May 2011 PRINCIPAL: K.J. Carey VICE PRINCIPAL: C. Klein SECRETARY: T. Crayden SUPERINTENDENT: C. Blanchard 905-890-1221 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 Education Week Class Lists 2011-2012 Sports Canadian Physically Active Guidelines STS. MARTHA & MARY Catholic School 1760 Bough Beeches Blvd., Mississauga, Ontario L4W 2B9 905-624-9625 Mary the Mother of God – The Gospel of Life O Mary, Bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life; look down, O Mother, upon us in your glory. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to praise and glory of God, the creator and lover of life. Amen. FAITH LIFE VIRTUE OF ACCEPTANCE One of the great wonders of the world we live in is that no two people are exactly alike. We may share biological families or national identity or cultural and ethnic identity but we are all very unique and distinct creations. God breaks the mold every time, and that is a fantastic fact of life! It can also be a challenging fact of life if it makes us afraid. Sometimes differences are scary – especially if we haven’t learned about or don’t understand how people are different. The virtue of acceptance describes our ability to look at the attitudes and actions of those around us and then just stop and consider without making judgments. The virtue of acceptance means that we look beyond what we see; a person’s skin colour, ethnic background, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, and see a person created and loved by God. An accepting person… • • • • • Is friendly and open to all God’s people, regardless of age, beliefs, gender, culture or ability Sees the positive traits in all people even if she/he disagrees with them Avoids judging or stereotyping others Understands that there may be more than one way to do things Sticks up for the ‘underdog’ SUMMER READ BOOK FAIR In the hopes of supporting your summer reading our teacher librarian, Ms. De Simone will be holding a Summer Read Book Fair. Students can purchase books during the weeks of June 1 to June 10, or on the evening of Wednesday, June 8 from 3:30 to 8:00 p.m. The proceeds of this book fair will be donated to our Change for Change Program; specifically to provide a much needed water filtration system in Africa. FIRST EUCHARIST We are very proud of our grade two students who received their First Holy Communion on Sunday, May 1, 2011, at Sts. Martha and Mary Church. They have been busily preparing to enter into this sacrament through study, a visit to the church and through song practice. The celebration of the Eucharist was both a happy and holy event. May the many blessings you receive through the Eucharist enrich you forever boys and girls! CONFIRMATION Congratulations to our grade eight confirmandi who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. It is with great pride that family, staff and friends will join together to witness this very important rite of passage. We celebrate with each new confirmandi as they begin their journey into a full communion with the Church and become disciples of the Good News of Jesus Christ. CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK Catholic Education Week is being celebrated from May 2– May 6, 2011. During this week the Catholic community celebrates the unique and distinctive contribution that Catholic schools make to our students, our community and our province. Catholic Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the Mission of our Catholic schools as they strive to integrate the Gospel values of Jesus Christ in every aspect of the school’s life and curriculum. This year’s theme is “Celebrating the Spirit” Five sub-themes, one for each of the five days of Catholic Education Week 2011, helps students to understand the rich meaning of this year’s theme: Day 1… The Spirit of Hospitality Day 2… The Spirit of Understanding Day 3… The Spirit of Wisdom Day 4… The Spirit of Justice Day 5… The Spirit of Gratitude VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION The staff, students and School Council of Sts. Martha and Mary school would like to show our appreciation for all the support we have received throughout the year from all of our volunteers. If you have volunteered any time this year, we would like you to join us for a reception on May 24, 2011 in the gymnasium from 2 – 3:30 p.m.; invitation to follow. PROGRAM EQAO ASSESSMENTS The grade three and six students of Sts. Martha and Mary School continue to prepare for the EQAO assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics. The grade three students will write the test the week of May 30 - June 3 and grade six students will write during the week of June 6 - 10. The results of these tests will be received in the fall of 2011. How to prepare your child for the test? It is very important that you take the time to talk to your child and help reduce the anxiety related to any type of testing situation. You should also be sure that your child has enough sleep, eats a nutritious breakfast and is well hydrated. It is important that if your child is in grade three or six that they be in full attendance during the assessment. GRADE 7 AND 8 SUMMER SCHOOL Summer school is available to grade seven and eight students as recommended by the principal. Summer school will be held for remedial literacy, numeracy and ESL. There is no cost for this program. Classes run from July 4 to July 22, 2011. Hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Busing is provided at home school pick up points. The deadline for applications is Friday May 27, 2011. Classes are being held at Metropolitan Andrei School. Further summer school information is available through your child’s teacher. SUMMER LITERACY CAMP Application forms for Summer Literacy Camp for Senior Kindergarten to grade six students are due Friday May 27, 2011. Enrolment is for either two or four weeks for a fee. Hours will be 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Four week program July 4-29; two week program either July 4-15 or July 18-29th. No transportation is provided. Contact your child’s teacher to discuss this possibility for your child and to obtain an application form. SCHOOL ORGANIZATION FOR SEPTEMBER 2011 The staff of Sts. Martha and Mary School will meet over the next few weeks to discuss class placements for September 2011. When determining placement, some of the criteria we consider are: academic ability, work habits, study skills, maturity, social factors and placement history. Due to our size, we are limited in our placement options. When more than one class per grade exists, we strive to create a balance of gender, ability and behavioural needs. Since you know your child best, we always appreciate your input concerning any special needs your child(ren) may have. With this in mind, we ask that if you have feedback for us, please provide it to us in writing. We ask that you submit your feedback to the principal by Friday, May 13, 2011. In your letter please include your child’s strengths, needs and a description of their learning style including the type of learning environment that would provide your child with the most success. Please do not make specific requests for a teacher as current and tentative assignments may change between now and September. When staff meet they will take into consideration the overall needs of the students in relation to the make-up of the class. They will also take into consideration any parental feedback they have received. It is not always possible, given the variables that go into devising a class, to accommodate all parental requests. Wherever possible we will meet requests, but the final decision rests with the principal and the teaching staff. COMBINED CLASSES As the population of Sts. Martha and Mary declines, combined grades will become a necessary reality at our school. This is a reality in many of the schools in the eastern area of Mississauga. As teachers prepare class lists they consider many factors, such as the learning styles of students, a balance of abilities and class culture. Being in a combined grade is in no way prejudicial to a child’s education. Within Ontario all schools are bound by a strict teacher pupil ratio. This will be particularly evident as we strive to meet the hard cap of 20:1 in the primary grades and the guidelines of 25:1 in grades four to eight. Until we finalize our enrolment in September, all class arrangements and teacher placements will be tentative. CO-CURRICULAR TRACK AND FIELD DAY As has been our recent tradition, a track and field day will be held on May 5, 2011. (Rain date May 12th) During this event, all grades 4 – 8 students will have an opportunity to compete in up to three events. Our track and field team will be selected based upon top competitors from each event. Practices will be held before and after school during the months of May and June in preparation for the family and board meets. Team members should mark June 16, 2011 on their calendars as this is the date for the Mississauga East Track and Field meet at St. Marcellinus Secondary School. We extend our appreciation to Ms. Loncarich and Mrs. Hammond for organizing this event and also thank the many coaches who have volunteered their time to train our many participants. INTERMEDIATE BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ SOCCER The intermediate soccer teams are preparing for a short but competitive season. As always, Sts. Martha and Mary is proud of the great sportsmanship, skill and determination that have been shown both on and off the field. We extend our thanks to our coaches Mr. Mandarino, Ms. Addario and Mlle Daly and the many supportive parents who cheer on our teams and assist with transportation. Mississauga East Family of Schools tournaments were held April 27 and 28th. INTRAMURAL LEAGUES The Winter Intramural Leagues wrapped up on Friday April 8th, after 3 successful months of league play. Our Primary students enjoyed participating in beach volleyball in January, our Intermediate students had great fun playing scooter board soccer in February and our Junior students enjoyed playing European handball in March and early April. Thank you to Ms. Prajza, Ms. Addario, and Mlle Daly for their organization and support! Girls’ Team: Abigail, Bianca, Chantal, Claudia, Cassandra, Juliana, Marina, Pamela, Paula, Samantha, Stephanie, and Tate, Emily CHESS TEAM The Mississauga East Chess Tournament was held at Corpus Christi School on April 12th. Both Junior and Intermediate teams made it to the quarter finals. Congratulations to our Junior Team: Adam, Bradley, Daniel, Dayton, Elvis and Gabriel. As well, congratulations to our Intermediate Team: Audrey, Austin, Ben, David, Julia and Marius. Also, thank you to Mr. Mandarino for his coaching! The Intermediate Girls’ Indoor Soccer Team participated in the “Remember the Titans Tournament” on Wednesday April 27th. They finished 2nd out of 32 teams who entered the tournament. The Intermediate Boys’ Indoor Soccer Team finished third in their division, one goal away from a quarter final birth,on Thursday April 28th. Outdoor tournaments are on May 25th and 27th. Boys’ Team: Adrian F., Daniel D., Daniel F., Domenic T., Jacob, Marcello, Max B., Michael T., Michael B., Nicholas M., Nicholas S., Ryan M., Shaun, Steven S., Tyler P. GO MAVERICKS! JUNIOR BASKETBALL 2011 Many thanks to our coaches: Ms. De Simone and Mrs. Ford (Junior Girls’ Team), Ms. Daly and Ms. Addario (Junior Boys’ Team) Dribble! Shoot! Score! Congratulations to the Junior Girls’ and Boys' teams for representing Sts. Martha and Mary School with great sportsmanship and enthusiasm. The girls and boys improved their skills during the course of their short but exciting season. Thanks to our supportive fans. We are very proud of our students. Junior Girls Vanja B., Katelyn Z., Jessica M., Gabrielle K., Adriana M., Erin C., Sara V. Madelyn J., Jordan H., Olivia B. and Amanda A. Jackie E. Junior Boys Sal, Dylan, Daniel, Alexey, Matthew C., Matthew V., Jake, Ryan, Elvis, Matthew CATHOLIC COMMUNITY, CULTURE and CARING SAFE SC SHARELIFE SPIRIT WEEK Our ShareLife Spirit Week during the week of April 11 – 15 was a great success! The students participated in Crazy Day, Gum Chewing Day, Pajama Day, Movie Day and an Intermediate student dance. The response from students and parents was greatly appreciated. The ShareLife raffle continues until Friday May 6th. Tickets are available at the front office or through the ERW Department at a cost of 1 for $2.00, 3 for $5.00 or 7 for $10.00 CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK COMMUNITY MASS For the second year in a row, our school began Catholic Education Week by celebrating mass as a community, along with St. Alfred School, at Sts. Martha & Mary Church. Thank you to our music directors, Mrs. Ciccolini, Ms. Loncarich and Ms. Medeiros and our faith ambassadors, Mrs. Monid and Ms. Prajza for assisting in the organization of the mass. EARTH DAY ART CONTEST NEWS! Earth Day was a huge success at Sts. Martha & Mary School, on April 21st! Many students and classes participated in the Earth Day challenges throughout the week and the Earth Day Art Contest. The Earth Day Art Contest results are in and are based on the criteria of using recycled material in a creative way. Although this was an extremely tough decision, the winners are: 3rd place is awarded to two participants – Angelica in Grade 2 for her mini-robot and Erin C. in Grade 6 for her beautiful cross. We were so pleased to have many of our parents, family members and friends join us in this beautiful celebration of our faith on May 2nd, the first day of Catholic Education Week! POP TAB COLLECTION: (from Mrs. Monid) If you drink a pop, give us the top and give a tab … It makes a difference. Did you know that it takes approximately 1000 tabs, depending on the type of chair, to cover the cost of a wheelchair? Please continue to collect the tabs. When you have a bag, bring it to the ERW office and deposit your tabs in the official bucket. 3rd Place 2nd place goes to Mrs. Maxymiw’s Grade 7 class for their life size robot and pet dog. 2nd Place And 1st place goes to … Jackie, Cameron, and Matthew L. for their recycling station. A special mention goes out to the bird house and the plant garden. Very creative! 1st Place Thank you to all the students who participated in this year’s contest. It was a great success. Your creativity and efforts were well displayed. Also, we extend our thanks to Ms. Addario and Ms. Daly for organizing such a wonderful event. SAFE SCHOOLS SAFE SC R.A.I.D. Over the months of April and May, our Grade 6 students are participating in a Drug Education Program called R.A.I.D. (Reduce Abuse in Drugs). The seven week program was created through the Peel Regional Police, in conjunction with the Board of Education. We welcome Constable Gibbs to our school who teaches the program every Tuesday morning. WARM WEATHER DRESS We would like our students to be neat, clean and comfortable for learning. Students are expected to dress in a manner and attire suitable for the occasion, and appropriate to the school environment. Boys must wear full-length t-shirts with a sleeve. Girls are not to wear anything strapless or have bare midriffs. Tank tops and crop tops are not acceptable nor are very short shorts. Shirts with offensive language or pictures are not allowed. This directive is addressed more toward junior and intermediate students. A little more latitude is given to younger students. If students do not adhere to these guidelines, parents will be called and/or alternative attire will be provided. We trust you will assist us in maintaining a sense of dignity with respect to the clothes that are worn to school. Running shoes are best for outdoors. ‘Flip Flop’ style shoe is not permitted. The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has a Scent Sensitivity Awareness Campaign called We Share the Air. If you are sensitive to the scents within the school environment, you are not alone. Do not suffer in silence, tell someone; a friend, your teacher, your principal. For more information about scent sensitivity, visit www.dpcdsb.org and click on ACCESS Dufferin-Peel. PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES (PEDs) ON SCHOOL PROPERTY As part of our efforts to promote and maintain a positive Catholic climate in our schools, the board adheres to a policy regarding Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) on school property. In this regard, all PEDs must be kept out of sight, turned off and not used within school premises or during school-sanctioned activities To prevent the loss or damage of PEDs, we encourage students to leave their PEDs at home as the school can not be responsible for their safe keeping. INTERNET SAFETY/VIDEO GAMES As parents you are encouraged to be vigilant about your child’s use of the computer. Many of the students are using “Face Book” “Hotmail” “Blogs” and “MSN”. It is important that you be aware of the messages your child may be sending or receiving. Some of the communication is inappropriate as are the names being used. Please discuss this very important issue with your child(ren). Many of the video games being played by our children are too violent and have an “R” rating. The Minister of Education calls this disturbing and distasteful. Also, in light of the many abductions of children via the internet we remind you to be fully aware of what your child(ren) is/are doing on the computer. Always be aware of whom your children are associating with and where they are at all times. SAFETY FIRST Please review the following Safe School Procedures to help us provide a safe learning environment for your children. 1. The school day begins at 9:00 a.m. Supervision begins at 8:45a.m. Children should arrive no earlier that 8:45 a.m. 2. If early dismissal is needed, parents/guardians are asked to pick up children at the main office and sign them out. 3. If students are arriving late due to an appointment etc… they must sign in at the office and acquire a late slip. 4. All absences must be called in to the school’s attendance line 905-624-9625 ext. 1. 5. All parents and visitors must sign in at the office and attain a visitor’s pass. Please wait in the office for school personnel to meet you. All school volunteers have a volunteer identification badge that must be worn whenever they are in the building. 6. Parents/(drivers) must never park in the driveway of the school or leave vehicle unattended as this is a fire route drivers could face municipal violation. Please use available parking spots or park on Bough Beeches rather than in the lanes currently used for buses or Kiss and Ride. A Gift of Kindness, Twice as Nice... You can double the impact of your generosity Contributions to ShareLife can have a bigger impact than ever this year through the ShareLife Community Challenge! A generous donor has pledged to match all new and increased gifts to the 2011 ShareLife campaign, up to a total of $500,000.00. This gift applies to our school fundraising efforts as well. If you are a new ShareLife donor, your gift will be doubled. If you have given in the past but didn’t contribute in 2010, your gift will be doubled this year. If you’re a regular ShareLife donor and you increase your gift from the amount contributed last year, the increase of your gift will be matched as well. Whether you contribute at the parish, online, or through our school ShareLife fundraising activities, the impact of your gift will be maximized in a special way this year. For more information, visit www.sharelife.org. You can work WONDERS! OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL HERITAGE How did the Ontario government solve separate school financial inequity? In 1990, the Supreme Court of Canada judged that the Canadian Constitution’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms entitles Francophones, where numbers warrant, to their own school boards. Frenchlanguage district school boards and French-language Catholic district school boards were created. Consequently, Ontario then had 4 school systems. Three of them – the English-language Catholic district school board, the French-language Catholic district school board and the French-language district school board – had very little access to corporate assessment. One of them – the English-language district school board – possessed most of the province’s corporate assessment and therefore, ability to spend much more than their counterparts on education. Faced with this inequity and a court challenge it was convinced it would lose, the government took the only logical and fair step. It abolished the power of all school boards to tax and took over all education funding. Now each pupil, no matter which type of school he or she attends, receives the same per-pupil funding from the government. After 150 year of sacrifice and hardship, Catholic school boards achieved financial equity. DATES TO REMEMBER: May 2 – May 6: Education Week “Celebrating the Spirit” May 4: Primary Spring Concert at 7 p.m. in the gym May 5: Junior/Intermediate Track and Field Day May 10: Welcome to Kindergarten Parent Night at 6:30 pm May 12: Track and Field Day Rain Date May 16: Rockwood Homeowner’s Assoc. Mtg. 6pm gym May 18: Grade 3 swim lessons at Glenforest Pool May 24: Volunteer Appreciation, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. May 24: School Council meeting May 25: Grade 3 swim lessons at Glenforest Pool May 25: Boys Outdoor Soccer Tournament May 27: Girls Outdoor Soccer Tournament May 29: Confirmation 2:00 p.m. May 30- June 10: Grade 3 and 6 EQAO Assessments May 31 Foster Child/ShareLife – popcorn fundraiser June 1: Grade 3 swim lessons at Glenforest Pool June 3: Team Photo Day, Grade 8 fun picture June 6-10:Grade 3’s trip to Pioneer Village June 5 Grade 5, artists in the classroom June 15: Play Day Grades 1 – 8 June 16: Mississauga East Family Track & Field Meet June 20: Play Day Grades 1 – 8 (rain date) June 21: Kindergarten Play Day June 28: Grade Eight Graduation, 7 p.m. June 28: Reports go home June 30: Last day of classes September 6: Classes Resume September 16: Professional Activity Day SCHOOL COUNCIL Please join us at our next School Council meeting on Tuesday, May 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the Library Resource Centre MOVING OUT OF THE AREA? If you are planning to move and you know that your child will not be attending Sts. Martha and Mary School in September, please call the school office. If you are moving and you would like your child to continue to attend Sts. Martha and Mary School because of daycare situations, you must express this in writing to the principal before the end of May. SCHOOL COUNCIL CORNER THANK YOU Thank you to Andrea Olynyk who generously shared her expertise, as a Registered Dietitian and Professor of Nutrition, with our community on Tuesday April 19th during her seminar, “The Secret Life of Sugar”. Her devotion to promoting community nutrition and maintaining a healthy lifestyle was greatly appreciated. Ms. Olynyk, is a School Council member who has been dedicated to writing the “School Council Corner” each month. KIDPROOF CANADA SESSIONS School Council would like to remind everyone of the Kidproof Canada seminar that has been arranged through the Pro Grant initiative this year. Please mark your calendars to attend this educational session on WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2011 AT 6:30 PM. You are welcome to invite a neighbour, family member or friend to join you and babysitting will be provided to school age children! The session will be held in the school gymnasium and will last approximately 1.5 hours. Refreshments will available to all and a book raffle will end off the event. Make sure you fill out the flyer, included in this newsletter, promoting this event. RETIRING COUNCIL MEMBERS: This year, we would like to acknowledge our very dedicated Council members who will be retiring: Cindy Gonsalvez, Laura Arnett and Lucy Serrano. Their participation over the years has enabled your children to benefit from the many worthwhile activities, events and services available at Sts. Martha and Mary School. School Council has supported school programs and initiatives, such as the instrumental program, Mad Science presentations, Grade 8 graduation, and the amplification system upgrade, through funding. They have also organized the very successful and enjoyable Open House Barbeque and Halloween dance fundraiser. As we look ahead to the coming year, please consider joining the group of caring, fun and dedicated parents who are a part of our School Council. You can volunteer as much or as little time as you have throughout the year. The example you will set for your children by actively engaging in “their world” will strengthen family and community bonds and is in keeping with the spirit of Catholic education. NUTRITION NUGGETS: Reading nutrition labels proficiently is a learned skill and once you start paying more attention to labels, you may be surprised at what you find hidden in some of the foods you are regularly choosing. During “The Secret Life of Sugar” seminar presented in April, parents who attended suggested that I include a lesson on how to quickly analyze a nutrition label for sugar content in this month’s Nutrition Nuggets. The first step in becoming a sugar expert is to get a handle on how much sugar you SHOULD be consuming daily. According to World Health Organization (WHO), less than 10% of our total daily caloric intake should come from added sugar. This translates into a maximum of 6.5tsp (28g) per day for children up to 13 years old, approximately 12.5 tsp (50g) daily for adult males and about 9.5 tsp (38g) daily for adult women. Next, memorize the fact that there are 4 grams of sugar in 1 tsp. Remembering this allows you to easily calculate how many tsp of sugar are in a serving of a food. Manufacturers count on consumers having difficulty conceptualizing nutrient quantity when it is presented in grams, especially when they may want to “hide” certain less than healthy attributes of their products. This is part of the reason that nutrients are listed in gram weights! Converting grams to a household measure like teaspoons is much easier for most consumers to understand and visualize. Every time you see a nutrition facts table on a product label listing 4 grams per serving, remember that it is equivalent to 1 tsp of sugar per serving. Let’s practice by looking at the following nutrition facts table for a cereal. It states that a 300g bowl serving contains 6g sugar. That translates into 1.5tsp of sugar (6g / 4g per tsp = 1.5 tsp). It’s that simple!! Next month, we’ll look at ways to cut the sugar but not the flavor from your diet. Until then, make it a habit to read the label and divide grams of sugar by 4. Add those teaspoons up daily and make sure you stay within the recommendations of the WHO for optimal health. Sts. Martha and Mary School Council Presents “Protecting Kids Online” A Kidproof Canada Seminar Join Andy Constantinou, from Kidproof Canada (Waterloo Region) for an informative and educational evening at the school on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 7:00 pm Kidproof Canada® is Canada’s most trusted in child safety education delivering proactive, preventative safety education from coast to coast. Dedicated to delivering the most current, topical, and high quality education services possible, Kidproof Canada® was founded in 2000 by former police officer, and internationally recognized child and family safety expert Samantha Wilson. Kidproof Canada® has become the go‐to for issues relating to child safety in Canada. Light refreshments will be served at 6:30pm and the published book “Safe Kids, Safe Families” by Kidproof founder Samantha Wilson will be raffled off at the end of the seminar! This free event was funded by the Ministry of Education’s PRO Grant Program and is intended for adults. You are welcome to invite a neighbour, family member or friend to join you! Babysitting will be available at the school free of INTRAMURAL LEAGUES charge for school aged children (4 to 11 years) JK-Grade 6 only if requested. Parents will need to sign the child(ren) in and out. Sign Us Up! Parent Name: # of people attending: # of children requiring babysitting: Please send your completed form to school with your child by MAY 11th so that we are able to plan in advance.