A Blessing of the School Year
Vice Principal
E. Plastina
Chalk Talk
Pope John Paul II School
Principal
G.Consitt
Secretarial Staff
A. Bourgeau
L. Cameron
J. Durante
Custodian
L. Mirabelli
Superintendent
P. McMorrow
(905) 890-1221
Pastors
Fr. L. Leger
Fr. S. Hernandez
(905) 857-1938
It is good to begin school in autumn, when
Farmers are bringing in their harvest of good
things to eat.
Just as the work of the farmer produced fruit,
So our work in this school will bring us nourishment of
God’s word.
God, our Creator, You provide food for our bodies,
ideas for our minds, and Your love for our hearts.
Bless the fruit that we share as a symbol of the time
and friendship we will share during this coming school
year,
Be with us now and forever.
Amen.
OVER THE SUMMER
Special thanks to Mr. Mirabelli and the custodial staff for
their hard work in making the school look great for the
students! We have had a few staffing changes over the
summer. Mrs. Demelo and Mr. Racco are covering for
various staff on maternity leaves. We welcome Mr. Pusztai
as the new grade 6 teacher. Welcome back to Mrs. Isopo
Mrs. DeFranco, Mrs. Mandolfo and Mrs. Acocella.
PA DAY REMINDER!
A reminder that there will be NO
SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS on
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17. The day
will be devoted to reorganization
of classes (if necessary) and for
curriculum and faith development
for staff.
Trustee
F. DiCosola
(905) 951-8898
Council Chair
F. DiIulio
C. Markham
MARK YOUR CALENDERS!
Parent Group
G. Sanii
J.Fisher
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Iu
Pope John Paul II
9094 Bolton Heights Rd.
Bolton, ON L7E 4E2
(905) 857-4241
Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year! I hope that your summer
holiday was a safe and enjoyable one. As the new principal of
Pope John Paul II School, I look forward to being part of a
school community where students, staff, parents and our parish
team work together to create a safe, caring, and positive learning
environment that reflects our Catholic values and traditions. I
wish to extend a warm welcome to all of our new families and
students who have moved into our community over the summer
months. I look forward to meeting all of you over the next few
weeks as we start our new school year together.
G.Consitt
Principal
BACK TO SCHOOL
Our school hours remain the same as in previous
years. We applaud students who are on time for class
and ready to learn! Punctuality is a valuable life skill
and we must do our part to help children learn the
value of punctuality.
8:30
10:25
11:00
11:30
1:55
3:00
School Starts
AM Recess
K Dismissal
Lunch
PM Recess
Dismissal
All visitors of the school are reminded that they
must report to and sign in at the office when first
arriving. Adults in the building who are not staff
must wear identification stickers for safety
reasons.
To further ensure the safety of all students and to
minimize the traffic in school hallways at arrival
and dismissal times, we ask that parents meet
their children outside of the school and away
from immediate exit doors. Staff are on duty 15
minutes before the start of the school day and are
ready to receive the children at this time.
Any student leaving the school during the day
due to the appointments, etc, must be signed out
at the office. Please ensure that you send a note
in this regard to your child’s teacher. This
safety feature ensures that the staff is always
aware of when and with whom your child is
leaving
SAFE ARRIVAL
Our attendance telephone number is (905)-857-4241 and
press 1. The line is answered by an answering machine
24 hours a day. Be sure to call this number to let us
know your child will be absent or late. This information
is vital to the safety of your child. Your assistance with
this is greatly appreciated.
BUS STUDENTS
JK-Gr.1
Gr.2-4
Gr.5-8
1.0 KM
1.6 KM
2.0 KM
The distance criteria is determined by the DufferinPeel and Peel Boards of Education and apply to all
students. Once Pope John Paul II’s bus numbers
have been finalized and verified by the
Transportation Department, we will begin the
process of providing transportation for those
students who wish a spot on the bus under the
Board’s “Courtesy Seat Policy”. Please adhere to
the guidelines above and make alternate
arrangements to transport your child if he/she
does not qualify.
Some Safety rules to
share with your child…
•Be at the bus stop at least 5 minutes ahead of
pick-up.
•follow all directions from the driver, especially
when getting off and on the bus.
•go directly to a seat and stay seated until let off
the bus.
•keep all belongings inside the bus.
•sit quietly at all times. Speak only in
conversational tones.
•No eating on the bus.
Parents of Kindergarten and Grade 1 students
travelling by bus need to be aware that in the
interest of safety, students will be identified for
purposes of ensuring that no child is released from
the bus unless an adult is present to receive them.
We thank you in advance for your co-operation.
Please remember that only eligible students may
take the bus.
SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
According to Ontario Regulation 612, elections
must take place at the same time each year- within
the first 30 days of each school year. Nomination
forms are available at the office. All parent
nominations must be submitted no later than
Friday, September 24 at 4 pm. We welcome and
encourage all Parents/Guardians to participate on
the School Council and become more informed of
school activities and provide input on planned
activities.
STUDENT AGENDAS
Each student in grades 1
through 8 will receive a
school agenda to assist
them with the
development of
organizational and time
management skills and to
facilitate communication between home and school.
We are pleased to announce that once again the
agendas are supported by the school council, thereby
reducing the cost to you. The cost for each agenda is
$5.
The Artist in the School program will continue this
year. Students from JK to grade 8 will have the
opportunity to take part in at least 3 performances
throughout the year, as well as a visit from an author.
The cost will be $15 and a letter outlining exact
information has been sent home.
LUNCH DROP OFF
We will continue to provide a table,
writing instruments and notepaper
for parents who are dropping their
child’s lunch off at the school.
Please ensure that your child is
aware that his/her lunch is being
dropped off at the school. In the
event that your child is unaware, all
students have been instructed to
check the table at the front of the
school if they do not have a lunch
or snack. We kindly request your
understanding that we will not
interrupt classes to notify students
that their lunch has arrived, as they
are reminded time and again that
if they do not have a lunch or
snack, they are to check the lunch
table. If there is no lunch for them,
they will then come to the office
and we will contact a
parent/guardian.
PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICE POLICY
Parents and students are reminded of the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board’s
policy banning all PEDs. Cell phones
must remain turned off and out of sight.
ANAPHYLAXIS
As we begin a new school year we would like to inform you
that Pope John Paul II is an “allergen aware school”. There are
pupils in attendance who suffer from severe and life
threatening allergies to certain foods, such as peanut and nut
products and/or milk products. Exposure to the smallest
quantities can cause severe life threatening reactions.
We at PJPII would appreciate the cooperation of the entire
school community by NOT sending any lunches or snacks that
could potentially harm a pupil. Please make sure that all of
your children’s caregivers are aware of the food restrictions.
Please avoid sending food for birthday or special occasions.
There are many alternatives such as stickers and pencils.
IPODs and digital cameras, if seen, will be
confiscated. If this problem becomes persistent, a
meeting between parents, the students and
Administration will occur. We thank you in
advance for discussing this expectation with your
child and for your support. Although excellent
devices for entertainment and communication,
these products often distract from the learning
process and infringe upon the privacy of others.
CURRICULUM NIGHT/OPEN HOUSE
POSSIBLE REORGANIZATION
On Wednesday, September 22, the staff will host
our annual Open House evening to meet teachers
from 7:00pm until 8:00pm. Given that there is a
possibility that we will have to reorganize classes,
parents are encouraged to attend this evening to
meet your child’s teacher as final decisions
regarding class placements will be completed by this
time. Look for more information to follow. We look
forward to seeing you there.
Each year we begin the school year with classes
organized based on projected numbers of students
provided to the school by the Planning Department.
The number of teachers hired for the school is
sufficient to meet our needs; however we are looking at
numbers of students in each class to ensure that we
have the best arrangements of classes throughout the
school. If any changes are to be made, they will be
announced by letter to those affected. Final numbers
must be reported to the Ministry of Education at the
end of summer. It is expected that changes may occur
at the end of next week. Please note the September 17th
professional development day may provide time for
reorganization which would be effective as of Monday,
September 20.
Ongoing communication between the school and
home is essential to support student success. As
parents/guardians we value your participation in the
school. Just a reminder that this year there will be
two report cards. In addition, a progress report will
be distributed in the fall.
IN THE INTEREST OF YOUR CHILD’S SAFETY
PARENTS IN THE SCHOOLYARD
In keeping with Dufferin-Peel School Board
Policy, all visitors to the school must report to the
office. Particularly in the first days of school, it is
important that we all work together to ensure that
there are no adults on school property other than
those staff members who are wearing orange safety
vests. You may be known to your child, but you
are a stranger to other children on the playground.
Please make arrangements to meet your child at
a specific place off of school property at the end
of the day. All students have been told to go to the
office or approach an adult in a vest if they do not
see their parent at the end of the day. By continuing
to work together, we can continue to ensure a safe
environment for your child. Thank you for setting
the example and adhering to this important
guideline.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Sept. 19
2pm Confirmation Information
Meeting for parents @ church
Sept. 23
7:30pm Confirmation Information
Meeting for parents @ church
Sept. 22
Open House
Sept. 29
Early Release Day
Sept. 29
St. Mike’s School Blessing
Congratulations!
Oct. 1
Hep B. Clinic
-grade 7’s
Oct. 1
HPV Clinic- grade 8 females
Oct. 4
10:15am School Mass
Grades JK, SK,2,4,6,8
Oct. 4
12:45pm School Mass
Grades JK, SK,1,3,5,7
Oct. 5
7pm-Presentation @St. Cornelius School
on FACEBOOK-All parents invited
Oct. 5
World Teacher’s Day
Oct. 8
Photo Day-retake day Nov. 10
Oct. 11
Happy Thanksgiving Day!!
KISS AND RIDE
Our Kiss and Ride ensures a safe arrival for your
child at school while providing convenience of
drop-off. It is open at 8:15 every morning. Please
adhere to the posted sign and do not park in the
drive thru lane nor double park in the parking
lot. Also, please do not have your child walk
through the parking lot as this is a safety concern.