FEBRUARY
2013
PRINCIPAL:
K.J. Carey
SECRETARY:
T. Crayden
STS. MARTHA & MARY
Catholic School
SUPERINTENDENT:
C. Blanchard
1760 Bough Beeches Blvd., Mississauga, Ontario L4W 2B9
905-624-9625
STS. MARTHA AND MARY
PARISH TEAM:
Fr. D. Corkum
905-625-5670
www.stsmarthaandmary.org
CHAIR OF THE BOARD
OF TRUSTEES:
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
School
initiatives
Eco-team
School Climate
Survey
Prayer During Black History Month
Father of creation
Whose Son Jesus incarnated in time
And whose Spirit enlivens our lives today
May we honour the height of your creation,
the Human Family
In every hue that you chose to give each
person of our Human Family
Jesus, brother of us all
Your prayer to the Father “that they all may
be one”
Through the Holy Spirit
May we witness this Unity of One
Spirit of God in the month of appreciating
The gift of your children of African descent
May we be inspired to see your kingdom
mystery
In one facet of the jewel of our Human
Family’s descent
School Council
Updates
Visit school website for regular updates: http://dpcdsb.org/MMARY or signup for one-way e-mail by sending your e-mail address to the main office.
A MONTH OF VIRTUES:
RESPECT
STS. MARTHA & MARY PARISH SCHEDULE:
The month of February, will focus on
the virtue of Respect. God wants us to
treat all people with the respect they
deserve.
A respectful person…
 Sees God’s presence in
themselves and others
 Uses a positive tone of voice
and body language
 Avoids gossip, swearing, namecalling, put-downs, and
inappropriate gestures
 Says ‘Excuse me’, ‘Please’,
‘ThankYou’
Sunday Mass Schedule:
 Saturday Vigil – 4:30PM
 Sunday – 9:00AM and 11:00AM
WANTED: ALTAR SERVERS
Sts. Martha and Mary Parish is in need of Altar Servers. Boys and Girls
who are in Grade three and above, who are willing to
make a commitment are welcome.
Please contact the parish office at (905) 625-5670
During the month of February, we will
celebrate the virtue of respect. God has
given us the virtues of friends and
companions to keep us company and to
help us out along the way. Every person
in our lives 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
courtesy,
consideration,
sensitivity and thoughtfulness which are
different ways of saying respect. That
respect should come first and foremost
from us. We have to respect ourselves
and then we will be able to respect
others. We should also be able to expect
to be treated with respect by everyone we
meet – our brothers and sisters in Jesus.
Through prayer and concentration, we
can get better at respecting ourselves as
well as respecting those around us.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
February is “Black History Month”. This
is a time to celebrate the many
achievements and contributions of Black
Canadians, who throughout history have
done so much to make Canada the
culturally diverse, compassionate and
prosperous nation we know today. It is
also an opportunity for the majority of
Canadians to learn about the experiences
of Black Canadians in our society and
the vital role this community has played
throughout our shared history.
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATIONS:
Grade 2 Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Tuesday, March 7, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
First Communion: Sunday, April 28, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.
Grade 8 Confirmation classes continue, alternating Sundays,
to April 21 for boys and April 29, 2013 for girls.
Sacrament of Confirmation: Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 2:00
p.m.
** All sacraments celebrated at Sts. Martha and Mary parish
CATHOLIC SCHOOL HERITAGE
Why did Catholic parents and students have to pay tuition to attend
a Catholic high school after grade 10?
In 1871 the Ontario government passed an Act to Improve the Common
Schools and Grammar Schools of Ontario. This Act abolished common
and grammar schools and created public schools for grades one to ten
and high schools for grades nine to thirteen. The highest official with
the Department of Education, Egerton Ryerson, commented that the
1871 Act did not affect separate schools. The separate school boards
operating secondary school classes carried on, receiving funding from
grants and taxes. However, early in the twentieth century the
government passed legislation which forbade a separate school board
from offering education beyond grade ten if its boundaries fell partially
or fully within the boundaries of a high school district. Thus, all but one
separate school board (in Dublin) lost their ability to receive tax or
government grant financing beyond grade ten. Furthermore, if a separate
school board chose to continue operating grades nine and ten, it received
only elementary school grants for them.
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY, CULTURE AND CARING
POSITIVE CLIMATE SCHOOL

As part of our ongoing efforts to create
a safe, caring and inclusive
school, teachers and
students are committed to
living out our virtues,
particularly this month with a
focus upon respect. In
addition to Peace Pals,
School Climate survey for students in
grades 3 to 8, Student Leaders
promotion of anti-bullying strategies,
our grade six students completed their
sessions with Peel Region Police
Constable Daniele who worked with the
students for a series of presentations
entitled Reduce, Abuse in Drugs
(R.A.I.D.).

CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
CULTURE AND CARING
SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY
Students in grades 3 to 8 will
participate in an online school climate
survey to gather information in support
of the school’s Catholic School
Learning Plan. The survey is
provincially mandated and is
implemented every two years. In
addition to the student survey,
parents/guardians are also invited to
participate in an on-line survey. The
parent/guardian survey is intended to
allow parents/guardians to share their
child’s/children’s school climate
experience at school. There are two
versions of the survey: one for parents/
guardians of students in elementary
school (Kindergarten to Grade 8) and
one for parents/guardians of students in
secondary school (Grades 9-12).
The parent/guardian surveys will be
posted on the board’s website at
www.dpcdsb.org between January 22
and February 28, 2013. The survey
links are:
Elementary:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CCCCSurveyK8
Secondary:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CCCCSurvey9to12)
The surveys may provide opportunities for conversation with your
son(s)/daughter(s) regarding inclusivity and well-being at school.
Please contact the school if you have any additional questions,
concerns, or comments.
Thank you for your support of improved student achievement and
well-being.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
The Public Speaking contest for the grade 7
and 8 students is up and running. The first
place student, of the school event, will proceed
on to the Royal Canadian Legion competition
held on Sunday, February 24, 2013. Although we celebrate all our
winners, only the student taking first place may represent Sts.
Martha and Mary School at the Royal Canadian Legion
Competition.
INTERMEDIATE BOYS’ /GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAMS
The coaches of the Intermediate Girls’ Basketball
teams, Mrs. Ford, Ms. De Simone would like to
thank each team member for a wonderful season thus
far. All the players have shown great sportsmanship,
skill and determination. Our teams will be involved in league
play games and pending the outcome of the season, may be
involved in the Family and Board tournaments.
During the month of January and February the school offered a
basketball skill development during the lunch hour for interested
intermediate boys. We would like to thank our coach, Ms. Skrak
for her efforts to promote the game and related basketball skills.
ECO-TEAM UPDATE
The eco-team is comprised of
volunteer students from grade 4 to
6 and beginning February 6 we will
start ‘Waste Free Wednesdays’.
Students are encouraged to bring
waste free snacks and lunches to
school; any waste items will be
returning home with the student.
Eco-team will soon be starting
announcements with other ways to
reduce consumption of materials
and energy.
SCHOOL COUNCIL CORNER
PRO GRANT UPDATE – ACTIVE
CHEFS
This exciting
and
interactive
evening event
for parents and children supported by
Provincial ‘Pro Grant’ funds will take
place at the school, Tuesday, May 7,
2013. The Active Chef evening is a fun
way to promote family cooking and
nutrition, where participants will come
to the school and prepare and taste a
special dish. Look for the ‘Active
Chefs’ invitation/flyer, for more
information on this event.
NUTRITION NUGGETS: ‘HIDE
THE VEGGIES’
Pushing them to one side, feeding them
to the dog under the table, spitting them
out altogether – getting your kids to eat
veggies is one of the most common
exercises in futility that I hear from
parents. Many children don't like
vegetables (many adults as well), and
some simply refuse to eat them. This is
something that usually changes over
time, but in the meantime, what can you
do to get more of those nutrient-rich
vegetables into your children without
causing World War III? Here are some
tips:
1. Always set a good example. If your
child sees you eating vegetables, he or
she will be much more likely to want to
eat vegetables, too. Temper your
temptation to react yourself to those
mushrooms that disgust you in front of
your children. This will reduce the
chance your children will simply follow
in your footsteps and despise them too,
without even giving them a fair chance.
2. Plate the veggies. Present vegetables
with your child's meal, even if you are
sure he or she will probably refuse
them. The more your child sees
vegetables as part of their meals and
sees other members of the family eat
them, the more likely he or she will get
used to them, or at least want to try one bite.
3. Make a game out of eating vegetables. "Let's find the besttasting veggies by sampling them!"
4. Use a system such as a star calendar that rewards your child
with a star when the child eats all the vegetables on the plate.
When your child reaches a certain number of stars at the end of
the month, reward him or her with something fun, like a night at
the movies or a dinner at his or her favorite restaurant.
5. Allow your child to help prepare (or even grow) the vegetables.
For instance, have your child wash the lettuce or scoop the peas.
At the supermarket, let the child choose which vegetables the
family will eat on a given night. Play “find the veggie” at the
store, by asking them to identify “kale” for example, to expose
them to exotic foods. Read about new veggies at the store – there
is a vegetable guide in the produce section of most every grocery
store for your education. Research shows that allowing your
children to participate in meal preparation and to make their OWN
decisions on what veggies they will eat empowers them to make
healthy choices throughout their lives.
7. Cut the vegetables into fun shapes. It takes a little work, but a
vegetable shaped like a star is a lot more fun for your child to eat
than a vegetable shaped like a...vegetable.
8. Hide veggies in tomato sauce, pizza, casseroles, smoothies,
hamburgers, soup etc. Serve them cooked and uncooked. Serve
them with dips that children like or sprinkled with nuts or seeds if
cooked. Adding cheese usually makes any vegetable more
palatable and adds calcium to boot! There are so many different
ways to boost the intake of vegetables in a “covert” way. The
next “Nutrition Nuggets” will focus on specific ideas and recipes
dedicated to increasing vegetable intake easily and “covertly”!
9. Don’t ever force your children to eat everything on their plate.
You can encourage it, and reward it, however forcing children to
sit and finish everything has been well proven to contribute to the
development of future food-related issues and disordered eating.
Forcing children, without allowing them some autonomy and
control over decisions will end in resentment and in a negative
association between food and well-meaning parents.
10. Don't give up. Your child's taste buds are different from an
adult's, and eventually, your child will adjust and enjoy vegetables
as much as you do. Have patience. Good eating habits are not
learned overnight.
‘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 in particular, to
educating children, young adults and
parents on maintaining a healthy
lifestyle. ‘Nutrition Nuggets’ is
provided as information for parents and
not reflective of Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board.
UPCOMING SCHOOL COUNCIL
MEETING
Our next meeting will be held on April
23, 2013 at 7pm in the school library.
Please consider joining us at this
meeting.
12 QUICK INTERNET PRIVACY
TIPS FOR PARENTS
It can be tough raising children in a
digital environment. Many, however,
don’t fully understand the impact that
some online activities may have on
their privacy. Most children don’t
realize that information and photos they
post today can turn up years into the
future.
Talk to your kids.
Try it out.
Keep up with the technology.
Make restricting privacy settings a
habit.
Make password protection a priority.
Emphasize the importance of protecting
mobile devices.
Remind your kids that what they post
on the Internet is not always private.
Teach your kids to think before they
click.
Stress the importance of knowing your
real friends.
Teach your kids that their personal
information is valuable.
Let your kids know that you are there if they make a privacy
mistake.
Set a good example.
The Top Ten Ways to Keep Your Friends
1. Show them kindness and
respect.
2. Stick up for them.
3. Be supportive when your
friends need help and advice.
4. Tell the truth but be kind about
it.
5. If you hurt a friend, say you’re
sorry.
6. If you make a promise, keep it.
7. Put some effort into your friendships; otherwise your friends
might feel neglected.
8. Don’t try to change your friends; accept them the way they
are.
9. If a friend hurts you and apologizes, accept the apology.
10. Treat your friends the way you want them to treat you.
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:
CFNY – FM 102.1
CFRB – AM 1010
CFTR - 680 AM
CHFI – FM 98.1
CHIN FM 100.7
CHUM AM 1050
CJCL – 590 AM
AM 640
AM 1540
EZ ROCK 97.3
FM 93.1
FM Q 107
FM Z103.5
VIRGIN RADIO – 99.9
Announcements are made on the following TV stations:
CITY
CFTO
CBC
CP 24
GLOBAL
FAITH LIFE
SUPPORTING PASTORAL
ACTIVITY
The parish family is where we live out
our baptismal calling, especially in the
Eucharist and the other sacraments. It
is this community where we are
nurtured in faith and where we can
contribute our gifts for the good of
others. It is where we pray, reflect,
learn and grow to be able to live our
faith more authentically in our families.
The pastoral life of our parish, Sts.
Martha and Mary, includes ministries,
outreach, faith development and
spiritual activities. Two key areas to
develop are support for family life and
a ready responsiveness to the spiritual
needs of young people.
Boys or girls in grades 3 to 8 who have
made First Communion may be
considered for altar servers at Sts.
Martha and Mary parish. For more
information please call the parish at 905
625-5670.
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ACTS OF
CHARITY INTITIATIVES:
Throughout the school year, the
students and staff have been supporting
ShareLife, Catholic charitable
organization in the Archdiocese of
Toronto that provides support to 34
agencies. You do not have to look far
to see the wonders being worked by
ShareLife. You can find them in your
neighbourhood, in the homes on your
street, in the pews of your parish. In 42
municipalities, in 225 parishes and in
more than 20 languages, those in need
receive professional, faith-informed and
compassionate care the result of
ShareLife.
Lent offers us an opportunity to renew
our baptismal promise to follow Jesus,
through prayer, alms giving and fasting.
At the school, we have focused upon
prayer and alms giving by supporting ShareLife. Last year, with
your generous support, students and staff raised $4500.00. Again
this year, staff and students have been actively engaged in a
number of activities/event to promote raise funds for ShareLife.
Presently, our running tally is $1100.00. More fun events are
planned, on an ongoing basis, including, staff events, student
popcorn sales and ShareLife raffle; details of these events for
ShareLife Spirit Week March 18-22, 2013; will shared by students
over public address announcements, facilitated by Student
Leaders, and through one-way e-mail updates from the principal.
In addition to ShareLife, Student Leaders will be facilitating ‘Vow
of Silence’ to bring awareness to those with needs and afflicted by
hunger, poverty, abuse and the like. The visual statement made
by students participating in the Vow of Silence will have great
impact for all.
LENTEN FAITH ACTIVITIES
The liturgical season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday,
celebrated this year February 13, 2013. You are welcome to join
us for a liturgy and distribution of ashes at 2:00 p.m. in the
gymnasium.
As leaders and role models, our staff members sought to enrich
their faith through Wednesday morning liturgies and the
celebration of the Stations of the Cross with the staff of the
Mississauga East Family of Schools.
During Lent, attention has been brought to the small sacrifices we
can make which bring us to a fuller understanding of Jesus’
sacrifice. This is a time for personal reflection, prayer and alms
giving. In addition to attending regularly for Sunday mass,
consider becoming involved. As members of Christ’s Body, the
Church, we are called to support the good of all. The calling of
the Church is to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world. The
parish needs financial support, and it needs the gifts and talents of
each of its members.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
February 1: Full Day Kindergarten Registration ends 3:00 p.m.
February 5: Term 1 Reports Cards sent home
February 6: Extended French forms due for Gr. 4s at
St. Thomas More School by 3:00 p.m.
February 7: Parent/Teacher Interview Evening (Grs. 1-8)
February 8: PA Day - Term 1 Reporting to Parents
February 13: Ash Wednesday liturgy 2:00 p.m. (Lent begins)
February 14: Intermediate dance for ShareLife
February 18: Family Day (no classes)
February 20: French Immersion forms due by 2:00 p.m. at
immersion sites
February 27: Diversity Conference for Gr. 7 delegates
February 28: Mississauga East School Council at Corpus Christi
March 11-15: March Break