St. Bernadette School
DUFFERIN-PEEL 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 for the Beginning of the New School Year Dear Lord, as we begin this new school year, we gather once again as your community of believers. We thank you for the energy and the spirit that you re-­
newed in us through the summer months. We thank you for the time to enjoy our family and friends and to reflect on what is important in our lives. Let this year be marked by enthusiasm and love so that, with the inspiration of your Spirit, we may continue to grow in our faith. Help us to fulfill Your hope for us with honest intentions and works of faith. Let us be gentle with ourselves and bring laughter, joy and love to others. Principal:
M.J. Vowles
Secretary:
2 0 1 2
VvIiRrTtUuEe FfOoRr SsEePpTtEeMmBbEeRr M. Trigiani
Superintendent:
3ULQFLSDO¶V0HVVDJH Another exciting school year is upon us. I want to take this opportunity to welcome all of you who are returning to the St. Bernadette School Community. Together we will continue to work to meet the educational, social and developmental needs of each of the children entrusted to our care. It is with great pleasure I welcome those new to our school. I know you will enjoy this vibrant, dedicated community. I invite you all, as parents and SDUWQHUVWREHFRPHLQYROYHGLQ\RXUFKLOG¶VOHDUQLQJ
This can be done daily through the school agenda, by setting up meetings with staff through the school secre-­
tary or by becoming a parent volunteer with our Catholic School Council or by talking to our volunteer coordinator, Miss Ligotti. We are proud to be A Catholic school and work closely with Father Joyson and St. Martin of Tours Parish to uphold our Catholic roots and values. As we face chal-­
lenges as a community we respond by following our shared belief in our Catholic Faith and follow the teach-­
ings of Jesus. Please take some time to introduce your-­
self to Father as you join in practicing our Faith. As a school we welcome every opportunity to embrace the gift of our Faith. As always you are encouraged to contact the school if you have any concerns. The secretary, Mrs. Trigiani will gladly forward messages and set up appointments for you to meet with school staff. I look forward to another successful year at St. Berna-­
dette School. C. Saytar
905 890 1221
Trustee:
Peter Ferreira
905-­890-­1221 416-­805-­7110 peter.ferreira@dpcdsb.org
St. Martins
Church
of
Tours
Fr. J. Pottackal
905 279 5742
C.S.C. Co-Chairs:
J. Medina, M. Cholette
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School Hours 8:30 -­ School Entry 10:30-­ Recess 11:00-­Kindergartden Dismissal 11:30 -­ Lunch 12:30 -­Afternoon Start 1:55-­Recess 3:00 Dismissal :H·UHRQWKH:HE
http://www.dpcdsb.org/BERNA
P A G E
2
Message from the Superintendent Cathy Saytar Mississauga South Family September 2012 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 diverse com-­
munity. Mississauga South consists of 26 schools;; 4 secondary and 22 elementary, as well as 8 parishes, each of which supports our VWXGHQWV¶ IDLWK IRUPDWLRQ DQG FDWHFKHWLFDO SURJUDPPLQJ )RXU WUXVWHHV UHSUHVHQW RXU IDPLO\¶V MXULVGLFWLRQ 6KDURQ +RELQ 3HWHr 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 distinctive OHJDF\DV&DWKROLFFLWL]HQV$VSDUHQWVDQGHGXFDWRUV\RXDUHZLWQHVVHVWRWKHKRSHWKDWQRXULVKHVHDFKFKLOG¶VIDLWKIRUPDWion and thus are empowered to help these young people in their journey. Education is a co-­RSHUDWLYHHQGHDYRXUDQGDVSDUHQWVDQGJXDUGLDQV\RXSOD\DQDEVROXWHO\HVVHQWLDOUROHLQ\RXUFKLOGUHQ¶VVXFcess. :H DVN \RXWRVHWKLJKH[SHFWDWLRQV IRU\RXUFKLOGUHQ¶VDFDGHPLFVXFFHVV$SDUHQW¶VH[SHFWDWLRQRIVXFFHVVEHFRPHVDGULYLQg IRUFHWRPRWLYDWHDFKLOG:KHQFKLOGUHQDUHQ¶WH[SHFWHGWRGRZHOOWKH\RIWHQGRQ¶W6RSOHDVHGRQ¶WDFFHSWPHGLRFUHJUDGHs 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. <RXUFKLOG¶VIDFXOW\KDYHZRUNHGKDUGLQSUHSDULQJIRUWKHXSFRPLQJVFKRRO\HDU7KHDGPLQLVWUDWLYHWHDPLVSUHSDUHGWRHQVXre WKDWSURJUDPPLQJDQGVDIHW\DUHSDUDPRXQWWR\RXUFKLOG¶VVXFFHVV$VSDUHQWV\RXPXVWDOVRVHWKLJKH[SHFWDWLRQVIRU\RXUVchool. We welcome your involvement, support and suggestions which can help us to improve. Specifically, get involved with your chil-­
GUHQ¶VVFKRROZRUNDQGWHOOXVULJKWDZD\DERXWDQ\SRVVLEOHSUREOHPVIRUH[DPSOHZKHWKHUZRUNLVWRRHDV\RUWRRGLIILFXOW Get WRNQRZ\RXUFKLOG¶VWHDFKHUDQGIRUPDSDUWQHUVKLS I wish all our students a successful academic school year and many blessings. Dates To Remember
Sep. 4± School Term Starts Sep. 13-­Hepatitis B/Meningitis Vaccine Clinic for Grade 7 students and HPV Vaccine for grade 8 girls Sep. 14-­P.A. Day, no school for students Sep. 17-­Lunch Lady starts Sep.17 ±6:30-­8:00 p.m. Open House Sep. 26-­6:30 Catholic School Council Meeting Oct. 3-­1:00 Opening/Thanksgiving Mass Oct. 17-­Picture Day 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 arrive 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 SCHOOL BOARD ADMINISTRATION The Director of Education for the Dufferin-­Peel Catholic Dis-­
trict School Board is J. Kostoff and the Associate Directors are R. Borelli and J. Hrajnik. The Superintendent for the Mississauga South Family of Schools is C. Saytar. All of these administrators can be reached at: The Catholic Education Centre 40 Matheson Blvd., W., 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 Dufferin-­
Peel Catholic School Board is a vibrant part of this community and of our parishes, and the preferred choice for parents and supporters of Catholic education in our region. We continue to be a Board that our community can be proud of, as our successes mount and our leadership in provincial initiatives continues to be well-­recognized and emulated. Each of us contrib-­
utes to the betterment of our system and, consequently, to the im-­
provement and quality of experience for our students". We are fortunate to welcome our returning staff members. They have worked diligently over the summer months setting up their classrooms and programming for the new school year. As we antici-­
pate the successes of the year ahead, we are reminded that each success will be the result of the mutual support and respect we as parents and educators show one another. It is very important that the positive relationships of the past continue throughout the up-­
coming year. As our students mature, we are reminded that their beliefs, ideals and sense of responsibility, friendship and family are constantly challenged. The common language and support we share as role models in their lives will influence their values. Our school community is strengthened through our partnerships, none being more important than our parish team and our School Council. Our students respond respectfully and eagerly to each faith and school initiative;; this can only be attributed to the values mod-­
eled by their parents. The staff of St. Bernadette School is commit-­
ted to working with its partners to continue to support each child in their quest for knowledge, happiness and spiritual development. Together we are the sculptors. I wish you all a successful 2012-­
2013 school year God Bless, Peter Ferreira, Trustee Wards 6 & 11 Mississauga Mississauga, ON L5R 1C5 reached at:905-­890-­1221 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 con-­
tact 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 IRUPWR\RXUFKLOG¶VWHDFKHUDVVRRQDVSRVVLEOH7KLV
information is confidential and is used solely for school purposes. IMPORTANT MEDICAL INFORMATION Please make sure that the school is aware of any im-­
portant medical information regarding your son/
daughter in order that we can be properly prepared to deal with an emergency situation. 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. STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE SCHOOL YARD SUPERVISION The school yard is supervised beginning at 8:15 a.m. Stu-­
dents should plan their arrival time to coincide with this supervision and should not arrive before this time. Appro-­
priate supervision is provided during all recess and lunch breaks. Unless involved in a staff supervised after-­school activity, for reasons of safety, students should go directly home after dismissal. Parents are reminded to stay out-­
side the school yard area at all times. This allows the teacher to supervise children and monitor for strangers. SACRAMENAL PREPARATION 2012/2013 Sacraments are coordinated by the parish and are 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. The Parish associated with St. Bernadette school is St. Martin of Tours. Parent information meetings for 1st Communion are Oct. 2 or 4 @ 7 pm. Confirmation Sept. 25 or 27 @ 7pm. These will take place at the church. .,66µ15,'(352*5$0 Please be patient when dropping off and picking up your FKLOGLQWKH.LVVµQ5LGHDUHD:HKDYHWHDFKHUVDQG
volunteers who will supervise your child in getting out of \RXUYHKLFOHVDIHO\:HDOZD\VQHHGPRUHYROXQWHHUV«,I
\RXDUHLQWHUHVWHGLQKHOSLQJRXWZLWKWKLV.LVVµQ5LGH
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 DQGWKHOHIWODQHIRUGULYLQJ³WKUX´RQO\<RXPXVWDOORZ
buses to enter so if you are blocking a bus, drive thru and re-­enter 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 classroom. Do not park your vehicle in the staff parking lot or in the driveway. Parking patrol frequently issue tick-­
ets to those not adhering to traffic signs. *** NEW PROCEDURE Effective September 2012 the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board requires student who participate in extra curricular sports activities or out of school excursions to provide acknowl-­
edgement they have received a copy of the student accident brochure. Your are encouraged to review this inexpensive insurance pack-­
age. It is recommended you consider this package as the board does not and cannot insure students. The options for Insurance enrollment can be mailed to: Reliable Life Insurance Co. P.O. Box 2046 Stn. LCD 1 Hamilton, On L8N 4J4 Or on line @ www.insuremykids.com Please sign and return the attached form for insurance acknowl-­
edgement immediately as extra-­curricular activities will begin shortly. PARENT/GUARDIAN COMMUNITY VISITORS Help us ensure that ALL of our students are safe at all times. When you come to St. Bernadette, please sign in at the office and identify yourself. While this may prove inconvenient for you , we must insist that all visitors first report to the office and receive DYLVLWRU¶VVWLFNHUEHIRUHJRLQJDQ\ZKHUHLQWKHVFKRRORUVFKRRO
grounds. When picking and dropping your child off in the primary yard please stand in the staff parking area (without your car). For safety of all, parents are not allowed to walk down the halls without having checked in at the office and obtained a visitor sticker. Teachers are instructed to send parents to the office if they are not wearing a visitors sticker. Students who leave for appointments must be signed out and back in at the office when they return to school. HEALTH CONCERN ALERT It has become quite common in recent years for children to de-­
velop allergies, some more severe than others. There are sev-­
eral 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 trig-­
ger a potentially life threatening situation. 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. If you wish to VHQGD³WUHDW´WRUHFRJQL]HDVSHFLDORFFDVLRQDVXJJHVWLRQLVD
pencil or something non-­edible. Thank you in advance for your help in respecting the health con-­
cern for our students. LUNCH LADY We are again having Lunch Lady on Mondays. This will start on Monday, September 17th. Order forms will be sent home shortly. Please direct all questions directly Tto Lunch Lady. PED POLICY It is Board policy that all personal electronic devices (PEDs), must be turned off and not used within school premises (including port-­
ables) or during school-­sanctioned activities such as retreats, field trips, sport events, etc. To prevent the loss or damage PEDs, we encourage students to leave their PEDs at home. The School is not responsible for loss and or damages. PEDs may be confis-­
cated and parents/guardians will be notified. CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECK A Criminal Reference Check is required if you wish to volunteer your services in the school, transport students and assist on trips. Copies of the Criminal Reference forms are available in the office, and can be processed at 7750 Hurontario Street, Brampton. The search results will be mailed to you approximately 4 weeks later. This is for residents of Peel only. IMPORTAN INFORMATION REGARDING FIELD TRIPS Please be advised that for the 2012-­13 school year, there will be an addition 10% added to the cost of all fieldtrips in order to help subsidize students. Thank you for assisting all of our children in allowing them to participate in all school event. LUNCH HOUR 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. Children who stay for lunch will remain on school property throughout the lunch period. Only in an emer-­
gency situation, and when the request is in writing, will exceptions be considered. Should you wish your child to stay for lunch, please indicate so on the student lunch information form sent home with your son/daughter. Your co-­operation in the mutual concern for the safety of our students is appreciated. AGENDAS Students in grade 1-­8 will be bringing home an agenda. Agendas assist with organizing student assignments, tracking important dates and are a main source of communication between home and school. Student agendas can be used to note important dates for assignments, tests, projects, trips and other school HYHQWV$GRQDWLRQRIWRFRYHUWKHFRVWRI\RXUFKLOG¶V
agenda would be appreciated. You may send this with your child in an envelope to the classroom teacher. We invite you to our Open House on Monday, September 17, 2012 , from 6:30 p.m. ±SPWRPHHW\RXUFKLOGUHQ¶V
teacher (s). We look forward to meeting you all. We welcome you to meet the teacher and get information about what your son/
daughter will be learning this year! ONTARIO EARLY YEARS The Ontario Early Years program will once again be running at St. Bernadette School this school year. This program is intended for children from preschool to SK. It is a wonderful chance for you and your child to develop skills together. Programs begin Thursday, September 13. For more infor-­
mation or to register contact 905-­566-­4785. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION Transportation Eligibility is as follows: Kindergarten-­Grade 1 1.0 km Grades 2-­4 1.6 km Grades 5-­8 2.0 km Secondary 9-­12 4.8 km The following website allows parents to login and find their FKLOG¶VWUDQVSRUWDWLRQLQIRUPDWLRQE\IROORZLQJWKHVHLQVWUXF
tions: x Type in the website address: businfo.stopr.ca x &OLFN³VWXGHQWORJLQ´ x (QWHU\RXUFKLOG¶V2(1QXPEHUVWUHHWKRXVHQXPEHU
school and grade x &OLFN³ORJLQ´ 7KLVZLOODXWRPDWLFDOO\GLVSOD\WKHFKLOG¶VWUDQVSRUWDWLRQLQ
formation, if they are eligible. The first few weeks of school expect delays as routes are shuffled to best meet student needs. ALWAYS insure your child is at the stop 5 minutes BEFORE your assigned pick up time. All students must be met by a parent/guardian at the stop when your child returns home. CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL 2012/2013 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 20, at 3:00 pm. The first meeting of School Council has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 26, beginning at 6:30 pm. The election (if required) will be at the begin-­
ning of the meeting. All parents are welcome to join us. SCHOOL ORGANIZATION St. Bernadette School has experienced changes in student numbers which may result in re-­organization later this month. The re-­
organization date will be Friday, September 14, 2012. Parents will be informed if their child (ren) are changing teachers. Teachers look for-­
ward to meeting parents at the Open House on Monday September 17 from 6:30²8:00 pm. P.A. DAY There is a P.A. Day scheduled for Friday September 14, 2012. There will be no school for students. CROSSING GUARD Please remind your children to wait for and cross with the crossing guard (either at White Clover Way & Willow Creek, White Clover Way & Penhallow/Trailmaster at all times to further ensure their safety. SCHOOL MASS Our Opening School Mass will celebrate Thanksgiving. It will be held at 1 pm on Wednesday October 3rd here at the school. Please join us. We would appreciate any non-­perishable food items you would like to send to contribute to the St. Martin of Tours food bank. HOMEWORK POLICY Homework, which plays an important role in the relationship between the school and the family, is typically defined as a ³OHDUQLQJH[SHULHQFHDVVLJQHGE\DWHDFKHUIRUFRPSOHWLRQRXW
side of class time, that supports and enriches the learning and GHYHORSPHQWRIHDFKVWXGHQW´7KHUHLVQRUHTXLUHPHQWWKDW
homework be assigned daily, but when it is assigned, home-­
work must be directly related to what the student is learning in class and has the following characteristics: x Is meaningful and relevant x Is purposefully planning to avoid student overload x Is clearly articulated by the teacher and understood by the students x Is differentiated, as appropriate, to meet student learning x Is reviewed in a timely manner Homework may also include tasks such as practicing, observ-­
ing, rehearsing, interviewing, researching and studying. It is important, therefore, that time spent on homework be balanced with the importance of personal and family wellness and the wide range of family obligations experienced in our society to-­
day. STUDENT EMERGENCY AND EARLY DISMISSAL CONSENT FORM In order to update our student records, we will sending home the Student Emergency Verification Form and Early Dismissal &RQVHQW)RUP3OHDVHFKHFN\RXUFKLOG¶VEDJIRUWKLVIRUP
which will be coming come within the next week, fill in any FKDQJHVVLJQDQGUHWXUQWR\RXUFKLOG¶VWHDFKHUDVVRRQDV
possible. This updated information is essential in the event that your child is injured or the school is faced with an early dis-­
missal of students;; we must be able to contact a parent and/or emergency contact person. STUDENT LUNCH MONITORS Do you have some time each day? We need student monitors to supervise over the lunch hour, each day. We also require emergency monitors to cover occasionally when the regular student monitors are ill. You will require a Criminal Reference Check. See the included attachment for more details and contact the school office if you are interested. Changes, Changes««« In June, Mrs. Wessman decided, after a long and dedicated career, to retire from teaching. Students, parents and staff all wish her many wonderful years ahead as she begins this new milestone in her life. Over the summer Miss Tanner married a wonderful young man. We welcome her back as Mrs. Perciasepe. She teaches our afternoon Kindergarten as well as some gym classes. Mrs. Swierczynski will be covering our morning Kindergarten class. Ms. Azevedo will be covering for Mrs. Mahoney in Grade 1/2. 3/($6(),//2877+,6)250$1'5(7851,772<285&+,/'¶67($&+(5 ,ZLVKWRUHFHLYHDKDUGFRS\RIWKHVFKRRO¶VQHZVOHWWHUBBBBBBBBBB &KLOG¶V1DPHBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Teacher____________________________________________________