
Special Presentation is scheduled for the January DRAPCE meeting.
Raising Responsible Children Come and join us for a seminar by
Ronald Morrish, educator, international speaker and author of the
books, Secrets of Discipline and With All Due Respect. He will provide
you with a host of practical, common-sense strategies. http://
events.r20.constantcontact.com Meetings are held at: St. Valentine's
School --- 5610 Heatherleigh Avenue Mississauga—in the School
Gymnasium
OAPCE’s 77th Annual Conference and AGM will be held on May 6 & 7, 2016, at the end of Catholic Education Week.
The location is in Toronto. Cardinal Collins will officiate the mass. Please email at drapce@hotmail.com . The conference
fee is $40.00.
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The Eco Team is excited to tell you about a very special program they are coordinating at our school in conjunction with
Crayola. It’s called Crayola ColorCycle – an amazing new program devised to turn used markers into energy!
St. Dominic students and teachers will be collecting used markers that are ready to be discarded. The markers will be sent
to a facility where they will be converted into clean fuel. This fuel can be used to power vehicles, heat homes, cook meals
and more!
Please help support our efforts by sending your kids in with any used markers you may have around the house – even non
-Crayola brands. Drop-off boxes will be located around the school for your child to deposit the markers.
Thank you in advance for participating! With the help of parents like you across the country, the Crayola ColorCycle program can keep tons of plastic out of landfills each year.
Remember, don’t throw out that used marker—ColorCycle it!
Sincerely,
Eco Team
FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3rd, 2015
ARTHUR CHRISTMAS
Dinner from 6:00-6:45 p.m. (if you pre-ordered)
Movie begins at 7:00 p.m. (Parents must remain with their children while watching the movie.)
Students are encouraged to wear their Christmas Pajamas and bring a blanket and a pillow!
Ways you can help this Christmas…..
This year we are continuing to support the St. Dominic Vincent de Paul Society
by contributing gift cards through our Angel on a Tree Project. However we are
also working with St. Paul S.S. to support the homeless and Vita Manor by donating granola bars, juice boxes and baby items. The fourth way we are helping is by
donating loonies to Chalice so that goats can be purchased for families in countries
aboard. We would appreciate if you could participate in one or two ways to help
our neighbours in need.
Thank you to all the families who have contributed one or two of these outreach projects which will help the people in our community and beyond.
Page 6
St. Dominic is continuing to be an Eco-friendly school. The Eco Schools program is a recognized program which
encourages schools to reduce their ecological footprint and create a healthier environment. With the continuation
of this program, St. Dominic is excited to continue with the re-certification of being an Eco-School. In order to
achieve this goal, our Eco-School committee made up of two students from every class and a group of teachers
known as the Nature Defenders, have been working diligently to devise an action plan which will motivate students and staff to minimize waste, conserve energy and create a greener school environment. We are also hoping
to enhance our outdoor space and provide a gathering space where students can enjoy the outdoors. We continue
to integrate our goal of healthy eating and increased physical activity for all our students. To get the ball rolling,
we are encouraging students to participate in the following weekly activities throughout the year.
Fruit and Vegetable Mondays
Turn Out the Lights Tuesdays
Walk to School Wednesday
Litter less Lunch Thursdays
Students are encouraged to pack a fruit or vegetable for lunch.
Students will Power down as much as possible by turning off
Lights and monitors when they are not in use
Walk, bike or carpool to school
Pack your lunch using reusable containers
Inclement Weather Procedures For the 2015-2016 School Year
Please be advised that 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
am and will be announced on the radio and television stations identified below.
VIRGIN RADIO FM99.9
CHFI FM98.1
CFRB AM1010
CFNY FM102.1/AM640
CBC FM99.1
CITYPULSE
CHUM AM1050
EZ ROCK FM97.3
FM Z103.5
CHIN FM100.7/AM1540
CTV
GLOBAL NEWS
CJCL AM590
CFTR AM680
FM93.
CJBC (FR) AM860
CANADA AM
Dates to Remember
Merry Christmas
Nov. 30– Advent Liturgy at the school at 1:00 pm
Dec. 1-Dec. 9 Angels on the Tree (Hoping to have all angels by
Dec. 11)
Dec. 1-9 Vita Manor items for babies, granola and juice boxes
donations for homeless
Dec. 3- Movie Night
Dec. 7– Advent Liturgy 9:00 am
- Dress Rehearsal for Christmas Concert
Dec. 8– Rosary Apostles visit
Dec. 9 –School Mass with Queen of Heaven at St. Dominic Parish
Dec. 10-Christmas Concert at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 pm
Dec. 14– Advent Liturgy at the school at 1:00 pm
Dec. 15 -FDK Christmas Concert at 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 17 -Advent Family Mass at 7:00 pm St. Dominic Parish
Dec. 18– Virtue Assembly and Advent liturgy at 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 19-Jan. 3 Christmas Holidays
Jan. 4—Return to School
Jan. 15—Speech Competition for Junior and Intermediate Students
Jan. 18—Report Card Writing Day –P.A Day
Jan. 25 –FDK Registrations
Jan. 29—Grade 8 Graduation Pictures
The staff of St. Dominic School extends best wishes to all our families
for a safe, peaceful and holy Christmas season.
Criminal Reference Check
Anyone working in our school as a new employee or volunteer must have a Criminal Reference Check completed by Peel Police. CRC
are free of charge for volunteers. Forms are
available from the office.
Lost and Found Items
We have several lost and found items and
we are encouraging students to check
through the various items which will be displayed in the
hall. If you know your child has lost an article of clothing,
please come and review the items. We are hoping that many
of these things will be claimed before Christmas Break as
they will be bagged and donated to St. Vincent de Paul.