Fr. Francis McSpiritt September Newsletter 2014
PRAYER FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR
Principal:
G. Sideroff
Vice Principal:
S. Salameh
Secretary:
K. Walsh
C. Egan
Superintendent:
M. Vecchiarino
Brampton North -East
(905) 890-1221
Trustee:
S. McLauchlan
(416) 659-5635
Parish:
St. Patrick’s Church
(905) 794-0486
Pastor:
Fr. Vito Marziliano
Father Francis McSpiritt
Catholic School
55 Lexington Road
Brampton, Ontario
L6P 2B1
Telephone: (905) 794-5031
Fax- (905) 794-9542
Loving God:
As we begin this new school year together, we pray that you extend Your blessing
over our staff, students, their families and our school community throughout the
coming year.
May our school be filled with love, joy, hope and learning.
Guide us to let trespasses be forgiven,
Let our wounds be healed and let conflict melt into harmony.
May our children grow in knowledge, understanding and wisdom.
May they be strong in mind, body and spirit.
May they support one another towards becoming
the best that they can be.
May they have the courage to follow Your way,
And may we all work together as “one” in community to continue to create an
environment and world, where all will flourish.
Amen
WELCOME BACK
Welcome back to returning members of our community and a warm welcome to
our new families who have moved into our area. We look forward once again to
working closely with the students, parents/guardians and with our new parish
priest at St. Patrick Church, Father Vito Marziliano. In working together, we can
provide a successful learning environment for your children; a safe, inclusive and
healthy learning environment that is infused with our Catholic Values.
Welcome back to all staff members including those who are new to our school.
Our staff has worked hard to prepare for what promises to be a memorable school
year. Father Francis McSpiritt School will continue to promote, support and
encourage the spiritual, academic, physical, social and emotional growth and
development of all students.
Agendas will be sent home shortly with each student. We encourage our parents to
read through the very important information contained at the front and please sign
at the back to acknowledge that you have reviewed.
We look forward to meeting all of you at our Open House on Wednesday,
September 24 at 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Fr. Francis McSpiritt September Newsletter 2014
Growing Together in Faith and Celebrating our Differences
Our Virtue for September….. FAITH
Each month, students will learn about, and celebrate our Catholic Virtues. Students learn about the virtues
in their classrooms and they are highlighted each week in morning announcements. The Virtues also
appear in the agendas provided to all students. The Virtue for the month of September is Faith, which can
be described as God calling on us to strive for holiness as we grow together as a family rooted in Christ.
Classes and Possible September Reorganization
During the first few weeks of school, the student enrolment, which was based on a projected total,
undergoes changes and some reorganization of classes and transfers of students to another class may
be needed. It is also possible that a teacher may need to be reassigned to another grade, class, or
school for similar reasons. Parents of students in affected classes will be notified. Some classes are
organized or re-organized as split grades. Teachers of these classes will provide a curriculum which is
equal in scope to that of a single-grade class, and they will collaborate with other same-grade teachers
to ensure consistency. More information regarding school organization and split classes will be sent
home within the next two weeks.
SAFETY
In order to keep your children safe, we would encourage you to not allow your child to go to the local coffee shop
Verification
of Student
Forms,
Policies
with their friends during the
warm weather.
The walkInformation,
is quite a distance
and on
a busy road with continual
construction. The office is a busy place and it will be difficult to verify all the permission forms and make phone calls
home to confirm. So, therefore, we are discouraging students from leaving at lunch, unless they are accompanied by a
parent or guardian, or the arrangement is that they go directly home for lunch every day. This information will also be
shared with the students by their classroom teachers.
Verification of Student Information, Forms, Policies
A variety of information, school forms and other school policies will be sent home this week. Please
complete and return all required information as soon as possible and no later than September 10. Please
notify us immediately if there are changes during the school year in your work, emergency or home
phone numbers or other vital information that may be needed by the school to assist your child in the
event of an emergency.
Fr. Francis McSpiritt September Newsletter 2014
Our Catholic School Council
Becoming a member of our Catholic School Council is an excellent opportunity for parents and guardians
to become more involved in our school life. Parents may choose to become elected members or to assist
with particular projects without formal membership. A sampling of past work includes:



organization of school fundraisers
organization of community building events
purchase of resources and equipment for students, staff, the school and classrooms
The Catholic School Council is now accepting nominations from the community for this school year.
Nomination forms will be available for you to pick up in the office. Information will be sent home soon
regarding the process for becoming a member of the Council, possible elections. The date of the first
meeting is September 30 @ 6:30 p.m. More information is available by contacting our office or our
present Council Vice-Chair, Mrs. Spagnolo. Regular meetings are open to everyone from our community
and everyone is welcome; you do not have to be an elected member to attend.
Volunteers Make a Difference
If you have some time to give to our school, please consider sharing your talents, energy, and time as a
volunteer. Your help can be provided on a regular basis or once in a while for special projects or events.
Please request a volunteer form from the office. A free police criminal reference check is required for
someone who provides ongoing volunteer activities involving students, including supervision during
school trips. Pick up the application forms in the office.
School Visitors (Including parents/guardians)
For safety reasons and the protection of all children in our care, you are reminded that all visitors
(including parents) must report to the office. Please ring the bell and you will be admitted into the school.
You will be asked to sign in and you will receive an identification sticker. Staff will stop and question an
unidentified persons in the school or on the school property. If you are dropping something off for your
child, please do so in the Main office. Parents are welcome to escort children to the playground
boundaries but you must remain outside the fenced area. Only students and supervisors are allowed within
the playground enclosure.
As always, we continue to stress the importance of your child arriving at school on time. Due to the
large number of students that attend our school, it has become quite a challenge for our secretary to
administer late slips to students who are continually late. The office continues to be a very busy place and
it would be appreciated that students line up outside with their classroom. Due to our security system, the
front entrance is no longer a convenient point of entry.
We would also like to ask that if your child is staying at school for lunch, please send a lunch to school
with your child. Once again, due to the large number of students, it has become difficult for the Main
office to accommodate and monitor the large number of parents who drop off their child’s lunch. Our
main concern is safety. If it is at all possible, we encourage that students go home for lunch. It provides
students with a break from the school day and they return refreshed and ready to learn.
Fr. Francis McSpiritt September Newsletter 2014
"Safe Arrivals" Program - Attendance Verification
The Safe Arrival Program is designed to ensure that your children arrive safely at school each day and is a
shared responsibility between school and parents. We ask that you always phone the school to let us
know that your child will not be attending or will be arriving late. To help with this process, we ask that
parents call the school at 905-794-5031 between the hours of 4:00 pm. and 8:30 a.m. When reporting an
absence, please state:


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the child’s name and spelling
the child’s grade
the child’s teacher, and
the reason for absence
Students may not call and leave messages for you as we require your voice/authorization. If we haven't
heard from you, and your child is not in school, we will attempt to ensure that the student is safe by
contacting you. An alternative is to provide a note to the teacher in advance of the absence or lateness.
School Hours and Playground Supervision
Our school hours are: 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Lunch hour is from: 11:45 - 12:45. (Students who eat lunch at school are encouraged to bring lunches
with them. Parents who choose to deliver lunch, on occasion, must label the lunch in advance with your
child’s full name and teacher and leave it on the table provided in the hallway by the office. Students will
be expected to know to ask permission from their teacher to come to the hallway to pick up their lunch
without being called by the office.)
Recesses for grades 1-8: 10:08 a.m. to 10:23 a.m. and 2:09 p.m. to 2:24 p.m. All students are expected to
participate in outdoor recess unless a doctor’s note is provided regarding a serious medical condition.
The school playground is supervised beginning at 8:30 a.m. (before entry) and until 3:15 p.m.(after
school). Excellent attendance and punctuality are encouraged. However, students must not be in the
playground before supervision begins. Students are expected to arrive after 8:30 a.m. and leave the
grounds promptly after school, to check in and confirm safe arrival at home with parents or caregivers.
Medications and Health Concerns
It is crucial that you notify the office of any serious health concerns in writing, including allergies and
other health concerns which may affect a child’s participation at school. If this applies to your child you
are asked to provide us with treatment procedures written by a physician. If a student needs to take
medication at school (to be avoided if possible), medication forms must be completed by you and your
physician prior to the storage and administration of any prescribed medication by the school. The storage
and administration of an Epi-Pen requires additional forms to be completed by a physician. A letter
should be submitted to the office regarding any new physical injuries or health concerns which may
develop during the school year, and which may affect the student’s school participation. A special file to
be kept in the Ontario Student Record Folder may need to be established for serious or potential lifethreatening conditions.
Fr. Francis McSpiritt September Newsletter 2014
Kiss and Ride / Parking / Safety
Students being picked up or dropped off by car may use the 'Kiss and Ride' area at the side of the school,
however with our large school enrolment a better choice may be to park in legal street locations and walk
onto the school property. Parents must remain in their cars when in the 'Kiss and Ride' lane.
Students getting picked up at the end of the day are asked to arrange a meeting place. Please follow the
directional signs and various painted lines/wording in the parking area. Please note that there is no
parking/stopping in the fire routes, and expensive fines are sometimes issued to violators by Brampton
Traffic Control. Students must be dropped off from the passenger side of vehicle.
We have noticed that pick-up at the end of the day has become dangerous due to parents who park their
cars in the staff parking lot to wait for their child to exit the school. Students are exiting the school and
running through the parking lot while cars are moving. We would ask that you refrain from using staff
parking at the end of the day. Please use side streets to park your car and walk to the school. A helpful
option which helps relieve traffic congestion is to arrange drop-off or pick-up a block or two from the
school. Remember to not block our neighbouring driveways. Finally, drivers please remember to drive
slowly and carefully and stay focused with no distractions when you are anywhere near the school.
Best of all, students should walk to school in a group if possible.
Fire Drills, Emergency Evacuation, Lockdown, and "Hold and Secure"
Emergency evacuation drills in case of fire or other dangerous incidents will be conducted several times
during the year. Lockdown drills will also be conducted, to be prepared for possible situations involving a
threatening situation or intruder. A “Hold and Secure” situation may require increased supervision,
and/or holding indoor lunch and recesses, or other actions deemed necessary by the Principal or designate
upon direction from emergency authorities such as the police or the Board. Our Neighbourhood Police
Unit will assist and supervise with our lockdowns.
Bus Transportation -www.businfo.stopr.ca
Bussing for the school will be provided in accordance with the policy set out by the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board. In order to verify your child’s bus stop and times, please go directly to
STOPR website indicated above. Any issues re: the bus stops, changes, and/or times will be addressed by
STOPR. You will need your child’s OEN# which can be found at the top of your child’s previous report
cards. The following distances are used to determine eligibility:
 Kindergarten - Grade 1: 1.0 km
 Grades 2-4:
1.6 km
 Grades 5-8
2.0 km
Bus times are approximate, so children should arrive at the designated stop at least five minutes prior to
the published time. Student riders must follow all behaviour rules when on the bus. Kindergarten and
grade one students will receive information about a safety protocol that requires special tags to be worn
and adults to meet children at their drop-off location. In October, when it has been established that there is
space on a bus, students who do not meet the eligibility requirements may be granted a seat in accordance
with the Courtesy Transportation policy. Parents/Guardians, requesting access must submit a written
request indicating reasons for requesting the empty seat, the bus number, and the established bus stop to
Fr. Francis McSpiritt September Newsletter 2014
be used (stop details also posted on the school front doors). Decisions affecting permission will include
distance, age of students, and special circumstances such as medical needs. Courtesy bussing must be
renewed each year (even if you have previously received approval). Communication about whether
permission is granted will occur in October, when it is confirmed that eligible riders all have a seat. The
number of available bus stops is limited, and no additional locations will be established for courtesy
seating.
Nut Allergies
We have a number of students who suffer from food allergies to nuts, peanuts and nut products. If your
child brings any of these foods to school it could cause a life threatening situation. We cannot guarantee
that any classroom is nut-free, but we are attempting to minimize the exposure and keep our children as
safe and healthy as possible. If everyone cooperates, we can limit the risks for these children.
Parents, guardians and students can help by doing the following:
 read the labels of foods before you include them with your child’s snack
 avoid sending your child with food that may contain nuts or nut products
 parents/guardians speak to your children about not sharing their snacks or lunches, utensils and
containers with other children, especially with allergic children
 If sending in treats for the whole class, only treats that are clearly labeled that they were made in a
“nutfree facility” will be admitted. Consider sending non-food items.
 clean hands and face immediately after eating peanut butter or nut products prior to coming to school
 share this information with caregivers who provide lunches or snacks to take to school
 Please avoid sending “Wowbutter” for lunch as it is difficult to identify that it is not peanut butter
 every child with a life-threatening allergy is highly encouraged to wear a “medic alert” bracelet.
SCENT FREE SCHOOL
We would like to make everyone who enters the school premises aware that we strive to be a
“Scent Free School”. We have a number of children and staff members who may have severe
allergic reactions to certain chemicals that may be found in perfumes, body sprays and hair
products. There is a poster in the front entrance reminding all who enter that this is a scent free
school
ECO School
Congratulations to our Eco /Green Team for all of their efforts in the last school year. Father
Francis McSpiritt School was awarded with a “GOLD” Eco School Certification plaque for
our school walls. As a school community, we would like to continue to strive to attain “gold”
certification. Our goal for the upcoming school year is to continue to strive to have most of
our families receive our school monthly newsletter via e-mail. With the new “Anti-Spam”
Legislation in effect, we will wait to get direction from the board early in the school year as
to how we go about collecting e-mail addresses from families. In the meantime, hard copies
will be coming home. Please remember that our newsletters are also posted on our school
website: www.dpcdsb.org/MCSPI
Fr. Francis McSpiritt September Newsletter 2014
Personal Electronic Devices ( PEDS) on School Property
As part of our efforts to promote and maintain a positive “Catholic School Climate”, the board is
developing an updated comprehensive policy regarding the use of PEDS on school premises.
Until updated policies are in place, we will continue to expect appropriate and responsible use of
all electronic devices. While these devices can be powerful, educational tools, we will continue
to expect that communication during school time will not involve taking pictures, texting or
phoning.
If you need to speak to your child during school hours, please contact the office and we will get
your message to your child as soon as possible. Similarly, if your child should happen to need to
contact you for important reasons, they will be asked to use the phone in the office.
Please review the above mentioned procedures with your child(ren).
DATES TO REMEMBER
Sept. 10
Sept. 12
Sept. 24
Sept.30
Oct. 10
Oct. 13
Nov. 5
Nov. 7
Nov.13
Nov.14
All student information packages due
PD DAY – No school for students
Open House – 7 – 8 p.m.
School Council Meeting / Elections if necessary 6:30 p.m.
Picture Day
Thanksgiving Break – No school Monday
Immunization Clinic Hep. Gr. 7 Girls & Boys, HPV Gr.8 Girls
Picture Retake
Interview Evening – as needed for particular students
PA Day - No School for Students