66 Main Street South, Brampton, Ontario L6W 2C6
Telephone: 905-451 - 1020 Fax: 905-451-0161
Principal:
Paul Roul
FEBRUARY 2014
Secretary:
A. Magalhaes
Council Chair:
Jim Doran
Superintendent:
Sue Steer
(905) 890-1221
Trustee: Ward 3
Anna Podesta– da
Silva
(905) 890-1221
(905) 706-5679
Parish: St. Mary
Catholic Church
66A Main Street, South
Brampton, Ontario L6W
2C6 (905) 451 - 2300
Fr. Liborio Amaral,
Pastor
Fr. Vargas Lara
(Associate Pastor)
Fr. Augustine Chan
(Associate Pastor)
WEBSITE:
www.dpcdsb.org
Then go to Elementary
Schools and click on St.
Mary Catholic School
Lent Prayer
Blessed are you, Lord our God,
Creator of the universe
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ:
In obedience to his command and his example,
we begin this time of penance and of prayer.
Let these ashes from Ash Wednesday be a sign that we are turning
away from sin
and that we are ready to live
a new life with Jesus and with you.
Destroy the power of sin in our lives,
and bring us ever closer to you.
Blessed and praised are you,
God of Mercy
through Jesus Christ your Son
in the love of your Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever.
AMEN
LENTEN SEASON
Our Liturgical Season of Lent begins with the
distribution of ashes on Ash Wednesday
(Wednesday, February 25th ) and continues until
Easter. This is a time of remembering Christ’s
love and His giving of Himself for us. During
our six weeks, the morning readings encourage
us to say “yes” to God and “no” to our own
selfishness. We can make a fresh start too, and
try to keep in touch with God, to be less selfish
and more generous. What Lenten promises will
you and your child(ren) try to follow? The
emphasis should be on doing things for Jesus,
rather than simply on giving things up.
Our school community will once again continue
the important commitment to our Catholic
charity of Share Life and encourage everyone to
support our activities (i.e. Cupid-A-Thon) as best
as they can. We look forward to our Lenten
journey together, a strengthened and renewed
faith in God’s will.
May the Holy Spirit bless you and your family
during this Lenten season.
VIRTUE OF RESPECT
The month of February will focus on the
virtue of RESPECT. God has given us the virtues
of friends and companions to keep us company
and to help us out along the way.
Every person in our lives carries the Spirit of God
– and so every person is our brother or sister
through Jesus Christ. As brothers and sisters who
share one Holy Spirit, we are all valuable to God.
We all deserve to be shown courtesy,
consideration, sensitivity and thoughtfulness,
which are different ways of saying respect.
That respect should come first and foremost from
ourselves. We have to respect our selves and
then we will be able to respect others. We should
also be able to expect to be treated with respect
by everyone we meet – our brothers and sisters in
Jesus.
Through prayer and concentration, we can get
better at respecting ourselves as well as
respecting those around us.
A respectful person …
 Treats himself/herself and everyone else
with equal consideration and courtesy
 Avoids swearing, name-calling, putdowns, and inappropriate gestures
 Uses a positive tone of voice and body
language
 Says “Excuse me”, “Please”, “Pardon
me”
 Avoids gossip
FAMILY DAY – FEBRUARY 17, 2014
Monday, February 17, 201 is a holiday and there
are NO CLASSES for students or teachers on this
day.
FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY
MONTH:
Celebrating Black History
February marks the beginning of Black History
Month. The Ontario Black History Society
(OBHS) is the organization in Canada that
successfully initiated the formal celebration of
February as Black History Month with the City
of Toronto (1979), the Province of Ontario in
1993, and the entire country passed in December
1995, effective February 1996. Classroom
activities will focus on the recognition,
preservation and promotion of the contributions
of Black peoples and their collective histories
through education, research and cooperation.
We look forward to enlightening the students as
we continue to treasure the diverse individuals
who have graced the pages of our history
throughout the world.
Spirit of God
In the month of appreciating
The Gift of your children of African descent
May we be inspired to see your kingdom’s
Mystery
In the facet of the jewel
Of our Human Family’s descent.
Fr. Clarence Williams, CFFS
PJ Day – February 28th, 2014
The St Mary annual PJ Day will be held on
Friday, February 28th 2014. This literacy event
will focus on the importance of reading on a
regular basis for pleasure. The students are
encouraged to wear their PJ’s to school on that
day, ensuring to stay warm and prepared for
outside recess, to celebrate literacy. All classes
will visit the library for a story, read by a guest
speaker, and have an opportunity to share a
cookie and hot chocolate with friends. We are
looking forward to this exciting event.
Important notice for Parent(s)/Guardian(s)
of students in SK/Year 2 Kindergarten:
The French Immersion Online Application
System is now open for submissions. To apply,
go to www.dpcdsb.org. Applications will be
accepted until February 28, 2014.
Reminder:
•
All eligible submissions are accepted
and, in the event that the number of applications
is greater than the number of spaces available at
a French Immersion school, a centralized,
computer-generated lottery will be held at a date
yet to be determined.
•
Some French Immersion schools offer
Grades 1 to 8 and others offer Grades 1 to 4,
with Grade 5 to 8 offered at a nearby
school. Please refer to the Board website for
more information.
•
Parents and guardians of students
registered in the program are responsible for
providing transportation for their child(ren) to
and from their registered French Immersion
school. *****Please note that for students
living inside the regular school boundaries of a
French Immersion school, eligibility for student
transportation is based on the policies
established by the school board.*****
•
A successful placement in the French
Immersion School does not guarantee placement
of younger siblings in future years.
If more details are required, please review the
board website for up-to-date information. You
may also contact your child's present school, the
principal of the French Immersion school in
your area, or the board's French as a Second
Language Consultant at (905) 890-0708
extension 24307.
PEANUT / NUT FREE SCHOOL
School can be a very frightening environment for a
child with a severe allergy to peanuts or nut products.
In an effort to further promote a safe and secure
environment for all of our children we ask your
support in implementing a school-wide nut free,
peanut free school. We have many students in our
school population who suffer from this lifethreatening allergy. Hence, we must take into
consideration that these children are not isolated to
any particular grade level and, like all students are
utilizing the computer lab, washrooms, library and
physical education equipment. We ask that you place
careful consideration to school lunches and snacks
and refrain from sending in items that are made of, or
contain, nuts or peanuts. We offer our heartfelt thanks
for your support.
Again as you are aware from school and classroom
newsletters students are not to bring in food to share
with classmates. We have suggested that students can
bring in non-edible treats such as pencils, stickers,
bubbles or a donation of a book to the school or
classroom library with your child’s name inside.
Your child can bring in a treat for himself/herself, but
that treat is not to be shared with other classmates.
Intramural Athletics
The primary and junior students have the opportunity to
participate in intramural athletics during the lunch hour.
The primary students will play on Tuesday and the
junior students on Friday. If your child would like to
participate in the intramural athletics please have them
sign a permission form and return it to the teacher
leading the activity.
PIZZA WEDNESDAY…
Pizza slices are available for purchase every
Wednesday for $1.50. All orders must be in by
9:30 a.m., if your child is late on Wednesday,
please make sure they have a lunch as additional
slices will not necessarily be ordered. The School
Council uses the profits for a variety of school
related activities.
Please note: We will be offering cheese pizza in
compliance with the Ministry Healthy Food
Compliance policy.
STUDENT SUPERVISION TIMES….
We still have students arriving at the school prior
to supervision time. Please note that teachers are
on supervision duty 15 minutes before the start of
the school day. For safety reasons we ask that
you
DO NOT drop your child off at the
school prior to 8:15 a.m. Students are not
allowed in the school prior to 8:15 a.m. or after
3:00 p.m. unless they are under the direct
supervision of a teacher.
SNOW AND ICE…
Now that the cold months have arrived and snow
and ice are plentiful, a reminder of our safety
policy is warranted. Throwing snowballs and
sliding on ice are NOT allowed. We have had
several injuries this past month simply because
these rules are not being followed.
As much fun as snow and ice are, they can also be
very dangerous when there are many people in one
area. Most student injuries happen during the
winter months. In order for our school to be as safe
as possible, the school rule must be that snow
stays on the ground – no snowballs, kicking
snow or any other activity with snow and ice that
could be harmful. Please take a few moments to
reinforce these important safety rules with your
children.
REGION OF PEEL – DENTAL
SCREENING
Current information on dental health in Peel
indicates that more than 1 in 3 children have
been affected by cavities. Cavities can lead to
infections in the mouth, pain, poor eating
habits, speech problems and expensive dental
treatments. Peel Health is offering free dental
screening. You can qualify for dental care
through the CINOT program if you meet
eligibility criteria. For more information,
or to book a dental screening appointment, call
Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700.
ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
Absences and Lates
Student safe arrival at school is our first priority.
If your child is going to be absent, PLEASE call
the school attendance line at 905-451-1020.
Leave the necessary information on the
answering service. This helps us to streamline the
morning routine and ensure quickly that our
students are safe at school or at home.
Please ensure that your child arrives to school on
time each morning. This will allow your child to
avoid missing any valuable instruction time, and
eliminate any distractions in the classroom. Late
arrivals must check in at the office before going
to class. Your cooperation will be appreciated.
HOMEWORK HELP...
The Ministry of Education and the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board are committed to
increasing student success in mathematics and as a
result the board has been invited to participate in a
Homework Help Pilot Expansion Project again this
year. Every student in Grade 7 to 10 in the board is
eligible to register and use the free online tutoring
service. Students across the board were given
information on how to log in by their classroom
teacher who has introduced this homework support
opportunity to their students. Homework Help is
available in 13 languages.
NELSON MATH WEDSITE....
Teachers, students and parents can visit this site for
web links and other online support for Nelson
Mathematics K-8 at www.nelson.com
Staying in for recess…Colder weather is here
again! When students are in attendance at school
they are expected to participate in all school
activities which includes recess. Therefore
students are expected to arrive at school with the
appropriate dress for weather conditions. All
children should have hats, scarves, gloves, warm
coats and boots labeled with their names.
At times, the weather conditions will not allow
students to go outside for recess. This decision
is made in accordance with the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board Policy and Peel
Public Health Cold Weather Guidelines which
direct schools to modify recesses when the
temperatures reach –20 degrees C or colder
and to keep children indoors when the
temperature reach –25 degrees C or colder.
Moreover, health officials indicate that fresh
air is beneficial, as long as students are dressed
appropriately. We obtain our weather
information from the Environment Canada
Weather Information Line and follow Board
guidelines. With the exception of these
occasions, all children will go outside for all
recesses and the lunch break.
Indoor Shoes
Winter is upon us! To keep students warm and
comfortable, please ensure your child has a
pair of “indoor shoes”. This is also a safety
request. In the event of a fire alarm, all
occupants must vacate the building regardless
of the weather (without time to put on boots or
outdoor shoes).
the above information with family members or care
givers who may be picking up or dropping off your
child. As a reminder, we do not have a kiss and ride.
Please remember to PARK your car in the designated
areas. Thank you for ensuring the safety of your child
as well as all students at St. Mary Catholic School.
Parents and Guardians (Visitors) to the
School….
We ask all visitors (parents, guardians and
friends) to use the front entrance and check in
with the office so we can assist you. Our
students’ safety is our first concern. If you want
to drop off something for your child or pick them
up early, we ask that you go through the office so
we can call your child down. Staff is directed to
refer all visitors to the office. For safety reasons
we ask that parents not wait with their child on
the school yard. When picking up your child
after school please wait for them outside to avoid
congestion in the hallways.
Spirit Week
School Safety….
We continue to remind our students about school
safety. Students are reminded on a regular basis
that there is to be no physical contact, i.e.
pushing, shoving, hitting, kicking and punching.
What can be viewed as playing can result in
students getting hurt. We realize that in most
cases, children do not mean to hurt other
children; however, because of physical contact,
students can get seriously hurt.
Through
continuous reminders, we are trying to prevent
this from happening. We ask for your continued
support to remind your children to play with
others without physical contact.
THE FRONT DRIVEWAY….
Your assistance is required in helping to use the bus
loading zone located closest to our school. Please
respect our drive-in drop off points. Students and
parents are reminded to follow our already
established procedures for dropping off. Please share
On the week of February 10th – 14th the staff and
students of St Mary will be celebrating spirit
week. The students are invited to participate in
various activities to demonstrate their school
spirit. Below is a list of whole school events that
the students are able to join with their classmates
and share their school spirit.
Monday February 10th – Hat Day
Tuesday February 111th – Crazy Hair Day
Wednesday February 12th – School Colour &
Eco Day
Thursday February 13th – Crazy Outfit Day
Friday February 14th – Cupid-A-Thon Dance
Bus Cancellations/School Closing Due To Bad
Weather
During the winter months inclement weather
may cause disruption of bus transportation and
regular school operations. A decision to cancel
school transportation and/or close schools is
usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be announced
on various radio and television stations – please
see information below.
Please Note: When buses are cancelled in the
morning the buses are cancelled for the entire
day. No buses will be picking up students after
school if buses have been cancelled earlier in
the day.
Virgin Radio FM 99.9
CFNY Fm 102.1/AM640
CFRB AM1010
FM Z103.5
CHIN FM 100.7/AM1540
CITYPULSE
CHUM AM1050
CJCL AM590
FM93.1
GLOBAL NEWS CFTR AM680
CHFI FM98.1
CJBC (FR) AM860
FM Q107
CTV
SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
School Council meeting
The St. Mary Catholic School Council Meeting is
scheduled for Tuesday February 18, 2014 in the
staff room. All parents are encouraged to attend.
Dates for School Council Meetings – 2012-2013:
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Tuesday, June 4, 2014
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Feb 4th – Report Cards go home
Feb 6th – Interview night
Feb 7th – INT Immunizations
Feb 10-14 – Spirit Week
Feb 14th – Cupid-A-Thon
Feb 17th – Family Day (No School)
Feb 27th – Mr Ozog’s Class & Grade 4’s to Silver
Creek
Feb 28th - PJ Day
March 4th – Shrove Tuesday
March 5th – Ash Wednesday
March 7th – PA Day (No Classes for students)
March 10-14 – March Break (No School)
Attachments:
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