H
St. Hilary Catholic
Elementary School
September 2014
5070 Fairwind
Mississauga, ON
L5R 2N4
Office: 905-568-0056
Fax: 905-568-8236
www.dpcdsb.org/hilry
Principal
T. Loftus
~
Secretary
C. DeRoia
~
Superintendent
L. Papaloni
~
Trustee
Thomas Thomas
~
Parish Priest:
Msgr. E. Pan
Associate Pastors:
Fr. J. Roldan
Fr. S. Savarimuthu
~
Stay Connected
Beginning of New School Year Prayer
Loving God,
You give us this new school year and new friends with whom to share it.
Grant a happy year to all.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
Virtue of the Month: Faith
To begin the new school year, we will focus our
attention on the first of our ten virtues – faith.
Faith is the great virtue of believing in God and
trusting that God is with us.
A faithful person believes that we are created,
guided by and destined to be reunited with God.
A faithful person believes that God’s plan for us
includes the right to be safe, especially at school.
Future Aces Character of the Month
Join the Dufferin-Peel ECommunity
www.dpcdsb.org
St. Hilary School is a “Future Aces” school.
Follow DPCDSB on Twitter: @DPCDSBSchools
a Future Aces attribute.
For the latest board news
and information.
Each month, the Virtue is linked with
For the month of September,
the attribute we will be
focusing on is….
CONFIDENCE
Principal’s Message
As the new school year
begins, I would like to
extend a warm welcome to
all staff and students. A
special welcome to our new
families. We will continue to
encourage a cooperative
partnership between home,
school and parish to
promote positive learning
experiences for our students.
We are truly blessed to have
a very devoted Catholic
School Council and parish
team. On behalf of the staff
of St. Hilary School, I would
like to wish everyone a very
successful and blessed
2014-2015 school year!
T. Loftus, Principal
Page 2
St. Hilary Catholic Elementary School
SCHOOL HOURS
P.A. DAY
FRIDAY,
SEPTEMBER 12th
No school for
students
——————Upcoming Events
Sept. 8: Council Meeting
6:30 p.m.
Sept. 12: P.A. Day
Sept. 17: Intermediate
Immunizations
Sept. 18: Curriculum
Night/BBQ
6:00 p.m.
Sept. 22: School Mass
9:15 a.m.
A.M. Entry
A.M. Recess
9:00 a.m.
10:25 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.
Lunch Hour
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Lunch Recess
12:00 p.m. to 12:40 p.m.
Students eat lunch in classrooms
12:40 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
P.M. Recess
Dismissal
2:25 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
There are two primary roles of the Catholic School Council:
to promote the vision, values, sacramental life and Catholic practices of the School
Board and the Catholic community it serves


to be an advisory body to the Principal and the School Board
As well, the School Council’s role is to establish and maintain communication within &
among the school community, the parent community and the community at large.
They also play a role in the improvement of students learning by:

complimenting educational directives and programs

working to support and promote Catholicity, both in the school and in the parish

building community through support of sports, school spirit and community events
We welcome your participation and encourage you to consider being a member of the
Catholic School Council.
Nomination forms for the 2014-15 St. Hilary Catholic School Council will be available in the school office from Sept.15th—19th, during school hours. Completed nomiSept. 23: Picture Day
nation forms must be submitted to the school office by 4:00 p.m. on Sept. 19th. ElecSept. 26: Terry Fox Walk tions will be held on Monday, Oct. 6th at 6:30 p.m.
Our first school council meeting will be held on Monday, September 8th, 2014 at
Oct. 6: Council Elections 6:30 pm. Please join us!
6:30 p.m.
Oct. 13: Thanksgiving
Day
(Schools Closed)
PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR
CURRICULUM AND BBQ NIGHT!!
Thursday, September 18th
from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Book Fair 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Page 3
POSSIBLE CLASS REORGANIZATION
St. Hilary staffing is based on a ‘projected’ student enrolment that is calculated each spring. There is a
possibility of some class reorganization occurring on our P. A. Day, September 12th, due to a difference in
our ‘actual’ versus the ‘projected’ student enrolment number. We will inform you in the event that any
class reorganization is required.
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION AND KEY DATES (all at St. Francis Xavier Parish)
First Holy Communion and
Confirmation:
First Reconciliation:
Nov. 4 at 7:00 p.m.: Parents’ Meeting at Church
Oct. 9 at 7:00 p.m.: Parents’ Meeting at Church
(Mandatory)
Nov. 2 at 9:00 a.m.: Inscription Mass
Jan. 18 and Feb. 1 at Noon.: Preparation Masses
Jan. 29 at 9:30 a.m.: First Reconciliation
(Mandatory)
Nov. 23 at 9:00 a.m.: Inscription Mass
Jan. 29at 7:00 p.m.: Preparation Mass
April 16 at 7:00 p.m.: Confirmation Mass
April 18 at 10:00 a.m.: First Holy Communion Mass
OPENING SCHOOL MASS
Monday, September 22nd at 9:15 a.m.
in the gym. All are welcome!
PICTURE DAY
Tuesday, September 23rd.
Re-takes Wednesday, October 29th.
ST. HILARY WALKS FOR TERRY!
On Friday, September 26th, the staff and students of St. Hilary School will participate in a walk to
commemorate the 34th anniversary of Terry Fox’s inspirational Marathon of Hope and to help keep Terry’s
dream to find a cure for cancer alive! Staff and students will be asked to donate a toonie to the cause.
All monies raised will be forwarded to The Terry Fox Foundation to further the cause of cancer research.
More information will be sent home in the near future.
POP CAN TAB COLLECTION
BATTERY COLLECTION
We hope you have been saving your pop can
tabs over the summer, as they will be collected
again this year. The Royal Canadian Legion was very
happy to receive the many tabs collected last year, as they
are used towards the purchase of wheelchairs for those in
need. Please continue to bring in tabs.
Collect and send in your used
batteries to St. Hilary School.
Batteries will be brought to a recycling center for
appropriate disposal.
Page 4
ONTARIO’S
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
go back as far as the 1600s.
A formal system was
established in 1841, and the
Scott Act of 1863 gave the
Catholic community the
right to establish and
operate publicly funded
Catholic schools. Since
then, Catholic schools have
made a tremendous
contribution to the vitality
and success of Ontario’s
education system, which
ranks among the best in the
world. Today, Ontario’s
Catholic education system
consistently produces high
levels of student
achievement. Further,
graduates are taught the
virtues and values of the
Catholic faith – including
community, responsibility,
accountability,
collaboration, caring and
family – making them not
just good students, but
good citizens.
ONTARIO’S CATHOLIC
EDUCATION system
adheres to Ministry of
Education requirements
from a Catholic
perspective. The
curriculum is enhanced by
Gospel values. At the heart
of Catholic education is the
person of Jesus. Faith
development is integral to
every part of Catholic
education, as students are
called to respect the dignity
of all human persons in a
caring community. In the
Catholic education system,
home, school and parish
form a vital partnership.
Through participation in
the community and
involvement with the
parish, students are guided
by the Gospel values,
principles and standards
that reach into every facet
of school life.
St. Hilary Catholic Elementary School
CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECKS
ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST PROVIDE THE SCHOOL WITH A VALID
CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECK BEFORE THEY CAN ATTEND ANY
SCHOOL TRIPS, VOLUNTEER TO WORK WITH STUDENTS AT THE
SCHOOL, OR PARTICIPATE ON CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL.
PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE FOR FORMS
VOLUNTEERS
We highly encourage parents/guardians to volunteer their time at St. Hilary
School. We value your talents, experience, knowledge and skills. If activities and
programs such as pizza lunches, Book Fairs, special events, trips and the All Star
Reading Program are to continue, the school will require volunteers.
Please call the school if you are interested.
ATTENDANCE VERIFICATION
Daily attendance and punctuality are very important. If your child is going to be
late or absent from school, please call the office at: 905-568-0056, press 1.
When it is necessary for your child to leave school early, please send a note to your
child’s teacher advising him/her of the time that you will be picking your child up.
When dropping off or picking up students during school hours, please go to the
office to sign your child in or out of school.
STUDENT EMERGENCY INFORMATION
Your child will receive a Student Verification form which contains your address,
phone numbers, emergency contacts and health information as it currently exists in
our computer. We ask that you ensure that it is accurate. Please make any changes
needed directly on the sheet and return it to your child’s teacher this week. It is
very important that we have accurate phone numbers and emergency contacts.
ALL SHEETS NEED TO BE RETURNED TO THE SCHOOL as soon as possible even if there are no corrections needed.
LUNCH HOUR
During the lunch hour, all students who stay for lunch are expected to
remain at school. All students who go home for lunch are expected to go
home every day at noon. If there is a change in the regular lunch hour procedure
for your child, parent/guardians are asked to provide the teacher with a note
explaining the change. A letter will be going home with your child regarding your
child’s lunchtime arrangements. Please indicate your child’s regular lunchtime
arrangements, sign the form and return it to the school as soon as possible.
Page 5
VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL
A front door speaker/buzzer/video monitoring system are installed at the front doors of the school. Visitors
may gain entrance by pressing a buzzer which activates a speaker and video camera system. All visitors, including parents/guardians must sign into the office and wear a Visitor’s badge. In this regard, parents/
guardians are encouraged to:

Arrive at school on time to allow children to enter with their classmates to avoid front entry lates.

Send lunch with your child in the morning to limit traffic through the front door at lunch time.

We respectfully request that you limit your visits to the school during the daytime as much as possible in order to protect the instructional time and reduce interruptions.
DROPPING AND PICKING UP STUDENTS IN FRONT DRIVEWAY
The number of serious incidents related to traffic circulation at the front of the school and in the Kiss and Ride
area during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal has risen. These incidents include vehicles entering the
site in the wrong direction, parking and pulling out of no parking zones, parking in bus lanes, to name a few.
Parents are reminded not to leave their cars parked in the lanes in the front driveway. Our driveway is a
fire route and parking is illegal. If you need to park and get out of your car when dropping off or picking
up your child, please park in the parking area in the front of the school, or, on the street where permitted
as per signage. Please also refrain from blocking the bus lane so that the school bus is able to enter and exit
the driveway safely and on schedule.
It is imperative that all parents and guardians who drive their children to school adhere to the traffic circulation plan and comply with the traffic and parking signage on the site. It is equally imperative that all drivers
follow the direction of staff managing the traffic circulation on the school site.
Thank you for your consideration and co-operation with this important matter.
NUT ALLERGIES
We have several students at St. Hilary who have life threatening allergies to nuts, especially peanuts. Please
refrain from sending your children with peanut butter or other products containing nuts or nut oils.
DISTRIBUTION
AND
STO RAGE
OF
MEDICATION
AND
EPI -PENS
If a child is required to bring medication to school, procedures related to the administration of medication
shall only be adopted when:


requested by the parents/guardians; and when authorized by a physician; and
medication must be administered during school hours
If a designated staff member must administer medication, signed request/authorization forms from the
parents/guardians and the supervising physician is initiated and/or changed at the beginning of every school
year. These forms are available through the school office. The required authorization forms and the
medication shall be delivered by the parents/guardians or other responsible person. All medication will be
stored in a safe location. Medication must not be kept in the child’s possession (i.e. pocket, backpack etc.).
Page 6
STUDENT USE OF SCHOOL MATERIALS
The school provides your child
with regular school materials such
as pens, pencils, workbooks and
textbooks. It is
important that
children learn to make proper use
of these materials and, with this in
mind, your child’s teacher will
explain our expectations in this
matter to the students.
One of our expectations is that
students will be responsible for
the replacement of lost books or
damaged materials including
texts or library books, both of
which can be quite expensive.
Every year at St. Hilary, we
encounter the difficulty of not
having textbooks and other
school materials returned to the
school. The teaching staff is
vigilant in their efforts to collect
materials, but often times their
efforts are not successful.
This problem accounts for a
portion of the school
budget being spent on
replacing materials that have
been previously purchased by
the school.
Please check your home for
textbooks and return them to
the school. Thank you for
your co-operation.
BEHAVIOUR CODE
STUDENT AGENDAS
For the safety and well being of all
students, it is necessary to implement a
number of rules and expectations regarding
acceptable behaviour in the school. The
School Behaviour Code is based on The
Catholic Code of Conduct. Students will
be reminded about the Code during the
month of September. We ask that you take
the time to read through the Behaviour
Code in the student agenda with your child.
The school has provided every student in Grades 1 to 8 with
an agenda. Please review your child’s agenda, as it contains a
great deal of important information. It also serves as a tool to
assist with homework planning and organizational skills. It is
also a means of communication between teachers and
parents. Kindly sign your child’s agenda every evening to
indicate that you are aware of assignments, deadlines, etc.
Just a friendly reminder that families will be expected to pay
a replacement fee for lost or damaged agendas.
BUS COURTESY SEAT POLICY
Our Transportation Department provides bussing for students based on their age and distance
from the school.
Check http://www.stopr.ca to determine if your child is eligible. If you have any questions please call the
appropriate number:
Transportation West of Hwy 10: 905 890-0614
Special Education:
905 890-6362
Students who are not eligible for transportation may request the use of empty seats through an application to
the school office. If you would like your child to be considered under the “Courtesy Seat Policy” in October,
please make this request in writing to the school in September, and include the following information:
Your child’s name, grade, the classroom teacher’s name, the street names of the established stop you are
requesting, (no new stops will be added to the existing runs), and the reason for your request.
If it is determined that a seat is available for your child, you will be notified by the school in October.
Page 7
St. Hilary Catholic Elementary School
PEDICULOSIS
Although not a communicable
disease, pediculosis (head lice) is a
concern to parents and teachers.
Each year it is common for outbreaks of pediculosis to occur.
Unfortunately, in recent years,
head lice have become
increasingly common throughout
North America. They are
parasites, which have been
common among human beings for
centuries. They are not connected
in any way to dirt or neglect.
Anyone can be infested with them.
When a case of lice is found at
school, we inform parents of the
infected classes by way of a special
letter. In order to control these
pests, we shall follow the
procedures outlined below. We
request your full co-operation.
If a case is found in the school,
we will inform all parents of the
students in that class. We then
request that you check your own
child’s head. If you find them to
also be infested, we would ask
that you contact us so that we
may advise you of the proper
treatment for them. This
information can also be obtained
from a pharmacist or Peel
Health Department.
Even if cases are not reported
from the school, it is a wise
precaution to check your child’s
head periodically. Encourage
your children not to put on other
people’s hats or scarves. Inform
them not to use other people’s
combs or hairbrushes.
If your child does become
infested with head lice, we
will ask you to keep them out of
school until after they have been
treated with the correct shampoo
and their hair is entirely clear of
both lice and nits (eggs).
When a child returns to school,
he /she must report directly to the
office and be checked by the
principal or designate before
proceeding to the classroom or the
yard.
No one is to be re-admitted to class
without being checked. If we all
follow these procedures, we may
not entirely escape outbreaks, but,
we may prevent some cases, and,
bring others under control quickly.
EMERGENCY DRILLS
We will be having fire drills for
students to practice exiting the school
building at the sound of the fire
alarm.
There may be situations where the
school, under the direction of the
Peel Regional Police, may need to
have a “hold & secure” or a
“lockdown”. The School Board
has mandated that lockdown
procedures be added to the
school’s safety routines. The
lockdown procedures attempt to
secure students in their own
classrooms in the event that there
is a high risk incident about to unfold in the school or
in dealing with the presence of
an individual in possession of a
dangerous article on school
property.
YMCA CHILD CARE CENTRE
IMMUNIZATIONS FOR GR. 7’s and 8’s
The St. Hilary YMCA Child Care Centre is a licensed
child care facility offering a variety of programs for
children from ages 2-12 years of age. Part time and full
time care are available. For more information, please
contact the St. Hilary YMCA at 905 568-1549.
On Sept.17th, Peel Health will be administering
“HEP B” Immunizations to all Gr. 7s and “HPV”
Immunizations for Gr. 8 girls. Information will be
sent home in the near future.
STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE
The Board takes every precaution to provide a safe learning environment for students, but accidents do happen. Some
families have private or workplace accident insurance which is able to respond to costs arising from injuries, however, many
do not. Please be advised that the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board does NOT provide accident or life insurance
fore students. Parents are strongly encouraged to purchase coverage for your child using the form being sent home in
early September, or, by going on-line at www.insuremykids.com, or, by calling toll free at 1-800-463-KIDS (5437).
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St. Hilary Catholic Elementary School