St. Bernadette School
DUFFERINPEEL CDSB
1060 White Clover Way,
Mississauga, Ontario L5V 1 K9
TEL: 905 501 9498 FAX: 905 501 9501
"Faith, Discipline, Excellence"
S E P T E M B E R ,
PRAYER TO BEGIN A SCHOOL YEAR God Bless our School Let thy blessing, O Lord, Rest upon our work in this school. Bless those who teacher, Bless those who learn And bless us all with the knowledge Of your love. Principal:
M.J. Vowles
2 0 1 1
virtue for september MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL Secretary:
On behalf of the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board and the St. Bernadette community I would like to welcome you and your children to what will surely be another exciting and rewarding school year. This year as a school community we are experiencing many changes. We extend a warm welcome to families new to our school and trust you will feel very much a part of this wonderful vibrant community. The staff are ex­
cited with the many new roles they are undertaking this year and look forward to celebrating your child’s suc­
cess with you. As challenges face our society we are encouraged by our shared Faith and belief in the teachings of Jesus to deal effectively, and seek the best for our students. We are fortunate to be part of a vibrant and caring school community that has teachers, parents and church work­
ing together as a team to enhance educational and pas­
toral experiences for the children in our care. The ex­
emplary teamwork and ongoing communication will continue to florish over the 2011­2012 school year. I invite you to visit St. Martin of Tours Church and make it an inherent part of your family life. Father Joyson is most warm and welcoming . The parish is extremely supportive. We welcome every opportunity to be embraced in our Catholic Faith. As always you are encouraged to contact the school if at any time you have questions or concerns. I look forward to another safe, productive, enjoyable school year. M. Trigiani
Superintendent:
C. Saytar
905 890 1221
Trustee:
Peter Ferreira
905­890­1221 416­805­7110 peter.ferreira@dpcdsb.org
St. Martins
Church
of
Tours
Fr. J. Pottackal
905 279 5742
C.S.C. Co-Chairs:
J. Medina, M. Cholette

M.J. Vowles School Hours 8:30 ­ School Entry 10:30­ Recess 11:00­Kindergartden Dismissal 11:30 ­ Lunch 12:30 ­Afternoon Start 1:55­Recess We’re on the Web!
http://www.dpcdsb.org/BERNA
P A G E
2
Message from the Superintendent Cathy Saytar Mississauga South Family September 2011 Welcome back to another exciting school year. Special greetings to all those who are new to the Mississauga South Family of Schools. As the Superintendent of Mississauga South Family of Schools, I am excited to be a part of this vibrant and di­
verse community. Mississauga South consists of 26 schools; 4 secondary and 22 elementary, as well as 8 parishes, each of which supports our students’ faith formation and catechetical programming. Four trustees represent our family’s jurisdiction: Sharon Hobin, Peter Ferreira, Bruno Iannicca and Mario Pascucci, each of whom is a strong advocate for our schools and Catholic Education. It is our collective hope that you find your school to be a safe, caring, healthy and inclusive Catholic learning environment. It is our aim to provide excellence in Catholic education for your children. Our Catholic teachers ensure that our young people become more appreciative of the gifts of our faith and realize their dis­
tinctive legacy as Catholic citizens. As parents and educators, you are witnesses to the hope that nourishes each child’s faith formation and thus are empowered to help these young people in their journey. Education is a co­operative endeavour and as parents and guardians, you play an absolutely essential role in your children’s success. We ask you to set high expectations for your children’s academic success. A parent’s expectation of success be­
comes a driving force to motivate a child. When children aren’t expected to do well, they often don’t. So please don’t accept mediocre grades and poor study habits; rather get involved and expect your child to achieve to their fullest potential. There are many ways to do this, such as by supervising homework, fostering reading at home, limiting TV, MSN messaging, video games, and talking with your children about the importance of education. Your child’s faculty have worked hard in preparing for the upcoming school year. The administrative team is prepared to ensure that programming and safety are paramount to your child’s success. As parents, you must also set high expectations for your school. We welcome your involvement, support and suggestions which can help us to improve. Specifically, get involved with your children’s schoolwork and tell us right away about any possible problems, for example, whether work is too easy or too difficult. Get to know your child’s teacher and form a partnership. I wish all our students a successful academic school year and many blessings. Dates To Remember
Sept. 6­ Welcome Back to School Sept. 13­Peel Health Clinic/Gr. 7 Menengitis & Hep B/ Gr. 8 Girls HPV Immunization Sept. 16– P.A. Reorganization Day, No school for Students Sept. 19 or 20 ­7:00 pm Parent’s Meeting for 1st Communion @ St. Martin of Tours Parish Sept. 26 or 27 ­ 7:00 pm Parent’s Meeting for Confirmation @ St. Martin of Tours Parish Oct. 7 –10:00am School Mass Oct. 10 –Thanksgiving Day—No School Oct. 14 –Picture day Oct. 22,23 or 30th –Confirmation Rite of En­
rolment @ St. Martin of Tours Parish Oct. 28 –AM Power of One Anti Bullying pres­
entation, all grades ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY Students are expected to attend school regularly and be on time. In the event that your child will be late or absent, please telephone the school before 8:15 a.m. to inform us of the absence and leave a message. All students who ar­
rive after 8:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. and must enter through the front door, must obtain a late slip from the office. They are marked late in the register. This measure is to ensure the safety of your child. ENTRY AND DISMISSAL All students will enter and exit the building through their assigned doors before and after school and at lunch recess. Any students leaving through the front doors must be signed out at the office . In the case of inclement weather students will be admitted at their assigned doors and will be supervised by teachers in the hallways. GREETINGS FROM OUR TRUSTEE “As your Trustee, it gives me much pleasure to welcome back all students, staff and parents to another year at St. Bernadette School. A special welcome to those who are new to our school community, may it be all that you expect from a Catholic school. The Dufferin­Peel Catholic School Board is a vibrant part of this community and of our parishes, and the preferred choice for par­
ents and supporters of Catholic education in our region. We continue to be a Board that your community can be proud of, as our successes mount and our leadership in provincial initiatives continues to be well­recognized and emulated. Each of us contrib­
utes to the betterment of our system and, consequently, to the improvement and quality of experience for our students”. Peter Ferreira Peter.Ferreira@dpcdsb.org (416) 805­7110 SCHOOL BOARD ADMINISTRATION The Director of Education for the Dufferin­Peel Catholic District School Board is J. Kostoff and the Associate Directors are R. Borelli and J. Hrajnik. The Superintendent for the Mississauga South Fam­
ily of Schools is C. Saytar. All of these administrators can be reached at: The Catholic Education Centre 40 Matheson Blvd., W., Mississauga, ON L5R 1C5 905­890­1221 STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE As required by the Education Act and the Ministry of Education, the Dufferin­Peel Catholic District School Board annually provides parents with information about cost­effective student accident insurance cover­
age via student courier. Although enrolment is volun­
tary, the board encourages parents to take advantage of the inexpensive insurance coverage, especially if their child/children participate in sports, excursions/
field trips, or , if parents do not have dental insurance coverage. Enrolment is required in writing– there are two options for enrolment: 1) Complete the traditional form and mail it in. 2) Photocopy the form and fax it to Reliable Life at 1­905­522­7211 OR 1­800­463­KIDS (5437) INFORMATION UPDATE Please keep us informed of any changes to home, work or emergency contact phone numbers. In the unfortunate event that your child is ill or injured, we must be able to contact a parent and/or babysitter immediately. It is important to keep this information current. A student data form will be sent home with every stu­
dent. Please look it over carefully and complete any missing information, update phone numbers/correct any errors and sign where indicate. Please return this form to your child’s teacher as soon as possible. This information is confidential and is used solely for school purposes. MILK PROGRAM As a healthy alternative we will be once again offering milk and chocolate milk during the lunch hour. A separate order form will be sent home and milk will be delivered daily to students in their classrooms. WATER BOTTLES Students are encouraged to bring full water bottles to school. Students are permitted to have them on their desks but are to be used under the direction of the classroom teacher. During recesses, students will continue to receive a pass so they can come into the school for water. Your understanding is much appre­
ciated. Welcome to International Languages Elementary School Level Register Saturday September 10th for International Language classes of your choice 24 languages offered throughout DPCDSB For details refer to our Fall 2011 Adult and Continuing Education Flyer posted on our website at www.dpcdsb.org/cec/cne Or call 905‐891‐9263 ext. 0 The elementary school International Language program (JK­8) takes place on Saturdays beginning September 10 through June 3 (Sundays at St. Herbert) from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.. Parents who wish to register their child in this program may attend a walk­in registration at the school which offers the language of interest to them, on Saturdays (Sundays at St. Herbert) from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. as of September 10. Registration is ongoing (space permitting) throughout the school year. For specific International language classes not currently offered please call our office at 905­891­9263 Ext. 0. Welcome to International Languages Secondary School Credit Level Register Saturday September 10th for Secondary credit International Languages 19 languages offered for credit at three secondary school sites For details refer to our FALL 2011 Adult and Continuing Education Flyer posted our website at www.dpcdsb.org/cec/cne Or call 905‐891‐9263 ext. 0 Students may earn up to 3 International Language credits towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Students currently attending secondary school are welcome to register for this program. Walk­in registration at the school which offers the language of interest to them, is scheduled for September 10 from 8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.. For specific International language credit classes not currently offered please call our office at 905­891­9263 Ext.0 Welcome to General Interest Courses for Adults General Interest programs in personal development, communication and health and fitness are available throughout the DPCDSB Region For details refer to our FALL 2011 Adult and Continuing Education Flyer posted our website at www.dpcdsb.org/cec/cne Or call 905‐891‐9263 ext. 0 General Interest Programs are offered to the community by the DPCDSB. We encourage you to get involved and to join others with similar interests. Register now to ensure a place in the program of your choice. Registration deadline is September 23, 2011. Welcome to Adult ESL Programs Adult ESL and Citizenship Programs are offered throughout Mississauga and Brampton Registration is on­going for many of these programs that run during the day and in the evenings seven days a week Please see our Fall 2011 Catalogue posted on the board website at www.dpcdsb.org/cec/cne or call 905­891­9263 ext. 0 Welcome to Adult FSL (French as a Second Language Classes) Adult FSL programs are offered at BJF Adult Learning Centre and St. Gabriel Adult Learning Centre Classes are offered during the day and in the evenings Please see our Fall 2011 Catalogue posted on the board website at www.dpcdsb.org/cec/cne or call 905­891­9263 ext. 0 Secondary Night School Credit Fall 2011 Secondary students and adults may register now for Secondary Night School Credits offered by the DPCDSB Registration deadline is Wednesday September 14, 2011 Information is available at all our DPCDSB secondary schools Join the DPCDSB Adult Credit and COOP Programs We offer Accounting, Office Administration, and Coop Work Experience for Foreign Trained Professionals Registration is ongoing throughout the year Please see our Fall Catalogue posted on the board website at www.dpcdsb.org/coopcentre Call 905­362­0701 for classes in the North or 905­891­3034 for classes in the South PARENT/GUARDIAN COMMUNITY VISITORS SCHOOL YARD SUPERVISION The school yard is supervised beginning at 8:15 a.m. Students should plan their arrival time to coincide with this supervision and should not arrive before this time. Appropriate supervision is pro­
vided during all recess and lunch breaks. Unless involved in a staff supervised after­school activity, for reasons of safety, stu­
dents should go directly home after dismissal. Parents are re­
minded to stay outside the school yard area at all times. This allows the teacher to supervise children and monitor for strang­
ers. SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION FOR 2011/2012 Sacraments are parish, not school events. Initial preparation is done by the schools through the religion program. Immediate preparation is the responsibility of the parents and the parish. Children do not receive a sacrament just because they are in a particular grade at school. Registration for sacraments take place at meetings AT THE CHURCH. See Calendar of Events for dates and times of Parent meetings. KISS ‘N RIDE PROGRAM Please be patient when dropping off and picking up your child in the Kiss ‘n Ride area. We have teachers and volunteers who will supervise your child in getting out of your vehicle safely. We al­
ways need more volunteers….If you are interested in helping out with this Kiss ‘n Ride please contact Ms. Vowles. Please do not let your child out before you get to the drop off area. Pick up: Please follow the lane designations. The middle lane is for drop off /pick up, the right lane for buses only and the left lane for driving “thru” only. You must allow buses to enter so if you are blocking a bus, drive thru and re­enter the pick up drop off area. It is illegal to park your vehicle in the driveway and leave it to escort/pick up your child to or from his/her class­
room. Do not park your vehicle in the staff parking lot or in the driveway. Help us ensure that ALL of our students are safe at all times. When you come to St. Bernadette, please sign in at the of­
fice and identify yourself. While this may prove inconven­
ient for you , we must insist that all visitors first report to the office and receive a visitor’s sticker before going any­
where in the school or school grounds. When picking and dropping your child off in the primary yard please stand in the staff parking area (without your car). Teachers are instructed to send parents to the office if they are not wearing a visitors sticker. All students must sign back in at the office when they return to school. HEALTH CONCERN ALERT It has become quite common in recent years for children to develop allergies, some more severe than others. There are several students attending St. Bernadette who suffer from a severe food allergy to nuts and/or nut products. In many cases, contact with even the slightest residue from nuts or nut product can trigger a potentially life threatening situa­
tion. For this reason we ask that no snacks or lunches be sent to school that contain nuts and/or nut oils. With keeping safety in mind we ask that students refrain from bringing cakes, treats etc. to share with the class. Thank you in advance for your help in respecting the health concern for our students. LUNCH LADY We are again having Lunch Lady on Mondays. This will start on Monday, September 19th. Order forms will be sent home shortly. Please direct all questions directly Lunch Lady. LUNCH DROP OFF Students should bring their lunches with them in the morning when they come to school. Parents may want to freeze a drink or send a small ice pack in the lunch container to keep the food cold On the rare occasion you need to drop off a lunch at school there will be a table set up in the foyer. Parents can enter the school and set the lunch on the table provided. Be sure your child’s lunch is labeled with their name and teacher’s name. All lunches must be dropped off by 11:20 to ensure students have enough time to eat prior to heading outdoors. At 11:50 all stu­
dents head outside to play. Parents should not gather in the entrance as this creates a po­
tential safety hazard. Students may not leave the building to retrieve lunches. To ensure safety…students leaving MUST BE SIGNED OUT BY PARENTS. AGENDAS Students will be bringing home an agenda . Agendas assist with organizing student assignments, tracking im­
portant dates and are a main source of communication between home and school. The cost of the school agenda is $5.00 Please send the money to cover the cost with your child’s name to the classroom teacher. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION Transportation Eligibility is as follows: Kindergarten­Grade 1 1.0 km Grades 2­4 1.6 km Grades 5­8 2.0 km Secondary 9­12 4.8 km The following website allows parents to login and find their child’s transportation information by following these in­
structions:  Type in the website address: businfo.stopr.ca  Click “student login”  Enter your child’s OEN number, street/house number, school and grade  Click “login” This will automatically display the child’s transportation information, if they are eligible. SCHOOL COUNCIL 2011/2012 School Council self nomination forms are available in the school office. Completed nomination forms must be received in our office by office personnel by Thursday, September 22nd, at 3:00 pm. The first meeting of School Council has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 22, beginning at 6:30 pm. The election will be at the beginning of the meeting. SCHOOL ORGANIZATION St. Bernadette School has experienced changes in student numbers resulting in possible re­organization later this month. If necessary the re­organization date will be Fri­
day, September 16, 2011. Parents will be informed if their We invite you to our Open House on Monday, September 19, child (ren) are changing teachers. Teachers look forward From 6:30 p.m. –8:00 p.m. to meet your child/ren’s teacher (s) to meeting parents at the Open House on Monday Septem­
ber 19. We will meet at 6:30 in the gym for introductions and a short P.A. DAY presentation. This will be followed by class visits to meet the teacher and get information about what your son/daughter will There is a P.A. Day scheduled for Friday September 16, be learning this year! 2011. There will be no school for students. ONTARIO EARLY YEARS HEALTHY SCHOOLS The Ontario Early Years program will once again be running at In keeping with Ministry Policy we will be following St. Bernadette School this school year. This program is in­
the new Food and Beverage policy when offering tended for children from preschool to SK. It is a wonderful foods and beverages for purchase within the school chance for you and your child to develop skills together. One during school hours. program being offered this year is Handwriting Without Tears. An interest survey will be coming home soon with your child. EMERGENCY INSTRUCTORS The Dufferin­Peel Catholic District School Board is committed to ensuring that qualified teachers are teaching in our classrooms at all times. From time to time, in extenuating circumstances, this may not be possible. A Board registered Emergency Instructor may be called upon, as a casual worker, to cover a classroom in the absence of the classroom teacher for a part or a full day. Careful consideration is given to the selection of people to fulfill these roles, and the Emergency Instructor is given training in school procedures and is subject to a Criminal Refer­
ence Check before entering the classroom. If there are any questions or concerns please contact the Principal of the School for further clarification. PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM AND RETURN IT TO YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER I wish to receive a hard copy of the school’s newsletter__________ Child’s Name______________________________________________ Teacher____________________________________________________