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435 Rutherford Rd North
Brampton, ON L6V 3V9
Telephone: 905.453.4472
Principal:
A. Alonzi-Peever
Vice-Principal:
K. Barton
Head Secretary:
Prayer for a New School Year
D. Brunetti
Secretary:
Y. McCutcheon
Superintendent:
A. Tucciarone
Trustee:
T. Da Silva
Pastor:
Fr. Damian
Fr, Kim
“Through A
Dear Lord,
as we begin this new
school year, we gather
once again as your community of believers. We
thank you for the energy
and spirit that you renewed in us throughout
the summer months.
We thank you for the
time to enjoy our family
and friends and to reflect
on what is most important in our lives.
Let this year be marked
by a new enthusiasm and
positive outlook so that
with the inspiration of
your Spirit, Lord, we
may continue to help all
your children.
We ask for your guidance as we look for new
ways of seeing, understanding and communicating. Make us worthy
of your call as teachers
and parents so that we
may reach out to support
and foster trust with each
other and look for the
spark of the Spirit in
every child’s eye.
intention and work of
faith. Let us be gentle
with ourselves and each
other and bring laughter,
joy and achievement to
all.
Amen
Help us to fulfill your
wishes with every honest
Celebration Of
Our Faith All Who
Enter Our School
May Grow
Together As A
Christian
Community”
Virtue of the Month: Faith
A virtue is a habit or established capability to perform good actions
according to a moral standard. In other words, a virtue is a habit that
shows people and God that we are good people.
This month we celebrate the virtue of Faith.
Let us pray for the grace and strength to be people of faith, people
who can truly believe that God’s plan for us includes the right to be
safe at school
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
We welcome back all our students and staff
and extend a warm welcome to our new students, especially our JK students who begin
their academic journey this year.
I extend my best wishes to everyone for a successful school year; one filled with new and
exciting opportunities and one in which we can
grow together in God’s image.
STAFFING UPDATES
Welcome back to M. DiTosto who is returning
from her maternity leave, M. Galea who is
teaching grade 7/8 and J. Lugtu who is teaching Grade 1/2. Please join me in welcoming
the following new staff members to St.
Joachim:
H. Langley
Grade 3 FI
M. Rado
Grade 3 FI
T. Cox
Grade 2/3
D. Tavares
ERW
POSSIBLE STAFF REORGANIZATION
1:01
3:07-3:22
3:30
Classes start in PM for
grades1 to 8
PM recess
Dismissal
Please keep in mind there is NO supervision
before 8:45 in the morning and students
should not be dropped off before this time.
If you are bringing your child to school, we
encourage parents to walk their children only
to the fenced in area of the school yard. We
have ample supervision by teachers within the
school yard available. The safety and security
of our students is our number one priority, and
it is difficult for our supervisors to monitor the
yard when there are many parents. Remember,
other parents are strangers to your child.
When picking up students in grades 2 to 8 at
the end of the day, we ask that parents remain
on the public pathway away from the immediate school doors and pavement. For parents
of grade 1 students we have a “hand to
hand” policy, so those parents may meet their
child at the door. Students will be told to
meet their parents/guardians at the pathway.
If you are driving your child to and from
school, please be aware that the parking lot and
driveways are very busy places at arrival and
dismissal times. Park only in designated areas.
Do not park along the front sidewalk, as this is
a Fire Route Only. Do not park your car in
the Kiss and Ride Lanes as you can be fined
by the City of Brampton Parking Authority
as this is also a designated fire route.
St. Joachim staffing for 2010/11 is based on a
“projected” student enrollment that is calculated each spring. This projected student enrollment number attempts to take into account
any new students who are moving into our
school as well as any students who may be
moving out of the area. There is a possibility
of some class reorganization occurring before
the end of September, due to a difference in
our “actual” verses “projected” student enrollment number. We will inform you in the event
that any class reorganization is required.
IF YOUR CHILD IS NOT BAPTIZED
SCHOOL HOURS
8:45-9:00
9:00
11:06-11:21
11:30
12:01-1:01
1:00
Supervision in the yard to
drop students off
Start time for grades JK-8
AM recess
Kinder dismissal
Lunch grades 1 to 8
JK/SK in the PM start time
As a Roman Catholic School, we are charged
by the Catholic community and the Church to
create an atmosphere in which your child will
be able to experience and express our Catholic
Faith. We also assist the parishes with preparing students for sacraments. If your child is
not Baptized, he/she is unable to receive any of
the sacraments, which are celebrated as a
school community with the local parishes. The
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Catholic Church has a program
for school-aged children, which
will assist you in baptizing your
child. You are encouraged to
visit your parish Priest or contact
the school for additional information.
OPENING SCHOOL MASS
Please join us for our opening school mass on
Thursday October 7th at 1:15 at St. Joachim
School for grades 1 to 8 students. Parents are
encouraged to join us as we pray as a school
community.
ST. JOACHIM’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL
COUNCIL ELECTIONS
The first meeting will be on Wednesday, September 29 at 7:00 pm. At that time, elections
for new members of the council will take
place.
We encourage all parents to take an active role
in this process. Nomination forms can be
picked up at the main office from September16
–24, 2010. All nomination forms must be submitted to the office by 3:00 p.m. on September
24 and a list of parent nominees will be presented for election that evening. Your involvement and support in this process is crucial in insuring that the Council becomes your
voice in our partnership of home, school and
Church. We hope to see you at our first meeting! If you need to bring your children to the
meeting, please inform the office.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY DAY
Friday September 17th has been designated
as a professional activity day for Faith and Reorganization. There will be NO school for students on this day as teachers will be involved
in meetings and possible reorganization.
Early Release Day is Monday Sept 27th.
There will be no afternoon classes. Students
are dismissed at lunch.
PARKING/KISS AND RIDE
Parents are reminded that there is no parking
in the staff parking lot. We do not have the
staff to monitor the parking lot for safety.
Parents are asked to park on side streets, or in
the few spots available at the front of the
school, or in the spots where the Kiss and
Ride is located. Parents can walk their child
to the fenced area, where teachers are there to
supervise the students.
The quickest and safest way to drop your child
off at school is to use the Kiss and Ride lanes.
Parents starting at 8:45 can drive up the Kiss
and Ride lane where teachers will monitor
your child getting out of the car and direct
them safely into the school yard where they
are being supervised.
Please be advised the Kiss and Ride lane is
extremely busy in the morning, but from
8:45 to 8:50 is the best time to drop off your
child as it is the least busy period of time. We
appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation for the safety of all students.
BUSSING
Please be advised that St. Joachim School is
only eligible for Kindergarten and some grade
one bussing. Transportation is provided only
for students who reside more that the following distances:
Kindergarten,Gr 1
Grades 2-4
Grades 5 & 6
Grades 7 & 8
1 km
1.6 km
2 km
4.8 km
All students who rode the bus under the
“Courtesy seat” policy last year, MUST
REAPPLY for an Courtesy seat at the office
no sooner than October 12. Younger students
are given priority. Decisions about empty seats
will not be made until late October as school
admissions/demissions are not stable until this
time. Parents are required to make alternate
arrangements for their child until this time.
Often parents find an older “buddy’ for their
child to walk with, or collaborate with other
parents to drive a group of students to school.
Please keep in mind we have only ONE bus
available.
Students who are assigned a courtesy seat will
receive a permission package to be signed and
returned before they can start riding the bus.
A reminder that busing decisions are no longer
made at the school level. Parents with questions or concerns are to go to the website
http://businfo.stopr.ca/ or call with concerns
905-890-0614.
Please note that riding the bus is a
privilege and students who do not
abide by the rules of
the bus and bus
driver will be removed from the bus
and parents notified.
OPEN HOUSE
The St. Joachim Open House will be held on
Thursday, September 23 between 6:30 pm and
7:30 pm. It is a wonderful opportunity for you
to meet your child’s teacher and learn about
your child’s program.
Please take the time to visit the council members who will be set up in the school entrance
for information on membership and becoming
a volunteer. We look forward to seeing everyone.
SCHOOL VISITORS
As a precaution against trespassers and to ensure the safety of all students and staff, the
Dufferin –Peel Catholic District School Board
requires that all visitors must identify themselves at the office when entering the building.
Parents are asked to go directly to the front office by the front door only to register. No parents are allowed to enter the school at other
entrances or to go directly to a teacher’s room.
Remember, your child knows you, but you are
a stranger to other children. Thank you for
your cooperation with this policy
LOST ARTICLES
Each year a great number of misplaced items
are found. We try to return these items to their
rightful owners, but it is often difficult because
they are not labeled. We are asking you then,
to label articles of clothing, lunch bags, boots
etc. which could be lost in the school area. If
this is done, then we have a much greater
chance of returning the lost items to their
owners.
HELP KEEP
MEDICATION
US
INFORMED/
If your child has any health problems, allergies, etc, of which the office is not aware,
please notify us as soon as possible. Note, we
can not administer or store medication for your
child (such as anti-biotics, asprin etc.) without
board policy forms that have to be filled out by
a doctor. Should your child get sick, please
pick up the appropriate forms at the office
before you go to the doctor, should medication need to be administered/or stored at the
office.
Every year, medical forms for puffers, epipens, or other medication has to be filled out
by the doctor for renewal. All medication,
and new forms were given to students on the
last day of school in June last year. These
forms must be returned to the office before
medication can be administered.
Also, if you have had a change of address,
telephone number, babysitter or place of employment, please call the office to update your
files. Accurate and up to date information is
key to your child’s safety.
ALLERGIES
Safety of all our children is our number one
priority at St. Joachim. We have many students and teachers who suffer from severe allergies to nuts and nut products. Even if some-
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one in the class doesn’t have the allergy, there
are many students who visit different classrooms and left over residue can cause them to
have a life threatening reaction. Therefore,
it is the school policy that food not be given
out to the class for any
special occasions (e.g.
birthday, class parties).
We suggest bringing pencils or erasers, or some
other non-edible treat for
the students instead of food.
be permitted to pick up their lunch until lunch
begins at 12:40 in order to avoid disruptions to
class lessons. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
NEWSLETTERS
Newsletters go home with the youngest and
only students. All newsletters are available
STUDENT ATTENDANCE
on the school website. There are many imporVERIFICATION
In the interest of your child’s safety, it is very tant dates and information in the newsletter so
important to inform us if your child will be please ensure your child knows to deliver it to
late or absent from school. We have a 24 you monthly.
hour answering machine for parents to leave
this information at any time. It is the school’s VOLUNTEERS! WE NEED YOU!
safe arrival program that necessitates that If you can spare some of your time to:
the school will call your home or business if -read to children
a message is not left on the machine explaining -assist children with publishing their work
the absence.
-help teachers in the classroom
To record your child’s absence:
-provide assistance in the literacy room
Please call 905 453-4472 (24hrs) and leave the -count money for special events
following information on the tape.
Please leave a message for Mrs. Heslop at 905
1) Your Child’s name
453-4472 (office number)
2) Your Child’s teachers name
All volunteers must complete a criminal refer3) Date and time of absence
ence check before they can work in the school.
4) Reason and duration of absence
This measure is to ensure the safety of our stuLUNCH POLICY
For safety reasons, no student who stays at the
school for lunch is permitted to leave school
grounds during the lunch time unless accompanied by a parent or guardian who signs them
out at the office. Students are not allowed to
leave school property to go to Beckers.
If, on a special occasion, you are dropping a
lunch off for your child, please advise your
child in advance that they will pick up their
lunch that day at the lunch table in the hallway
by the office. Please label the lunch with their
name and teacher’s name. Student’s will not
dents. Please see Mrs. Brunetti in the office
for more information.
HEAD INJURY POLICY
When a student receives an injury to the head,
it is the Board Policy that we inform parents.
We will try to notify you, or leave a message
even when it is a minor injury.
PEDICULOSIS
Head lice have become increasingly common
throughout North America. It is wise to check
your child’s head periodically and contact your
doctor and pharmacist. Please inform the
school if you know your child has lice as students will not be readmitted to class without
having been checked at the office to ensure
there is no presence of nits.
SCHOOL AGENDA
Each student from grade 1 to 8 will receive a
school agenda to assist with the development
of organizational and time management skills.
This is an important tool to facilitate communication between home and school. We ask
that parents sign the agenda every day and
return it to school. This is important to keep
parents informed of homework and important
events, as well as to keep your child organized.
STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE
Please note the attached student accident insurance form is voluntary, but the board encourages parents to take advantage of the inexpensive coverage especially if their children
participate in sports, excursions, or field trips
and if you do not have dental coverage.
If you wish to purchase insurance coverage
for your child, complete the form, and mail it
directly to the insurance company. Please
do NOT return the envelopes to the school
DRESS CODE
As a Catholic School, we believe that there
must be a commitment high standards of
modesty, cleanliness and neatness. The following clothing is NOT suitable:tank or halter
tops, muscle shirts, mesh, short shorts, baggy
The cost for the agenda is $5.00. Please for- pants, untucked shirts, tight clothes, bare midward the money to your child’s teacher who riff, any clothes with holes, strapless tops,
head bands and bandanas, clothing with inapwill ensure that your child will receive one.
propriate saying, as deemed by the office.
Failure to comply with this expectation will
result in parents being called to provide alternate clothing, as well as possible disciplinary
action.
MILK PROGRAM/LUNCH MOMS
The milk program will be starting Oct 1st.and
can be ordered monthly. Order forms will go
home shortly. The Lunch Mom program will
occur every Tuesday starting Sept 28th.
Please direct any questions or concerns to
Mrs. Brownlee at the school.
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE
Our thanksgiving food drive will occur from
Sept 3rd to Sept 10th. Please send in any
non-perishable food you can donate with your
child.
USE OF SCHOOL PHONES
Students will only be permitted to use the
school phone in cases of emergency. An illness or injury is considered an emergency.
Calling home because of forgotten homework,
gym clothes, or to get permission to go to a
friends house is NOT considered an emergency.
PED POLICY (Personal Electronic Devices)
All PED’s (cell phones, cameras, games )must
be kept out of sight, turned off and not used
within school premises (including portables)
or during school-sanctioned activities such as
retreats, field trips, sports events, etc.
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To prevent the loss or damage of PED’s, we
encourage students to leave their PEDs at
home or in the bottom of their school bag
turned off. Failure to comply with this policy
may result in the confiscations of the PED and
disciplinary action as outlined in the Catholic
Code of Conduct.
PLASP BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL
The Before School Program runs from 7:30
a.m. until school begins. A nutritious breakfast is served daily. The After School Program
runs from the end of the school day until 6:00
p.m.. Children participate in recreational activities, are served a nutritious snack daily and
have time for homework. Fee assistance is
available. Please call 905 890-1711.
RECESS AND REVERSE LUNCH
The Ministry of Education and educational research has indicated that a 100-120 minute uninterrupted literacy block and a 90 to 120 uninterrupted numeracy block are key to students
achieving better overall success in both Math
and Language. In response to this, we will be
adjusting last recess to the end of the day in
order to free up a two hour literacy/numeracy
block in the afternoon. As is the case in the
morning, students are allowed to eat a snack
when they are hungry and do not have to wait
until recess.
The reverse lunch means that students will be
going outside from 12:00 until 12:40 and then
will come in to eat their lunch at 12:40 to
1:00. If you are bringing a lunch for your
child, you do not need to bring it to the lunch
table outside the office until 12:40. The reverse lunch has been shown to be very successful at other schools. Teachers and parents
have found that students eat more of their
lunch, as they are hungrier at this time. It also
allows the students to be ready for learning, on
time and full, at 1:00. We suggest that parents
package their son/daughter’s lunch into three
equal amounts for 11:06 recess, 12:40 lunch
and 3:07 recess, for the best nutritional balance. Thank you to everyone for all your cooperation and support!
SEPTEMBER 2010
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
11
5
6
7
8
9
10
12
13
14
15
16 Nomination
17 P.A. Day—No 18
Forms for Parent
Council can be
picked up
school for children
23 Open House
24Nomination
6:30—7:30
Forms for Parent
Council Due
19
20
21
22
25
Picture Day
26
27 Early Release
28
Day
29 Parent
Coun-
30
cil Meeting 7:00 in
library
OCTOBER 2010
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1 Food Drive
2
Starts
3
4
5
6
7 Thanksgiving
8 Food Drive
Mass 1:15 in gym
Ends
9
10
11
12
13
14 HPV, Hep B 15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27 Picture Re-
28
29
30
take Day
31