H St. Hilary Catholic Elementary School November 2014—Issue 3 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 Remembrance Day Remembrance Day gives us an opportunity to pay respect to the more than 100,000 Canadians who have lost their lives in wars and peace keeping duties for Canada. Remembrance Day began after the end of the First World War which ended on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month. On November 11th, our school will honour those who have served and died in World War I, World War II, Korea and in all peace missions. Parents are welcome to attend the Remembrance Day Assembly at 11:00 a.m. in the school gym. P.A. DAY A Prayer for Peace FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014 Lord Jesus, NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” ~ Virtue of the Month: Conscience Stay Connected Join the Dufferin-Peel ECommunity www.dpcdsb.org Follow DPCDSB on Twitter: @DPCDSBSchools For the latest board news and information. You said to your disciples, During November, we will focus on the virtue of Conscience. God has given us the ability to know the right and decent way to act and then to act that way. We trust that the common Spirit we share inspires us and guides us to make good decisions if we allow our conscience to be wellformed. A person of conscience allows prayer and scripture to influence him/her. You know how much our world needs your peace, yet in so many places there is only war and conflict. Lord, through the power of your Holy Spirit, transform human hearts, give our world a desire for peace, and help us to do our part. Amen Page 2 St. Hilary Catholic Elementary School Catholic School Council Special thanks to the Catholic School Council for hosting the annual Halloween Spook-a-thon for all grades and the fun of dressing up on October 31st. The Catholic School Council has created an email account which parents/ guardians may utilize to contact the Council chairs regarding questions and concerns. The address is: sthilaryparentcouncil@gmail.com. Future meetings are at 6:30 p.m. on the following dates: Nov. 3, Dec.8, Jan. 26, April 13 and June 1. Sacramental Preparation Events and Key Dates St. Hilary’s Pastoral Plan First Holy Communion and First Reconciliation: 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 Please see the school website for the April 18 at 10:00 a.m.: First Holy Communion Mass Confirmation: Nov. 4 at 7:00 p.m.: Parents’ Meeting at Church (Mandatory) Nov. 23 at 9:00 a.m.: Inscription Mass 2014-2015 Pastoral Plan. Jan. 29at 7:00 p.m.: Preparation Mass Feb. 19: Confirmation Retreat at Queen of Apostles Retreat Centre April 16 at 7:00 p.m.: Confirmation Mass http://www.dpcdsb.org/ HILRY Youth Faith Ambassadors As a Catholic faith community, St. Hilary School encourages our students to be active leaders and role models. We know that our Youth Faith Ambassadors will continue to follow their conscience as they lead by and live out the gospel values. Page 3 Visitors to the School All visitors, including parents/guardians must sign into the office and wear a Visitor’s badge. Access during lunch time may be delayed depending on the availability of staff who are required to monitor the new system. 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. Thank you for your understanding and co-operation as we implement the new access protocol. Fire, Hold and Secure & Lockdown We will be having fire drills for students to practice exiting the school building at the sound of the fire alarm. This is also a good reminder to parents to practice home fire escape and to check smoke alarms in your homes. Hold & Secure and Lockdown Procedures: 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. Student Supervision Times Please note that teachers are on supervision duty 15 minutes before the start of the school day. For safety 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. reasons, we ask that your child does not arrive at the school prior to 8:45 a.m. St. Hilary Catholic Elementary School Page 4 ECO-SCHOOLS INITIATIVES AT ST. HILARY SCHOOL National Walk to School Day The annual Walk to School event at St. Hilary School was held on October 8, 2014. 128 of our students walked to school on a beautiful sunny Wednesday morning. Students were treated to either a juice or an apple courtesy of our Catholic School Council. They also received a sticker as a reminder of the importance of taking care of our wonderful planet. Youth Faith Ambassadors and students from Mrs. Hammond’s class created informative announcements to promote the event and the Youth Faith Ambassadors also assisted in the distribution of the stickers and treats. St. Hilary students are reminded that walking to school helps our environment and improves our physical health. It’s cool to walk to school. Thank you to Mrs. Hammond and Mrs. Yamaguchi for organizing this event. Waste Free Lunch Challenge During the week of October 20th, the school participated in the Waste Free Lunch Challenge. Special thanks to Mrs. Dias, Mrs. Orr, Mrs. Paniconi and Mrs. Guerra (parent volunteer) for overseeing this project. Battery Collection Please collect and send in your used batteries to the school. Batteries will be brought to a recycling center for appropriate disposal. Many thanks to Mr. Tremblay for implementing this program. EXTENDED FRENCH INFORMATION MEETING Grade 4 parent(s)/guardian(s), who wish to enroll their child in a Grade 5 Extended French class for September, 2015 are invited to attend an information meeting at: School: San Lorenzo Ruiz (905-501-0400) Address: 100 Barondale Drive, Miss. ON, L4Z 3R1 Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2015 Time: 7:00 p.m. At the present time, the above mentioned school is the designated centre for our area. Applications will be accepted at that centre until 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 17th, 2015. FRENCH IMMERSION INFORMATION MEETING Year 2 Kindergarten parent(s)/guardian(s), who wish to enroll their child in a Grade 1 French Immersion class for September, 2015 are invited to attend an information meeting at: French Immersion centres Session location Date and time St Gertrude St Pio of Pietrelcina St Gertrude Wednesday, November 26, 2014 7:00 p.m. Page 5 St. Hilary Catholic Elementary School PALS Program The P.A.L.S. program, (Playground Activity Leaders in the School), offered by Peel Health encourages all children to participate in activities regardless of their gender, size or ability. P.A.L.S. is a peer-led program in which Grade 6 students are trained to plan and lead fun and safe activities on the playground at recess. The objectives of the program are to: Increase physical activity Decrease conflicts and reduce the incidence of playground bullying Provide a leadership opportunity for students Please encourage your children in grades 1- 4 to take advantage of these activities on the playground at recess. The P.A.L.S. leaders wear colourful pinnies to help identify them. Pizza Days Pizzas must be pre-ordered with the forms provided, and, returned to the school on the due date. Many thanks to Mrs. Ladislao and Mrs. Guerra for the hard work making these events a success. Please contact the school if you are able to help on any of our pizza days. Understanding Key Issues in Catholic Education Q: Why did the United Legislature of Canada East and Canada West keep improving separate school legislation? A: It responded to Catholic parents, trustees, bishops and priests, editors of the four Catholic newspapers, members of the business and professional world, all of whom argued for legal and financial rights for separate schools. Cross Country Running After participating in the annual Family Meet on October 24th, where our team made an awesome showing, 15 of our runners were successful in earning a place at the Board Meet on October 30th. They ran a tough and challenging race and we wish to congratulate our runners for their accomplishments. Many thanks to their coaches, Mme. Fantin, Mrs. Paniconi, Mrs. Slabikowski and Mr. Bury for their encouragement and organization of this worthwhile athletic activity. Special thanks to the many parents who attended and/or helped supervise the event. FLY HAWKS FLY! St. Hilary’s 2013-2014 EQAO Scores In June 2014, the Grade 3 and 6 students completed the EQAO tests. The numbers of students who achieved or exceeded Ministry expectations: Grade 3: Grade 6: Reading: 73% Reading: 96% Writing: 82% Writing: 92% Math: 68% Math: 58% Page 6 Hands-Off Policy In order to ensure the comfort and safety of all, we expect students to adhere to the “Hands-off Policy” at the school. “Play fighting” is also not permitted. Every student has been made aware of the importance of these rules. Please assist us by reviewing these expectations with your child. This will help to make our school environment a safe, healthy and positive place for all of our students. Personal Electronic Devices/Cameras The School Board has implemented a policy which does not allow Personal Electronic Devices to be used at school or during school functions. This policy would include the use of digital/analog cameras. This policy was implemented as a result of instances where student privacy was compromised and instances where pictures were modified or dis-trusted inappropriately. If there is an occasion, where waivers have been signed and returned by all students, then there may be pictures taken of your child. Please note that these pictures are only for home use and they are not to be posted electronically in any manner, including Face Book or other internet sites. Electronic devices can be very effective tools to enhance and preserve memories; however, in light of electronic capabilities and the world around us, we also want to exercise some appropriate caution. After Hours Security Students must be diligent in gathering all materials prior to the end of the school day. Once dismissed, there is no supervision provided to the students. Students/parents must not be returning to school after school hours to retrieve books/belongings. In order to ensure the safety of the workplace, no students or parents will be able to enter any classroom after school. Chocolate Fundraiser Update Thank you to all the families for your support with our Catholic School Council’s Annual Chocolate Fundraiser. We are still waiting for the final monies and un-sold chocolates to be returned. Details will be announced in the December newsletter. DROPPING AND PICKING UP STUDENTS IN FRONT DRIVEWAY The number of 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 parking and pulling out of no parking zones and 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 spots at the front of the school, or, on the street as permitted. 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 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. 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. St. Vincent de Paul Food Drive Pop Can Tabs We wish to thank everyone who supported the Thanksgiving Food Drive. Our school community was extremely generous in providing food to less fortunate members of the community. Please continue sending in your pop can tabs. The Royal Canadian Legion is always happy to receive the tabs, as they are used towards the purchase of wheelchairs for those in need. Thank you to all who have contributed to date! Special thanks, also, to Mr. Tremblay for overseeing this campaign. Reminders and Resources: Cold and Flu Season As cold and flu season approaches, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board continues to be vigilant in ensuring that our schools are clean and that our school communities are educated regarding good hand hygiene and cough etiquette. These practices are promoted on an ongoing basis, but as the prevalence of colds and flu increases, our board increases the cleaning of contact surfaces, as well as reminds schools to review cold and flu prevention with students and staff. Many resources are utilized from our regional health units. A reminder, as well, that communicable diseases can be contracted in public places throughout the year. For example, cold-related viruses, such as Enterovirus, are transferred from person to person through hand contact. Cold and flu viruses typically peak from December through February, but can start as early as October. Please assist us by reviewing good hand washing procedures, as well as other preventative measures, as outlined in the various Peel Health and Wellington Dufferin Guelph (WDG) resources available to you through their websites. As always, children who are unwell, should be kept at home. Also available on the Peel Health and WDG websites, are the schedules of local Flu Clinics. For more information, visit the health unit websites: Peel Health website: http://www.peelregion.ca/health Links to the above information can be found in the Parent Section of the DPCDSB website at www.dpcdsb.org Page 8 Progress Reports Progress reports will be sent home on Tuesday, November 11th. Interview evening will be Thursday, November 13th. Teachers will be contacting parents only if there is a need for an interview. Important Dates November 1 All Saints’ Day November 2 First Holy Communion Inscription Mass 9:00 a.m. at Church November 3 Catholic School Council Meeting at 6:30 p.m. November 4 Confirmation Parents’ Meeting 7:00 p.m. at Church November 11 Progress Reports Sent Home November 11 Remembrance Day Liturgy 11:00 a.m. at School. All are welcome to attend. November 13 Parent-Teacher Interviews (As needed) November 14 P.A. Day. No school for students. November 21 Rosary Apostolate November 23 Confirmation Inscription Mass 9:00 a.m. at Church December 2 December 17 and 18 December 22 to January 2 Advent Mass 9:15 a.m. at the School Christmas Concerts (Details TBA) Christmas Break