St Julia Catholic Elementary School
6770 Historic Trail, Mississauga ONT L5W 1J3
(905) 795-2706 Fax: (905) 795-9096
www.dpcdsb.org/JULIA
P
June 2013
June 2013
A farewell Blessing
Principal
P. Nichols
God is the source of all wisdom and knowledge.
Vice Principal
M. Harrison
Let us ask God to bless all who have reached the
conclusion of another school year of teaching and learning.
Lord our God, in your wisdom and love you surround us
Secretaries
A. Charette
S. De Carli
with the mysteries of the universe. In times long
past you sent us your prophets to teach your laws
Superintendent
Mississauga Brampton
Central
L. Papaloni
Trustee
P. Ferreira
Peter.Ferreira@dpcdsb.org
and to bear witness to your undying love. You sent
us your Son to teach us by word and example that
true wisdom comes from you alone.
We give you thanks and praise for guiding us through
this past school year, and for offering us the many
blessings of your love. Guide us through the summer
holidays and lead us back with eagerness and enthusiasm
Parish
St. Joseph Church
5440 Durie Road
905-826-2766
to another opportunity next September to devote ourselves
Once again to our studies and to share with others the fruits of
Our learning. Grant this through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen
Pastor
Fr. Marc-Andre Campbell
Associate Pastor
Fr. Matthias Kim
Mark Your Calendars…
June 17-Primary trip to Kortright center
June 17- Rainbows picnic
June 18-Grade 5 trip to ROM
June 19-Year End Mass @ St. Joeseph’s
June 20-Virtues assembly @1:30PM
June 21- Board track and field day
June 24-Play day
June 25-Graduation luncheon & playday
raindate
June 26-Reptilia for grades 1,2,&3
Grad ceremony in gym @ 6:30PM
June 27-Grad mass @ St. Joseph’s parish
June 28-Last day of school!
School Hours
Start: 8:45 a.m.
Lunch:
11:45 to 12:45
Dismissal: 3:15 p.m.
JK-SK AM 8:45-11:15
JK-SK PM
12:45—3:15
Attendance Verification
Line: 905-795-2706 press 1
Follow us on
Twitter@DPCDSBSchools
Weekend Mass Schedule St. Joseph’s Parish
5440 Durie Road (905) 826-2766
0ffice@stjosephsstreetsville.com
Saturday:
Sunday:
5:30 p.m.
8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.12:30 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.
AROUND THE HALLS
Happy Retirement Mrs. Beaty
PRINCIPALS MESSAGE
We extend our thanks to Ms. Papaloni,
Superintendent of Mississauga Brampton Central for
her support this year. Mr. Ferreira, our trustee for his
commitment to the St. Julia community and to Fr.
Marc Andre for his guidance and dedication to the
students and staff.
As we come to a close, it gives us time to reflect on
the school year. This year was especially challenging
for our community with the passing of Ruth Katelyn
Cruz. Students, staff and parents came together in
prayer and community to support the Cruz family and
pay tribute to a beautful, gentle and loving child. As
a community we raised funds for Brain Child and
created the Peace Garden in memory of Ruth. We
will have a school wide dedication at the beginning
of the school year.
This year, students have had many opportunities to
share their gifts and talents on school teams,
intramurals, clubs, Student Council, masses and
Sacramental preparation. This would not have been
possible without the dedication of the staff members
who give so much of their time to see the students
excel in all areas. Their excellence and dedication to
provide a quality Catholic Education to our students
is second to none!
A special thank you to Ms. Charette and Ms. De Carli
for all their hard work, warm smiles in the office and
support, and Mr. Reale for making the school look
shiny and clean. We have greatly appreciated your
commitment to our school. Finally, thank you to
each member of our school community and
volunteers for making our school a caring and
supportive enviorrnent. Thank you also to the
Catholic School Council: Ms. Kukolic, Mr. Cinapri,
Mr. Viegas, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Ferrao, Mrs.
Laughton and Ms. Luis for all your hard work on
behalf of the students.
After 27 years of sharing her expertise with students,
teachers and parents, Mrs. Beaty has chosen to retire!!
We will miss her dearly at St. Julia school. The students
will have the opportunity to thank her for all she has done
on Friday, June 21 from 12:45-3:00pm in the front foyer.
The School Council will present Mrs. Beaty with a gift on
behalf of the students. We wish her well as she begins
this new chapter in her life!!
WELCOME & GOODBYE
Welcome back to Ms. Miceli & Mrs. Kowal who will be
returning from their maternity leave.
Welcome to Ms. Cicak, and Ms. Giansante who will be
joining our staff.
Congratulations to Mr, Kozjan who has accepted a
position at St. Cecilia school in Brampton , Mr. Migdal
who has accepted a position at St. Gertrude school and Mr.
DiGiovanni who will be joining the St. Gregory staff. We
wish them well as they continue their teaching career
within the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.
Thank you and best of luck to Ms. Da Costa , Ms.
Cristante, Ms. Hernandez and Ms.Kacperek our ERWs in
the Needs Moderate/Severe Needs classroom. Special
thank you to our Long Term Occasional teachers: Ms.
Costa, Ms. Stypka, Ms. DeLuca and Mr. Iantorno for their
hard work and commitment to our students.
We wish Mme. Rago well as she begins her maternity
leave in September.
LOST AND FOUND...DONT FORGET TO LOOK!
We would like to remind students and parents to take
a look at our Lost and Found for any items that may
be yours and were misplaced throughout the year.
Our custodian has placed these items on a table in
front of the staff room. All unclaimed items will be
donated at the end of the school year.
STUDENT MONITORS
A special thank you goes out to all our Student Monitors
who have served us this year. Thank you for your ongoing help throughout the school year.
Thank you to Ms. Lawrence, Ms. Ortiz, Ms. Fernando,
Ms. Paredes, and Ms. Antonamalokumar, Ms. Netto, Ms.
Trapani, Ms Andrade, Ms Aranha, Ms. Dri, Ms. Menon,
Ms Augustine & Ms. Dukhilall. Thank-you for all your
wonderful help!
AROUND THE HALLS
REPORT CARDS
Report cards will be distributed to parents on
Wednesday, June 26, 2013. As in the first term, we
ask that parents sign and return the “Response form”
(the cut off section) at the bottom of pages 3 & 4 of
the report card. Please ensure that you forward page
3 by Thursday, June 27, 2013. Our projected
enrollment for September continues to fluctuate, and
changes that may occur throughout the summer and
into September.
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
On the first day of classes, Tuesday, September 3,
2013, students will gather in various areas of the
school and be directed to their classes. When the bell
rings, students will gather in the following areas:
Kindergarten students-Kindergarten Courtyard
Gr. 1 & 2 students in the gym
Gr. 3 students in the Library
Gr. 4 students in room 208
Gr. 5 students in room 209
Gr. 6 students in room 201
Gr. 7 students in room 202
Gr. 8 students in room 215
PLAY DAY
Put your best character on!
On Monday, June 24, 2013 St. Julia will be holding its
annual Primary/Junior play day. This year’s theme will be
Super Heroes. Get ready for a fun filled day with games,
cheers and ice-dawgs. Don’t forget to bring your
sunscreen, hat, water bottles and your St. Julia spirit!
TRACK AND FIELD
Students participated in track and field events at St.
Marcellinus Secondary school on Friday, June 17, 2013.
Thank you to all students who came to try for the team.
Team members include: Zoe O., Maria P., Monica F.,
Nikita S., Julia N., Alicia R., Oliver K., Christian D.,
David S., Adrian C., Matthew C., Hormoz C., Martin I.,
Marco P., Lucas E., Victoria P., Jaida C., Amilia L.,
Stephanie S., Erica S., Scott E., Quinn L., Justin S.,
Cassandra M., Jonalyn M., Sydney B., Arianna F.,
Charlotte L., Sheaniqua R., Julia B., Anthony V.,
Martin G., Even Z., Hunter N., Erik P., Byron C.,
Thomas F., and David C.
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION
Our Volunteer Appreciation was held on Tuesday
June 11 in our school library. As a token of our
appreciation we will plant tulip bulbs in our Peace
Garden on behalf of all our volunteers. Thank you
to all the parents and community members who have
volunteered throughout the year.
CROWNING OF MARY
On Friday, May 17, St. Julia School celebrated the
“Crowning of Mary” with two beautiful and child
centered gatherings. This culminating activity
reflected all of the hard work the Rosary Apostolate
volunteers have done with our students to teach them
the hymns of Mary and the prayers of the Rosary. We
thank the Rosary Apostolate for their
hard work and dedication to the
students of St. Julia
INTERMEDIATE CO-ED SOFTBALL
Congratulations to our intermediate co-ed softball
team for winning the Mississauga Brampton Central
softball tournament. The team displayed a winning
team spirit and never gives up attitude all day long.
The tournament was won largely due to our
unbelievable team defense that even produced the
tournaments only triple play! Mr. Monahan, Mr.
Morrice and Mrs. Zivkovic are very proud of the
following team members Emily P., Casandra M.,
Elizabeth L., Rachel C., Joshua D., Joseph C.,
Thomas F., Erik P., David C., Matteo P., Hunter N.,
Anthony V., and Matthew M.
JUNIOR CO-ED SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Congratulations to the Junior co-ed soccer team. The
team worked very hard this season, and showed great
sportsmanship. Team members include: Pasqale A.,
Zoie V., Vanessa B., Julia N., Matteo S., Justin K.,
Thomas K., Nicholas B., Cyril D., Quinn L., and
Shayne N.
Way TO GO P.A.L.S!!!
This year many of our grade 4 and 5 students have
participated and successfully delivered the P.A.L.S.
(Playground Activity Leadership in schools)program to
our primary students. P.A.L.S. is a schoolyard program
geared to help younger children learn cooperative games
and strategies in order to interact appropriately during
lunch recess. Our PAL members have been extremely
committed to mentoring the younger children and helping
them achieve successful daily play since November of
2010. We would like to thank them for giving their time,
effort, and dedication in making this program fun and
successful. Aaron H., Julia A., Tristan P., Anthony D.,
Madeline D ., Michelle J., Breana A., Camille D., Maria
P., Katrina K., Gabriella R., Joanna S., and Kaitlyn G.
PARENT INORMATION
KISS N RIDE
We are always in need of parent volunteers to assist
staff members in the Kiss N Ride area from 8:308:45 am to ensure safe arrival. If you are able to
volunteer please let Ms. Charette know in the office.
SUMMER READING, WRITING AND MATH
Parental involvement and support are an integral part
of students retaining their academic skills over the
summer. Support your child‟s learning by making
reading, writing and math a natural part of their
summer. Encourage reading as a bedtime routine.
SUNSCREEN
Over exposure to the sun can cause skin damage.
Students are reminded to take precautions to protect
skin. Some recommendations to reduce the effects of
the sun damage are: Wear protective clothing to cover
skin, wear a hat and sunglasses to protect the eyes and
the skin. Wear sun block and stay away from direct
sunlight.
TOTUS TUUS IS COMING
Totus Tuus Summer camp for children and youth is
returning to St. Joseph parish the week of July 7-12.
Join us for this exciting week and share in the Good
news of our Lord through catechetical instruction,
Mass, confession, songs, games and more! The
groupings will be:
Grades 1-6 on July 8-12 (Mon. to Fri.) 9am-2:30pm
Grades 7-12 on July 7-11 (Sun. to Thurs.) 7pm-9pm
STORAGE OF MEDICATION
We would like to remind parents who have had
medication stored at the school that it will be sent
home on Friday, June 28, 2013. If your child has an
EPI-PEN in the office please let us know if you will be
picking it up or if you would like it sent home with
your child. New medications and the proper forms for
storage will need to be filled out for the new school
year. We will send these forms home during the
month of June so that they may be completed by your
physician during the summer in preparation for the
upcoming school year.
SHARELIFE
We will be presenting Father Marc Andre with a
cheque of $2000.00 for Share Life at our Year End
Mass on Wednesday. Thank you to our school
community for supporting initiatives such as Candy
Grams, Pancake Tuesday and Student Council events.
STUDENT MONITORS NEEDED
Are you interested in working at our school beginning in
September?
Student Monitor Position: Part Time, 1.2 hours per day
activity, rainy day activity or even while in the car.
The rate of pay is $11.45 per hour plus 4% vacation pay
Have your
child write
notes and cards to friends and
Available
September
3, 2013
relatives,
keep
a
journal,
write out shopping or to do‟
Position Summary
lists.
The
work
that
you
do
DUTIES OF STUDENT MONTIOR:with your child is
invaluable
academically
personally.
Sharing the
Under
the supervision
of theand
Principal
or designate,
quality
time with
Student
Monitor
will: your children is rewarding for all.
Carry out supervision duties assigned by the Principal
Ensure that all reasonable safety procedures are carried out
in activities for which the student monitor is responsible
Co-operate with the Principal and teachers to maintain
consistent disciplinary practices in the school.
RESPONSIBILITES OF THE STUDENT MONITOR:
- Be aware of the school rules;
- Be prompt in reporting for supervision assignments;
- Become informed of specific medical/behavioral situations
pertaining to students supervised as per board training
- Be aware of the school emergency plans;
- Notify the teacher on duty when a problem arises.
To be considered for these positions please contact the
school. Contact before June 29, 2013 or after August 26,
2013.
All new employees will be required to submit a current
original criminal reference check (CRC) including a
“vulnerable Sector Screening” (VSS) issued within 6 months
prior to commencing employment with the board.
GRADUATION 2013
Congratulations to our grade 8 students as they prepare for
graduation. Please note the following dates and times:
- Luncheon and dance @Mississauga Convention Centre on Tuesday,
June 25, 2013.
-The Graduation Ceremony will also be on Wednesday, June 26,
2013 beginning at 6:30 pm in the school gymnasium.
-The Graduation Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph’s Parish at
10:00 am on Thursday, June 27, 2013. All parents are invited to
attend.
SENIOR KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION
Congratulations to all of our Senior Kindergarten students who will
be celebrating their graduation on Tuesday, June 18, 2013. Students
will be participating in a special ceremony in the gymnasium with
family members. All SK students will receive their very own
certificate to mark this special milestone.
SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
ST. JULIA’S ECO CLASSROOM
A few weeks ago, Mr. Pritchard told parent Siobhan
Kukolic about the long-term plan for the St. Julia
Eco-Classroom. He said the goal was to have fifteen
20-foot maples for shade and to source some benches
where kids could sit to learn in an outdoor
environment. Mrs. Kukolic asked the president of a
local pharmaceutical company, Hoffmann-La Roche,
if he would consider sponsoring one of these trees for
a community elementary school that was very Ecoconscious. A local nursery had quoted the cost of the
trees at $550 each. Hoffmann-La Roche said they
would sponsor two trees ($1100). Then parentlandscaper Matthew Grittani said he could get the
trees for wholesale at $300 a tree. And when Siobhan
Kukolic asked the donator if we could use the $1100
donation for as many trees as we could buy at the
new price, Hoffmann-La Roche said that would be
fine and then they increased their donation to $1500
for our Eco-Classroom trees. Hoffmann-La Roche
will also be supplying plaques to mount in the EcoClassroom. Last week, we were able to get five 20foot maple trees using the $1500 donation and they
are now planted at the back corner of the school yard.
A big thanks to Hoffmann-La Roche, Mr. Pritchard,
Mr. Reale, Mr. Grittani, and Mrs. Nichols for paying
the school board to plant the trees. Now the kids
have some shade in the yard and it's a great way for
St. Julia to help the environment.
Lights, Camera, Action
Thanks to parent Robert Cinapri who has run the St.
Julia Movie Nights since they began. He buys the
snacks, orders the popcorn, buys the DVD, mans the
ticket and snack table, and sets up the movie. We
couldn't do it without you.
BRING BACK THE SALMON
Three years ago, parent Siobhan Kukolic met a mom
at an Early Years Centre who said her school was
incubating salmon eggs to release into the Credit
River. She asked how St. Julia could get involved
and got the school put on a waiting list. Two and a
half years later, she got the call and St. Julia was
given the incubation equipment and 100 fertilized
salmon eggs. The eggs were housed in the school
library for five months. In nature, only 40 of 100
fertilized salmon eggs would survive yet the St. Julia
Grade 2 students deposited 98 of the 100 eggs we
received (which are now mini-fish) into the Credit
River in May. It was a great learning experience for
the kids and parents alike. A big thanks to Mrs.
Cheong who took charge of the salmon egg
incubation in the library and helped share stories of
the salmon life cycle to bring it to life for the
students. And to Mrs. Kerrigan who recently
attended an Outdoor Education in-service and was
able to share some games for the children to take part
in that brought them through the salmon life cycle.
The organization that offers the program is the
Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and our
contacts at that group were Matt Burley and Chris
Robinson. City TV and the Mississauga News
covered the story and the links are below (and a
special thanks to one of our parents, who wishes to
remain nameless, who asked Audra Brown from City
TV to cover the story). To learn more about this
program, or to share it with parents at other schools,
visit http://www.bringbackthesalmon.ca/
http://www.citynews.ca/2013/05/23/children-helpbring-atlantic-salmon-back-to-lake-ontario/
http://www.mississauga.com/community/article/1620
462--students-nurture-baby-salmon
A MESSAGE FROM ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
As we prepare to conclude the school year with activities we invite you and encourage you to ask your school communities to remember
the less fortunate ... we would greatly appreciate it if you would consider a final request to families to bring in non-perishable goods. The
panty is low and during the summer the need does not go down – it may even increase if we consider the present needs of our
communities. We need: peanut butter, canned fish, pasta sauce, cereal and canned fruit.
Please consider, If you have an upcoming celebration to request non-perishable goods. We would be happy to make sure we pick up any
donations at a convenient time for you ... the last week of school or any time in between now and then.
The support from your schools has been generous and ongoing. It is difficult to request more from you, but, our needs are great for the
neighbors-in-need that we serve. . We need: peanut butter, canned fish, pasta sauce, cereal and canned fruit.
When we visit people in their homes we bring them non-perishable foods, and a food voucher for fresh fruits, dairy and meat. This year we
have had to help more neighbors-in-need with utility bills and had to provide more food vouchers, which of course all comes out of the
generous financial donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. With a well stocked pantry we can provide them with more food and
decrease the food voucher to balance the support.
On behalf of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Joseph Parish Conference Thank You for your kind consideration of our request for additional help.
Updates from your friendly Teacher-Librarian
Ms. Cheong!
SWIM ON SALMON, SWIM ON
On Wednesday, May 22, the grade two students,
accompanied by Mrs. Stypka, Ms. Kerrigan, Mrs.
Starnino, Ms. Cheong and many parent volunteers, headed
up to Belfountain Conservation Area. Once there, students
had an opportunity to name and release 98 salmon fry into
the Credit River with the help of Matt, the "Fish Guy"
Burley. After the salmon swam away, the grade two
students had a great time playing games, hiking and
exploring the grounds. This exciting initiative garnered
some attention from the news media! Citytv came along
on the trip to cover the story. You can find the news
article at: http://www.citynews.ca/2013/05/23/childrenhelp-bring-atlantic-salmon-back-to-lake-ontario/. As well,
the Mississauga News came out to cover the story too.
You can read all about it at:
http://www.mississauga.com/community/article/1620462-students-nurture-baby-salmon. Special thanks to Mrs.
Kukolic, who brought this program to the school's
attention. We look forward to our next 100 salmon eggs in
the new school year.
Bookie Winner!
For the last six weeks, students from our grade 4 to 8
classes have been participating in a book knowledge trivia
competition. Questions touched upon famous picture
books, classic books, popular reads and literacy
knowledge. It was a tight competition with class totals just
mere points separating each other. However, after a
grueling three rounds, and thirty questions later, Ms.
Costa’s Class wins the inaugural St. Julia Bookie Prize
this year! Congratulations! Students will be awarded a
class prize for their enthusiasm and book smarts!
Thank You!
Much thanks to Nikita D., Zoe O., Chloe C., Pasqale A.,
Nikita S., and Olivia S., for their hardwork and dedication
to the library this year. Their tireless effort is what kept
our library organized! Great job ladies!
FOREST OF READING
These last five months, many of our students were
involved in the Forest of Reading program. This
program, organized by the Ontario Library
Association, and delivered through the school library,
had students reading or having read to, a selection of
books by Canadian authors. After students have read
the minimum number of books for the program, they
are issued a ballot that allowed them to vote for their
favourite book. Alongside participating students from
all over the province, students from St. Julia voted for
their favourite selection on April 29.
On Thursday, May 16, Ms. Cheong and a small group
of students headed down to Harbourfront Centre in
Toronto to attend the Festival of Trees Event where
they attended this year's Silver Birch Express Award
ceremony. Students had a chance to play games, be
entertained by the YTV's Zoinked crew, and meet
and chat with many Canadian authors. A great day
was had by all. Special thanks to Mr. Pisani who
drove us down to Harbourfront and back! We hope to
be back again next year!
VISITING COURTNEYPARK LIBRARY
In the month of May, the junior kindergarten, senior
kindergarten and grade four students, accompanied
by Mrs. Wendel, Mrs. Fernandez, Mr. Morrice, Mrs.
Cardoso, Ms. Cheong and many parent volunteers
took trips to the Courtneypark Library. Students were
entertained by a variety of stories, given a tour of the
library space and checked-out a book with their very
own library card! Thank you to Courtnypark Library
for being such great hosts and supporting our
student’s love of reading!
Bring the Books Back!
All books must be returned to the
library immediately. Whose class
will return all their books first?!
TRANSPORTATION NEWS for 2013-2014
Your first stop for all transportation questions should be the following website:
http://businfo.stopr.ca
You can check this website for bus route #, bus stop information and pick-up / drop-off times!
Here are the answers to some frequently asked Questions about Transportation
Q: Is my child eligible for transportation?
A: The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s distance criteria for eligibility is as follows:
JK – Grade 1
Grade 2-4
Grade 5-8
Grade 9-12
residing more than 1 km from designated school of attendance
residing more than 1.6 km from designated school of attendance
residing more than 2 km from designated school of attendance
residing more than 4.8 km from designated school of attendance
(3.2 km in communities not served by public transit)
Transportation eligibility information is available at http://businfo.stopr.ca
Q: Where is my child’s bus stop and what time will they be picked up and dropped off?
A: All bus run information is available at your child’s school effective the week prior to the
commencement of school or visit www.stopr.ca to “student login”.
Q: My child is not eligible for transportation according to Board policy. Are there any other
options available to me?
A: Yes. You may apply for a courtesy seat on an existing bus to your school through the
“Courtesy Seat” policy. Applications are to be made at the school and can be delivered to the
main office starting on Monday September 9th, 2013. Successful applicants are usually able to
commence riding the bus in mid-October after they have been assigned by Student
Transportation. Please be aware that this privilege is subject to change each year, and
contingent upon availability, your child may not have transportation for the full school year, and
will be reassessed each September.
Q: My child is in kindergarten. Are there any special provisions for kindergarten students?
A: Yes. Kindergarten is a half day or full day program. Kindergarten students being returned by
bus at noon or at the end of the school day will not be permitted to exit the bus unless the
appropriate parent or caregiver is present to meet them at their bus stop. Kindergarten students
who are not met will be returned to their school and the parent/caregiver will need to make
their own arrangements to pick them up there. This protocol also applies to grade one students.
Based on the feedback from our consultations with
various stakeholder groups, several broad themes
and understandings have been identified. These
will guide our planning and practice going forward:
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Faith nurturing and development
Global/local issues and stewardship within a
Catholic view
Infusion of faith in our learning spaces
Sacred spaces that promote active reflection
and prayer
Student-led learning , higher order thinking and
collaborative inquiry
Relevant real world contexts and/or experiential
learning
Varied evidence-based strategies for instruction
and assessments
Creative design of flexible learning spaces
responsive to student needs
Student voice and engagement
Collaborative professional learning and
instructional leadership
Technological and digital literacy
Community, parish and parent engagement
Evidence-informed decision making
Although we have already explored some
possibilities for what we need our schools to do, the
possibilities really are endless, both from teaching
and learning perspectives. Our 21st century learning
and teaching journey is a dynamic and everexpanding process. It is a process that will unfold in
many phases and in many forms over the coming
months and years. We will be exploring multiple
technologies, including digital, internet, use of
tablets and other devices, as well as the wireless
technology (Wi-Fi) necessary to facilitate the use of
these devices. Technology not only allows us to link
to the global community, but also provides greater
accessibility and use for students for whom these
tools are essential for learning.
In fact, one of the next phases on our 21st century
journey will be related to technology; specifically,
the introduction of wireless technology into our
schools. Wireless technology is already literally all
around us. It is prevalent in our homes, automobiles,
workplaces, where we shop, where we get our
coffee.... you name it and chances are that wireless
technology is there. Initially, one of the areas we will
focus on will be the use of wireless technology as
one of the teaching support tools we can use to
benefit student learning.
Earlier this year, we initiated a pilot project utilizing
wireless technology in four schools (two elementary
and two secondary) and the board’s Catholic
Education Centre. As part of the pilot, we engaged
an environmental consultant to test radiowave
frequencies in the pilot sites. Tests were conducted
both with WiFi turned on and again, with WiFi
turned off. In fact, the highest measured location
was only 3% of the Health Canada Code 6 standard
(in other words, 97% better than the Code 6
standard). The results with the WiFi turned off were
only marginally lower than when it was turned on.
We are looking to have wireless technology installed
in all our schools by the fall.
We are aware of, and respect the fact that some
parents and guardians in other school districts have
expressed reservations about health and safety in
relation to the introduction of wireless technology in
schools. The health and safety of our students and
staff is paramount to us. As we do with all healthrelated matters, we take direction from our local and
national health authorities; in our case, Peel Health,
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Unit and Health
Canada. Each of these health authorities take the
position that the available scientific evidence
indicates that exposure to Wi-Fi in schools is not
harmful to the health of students and staff. Please
be assured that we are approaching this in a
focused, planned and measured manner, in
compliance with Health Canada standards and in
conjunction with other components of 21st century
learning.
This is an exciting time for our students and staff,
and we hope for you as parents/guardians as well.
The concept of learning is grounded in knowledge;
how we construct and acquire it, interact with it and
how we share and create communities of practice
with it. We need to collaborate, not just with peers,
but with people all over the world. In doing so, we
advance knowledge, share our talents and gifts and
make changes that serve the greater common good.
For more information on Dufferin-Peel’s vision for
21st Century Learning, visit our website at
www.dpcdsb.org and read the recent report to the
board called Forming our Catholic Vision for
Learning in the 21st Century.
June 2013
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
16
17
Primary classes to
Kortright Centre
18
Pizza Day
Grade 5 trip to the
ROM
19
Year end mass @
St. Joseph’s parish
@ 10AM
20
Virtues assembly @
1:30 PM-Fairness
21
Board Track & Field
day
22
26
Grade 8 pizza day
Reptillia
presentation for
grades 1,2, & 3
Grade 6 picnic
Grade 8 graduation
ceremony @ 6:30
PM in the gym
27
Grade 8 graduation
mass 10:00 AM @ St.
Joseph’s parish
28
Last day of school!
29
Rainbows picnic
23
24
Play Day
SK graduation
ceremony @ 10 am
25
Pizza Day 1-7’s
Play Day raindate
Grade 8 graduation
luncheon @
Mississauga
Convention Centre
30
St. Julia office reopens August 26,
2013
First Day back is:
September 3, 2013
Intermediate picnic @
12:00 PM