Mary Fix May Newsletter Learning & Living Through God HAPPY MOTHER’’S DAY 486 Paisley Blvd. West Mississauga, Ontario L5B 2M4 (905)270-3140 Fax: (905)270-3475 www.dpcdsb.org/ MAFIX Dearest Mother of Our Lord Mothers Day is a time to stop and reflect on all the love our mothers have shown us through our lives. Sweet and Blessed Mother, guide our mothers that they too may lead us to Your Son, just as you show us. May they imitate Your love and devotion. May we in return also be loving, patient, understanding and supportive to our mothers. Blessed Mother, we pray for all mothers our own mums, our aunts, our grandmothers... the living and the departed. Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen . www.maryprayers.com Dr. Simone's Call for Help! Dr. Simone sent an email requesting resources for his warehouse. The Mary Fix Youth Faith Ambassadors have made it their focus this year to collect items of need on behalf of Dr. Simone and his Feed the Children charity. Our sock collection was a huge success and the YFA would like to sincerely thank the Mary Fix community for being so generous. The students in the YFA are looking forward to a volunteering outing to Dr. Simone's warehouse in June and are anxious to collect again to add to all the items we have to bring with us. This time we are looking for personal hygiene items and have given the school a collaborative goal of collecting 2016 items in celebration of Catholic Education Week 2016. The theme of Catholic Education week this year is Mercy and what better way to take part in celebrating our Catholic faith then to show mercy through our actions. Items of interest are: soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant. The collection will start on Monday May 2nd and continue for two weeks, we are hopeful to meet our goal of 2016 items. Thank you so much for your constant and continued support. The YFA & our team leads: Mrs. Patten & Mrs. Senra 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 Principal’s Message: As we move into Catholic Education Week our school team prepares to showcase many of the great things that happen at Mary Fix. We hope you are able to visit classrooms and to watch our performances scheduled during the week. We encourage you to come out and participate in our Family Math Games Night, Reading With Your Kids Night, Snuggle Up and Read Hour and our X Movement. All events are described in this newsletter. May is a busy time, but please take the time to acknowledge all the great things your mothers and mother figures do for you. Spending time with family is key. Happy Mother’s Day! PARENT INFORMATION INTERMEDIATE BASKETBALL This year’s EQAO assessments for Grade 3 and Grade 6 students will take place May 25th to June 8th, 2016. Grade 3 testing will be taking place from May 30th to June 1st. Grade 6 testing will be taking place from June 2nd to June 6th. Attendance at school will be very important during this time for these students. Therefore, parents/guardians are asked to refrain from arranging appointments or taking vacation days during this time. Additional snacks will also be provided for all students participating. Schedule: Grade 3—May 30th, 31st & June 1st Grade 6– June 2nd, 3rd & 6th EQAO Parent Tips: EQAO can be a stressful time for some children. The intent is not meant to cause stress, so we try hard to make students feel comfortable, confident and relaxed through the testing. Here are some tips that can be helpful. Stay Positive and always celebrate your child’s success and hard work each day. Remind your child that the assessment will have questions asking them things that they have already learned in class, so not to worry. Be sure your child receive enough sleep every night so that they are rested. Continue to ensure that your child eats a healthy full breakfast and remembers to keep a positive and relaxed attitude in the home environment. Snacks will also be provided for students. Do not force your child to study for these tests. They are already working hard at school and their teacher has already been preparing them for this assessment. For additional information on Gr 3 & 6 testing, visit the EQAO website at www.eqao.com and click on “Parent Resources” Something to Remember: Although EQAO offers important information about your child’s learning, it is only one part of the puzzle. The levels achieved on EQAO will not be a part of your child’s reports card. The results of your child’s EQAO scores will be provided to each family in the fall. On Friday, April 15th our local NPU officers challenged our intermediate boys and girls teams to a friendly game of basketball. The whole school was invited to watch this exciting game where our Falcons beat our local Peel Police Officers. Way to go Falcons! Our Intermediate boys & girls teams concluded their season on April 28 with a game against St. David of Wales. We would like to congratulate them on a great season where they worked hard on their skills and improved with every game. Way to go Megan , Jessica, Matthew, Norbert, Tanya, Rafael, Olivia, Ewelina, Angelika, Damon, Gabriella, Emanuel, Carter, Tyler, Lola and Jonathan! Special thanks to Mrs. Senra, Mrs. Telfeyan and Kadeen Pilgrim for their commitment to coaching the basketball teams. PARENT INFORMATION 7th Annual Hats Off 2 KIDZ Walk Schools across Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board are invited to participate in the 7th Annual Hats Off 2 Kidz Walk on Friday, May 6th 2016 at 10:30am. Hats Off 2 Kidz is a charitable organization in the support of Leukemia Research for the Hospital for Sick Children and Sick Kids Foundation. On Event Day, the children are asked to wear baseball cap as a sign of support for children living with leukemia and the effects of chemotherapy. In the days prior to the walk, each class will design their own banner to carry on Event Day. Sick Kids donation envelopes will be circulating through the classrooms from Monday, May 2 th to Friday, May 6th. Remember, no donation is too small. We invite all members of our school communities to come and take a walk with us on this very special day. We are KIDS walking for KIDZ. “Today, we can give a child a reason to smile, tomorrow!” TOGETHER WE WILL Kindergarten Registration We will continue to accept registrations for Full Day Kindergarten for the 2016/2017 School Year. If you plan on having your child join our school community, and you are within our school boundaries, please be sure to register as soon as possible as classroom planning is currently being developed for the next school year. Please contact the Mary Fix office or check out the website to find information on registering your 4 or 5 year old for Kindergarten. Registration paperwork is available at the office. Welcome to Kindergarten Night On Wednesday, May 4th at 6:30 p.m. we will be holding our ‘Welcome to Kindergarten’ (WTK) evening. This is an informative evening for new Kindergarten students and their parents. Take the opportunity to meet our FDK team and our school support staff and learn about inquiry play based learning. We will begin our presentation promptly at 6:30pm and the evening will end at 7:30pm. Planning For September 2016...To help with our planning for next September, would you kindly advise the office if you are moving out of our school boundary area. Just a reminder that school begins on September 6th. If you would like to share information regarding your child’s placement for the next year, please put your request in writing to the office as soon as possible as we will be planning our classes for the next year. Student placement is done with great consideration and collaboration. All requests are taken into consideration and we will do our best to honor them. FAITH First Holy Communion We wish our grade twos all the best as they prepare for their First Holy Communion that will take place on Saturday, May 7th at 11 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Parish. A special thanks to all our volunteers who helped make banners and especially to our staff who organized and helped prepare our students for this blessed event. Thanks Mrs. Kivell, Mrs. Senra, Mrs. Carmona and Mrs. Buhajczyk Music Monday Choir Music Monday was created by the Coalition for Music Education in Canada to celebrate the importance of music in our schools. Launched in 2005 by The Coalition for Music Education, Music Monday is the world’s largest single event dedicated to raising awareness for music education. Each year, hundreds of thousands of students, educators, and music makers participate in a simultaneous nationwide concert performance of an original song written by a Canadian artist. On the 1st Monday in May all schools across Canada are encouraged to perform the Music Monday Theme Song outdoors at the same time uniting the nation in song. This year the theme song is We Are One written by Conner Ross a 16 year old student from Bolton, Ontario. He is the winner of the first-ever Music Monday anthem search. Virtue Winners of LOVE JK/SK-A Ethan C. & Matthew F. JK/SK-B Brady F. & Heaven S. 1- Nicole D., Jayden F. & Travis R. 2- Sarah F. & Maya T. 2/3-A Caroline B. & Miguel R. 3-A Marcus S. & Serena T. 4-A Kayla B. & Chloe M. 5/6- Camilla S. & Natalia D. 6- Anthony A. & Juliana A. 7/8- Holly I. & Jacob S. 8- Ewelina K. & Angelika K. SERC Alexandra D. Congratulations to our April winners! On Monday May 2nd at 2:40pm Mrs. Franzone-Cadete and the Music Club will perform the feature song and other inspirational songs that have been chosen that celebrate the importance of music as well as our Catholic faith. The students are really excited about the concert!!! Everyone is welcome to join us for this performance in the gym. We would like to thank Mrs. Franzone-Cadete for all her hard work in organizing this event and working so hard with our wonderful singers. ShareLife Spirit Week was another success. Students and staff participated in various dress up days such as sports day, crazy hair, twin/triplet/quadruplet, pajama day and finally beach day. Thanks to your generosity we raised over $650.00. To date our community has raised a total of $1497.40 this school year. Way to go Mary Fix community!!!! UP COMING EVENTS May is the Month of Mary Our Catholic tradition is to set aside the month of May as a time to honour Our Blessed Mother. Our statue of Our Lady will be in the front hall and we will celebrate our “Crowning of Mary” at our school mass in honour of our patron saint, Mary of the Visitation on Thursday, May 19th at 9:30 a.m. All are invited. Please sign in at the office and wear a visitor sticker. Volunteer Tea It is that time of year again where we take time to thank all our volunteers who make a difference in our school. Immediately following the Mass we invite all our wonderful volunteers to join us for tea and treats in the library. (10:30am-11:30am) DRESS CODE As we prepare for the warmer weather we would like to remind our students of the expectations that are in place regarding appropriate dress. Sleeveless tops are permitted but NOT halter, tank or spaghetti strap. Short shorts and skirts and clothing of a suggestive nature or displaying offensive wording or images are NOT allowed. In keeping with the Board’s Mission Statement and Catholic teachings, each school is committed to standards of neatness, cleanliness, modesty and good taste as specified in the appropriate Dress Code Policy of the Board…”Students are required to dress in a manner and attire suitable for the occasions and appropriate to the school environment. Failure to comply with this expectation shall result in disciplinary action…” (Catholic Code of Conduct). Your support is greatly appreciated. Scholastic Book Fair What better way to promote reading to our students than by supporting this literary event. We invite your entire family to participate by purchasing the latest and greatest in children’s books. Did you know that for every $10 you spend at the Fair up to $6 comes directly back to our school? Your support of this vital literary event is key in helping us obtain new books and resources for our library. You’ll find hundreds of quality books at our Book Fair with a wide assortment for all reading levels. Your child will be bringing home a Book Fair flyer that provides a preview of only a FEW of the many books available. Students will also fill out a Book Fair wish list early in the week. The flyer will also contain a special Family Event Draw ballot that parents can deposit during the Book Fair. We will be giving away $50 in books – $25 to the winning family PLUS $25 to your child’s classroom! We will be having a Stop, Drop and Read, and Family Game night on Tuesday May 3rd where you are welcome to play board games in the gym or read in the library. The book fair will also be open during this time. Don’t forget to mark the Book Fair times on your calendar! We look forward to seeing you during our Scholastic Book Fair and thank you, in advance, for supporting this great literary fundraiser. Mostly, thank you for believing in books and the importance reading has on your child’s future. Book Fair Times Tuesday—Friday 9:00am -3:30pm Family Night Tuesday 5:00pm -7:00pm PARENT INFORMATION KISS N RIDE The safety of all our students is very important. Drop off and pick up can sometimes be a rush, but in all circumstances safety comes first. We strongly encourage you to walk, or make use 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 lane and drop off your child, where they will then walk on the sidewalk to the yard. PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE KISS N RIDE LANE. This lane is designated as a drop off and according to the City of Mississauga Bylaw parking in this lane is a ticket offence. Please feel free to park your car in the visitors parking lot or find a designated area to meet your child/ren to avoid the congestion. Parking in this lane or the bus lane is prohibited at any time of the day. Unfortunately some tickets have been issued for this violation. This is beyond our control and falls within the city bylaws. Many thanks. Leaving For Lunch As the weather gets nicer we are noticing more of our older students wanting to out for lunch who normally remain at school. In order for this to happen parents please be advised that ALL students must have written permission from a parent/guardian to leave the school at lunch. Verbal permission over the phone will not be accepted. A signed and dated note with a parent/guardian signature is required for each occurrence. The note must come to the office and students are required to sign out and to sign back in when they return for afternoon classes. Your support is greatly appreciated. My Blueprint Over the last several years the Ministry of Education has implemented a policy surrounding the development of the whole child. This policy can be found in the document entitled “Creating Pathways to Success: An Education and Career/Life Planning Program for Ontario Schools, Policy and Program Requirements, Kindergarten to Grade 12”. Within the Dufferin-Peel CDSB, students have been provided opportunities to set personal and academic goals that encourage them to become self-directed, responsible life-long learners who demonstrate their God-given potential. Dufferin-Peel CDSB continues to provide the foundational support required for students to grow in building their knowledge and skills concerning career/life planning from an early age and to vocation. Students will now have an electronic platform called MyBlueprint where they can collect and post their experiences that showcases the continuum of them as reflective, creative and holistic thinkers. The portfolio is called “All About Me”. This year Mary Fix Catholic School is pleased to be part of a Pilot program where students will be guided through the use of “All About Me” portfolio at www.myBlueprint.ca. MyBlueprint is an online tool available for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 that engages them to visually explore their interests, abilities, passions and goals both inside and outside of the school. In the school, teachers ensure that all students understand that the development of their “All About Me” portfolio is a tool for reflecting and planning for their life and who they want to become as influenced by their Catholic teachings. Teachers will assist your child in compiling materials, information and personal reflections that will be accessible for their educational life. Students may share their web-based portfolio with parents/guardians to provide opportunities to discuss and encourage reflection and inquiry about who they are. With direct access from home, you and your child can work together to encourage self-discovery and understand ways in which he/she can showcase their growth, review, create and build their understanding of themselves and the world around them. To access the site with your child, visit www.myBlueprint.ca/aam. Use the following log in credentials below... Log In Credentials: User Name: DPCDSB Password: Student OEN # (found on your child’s report card) PARENT INFORMATION X Movement Parent Engagement Night Supported by our Catholic School Council and this year’s ProGrant When: Tuesday, May 17th Time: 5:00 to 7:00pm Pizza & Popcorn will be for sale (all funds raised will go directly back into the school) X Movement is an Australian company that engages students through a series of activities where students learn about sports like Aussie rules football “footy”, cricket, netball and touch rugby. They will be at Mary Fix on May 10th and 11th to work with all students and teach them about the powerful life lessons of Havin’ a Go (try new things), Goodonya Mate (praise others) and You Little Rippa (celebrate ‘Havin’ a Go’). The programs level the playing field so that all kids, no matter their level of skill or ability, can enjoy the feeling of getting active. Once our students learn these skills they will be invited, on the evening of May 17th, to show parents what they learned and actually play these game with the parents. This is a great opportunity to engage with your children and come out for a fun night! We look forward to seeing you all on this great family night! Volume 3 May Probability: A number from 0 to 1 that shows how likely it is that an event will happen. Developing Mindsets that Promote Growth What do we mean by “growth mindset”? NEW The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. – Carol S. Dweck Tips for Fostering a Growth Mindset: Tip # 8. Point Out the Perseverance/Effort of Favourite Athletes and Stars Web Resources: http://www.tvokids.com/search?search=probability Family Math Activities K-3 Big Bi Ideas In probability situations,one can never be sure what will happen next. Try this game during a car ride: Call out events and have your child decide the likelihood that it will happen using the words equally likely, less likely, more likely, certain or impossible. You are limited only by your imagination! (e.g. we will swim in January, a dinosaur is coming to the local zoo, the leaves will change in the fall) Discuss what habits (focus, goal-setting, daily practice, commitment) enabled the athlete to be so successful. Try to avoid referring to a star athlete’s “natural” talent or “effortless” ability (it was hard work!). Grades 7 & 8: Continuing the Conversation about Financial Literacy Let’s discuss the function of money… There are 3 basic functions: 1. To Purchase 2. To Save 3. To Give Discuss with your children, how these functions integrate into your family life. Try to make explicit connections to these functions in order to support your child’s understanding of the role and value of money. Probability from 4-6 Experimental Probability (a real-life experience): Suppose we have three pairs of socks in a drawer, one blue pair, one green pair, and one red pair. What is the probability of getting a matching pair if we reach into the drawer and, without looking, pick two socks? Try it out! Theoretical Probability (based on analyzing what could happen): Suppose you have three pairs of socks in the laundry, one blue pair, one green pair, and one red pair. Now suppose that somehow four socks disappear. Which is more likely: that the two socks that are left will match or that they will not match? “When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6: 1-4) Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board - Adult and Continuing Education ADULT PROGRAMS ESL Non-Credit ELEMENTARY SUMMER SCHOOL Open to ESL DPCDSB High School Students only Principal Recommendation Required Grade 7 & 8 ESL CITIZENSHIP FSL ADULT CO-OP COMPUTER CLASSES COMPUTERIZED ACCOUNTING Grades 9 to 12 Various ESL Sites (July only) St. Gabriel Adult Learning Centre Brian J. Fleming Adult Learning Centre 905-891-9263 ext. 37988 brunella.trinca@dpcdsb.org Mississauga Holy Cross St. Faustina St. Francisi of Assisi St. Gertrude St. Philip SUMMER LITERACY CAMP SUMMER SCHOOL Grades SK to 6 Grades 9 to 12 Principal Recommendation Required Brampton Bolton/Caledon St. Cornelius St. John the Baptist St. Peter Brampton Father C.W. Sullivan SECONDARY St. Edmund Campion St. Marguerite d’Youville St. Thomas Aquinas Mississauga Father Michael Goetz Loyola Catholic S.S. St. Joan of Arc St. Joseph St. Marcellinus July 4 to July 22, 2016 Contact: Brunella Trinca for additional information http://www.dpcdsb.org/CEC/Programs/ Adult+Education/ July 4 - July 29, 2016 July & August 2016 July 11 to July 29, 2016 Fee-for-service LOCATIONS Good Shepherd St. Ursula Bolton St. Nicholas Brampton Lester B. Pearson St. Angela Merici St. Jean-Marie Vianney Venerable Michael J. McGivney Mississauga Father Daniel Zanon St. Bernard Clairvaux St. Catherine of Siena St. Gregory St. John of the Cross St. Louis St. Pio of Pietrelcina http://www.dpcdsb.org/CEC/Programs/ Summer+Learning/Secondary+Summer+School.htm Questions? Please contact us: 870 Queen St. West Suite 100 Mississauga, ON L5H 4G1 Telephone: 905-891-9263 Fax: 905-271-9060 http://www.dpcdsb.org/CEC/ Extraordinary Lives Start With a Great Catholic Education 2016 - 2017 Modified School Year Calendar First day of classes Elementary and Secondary Schools First Day of classes Semester 2 Secondary School Year ends Elementary and Secondary Schools Number of school days for the 2016 – 2017 school year Number of Instructional Days in Elementary Schools Number of Instructional Days in Secondary Schools Number of Professional Activity Days in Elementary Schools Number of Professional Activity Days in Secondary Schools Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Friday, February 3, 2017 Friday, June 30, 2017 194 187 187 7 7 School Holidays for the 2016-2017 School Year Every Saturday and Sunday Labour Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Break (inclusive) Family Day Mid-Winter Break Good Friday Easter Monday Victoria Day Monday, September 5, 2016 Monday, October 10, 2016 Monday, December 26, 2016 to Friday, January 6, 2017 Monday, February 20, 2017 Monday, March 13, 2017 to Friday, March 17, 2017 (inclusive) Friday, April 14, 2017 Monday, April 17, 2017 Monday, May 22, 2017 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Elementary Schools – Professional Activity Days Friday, September 16, 2016 Principal’s Day: Re-organization/Faith Development Friday, November 18, 2016 Provincial Priorities in a Catholic Context Monday, January 23, 2017 Term 1 Assessment and Evaluation of Pupil Progress Friday, February 10, 2017 Reporting to Parents Friday, May 12, 2017 Provincial Priorities in a Catholic Context Monday, June 12, 2017 Term 2 Assessment and Evaluation of Pupil Progress Friday, June 30, 2017 Provincial Priorities in a Catholic Context 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. St. Sofia Only – Professional Activity Days Friday, September 16, 2016 Principal’s Day: Re-organization/Faith Development Friday, November 18, 2016 Provincial Priorities in a Catholic Context Monday, January 23, 2017 Term 1 Assessment and Evaluation of Pupil Progress Friday, February 10, 2017 Reporting to Parents Friday, May 12, 2017 Provincial Priorities in a Catholic Context Monday, June 12, 2017 Term 2 Assessment and Evaluation of Pupil Progress Friday, June 30, 2017 Provincial Priorities in a Catholic Context 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Secondary Schools – Professional Activity Days Friday, September 16, 2016 Provincial Priorities in a Catholic Context Friday, November 18, 2016 Provincial Priorities in a Catholic Context Thursday, February 2, 2017 Principal’s Day: Semester Turnaround Friday, May 12, 2017 Provincial Priorities in a Catholic Context Wednesday, June 28, 2017 *Principal’s Day: Year End Reporting and Activities Thursday, June 29, 2017 *Principal’s Day: Year End Reporting and Activities Friday, June 30, 2017 *Principal’s Day: Year End Reporting and Activities *Semester and year end evaluations and school wide promotion meetings; contact parents with summer school recommendations, OSR and report card preparation; inventory management of books, equipment, learning materials; curriculum development for new course outlines; goal setting for the upcoming school year. Secondary Schools – Examination Days Semester 1: January 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, 2017 Semester 2: June 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 2017 February 1, 2017 – Instructional Day – Examination Review June 27, 2017 – Instructional Day – Examination Review May 2016 Sun 1 Mon 2 Music Monday Concert - 2:45 in the gym Tue Wed 3 Family Night 4 Welcome to Reading & Math Games—5-7 p.m. Kindergarten 6:30 p.m. Thu 5 Fri 6 Catholic Education Week—’Opening Doors of Mercy’ Sat 7 First Holy Communion, 11 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church (see flyer for daily events & activities) 8 9 10 XMovement 11 XMovement 12 13 P.A. Day—no school for students today. 14 19 Feast Day School Mass—9:30 a.m. 20 Eric Walters Book Talk—Gr 3-8 21 27 28 (see Newsletter for more information) 15 22 29 16 17 XMovement— Parent Engagement Night 5-7 p.m. 18 23 Victoria Day—no school today 24 Gr 6—Scientist in the School 25 30 EQAO—Gr 3 31 EQAO—Gr 3 Immunization #3 Volunteer Tea 10:30—11:30 26 Intermediate Ottawa Trip W/O May 2-6 Tuesday—Friday 9:00 a.m.—3:30 p.m. Family Night Tuesday 5:00pm -7:00pm