Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board
Catholic School Council Annual Survey
MISSION STATEMENT
THE MISSION OF THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD,
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FAMILY AND CHURCH, IS TO PROVIDE, IN A
RESPONSIBLE MANNER, A CATHOLIC EDUCATION WHICH DEVELOPS
SPIRITUAL, INTELLECTUAL, AESTHETIC, EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL, AND PHYSICAL
CAPABILITIES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL TO LIVE FULLY TODAY AND TO MEET THE
CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE, THUS ENRICHING THE COMMUNITY.
Effective educational governance requires various groups within the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board educational community to share their perspectives on the evolution and
maintenance of the school. Catholic School Councils are a significant vehicle for sharing a
perspective on the local school situation.
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board Catholic School Council Annual Survey
document is a formal means of soliciting information from the Catholic School Council on a
variety of items relating to the local school community. This document along with other
organizational documents and organizational functions, helps portray the school community. 1
Each school year the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board Catholic School Council
Annual Survey document will be sent to each Catholic School Council Chair with the request that
the document be developed, reviewed or revised by the Catholic School Council, in accordance
with the approved template for comment. The information provided by each Catholic School
Council through the completion of this document will assist the board and its educational officers
in a number of ways. This includes goal setting by the principal, identification of budget
concerns, school improvement plans and information that is used in the criteria applicable to the
selection of school administrators. The information provides a means of better understanding
each unique school community.
Please take time to develop, review or revise the Catholic School Council Annual Survey
document and forward the completed document to the Superintendent of your Family of Schools,
by January 31, 2007.
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a) Ontario Regulation 612/00
b) DPCDSB, “Policy & Regulation” for School Councils
c) The Catholic School Principal in the DPCDSB.
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SCHOOL COUNCIL ANNUAL SURVEY
Name of School: St. Mary Catholic School
You are invited to develop responses to each of the key areas outlined below as it relates to your
school. To assist you in the development of these responses, there are a variety of suggested
focuses/themes listed under each key area which you may wish to address, comment on, or
expand upon.
1. Catholicity and Spiritual Leadership
Catholicity and Spiritual Leadership are vital to the growth we have experienced as a community. We are
proud to work co-operatively as a total community: council, parish, students and staff.
We have been fortunate these past few years to have consistency with our principal. A community as needy
as ours has benefited from a principal who works in partnership with all members, as well as one who reaches
out into the community to get sponsorships and donations. By having a principal who collaborates and seeks
input from all partners, we have been able to grow and begin to stabilize as a Catholic school community. In
our community, many families need a great deal of time to put their trust in a principal and a school council.
We are happy to say that our parents are putting their trust in our school, as well as volunteering, seeking
advise and are becoming more actively involved.
We have experienced many changes at our community parish, but we have been able to continue to build
bridges and form bonds due to the continued relationship building under the direction of a principal who puts
our school FIRST! (Three pastors, and four associates in the past few years has been something we have
been able to deal with due to our stability as a community.)
At St. Mary School, we notice and appreciate the visible & non-visible signs relating to our Catholic Mission
Statement, and are proud to support and assist in continuing to further promote and enhance all signs.
The stain glass at the front of the school foyer, landings, bulletin boards, Our Pathway to Jesus through Mary,
classrooms proudly displaying pictures, statues, prayer corners etc. are reminders of our faith.
The faith development community outreach, school climate and leadership are very inclusive and welcoming.
We reach out to support: financially, emotionally, providing basic needs to many families in need, as well as
charities and outreach abroad.
Unfortunately we have had many tragic events; illnesses, deaths, etc., but we can say that as a total
school/parish community we are able to support and work through these times by working together.
We are pleased that our children attend monthly parish masses. Our community under the leadership of a
dedicated principal worked at revising our school hours, so our students and the St. Mary Parish Community
could celebrate the Eucharist together, a best practice to continue! Being in close proximity to the church,
all our students have the opportunity to participate in many parish activities, some pleasant and some sad; our
students volunteer for altar-serving (funerals, regular masses), as well as involve themselves in pageants,
feast days, lectors and the ministry of music at the church.
Our principal, teachers and council are proud to support Confirmation retreats, First Communion retreats,
Graduation, Intermediate multi-cultural Lenten luncheons, car washes/barbecues in co-operation with the
parents, and parish.
We are blessed with our close proximity to our parish, and we continue to support the directive from our
principal and teachers to ensure all our students continue to have these vital opportunities.
These past few years the school climate has exemplified the teachings of Christ and the church, and we look
forward to working as a team to continue this. Our 50th anniversary will be next year, and we continue to
build community as we move forward in celebrating this milestone.
Catholic religious instruction across the spectrum of the curriculum is highly evident at our school due to the
relationship building, as well as the dedication of the many staff, and parents.
Catholicity and Spiritual leadership is happening at our school, and we hope it continues.
2. Program Development and Academic Progress
The school, school council newsletters and school web-site contain a lot of information about our school. As
a council, we have extra opportunities to review the school improvement plans, Pastoral plans, EQAO scores,
combined grades, staffing implications, special education and ESL services at our school, etc. All parents and
guardians are also invited to our meetings. All parents and guardians receive Curriculum at a Glance, the
School Profile, and other information as it pertains to individual grades. As a council we subsidize the student
agendas and we find this a good communication tool between the children, teacher and parents for those who
use the agenda on a regular basis. Our JK-3 parents were invited a Literacy session in September, and some
of the parents from the primary grades receive strategies and tips from the classroom teachers to help at
home. As a council we submitted a proposal for the Parents Reaching out Grant in which we will work with
the staff to provide other opportunities for the parents/guardians to get involved in their child’s academic
program if they choose. We continue to use the community police program for awareness on bullying, drugs,
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internet safety and stranger awareness. The school has a Peer Mediator-conflict resolution program and
PALS program with the Region of Peel.
The school is doing the best they can to provide for all students regardless of their abilities, this has been
more of a challenge this year since the cut backs in CYW and ERW’s.
Throughout the years the staff, school council and community have been and continue to be involved in the
development of a shared vision, from the revised mission statement, to safe school surveys, healthy school
surveys, school hours, dress code, anti-racism policy, the refining of a bullying policy, excursions,
presentations to the school, retreats, fund raisers, charity, school wide needs etc. This is important to us as a
council and parent community and we feel that we are important because our opinions can be heard.
3. Positive Relationships and Effective Student Discipline
The staff at St. Mary School model good citizenship and positive behaviour for our children. For the most
part the children know the staff genuinely care for them, and this certainly helps. There is a safe and orderly
environment for the students to learn and work. The school follows the Catholic Code of Conduct, and is
working through “progressive discipline” pending the needs/abilities of the individual students involved.
When incidents occur, parents are notified and for the most part they are partners in setting the consequences,
under the direction of the principal. Students have a reflection sheet to fill in, which lets them see how they
could have handled situations in different ways. The school has posters of classroom rules and school rules,
and refers to them as needed. Recognition assemblies acknowledging students doing the right thing
contribute to the positive tone set and healthy school climate. The morning announcements also provide
reminders for the students on their duty and responsibility of being responsible and reporting inappropriate
incidents. Highlights and reminders include, various forms of bullying, the difference between tattling and
telling, asking the children to think about “What Would Jesus Do”, etc. The general discipline on the yard is
quite good and as a council we have worked hard together with the school to provide other opportunities for
outdoor play.
We have provided recess bags for the classes to further engage the students in appropriate outdoor play. The
PALS program and Peer Mediators also help outside in the yard, as well as inside when the PALS work
through prepared questions for the students involved to help them solve a conflict. When children are at harm
to themselves or others, the school provides options, largely the principal’s office and her guidance to them.
4. School Communication and Public Relations
At St. Mary School there is open communication between all stakeholders. (Also see section on program
development and academic progress). There is an open door policy for our entire community: students,
parents, parish members, council members, other community members, visitors and staff. Our council and
school partnership reaches out to the broader community. RBC volunteer financial grants provide extra
assistance for our small school, the Knights of Columbus donate money on a yearly basis for additional
needs, Century 21-gifts of warmth, and various businesses are solicited for donations and assistance to our
school. All are proud to see how their donations work and are needed in our community.
Our former trustees (L. Zanella, K, Adamson) have played a vital role in our community throughout the years
by taking their time to attend school functions, council meetings, as well as highlight ministry directives. We
are confident the same will be true of T. da Silva, whom we have already met at our school and the Brampton
West Council Networking session in January 2007. (Thanks to J. Geiser for providing us with the
opportunity to meet with all councils in Brampton West).
We were pleased to hold a special celebration for Ken Adamson in appreciation for all he did for Catholic
education throughout his many years, as well as special tributes in honor of the pastors and priests whom
have left our parish.
As a council we continue to build community and parental involvement through Sunday Carwash/barbecues
after Mass, a continuation with our Open House Barbecue, Year End Barbecue and all other previous
commitments; Advent Mass, Lenten Mass, Christmas Pageants, Year End School Play, Battalion games,
retreats, Intermediate Easter Pot luck, as well as the many extra extra-curricular and social elements involved
in our school on a regular basis.
Last year our GNO was a tremendous community success, as we hope the money we will be receiving form
the Parents Reaching Out Grants to further involve the community in various initiatives throughout our
school will be as successful.
5.
Fiscal Management and Allocation of Resources
As a council we are aware of the budgetary issues and allocation of resources within the school. Being a
small school, we realize the budget is assigned according to numbers. We know the challenges the school is
facing in regards to the budget, re: basic academic necessities for all students etc. As a council we work with
the school to prioritize the funds that we work hard to raise. We are pleased to be able to allocate additional
funds for student subsidies, trips, excursions, sacramental retreats, special presentations to the school,
summer baskets for needy families, money for Brampton West Camp fund, PALS program, athletic uniforms,
recess equipment, etc.
Budgetary matters are reported to our community on a regular basis in our newsletters, and reported twice a
year to the school board.
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6.
Organizational Management
Timelines, schedules and school planning is organized in an efficient, effective and precise manner in all areas. At our
school we pre-plan well in advance. When situations occur that require immediate attention, they are dealt with in an
orderly, quick, compassionate fashion.
There have only been two unforeseen incidents at the school level and each was managed effectively while maintaining
efficiency and a controlled environment.
#1) Fire alarm went off during a thunderstorm-evacuation to the church
#2) Power outage (a.m.) -students kept safe
7.
Please note other comments regarding the school perspective that the School
Council wishes to share.
We at St. Mary School are very fortunate and blessed to have our great staff and hope to retain the leadership of
Patti Peroni. As co –chairs of the school council on behalf of the parents and students we would like to extend our
thanks. Patti Peroni is full of energy, enthusiasm, and love for our school. We continue to be blessed with our
renovations both inside and outside. We are very pleased with our council and the attendance we have at our
meetings. Our council group this year has been great to work with and our number one priority is our children and
students. We have a great staff with a personal touch. From the time you walk into our school to the time you
leave, you will find a warm smile welcoming you. No matter how big or how small a concern or problem you
may have, St. Mary is always ready and willing to assist you thanks to our leader. Here at St. Mary School we
have an open door policy for our entire community: students, parents, parish members, council members, other
community members, visitors and staff. Remember the expression on the children’s faces and the warmth in their
hearts as all parents and visitors will also experience once they have been touched by those who come in contact
with our staff here at St. Mary School.
SIGNATURES REQUIRED:
School Council Co-Chairs: M. Tavares, N. Amaral
Principal: P. Peroni
Date: Jan. 29, 2007
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