Holy Family School
61 Allan Drive, Bolton, ON L7E 1P7
Phone: (905) 857-1300
Newsletter # 2
www.dpcdsb.org/HOFAM
Principal: M. Clarot
Secretary: M. Proctor
Catholic School Council: M. D’Alelio
Superintendent: Les Storey 1-800-387-9501
Fax: (905) 857-9432
October 2015
Holy Family Church - (905) 857-1938
Pastor: Father L. Leger
Associate Pastor: Fr. D. Gikonyo
Trustee: F. Di Cosola (905) 951-8898
A THANKSGIVING PRAYER
Principal’s Message
Give us this day our daily bread,
I would like to thank the staff, students, and parents for their
genuine efforts towards the positive start of this school year.
I would like to thank all of those parents who were able to
take the time to come out to the school for our Open House.
It was nice to see so many families in attendance. I would
also like to thank the Parent Council for providing the apples.
O Father in heaven,
And grant that we who are filled
with good things from Your open hand,
May never close our hearts
to the hungry, the homeless, and the poor;
In the name of the Father, and the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Welcome to New School Council
Page 2
Progress Reports/Parent Interviews
Page 3
Personal Electronic Devices
Page 3
Eco Team News
Page 4
Virtue of the Month--Empathy
Page 5
October/November Calendars
Page 6
As is the tradition here at Holy Family School, once again we
have our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Thanksgiving
is a very special time of the year when we, as a school
community, collect non-perishable food items to help those
who are in need from our own local community. All food
collected will be dropped off at Caledon Community Services
in time for the Thanksgiving long weekend. It is important for
all of us to be grateful for all we have and to show this by
acknowledging those less fortunate. We thank all who
donated for their generosity.
Let us also remember to be thankful for all the little things in
our lives. Often large issues consume us and the little
pleasures and treasures are forgotten. It is in the little things
that God’s graces are often revealed. On behalf of the staff
of Holy Family School, we wish everyone a truly wonderful
Thanksgiving.
M. Clarot
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all peo ple.
1
Holy Family School Council
Pizza Days
Thank you to all the members of the 2014 - 2015 School
Council. Your hard work and dedication to Holy Family
School is truly appreciated by all the staff and students.
We are very fortunate to have such a group of dedicated
parents who work so hard and provide so many wonderful
opportunities for all of the staff and students at Holy
Family School.
Once again we will be holding pizza lunches
on a weekly basis. Our first pizza day is on
Thursday, October 8th. As in previous years,
pizza will be provided by Pizza Pizza. This
program is being overseen by the School
Council. Any comments or questions should be directed
to the School Council. Messages for the School Council
can be left at the main office.
Picture Retake Day
Welcoming Our New Catholic
School Council
We would like to introduce our new Holy Family Catholic
School Council for the 2015 - 2016 school year:
Co-Chairs: Mima D’Alelio
Treasurer: Josie Marcon
Secretary: Lisa Taylor
Parish Rep: Nora Di Domenico
Communications Rep: Sarah Colucci
Fundraising Rep: Joanna DiLorenzo
OAPCE Rep: Rose Asta
Parent Reps: Jen McEvoy, Natasha Pereira, and
Noelia Nunez
Teacher Reps: Andree McEwen and Fabia Angelosante
As always, we are looking for parent volunteers to help
out with various programs within the school. If you have
some time to share and would like to become involved
please sign up on the volunteer sign-up sheet on the
School Council bulletin board in front of the office. Just a
reminder, you must have a valid criminal reference
check to be able to volunteer.
It’s that time of year again, Witches and
Goblins and Vampires …… The Halloween
Dance-A-Thon is coming!! The dance will be
held on Friday, October 30th in the gym. This
has been a huge and successful fundraising
event for Holy Family in past years. Let’s try and make
this year even better! Any prize donations are welcome
and can be dropped off in the office. Thank you in
advance for your generosity and support. Keep your eyes
and ears out for more information.
School Picture Retake Day is on
Thursday, October 29th, 2015. Please
make sure you send a note with your
child if you are requesting a retake.
World Teacher Day –
October 5
Monday, October 5th, 2015 was World
Teachers’ Day. We recognize and
celebrate our teachers and support staff
for their commitment and dedication to
Catholic education here at Holy Family
School. Teachers have a great influence
on us. They help prepare us for life. They teach us skills
we need to participate and compete. They help us identify
our strengths and weaknesses. They work to make us
stronger students and hopefully, better people. Most of us
can point to a teacher who has influenced us positively in
some way.
We salute and say thank you to the teaching and support
staff at Holy Family School for their ongoing commitment
to student learning.
Student Council
Student Council will be hosting a
Halloween Spirit Week. It will run
from Monday, October 26th until
Friday, October 30th. We will be
having dress-up days as well as a
pumpkin colouring contest (JK to Grade 5) and a pumpkin
carving contest (Grades 6 to 8). More details to follow.
Our next School Council meeting will be on Monday,
November 16th, 2015. All parents are welcome and
encouraged to attend this open meeting.
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all people.
2
Progress Reports/Interview
Evening
The progress reports will be sent home on
Tuesday, November 17th, 2015. Interviews,
only if requested by the teacher or parent, will
take place the evening of Thursday,
November 19th, 2015.
Rosary Apostolate
Welcome again this year to our
Rosary Apostolate who will be coming
in the first Tuesday of each month to
pray the rosary with each of our
students. We have had the pleasure
for a number of years now and both
the students and the Rosary
Apostolate look forward to the visits. Our first visit was
Tuesday, October 6th, 2015 in the afternoon. Our other
dates will be: November 3rd, December 1st, January 5th,
February 2nd, March 1st, and April 5th. Our final celebration
will be on May 3rd, 2016. We are looking forward to
another great year.
Personal Electronic Devices
Personal Electronic Devices on Board Premises and/or
Board Sanctioned Events for Educational Purposes:
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
acknowledges the value of the use of technology for
learning. Students are permitted to register and use
personal electronic devices (PEDs) on board premises
and/or board sanctioned events for educational purposes,
under the direction of staff and only with parent/guardian
permission. Students may register their PED for the
purpose of connecting to the board wireless network.
Students are required to adhere to the student “Personal
Electronic Device Used with WI-FI Network Student
Agreement” (GF 337) and the “Network User Application
and Agreement.” (GF066) Please be advised that the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board will not be
responsible for any cost incurred through the use of
personal data plans.
PEDs are to be used responsibly and should not interfere
with learning; their use must comply with the Catholic
Code of Conduct, board policies and procedures. Any
personal communications (i.e., phone calls, text
messages, etc.) will continue to be directed through the
main office. Failure to comply with these guidelines may
result in a loss of PED privileges and/or any other
consequences
deemed
necessary
by
school
administration.
The school principal may authorize limited acceptable
uses of personal electronic devices during schoolsanctioned activities for a specific designated purpose
outside of instructional spaces and/or in common areas.
Students are responsible for the safety and security of
PEDs at all times and the Board assumes no
responsibility for lost, damaged or stolen devices.
Pupil Accommodation
Review--Policy Public
Consultation
The Ministry of Education released the new Pupil
Accommodation Review Guideline (PARG) in March
2015. This guideline sets expectations for all school
boards on managing and reviewing underutilized school
space, including potential school closures, and for the
greater coordination and sharing of planning related
information between school boards and other community
partners.
The guideline requires all school boards in the province to
develop or revise Pupil Accommodation Review Policies
and to invite public input into the policy before it is
finalized.
A survey to collect feedback on the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board’s draft amended Policy 6.51 Pupil
Accommodation Review will be available for review and
comment on the Board’s website at www.dpcdsb.org until
4:30 pm on Friday, October 16th, 2015. Supporting
documents will also be available for reference and review.
Please consider reviewing and providing input on this
policy.
School Hours & Supervision
Supervision in the school yard begins at 9:00 a.m. Please
do not drop your children off at school prior to that time as
they will not be supervised. The school day ends at 3:45
p.m. Parents are asked to ensure that arrangements
are made for their children to leave school at 3:45
p.m. Students are not supervised after 3:45 p.m. Please
do not rely on the school to supervise children after 3:45
p.m. The exception to this, of course, are students who
are bussed.
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all peo ple.
3
Punctuality
It is important that your child be on
time for school on a regular basis.
Please be aware that late arrivals
have a direct impact on learning in
school and they also disrupt the
classroom teacher during lessons.
Please encourage and assist your child in
recognizing that punctuality is a responsibility which all
students should be developing. Students must report to
the office and obtain a late slip if they are late. Also, if
your child is going to be late for any reason, please ensure
you leave a message on our Attendance Line.
Use of the School Phone
Again, we request that parents make
arrangements with your children prior to coming
to school about home time arrangements. We
will also be discouraging the use of the phone
to call home for forgotten items.
Lockdown/Hold and Secure
Procedure/Fire Drills
Throughout the year school personnel review safety
procedures with the students on a number of topics.
Emergency evacuation/fire drills are conducted to ensure
that everyone is aware of the procedures to follow in order
to exit the building safely. Our School Board has also
established Hold and Secure/lockdown procedures
should a high risk incident involving weapons occur on
school property, that could endanger the lives and/or the
safety of students and/or staff. We have already practiced
the Emergency Lockdown Procedures and Fire
evacuation with the students. We will continue to review
and practice Lockdown and Evacuation procedures
throughout the school year.
Medication at School
If medication must be administered at school, signed
request/authorization forms from the parents and the
supervising physician must be obtained whenever a
prescription is initiated or changed. Please do not send
medication with your child to school without the proper
authorization. These forms are available in the office.
International Student
Programs
INFORMATION NIGHT
October 28th, 2015
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Learning Centre
3566 South Common Court, Mississauga
Information regarding the International Student Program,
the new Summer ESL Credit Program for International
Students, our Student Exchange Program, and
community supports available to newcomers, will be
shared. Full details of the various programs and
opportunities will be provided by several guest speakers
and there will be an opportunity to ask questions. For
more information, contact Rita Borg, Principal International Education at 905-412-3341 ext. 31460.
News from the Eco Team
Welcome back to another Eco friendly
year at Holy Family School.
We
welcome back our dedicated members
and always welcome new students that
wish to join. We have already started
our recycling program. We encourage
all students and staff to take extra care to make sure that
items are placed into the proper recycling containers. We
ask that all juice boxes are empty and that the straws are
placed into the garbage. Try using a small Tupperware
container to put yogurts and snacks in. The containers
can be reused again the next day. Please use your
recyclable water bottle. We do not want to see any plastic
water bottles in the blue bins. Students are reminded to
continue with the Boomerang Lunches and Litterless
Lunches. A Boomerang Lunch is one that is packed with
a zip-lock bag, in order to hold items to
be returned home: unfinished or
uneaten edibles would be returned
home for composting. Litterless lunch
containers include reusable water
bottles, thermoses, sandwich boxes
and snack boxes, creating no garbage but
still having a place to put unfinished foods for composting
at home. For more information please visit
www.wastefreelunch.com.
We also continue to be an Idle Free Zone. Please turn off
your car while waiting for your child. Letting your car idle
produces a lot of exhaust that we are breathing in. Please
help us to keep the air clean. Let’s continue to make Holy
Family School an environmentally friendly place to be.
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all people.
4
Bolton Fall Fair
Virtue of the Month-Empathy
During the month of October, we will be focusing on
empathy. We understand empathy to mean the ability to
identify with and feel other people’s concern. An
empathetic person believes that we all share one Spirit;
that we are many parts of one body because we are all
created in the image and likeness of God.
An empathetic person:
- Listens attentively
- Watches people’s body language
- Notices and responds when someone is
upset
- Can name her/his feelings
- Can see a situation from another person’s
point of view
Thank you to Mr. Read and Ms. Martin for all their hard
work in organizing and putting together Holy Family
School’s annual display for the Bolton Fall Fair. This
year’s theme was “Celebrating 100 Years of 4-H”.
School Website
Don’t forget to check out our school website for the latest
monthly newsletter and important updates. Our website
is: www.dpcdsb.org/HOFAM. We will also be updating
our school calendar on a regular basis. Don’t remember
when the next Pizza Day is. When is the next PD Day?
Check the Events Calendar on our website to keep up-todate on what is going on here at Holy Family School.
In addition, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board is on twitter. You can follow the Board’s twitter feed
@DPCDSBSchools for all the latest Board news,
including school and bus cancellations.
Youth Faith Ambassadors
Welcome back to another school year! We have 30
students from Grades 7 and 8 who will be Youth Faith
Ambassadors this year. They will be very busy planning
liturgies and retreats. As well, we will again be visiting our
Grandfriends at the Vera Davis Center. On October 23rd,
2015, our Youth Faith Ambassadors will be
commissioned to their role at Holy Family Church along
with other Ambassadors from the Bolton schools. We are
looking forward to another great year. Thank you to all
who volunteered.
Knows that different people
differently about the same thing.
may
feel
Bullying Prevention Corner
In October the classroom lesson focuses
on the definition of bullying. The key
message is “bullying is not acceptable”.
Through various activities the students
will understand the vast array of
behaviours that can be bullying (physical,
verbal, social) and explore the emotional
impact of those behaviours on others. Students develop
the ability to understand and apply the definition of
bullying through constant exposure, repeated use and
consistency. Using the same definition of bullying
throughout the school and at home allows both students
and adults to more effectively prevent and deal with
bullying situations.
 Bullying is:
being mean to others, on
purpose, to hurt them or their feelings.
 Bullying Behaviour: is intended to hurt, is
repeated and involves unequal power and
control.
Tips for Parents:
- review the definition of bullying with your
child/ren
- talk with younger children about inside and
outside hurts
- talk with older children about intimidation,
gossip, rumors and cyber bullying
- encourage children to share their feelings about
bullying behaviours that they have experienced,
witnessed or engaged in.
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all peo ple.
5
October 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
9
10
16
17
-Terry Fox Walk
4
5
-School Council
Mtg @ 6:30 p.m.
11
6
7
-ELPs to Albion
Hills
-Rosary
Apostolate—p.m.
-National Walk to
School Day
13
14
12
8
-Volleyball
Tourn. @ H.F.
School
15
Happy
Thanksgiving
Day—School
Closed
18
-Cross Country
Meet @ Monora
Park
19
20
21
-Bus Driver
Appreciation Day
-Saidat Speaker
25
26
-Halloween Spirit
Week begins
27
-Immunization
Clinic #1
22
28
-Gr. 2s to Peel
Safety Village
23
24
-Virtue
Assembly—a.m.
29
-Photo Retake
Day
30
-Halloween
Dance-A-Thon
31
Halloween
November 2015
Sun
Mon
1
Tue
2
Wed
Thu
3
4
-Rosary
Apostolate—p.m.
8
9
10
Fri
5
6
7
13
14
19
20
21
26
27
28
- St. Michael S.S.
Info Meeting @
6:45 p.m.
11
12
-Remembrance
Day
15
16
-School Council
Mtg @ 6:30 p.m.
22
23
29
30
17
-Scientists in
School--ELP
18
-Progress
Reports go home
24
Sat
-Interview
Evening
25
We believe that each individual is a unique gift of life from God, and we believe in the innate spiritual goodness of all people.
6