St. Julia Catholic Elementary School
6770 Historic Trail, Mississauga, Ontario L5W 1J3
905-795-2706 or fax: 905-795-9096
Virtue of the Month for
September
Volume: 1
Issue: September, 2013
Principal
P. Nichols
Vice Principal
M. Harrison
Secretaries
A. Charette
S. De Carli
Superintendent
Mississauga Brampton
Central
L. Papaloni
Trustee
P. Ferreira
Peter.Ferreira@dpcdsb.org
Parish
St. Joseph Church
5440 Durie Road
905-826-2766
Pastor
Fr. Marc-Andre Campbell
Associate Pastor
Fr. Kim D’Souza
School Hours
Start: 8:45 a.m.
Lunch: 11:45 to 12:45
Dismissal: 3:15 p.m.
September 2013
Gracious and merciful God of all creation,
Your have loved us since before we were
born.
From our mothers’ wombs to our eternal
place in heaven you have given us the gifts
to live and grow in safety.
We come to you now asking for the grace
and strength
To follow your plan and to form a safe,
caring and inclusive community
Here at St. Julia Catholic Elementary
School
May our faith in you and your plan
lead us to know and feel your
presence among us.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, your
Son, who lived to show us your way.
OPEN HOUSE &
CURRICULUM EVENING
This year our Open House will be held on
Thursday, September 19, 2013. This will
give you an opportunity to meet and greet
your child's teacher as well as look around
our beautiful school. Teachers will be involved in
Curriculum presentations from 6:00 – 7:30
p.m. in their classrooms.
JK-SK AM 8:45-11:15
JK-SK PM 12:45—3:15
Attendance Verification
Line
905-795-2706 press 1
Dates to Remember
A




Faithful Person…
Prays regularly and reverently
Learns from Scripture Stories
Honors people’s God-given names
Assumes that there is good in
everyone
 Accepts the God-given worth of
themselves and others.
3
1st Day of School—Welcome Back!
13
P.A. Day—no school
16
Pizza Days Begin- see insert
19
Open House & Curriculum Evening
26
Thanksgiving Mass @ St. Joseph’s parish
October
3
4
Milk Program starts
Run For Ruth
10
Picture Day
14
Thanksgiving-No School
PICTURE DAY
On October 10, 2013 Lifetouch Photography will
be at the school taking individual student pictures.
Lifetouch Photography will be provided with class
lists containing students names, grades and homerooms. These lists will be returned when the photography sessions are completed. If you do not
wish your child’s personal information to be
shared with Lifetouch Photography or you do not
wish your child to participate in the actual taking
of the photographs, please send a note specifying
this to Mrs. Nichols, prior to October 8.
SCHOOL COUNCIL INFORMATION
Please consider serving on the School Council for
the 2013-2014 school year.
 Self-nomination forms will be available for
pick up at the school office from Monday,
September 9 to Monday, September 16, 2013
Deadline for submitting nomination forms is:
Tuesday, September 17,2013
 Election (if required) will be: Thursday, September 19, 2013 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
in the school library.
 Publication of new council members names
will be on: Wednesday September 18 (if all
nominees acclaimed); or Friday, September 20
(if election required).
 First Council meeting: Monday, September
23rd @ 7:00 p.m
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Welcome Back!
I would like to welcome our students and families
back for the 2013-2014school year. A warm welcome is extended to those students and families who are new to our
Catholic community and our Junior Kindergarten students
who have started school for the first time! I am certain that
this year will bring many rewarding experiences for our students, whether they are spiritual, academic or extra-curricular.
Being part of the St. Joseph’s Parish Community allows us to
work in partnership with Father Marc Andre and the parents
to prepare our students for the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation. Our first mass will
be held at St. Joseph’s Parish on Thursday, September
26th. Per mission for ms for students in gr ades 1-8 have
been sent home by the classroom teachers. All parents are
welcome to attend. As in the past, there will be many exciting things occurring at St. Julia. I will keep parents informed
of these through the newsletter, which will be prepared for the
third Wednesday of each month. In an effort to be environmentally conscientious all school newsletters will be posted
on the St. Julia website. You can view our website through
the following process: www.dpcdsb.org
Click on: Elementary Schools >St. Julia
The school newsletter will be posted under the “newsletter”
heading on a monthly basis.
ST. JOSEPH’S PARISH INFORMATION
Parent information evenings are set up for grade 2 and 8 students
who will be participating in the sacraments. Please contact the
church office at 905-826-2766 for additional information.
Registration for the Sacrament of Holy Communion at the
parish:
Thursday, October 10- 7:30 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 12- 10:00 a.m.—12:00 noon.
Registration for the Sacrament of Confirmation at the parish:
Thursday, September 26- 7:30 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 28- 10:00 a.m.—12:00 noon.
Student Masses —All Welcome:
1. Opening Mass, Thursday , September 26, 2013 @ 10:00 am at
St. Joseph’s Parish .
2. Advent Mass, Tuesday, December 17 @ 1:15 pm
3. Lenten Mass, Tuesday, April 8
4. End of the Year Mass, Tuesday , June 17 at 10:00 am at St.
Joseph’s Parish.
5. Graduation Mass, Thursday, June 26 at St. Joseph’s parish.
Grade 4 Reconciliation: Tuesday, November 26-10:00 am 11:30 am. (at the school)
Grade 6 Reconciliation: Thursday, April 3 @ 1:15 pm -2:30 pm.
(at the school)
If you would prefer to have the newsletter e-mailed to you,
please complete the attached form and return it to your child’s
teacher.
WELCOME
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome our new
staff members for 2013-2014
Mlle. Giansante, French
Ms. Nasato, grade 8
Mlle. Sajatovic, French
Ms. Antezza, grade 7
Ms. Sikora ERW
Ms. Cicak, grade 3
Mr. Turner, ERW
Ms. Borges, ERW
Ms. Nikolau, night custodian
VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL
Parents and visitors are welcome and are required to report to the
front office and sign a Visitor's Log. You will be asked to wear a
visitor's badge prior to accessing other areas of the school for special events, masses or celebrations. If you are picking up your
child early, you must report to the office and sign him/her out; he/
she will then be sent to the office to meet you. If you wish to speak
to a teacher please arrange for an appointment as not to interrupt
class time.
RUN FOR RUTH
Our annual Run For Ruth will be held on Friday , October 4,
2013. Proceeds will go towards the Cancer Society and our
Peace Garden. More information will follow closer to the
date. Special thank you to the Raposo family for donating the
beautiful stone placed under our bench in Ruth’s memory.
P.A. DAY—FRIDAY, September 13, 2013
No school for students.
REORGANIZATION
Staffing and class placements are tentative and based on school enrolment. In the event that enrolment fluctuates from projections,
adjustments may need to be made to staffing and student placement.
If reorganization is necessary and your child is affected, you will be
notified prior to Friday, September 13, 2013.
UNITED WAY & SHARE LIFE
You will see staff “dressing down” on Fridays in support of the United Way and Share Life. Each staff member has made donations to
these charities.
TRANSPORTATION
All students who are eligible for bussing, based on the boundaries
set forth by Student Transportation, should be assigned their buses
prior to the first day of school. Details can be checked on the
STOPR website ( www.stopr.ca ). If there is any problem with
eligible riders, please contact Mr. Harrison at the school right
away. If your child is not eligible for transportation but wishes to
have a spot on a bus, you must petition the school in writing. Seats
will be assigned according to the Region’s “Courtesy Seat” policy.
Please write your request to Mr. Harrison, under the topic of
“Courtesy Seat Request.” Requests may be submitted beginning
on the first day of school, and will be date-stamped as they are
received. Unfortunately, Courtesy Seat requests are generally not
processed until the middle of October. Students who are awaiting
a courtesy seat will have to make their own arrangements for
transportation until then. Students who have been granted a courtesy seat will be notified at that time, and will be given a bus pass.
We regret that all students who apply will not be granted seats.
This is a limitation based on the availability of bus seats. We
thank you in advance for your understanding.
If your child is eligible for seat but does not require that spot,
please let the office know, so that the seat may be given to a courtesy rider.
STUDENT INSURANCE
As required by the Education Act and the Ministry of Education,
the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board annually provides parents with information about cost-effective student accident insurance coverage via student courier. Enrolment in this
program is voluntary, however the board encourages parents to
take advantage of the inexpensive insurance coverage, especially if
their child/children participate in sports, excursions/field trips, or,
if parents do not have dental insurance coverage. The Board does
require that parents confirm that they have invested in accident/life
insurance for the 2013-2014 school year for their child to participate in out-of-school excursions and/or extra-curricular sports acANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK
As we begin a new school year we would like to inform you that
St. Julia is an Allergen Aware School. There are pupils in attendance who suffer from severe and life threatening allergies to
certain foods, such as peanut and nut products. Exposure to the
smallest quantities can cause severe life threatening reactions.
STORAGE AND ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION
Please be advised that there is a Board policy on the storage and
administration of medication. If your child requires daily administration of medication, please contact the office as soon as
possible so that the appropriate forms can be sent home. Students are not allowed to carry mediation. All medication is
stored in the office.
KISS AND RIDE
Kiss and Ride has become a wonderful community building opportunity. We are pleased to greet many of the staff, students and parents
each morning. However, we always try to keep in mind that the primary goal is to achieve greater safety for all students arriving at the
school. To that end, we invite parent volunteers to help with our Kiss
and Ride program. Many hands make light work! The safety of
this program depends on parents, staff and students adhering to the
lane markings. The lane closest to the building is the bus lane, and at
no time, are cars to pass into this lane or block the entrance of the busloading zone.
For those parents who use the Kiss and Ride program, we would like to review how it works. The traffic flow through
our side parking lot is one-way only. The entrance is clearly marked
through the side parking lot. The right curb indented lane, marked
“Kiss and Ride” is reserved for the drop off of students. Be careful of
handicapped vans which will be dropping off special needs students in
this area. Children must exit from the right side of the vehicle, and
proceed to the school playground. Following afternoon dismissal, we
have 7 buses which need to be organized to transport children safely
home. Bus students will exit out the front doors, however, walkers
and students being met by parents will be dismissed from the back
area. Please remain on the parking lot side of the fence bordering our
school yard and do not enter the school yard. Please allow buses to
have access to the driveway in order to pick up students. Students
should not be dropped off at the school before supervision is provided
in the yard at 8:30.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers help make the difference in our school community.
The All Star Reading Program is a program for primary students who
need some extra help to develop good reading skills. No prior experience is needed and training will be provided. Each week the focus is on
a specific skill, which you and the classroom teacher will be reinforcing with your student. If you can give 30 minutes to a student three
times a week, at any time during the school day convenient for both
you and the classroom teacher, we would love to have you join us!
Please see Mrs. Laing in the front foyer at our Open House for more
information or to place your name on our list of 2013/2014 volunteer
Reading Coaches.
All volunteers must have a Criminal Reference Check.
EMERGENCY DRILLS
In accordance with Ministry and Board regulations, 3 fire drills
and 2 lockdown procedures are conducted at the school. During a
lockdown procedure the bells will constantly ring inside and outside the school. Please note at this time only Emergency Personnel are permitted to enter the school. Practicing these drills is
important for student safety in case a real emergency occurs. We
will continue to prepare students in a judicious and conscientious
manner. For safety reasons, we ask that students wear proper
footwear at all times.
VOLUNTEER CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECKS
In accordance with the Safe School Act, 2000, the DufferinPeel Catholic District School Board has the responsibility to
provide for a safe learning environment for its students and
employees. As of September 2013, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board will require a Criminal Record
Check (CRC), including a Vulnerable Sector Search for
all volunteers in the school, including excursion supervisors.
If you intend to volunteer, please pick up a CRC form from
the front office. It needs to be completed and brought to Peel
Regional Police. As you volunteer your time to our community, there is NO cost to you. Once you receive your CRC
from Peel Police, please drop it off at the school and we will
house in a secure location, with the utmost respect to the confidential nature of the material.
Our volunteers are an integral part of the many activities that
our students are so fortunate to participate in. Volunteers do
make a difference. Thank you for giving of your time and
talents to the St. Julia School community.
FRONT DOOR MONITORING SYSTEM
As communicated in June 2013 all Dufferin-Peel elementary
schools will have a front door speaker/buzzer/video monitoring system. Visitors may gain entrance by pressing a
buzzer mounted on the wall outside the building. This
change in access to our school requires a new access protocol that will apply to all visitors, including parents and
guardians. The new system has been installed and activated.
Under the new system, visitors may gain entrance by pressing a buzzer mounted on the wall outside the building, beside the front door. The buzzer activates a two-way speaker
and camera system. The Office will then be able to determine who is at the door, by observing on a video monitor.
This will enable better regulation of visitor access to the
school.
The following are also part of our new protocol:
All outside doors are locked and entry can be gained
only through the front door. All visitors, including parents/guardians must sign into the office and wear a Visitor’s badge.
Access during lunch time may be delayed depending on the
availability of staff who are required to monitor the new
system.
The co-operation and understanding of parents/guardians
will be an important factor in the success of our new protocol. In this regard, parents/guardians are encouraged to:
Arrive at school on time to allow children to enter with
their classmates to avoid front entry lates. Send lunch
with your child in the morning to limit traffic in through
the front door at lunch time.
We respectfully request that you limit your visits to the
school during the daytime as much as possible in order to
protect the instructional time and reduce interruptions.
Thank you for your understanding and co-operation as
we implement the new access protocol.
PED BOARD POLICY ( Personal Electronic Devices)
To promote respect for the dignity of all members of our school community and to enhance student achievement and safety, the use of a
PED is strictly prohibited in the school (including portables) or during
school related activities (such as retreats, field trips, sports events, etc.)
Failure to comply with this policy may result in the confiscation of the
PED and/or disciplinary action as outlined in the Catholic Code of
Conduct 2001. The school and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board assume no responsibility for the loss, recovery, repair or
replacement for any PED brought onto school property.
It is the policy of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board that
PEDs are to be kept out of sight, turned off and not used within school
premises or during school sanctioned events. To prevent the loss or
damage of PEDs, the school encourages students to leave their PEDs at
home or in their lockers.
Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) are Wireless and/or Portable Electronic Handheld Equipment that include, but ar e not limited to,
existing and emerging Mobile Communication Systems and Smart
Technologies (cell phones, smar t phones, walkie-talkies, pagers,
etc.). Portable Internet Devices (mobile managers, mobile messengers,
BlackBerry handsets, etc.). PDAs (Palm organizers, pocket PCs, etc.).
Handheld Entertainment Systems (video games, CD player s, compact DVD players, MP3 players, iPods etc.), digital or film Cameras,
digital or analogue Audio Recorders or Video Recorders (tape recorders, camcorders, etc.). Spy Gadgets (spy cameras, covert listening devices, etc.), and any other Convergent Communication Technologies
that do any number of the previously mentioned functions.
THE MILK PROGRAM IS BACK
Program run by Dairy Farmers of Canada. Now, your child can have
fresh, cold milk at lunchtime. This program provides the kind of healthy
goodness that helps children concentrate, have more energy, and get most
out of Does your child eat lunch at school? Do you want to ensure they
enjoy fresh, cold milk? Our school is once again participating in the Elementary School Milk program. We will offer both white and chocolate
milk. A letter outlining the particulars and an order form will be sent
home shortly.
CURRICULUM CORNER
The 2012-2013 school year was an incredibly exciting time at St. Julia
in terms of curriculum. Staff and students explored many of the most
current aspects of effective Teaching and Learning, such as the 3-part
lesson, Inquiry-process and Guided Practice. In 2013-2014 we look
forward to going even deeper with these and other aspects of our practice. In June, St Julia underwent a complete refresh of our computer
infrastructure, with older technologies giving way to a state of the art
standard. We continue to be committed to the integrated use of new
technologies in all our classes. Furthermore, we are committed to pursuing the principles of differentiated instruction whereby we honour
and dignify the diverse learning styles and gifts of all our students.
Our staff are committed to expanding their toolkit of instructional
strategies and assessment techniques for the increase of student
achievement and student well-being. We look forward to another year
of focused professional development for every staff member, as we
strive to build the best learning community for all our students.
LIBRARY NEWS
Listen up St. Julia and get ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to our school! We invite you down to our school library between September 19th - 27th to shop the fair. Book fair hours and class visit schedules will be announced soon!
Any students who still have outstanding books are required to either return their books or remit the fee to cover the cost of replacing the book. This is important as no books will be allowed to be checked out to students who have overdue accounts.