St. Joachim
435 Rutherford Rd North Brampton, ON L6V 3V9
Telephone: 905.453.4472
Fax: 905-453-8615
Principal:
A. Alonzi-Peever
Vice-Principal:
M. Di Nunzio
Head Secretary:
J. Sequeira
Secretary:
Y. McCutcheon
Superintendent:
M. Vecchiarino
Trustee:
A. Da Silva
Pastor:
Fr. James Cherickal
Associate Pastor:
Fr. Paul Magyar
Follow us on
Twitter
@DPCDSBSchools - for
the latest news and information about the board,
schools, programs and
services.
www.dpcdsb.org/JOACH
“Through A
Celebration Of Our
Faith All Who
Enter Our School
May Grow Together As A
Christian
Community”
March 2013
A Prayer for Lent
Inside this issue:
Lord of heaven and earth,
You lead us up the mountain to show us
something new.
You show us the beauty of life, the wonder of
creation,
The goodness of family, the fun of good friends.
You ask us to let go of pride, of selfishness,
of meanness.
You invite us to open ourselves to gentleness,
to love, To You.
Lead us up the mountain this Lent and back
home to you This Easter.
Amen
THE SEASON OF LENT
The Lenten season began on February 13th with Ash
Wednesday. The word Lent comes from the Latin word
for springtime. During spring, daylight hours increase,
trees begin to bud and flowers start to blossom. As nature literally ―renews‖ itself, we too are asked to renew
our hearts and repair our relationships with God and
with each other.
Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
meekness and patience. Bear with one another and, if
anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each
other...Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which
-The Season of Lent
-Library News
-Student Safety
2
-Math @ Home
3
-Bus Safety
-Health Alert-Anaphylaxis
Policy Reminder
-Snow and Ice
4
-Cold Weather Guidelines
-St. Joachim Website
-Shrove Tuesday
-Parent Reminders for Kiss
& Ride
5
-March Break
-Custody of Children
-School Closing and Bus
Cancellations
-Report Cards
-Indoor Shoes
-Lost & Found
-PED
-Plan Ahead…
6
-Class Lists for September
-Canada Learning Bond
7
-A Message from the Environment Club
8
-Pack a Waste-Free Lunch
9
-EQAO
-Lates and Absences
-Share Life Raffle
-QSP Fundraiser
-Dates to Remember
10
Virtue of the Month: KINDNESS
This month we celebrate the Virtue of
Kindness.
Let us pray for the Virtue of Kindness
so that everyone we meet will feel like
we are looking out for their good.
A Kind Person:
 Says nice things about others so



they feel good about themselves
Sticks up for people who are picked
on or need help
Refuses to join others who are insulting, intimidating, mean or hurtful
Watches and looks for ways to help
those in need
Page 2
Volume 2, Issue 8
THE SEASON OF LENT
Thank you to
Fr. James
Cherickal, Fr.
Paul Magyar
and Fr.
Antoine Badr
for coming to
St. Joachim to
facilitate
Reconciliation
for our Grades
3-8 students.
SCHOOL
COUNCIL
The next meeting
of the School
Advisory Council
will be April 11th,
2013
in
the
school library at
7:00 p.m. All are
invited to attend.
The Lenten season began on February 13th with Ash Wednesday. The
word Lent comes from the Latin word for springtime. During spring, daylight
hours increase, trees begin to bud and flowers start to blossom. As nature
literally ―renews‖ itself, we too are asked to renew our hearts and repair our
relationships with God and with each other.
Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other...Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which
binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Colossians 3:12-14
Let us continue to pray, share, fast and forgive during this Lenten season.
Stations of the Cross
1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus accepts his cross
3. Jesus falls for the first time
4. Jesus meets his sorrowful mother
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls for the second time
8. Jesus meets and speaks to the women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls for the third time
Parents are welcome to
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments
attend our Stations of the
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross
Cross on Thursday March
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus is taken from the cross
27th at 10:00 a.m.
14. Jesus is placed in the tomb
LIBRARY NEWS
Our Library will be converting to a new circulation system. In order to get
ready for it, there will be an inventory of the library on April 2 and 3. The
library will be closed for this and there will be no book exchange for students.
The conversion to the new system takes place later that month. To get
ready for it, no items may be signed out between April 17 and 24. We are
asking for the return of all materials during this time. We ―go live‖ with the
new system on April 25th, and students can begin signing out books again.
STUDENT SAFETY
If a child is being picked up from school by someone other than a parent or guardian, there must
be written permission from the parent or guardian. Also all parents/visitors to the school must
report to the office. No one should be going directly to their child’s class or wondering through the
school. Remember you are a stranger to other students in the school.
March 2013
Page 3
Page 4
Volume 2, Issue 8
BUS SAFETY
Ensuring student safety on the bus is our number one goal at St. Joachim Catholic School.
Even if your child does not take a school bus daily, every child needs to know bus safety
rules for when they take the bus for school field trips, or trips to the church. Please go over
the following safety rules with your children:
 Listen to the bus drivers 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 drive know
HEALTH ALERT-ANAPHYLAXIS POLICY REMINDER
The staff at St. Joachim has been in serviced around the emergency procedures in dealing
with an anaphylactic reaction. There are a number of students in our school who have serious, and in some cases, life threatening allergies. Even the mere exposure to these products
may cause severe allergic reactions that could potentially result in death.
While these students may not be in your child’s class, or eat in the area your child eats, we
are most concerned with cross-contamination which may occur if a child eats, for example,
peanuts and then touches a book, chair, desk etc that may be touched by the child with the
allergy.
St. Joachim would appreciate the co-operation of the entire school community in NOT sending any lunches or snacks that contain peanut, nuts, shellfish or any other life threatening allergens which could potentially harm a child.
Instead of bringing in food for birthdays or special occasions, we encourage parents to
bring in non-edible treats such as stickers, erasers, pencils, and dollar store items.
Students with anaphylactic allergies are encouraged to bring in their own treats for special
occasions. We look forward to your understanding and co-operation in making our school
safe for all students.
SNOW AND ICE
As snow and ice are a reality in the
winter months we want to ask parents to review with their children
that throwing snowballs and sliding
on ice are NOT allowed at school.
As much fun as snow and ice can
be, it can also be extremely dangerous when there are many people in
one area. Most student injuries happen during the winter months. In order for our school to be as safe as
possible, the school rule must be that
snow stays on the ground—no snowballs, kicking snow or any other activity with snow or ice that could be
harmful. The safety of all of our students is our number one priority.
March 2013
COLD WEATHER GUIDELINES
The board policy recommends that students go out for recess unless it is
below –25 degrees Celsius with the wind factor included. Please ensure
your children are appropriately dressed for outdoor play with hats, scarves,
mittens, boots and snow pants/snowsuit. On wet and slushy days, students often get wet; therefore it is helpful if students have a change of
clothing (e.g. sweat pants and shirt) that can be left at school or in their
backpack as it is difficult for parents to leave work to bring an extra set of
clothes.
Weather conditions are reviewed daily and decisions around outdoor play
and length of recesses are determined. Students should be prepared to go
outside. It is also imperative that all students have a proper pair of running shoes for Physical Education classes. Running shoes with platforms
or wheels are not safe. Please ensure your child(ren) have a proper pair of
running shoes left at school or in their school bag on a daily basis.
SHROVE TUESDAY
Page 5
ST. JOACHIM
WEBSITE
Please visit our
school website
at
www.dpcdsb.org
/JOACH
We have listed
upcoming
events, school
information,
school hours,
newsletters and
links to other
websites you
may find helpful.
On Tuesday February 12th, St. Joachim gym was transformed into a Bistro where each student enjoyed a delicious pancake and juice prepared
by our Grade 8 students. Rave reviews were heard in the hallway by students after they left the gym. Thank you to our Grade 8 students who
prepared and served the pancakes and to Mrs. Brownlee, Mr. Redmond,
Mr. Schultz and Madame Thompson, Mr. Vitale, for facilitating the day!
PARENT REMINDERS FOR KISS AND RIDE
Dear Parents of Kiss & Ride,
As many of you are aware, we try to come out and help out in the Kiss & Ride as often as we can.
Thank you to the many parents who have been patient in the morning and evening in the Kiss and
Ride lanes. When everyone shows courtesy and patience, it provides a safe environment
for all our students. Please wait in the queue – avoid driving around a car that is picking up students and cutting in front – often this blocks cars of being able to exit into the drive-thru lanes. We
encourage parents to drop their children on Winterfold Street and cross at the lights with the crossing guard, to ease some of the congestion in the Kiss and Ride lanes. While there is a large volume of cars entering the Kiss and Ride Lanes, we have noticed that between 8:45am to 8:50am
the volume is much less. We encourage parents to drop off their children during this time to help
with some of the congestion that occurs at 9:00am. Just a reminder to parents not to PARK in the
Kiss and Ride lanes as you could get ticketed by the City of Brampton Parking Control. You must
stay in your car. Please ensure your child exits ONLY on the right hand side of the car nearest the
sidewalk. Please do not Park in the bus lane. Thank you to everyone for their patience and understanding for the safety of all students.
Kindest Regards,
A. Alonzi-Peever and M. DiNunzio
Page 6
MARCH BREAK
March Break
holidays will begin for
students on Monday
March 11, 2013 to
Friday March 16,
2013. Classes will
resume Monday
March 18, 2013.
Volume 2, Issue 8
CUSTODY OF CHILDREN
On rare occasions, we are faced with difficult situations in which noncustodial parents arrive at our school asking to visit with their child or take
their child home after school. We are best able to serve and protect the
child when we are made aware of legal custody arrangements, visitation
rights and any other special instructions. If legal custody matters affect
your family, please ensure that our office and classroom teachers are
aware of custodial arrangements between parents that may affect your
child during school hours. We require custodial parents to provide legal
documentation for our files in order to ensure appropriate procedures are
followed.
SCHOOL CLOSING AND BUS CANCELLATIONS
The season when inclement weather may cause delays or cancellations is
upon us. Please make the safest decision when deciding whether to send
your child to school on days when severe weather warnings are issued. If
buses are cancelled in the morning, they are also cancelled at the end of the
day. You must make other arrangements for your child to get home if you
chose to bring them to school. Please send a note with your child informing
the office about your travel arrangements at the end of the day.
REPORT CARDS
Report cards were sent home on February 5th,
2013 for students from Grade 1 thru Grade 8. Please remember to call to set
up an appointment with your child’s teacher if you are concerned about their
academic or social development throughout the year. Early intervention and
discussion about your concerns is essential to your child’s success.
LOST AND FOUND
Please encourage your child to look through the lost and found boxes at the
school to locate lost mittens, hats, boots, shoes etc. Many items are misplaced throughout the year. Labeling your child’s belongings helps with this
process.
INDOOR
SHOES
It is imperative
that all students
have a proper pair
of running shoes
for Physical Education
classes.
Running
shoes
with platforms or
wheels are not
safe. Please ensure your child
has a proper pair
of running shoes
left at school or in
their school bag
on a daily basis.
PED (Personal Electronic Devices)
According to the School Board’s General Administrative Procedures, the use of personal electronic
devices is not permitted on school premises. Students should not be using these devices (i.e. cell
phones, iPods, MP3 players, electronic games etc.) at school. We also ask that parents serve as
good role models by refraining from using these devices, especially cell phones, on school
grounds.
PLAN AHEAD . . .
We are in the process of planning staffing and organizing classes for the 2013-2014 school year.
If you are planning on moving out of the St. Joachim area, or simply changing addresses within
our boundaries, please let the office know as soon as possible. Families with students who live
outside of the school area are reminded that they must apply through the Flex Boundary policy to
the Principal for permission to attend the school in September 2013. The deadline for Flex
Boundary applications is March 30, 2013.
March 2013
Page 7
CLASS LISTS FOR SEPTEMBER
We will begin to work on next year’s classes after the March Break. If your children will be attending
St. Joachim Catholic School next year and there is information that you think we need to consider in
making up classes, please put this in writing to the principal. Educational reasons will be factored
into the decisions which will be made by teachers, resource staff and the school administration. Letters must be signed and submitted to the Principal PRIOR to May 3rd, 2013. As always, class placements will be tentative until the end of the second week of September when our staffing is confirmed. Please make sure your children understand this process.
Page 8
Volume 2, Issue 8
A MESSAGE FROM THE ENVIRONMENT CLUB:
Help Us Reduce!
As part of our commitment to be an Eco School, we have been promoting ―Waste-Free Wednesdays‖. Classes have been taught how to properly recycle and have been encouraged to throw as
little as possible into the garbage can.
Starting after March Break, we will be encouraging students to bring waste-free BOOMERANG
lunches EVERYDAY. As St. Joachim does not have organic bins, all unused food will be sent
back home ... like a boomerang! Below you will find some tips on how we can all be more environmentally friendly when packing lunches:
Waste-Free Lunch Tips:
 Have children help pack their lunches with healthy food.
 Use a reusable lunch bag/box for carrying lunches.
 Use a refillable bottle for drinks.
 Avoid drinks in packaging that cannot be resealed. After a few sips, drinks are often discarded.
 Put sandwiches, muffins, cookies, etc in re-sealable containers instead of plastic bags. These
containers can also be used to transport home any uneaten foods (which are often found in our
garbage cans!)
 Avoid pre-packaged, single serving portions of snacks or drinks.
 Put reusable metal cutlery instead of plastic forks and spoons.
 Put reusable napkins in your child’s lunch bag.
Important Upcoming Dates:
Earth Hour is on Saturday, March 23rd from 8:30pm to 9:30 pm. Turn your lights off for one hour!
St. Joachim will do its part by turning off the lights for one hour on Friday, March 22nd.
Earth Day is on Monday, April 22nd. St. Joachim will be celebrating the Earth the entire week following Earth Day with trivia and special theme days.
―Together we can find the energy to turn the inspiration of 1 hour into the actions of EVERY hour‖.
Energy Conservation
The Environment Club has set a goal to build a ―culture of conservation‖. The focus is to improve
school-wide participation to ensure that lights are turned off when not needed and computer monitors are turned off when not in use.
Everyone in the school community has been working together to achieve this goal.
On a weekly basis, the club has been tracking lights and monitors to ensure our energy conservation targets are being met. We are pleased to announce that there are has been improvements in
turning off monitors when not is use.
Recycling Milk Bags into Skipping Ropes
The Environment Club is aware of the negative impact plastic bags have on the landfill. The club
has begun an initiative to recycle plastic milk bags into skipping ropes for student use. Let the Environment Club transform your unwanted milk bags into useful skipping ropes!
March 2013
Page 9
March 2013
Page 10
EQAO
EQAO for all grade three and grade six students will take place for this year during the period
starting Monday May 27th to Thursday June 6th. We kindly ask that parents refrain from
booking appointments or holidays during this time. Parents may visit the EQAO website at
www.eqao.com for many resources and useful information regarding EQAO, including sample
tests from last year. French Immersion grade 3 students will be writing the test in English for
reading and writing; and in French for Math.
LATES AND ABSENCES
School begins at 9:00 a.m. Please ensure your child is on time for school. If you are dropping
your child off after 9:00 a.m. please use the front of the school. Students must a get a late slip
to be admitted to class. When a child is late, he/she misses valuable teaching time and causes
a disruption to the lessons being started in the class. Developing excellent work habits and time
management skills can maximize a child’s learning potential. For students that are consistently
late or absent, letters will be sent home and the attendance officer may be involved.
Thank you for those parents who are diligent in calling when your child is going to be absent or
late. Our secretary spends valuable hours trying to contact parents when a child is absent and
the parent has not contacted the school. Please continue to call and leave us a message
regarding your child’s absence. This will save us time in the office.
Share Life Raffle
We are continuing to sell tickets for signed a soccer ball (in front display case). Tickets are 25
cents each and will be on sale until Wednesday March 6th. The draw will take place during
morning announcements on Thursday March 7th, 2013.
QSP Fundraiser
The QSP Magazine program promotes reading and literacy, offers great prices on magazine
subscriptions and our school earns a profit at the same time. Choose from a selection of 600
top selling magazines including a great selection of Children’s magazines. We will have kick
off assemblies on March 21st and information will come home. We appreciate your support!
DATES TO REMEMBER
March 11-15 March Break – no school
20-Equinox First Day of Spring 1 p.m. Lenten Mass
21- 1:15 p.m. QSP Kickoff Assembly K-3, 1:50 p.m. QSP
Kickoff Assembly 4-8
23-Earth hour
25-10:20 Virtues Assembly
28- 10 a.m. Stations of the Cross
29- Good Friday
31-Easter
April
1-Easter Monday
4-Mitchell & Hodzic to Silvercreek,
5- a.m. HEAL Sessions Grades 5 & 6
8-Di Tosto & Procaccini to Silvercreek
11 –7 p.m. School Council Meeting
12- Talent Show
17- BNE Chess Tournament
22-Earth Day, K-3 Cinderella’s Frog Prince Play
23-Grad Pictures on stage
26- Jr. Bball Minis (girls a.m., boys p.m.),