280 Kingsbridge Garden Circle, Mississauga, ON L5R 1L2
PRINCIPAL ………………
SECRETARY …………….
SUPERINTENDENT …….
WARD 4 TRUSTEE ……...
F. Bernard
N. Russo
L. Papaloni (905)890-1221
A. Abbruscato (905)890-1221
Tel: 905-890-6898
PARISH …………………..
PASTOR ………………….
COUNCIL CHAIR ……….
WEBSITE ………………...
Fax: 905-890-7611
Cristo Rei (905)270-1133
Fr. C. Macatangga
N. Rampersad
www.dpcdsb.org/MATHW
Be the Difference Live the Difference
COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2015
Welcome back to 2015!
Principal’s Corner –
HAPPY NEW YEAR & WELCOME BACK!
Welcome back to all of our students, staff, parents, and guardians. We hope that your Christmas was filled with much joy,
friendship, and celebration. The New Year is a time for reflection as well as celebration, so let us keep God, our Father, in our
hearts and pray to Him for each day of 2015 that He will help us to do our best. The entire staff of St. Matthew School
extends to all our families the Peace of Christ in their lives, and a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year 2015
Sharing Our Blessings and Thanks…
We would like to begin the year by acknowledging and giving thanks to . . .

the students of St. Matthew for all their enthusiasm and spirit;

the many parents/guardians for all your wishes and gifts for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year;

our wonderful staff for their hard work, dedication, talents, and efforts in ensuring that our students are learning in
a safe, caring and inclusive Catholic environment;

our Trustee of the Board, A. Abbruscato and our Superintendent L. Papaloni for their continual guidance and
support;

our Catholic School Council who have worked so hard at providing valuable and positive enhancements that help in the
students’ learning, as well as special events for the community i.e. chocolate fundraiser, movie night;

Father Carlos and our parish team for their spiritual guidance and celebrations that they share with us;

our volunteers who support student learning and school activities;

All families and community members of St. Matthew for showing the true meaning of Christmas through your
generous donations. This Christmas of 2014, the school undertook the project of Operation Christmas Child and you’re
your generosity was phenomenal and the project was most successful. On behalf of the recipients of the gifts - thank
and know that you put smiles on many children this Christmas.
1
CATHOLIC EDUCATION
.
eligible to vote for your local Catholic school board trustee,
you must be registered as a separate school supporter.
Putting Our Faith Into Action
BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS
Virtue of the Month . . .
So far, we have focused on the virtues of faith, empathy,
conscience and hope. In January, we will celebrate the
virtue of self-control. With the students we will be
reinforcing that people with self-control:
 Are patient with themselves and others;
 Think before they react (WWJD);
 Know how to wait their turn;
 Look for peaceful ways to solve conflicts;
 Can calm themselves down and think before
reacting to situations;
 Know how to avoid physical aggression (hitting,
kicking, pushing, fighting, etc.);
 Can think things through and do what is best for
everyone;
 Have the power to stand up for what is right;
 Understand that they cannot always have what
they want when they want it.
Our daily prayer for January will be . . .
Let us pray for the virtue of self-control so that we will
resist the temptation to cause harm to ourselves or to
others around us.
Our focus on self-control will have much more impact if it is
echoed at home. Please take some time to talk with your
children about the concept of self-control and how it is
important in your own life and how you can see it being
important in their lives. Working together, we’ll make a big
difference.
Are You Ticked?
Catholic Ratepayers: Have You Checked Your
Tax Bill to Ensure Proper Tax Support?
Help us to maintain our right to publicly
funded Catholic Education – if you are a Catholic ratepayer,
we urge you to check your property tax bill to ensure that
your support is directed to your local Catholic school board,
in our case, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board.
If you are a tenant, you can verify your support by
contacting our Admissions Department at 905-890-0708
ext. 24511, 24512 or 24519 or your local municipal office.
By ensuring that you are accurately recorded as a Catholic
school supporter, you can help deliver a powerful message
to the government about the level of support for publicly
funded Catholic education in Ontario. In order to be
Throughout the year, we endeavour to put our faith into
action in various ways.
During this past season of
Christmas, St. Matthew School has been blessed with
donations from the community that truly demonstrate our
faith in action. We would like to acknowledge and extend
our sincere gratitude to those who provided help to the
less fortunate families in our community.
A MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM THE SAMARITAN’S PURSE
– Operation Christmas Child: “We are grateful to God for
using you, your prayers and your gifts to bring physical and
spiritual aid to hurting people around the world. We could
not do this work without the support of Canadians like you.
On behalf of each person whose life has been changed this
year, we say thank you.
Merry Christmas”.
CONGRATULATIONS COMMUNITY OF ST. MATTHEW
AND THANK YOU!!
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
Catholic School Council Update
Before the Christmas holidays, your School Council was
busy completing the chocolate fundraiser. The money
raised will go towards many initiatives for our school.
Congratulations and thanks again to everyone who
participated in the fundraiser.
In December, the School Council hosted St. Matthew's
Family Movie Night – The Muppets Christmas Carol! This
event took place in our school gymnasium with a great
turnout of over 100 people. Thanks to all who attended! We
now are looking forward to our next upcoming events.
The next School Council meeting is on Tuesday, January
13th at 6:30 p.m. All parents are welcome to attend.
PROGRAM & CURRICULUM
Report Cards
Term 1 report cards will be on their way home on February
3rd. This is a great opportunity to have a close look at your
child’s progress by examining their areas of strength and
their needs. It’s also an important time to set goals for
continued learning and achievement through determining
“next steps” for learning. Here are a few tips that may
help you to understand the report card as well as help you
to discuss it with your child:

When the report card comes home take some time
to talk about the school term before you open it.
2




Help your child to feel comfortable about it
through positive and supportive communication.
When you’re reviewing the report card, focus first
on the positive aspects (the strengths). This
shows your child that you truly care about their
accomplishments. Encourage your child to talk
about any areas that they are having difficulty
with (their needs). Ask them questions that may
help you understand their difficulties from their
point of view.
Be careful not to over-react to low grades – they
should be used as incentive for change, not a
reason for punishment.
Take some time to talk about ways your child can
improve their learning and achievement (their next
steps). Consider setting some achievable goals for
their learning over the next term. Tracking and
monitoring their goals can be motivating for
learners.
Celebrate success! Remind your child that you are
proud of their achievement and that you
appreciate their efforts.
Interviews – All Will Be Expected to Attend
Once you receive the report cards, interviews will be held
shortly afterwards. It will be an excellent time for you and
the teacher to work together as a team to discuss ways you
can both help your son or daughter learn. More information
will be forthcoming regarding setting up the interviews and
having successful parent-teacher-student interviews.
Extended French Beginning in Grade 5
Grade 4 parents/guardians who wish to enrol their child in a
Grade 5 Extended French class for September 2015 are
invited to attend an information meeting:
San Lorenzo Ruiz
100 Barondale Drive
Mississauga, ON L4Z
905-501-0400
Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at 7:00pm
At the present time, the above mentioned school is the
designated centre for our area.
Applications will be
accepted at this centre until 3:00 pm Wednesday, February
17th, 2015.
RAZ Kids
The Catholic School Council has once again purchased
access to RAZ Kids, an on-line reading program for
students in Grades Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3.
Information has been sent home from your child’s teacher
about logging on at home for this reading resource. This
program allows children to not only read books on-line, but
also hear books and record their own voices reading leveled
books. Students will have access to their personalized login account for one full year.
Junior & Senior Kindergarten Registration
St. Matthew School will be offering the full -day
Kindergarten program. Registration for the 2015-2016
school year will be held at all Dufferin-Peel Catholic
elementary schools on:
Monday, January 26, 2015
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Friday, January 30, 2015
7:00 pm-9:00 pm
9:00 am-3:00 pm
9:00 am-3:00 pm
9:00 am-3:00 pm
Tuesday, January 27, 2015 is the alternate
snow date for Monday, January 26th.
Junior Kindergarten - Children must be 4 years old by
December 31, 2015.
Senior Kindergarten - Children must be 5 years old by
December 31, 2015.
Parents/Guardians will require the following documents
when registering their child:

Registration form-obtained from school;

proof of age–birth certificate or passport;

original Catholic Baptismal Certificate of the
Roman, Greek or Ukrainian Rite (Eastern Church in
full communion with the Holy See of Room) for
parent (one) and child;

updated immunization records-immunization card,
Peel Health Form or Letter of Exemption;

proof of Canadian citizenship – birth certificate,



passport or permanent resident status;
proof of address – two of the following: property
tax bill, current utility bill, real estate document
or Government of Canada issued forms;
emergency rural address numbers for identifying
your property, if applicable
proof of English Separate School Support – may be
done at the time of registration by completing an
Application For the Direction of School Support
and/or a Separate School Lease Agreement (Peel
or Dufferin). .
For more information, contact St. Matthew School or visit
http://www.dpcdsb.org.
2015 Entry Planning
Differing
Abilities
Kindergarten
for Students
Transitioning
with
to
There
will
be
an
information
session
for
parent(s)/guardian(s) of children with differing abilities
including vision, speech, hearing, autism, physical/medical
and/or developmental delays who are transitioning to
Kindergarten in September 2015.
3
The information session will be held:
 at Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School BoardCatholic Education Centre, Room 301
 Thursday, January 8, 2015 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30
p.m.
 Snow date Tuesday, January 13, 2015 from 7:00
p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Parent(s)/Guardians(s) are also reminded to register their
child at our school office.
IMPORTANT: SAFETY ON SCHOOL PROPERTY
Driveway, Walkways, Kiss N’ Ride
Student safety continues to remain a priority at school.
Many thanks to parents/guardians who have been following
the safe and correct procedures for using the school
driveway. Some safe practices include:

The Staff Parking lot and parking lot at the end of
the driveway closest to the Kindergarten area will
be closed off with pylons during Kiss N’’ Ride. If
you happen to get in there before the pylons go up
and the pylons go up, you will need to wait until Kiss
N’ Ride is over. NO NOT STOP OR PARK IN
FRONT OR NEAR THE PYLONS.

Also for safety reason, if you park in a
visitors/handicap spot – you CANNOT back or
drive out into the Kiss N’ Ride – you will need to
wait.

Do not stop, park or get out of your vehicle in the
bus lane, Kiss N’ Ride lane or in the driveway at the
front of the school, at any time, even if you are
running late or picking up your child early. If you
need to get out of your vehicle to walk your child
to the Kindergarten, play yard or come into the
school, park in a spare parking space or park legally
on the street and walk onto the school property.

ALWAYS DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY! Be
aware of your surroundings at all times whether
driving or walking.

Before reversing ensure that the area behind and
beside your car is clear of pedestrians, vehicles,
and obstructions.

Look for pedestrians when driving through parking
lot aisles or roadways.

Follow marked signs.

Adhere to the one way driving in the parking lot.

Please do not ask your child to cross through the
front driveway where busses come in or cars drive
through. We would appreciate parents walking
their children to either end of our sidewalks.

Stay on walkways when walking next to or across
parking lot entry or exit areas.

Look for cars before crossing parking aisles or
road ways.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Professional Development Day.This day is dedicated to
Assessement, Evaluation &
Reporting
SAFETY/SECURITY COMES FIRST
S
Front Door Entry
The Front Door buzzer System is meant to keep everyone
within the building safe. This means that every person who
enters must be vetted by the office staff (Mrs. Russo) or a
designated staff member.
This takes time and
parents/students/visitors will be required to wait patiently
until the door can be answered. First priority will be given
to taking care of students inside the school, answering
telephones, and taking care of activity in the front
office before answering the front door.
We ask that students arrive on time to school. Please be
advised that if you drop your child off late in the morning
(after 8:50 a.m.) they may have to wait to be buzzed into
the school. It the responsibility of the parent(s) to wait
with your child(ren) until this can occur.
There is no outside supervision by teachers after 8:50 a.m.
as they are in class starting their day with the students.
Arriving late interrupts prayers, announcements, and
teaching/learning time. Having students in the building on
time is a must.
During lunch, we ask that parents drop off lunches and
leave promptly. Please do not open the front doors for any
visitors as they are all to be vetted by the office.
Thank you for your cooperation and support in maintaining a
safe building for all of us in the St. Matthew School
Community.
4

Please respect the Fire Route and No Parking signs
around the school, as well as the handicap parking
spaces. There is no parking in the fire routes at
any time, for any length of time, for any reason. It
is unsafe and against the law!

Parking Control has been out ensuring safety and
compliance – please park legally.

Everyone needs to be respectful to the School
Staff and be modeling appropriate behavior and
language in front of their children during all times
when driving on school property – actually at all
times.

Just a reminder that children should not be
dropped off before 8:35 in the morning as there is
no teacher supervision until this time.
to your child’s agendas or September newsletter for
details.
Regular Attendance & Punctuality
As you well know, regular attendance and
punctuality are important life skills that apply not only in
the educational setting, but also in other settings and
especially in the work place.
It is the parent’s
responsibility, as outlined in the Education Act to ensure
that their child is in regular attendance and on time for
school. A total of the number of the days absent and late
are documented and become part of the student’s record.
When regular attendance and punctuality are problematic,
this will require follow up from the school staff in order to
discuss a plan for helping the child to improve attendance
and/or prompt arrival.
Vacations During the School Year
Under the direction of Mr. Bury, our school Child and Youth
Worker, some of our students have been trained in the
PALS program. During certain days of the week, they are
providing a fun and safe environment for younger students
to play cooperative games. So far the excitement level has
been high and we are continuing to see the positive impact
this program has on the physical and social emotional bellbeing of our students.
The aim of this schoolyard
initiative allows students to lead others in fun activities
during recess time, provide fun and physical activity.
Please encourage your child(ren) to participate in the PALS
program.
We have also noted that families are taking vacations
during the school year, and therefore students are missing
precious school times. We do not give permission for a
student to be excused for vacations – the Education Act is
clear on reasons for absences from school.
The
expectation is to have students in school for the full school
year – September to June. Teachers have a great deal of
curriculum to cover and need sufficient time to properly
assess and evaluate student learning. Student learning is
most effective when present in the classroom, listening and
participating in the daily instruction. Please make all
efforts to refrain from booking holidays during the school
year. Your cooperation and attention to this matter is
greatly appreciation.
Signing In, Picking Up Students, Notes
Minimizing Interruptions to the School Day
When visiting, parents and visitors are reminded to sign in
on the visitors log at the office. If a parent needs to pick
up a student during school hours for various reasons, it is
important to go to the office and sign the student out for
attendance purposes. Please provide a note to the teacher
when removing the student early from school. The signin/out sheet is located in the office. This minimizes
disruption to classrooms, keeps our students safe, and
maintains adherence to the Safe Schools policies and
procedures.
We continue to work very diligently to minimize
interruptions to the classrooms for all students. All
instructional time at school is important time which should
not be missed by students. We are asking parents to make
every effort NOT to remove students early from classes.
P.A.L.S. – Playground Activity Leader
Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs)
Please be reminded that the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board has a PED policy. Students
must not bring cell phones, cameras, electronic games,
IPods, walkmans, etc. to school.
All Parents/Guardians and visitors to the school are not
permitted to use PEDs on school property either. Please do
not use PED’s once you are on school property. Please refer
Please make every effort to plan ahead and to communicate
the dismissal and pick up procedures with your child
through the agenda or in a note to the teacher. Our phone
lines are busy and getting information to teachers at the
last minute can be difficult. For safety reasons, it is also
difficult to verify persons who are calling on telephones.
Emergency Weather Procedures
There may be days during the upcoming winter months when
inclement weather presents a potential safety hazard to
our children. The inclement weather may cause disruption
of bus transportation and regular school operations. It is
extremely important that parents/guardians discuss with
their children the procedures they wish them to take to
get home safely.
5
Details have been sent home outlining information regarding
BUS CANCELLATIONS OR SCHOOL CLOSING DUE TO
BAD WEATHER. It is being sent home again with this
newsletter. It is very important that you keep this
information handy in case of cancellations or changes due
to inclement weather.
NOTE: If busses run in the morning, they will run in the
afternoon to take students home. However, if the busses
have been cancelled in the morning, they will not run in the
afternoon either.
Daily bus cancellations and delays
may be found on
www.stopr.ca
REMINDER - ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES
Please be diligent in informing the school office
when your child will be absent from school.
This will help the office to reduce the number of calls which need
to be made by the school.
Even when the buses have been cancelled,
be sure to call the school –
an answering machine is always available.
Call 905-890-6898 attendance line.
SNOW SAFETY For All Students
Announcements have been made and will continue to be
made, and teachers will review our policy that snow must
stay on the ground. For the safety of all of our students on
school property, there are to be no snowballs, kicking snow
or any other activity with snow or ice that could be
harmful. Although it may seem like a fun activity, our
experience has shown that serious accidents can and do
occur. Snowjobs, sliding on any hills created by snow
ploughs, and sliding on ice are also prohibited. Please
discuss these safety procedures and reinforce them with
your children – it is imperative that everyone adhere to
these rules – this includes before and after school also.
SCHOOL OPERATIONS
New Board Chair/Vice Chair
At the December Board meeting, trustees re-elected
Mississauga trustee Mario Pascucci as Chair of the Board.
Frank Di Cosola trustee for Caledon/Dufferin was elected
Vice-Chair of the Board. We congratulate both trustees
and wish them a very successful and productive year.
Winter Has Definitely Arrived . . .
The cold weather is here and we
will monitor the outside temperature
according to Board Policy as to whether
the children will go outside for recess. However, it is
imperative that your children come to school prepared to
go outdoors for the recess and lunch hour breaks. It is the
expectation that each child comes dressed appropriately to
go outside to enjoy the winter and get some fresh air and
exercise. It is highly recommended that the younger
children wear snow pants to keep them warm and dry. It
would be beneficial to have an extra pair of track pants and
socks in your child’s bag just in case they do get wet.
Students who are ill or recuperating from an illness should
remain at home until they are able to participate in the
school day, including outdoor recess.
Please Label . . .
It is also very helpful if parents label items of clothing with
their child’s name, so that each person can more easily
locate his/her own clothing from the coat rack area. You
may also consider sending your child(ren) with extra clothes
e.g. socks, mitts, pants in their school bag.
Change in Weather/Extra Indoor Shoes
The weather has changed and we request that everyone
have an extra pair of shoes to be kept at school or carried
by students for indoor use. This helps to promote good
health and comfort and helps to keep the classroom floors
dry and clean, for everyone’s benefit.
KEEPING HEALTHY
Smoke-Free Facility
A reminder that it is against the law to smoke
anywhere on school property. This includes
inside or outside the school, parking lots,
inside the car, soccer fields and driveways. This law is
applicable 24/7 and applies to students, staff, parents, and
visitors. There is a $305.00 fine for smoking or holding lit
tobacco on school property.
Hand Washing is Important
Hand washing, when done correctly, is the single most
effective way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases
such as the flu. Please help us reinforce the proper
techniques with your children:
 Wet your hands with warm running water;
6
Add soap and rub your hands together, making a
soapy lather. Do this away from the running water
for at least 15 seconds. Wash the front and back
of your hands, between your fingers and under
your nails;
 Rinse your hands well under warm running water.
Let the water run back down into the sink, not
down the elbows. Turn the water off with a paper
towel and place it in the garbage;
 Dry your hands thoroughly with a clean towel.
Using good hand washing techniques helps to reduce the
spread of infectious diseases. In the event your child does
get sick, please use discretion in keeping them at home to
recover and reduce the potential for them to spread the
infection/illness to others.

Accident Insurance Reminder
In September, insurance packages were sent
home with your child. With all the activities
that take place at school in the playground, the gym,
extracurricular excursions, etc. accidents do happen. The
school board does not carry accident insurance for
students. Packages are still available from the office. This
is an optional choice, but highly recommended for all
students.
January 19
January 20
January 26
January 26
January 27
January 27
January 28-30
January 31
February 3
February 5
February 6
February 16
February 17
February 18
February 23
February 25
February 27
March 5
March 11
March 16- 20
Medications at School
For safety reasons, no child should bring
medication to school without prior approval
from the office.
The school will store necessary
prescribed medication upon completion of the ‘Request for
Storage and Distribution of Prescribed Medications’ form,
which has been filled out, signed by the parents and
physician and returned to the school.
School staff,
without the proper board documentation, cannot store or
distribute medication of any kind.
Parent Information Meeting re: Extended
French at San Lorenzo Ruiz School
P.A. Day – no school for students
Term # 2 begins
Circle of Rosary with the Rosary
Apostolates
JK/SK Registration 7:00-9:00 pm
Snow day JK/SK Registration 7:00 pm
(only if Jan. 26 is cancelled)
Family Literacy Day
JK/SK Registration 9:00-3:00 p.m.
Virtue of Self-Control Assembly
Reports sent home
Interview Evening
Family Skate Night sponsored by Catholic
School Council
P.A. Day set aside for interviews
Family Day – no school
Shrove Tuesday
Ash Wednesday – Season of Lent begins
Youth Education Officer Presentations
Family CCCCSC meeting
Virtue of Respect assembly
School-wide Lenten confessions
Grade 8 Grad Photos
March Break
Please check your child’s agenda nightly
for important dates & information
I Leave You With This Thought
Anaphylactic Reactions
We strongly ask for your understanding and cooperation in
ensuring that your child does not bring to school any snack
or lunch items containing peanuts or nut products or traces
of peanuts and/or nuts. Although this may cause some
inconvenience for you, it truly is a life threatening situation
for the children and adults on whose behalf we make this
request.
. . . AND FINALLY
Mark Your Calendars
January 8
January 13
Attachments

Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR) Bus
Cancellations/School Closing Due to Bad Weather
2014-2015 School Year Flyer
Meeting re: 2015 Entry Planning for
Students
with
Differing
Abilities
Transitioning to Kindergarten at the Board
Office 7:00 p.m.
Catholic School Council Meeting 6:30 p.m.
7