Holy Family School
61 Allan Drive, Bolton, ON L7E 1P7
Phone: (905) 857-1300
Newsletter #6
www.dpcdsb.org/HOFAM
Principal: M. Clarot
Secretary: M. Proctor
School Council Chair: M. D’Alelio
Superintendent: L. Storey 1-800-387-9501
Fax: (905) 857-9432
February 2016
Holy Family Church - Pastor: Fr. L. Leger - (905) 857-1938
Associate Pastor: Fr. David Gikonyo
Trustee: F. DiCosola - (905) 951-8898
Black History Month
February is Black History Month.
Prayer for Lent
Merciful God,
You called us forth from the dust of the earth
You claimed us for Christ
In the waters of Baptism.
Look upon us as we enter these Forty Days
Bearing the marks of ashes,
and bless our journey through
the desert of Lent to the font of rebirth.
May our fasting be hunger for justice;
Our prayer, the chant of humble
and grateful hearts.
All that we do and pray is in the name of Jesus
For in His cross You proclaim Your love
Now and forever.
Amen
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Upcoming Events
Page 2
Winter Weather Reminders
Page 3
EQAO / EcoTeam News
Page 4
Virtue of the Month—Respect
Page 6
Math @ Home
Page 7
Dates to Remember
Page 8
During this month, Holy Family
School is recognizing and celebrating
the many contributions of Black Canadians and famous
Black people from around the world. Some fascinating
Canadian Black history facts will be shared throughout
the month.
Did you know:
Ontario was the first province to respond to social
change when it passed the Racial Discrimination Act of
1944, landmark legislation prohibiting the publication
and display of any symbol, sign, or notice that expressed
ethnic, racial, or religious discrimination.
April 1946: Jackie Robinson plays his first game for the
Montreal Royals: He became the first Black player in
modern "organized" baseball.
Michelle Jean, was the first Black person to serve as
Canadian Governor General, in 2005.
Harriet Tubman, a runaway slave from Maryland,
became known as the “Moses” of her people and the
“conductor” who led hundreds of slaves to freedom
along the Underground Railroad. In 1850, when the farreaching United States Fugitive Law was passed, she
guided fugitive slaves further north into Canada. When
angry slave owners posted rewards for her capture, she
continued her work despite great personal risk
We are very pleased to have a presentation from Leslie
McCurdy. She will be presenting 'The Spirit of Harriet
Tubman' to our grade 3 - 8 students. Leslie McCurdy will
also do a presentation to our Kindergarten to grade 2
students.
She will explore the theme of what
characteristics make Harriet a good hero.
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
Parent/Teacher Interviews
First term reports go home on Tuesday,
February
2nd.
Parent/Teacher
interviews will be held on the evening of
Thursday, February 4th and during the
day
on
Friday,
February
5th.
Confirmation of your interview time will be sent home
together with your child’s report card.
Grade 8 Parents
As part of our Grade 8 to 9 transition initiatives,
a Guidance Counsellor will be coming to our school
on Parent/Teacher interview night. We will be setting
up a Transition information table outside the Grade
8 classrooms. Grade 8 parents and students will
have an opportunity to ask questions regarding the
course selection process, registration, levels
and programs from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
P. A. Day / Family Day
Just a reminder that Friday, February 5th is a P. A.
Day. This day is set aside for Parent/Teacher
Interviews. There is no school for students on this
day. Family Day is on Monday, February 15th. The
school will be closed on this date.
NOTE:
Additional Professional
March Break
March Break this year falls during
the week of March 14th – 18th.
School resumes after the break on
Monday, March 21st.
Catholic School Council
The next council meeting will
take place on Monday,
February 22nd, at 6:30 p.m. As
always, all parents are
welcome to attend this open
meeting.
National Walk to School Day
Pope Francis’ latest Encyclical on the environment
invites us to be ‘Stewards of the Earth’. The National
Walk to School Day on Wednesday, February 3rd,
2016, provides an opportunity to reduce gas
emissions and answer our Catholic call to care for
God’s Creation. Traffic congestion continues to be a
concern in many of our schools; health and safety of
our students are paramount concerns in these
times. The benefits of walking and physical activity
are positively linked to physical and mental health as
well as academic performance.
Activity Day: Monday, April 11th, 2016
Valentine’s Day
Terms of the recent contract settlement between the
Teacher Federations and the Ministry of Education
included the provision of an additional Professional
Activity Day for the 2015 - 2016 school year for both
elementary and secondary schools. Recently,
Boards were directed to schedule this additional
Professional Development Day on or before April 15,
2016. In the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board, the designated additional Professional
Activity Day has been scheduled for Monday, April
11th, 2016. Therefore, there will be no classes for
either elementary or secondary students on
Monday, April 11th, 2016.
Once again we are asking
parents to not send any
food
to
celebrate
Valentine’s Day. If your
child would like to bring
something to share with his/her
classmates, we ask that alternatives such as
stickers, pencils or other non-food items are
considered. We also ask that students not share
their lunches, snacks or treats with other students as
a further prevention measure. We look forward to
your co-operation in continuing to keep our school a
safe environment for all.
Thank you for your attention to this addition to the
2015-16 School Year Calendar.
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.
2
Gr. 8 Grad Photo Day
SECONDARY SCHOOL ARE CANCELLED FOR
TODAY.”
Grad Photo Day for our Gr. 8 students
is Thursday, February 18th. More
information will follow shortly.
2. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND PEEL DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF
CALEDON ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY”.

Extended French Program
Please note that the deadline for the Extended
French application form is Tuesday, February 16th,
2016 and must be received in our school Main Office
by 3:00 p.m. at the latest. We hope that you and
your son/daughter will take the time to discuss the
merits of this program and consider the benefits of
receiving a bilingual education. If you have any
further questions, please do not hesitate to call Mrs.
Clarot.
Weather Cancellations
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 a.m. and will be announced on the
following radio and television stations:
VIRGIN RADIOFM99.9
CHUM AM1050
CFTR AM680 CFNY FM102.1/AM640
CJCL AM590 CHFI FM98.1 NEWSTALK1010
AM
EZ ROCK FM97.3 CJBC (FR) AM860
FM Z103.5 FM93.1 FM Q107 CBC99.1
CHIN FM100.7/AM1540
CITYPULSE
GLOBAL NEWS CANADA AM
CTV
We will be communicating one of six standard
messages to the radio stations. The six
announcements and their effect on the
transportation system are as follows: (Please note
that the highlighted text only will be communicated
by the radio stations).
1. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES SERVING ST.
ANDREW, ST. BENEDICT AND ST. PETER
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND R.F. HALL
This means that ALL buses which operate into,
out of, and within the Town of Caledon (includes
Holy Family School) are cancelled for the entire
day.
3. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND THE PEEL
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE
TOWN OF CALEDON AND THE COUNTY OF
DUFFERIN ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY”.


This means that all runs listed under
announcements #l and #2 are cancelled.
Individual schools will be notified if this
cancellation affects their school.
4. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE CITY OF
MISSISSAUGA ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”

This means that ALL buses which operate into,
out of, and within the City of Mississauga are
cancelled for the entire day.
5. “ALL DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD AND PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL
BOARD BUSES ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”

This means that ALL transportation services
provided by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board and the Peel District School
Board, including buses, vans and taxis have
been cancelled for the entire day.
6. “ALL BUSES ARE CANCELLED AND THE
SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE
DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL
BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL
BOARD ARE CLOSED”.

This means that ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board and Peel District School
board schools and offices are closed to all
students and staff.
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
Winter Weather Reminders
Snow and Ice
Throwing snowballs and sliding on ice
is fun. However, as much fun as it is,
snow and ice can be very dangerous
when there are many people in our
schoolyard.
Most student injuries
happen during the winter time. Snow is
always to stay on the ground. The
safety of your children is of the utmost importance to
us. Therefore, snowball throwing, kicking snow or
ice, or throwing snow at anyone is not tolerated here
at Holy Family School.
Indoor Footwear
Students are expected to wear shoes in the school
building at all times. Once students are at their
classrooms, they are expected to remove their
winter boots and replace them with indoor shoes.
Please ensure that your child has indoor footwear to
be worn in the school. Wet floors and hallways can
result in possible slippery conditions, which may
result in injuries. Please note that in the event of an
emergency evacuation, students will not have the
opportunity to put on shoes, boots, clothing articles,
etc. Please ensure that your child has a pair of
shoes at school, to keep their feet dry and warm
during wet and/or snowy weather.
Appropriate Dress
Please listen to weather reports and ensure that
children are dressed appropriately for the weather.
Students should be wearing winter coats, boots,
hats, gloves and scarves. Younger students are
also encouraged to wear snow pants. If your child is
prone to getting wet during recess or lunch hour,
please send a change of clothes, especially socks
and pants. We want our students to feel comfortable
outdoors and not get chilled because of
inappropriate winter dress.
Staying Healthy
The best ways to reduce the risk of
becoming ill or spreading flu viruses
include:
Wash your hands frequently: Wash your hands
often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand
sanitizer, especially after you cough or sneeze.
Practise good hygiene: Cover your nose and
mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. If you
don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your
sleeve or elbow. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or
mouth. Germs are spread this way.
Stay Healthy: Eat healthy foods, stay physically
active and get adequate rest to keep your immune
system strong. [Also, no sharing food].
Monitor your health: If you develop flu-like
symptoms (fever, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and
shortness of breath) stay home from school and limit
your contact with others while you are sick. Parents
may want to consider contacting their doctor or call
Telehealth at 1-866-797-0000 if symptoms get
worse.
What’s In Your Child’s
Lunchbox?
During the year please assist us in
promoting healthy eating by
encouraging your child and/or
caregivers to pack healthy snacks
and lunches. Research shows that
good health is a pre-requisite for
good learning. It is also a vital component of
children’s growth and development. It is a fact: a
healthy mind depends on a healthy body. Students
who eat healthy food are better prepared to learn
and are more likely to succeed in school. For more
information about Ontario’s Healthy Schools
initiatives visit: www.ontario.ca/healthy schools
Are You Moving?
If you know your family is
moving out of our boundary, we
would like to know. Each year, a
number of families move out of the
area and it assists us in our planning purposes
to know whether students will be attending our
school next year. Please inform the office at your
earliest convenience.
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.
4
E.Q.A.O. Testing
Grades Three and Six
Each year, all Grade 3 and 6 students in
Ontario are assessed in reading, writing
and mathematics. Developed by the
Education Quality and Accountability Office
(EQAO) after consulting with more than 1,000
teachers, as well as parents and the broader
community across Ontario, these assessments go
beyond traditional tests of the past. Their ultimate
purpose is to improve student achievement.
The Education Quality and Accountability Office
(EQAO) has developed the assessment that will be
used in all schools in the province. This office is
independent from the Ministry of Education and
Training and the Dufferin Peel Catholic District
School Board. It was established through legislation
by the Government of Ontario in 1996. The mandate
of EQAO is to design and oversee a fair assessment,
based on the provincial criteria. Every student in
Grade 3, 6 and 10 in the province will take this
assessment. Provincial assessment in reading,
writing and mathematics will take place during five
days that occur between May 25th and June 8th for
all students in grades 3 and 6. Kindly avoid
booking dental, doctor, etc. appointments
during that time period. Visit DPCDSB on the web
for
Board
and
School
profiles
http://www.dpcdsb.org/EQAO
School Security
A reminder that all visitors, INCLUDING PARENTS,
must come into the office, sign in and pick up a
visitor’s sticker when on a prearranged visit. Parents
are asked to NOT go directly to your child’s
classroom without first checking in at the office.
Anyone not wearing visitor’s sticker will be asked to
return to the office immediately. This procedure will
help students and staff recognize visitors to our
school. In addition, for the safety and security of your
children, ONLY staff and assigned supervisors are
allowed in the school yard during recesses. Parents
are kindly asked to NOT go into the school yard at
the back of the school.
EcoTeam News
Updates from the ECOTeam for
February. We have completed a
Waste-Free Lunch Challenge at
Holy Family. Our results indicated
that our school still needs to be
more aware of how we look after
our waste. We need to be more aware of how we
recycle items. Our Boomerang Lunch Program is a
big focus for us at the school. We are trying to
reduce the amount of garbage we produce each
day. Please remember to use the re-useable
containers and water bottles. Take home any
organic materials, (apple cores, orange peels,
banana skins, bread crusts and any other uneaten
food). We can make a big difference if everyone
makes an effort.
The students will also be looking at all the
classrooms to see how many lights are being left on
when no one is in the room. We will look at the
computers to see if the monitors were closed down
when they are not being used. The students will also
look at the window sills to see if the blinds can be
closed properly.
We are still seeing cars that are
being left idling while waiting for
students. We would like to remind
you again that Holy Family is an
“IDLE FREE ZONE”. Please do not
leave your car running while
waiting for your child. We are
trying to keep the air around our school fresh and
clean for breathing while we are outside playing.
On Wednesday, February 3rd, we would like to
remind you that it is Winter Walk to School
Day. Let’s all get out and take a family walk to
school.
National Sweater Day is on
Thursday, February 4th. We will be
celebrating
this
by
asking
everyone to wear their favourite or
craziest sweater that day. Let’s
make it fun for everyone. Thank
you to everyone who is trying to
make a difference, so that we can
have an eco-friendly school.
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
Mike Ford Visit
On Tuesday, January 12th, 2016, we had the
pleasure of welcoming Mike Ford, songwriter and
musician, here to Holy Family School. Thanks to a
generous grant from the Board, we were able to hear
him perform some of his songs in his show about
Canada’s history and we also had a workshop where
the students created a song with Mike Ford. The
Grade 5 and Grade 6 Extended French classes
enjoyed the day tremendously and were eager to
write songs.
Youth Faith Ambassadors
The Youth Faith Ambassadors visited their
Grandfriends at the Davis Center on Friday, January
15th, 2016. They played cards and board games. We
look forward to our next visit on February 12th.
Virtue of the Month
--Respect
Says “Excuse me”, “Please”, “Pardon me”
avoids gossip
Bullying Prevention Corner.
Telling an Adult about Bullying
is Not Tattling
February’s in class lesson focuses
on the difference between tattling
and telling. In dealing with bullying
situations, students are encouraged to
use the strategy, ‘telling an adult’. Although this
sounds simple and logical, there are many
difficulties and roadblocks associated with this
strategy. Younger children struggle to understand
the difference between telling and tattling, while
older children struggle with their desire to deal with
situations independently. The goal of telling an adult
is to keep people safe. Students will learn to identify
the difference between telling and tattling (reporting
and ratting), explore reasons students don’t report
bullying and understand how to effectively and
safely report to an adult.
In February we celebrate the virtue of respect. God
has given us the virtues of friends and companions
to keep us company and to help us out along the
way. Every person in our lives carries the Spirit of
God – and so every person is our brother or sister
through Jesus Christ. As brothers and sisters who
share one Holy Spirit, we are all valuable to God.
We all deserve to be shown courtesy, consideration,
sensitivity and thoughtfulness, which are different
ways of saying respect. That respect should come
first and foremost from ourselves. We have to
respect ourselves and then we will be able to respect
others. We should also expect to be treated with
respect by everyone we meet – our brothers and
sisters in Jesus. Through prayer and concentration,
we can get better at respecting ourselves, as well as
respecting those around us.
Tattling/ratting is defined as telling in order to get
someone into trouble, or telling when there is no one
being hurt and no rule being broken that could result
in a dangerous situation.
A respectful person…
-
Telling is defined as reporting unsafe behaviours to
an adult in order to get help for someone – to get
someone out of trouble.
Tips for parents:
-
-
use incidences where one child is telling you
about sibling behaviour to help children identify
whether they are tattling or telling
practice with your child how to ‘tell an adult’
about bullying (what happened, how they feel,
what help they desire)
develop awareness of the ‘reasons’ children
state for not reporting bullying to adults
Treats himself/herself and everyone else with
equal consideration and courtesy
Uses a positive tone of voice and body
language
Avoids swearing, name-calling, put-downs,
and inappropriate gestures
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.
6
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.
7
February 2016
Sun
Mon
Tue
1
-Term 2 Starts
Wed
-Reports go
home
-Rosary
Apostolate—p.m.
7
8
14
15
-Family Day—
School Closed
21
28
-National Walk to
School Day
16
22
-PIZZA DAY
-Dental
Screening—ELP,
Gr. 2 and Gr. 8
-Interview Night
-Sweater Day
6
12
13
19
20
--P.A. Day—No
School for
students
-Interview Day
11
18
-PIZZA DAY
-Gr. 8 Grad
Photos
24
-Lottery for EF if
necessary
5
-PIZZA DAY
17
23
Sat
4
10
-Ash Wednesday
Mass @ 10 am
-Deadline for EF
applications
-Jr. Basketball
Tourn. @ St.
John Paul
-Virtue Assembly
-Parent Council
Mtg @ 6:30 p.m.
Fri
3
9
-Shrove Tuesday
-Valentine's Day
Thu
2
-Olympics Day
25
26
27
-PIZZA DAY
29
March 2016
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
2
-Rosary
Apostolate--pm
6
7
13
14
3
4
5
9
-Immunization
Clinic #2
10
11
12
15
18
19
-PIZZA DAY
-Virtue Assembly
16
17
-Start of March
Break
20
21
-End of March
Break
22
23
-Palm Sunday
27
-Happy
Easter
24
28
29
30
-Peel Safety
Village—Gr. 5
25
26
-Good Friday—
School Closed
-Passion Play
-PIZZA DAY
-Easter Monday
-School Closed
Sat
-PIZZA DAY
-Lenten Retreat
8
-Leslie McCurdy
Presentation
Fri
31
-PIZZA DAY
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.
8