St. Jerome School
790 Paisley Blvd W.
Mississauga, Ontario
L5C 3P5
Tel (905) 273 3836 Fax (905) 273 9539
Newsletter
April
2013
Mississauga South
Family of Schools
Trustee:
B. Iannicca
Virtue of the Month
Love
God tells us that a loving person wants the best for others. A loving
person is willing to make sacrifices for the good of others and realizes that we are all lovable. God has given us many people in our
lives to show us examples of love. God reminds us that we must
continue to pray for one another and love your neighbour as you
love yourself.
905 270 0536
Superintendent:
C. Saytar
Principal:
A. Aquino
H. Secretary:
C. Bowering
Parish Priest:
Fr. Joyson Pottackal
St. Martin of Tours
905 279 5742
A Children’s Prayer for Easter
Time for joy and time for giving,
time for remembering love while living.
Take this message Easter Day,
show kindness and care at home and at play.
It’s in our very acts of giving,
Easter’s joy makes life worth living.
Children round the globe now hear,
keep Easter in your heart all year.
May joy and love spread land to land,
linked heart to heart and hand to hand!
Catholic School
Council Chair:
M. Fleese
Web-site:
www.dpcdsb.org/jerom
Faith Life
Grade 2 First Communion
The celebration of the Sacrament of First Holy Communion
will be masses on Saturday, April 13th at 10:30 a.m., Sunday,
April 14th at 2:00 p.m. or Saturday, April 20th at 10:30 a.m.
You must be registered with the church to receive First Communion this year.
Grade 8 Confirmation
The Grade 8 Confirmation this year will be held at St. Martin
of Tours Parish on Friday, April 12th at 7:00 p.m. You must be
registered with the church to receive Confirmation this year.
Catholic Education Week May 5-10
Growing Together In Faith
Catholic schools are Catholic communities. Catholic schools
are faith communities. We – parents, students, teachers, administrative and support staff – walk and grow together in the
faith which we received at our Baptism. And it is the ‘together’
that we grow. And as we learn from nature, growth relies on
sun and water and nutrition. Otherwise, it may fade away and
even die. Our growth is primarily a relationship with God, who
at our Baptism, called us by name. But the response of each of
us to that growth is both personal and communal. We grow in
our faith in the nurturing atmosphere of our Catholic community be that of our local parish, our home, or our Catholic
school community. Our school community will celebrate
Catholic Education Week 2013 in ways that are appropriate to
our students’ age. There are five sub-themes for each day of
Catholic Education Week:
Monday – Faith that is Rooted
Tuesday – Faith that is Nurtured
Wednesday – Faith that is Discerned
Thursday – Faith that is Witnessed
Friday – Faith that is Celebrated
We hope to see you during our school events. The calendar of
our school events will come home under separate cover.
Around the School
Indoor Shoes/Change of Clothes
Please ensure that your child comes to school prepared to go outside
for recess and lunch hour breaks. It is the expectation that each child
comes dressed appropriately to go outside to enjoy the weather and
get some fresh air and exercise. If your child is prone to getting wet
during recess, please send a change of clothes, especially socks and
sweat pants. Please ensure that your child brings a pair of indoor shoes
to school. Please label the shoes for our primary students. Running
shoes are preferred because they are safe and can also be used for gym.
Please ensure that the shoes have non-marking soles. We appreciate
your continued support!
Safety In The Gym
Students are reminded that they must wear proper indoor shoes for
gym and appropriate gym clothes. Jewelry must be removed when in
gym class or during sports activities. Students are not allowed to wear
their “outside” shoes in the gym.
Student Immunization
This month Peel Public Health will be collecting all student immunization records from every school in the Peel Region. To ensure our
school immunization records are up to date, we are asking all parents
to ensure that you have informed the school of any changes or updates
to your child’s immunization records or changes to your current address and contact information. A series of letters will be mailed out to
parents starting on January 31st for those outstanding immunization
records. If not updated by a third letter, schools will follow up with a
mandatory 20 day suspension for the student until their immunization
records have been updated. Please ensure that you have met all the
requirements for your child’s immunization records and ensure that the
school receives the appropriate documentation for these records. Below is the list of dates in which Peel Public Health will be contacting
parents/guardians of students with outstanding immunization records.
January 30th—First letter package mailed to parents
March 5th—Second letter package mailed to parents
April 9th—Third letter package (Suspension order) mailed to parents
May 1st—Suspension starts (in effect until requirements are met or 20
days)
Bullying Prevention
The message for the month is that BULLYING can be stopped. We
cannot tolerate bullying. We need to let others know when we see
bullying happening. We realize that bullies come in all shapes and sizes
and that those who are being bullied have done nothing wrong. Bystanders can either make or break the bullying. If we refuse to become
involved in the bullying, then the power of the bully is diminished. Furthermore, if we can safely stand up for those that are bullied, then the
bully’s power is further reduced. One thing that we all must do is to let
an adult know when bullying is happening. This is not tattling, but rather
reporting an unsafe behaviour in order to help someone. We all have a
responsibility to stop bullying.
Kiss ‘N Ride
PLEASE NOTE THAT CARS ARE NOT TO USE
THE BUS LANE AT ANY TIME. Parents are also
asked to use our proper Kiss ‘N Ride lanes and not
to pull into the school lanes.
Parents please do not leave your car unattended in
any of the Kiss ‘N Ride lanes at any point in the
school day, most especially at lunch time. If you
are dropping off a lunch for your child please park
your car in a designated parking spot or on the
street. Please note that if you are using the Kiss ‘N
Ride you should not be getting out of your car to
help a child exit, you should not pop open your
truck to retrieve knapsacks, and all students must
exit from the right passenger side of the car for
their safety. We ask that parents use extra
caution when using our Kiss ‘N Ride lanes in the
winter months. Please drive safely and take your
time. Our focus is always to keep all of our
students safe.
Planning Ahead—Class Placements
In arriving at the decision for placement of your child for the upcoming
year, every consideration is given to individual needs. This decision is
made in collaboration with all staff who have been directly involved in
your child’s education this year. If you feel that there are specific needs
which should be addressed in determining the placement of your child,
please send us a letter to advise us of your concerns. We ask for all
submissions to be sent to the office no later than Friday, April 26th.
Your request will be considered at our grade promotion meetings. We
remind you that it would not be appropriate to request one teacher
over another as placements are subject to change. However, if there is
other information regarding your son/daughter’s learning style, or other
considerations of which we ought to be aware, please advise us of these
facts in your letter. No letter will be accepted after this date.
Are You Moving?
If you are planning a move, or have already moved, please let the office
know. You are required to complete new assessment forms even if you
move within our school boundaries. If you are moving to a new school
we will give you a Transfer Form to take with you to the new school. If
you are moving, but would like your child to remain at St. Jerome,
please submit your request in writing.
School Yard Safety
Just a reminder that student supervision begins at
9:00; students must not be dropped off at the
school before this time. Please also note that the
Kindergarten gates must be kept closed at all
times!
Student Information
Please remember to update the office with any new information
regarding your child. The office needs to be advised of any changes to
telephone numbers, emergency contacts or address so that we have all
the correct information for your child in case of an emergency.
Criminal Reference Check
In compliance with Ministry directives, 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. An annual
declaration is required for all valid Criminal Reference Checks
that are on file in the school office. A Criminal Reference Check
will be required this year if you plan to volunteer for both in
school and out of school activities.
ECO Club News
Website
Parents are encouraged to visit our website! The school site is
www.dpcdsb.org/jerom. Please take the time to check it out.
All school information and parent information is on the site and
updated regularly. All previous and current newsletters are on
the site. Our web-site is another excellent tool to keep parents
connected to what is happening at school.
EQAO
The EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office) testing
of our grade 3 students will take place on May 27, 29, and 30.
Testing of our grade 6 students will take place on June 3, 4, and
5. Please try to avoid scheduling any doctor’s appointments or
anything else that will take your child out of school during the
testing dates. A letter to grade 3 and 6 parents with further
information will be sent home closer to the testing dates.
Our ECO Club this year has 25 members. The students are in grades 4
to 8. They continue to meet with their staff advisors, Mrs. Read and
Mrs. Srutwa. This year we welcome the addition of our parent
community advisor, Mrs. Fleese. We are working hard towards getting
our official ECO certification in the Spring of 2013. Our beautiful indoor
tree continues to grow with ECO pledges written by every student in
our school. We are continuing with our Litterless Lunch Tuesdays
campaign, and students are working hard to win the golden lunchbox.
This year we will be starting Fadeless Fridays, a campaign that
encourages the shutting off of lights in classrooms that are empty, or
making better use of natural light. On Friday, March 22nd we had an
assembly to celebrate Earth Hour. The ECO Team presented the top
10 ways to conserve electricity. The lights in the school were turned off
for one hour and all students were encouraged to observe the official
Earth Hour that took place on Saturday, March 23rd from 8:30 p.m. to
9:30 p.m. On Monday, April 15th we will be starting our E-waste
campaign for this year. We will have 3 containers available to collect
electronic waste. We encourage everyone to bring in their old, broken
computers, cell phones, etc. All students will be receiving letters with a
list of all acceptable items for the E-waste containers. The more we fill
the containers, the closer we get to winning a prize for the school.
Future initiatives this year include a waste audit and a school greening
project. We will be kicking off these campaigns during our Earth Day
assembly on April 22nd.
CATHOLIC
SCHOOL
COUNCIL
CATHOLIC SCHOOL
COUNCIL
Our
next School
council meeting
be Wednesday, , 2013 at 6:30
Catholic
Councilwill
Meeting
p.m. All are welcome to attend.
Our
next Catholic
School
Councilsupport
meetingand
willgenerosity
be held on
We thank
you for your
continued
in
Wednesday,
Aprilour
3, 2013
at 6:30
p.m. Our
last meeting
helping to make
students’
learning
experiences
the date
best
for
is scheduled for May 1st. All are welcome to
that this
theyyear
can be!
attend. We thank our very hard working council members for
their on-going work and support for our children!
Dates to Remember
Mark your Calendar
April 1
Easter Monday– No School
April 3
School Council Meeting 6:30 p.m.
April 10
Confirmation Rehearsal/Confessions
April 12
Confirmation 7:00 p.m. at church
April 16
Grade 8 Graduation Photos
Student Immunization
This month Peel Public Health will be collecting all student
immunization records from every school in the Peel Region. To
ensure our school immunization records are up to date, we are
asking all parents to ensure that you have informed the school of
any changes or updates to your child’s immunization records or
Bikes
changes to your current address and contact information. A
As
theofwarmer
approaches,
many students
series
letters weather
will be mailed
out to parents
starting are
on January
choosing
to ride
their bikesimmunization
to school. We
do have
a bike
31st for those
outstanding
records.
If not
updated
rack
located
at the
frontwill
of follow
the school.
Please
keep in mind
by a third
letter,
schools
up with
a mandatory
20 day
that
students
to ride
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on schoolrecords
property,
suspension
forare
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been updated.
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any lost and
or ensure
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theare
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for these
damaged
bikes.receives
Students
strongly encouraged
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records.
Below
is the their
list ofhelmets
dates in inside
which the
Peelschool.
Public Health
their
bikes
and bring
Pleasewill
be
contacting
of students
with outstanding
remember
thatparents/guardians
skateboards, rollerblades
and “wheelie
shoes”
immunization
records.
are not allowed inside the school.
April 16
Welcome to Kindergarten 6:30 p.m.
April 22
Earth Day
May 1
Crowning of Mary
January 31st—First letter package mailed to parents
March 6th—Second letter package mailed to parents
April
packageweather,
(Suspension
order)like
mailed
As
we10th—Third
prepare for letter
the warmer
we would
to to
parents
remind our students of the expectations that are in place,
Dress Code
especially
our older students,
dress.
May
1st—Suspension
starts (in regarding
effect untilappropriate
requirements
are met
Sleeveless
or 20 days)tops are permitted as long as they have two fingers
of material on the shoulder but not halter, tank or short tops.
Short shorts and skirts and clothing of a suggestive nature or
displaying
wording/images are not allowed. In
Extendedoffensive
Vacations
keeping
with
the
Board’s
Mission Statement and Catholic
Now that the March Break is fast approaching, we encourage
teachings,
is committed
to designated
standards of
neatness,
families to each
plan school
holidays
during these
times.
Some
cleanliness,
modesty
and
good
taste.
parents have asked teachers to put together homework packages
for their children to complete when they are away on an
extended family holiday. It is difficult for teachers to do so since
most of the curriculum being covered is taught by the teacher in
an instructional lesson.
Recess Reminders
We at St. Jerome have a NO CONTACT policy. This policy
states that students are not to play any games or be involved
in any activities in the schoolyard that involve physical contact.
Games such as tackle football, manhunt and like games are
not allowed. If a game develops during the course of a recess
break where contact becomes part of the game or activity,
students are reminded to remove themselves from that
activity and to report the contact to the nearest staff member
on yard duty. Staff can easily be identified by their bright
orange vests.
School Council Meeting 6:30 p.m.
May 6 to 8
Grade 8 trip to Camp Muskoka
May 13
PA Day—No School
May 14
Jump Rope/Hoops for Heart
May 20
Victoria Day—No School
May 27, 29, 30
EQAO Grade 3
May 31
School BBQ
June 3, 4, 5
EQAO Grade 6
June 7
PA Day- No School
June 12
Year End Mass 1:30 p.m.
June 26
Grade 8 Graduation
June 28
Last Day of School
PA Days:
May 13, June 7
St. Jerome’s Annual BBQ
Planning will start soon for our annual BBQ on Friday, May 31st.
The annual BBQ raises significant funds which the school council
allocates for various items and activities that add to your children’s educational experience at St. Jerome. Please support the
BBQ with items such as gift certificates, tickets for events, new
electronics, housewares, tools, toys and sporting goods or Canadian Tire money. We are seeking parent volunteers, if you would
like to help out in any way, please call the school. Please forward
all donations to the school. Thank you for your anticipated support! We look forward to seeing you at the BBQ!
Grade 8 Graduation Pictures
A reminder that grade eight graduation pictures will be taken on
April 16th. Further information from the photographer will be
sent home closer to the date.
Welcome to Kindergarten
On April 16, 2013 from 6:30 to 7:30 we are having a “Welcome
to Kindergarten” presentation for all parents and their children
registered to start Junior Kindergarten in September 2013. Due
to the nature of the activities, please do not bring siblings.
Welcome to Kindergarten is sponsored by the “Learning Partnership” and is supported by The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board.