December 2010
PRINCIPAL:
K.J. Carey
VICE PRINCIPAL:
C. Klein
SECRETARY:
T. Crayden
SUPERINTENDENT:
C. Blanchard
STS. MARTHA AND MARY
PARISH TEAM:
Fr. E. D’Souza
905-625-5670
www.stsmarthaandmary.org
TRUSTEE:
M. Pascucci
Mississauga Wards 1 & 3
(905) 302-3096
(905) 890-0708, x20161
Fax: (905) 890-0888
mario.pascucci@dpcdsb.org
www.trusteepascucci.ca
Inside
Celebrating Advent
School Council Corner
Active Students
Safe & Healthy Schools
Inclement Weather
Transportation
STS. MARTHA & MARY
Catholic School
1760 Bough Beeches Blvd., Mississauga, Ontario L4W 2B9
905-624-9625
A Christmas Prayer
O God, Whose mighty Son was born in Bethlehem
those days long ago,
lead us to that same poor place,
where Mary laid her tiny Child.
And as we look on in wonder and praise,
make us welcome Him in all new life,
see Him in the poor,
and care for His handiwork, the earth, the sky and the sea.
O God, bless us again in Your great love.
We pray for this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
For Advent prayers and liturgies please visit:
www.catholicsdoors.com
FAITH LIFE
A MONTH OF VIRTUES
In December we celebrate the virtue
of hope. We believe that God comes
to us as a small fragile baby who
shows us that even the smallest and
poorest can make a profound
difference in the world.
God has given us this Advent season
year after year in order to focus our
minds and our hearts on the good all
around us. During this time of hope,
we are reminded that God chose to
send his Son to us because we are
worth it. God knows how great we
can be when we all come together.
When we look at the
world through the eyes
of God we know that the
message of hope in
Jesus’ second coming
will be and is fulfilled,
because Jesus’ love lives
in us every day.
People of Hope…
•
•
•
•
•
•
Keep up a positive attitude
Can bounce back from tough
situations
Set and stick to their goals
See the good in others even
when they make mistakes
Work to include others
Let others know that they are
good people
JUNIOR ADVENT CONCERT
The students of the Junior Division
wish to invite their
parents/guardians,
relatives and friends to a
“Christmas Concert” in
the gymnasium at 1:30
and 7:00 pm on Tuesday
December 7, 2010.
SCHOOL ADVENT MASS
The Sts. Martha and Mary school community will celebrate an
Advent Mass on Tuesday, December 14th, 2010, at 6:45 p.m. at
Sts. Martha & Mary Church. The offering of the mass provides
teachers, students and parents an opportunity to celebrate the
Eucharist together as a school and parish community.
CELEBRATING ADVENT
The season of Advent begins with the fourth Sunday before
Christmas. This year, the liturgical season of Advent began
Sunday, November 28, 2010. “Advent” is a Latin word meaning
“the coming”. During the season of Advent, Christians across the
world prepare for the celebration of the coming of the Lord into
the world through the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ. Advent is a
time to celebrate light in the midst of darkness, as symbolized best
by the Advent Wreath.
At Sts. Martha and Mary we emphasize the
implications of the birth of our Saviour through
our Christian actions. We ensure that Advent
is a time where we emphasize charity and
social justice. It is a time to prepare the way, to
make God real each and every day through
prayer, charity and social justice. The following activities provide
a small window into how the staff and students at Sts. Martha and
Mary are the arms, legs, and hands of God.
YOUTH FAITH AMBASSADORS
This initiative is to encourage Catholic elementary school students
in the Intermediate grades to live out our baptismal call to become
Fully Alive in the Lord Jesus Christ through care for themselves
and others. The role of the Youth Ambassador is to become an
active Christian through the knowledge of God’s word, deepening
their own faith development and bettering their communities
through service. Here at the school, Youth Ambassadors are
associated with our Student Leader program. Ms. De Simone and
16 Intermediate student representatives attended a commissioning
mass and celebration at Cristo Rei Church on Thursday,
November 18, 2010. Rev. Carlos T. Macatangga, who presided
over the mass, shared that November 18th is the feast day of Saints
Peter and Paul, the first ambassadors for Christ. He defined the
role of the Faith Ambassadors for the students and encouraged
them to be role models of faith and of the virtues. He told the
students that we should never compromise our faith to just
“belong”, that we need to do what is right and not always what is
popular. The students will share their experience as ambassadors
throughout the year and create opportunities for becoming active
witnesses in our school and community.
SCHOOL COUNCIL CORNER
FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
The two major fundraising efforts that
are the initiative of School Council are
the Halloween Dance-a-thon and
weekly “Pizza Days”. Fundraising
efforts result in the betterment of our
school by providing financial resources
for ongoing programs and initiatives.
This year, the proceeds from
fundraising will be allocated to “wish
list” items such as supplementing
dramatic performances to students and
upgrading physical education
equipment and musical instruments.
Council appreciates every dollar that
you spend in support of these
fundraisers and strives to continue to
augment the school as a result of your
generosity.
PRO-GRANT EDUCATIONAL
EVENTS UPDATE
School Council is very excited to
promote two free educational events
next year at the school thanks to the
approval of our Parents Reaching Out
(PRO) Grant application! Andrea
Olynyk, a Registered Dietitian and
Professor of Nutrition at the University
of Guelph and Humber College, will be
presenting an informative nutrition
session entitled “The Secret Life of
Sugar!” in April 2011. In May 2011, a
child safety expert from KidProof will
be empowering and educating parents
through their session called “Protecting
Your Kids Online: From Street Savvy
to Internet Savvy”. Stay tuned for the
exact dates to be announced in an
upcoming newsletter and remember to
consider inviting a friend to come
along to the sessions!
You are invited to a facebook and
twitter presentation at St. Philip
School on March 1st or St. Edmund
School on March 3rd, 7 – 8:30 p.m.
(Please confirm your interest in attending
the presentation organized by our
neighbouring School Councils, with the
respective school.)
CHRISTMAS “GIVING TREE”
To mark the beginning of Advent, the Christmas
“Giving Tree” has been set up in the front foyer and is
decorated with gift tags. Please help to celebrate the
season of hope and giving by taking a tag from the
tree and purchasing a gift for a child in need in our
community. Recommended gifts include clothes, toys or gift
certificates to local stores that are appropriate for infants to children
9 years of age. Gifts should be left unwrapped, placed in a gift bag
and delivered to the school by December 15, 2010. The Dixie Bloor
Centre will distribute gifts to families in need in our community.
This is a wonderful opportunity to bring excitement to a child on
Christmas morning who may otherwise not experience this joy!
HATS, SCARVES AND MITTENS!
Another way in which you can give to those less fortunate at this
blessed time of year is to decorate our tree with new hats, scarves
and mittens before December 15, 2010. These clothing items will
also be delivered to the Dixie Bloor Centre and distributed to
families in our community who are in need. If you are interested in
bestowing a monetary gift, note that you will receive an official tax
receipt for cash donations of over $20.00 from Dixie Bloor
Centre. For further information, please call 905-629-1873 or
connect to the following link:
http://www.dbncentre.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article
&id=216&Itemid=165
PREMIER’S AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE
This year, the Ontario Government is again encouraging the
community to nominate teachers who have contributed to the
excellence of our school. The nominations deadline is January 31,
2011. To learn more about this prestigious award and to nominate a
teacher, please visit www.ontario.ca/teachingawards
SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
The minutes from Council’s meeting on Nov 23, 2010 are posted on
the bulletin board located outside the school library. Anybody
interested in reviewing archives of past school council meeting
minutes are invited to visit www.dpcdsb.org/MMARY and click on
the “School Council” tab in the menu bar.
NEXT SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING:
All parents are welcome to join us at our next School Council
meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 7pm in the
school library.
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY, CULTURE AND CARING
PEACE PALS
Many of our grade 4 and 5 students have
volunteered to act as Peace Pals to our
younger students. Peace Pals are leaders
within the school. They foster safe, fun,
co-operative and active play during
school recesses. Our staff representative,
Mrs. Yawney, has worked to provide
training to these young individuals.
Thank you Peace Pals for being such
virtuous role models!
MILK BAG MATTRESS
MOVEMENT:
Mrs. Bellini-Kavals and her group of
student leaders would like to express
their appreciation to everyone who sent
in milk bags this past month to help
support their Milk Bag Mattress Project
for children in Haiti. Students meet
regularly during recess and often take
home the mattresses to work on them.
Ten students are usually busy crocheting
and many others enthusiastically cutting
the bags into strips. Remember that it
takes anywhere from 300 – 500 milk
bags to make one mattress, so please
continue to collect and send in washed
and dried outer milk bags. Help us in our
efforts to provide clean, dry sleeping
mats for children in Haiti.
SCHOOL SHARELIFE FUNDRAISING
On Friday November 12th the boys’ and girls’
Intermediate volleyball teams participated in a
friendly match against the teachers as a way of
raising money for ShareLife. Intermediate
students who chose to watch the game,
contributed $2. In all, $76.00 was raised for ShareLife.
Baby Guessing Contest
Students are invited to participate in a baby photo
guessing contest. Photos of staff members are posted
outside the library in the glass display case and contest
ballots costing $1 are available from classroom teachers.
The baby contest runs from Wednesday December 1st to
Friday December 10th. Prizes will be given to one student per class
in the Primary division. For the Junior and Intermediate classes, the
class with the most correct guesses will win a Pizza Lunch.
CHRISTMAS SHOEBOX CAMPAIGN
Thank you to everyone who supported our school’s ‘Operation
Christmas Child’ shoebox campaign this year. We are proud to
announce that through the generosity of classes, teachers, individual
students and their families 153 shoeboxes were made and distributed
to various third world countries through Samaritan’s Purse. Our
school community offers great support and thanks to our student
leaders and to Ms. De Simone, Mrs. Hammond, Miss Daly and Mrs.
Bellini-Kavals for their contribution in supporting this very
important event.
POP TABS FOR WHEELCHAIRS
by S. Monid, E.R.W.:
I would like to thank you, the Sts. Martha
& Mary School community, for your
continued collection of pop tabs. With
your help, the Elora Legion Br. 229 and
Cooksville Legion Br. 582, have been
able to purchase 1, 280 wheelchairs for
those in need, since starting the program
in 1989. It’s amazing how, with little
effort, by pulling a tab off of a can, the
difference we can make in someone’s
life. So, keep on pulling; we’re all in this
together!
CHRISTMAS FOOD DRIVE
Through the support of our Student Leaders, we are
hosting a food drive again this year. Nonperishable food items are being collected until
Friday December 10th. Decorated boxes to
collect these items can be found in front of the
Kindergarten classrooms at the entrance of the
school. Items collected as part of our Christmas food drive will be
donated to St. Vincent de Paul society. Our fall collection was a
tremendous success overwhelming the society volunteers who
came to collect the food. Your generosity and message through
action help the students better understand what it means to ‘give’.
INTRAMURAL PROGRAMS
We hope to offer intramural programs to all students during the
winter months, beginning in January. More details will be shared in
upcoming newsletters.
JUNIOR GIRLS and BOYS
VOLLEYBALL TEAMS
Congratulations to both the Junior Girls
and Boys volleyball teams who
finished their season undefeated. On
the court, they showed excellent
teamwork, determination and team
spirit! Both teams advanced on to the
Mississauga East family of schools
tournament held on Wednesday
December 1st at John Cabot Secondary
School.
The Girls’ team advanced on to the
semi-finals in the Family of Schools
tournament and placed 3rd overall.
Boys Team:
Jake
Brenden
Anthony
Ryan
Frank
Matthew
Daniel
Dylan
Caiden
Joseph
Gabriel
Robbie
CURRICULUM
BOOK FAIR
Our Scholastic Book Fair, organized by Ms. De
Simone, our teacher librarian, and her team of
parent volunteers will be offered from December
2nd – 10th. Evening purchases will be available on
Wednesday December 8th. Funds raised will go
toward purchasing new books for the library and school resources.
EXTENDED FRENCH Information and Registration
Information Meeting for Extended French Program (Gr. 5) will be
take place on January 11, 2011 at St. Thomas More School at 7:00
p.m. The deadline for completed applications is Wednesday,
February 9, 2011 at 3:00p.m.
FRENCH IMMERSION
Senior Kindergarten parent(s)/guardian(s) may wish to consider the
French Immersion program as a possibility for Grade 1 in September.
More detailed information will be available at parent/guardian
meeting at St. Gertrude School, 815 Ceremonial Drive,
Mississauga at 7:00 p.m. on January 13, 2011. Completed
applications will be accepted at the French Immersion school office
until February 9, 2011 to a deadline of 2:00 p.m.
SAFE & HEALTHY SCHOOLS
Girls Team:
Kayla
Madelyn
Jessica M.
Amanda
Madison
Jessica C.
Larissa
Danielle
Adriana
Jackie
Sophia
Sara
Thank you to our Coaches:
Miss Addario, Miss Daly,
Miss Di Cesare and Ms. Prajza
INTERMEDIATE BOYS
BASKETBALL
Intermediate boys’ basketball tryouts
will be held on Thursday December 2nd
and Tuesday December 7th. Interested
students should see Ms. De Simone or
Mrs. Ford for permission forms.
HEALTHY SCHOOL
COMMITTEE:
Ms. Rossi, Mrs. Marinuzzo, Miss Addario, Mrs. Maxymiw, Mr.
Mandarino and Mr. Carey are members of our “Healthy School
Committee”. Their mandate is to promote a healthy lifestyle
including activities and nutrition based upon Canada’s food guide.
As a means of promoting positive eating habits, our Healthy School
Committee will be initiating “Fruit Friday” this month. Students are
encouraged to bring fruits and/or vegetables in their lunches. More
information about this new initiative will be provided in the months
ahead.
INDOOR FOOTWEAR REQUESTED
Please ensure that your child keeps a pair of
running shoes or other appropriate footwear at
school so that his/her feet remain dry and clean
at all times. As well, because so many areas of
our schoolyard can be quite muddy at certain
times of the year, this would really help in
keeping mud and dirt out of the classroom.
SAFE ARRIVAL AND
DEPARTURE
Thank you for your efforts in striving
to ensure that our school is a safe
environment during arrival and
dismissal times. Overall, visitors to
our school, driving vehicles onto the
school
grounds,
follow
the
expectations to keep fluid movement
of traffic. However, we would like to
review a few items that require your
attention so that the safety of children
and visitors to our school is not being
compromised.
This is a reminder that the school
Kiss & Ride service is only available
from 8:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. During
this time, teachers are on duty to
support the safe arrival of students.
They provide supervision of students
exiting vehicles and entering the
school property but are not able to
open doors. If your child requires
assistance to unbuckle his/her seatbelt
and/or open a door, please consider
parking along Bough Beeches
Boulevard, just east of the exit
driveway, rather than stopping in the
drive through lanes.
Please note
that the area of Bough Beeches
Boulevard directly in front of the
school is designated as a “no
parking zone” by the City of
Mississauga.
During the noon hour dismissal,
1:00 p.m. arrival times and at 3:30
p.m. dismissal, parents are welcome
to access any available parking spots
in front of the school; however extra
caution is advised due to the high
volume of traffic during these times.
If there are no parking spots available
in front of the school, parents are
asked to park their vehicles on the
street, just east of the school exit and
walk their child to class.
Cars
should not be parked in the
driveways in front of the school
(Drive Thru, Kiss & Ride, Bus
Loading/Designated Fire Route) at
any time. As noted on the posted signage at the
entrance of the school, vehicles parked in the
driveway are parking in a designated Fire Route
and can be towed.
Your continued cooperation in supporting our school parking
expectations is appreciated.
TRANSPORTATION CANCELLATIONS / SCHOOL
CLOSURES
A decision to cancel school transportation and/or
close schools, due to inclement weather, is usually
made by 6:00 AM. Only the Director of
Education has the authority to cancel
transportation and/or close schools. Please listen
for DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD cancellations or closures.
Announcements are made on the following radio stations:
VIRGIN RADIO – 99.9
CJCL – 590 AM
CHIN FM 100.7
CFTR - 680 AM
EZ ROCK 97.3
FM 93.1
CHUM AM 1050
CFNY – FM 102.1
CFRB – AM 1010
FM Z103.5
FM Q 107
CHFI – FM 98.1
CJBC (Fr.) AM 860
AM 640, AM 1540
Announcements are made on the following TV stations:
CITY PULSE
GLOBAL NEWS
CBC
CFTO
BLESSING OF THE NATIVITY SCENE:
Read from the Gospel of Luke 2:1-8
God of every nation and people, from the very beginning of
creation you have made known your love:
When our need for a Saviour was great you sent your Son to be
born of the Virgin Mary.
To our lives he brings joy and peace, justice, mercy, and love.
Lord, bless all who look upon this manger; may it remind us of
the humble birth of Jesus,
and raise up our thoughts to him, who is God-with-us and Saviour
of all,
and who lives and reigns forever and ever.
AMEN.
AFTER HOURS SCHOOL ACCESS
Although
we
appreciate
the
dedication of our students to return to
school to acquire forgotten materials,
we ask your assistance in making this
a rare rather than regular occurrence.
Access to the school at any time is
highly monitored and after school
hours is no exception. Our custodial
staff are directed not to allow students
and parents to enter classrooms for
the purpose of picking up forgotten
books or homework. This is to ensure
the safekeeping of student, teacher
and school property.
In rare
circumstances, where an important
item is needed, please seek the
assistance of the classroom teacher,
the principal or vice-principal for
classroom admittance.
Catholic Ratepayers – Check your
Tax Bill to Ensure Proper Tax
Support
If you are a Catholic ratepayer, we
urge you to check your property tax
bill to ensure that your support is
directed to your local Catholic school
board, in our case, the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board. If
you are a tenant, you can verify your
support by contacting our Admissions
Department at (905) 890-0708,
ext. 24511, 24512, or 24519, or your
local municipal office. By ensuring
that you are accurately recorded as
a Catholic school supporter, you can
help deliver a powerful message to
the government about the level of
support for publically-funded
Catholic education in Ontario. Also,
in order to be eligible to vote for your
local Catholic school board trustee,
you must be registered as a separate
school supporter.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
November 29 – Dec. 10th: Christmas Food Drive
December 2 – 10: Book Fair / Evening purchases on Wed. Dec. 8
December 7: 1 p.m. & 7 p.m. Junior Advent Concert in the gym
December 14: 6:45 p.m. Sts. Martha and Mary Family Advent Mass
December 17: Last day of classes, Christmas Break
December 25: Merry Christmas Everyone!
December 20 – Jan. 2: Christmas Break
January 3: Welcome Back – classes resume
January 11: 7 pm Extended French Meeting for grade 4 students at St.
Thomas More Catholic School
January 13: 7 pm French Immersion Meeting for SK students at St.
Gertrude Catholic School
January 25: School Council 7 pm
February 7: 7 – 9pm Junior & Senior Kindergarten Registration
February 8: 7 – 9 pm Snow Date J.K. Registration
February 9-11: 9-11am; 1-3 pm JK Registration
February 9: French Immersion forms due for parents of SK
February 21: Family Day (no classes)
February 22: School Council 7 pm
March 1: Facebook & Twitter Presentation, 7 – 8:30 at St. Philip
Catholic Elementary School – Parents are welcome to attend.
March 3: Facebook & Twitter Presentation, 7 – 8:30 at St. Edmund
Catholic Elementary School -- Parents are welcome to attend.
March 14-18: March Break
STS. MARTHA & MARY CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE
•
Wednesday December 24th
Weekday Mass - 9:00 a.m.
Vigil of Christmas - 8:00 p.m.
Midnight Mass – 12:00 a.m
•
Thursday December 25th
Christmas Day - 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 11:30
a.m.
•
Sunday December 28th
Holy Family - 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 11:30
a.m.
•
Wednesday December 31st
Weekday Mass – 9:00 a.m.
New Year's Eve Mass - 4:30 p.m.
New Year's Mass - 12:00 a.m.
•
Thursday January 1st
Feast of Our Lady Mother of God - 8:30 a.m.,
10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Confessions:
•
Sat. December 20th – from 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
•
Mon. Dec. 22nd – from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
•
Tues. Dec. 23rd – from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
From the Staff of Sts. Martha and Mary
Catholic School
May your Christmas be of great joy
And may the miracle of Christmas continue to shine within your heart all year.
K.J. Carey
C. Klein
L. Rossi, J. Ford
M. Prajza
T. Crayden, C. Addario
G. Di Cesare, L. Sim, D. Copas, L. Emburgh
C. O’Connell
A. Criminale, M. Mandarino
L. De Simone, C. Godin, L. Ciccolini, B. Massis
A. Loncarich
A. Bellini Kavals, C. Kelemen
F. Mason, T. Jenkins, D. Pozdrowski, S. Monid
M. Maxymiw, D. Boots
A. Slaney, L. Yawney, F. C. Almeida
M. Osmak, A. Daly, F. Sanfilippo, J. Ritchie
K. Hammond, L. Medeiros, M. Marinuzzo, M. Wasserman
Have a Blessed Christmas
and
the most prosperous of New Years.
Blessing of the Nativity Scene
Read from the Gospel of Luke 2:1-8 from the Family Bible.
God of every nation and people, from the very beginning of creation
you have made known your love:
When our need for a Saviour was great you sent your Son to be born of the Virgin Mary.
To our lives he brings joy and peace, justice, mercy, and love.
Lord, bless all who look upon this manger; may it remind us of the humble birth of Jesus,
and raise up our thoughts to him, who is God-with-us and Saviour of all,
and who lives and reigns forever and ever.
AMEN.
Blessing of the Christmas Tree
Read from the Letter of Paul to Titus 3:4-7 from the Family Bible.
Lord our God,
We praise you for the light of creation: the sun, the moon, and the stars of the night.
We praise you for the light of Israel:
the Law, and the prophets, and the wisdom of the Scriptures.
We praise you for Jesus Christ, your Son:
He is Emmanuel, God-with-us, the Prince of Peace, who fills us with the wonder of
your love.
Lord God,
Let your blessing come upon us as we light this tree.
May the light and cheer it gives be a sign of the joy that fills our hearts.
May all who delight in this tree come to the knowledge and joy of salvation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN. [light the tree]
Prayer Before Christmas Dinner
Lord Jesus,
In the peace of this season our spirits are joyful:
We thank you for all you have given us. The gift of life, of family, and friends and food that strengthens
and nourishes us.
You loved us so much that you sent your Son Jesus to become part of our lives, to forgive us and save
us and show us your care for us.
By your coming may the hungry be filled with good things,
and may our table and home be blessed.
Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts,
which we are about to receive from Thy bounty
through Christ our Lord, Amen