DUFFERIN-PEEL CDSB
St. Bernadette School
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 ,
Principal:
M.J. Vowles
Secretary:
M. Trigiani
Superintendent:
D. Amaral
905 890 1221
Trustee:
Peter Ferreira
905-890-1221
416-805-7110
peter.ferreira@dpcdsb.org
St. Martins of Tours Church
Fr. J. Pottackal
905 279 5742
C.S.C. Co-Chairs:
P. Gaspari
J. DeCosta
PRAYER AS WE BEGIN
A NEW SCHOOL YEAR
Lord, May you keep our children safe from
harm as they get to and from school each
day.
May you energize and excite our teachers
for a new year of teaching and give them a
renewed love for their subjects, a love for
their students, and a renewed sense of
their great calling.
May you give the students a love of learning new things.
May you moderate their homework so our
students can get enough sleep.
May you give principals wisdom, strength,
and energy to maintain order, motivate students and teachers, intervene rightly in crises, and address difficult issues each day .
May you protect each and every school
from violence.
May you suppress bullies of all kinds.
May you give each student a growing and
exciting sense of how you may use them
and their gifts in serving others.
May you give our superintendent every
blessing of life, renewed purpose and vision, and primary concern for the students
of Mississauga South into Your hands I
commit the school year 2013/2014.
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
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2 0 1 3
MISSISSAUGA SOUTH FAMILY OF SCHOOLS:
“A FAMILY OF FAITH”
MESSAGE FROM DAVID AMARAL, SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION
be served by 4 dedicated trustees: Mario Pascucci (chair
of the board, Wards 1 and 3), Sharon Hobin (Wards 2 and
8), Peter Ferreira (Wards 6 and 11) and Bruno Iannicca
(Ward 7), each of whom brings with them a wealth of
experience and a relentless passion for Catholic Education and the success of all students.
The education of any child is indeed a co-operative endeavor. As parents, you are requested to be part of your
child’s education. Research has indicated that there is
indeed a correlation between parental involvement and
student learning, achievement and well being. You are
encouraged to ask questions about your child’s learning
and to work collaboratively with your child’s teacher and
school to ensure that your child is receiving the highest
quality Catholic Education. For over 170 years, Catholic
Schools in Ontario have been producing quality young
men and women… young men and women who are not
only solid academically but well rounded citizens who
have contributed positively to our society, both locally
and on a global scale. It is my hope that we all can reflect
at what an awesome opportunity we have been given in
the ability to learn in a Catholic school and to continue to
advocate for this right.
I wish you, the families within the Mississauga South
Family of Schools, a very successful and productive year
full of wonder and learning and witnessing the love our
Lord has for us. Our vocation in providing your child with
the highest quality Catholic Education is a privilege and
one we hold very dear; it is indeed a sacred trust.
September 3, 2013
Dear Families:
Welcome back to what promises to be another exciting
academic year filled with opportunities for learning
within the context of our Catholic Faith! A special welcome to all of our students who may be joining our
Mississauga South Family of Schools, and, in particular,
to our Junior Kindergarten students who are beginning
their journey in learning in their Catholic School. It is
my honour to have been called to serve this Family of
Schools as Superintendent. I wish to thank all of the
Administrators, teachers and Board Staff who have
made me feel so welcome!
The Mississauga South Family of Schools is a very active
and vibrant Family of Schools where the love of Christ
can be found in our hallways, our classrooms and in
our daily endeavors. Jesus is indeed the reason for our
schools; He is the unseen but ever present teacher in
our classrooms. He is the model of our faculty and the
inspiration of our students. We will continue to celebrate the gift of Catholic Education this year within the
theme of Catholic Education Week, “Serving in the
Love of Christ”.
The Family consists of 22 elementary schools and 4 secondary schools, all of which are served by extremely
dedicated Administrators, teachers and support staff
David Amaral
who put the needs of every child first and truly believe
Superintendent of Education
in the potential of each and every child. 8 parishes supMississauga South Family of Schools
port our schools’ liturgical plans, working in partnership with teachers and students to provide spiritual
Dates To Remember
Sept. 3 School Year starts
Sept. 11 HepB/HPV Immunization Clinic
Sept. 12 6:30 pm OPEN HOUSE
Sept. 13 P.A. DAY, School re-organization day
Sept. 16 Power of One assembly in
gym
Lunch Lady program starts
Sept. 17, or 19
1st Communion Parent meeting @
St. Martin of Tours Church, 7:00 pm
Sept. 24 School Picture Day
Sept. 24, or 26
Confirmation Parent meeting @
St. Martin of Tours Church, 7 pm
Sept. 27 Terry Fox Walk
Sept. 30 Terry Fox Walk rain date
Oct. 8 9:00 am Thanksgiving Mass, gym
Oct. 10 9:00 am Chocolate Fundraising
Assembly
Oct. 11 P.A. Day, no school for students
Oct. 14 THANKSGIVING DAY, school closed
Oct. 29 Picture Retake Day
Nov. 2,3, 9, and 10-Confirmation Rite of Enrolment @ St. Martin of Tours Church
Nov. 5 Report Cards go home
Nov. 7 Progress Report Parent Interviews
Nov. 23 10:30 am 1st Reconciliation
MESSAGE FROM OUR TRUSTEE
“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
modeled by their parents. The staff of St. Bernadette Catholic
School is committed 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 2013-2014 School Year.”
Peter Ferreira
Trustee, Wards 6& 11
Mississauga
SCHOOL BOARD ADMINISTRATION
The Director of Education for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board is J. Kostoff and the Associate Directors are:
S. McWatters and J. Hranjnik. The Superintendent for the Mississauga South Family of Schools is D. Amaral.
Please refer to the Dufferin Peel Website at: http://
www.dpcdsb.org/cec to find information about our school board,
current initiatives, programs and information.
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, plese telephone
the school be fore 8:15 a.m. to inform us of the absence and
leave a message. All students who arrive after 8:30 am. or 12:30
p.m. will enter through the front door and fill in 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 case of inclement weather students will be admitted at their
assigned doors and will be supervised by teachers in the hallways.
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 student. Please
look it over carefully and complete any missing information, update phone numbers/correct any errors and sign where indicated.
Please return this form to your child’s teacher as soon as possible. This information is confidential and is used solely for school/
emergency purposes.
IMPORTANT MEDICAL INFORMATION
Please make sure that the school is aware of any important
medical information regarding your son/daughter in order
that we can be properly prepared to deal with an emergency
situation.
MEDIC ALERT
St. Bernadette is enrolled in the No Child Without. Free
medic Alert bracelets are available to elementary students
with medical issues. Please contact the school office for a
pamphlet/application for this program.
SABRINA’S LAW
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 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 brings cakes, treats etc. to share with the class. If you
wish to send a “treat” to recognize a special occasion a suggestion is a pencil or something non-edible.
Thank you in advance for your help in respecting the health
concern for our students.
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 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 outside the school
yard are at all times. This allows the teacher to supervise
children and monitor for strangers. The school yard boundaries will change this year to reflect the declining populations.
PLAY SAFE BE SAFE
Students are reminded regularly of the importance of safe
play in the school yard. Students are encouraged to play
gently. There are no games involving Body Contact: kicking,
hitting, wrestling, hair pulling etc.
Feet must be on the
ground.
Students should speak respectfully to supervisors and fellow
students. Remember what starts as fun can end up in a
fight when someone gets hurt.
KISS ‘N RIDE PROGRAM
Please be patient when dropping off and picking up your child in the Kiss
‘n Ride. We have teachers and volunteers who will supervise your child
in getting out of your vehicle safely. We always 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. Only the first 3 cars should have children disembark.
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 re-enter the pick up drop off area.
PARKING IN DRIVEWAY
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 tickets to those not adhering to traffic
signs.
For student safety there is no access in or out of the side parking lot from 8:15-8:30 AM and 3:00-3:15 PM. Though inconvenient if you must park, it should be at an appropriate (legal)
spot on the road or in the parking at the neighbouring park.
HANDICAP PARKING SPOT
We have a handicap parking spot
at the front of the school. Parents
are asked not to park in that spot
unless they have a handicap
parking permit. Cars parked in
the handicap spot, without a permit can be ticketed.
MEDICATION AT SCHOOL
Please be advised that for safety reasons, no child should bring
any form of medication to school without prior approval
from the office. The school will store necessary medication
in the office, if a Request Form (available in the office) has been
filled out and signed by the parent/guardian and doctor.
STUDENT INSURANCE
As required by the Education Act and the Ministry of Education,
the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board annually provides parents with information about cost effective student accident insurance coverage via student courier. Although student
enrolment is voluntary, 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 so there are two options for enrolment: 1)
Complete the traditional form and mail it in or 2) Photocopy the
form and fax it to Reliable Life at 1-905522-7211 or 1-800-4635437. New to the policy this year, please sign and return the
attached for insurance acknowledgment immediately as gym
activities will begin shortly.
September 2013
IMPORTANT NOTICE
NEW SCHOOL ACCESS PROTOCOL: ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL FRONT DOORS LOCKED
We strive to make sure that our school is a safe, caring,
healthy and inclusive place in which to learn and to work. Fire
drills, visitors’ badges/sign in and other safety and security
protocols and practices are important components of our commitment to maintaining a safe and secure school environment.
You may be aware that, through the province’s Safe School
Welcome Program, our school received a grant that provides
for the installation of a front door speaker/buzzer/video monitoring system. The installation of this system allows us to proactively enhance the safety and security of students and staff
by locking the front doors after classes begin. This change in
access to our school requires a new access protocol that applies to all visitors, including parents and guardians. The new
system has now been installed and activated.
Under the new system, visitors may gain entrance by pressing
a buzzer mounted on the wall outside the building, beside the
front door. The buzzer activates a two-way speaker and camera system. The Office will then be able to determine who is at
the door, by observing on a video monitor. This will enable
better regulation of visitor access to the school.
The following are also part of our new protocol:
All outside doors are locked and entry can be gained only
through the front door.
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.
The co-operation and understanding of parents/guardians will be an
important factor in the success of our new protocol. 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 in
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. As always, if you have any questions or
concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office.
Sincerely,
M.J. Vowles
Principal
PARENT/GUARDIAN COMMUNITY VISITORS
Help us ensure that ALL of our students are safe at all times.
We have a new camera for school access. Please see previous
page for particulars.
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 a
visitor’s sticker before going anywhere 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).
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.
Please advise the teacher/office if your child needs to be dismissed early for an appointment. Students who leave for appointments must be signed out and back in at the office when they
return to school.
Gathering in the front hall is a very unsafe practice for students.
Though each knows their own parent all the others are strangers.
This is a time when a stranger could enter our school. Respectfully we ask all parents to work together. Please send your child’s
lunch with them in the morning or pick the up for lunch at 11:30
and bring them back at 12:30
SACRAMENTAL PREPARTIONS 2013/2014
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 September
17, and 19 @ 7pm. For Confirmation are September 24 and 26
@ 7pm. They will take place at the church.
LUNCH LADY
We are once again having Lunch Lady on Mondays. This will
start on Monday, September 16. Order forms will be sent home
shortly or you can order on-line. Please direct all questions directly to Lunch Lady.
Link:
www.thelunchlady.ca
PED POLICY
It is Board policy that all personal electronic devices (PEDs),
must be turned off and not used within school premises
(including portables) 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 confiscated and parents/guardians
will be notified.
As we move into technology for Learning in the 21st Century
we invite you to read the attached information pages outlined
by the Board.
CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECK
NEW BOARD PROCEDURE: A Criminal Reference Check
is required if you wish to volunteer your services in the school,
transport students and volunteer 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. NOTE ALL VOLUNTEERS
EVEN FOR DAY TRIPS.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING FIELD TRIPS
Please be advised that for the 2013/14 school year, there will
be an additional 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 events.
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 events. A donation of $5.00 to cover the
cost of your child’s agenda would be appreciated. You may
send this with your child in an envelope to the classroom
teacher.
VALUABLES
Students are requested not to bring valuables, items of importance or money to school. The school cannot assume
responsibility for items brought to school.
We invite you to our Open House on Thursday, September
12, 2013, from 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. to meet your child/ren’s
teacher (s).
TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
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 19 at 3:00
p.m. The first meting of School Council has been scheduled for
Thursday September 24, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The election (if
required) will be the beginning of the meeting. All parents are
welcome to join us.
Transportation Eligibility is as follows:
Kindergarten
Grades 1-4
Grades 5-6
Grades 7-8
1.0
1.6
2.0
4.8
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
km
km
km
km
The following website allows parents to login and find their child’s
transportation information by following these instructions:
 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.
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.
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 13, 2013.
Parents will be informed if their child (ren) are changing teachers. Teachers look forward to meeting parents at the Open
House on Thursday, September 12.
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/FOOD DRIVE
Our Opening School Mass will celebrate Thanksgiving. It will
be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, October 8th 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
The Mississauga Centre, Ontario Early Years Centre
is back for another year of fun and learning.
At Ontario Early Years Centres children, parents and caregivers play and learn together. Families can visit our centre
for a range of free programs and services for children from
birth to age six, which include:
- early learning programs focusing on literacy, numeracy
and social skills
- parenting programs, information on early childhood development, access to
community services and much more.
We’re back at St. Bernadette School starting Monday, September 9th, 2013, in room 101. For our schedule, please
visit www.familydaycare.com. Please bring clean, indoor
shoes or slippers for use in our room.
Homework, which plays an important role in the relationship
between the school and the family, is typically defined as a
“learning experience assigned by a teacher, for completion outside of class time, that supports and enriches the learning and
development of each student.” There is no requirement that
homework be assigned daily, but when it is assigned, homework must be directly related to what the student is learning in
class and has the following characteristics:





Is meaningful and relevant
Is purposefully planning to avoid student overload
Is clearly articulated by the teacher and understood by the
students
Is differentiated, as appropriate, to meet student learning
Is reviewed in a timely manner
Homework may also include tasks such as practicing, observing, 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 today.
Are you interested in working at our school beginning in
September? We have openings for:
Student Monitor
Part-time: 1.2 hours per day
The rate of pay is $11.45 per hour plus 4% vacation pay
Position Summary
DUTIES OF THE STUDENT MONITOR
Under the supervision of the Principal or designate, the Student Monitor will:


Carry out supervision duties assigned by the Principal;
Ensure that all reasonable safety procedures are carried
out in activities for which the Student Monitor is responsible
Co-operate with the Principal and teachers to maintain consistent disciplinary practices in the school.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STUDENT MONITOR
Be aware of the school rules;


Be prompt in reporting for supervision assignments;
Become informed of specific medical/behavioural situations pertaining to students supervised

Be aware of the school emergency plans;
Notify the teacher on duty when a problem arises.
To be considered for these positions please contact the school
Principal at the school location that you wish work at for more
information.
ALL new employees will be required to submit a current
original criminal background check (CBC) including a
"Vulnerable Sector Screening" (VSS) issued within 6
months prior to commencing employment with the Board.
We thank all applicants, but advise that only those under consideration will be contacted.
If you require a disability related accommodation in order to
participate in the recruitment process, please contact us at
(905) 890-0708 extension 24616 to provide your contact information. Support Services staff will contact you within 2 business days.
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is an equal
opportunity employer. We will accommodate your needs under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Do you have some time each day? We need Student Monitors to supervise over the lunch hour, each.
We also require emergency monitors to cover occasionally when the regular student monitors are ill. You will require a Criminal Reference Check. If interested, please
contact the office.
DRESS DOWN FRIDAYS
On Fridays, you may notice that our staff is not dressed as
professionally as usual. We as a staff will be participating in
Dress Down Fridays and the money will be going to Share Life.
SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS
The School Photographer is Edge Imaging.
Photographs of students and classes will be
taken on Tuesday, September 24, 2013
CAMP MUSKOKA
Students in Grade 7 and 8 will have the opportunity to go to Camp
Muskoka February 18-21, 2014. An information night will be held
on Wednesday, September 25th at 6:30 p.m. for all Grade 7 & 8
parents.
ECO-NEWS
Congratulations St. Bernadette!
We have been recognized and awarded Silver for all our school
Eco initiatives.
In honour of this achievement we will be receiving an Ontario
EcoSchools plaque and an outdoor sign that recognizes our school
as an Ontario EcoSchool.
The committee has found our school ground greening plan very
“impressive”. Thank you to all for contributing to our school beautification plan by planting and donating plant bulbs.
The fact that the St. Bernadette community recycles our Kool-Aid
jammers, Tassimo pods, batteries and toners and ink cartridges
was according to the committee “commendable”. We keep all
these items that do not bio-degrade out of our landfills.
To the grade 2 and 3 students that went to the Peel water festival
which addressed the water cycle and how we must respect water
and the environment. Particularly water efficiency, environmental
protection and conservation.
Thank you to all of the St. Bernadette students for coming to
school with a litterless lunch, banning the water bottle and the juice
box, and of course, bringing your lunch home on “Wasteless
Wednesday” -Boomerang lunch.
And finally, for helping our environment by nurturing our aquatic
plants as we prepare for them to be returned to their natural environment at the Rattray Marsh, this Friday, we are increasing
awareness of the value of wetland ecosystems and the important
role they play in maintaining the ecological health of the region.
Thank you to all and may we continue to be stewards of God’s
love. Remember always reduce, reuse and recycle !
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 with full details of the program.
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 appreciated.
TOONIES FOR TERRY
Save the Date: September 27th Terry Fox Walk Day at St. Bernadette School. If you have a Criminal Reference Check and would
like to volunteer, we look forward to having you join us.
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__________________________________________________