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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:
Autumn Prayer
D. Brunetti
Secretary:
Y. McCutcheon
Superintendent:
A. Tucciarone
Trustee:
T. Da Silva
Pastor:
Fr. D. Ali
“Through A
Celebration Of
Our Faith All Who
God of the seasons, there is a
time for everything; there is a
time for dying and a time for
rising. We need courage to
enter into the transformation
process.
God of autumn, the trees are
saying goodbye to their green,
letting go of what has been.
We, too, have our moments of
surrender, with all their insecurity and risk. Help us to let
go when we need to do so.
God of fallen leaves lying in
colored patterns on the
ground, our lives have their
own patterns. As we see the
patterns of our own growth,
may we learn from them.
moon night, there is always
the dimension of mystery and
wonder in our lives. We always need to recognize your
power-filled presence. May
we gain strength from this.
God of harvest wagons and
fields of ripened grain, many
gifts of growth lie within the
season of our surrender. We
must wait for harvest in faith
and hope. Grant us patience
when we do not see the blessings.
God of flowers touched with
frost and windows wearing
white designs, may your love
keep our hearts from growing
cold in the empty seasons.
God of life, you believe in us,
you enrich us, you entrust us
with the freedom to choose
life. For all this, we are grateful.
God of geese going south for
another season, your wisdom
enables us to know what
needs to be left behind and
what needs to be carried into
the future. We yearn for insight and vision.
God of misty days and harvest
Enter Our School
May Grow
Together As A
Christian
Community”
Virtue of the Month: Empathy
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 Empathy.
An Empathetic Person:
 Listens attentively
 Notices and responds when someone is upset
 Can see a situation for another person’s point of view
SCHOOL VISITORS
We continue to make concerted efforts to have all visitors to
the school identify themselves by coming to the Main Office
first before going anywhere else. All messages to students or
deliveries (such as lunches, keys, clothing items etc.) are handled through the Main Office and not by going directly to the
classrooms. School staff has been directed to ask anyone in
the school who is not wearing a visitor or volunteer sticker to
report to the office. In the interests of overall safety for our
students, it is essential that such procedures be strictly followed.
Also please refrain from remaining in the school yard after
dropping off your children for school.
Teachers are in the yard from 8:45 to 9:00
for supervision.
LATES
In the past, the school has experienced a
high number of students arriving late for
school each day. Our goal is to significantly reduce the number of students arriving late. Students who are late, miss out on class instruction.
Being punctual is a positive personal attribute, which, if practiced now, will remain important to the individual in the future.
Habitual lates will be tracked and reported to parents through
letters and phone calls. Parents of chronically late students
will be contacted by our school social worker to discuss appropriate follow-up.
SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM
We are requesting your assistance. The answering machine
will allow parents to call in student absenteeism 24 hours a
day. The office staff picks up the phone messages on a regular
basis and will relay messages to staff members. We thank all
parents/guardians who continue to call the school when their
children are absent. Your support ensures that our Safe Arrival
Program works efficiently to ensure the safety of our students.
When we do not receive your call, we are concerned about
your child. We then call home, your workplace or an emergency contact number. Please let us know if your telephone
numbers change.
OPEN HOUSE
The initial connection you make with your child’s teacher at
the beginning of the school year establishes a line of communication, which is important throughout the whole year. Thank
you to all the parents who joined us for our Open House on
Thursday September 23th.
VIRTUES
Each month we will focus on a specific virtue:
September:
October:
November:
December:
January:
Faith
Empathy
Conscience
Hope
Self-Control
February:
March:
April:
May:
June:
Respect
Kindness
Love
Acceptance
Fairness
We’ll pray about these virtues, we’ll talk about them in the
classroom and we’ll practice them in the hallways. We will
make the effort to treat other students and the adults in our
school according to the demands of these virtues. We will
celebrate the progress we make to be a more virtuous Catholic
school - a place of safety, caring and inclusively for all.
PARENT SCHOOL COUNCIL 2010- 2011
On Sept 29th, the first Council meeting of the school year
was held. At this meeting, the 2009/10 council formally concluded their term and our new Council was selected. Sincere
thanks are extended to all members of last year’s council for
their hard work and dedication towards the betterment of our
school community. Due to the hard work of our council, last
year’s fundraising funds were designated to the following in
order to support student learning: Technological equipment
such as a proxima, ELMOs, a t.v., books for our French and
English literacy rooms, buses to take the students to our year
end mass, gym equipment, etc.
We welcome our new council for the 2010-2011 school
year.
Co-Chair: Mr. Salazar
Co-Chair : Mrs. Hartman
Treasurer: Mrs. Brandolisio
Secretary: Mrs. Wills
Parish Representative: Mrs Hewage
OAPCE Representative: Mrs. Walker
Teacher Representative: L. Pollard, K. Box-Hodgins
Non-teaching Representative: D. Tavares
Administration– A. Alonzi-Peever & K. Barton
Thank you to everyone who attended our meeting. Our next
meeting will be on October 13th , 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Everyone
is welcome to attend.
PEDICULOSIS
This early in the school year, we would like to bring to your
attention a problem which occurs at some time in most schools
at least once a year. This problem is head lice.
Head lice are parasites, which have been common among human beings for centuries. They are not connected in any way
with dirt of neglect. Anyone can be infested with them. Unfortunately, in recent years, they have become quite common
throughout North America. In order to control these pests
please contact your drug store for information on how to properly treat them. Students are not allowed back at school until
all nits are gone. Whenever a case is found in the school, a
generic note is sent to the affected classrooms to ask parents to
check their own child.
Even if cases are not reported from the school, it is a wise precaution to check your children periodically. Pediculosis is
spread only by direct contact with a ‘case’ often through the
sharing of combs and brushes and exchanging of hats. It is
hoped that parents and teachers will be on the alert for excessive scratching and will instruct the children regarding prevention.
HEP B/HPV MMUNIZATION PROGRAM
Grade 7 students in Ontario will have the opportunity to receive free Hepatitis B Vaccine through school based immunization clinics. The Grade 8 girls will receive the HPV vaccine
at this same time. The vaccine will be given to adolescents (11
-15) as a series of two injections. The clinic will be held on
Oct 14th.
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HEAD INJURY
When a student receives an injury to the head, it is the
Board’s policy to have school staff contact the parent.
We will make every effort to notify
you. If you can not be reached, we will
try to leave a note in your child’s
agenda to notify you It is imperative
that we have current and up-to-date
phone numbers and that parents check
their child’s agenda every night.
MEDICAL ALERT
This year, as in the past, we continue to have some
students with severe life threatening Nut (Peanut) Allergies. These allergies prevent students from eating
any kind of nuts or having any product, which contains peanut oil. We strive to keep all of our students
safe. We encourage students to bring snacks and
lunches that are nut free. We thank you for your cooperation and attention to this health watch.
MEDICATIONS AT SCHOOL
In order for the school to store and/or administer
medications to students, your doctor must complete
a form provided by the school. Students are not allowed to have medication of any kind at school, unless
it is stored in the office.
KISS ‘N RIDE
The children’s safety is always first and foremost in
all that we do as a community! In order to ensure
safety during arrival and dismissal times, we ask that
you please follow all Kiss ‘n Ride procedures and
rules. Please continue to refrain from parking in the
Kiss ‘n Ride lanes in the morning. These lanes are for
drop off only. If you must park, please do so in the
designated parking areas. Please do not park or pick
up your children from the staff parking lot.. Please do
not drop off students in the bus lane or park your car
in the bus line. This is a fire lane and you may be
ticketed by police who regularly patrol the area.
We appreciate your cooperation in following these
procedures. Your children’s safety is our main concern.
BUS SAFETY
Ensuring student safety on the bus is our number one
goal at St. Joachim school. Even if your child does
not take a school bus daily, every child needs to know
bus safety rules for whether they take the school bus
on a regular basis, or require transportation on field
trips and must follow these rules:
Listen to the bus driver at all times, they are the adult
on charge.
Go directly to your seat when you get on the bus and
remain seated until the bus stops at your intersection.
Never eat, drink, fight, horseplay, or swear on the bus.
Do not open or close windows.
Do not vandalize bus seats, or any property on the bus.
Respect private property while you are waiting for the
bus.
If someone is misbehaving on the bus, tell the bus
driver.
If you get hurt on the bus or you see someone get hurt
on the bus, let the bus driver know right away and
inform the school right away.
SCHOOL PICTURE RETAKE DAY
Wednesday, October 27 will be picture retake day for
all students at St. Joachim School. “Edge Imaging
Photograpy” will be provided with class lists containing personal information (students’ ID, names, grades
and homeroom). These lists will be returned when the
photography sessions are completed. If you do not
wish your child’s personal information to be shared
with “Edge Imaging”, please contact the Principal of
the school immediately. As well, if you do not wish
your child to participate in the actual taking of the
photographs, please contact the principal of the school
immediately.
EMPTY BUS SEAT POLICY
The transportation department has only allocated one
bus for the JK/SK population at St. Joachim. Many
parents have requested consideration for the empty
seat policy. Unfortunately, we are extremely restricted in our ability to offer empty seats this year and
only grade one and some grade two students will be
able to be accommodated. At this time, we are in the
process of allocating empty seats to courtesy riders
As always, safety is our first priority when allocating
numbers on the bus. Students are not allowed on the
bus until STOPR gives permission for them to start.
You will be notified by the school. French Immersion
students who are not in the St. Joachim boundary are
not eligible for busing or courtesy seats.
RECESS
Recess breaks serve a special purpose in the daily life
of the school. Students are expected to go outside for
fresh air and exercise. If your child is sick, please
keep him/her at home until they are well, as we do not
have supervision available to keep them in for recesses.
This also prevents the risk of your child spreading their
illness throughout the classroom. This year recess has
been moved to the end of the day to allow for a two
hour literacy block in the afternoon. Research has
shown that reducing transition times and allowing for
an uninterrupted block of time has a positive effect on
literacy and numeracy.
VISITORS IN THE PLAYGROUND
In order to keep our school safe we ask that all visitors
sign in at the office. We also ask that when dropping
off students at the beginning of the day, parents/
guardians/caregivers not remain close to the school
building. There is a staff member on duty to supervise
the students as well as supervisors at the Kiss and Ride
and at the bus. The yard becomes quite congested and
to other students, you could be a stranger.
INFORMATION REQUIRED BY SCHOOL
At the start of each new year, the school works through
the process of updating and adding new information for
each student. Student Verification Forms were sent
home. Please check the form, make any corrections
and return to the school.
FAMILY LITERACY WORKSHOPS
Once again the Region of Peel will be hosting free
Family Literacy Workshops at St. Joachim School.
Sessions will run in the Fall and in the Spring from
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. To register or for further information call 905 791-1585.
ST. JOACHIM WEBSITE
Please visit our school website at www.dpcdsb.org/
JOACHWe have listed upcoming events, school information, school hours, newsletters, and links to other
websites you may find helpful
ATTENDANCE
What can I do to help my child attend school every
day, on time?

SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT TEACHER
Dufferin Peel will continue to have an Special Assign- 
ment Teacher (SAT) visiting each school in the system
to assist with the teaching of junior literacy across the
curriculum. The SAT will be working in partnership
with classroom teachers to implement the junior literacy plan. She will be working with groups of students, 
as well as individual students, alongside the classroom
teacher to target the learning needs of all students.
This teacher may be working in your child’s classroom
from time to time throughout the
year. Welcome to Vicki Parry our
SAT this year.

CELL PHONES
It has been noted that several students are bringing cell phones to
school. Students are advised to
leave their cell phones at home to eliminate distractions
in the classroom and reduce the opportunity for it to be
misplaced and/or stolen. If cell phones ring at school
during the school day, they will be confiscated by the
teacher. If cell phones go missing, the school cannot
be responsible for them.
Also, there are to be no personal electronic devices
(cell phones, I-Pods, MP3s, PSPs etc) used in public
areas in the school. Parents/guardians please do not use
your cell phones in the school or in the school yard
especially when students are present.
Make a solid commitment to do whatever it takes
to ensure that your child attends school every day,
on time.
Children who are organized and can follow rules
are more successful in school. Establish regular
and consistent routines for getting ready for school
in the morning, for mealtimes, homework, chores
and bedtime.
Memory and concentration are known to deteriorate when children (and even adults!) are tired.
Make sure that your child has plenty of sleep with
a bedtime appropriate for your child’s age. Experts suggest that 4-6 year olds require 11 hours of
sleep in every 24 hour period. Older children require 9 to 10 hours per night.
Establish routines while your children are young.
If at all possible, place the phone, television and
computer in a room other than your child’s bedroom.
SIGN UP TODAY!
Parents and guardians of Dufferin-Peel Catholic students can stay up-to-date with the latest board news
and information by joining the Dufferin-Peel eCommunity. Members will receive the latest news and information by email, including news releases, school activities and events, board meeting highlights, school
and bus cancellations, plus useful tips for parents and
students. Sign up online at www.dpcdsb.org.
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INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES PROGRAM
Elementary International classes are available to students in grades JK to 8 at specific elementary schools
within Dufferin-Peel on Saturday mornings. No prior
language experience is necessary. International Language programs comply with the Ministry of Education
curriculum and will be of interest to students who wish
to preserve their language and cultural heritage and to
those who wish to study the language and heritage of
another culture. Enrolment is limited at each location.
On-going Registration will be on a first-come, firstserved basis. Classes will be cancelled if there is insufficient enrolment. If you have any questions please contact: Adult & Continuing Education office at 905-8919263. DO NOT CONTACT YOUR ELEMENTARY
DAY SCHOOL FOR
HALLOWEEN SAFETY
7.
Wear costumes above the shoes so they will not
trip.
8.
Do not eat treats until they are home, and parents
have checked the candy.
9.
Do not damage other people’s property
10. Start trick or treating early and be home by 8:30
HALLOWEEN IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
During the early years of Christianity, the church leaders
found it best to add the new religious ideas to earlier,
already established beliefs. All Saints Day was proclaimed on November 1st so that the people could continue to celebrate a familiar festival, which respected the
spirits. The mass that was said on that day was called
Allhallowmas so the evening before became known as
Hallows Eve, or Halloween. Eventually the church recognized that Halloween had become a culture rather
than a religious event.
Implications for Schools:
Halloween should be considered a cultural ritual in
which children participate. In today’s culture, it is
rarely a celebration of the Celtic religion. Children today often dress in costumes which reflect the heroes of
the culture, for example, Batman. While some claim
that Halloween’s association with the Ancient Celtic
religion is a threat to Christianity; clearly the Church did
not when establishing All Saints Day and the Day for
the Commemoration of All Souls. In the same way,
Father’s Day is a cultural event, which does not detract
from our understanding of God as Father.
St. Joachim recognizes the cultural even of Halloween
but attention will be paid to the religious significance of
All Saints Day, which is the honoring of the whole
Church Triumphant united to
Christ in the enjoyment of the
vision of God.
Please remind your children of safety guidelines for
Halloween:
1.
Do not wear a facemask, so your child will be able
to see clearly.
2.
Wear light coloured clothing, so drivers can see
them.
3.
Carry a flashlight, so your child will be able to see
on dark streets.
4.
Go out with an adult or an older brother or sister if
under the age of 10.
5.
Stay away from cars, and friendly strangers in cars.
6.
Watch for cars, and look both ways when crossing
the street.
VOLUNTEERS
We are looking for dedicated parents/guardians to help
with events within the school. If you are interested in
sharing some of your time with us, please call the school
office and ask for Ms. Heslop.
HOT LUNCH/ MILK PROGRAMS
We are continuing the hot lunch and milk programs at
St. Joachim. Students can order either chocolate or
white milk in a 250ml carton. Orders are placed on a
monthly basis.
This year we will be continuing our lunch program
called Lunch Moms. Order forms will be sent out. Students will have lots of choices and can pick either a hot
or cold lunch. If parents have any concerns about the
lunches or their order they should contact lunch moms
directly at (905) 461-KIDS (5437). If you child is absent on one of these days please call the above number before 8:00am that day.
Thank you for your continued support.
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE
Once again this year, we will having a school wide
Thanksgiving Food Drive. Please help us support our
local community by sending in nonperishable food
items.
Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks to God for his
many gifts to us. when we are called upon to help the
less fortunate in our community. As we reflect and give
thanks to God for all our gifts, By showing our love for
God by helping those in need. Thank you in advance
for your generosity and caring.
Please make your donations by Friday October 8th
in the am as the food will be picked up on this day.
MEDICALERT’S NO CHILD WITHOUT PRO- MUNICIPAL ELECTION DAY
Our school will be used as a polling site on Monday,
GRAM IS AT OUR SCHOOL
The No Child Without program offers a free MedicA- October 25, 2010 for the municipal elections.
lert membership to students who attend our school and
are between the ages of 4 up to their 14th birthday. If
your child has a medical condition, allergy or is required to take medication on a regular basis then you
should consider a MedicAlert membership through this
program. A MedicAlert membership:




Gives emergency first responders immediate access
to your child’s medical information on their MedicAlert bracelet or necklet
Enables first responders to quickly obtain up to
date medical information by means of the child’s
Electronic Health Record through the 24 Hour
Emergency Hotline.
Communicates with the parent or emergency contact upon activation of the Hotline.
Allows free updates of the child’s medical record
as needed.
MedicAlert identification can alert school staff, friends,
coaches and others about your child’s medical condition
should an emergency occur.
For further information come to the office for a brochure or visit www.nochildwithout.ca. To register your
child you will need a No Child Without brochure from
the office.
If your child is already part of the No Child Without
program and there have been changes to their medical
condition, medications or emergency contact information, call MedicAlert at 1-866-679-3220 Ext 1 to update
your child’s file.
KISS AND RIDE
Thank you to all our parents who are respectful of our
Kiss and Ride and of the parking signage. Brampton By
Law Enforcement officers do regularly enforce the
signage both at school and on the roads near the school.
Do not park your cars in the Kiss and Ride lanes as this
causes unnecessary traffic backlog.
Please do not drop off your children in the drive
through lane. It is dangerous to have students cross the
drop off lane. Our number one concern is the safety of
our students. We appreciate your assistance in this matter.
PEACEMAKERS
New this year, we will be starting a new peacemakers
initiative. Students in grade 6 to 8 will be helping as
peacemaking leaders to assist grades 1 to 5 students to
solve conflicts that occur during recess times. Our
peacemakers will be receiving training next week, and
will be ready to start shortly after. Peacemakers will be
easily identifiable by their yellow pinnies, so students
can approach them with their issues. As always, teachers are outside on duty to also monitor and aide in this
process.
A peacemaker is someone who:
 Cares and accepts others
 Is patient
 Helps and affirms others
 Is creative and comes up with solutions to problems
 Is flexible and can see more than one side of a
problem
 Tries their best to work out conflicts peacefully
 Believes everyone deserves to have their side of the
story heard.
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We recently received a letter from the City of Brampton’s Clerk’s Office regarding Hall Monitor’s for the upcoming Municipal Elections on Monday, October 25, 2010. Part of the letter reads as follows:
Re: Hall Monitor – 2010 Municipal Election
Please be advised that your school has been selected as a Voting Location for the 2010 Municipal Election to be
held on Monday October 25, 2010.
In 2006, the Brampton City Clerk’s Office worked with School Principals to hire Hall Monitors to patrol the
school halls on Election Day. The City of Brampton in 2010 is again requesting your assistance in recruiting an
appropriate individual for the Hall Monitor position. The selection criteria for this position should include someone who is:



active in the school (for example: a parent, volunteer etc.)
familiar with your staff, students and facility
able to work on Monday October 25, 2010 - Election Day
The duties of the Hall Monitor include patrolling the school hallways and entrances, directing voters in an orderly
manner to the room designated for voting and ensuring that voters do not enter hallways or other areas of the
school which are restricted to the public and which are not part of the voting location.
The Hall Monitors will be required to work between 10am – 8pm, you may select two individuals to split the 10
hour shift, if this is the case, please ensure the times they will be working are communicated to our office. The
rate of pay is $110.00 for the day. I would like to request that the Hall Monitor check- in and introduce his/herself
to the Location Supervisor assigned to your school.
If anyone is interested, please see the office for an application form by October 13. If there are more than one
qualified applicants, we will draw for the position.
OCTOBER 2010
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
8 Food Drive
Pick up Date
9
3
4Food Drive
all Week
5
6
7Opening
School Mass
1:15
10
11 Thanksgiv-
12
13 School Council Meeting
7:00pm
14 HPV, Hep 15
B
16
ing
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27 Picture
Retake Day
28 Virtues
29
Assembly 9:15
30
NOVEMBER 2010
29Sun
7
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2 Progress
Reports sent
home
3
4 Interview
night (as
needed)
5
6
9 Father meeting
10
11 Remember-
12
13
8
ance Day Liturgy
1:15
with Parish Reps 7:30
at church
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26 PA day—
no school
27
28
29 Virtues As-
30 Officer Mohan
in for presentations
sembly 1:15