MARCH
2011
PRINCIPAL:
K.J. Carey
VICE PRINCIPAL:
C. Klein
SECRETARY:
T. Crayden
SUPERINTENDENT:
C. Blanchard
905-890-1221
www.stsmarthaandmary.org
STS. MARTHA AND MARY
PARISH TEAM:
Fr. E. D’Souza
905-625-5670
STS. MARTHA & MARY
Catholic School
1760 Bough Beeches Blvd., Mississauga, Ontario L4W 2B9
905-624-9625 facsimile 905-624-8089
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
Lent
Sacraments
Honour Roll
School Climate
Survey
Transportation
A LENTEN PRAYER
Good and Gracious God,
You call your people back to You
this Lent.
May this sacred season renew
Our desire to live fully the promises
Of our Baptism and to love You
With a whole heart
Through more frequent prayer,
Acts of charity and fasting,
May we remember that loving You
And one another is the most
Important thing we can do.
In confidence, we ask these things
Through Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Saviour.
Amen.
FAITH LIFE
VIRTUES
This month we will celebrate the
virtue of kindness. God has given us
the gifts of friends and companions to
keep us company and to help us out
along the way. Every person carries
the Spirit of God – and so every
person is our brother or sister through
Jesus Christ.
As brothers and sisters who share one
Holy Spirit, we are all valuable to
God. We all deserve to be shown
concern for our welfare and our
feelings. We have all been given the
fruit of the Spirit called kindness.
Kindness can only be seen through
actions. It’s not enough to say I will
be kind or I am kind. We must show
that we are kind by our words and our
deeds.
Through prayer and concentration,
we can get better at showing kindness
to everyone we meet.
A Kind Person…
• Says nice things about others so
they feel good about themselves
• Sticks up for people who are
picked on or need help
• Refuses to join others who are
insulting, intimidating, mean or
hurtful
• Watches and looks for ways to
help those in need
LENT IN A CATHOLIC SCHOOL
As Catholics we begin to observe
Lent, the forty-day period before
Easter that begins this year, on Ash
Wednesday, March 9, 2011.
During Lent we imitate Jesus, who
spent forty days in the desert in
prayer and fasting before beginning
His public ministry. Observing Lent
helps to cultivate the spiritual
discipline of making personal
sacrifices, reminding us of the
importance of spiritual truths over earthly goods.
As we approach Easter, it is fitting that we meditate on the serious
subject of the sacrifice that Jesus made to save us from eternal
death and separation from God. He willingly and single-mindedly
embarked on His mission to teach the Good News and to die on
the cross as the ultimate and lasting sacrifice for our sins – the
sacrifice that God required.
This may be a good time to think about the blessings we have and
about the frivolous things we tend to hold onto. It may be a good
time to give up something we enjoy as a reminder of the true
meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice. We can also think of a Lenten
promise we wish to make. Most of all, we can strive to do good to
others as Jesus did to the many people He met along His journey.
It seems that God is more interested in a sacrifice of the heart than
in the things you give up for Lent. Let us find out more about
what is right in God’s eyes, by reading the Bible regularly,
especially with our children.
LENTEN JOURNEY… Things You Can Do In Your Home
Or With Your Family:
•
•
•
•
•
Pray the Stations of the Cross
Read, meditate, contemplate or pray
Perform an act of mercy, try and make it an
unexpected one; also try to do this every day
of Lent
Attend mass on Sunday
Be kind and think, what would Jesus do
(WWJD)? Try this:
Put five pennies in one pocket and try to compliment five
people during the day, and as you do this transfer one of
the pennies to your other pocket.
CONFIRMATION
Grade Eight Confirmation will be held on Sunday May 29, 2011
at 2:00 p.m., at Sts. Martha and Mary Church. Further
information will be forwarded from the Parish.
FIRST COMMUNION
Our Grade Two students are busily preparing
to receive the Sacrament of First Eucharist
on Sunday May 1, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. The
entire school community offers our prayers
and encouragement as these children further
prepare themselves to join our faith
community at Christ’s table through the Sacrament of the First
Eucharist. Please remember each of our Grade Two children and
pray for them as they come to know and understand the
compassion and love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY, CULTURE and CARING
SHARELIFE PRIZE DONATIONS
A community fundraiser is being
planned during the month of April to
raise money for ShareLife. Raffle
prize donations will gladly be
accepted. Your assistance in making
this fundraiser for such a worthy
cause a success, is appreciated.
ROSARY CLUB
The Rosary Club began
the week of February 14th
and will continue every
Thursday at 12:20 p.m.
until May. All students are welcome
to attend. Thank you to Mrs. Godin,
Mrs. O’Connell and volunteer, Mrs.
Hansford, for your guidance,
organization and leadership.
MARLIES ANTI-BULLYING
PRESENTATION
On Friday February
25th, Duke the Dog,
the Marlies’ mascot,
John Bartlet, the host
and voice of the Marlies and Toronto
Marlies players, Simon Gysbers and
Christian Hanson, joined our school
community for a fun-filled
presentation, focusing on the topic of
bullying. Simon Gyshers and
Christian Hanson shared information
about their hockey backgrounds and
thoughts about bullying with
students. The assembly ended in a
friendly “trivia pursuit” style
competition with students about
information shared during the
assembly. Students who successfully
answered questions received a
Marlies gift bag filled with a Marlies
t-shirt, photo frame and souvenir
hockey stick. Students were
encouraged to always tell a trusted
adult if they think they are being
bullied. Thank you to Mr.
Christopoulos, School Council parent
representative for facilitating this
enjoyable event.
EASTER FOOD DRIVE
We will be providing you with more information
regarding our school’s Easter food drive in the
April newsletter.
THE INTERNET and THE LAW WITH: ERIC ROHER,
LAWYER AND COUNSEL TO THE BOARD
Come and listen to an INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION
regarding BULLYING and the INTERNET. INTERNET
HARASSMENT and the LAW. Hear important information
which will enlighten you to the dangers of the internet and
the legal implications of inappropriate use. A wonderful
opportunity to receive valuable insights which may assist
you to better understand the immense power of electronic
communication and implications for your child(ren).
Thursday, March 3, 2011
St. Aloysius Gonzaga
2800 Erin Centre Blvd., Mississauga
7p.m.
All are welcome; plan to attend!
If You Plan To Attend, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE.
INTERNET SAFETY
We are asking all parents to be aware of what
their children are doing on the internet and
make sure their sons’ or daughters’ activities on
the internet are completely appropriate. It
would be helpful to know your son’s or daughter’s email address,
log on names and passwords. Make regular checks, look at the
computer screen and make sure the computer is set up in an area
that is frequently supervised by an adult.
SAFE PLAY
All students are consistently reminded of the safe
play expectations within the school and outside.
This is especially important on days when the
field is out of bounds and the play area is limited to the pavement.
On these days we ask that students play only with tennis balls or
with small utility balls. Footballs are allowed only in the field.
Body contact activities, shoving and pushing are not acceptable
behaviours at school. We applaud those who play appropriately
and safely. Thank you to the students who also remember to stay
clear of the side doors as well as the garbage bins while they are
outside at recess. Safe play is everybody’s business.
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY, CULTURE and CARING
SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY to students, in Grades 4 to 12:
Refer to the letter included in this newsletter.
AROUND THE HALLS
PUBLIC SPEAKING
During second term, our Intermediate
students were involved in public
speaking presentations.
A formal public speaking contest was
held for Grade 7 and 8 students on
February 16, 2011. Our finalists
were:
3rd Alexandra C. (Grade 7)
2nd Meagan (Grade 7)
1st Michael (Grade 8)
Michael represented Sts.
Martha and Mary School at the Royal
Canadian Legion Public Speaking
Competition on February 27, 2011
and took third prize in the
competition. It takes many hours of
research, writing and practice to make
this event so successful. Thank you
to all students and teachers for your
extra efforts in support of the public
speaking competition.
CHESS TOURNAMENT
Our school was well represented by
both our Junior and Intermediate
Chess teams at a Board Chess
Tournament on Saturday, February
26, 2011 at St. Faustina School.
The members of the Junior Chess
team are:
Elvis
Dayton
Bradley
Gabriel
The members of the Intermediate
Chess team are:
Marius
Noreen
Austin
Sarah
Many thanks to Mr. Mandarino for
your guidance and leadership.
INTERMEDIATE GIRLS
SOCCER
Try-outs for the Intermediate Girls
Soccer team will take place during
the week of March 7th. Miss Addario
and Miss Daly look forward to
coaching the team.
HONOUR ROLL:
Congratulations to all students for the many academic
achievements of first term. The following students in Grades 7
and 8 have been recognized for their overall average of 80% or
more first term:
Grade 7
David A.
Bruno A.
Paul A.
Emily A.
Alexandra C.
Melanie C.
Dana C.
Bianca F.
Alyssa H.
Samantha N.
Meagan P.
Rachel R.
Victoria S.
Alexander S.
Shannon S.
Amanda S.
Joshua W.
Grade8
Stephanie B.
Alyssa B.
Alexa B.
Marina D.
Claudia E.
Daniel F.
Adrian F.
Sarah G.
Monika I.
Chantal M.
Benjamin M.
Julia M.
Callan N.
Tate P.
Tyler P.
Noreen S.
Samantha S.
Marius S.
INTERMEDIATE GIRLS BASKETBALL
Our intermediate girls basketball team finished their
league game season undefeated and went on to win the
Gold Medal at the Mississauga East Family of Schools
tournament on Wednesday, February 23, 2011.
Congratulations to our team:
Stephanie B.
Claudia E.
Tate P.
Bianca F.
Paula B.
Callan N.
Samantha S.
Cassandra R.
Pam B.
Abby O.
Alex C.
Dana C.
We wish them all the best as they go forward to compete in the
Board Finals on Monday February 28, 2011. Thank you to our
coaches of the Intermediate Girls’ Basketball teams, Mrs. Ford
and Ms. De Simone.
INTERMEDIATE INTRAMURALS
Thank you to all intermediate students who participated in this
year’s “Scooter Board Soccer Intramural Program”. The students
showed great sportsmanship and most importantly had fun! The
semi-finals were held on Wednesday, February 23rd with all 4
teams playing against each other one more time. The top 2 teams
advanced to the Finals, on Monday, February 28, 2011.
Congratulations to all the players and a big thank you for coming
out and showing your Maverick Spirit.
Our junior students look forward to participating in European
handball intramurals in March. Once again, thank you to all of
our teachers for volunteering their time to supervise students over
the lunch hour. Also, sincere appreciation to our teacher
organizers: Ms. Addario, Ms. Daly and Ms. Prajza.
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL
HERITAGE
Was there opposition to
separate schools before
Confederation?
Yes, as now, there were advocates of
one school system. Protestant
spokespersons believed in the
adequacy of the common (now
public) school’s basic nondenominational Christianity, which
constituted an important element of
the common school’s religion lessons
and their readers. They held that
beliefs specific to certain religions
should be taught in the churches and
homes.
ALL
STAR
READING
PROGRAM
All Star Reading is an
exciting component of
our reading program
where students work on targeted
reading strategies with coaches 1 – 3
sessions per week. Our Grade 2 All
Star Reading Program concluded this
month and our Grade 1 Program will
begin in March.
Thank you to our All Star Reading
Coaches: Mrs. Brenzavich, Mrs. Folk
and Mrs. Toteda.
VOLUNTEERS AND CRIMINAL
REFERENCE CHECKS
The school community has been
blessed by the kindness and generosity
of many volunteers. If you are working
directly with children, you must
complete a volunteer criminal reference
check. Forms are available at the
office, and take about 6 – 8 weeks to
process at the Peel Police Department.
If you already have completed the CRC
(criminal reference check) and have it
on file at our school office, you must
sign an annual declaration form each
year, which you can obtain from Mrs.
Crayden at the office. Please do not
hesitate to contact Ms. Klein, our Vice
Principal, if you have any further
questions.
EQAO UPDATE
This year the EQAO assessment will take place between May 30th
and June 10th for students in grade 3 and grade 6. Kindly avoid
booking dental, doctor appointments or vacations during this
time. The actual test will take three days to administer. Visit
DPCDSB on the web for Board and School profiles:
http://www.dpcdsb.org/EQAO
SCHOOL SIBLING/SPRING
PHOTO
Edge Imaging Photography will be
returning to Sts. Martha & Mary School
on Friday March 25th, to offer an
opportunity for siblings in the school to have a photo taken
together. Similar to the fall, photos will be sent home with the
option for parents to order copies. It is hoped that the spring
photos will be processed in time for Easter.
DATES TO REMEMBER
March 1: Facebook & Twitter Presentation, 7 – 8:30 at St. Philip
Catholic Elementary School
March 3: Facebook & Twitter Presentation, 7 – 8:30 at St.
Edmund Catholic Elementary School
March 3: Internet and the Law at St. Aloysius Gonzaga, 7 p.m.
March 7 – 11: Intermediate Girls Soccer Team Try-outs
March 8: Shrove Tuesday
March 9: Ash Wednesday Liturgy and distribution of ashes Lent begins.
March 14-18: March Break
March 31: Parish/School Symposium at John Paul II Centre
April 5: Sacrament of Reconciliation at the church; 7:00 p.m.
April 21:
April 22
April 24:
April 25:
March 21:
March 25:
March 31:
Holy Thursday Stations of the Cross
Good Friday
Easter Sunday
Easter Monday
Ms. Ciccolini’s class at Silvercreek (re-scheduled)
School Sibling/Spring Photos
“Infinitus” Instrumental Music Presentation for
Grades 4 – 8 students in the afternoon
April 26:
School Council 7 p.m.
April 27;
Grade 2’s visit Sts. Martha and Mary Church
April 29:
Easter Liturgy of Celebration 10:00a.m.
May 2-6:
Catholic Education Week
May 1:
First Communion 2:00 p.m.
May 23
Victoria Day – statutory holiday
May 29:
Confirmation 2:00 p.m.
May 30-June 10
EQAO, Grades 3 and 6
June 12
Pentecost
June 28:
Grade 8 Graduation
SCHOOL COUNCIL CORNER
PIZZA DAY UPDATE
The new School Food and Beverage
Policy that was discussed in the
February’s “School Council Corner”
has meant that there have been some
changes to our pizza day offerings.
The Dietitian that has been actively
involved in helping us implement
changes has confirmed that the
current school practice of having our
pizzas cut into 6 slices is noncompliant, due to the size of the slices
and therefore, we must adjust our
sizing to 8 slices per pizza. This
change is required in order to comply
to the new governmental standards
relating to school nutrition. School
council has decided to maintain the
current cost of $2.00 per slice this
year as these proceeds are extremely
important to our ongoing fundraising
efforts at the school. We would like
to remind parents that although the
pizza slices are nominally smaller, the
support that the school community
provides to pizza days is vital to
maintaining the initiatives that we are
able to fund! Please continue to
support this very important
fundraising effort for the school!
REMINDER OF DATES FOR
UPCOMING PRO GRANT
SEMINAR:
School Council would like to remind
everyone of the Kidproof Canada and
the Nutrition seminars that have been
arranged through the Pro Grant
initiative this year. Please mark your
calendars to attend either or both of
these educational sessions on April
19th and May 18th. You are welcome
to invite a neighbour, family member
or friend to join you! These free
sessions will be held in the school
gymnasium and each will last
approximately 1.5 hours starting at
6:30 p.m. Refreshments will be
available to all and books will be
raffled off at both events.
“THE SECRET LIFE OF SUGAR” SEMINAR:
Date: TUESDAY APRIL 19, 2011 AT 7PM
KIDPROOF CANADA presents “PROTECTING YOUR
KIDS ONLINE: From Street Savvy to Internet Savvy”
Date: WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2011 AT 7PM
MARLIES DAY AND FAMILY FUN SKATE
The Toronto Marlies hockey game and family skate, which took
place on Saturday Feb 26, 2011, was a great success again this
year, with a number of students, families, staff and friends in
attendance. We would like to acknowledge and thank, School
Council parent representative, Jim Christopoulos, for organizing
this fun event.
NUTRITON NUGGETS
Nutrition Nuggets is written by Andrea Olynyk, Registered Dietitian
and Professor of Nutrition at the University of Guelph. Andrea is a
School Council member devoted to promoting community nutrition
and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
In the last newsletter, the role nutrition plays in academic
performance was discussed in Nutrition Nuggets. In this month’s
segment, I turn your attention specifically to the role that Omega 3
fatty acids have on mental development in children. The internet is
riddled with ads touting the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids. But did
you know that not all O3s are created equally? In fact, there are 3
different types of Omega 3 fatty acids of importance – EPA
(eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (decosahexaenoic acid) and ALA
(alpha linolenic acid). EPA and DHA are ONLY available in certain
fatty fish and are the ones that Canadians are routinely lacking in
their diet. These are the Omega 3s that are of importance to a child’s
mental and visual development, to an adult’s continued mental acuity
and to our heart health. Unfortunately, most Canadians don’t
consume the two 3oz (100g) servings of Omega 3 rich salmon, trout,
mackerel, herring, sardines or anchovies that are required weekly to
maintain adequate blood levels of these important nutrients.
Contrary to popular belief, tuna is not a good source of EPA and
DHA, and varieties like Albacore tuna also contain high levels of
mercury and are therefore not routinely recommended as a weekly
addition to one’s diet. Also, be mindful that nutrition labels sporting
the claim “Contains Omega 3 Fatty Acids”, don’t mean that the
product contains EPA and DHA. Most processed foods with this
claim have added Omega 3’s are in the form of ALA, which are
readily found in most everyone’s diet without supplementation
required! We get ALAs from walnuts, flax seed, canola, soybean,
hemp and safflower oil along with small amounts in many other
foods that are common to the North American diet.
Please plan to attend our NEXT COUNCIL MEETING on:
April 26th at 7 p.m. in the Library Resource Centre.
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s Catholic School Climate Survey
“Love one another as I have loved you”
John 15:12
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
The Ontario Ministry of Education focus on Safe Schools, Positive School Climate and its Equity and Inclusive Education
Strategy require that all schools across the province implement a School Climate Survey for students every two years.
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board finds its direction and educational mission in the teachings of Christ as
revealed through Scripture, Church Tradition, and Church Teaching. The board and its school communities are comprised
of a faith-centred Eucharistic people who strive to form communities of learning that are Christ-centred, inclusive and
reflective of a culture that respects and cherishes life for all. As a Catholic school board, Dufferin-Peel has applied its
distinctive Catholic lens to the Ministry of Education’s pillar: Community, Culture and Caring. A key part of this pillar,
intended to meet provincial requirements, is the development and implementation of the Catholic Community Culture and
Caring School Climate Survey.
Beginning in March 2011, and in support of the board’s Safe, Caring, Inclusive and Healthy School Communities’
initiative, Dufferin-Peel will be administering its Catholic Community Culture and Caring School Climate Survey to
students, as appropriate, in Grades 4 to 12. The data from this survey will allow our school to understand the school
climate from the students’ perspectives.
The survey is confidential and anonymous in nature. The estimated time required to complete the survey is approximately
20 - 30 minutes; for students who may require additional time, it will be provided accordingly. The survey is computerbased and contains questions about students’ general information (i.e., school name, grade, gender, years at the school),
general safety and inclusion (i.e., feeling safe, concerns, feeling welcome and included, etc.), general school climate (i.e.,
friendly, accessible, inclusive, etc.), and will provide opportunities to identify bullying concerns and/or pro-active
supports in bullying prevention.
The survey may provide opportunities for conversation with your son(s)/daughter(s) regarding his/her/their feelings of
inclusivity and well-being. We invite you to communicate any questions, concerns and/or supportive comments to us at
the school in order that our community may continue to work together to address any issues. If you have any additional
questions, concerns, or general comments, please feel free to discuss these with your son/daughter’s teacher(s) and/or the
school administrative team.
Thank you for your continued collaboration in helping to ensure that our students feel a sense of safety and belonging, in
support of improved student achievement and well-being.
Sincerely,
K.J. Carey
Principal
INTEGRATED RIDERSHIP – SCHOOL NEWSLETTERS
The school board’s bus transportation services are operated by Student Transportation of Peel Region
(STOPR). This is a consortium, or partnership, between the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
and the Peel District School Board. The Ministry of Education requires school board bus transportation
consortiums to improve efficiency.
One initiative promoted by the Ministry of Education, that is designed to improve efficiency is known as
integrated ridership. In integrated ridership, students from both Dufferin-Peel and Peel schools will ride on
the same buses, where feasible. A number of school boards across the province have successfully
implemented integrated ridership. All eligible students continue to be transported on runs where integrated
ridership is implemented.
Integrated ridership is designed to create a more effective and efficient operation of service, is more
environmentally friendly and reduces traffic in our communities. Integrated ridership may also result in
higher transportation funding levels for school boards.
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has approved the implementation of integrated ridership,
where feasible, starting September, 2011. Integrated ridership works best in situations where schools are
located close to one another and the number of students involved helps achieve better organized bus runs.
STOPR staff is currently assessing areas where integrated ridership would work best.
Some minor
adjustments to start and dismissal times may be required at schools selected for integrated ridership. It
should be noted that integrated ridership does not work well in all areas and, as a result, there may be only a
few areas that will have this program.
STOPR is also in the process of revising policies and procedures to reflect integrated ridership services at
some schools. For example, procedures related to behavioural issues on buses have been reviewed and
principals will continue to be responsible for students from their school.
STOPR will provide additional information regarding the selection of schools where integrated ridership will
be implemented. STOPR will keep you informed through regular updates in school newsletters over the
upcoming months.