Mary Fix February Newsletter
Learning & Living Through God
486 Paisley Blvd. West
Mississauga, Ontario
L5B 2M4
(905)270-3140
Fax: (905)270-3475
www.dpcdsb.org/
MAFIX
We are children of a loving God.
We carry God’s own love in our hearts.
Let us never be afraid to show friendship,
appreciation and love.
God our Creator,
bless the love that brings people together
and grows ever stronger in our hearts.
May all the messages that carry the name
of your holy Bishop Valentine
be sent in good joy
and received in delight.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
Principal: C. Duke
Assistant: M. Kivell
Head Custodian:
V. Didio
Pastor: Fr. Lando
(905)272-1454
Trustee: B. Iannicca
(905)270-0536
Superintendent:
D. Amaral
(905)890-1221
‘liturgy Training Publications– 2004’
Inclement Weather Procedures
In the event of snowstorms which prevent safe
travel, please listen to the radio and television
stations listed on the insert in this newsletter for
announcements about bus transportation and
school closures, usually beginning about
6:30 a.m.
Bus cancellation updates can be accessed at:
www.busmonitor.com
Buses that do not run in the morning do not
run in the afternoon. If you drive your bus
student to school on a day when the buses are
cancelled, you are responsible for providing
transportation home as well.
If school closures are not announced but you
choose to keep your child home during extreme
weather, please call the Attendance Line and
leave a message.
Principal’s Message
February is a time for new beginnings, acceptance and respect.
Mary Fix continues to be a busy place as students are engaged in
sports, ECO and Youth Faith initiatives. For the month of
February, our Youth Faith Ambassadors will be promoting the
collection of new socks for Dr. Simone. Our sock drive will align
with our Valentines Day dance that will be held on Friday,
February 12th for all students. As students move forward into
term two they are encouraged to use educational supports for
home such as the Raz-Kids Online Reading Program for Primary
students. Students can select a genre of their liking a read
according to their level. The program is fun and engaging. We
have also repurchased the IXL online math program for all
students in grades FDK to 8. This program is directly linked to
the curriculum guidelines for all strands of math. Our School
Council funds have supported the renewal of the licenses for
another year of both these programs. Please take the time to ask
your child/ren to demonstrate to you what they are currently
working on in math.
C. Duke—Principal
PARENT INFORMATION
NATIONAL SWEATER DAY
February 4, 2016
Since 2010, over a million Canadians have participated in
National Sweater Day at their schools, workplaces and
homes.
National Sweater Day is a fun way to learn about the importance of saving energy and to inspire us to use less heat
all winter. Heating accounts for 80% of residential energy
use in Canada and is a significant source of emissions. If all
Canadians lowered their thermostats by just 2 degrees Celsius this winter, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by about 4 megatons – that’s equivalent to shutting down a
600 mega watt coal-fired power station or taking nearly
700,000 cars off the road!
Sweater Day is a fun way for classrooms to get involved in
the conversation about climate change. National Sweater
Day happens once a year, so let’s make it count
Term 1 Report Cards
will be sent home to
students in Grades 1-8
on Tuesday, February
2nd.
Interviews are scheduled for Thursday,
February 4th in the evening until
8:30pm. Forms have already been sent
home to make arrangements to meet
with your child/ren’s teacher/s. If you
have not already done so, please feel
free to call the office to make an
appointment with the teacher. You also
may receive a request for an interview
time by the teacher.
Friday, February 5th is P.A. Day.
Students are not at school, but teachers
will be conducting interviews during the
day.
Attendance and Punctuality
Cold Weather Children will be kept in at recess if the wind
chill equivalent temperature is minus 23 degrees Celsius or
lower. This is in accordance with the policy of the Dufferin
Peel Catholic District School Board. We will, of course,
monitor the weather situation on a daily basis. The safety of
our students is always of utmost concern.
Dry Feet, Dry Clothing
Colder weather continues! Please ensure that your child comes to
school prepared to participate in all activities, including outdoor
recess. All children should have hats, scarves, gloves, warm coats
and boots. All students are reminded to bring an extra pair of shoes
to wear indoors during the winter months. Fire regulations dictate
that all students must have footwear on at all times. Indoor shoes
keep the floors clean and safe for all students and staff.
It is a great idea to send an extra set of clothes (pants, sweatshirts,
socks, underwear) to school with your primary students in the
winter.
Regular attendance is critical for
success. Although we encourage you
to keep your child home when he/she
is ill to avoid the spread of illness, we
encourage you, where possible, to
avoid appointments and planning
vacations during regular school hours.
In addition, we expect students to
arrive at school on time. Late students
miss opening exercises and important
announcements and disrupt their
classes when they arrive after the rest
of the class is settled in.
Students with multiple absences and
lates will be monitored and may be
referred to an Attendance counselor.
Attendance/late arrivals are recorded
on the Report Card. Remember to call
the Attendance Line if your child is
going to be late or absent:
(905)270-3140 ext. 1
PARENT INFORMATION
2015-16 School Year Calendar
Additional Professional Activity Day: Monday,
April 11, 2016
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 11, 2016.
Therefore, there will be no classes for either elementary or
secondary students on Monday, April 11, 2016.
Thank you for your attention to this addition to the 2015-16
School Year Calendar.
A copy of the revised 2015-2016 School year calendar is
available on the Board website.
Inspiring Your Child to Learn and Love Math—A Workshop for Parents of K-Gr 8 Students
The Council of Ontario Directors of Education
ecognize the importance of learning in math in
support of student well-being and achievement. It is
recognized that parents/guardians can provide
valuable assistance in guiding their child in
appreciating math and to understand the learning
process. It aims to show parents how to get involved
in their child’s learning and offers
guidance for working with students of
different ages. If parents would like to
access these kits, we have 4 copies
that can be signed out of our library for
your use. Further info and access to
video modules and support materials are available at:
http://www.ontariodirectors.ca/parentengagementmath/en/index.htm Please feel free to contact us.
Parents and Students are invited to attend: An Information Meeting Regarding
Self-Contained Classes for Gifted Learners
(who will be in Grade 5, or new to Grade 6, 7, 8 in September 2016)
Monday, February 22, 2016
St. Jerome School
790 Paisley Blvd. West,
Mississauga, ON
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
This will be an opportunity to receive information regarding the congregated classes for gifted learners. If you are interested in
attending this meeting please ask the office for a form. All forms must be returned to your child’s school no later than
Thursday, February 11, 2016.
EXTENDED FRENCH INFORMATION MEETING at ST. PHILIP SCHOOL
Grade 4 parent(s)/guardian(s), who wish to enroll their child in a Grade 5 Extended French class for September, 2016
are advised that the French Immersion school for our area is St. Philip School, 345 Fairview Rd. We.
Please call St. Philip School at 905 306-8420 if you have any questions about this program. Applications will be accepted at St. Philip until 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 16, 2016
PARENT INFORMATION
Speeches
This is a reminder to parents that Monday,
February 15, 2016 is designated as Family Day.
There is no school on this day. Enjoy a day off
with your children!
Birthday Treats
At Mary Fix school we recognize student birthdays with an
announcement and a personalized bookmark. We have an increasing
number of life threatening allergies to nuts and nut products in our
school. For this reason we ask that no food treats, such as cupcakes,
doughnuts or cookies be brought into the school. Stickers, pencils and
other non-food items are a great alternative.
Youth Faith Ambassadors Are
In Action Again…
The YFA’s are visiting
Dr. Simone's
warehouse Canadian Food for
Children Foundation, in June. We
are asking the very generous Mary
Fix community to help with our
upcoming initiatives. These
initiatives encourage youth to
build awareness of the poor
amongst us and to raise awareness
of the suffering of others in
developing countries. Our first
initiative will be collecting new
socks to be donated. Our collection
will start February 1st and run
until February 12th. The students
will celebrate their efforts by
attending a Sock Hop (Valentine
dance party in the gym on
February 12th). We are hoping to
fill the sock box in the front foyer
with new socks. YFA’s will also be
selling nut-free Valentine cookies
for $2 at the dance. All proceeds
will go directly back into
supporting initiatives and
programs in our school. Your
support is always greatly
appreciated.
Intermediate and Junior students will be
participating in this year’s speech
competition on February 16th in the gym.
Selected students will move on to
represent Mary Fix at the family speech
competition at St. Margaret of Scotland
Elementary School on February 18th.
Thank you to and the Junior &
Intermediate Divisions for coordinating the
speech competition. We welcome
community member to join us in the gym
for the student presentations.
Kiss & Ride
The safety of all our students is imperative.
Mornings and afterschool pickups can
sometimes be a rush, but in all circumstances
safety comes first. We strongly encourage
you to walk, or to take advantage of our Kiss
N Ride lane in the morning from 8:45 am to
9:00am. Please drive to the end of the Kiss N
Ride and drop off your child, where they will
then walk on the sidewalk to the yard. At the
end of the day there continues to be a
number of cars parked in our Kiss N Ride lane.
Please do not park in this lane as our bus
continues to have difficulty getting to the
front of the school to pick up bus students.
Make arrangements to meet with your
child/ren at a designated area. Your support
is greatly appreciated.
Student Entrances and Exits
We remind students on a regular basis to
enter and exit from their assigned doors.
Students are not to use the front doors of the
school or side doors that lead to the parking
lot. Bus students are permitted to exit from
the front building. Older siblings picking up
kindergarten siblings are also permitted to exit
Volume 3
February
Operations:
Numbers are used to describe
quantities, to count, and to add,
subtract, multiply, and divide. It is
important to recognize when each
operation is appropriate to use and
which tool and/or strategy is most
helpful when solving problems.
Web Resources:
Developing Mindsets that Promote Growth
What do we mean by “growth mindset”?
Growth mindset is a belief system that suggests that one’s
intelligence can be grown or developed with persistence,
effort and a focus on learning.
- Mary Cay Ricci
Tips for Fostering a Growth Mindset:
Tip # 5. Praise Effort, Practice and Process – Not Outcome
 When your child succeeds, talk about the work that went
Nelson Math has a home connect for grades 3-8
http://www.mathk8.nelson.com/companion.
html
H
into the success (e.g., “You worked hard on the project
and I’m so happy you did well.”)
 Praise persistence and perseverance (e.g., “I’m so proud
of you for not quitting.”)
Family Math Activities K-3
Big Bi
Ideas
There are many situations to
which an operation is applied,
and there are many
procedures, (algorithms) for
each operation.
 Three people shared some grapes. They all had
the same number of grapes. How many might
there have been? How many do you think there
might not have been? Discuss with your child.
Measurement from 4-6
Big Idea: There are many situations to which an
operation is applied, and there are many
procedures, (algorithms) for each operation.
 There are two types of bread (white and
brown) and 3 types of cheese (cheddar, swiss
and mozzarella). How many ways can you
combine them to make different sandwiches?
Discuss the operations used with your child.
Grades 7 & 8: Continuing the
Conversation about Financial
Literacy!
Let’s discuss how “Advertising” affects our
money decisions…
Discuss with your child which of the following
advertising techniques do you think is the most
effective at influencing your opinion about a
product or service?
1. Repetition – repeating their message over
and over again in an ad or a series of ads
over time. (eg: “I’m lovin’ it”, “Just do it!”)
2. Conformity – aims to have you “get on
board”, be “in” and “get with it”.
3. Imitation – using a celebrity associated
with the goods or service. The advertiser
hopes that those who like and respect the
celebrity will imitate the behaviour by
using the product.
“Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.” Luke 6: 29-30
What are the
REAL job prospects for
Ontario Postsecondary Graduates?
Attend an exclusive presentation by education specialist
Richard Wiggers
Iona Catholic Secondary School
2170 South Sheridan Way, Mississauga, ON (QEW at Southdown Road)
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
5:30 - 6:30 pm
IONA Business SHSM Program presents Richard Wiggers,
Executive Director: Research & Programs HEQCO (Higher Education Quality Control of Ontario).
Richard will provide invaluable research based answers to the questions many students, parents
and educators are asking about Postsecondary Education in Ontario.
What is the current reality? How can young people best plan for and prepare themselvees?
Please RSVP Kathleen.Ross@dpcdsb.org by Friday February 19, 2016
INTERNATIONAL
Student Programs
Welcoming students from around the world
INFORMATION NIGHT
February 23, 2016
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Learning Centre
3566 South Common Court, Mississauga
Information regarding the International
Student Program, Summer ESL Credit
Program for International Students,
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.
Kindergarten to Grade 12
High Academic Standards
and Achievement
Catholic Values
Wide variety of specialized programs
Full access to ESL and support services
Located in the Greater Toronto Area
Direct access to public transit
Easy access to world renowned
colleges and universities
For more information, visit www.dpcdsb.org
or call 905-412-3341 ext. 31460 or email rita.borg@dpcdsb.org
FAITH
Virtue Winners of
Self-Control
Our School will be taking part in the
National Walk to School Day on
February 3rd. (See route map below)
JK/SK-A
Kayla C. & Jake G.
JK/SK-B
Mikayla M. & Joshua S.
1
Justin C. & Nelson Q.
2
Jayden C. & Kevin C.
2/3
Robert D. & Audrina W.
3-
Christofer C. & Layla M.
4-
Angelin H. & Melissa V.
5/6-
Katrina F. & Alexander P.
6-
Larysa E. & Nadia I.
7/8-
Rafael F. & Aynsley G.
8-
Triston A. & Tylor A.
Safety is Everyone's Responsibility
https://youtu.be/A2gl0ZX Uupc
SERC
Shaun B. & Jacob B.
Walk & Bike to School in Peel - Academic Benefits
https://youtu.be/lcfMR1kBBZg
Pope Francis’ latest Encyclical on the
environment invites us to be ‘Stewards
of the Earth’. The National Walk to
School Day 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. Dufferin-Peel
CDSB has worked with a variety of community partners such as Peel
Regional Police, Peel School board, Peel Health, Bike Brampton, to
promote walking and biking to school with continued momentum. The
benefits of walking and physical activity is positively linked to physical
and mental health as well as academic performance. This is also a
time to emphasize importance of using Kiss’n Ride safely, reducing
traffic congestion and finding alternative ways of getting to
school. Video links:
Walk & Bike to School in Peel - Get Fit!
https://youtu.be/dhjrCQ8zQw
Wasteless Lunch Week Challenge
Congratulations
to our
January
winners!
Please join us in the gym for our Ash
Wednesday Liturgy on Wednesday,
February 10th at 10:30am. Students and
staff will be receiving ashes.
A big thank you to all students who participated in wasteless lunch
week during the week of January 19-22. Our participation numbers
improved across ALL classes! An honourable mention goes out to Mr.
Hanson’s Grade 7/8 class who improved considerably from our last
wasteless lunch challenge. Of course, we can only have 1 winner—
and three classes came very close. In 3rd place, with 84%
participation, is Mrs. Nucci & Mrs. Currie’s FDK class. In 2nd place,
with a whopping 86% is Mr. Cartwright’s class. In first place, with an
amazing 88% participation rate, is Ms. Porco’s grade 3 class.
Congratulations!! Ms. Porco’s class will enjoy a wasteless snack to
celebrate their great efforts.
Worm Farms Are Here! Last week we got introduced to our new
family members.... The RED WIGGLERS! They are the best composters
in the world so they'll help reduce our waste and create great
fertilizer for our plants! We've taken in two worm farms to observe
how they go about doing their jobs. They eat 50% of their bedding
which is moist bedding and 50% of fruits and veggies. They love to eat
apples and bananas but not stalky veggies. Nor can they eat rotten or
citrus foods. They like to live in darkness and moist soil. Feeding
occurs once a week and is rotated
throughout the bins to allow air circulation
below the soil. Here's a myth buster:
Worms come out of the ground when it
rains because they don't want to drown in
February 2016
Let us now pray for the virtue of Respect so that everyone we meet will feel
like we are their brother or sister in Christ. Amen
Sun
Mon
1
Term 2 Begins
Watershed Program
Grades 1-3
7
8 Immunization Clinic
Tue
2 Report Cards
Grade 1-8 Go home
Wed
3
Winter Walk to
School Day
Thu
Fri
4 Reporting to Parents—Interview Evening
5 P.A. Day—
Reporting to Parents
Jr. BBall @ St.
Catherine of Siena
9 Jr. Boys BBall vs St..
David of Wales
Sat
6
No School for Students Today
10 Ash Wednesday
Liturgy at 10:30
a.m.
11 Jr. BBall @ St.
Gerard
12 ‘Dance Your
Socks Off!
13
Jr. BBall @ St. Jerome
Shrove Tuesday
Community Pancake
Night 5:30-7:30
14 Happy V alentine’s
Day
15 Family Day
No School Today
16 Jr & Intermediate
Speeches in the gym
17
18 Jr. Boys BBall vs.
John XXIII
19 CanSkate -Grades
4-5 @ Huron Park
20
21
22
23 Mrs. Telfeyan’s
Class to Saftey Village
24
25 Swim to Survive
(Grade 3)
26 CanSkate-Grades
4-5 @ Huron Park
27
28
29 Youth Education
Presentations—Peel
Police
YFA Sock Drive—Feb 1 - Feb 12 ends with the ‘Dance your Socks off ‘ Valentine’s Dance
Valentine’s Cookies will be sold at the Dance—”$2.00 each
Mary Fix School council presents:
Shrove Tuesday
Mary Fix Community Pancake Dinner
As St. Francis of Assisi said ‘it is in giving that we receive’.
School Council would like to thank the Mary Fix Community for all its generosity and all that
you do to support the students, our charities, our social justice initiatives, providing for the
less fortunate and for our school
by:
Inviting our students and their families for a Pancake Dinner
Everyone will receive 3 pancakes served with Syrup, Sausage, Bacon and Fruit
as well coffee and water will be served
When Feb 9th 2016
Where: The School Gym
Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Food prepared by the St. Martin CSS Culinary Team
Enjoy a performance by the St. Martin Drumline@6:45pm
So that we can have an accurate estimate of how much food to prepare
Please return the bottom portion of this form to the student’s teacher, kindly only one form per family.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………
.
Please return this portion to your teacher by Feb 1st, 2016
Only one required per family
Mary Fix Community Pancake Dinner
Students Name: _______________________________________
Classroom Teacher: ______________________
# of family members attending: _____________
We look forward to seeing you there,
Mary Fix School Council