Farewell and welcome back!
Bus Cancellations
We are looking forward to seeing Mrs. Romano once
again. She will be returning to her position doing
Primary Planning Time on December 13. Thank you to
Mrs. MacLachlan who has been filling this position in
Mrs. Romano’s absence.
During the winter months inclement weather may
cause disruption of bus transportation. A decision to
cancel school transportation is usually made at the
school board level by 6:30 a.m. and will be announced
on local radio and television stations. The Board
communicates standard messages to broadcasters.
The announcements and their effect on bus
transportation are as follows:
Dismissal and Planning Ahead
As we move along in the school year, there have been a
great number of calls to the school for students about
last minute instructions from home. Please try to plan
ahead, and/or have a backup plan with your children to
avoid last minute calls and confusion. This may lead to
placing students in unsafe situations. Please help us
keep school lines open for emergencies and usage for
the daily activities of the school. Please remember
that with over 800 students in the school, last minute
changes are not always easy to facilitate. If there is a
change in the dismissal procedure for your child,
please send a note in with your child.
Remembrance Day
Thank you to Mr. Pusztai’s Grade 6 students who
prepared a Remembrance Day
Liturgy for students and staff. The
students were well prepared and all
in attendance were called on to
reflect on the contributions made by
others. Special thanks to our Youth
faith Ambassadors who sold poppies to students in the
week leading up to Remembrance Day.
Winter Conditions
Except under unusual conditions, students are
expected to go outside for recess and lunch times.
Research indicates that fifteen minutes of fresh air
helps students to refocus on their studies. Please keep
your child home if he or she is not well enough to be
outdoors. The Board, with advice from the Peel Public
Health Department, has established the policy that
states all children will be kept indoors when the
temperature outside reaches -25 degrees Celsius
(including the wind-chill factor). We will monitor
weather conditions daily and make decisions based
upon our local conditions.
Supervision
Once again we remind you that supervision is provided
only fifteen minutes before the 8:30 a.m. bell.
Students should not be arriving at school before
supervisors get to the yard. For the safety of your
children, please ensure that they are not left at the
school prior to 8:15 a.m. supervision.
1. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSSES IN THE COUNTY OF
DUFFERIN ARE CANCELLED. This means busses to
Robert F. Hall Secondary will be cancelled. However,
busses to Pope John Paul II will still continue their
routes.
2. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSSES IN THE TOWN OF
CALEDON AND THE COUNTY OF DUFFERIN ARE
CANCELLED. This means busses to Robert F. Hall
Secondary, St. Michaels Secondary and Pope John
Paul II will be cancelled.
Please note: If busses are cancelled, they are
cancelled for the day and parents/guardians who bring
their children to school will be responsible for picking
them up at the end of the day.
If your child usually walks and is not coming to school
on a bus cancellation day, we kindly ask that you call in
their absence to the school as usual. We will follow up
on all students who walk to verify their absence and
your support will save us a great deal of time in this
regard.
Furthermore, students are encouraged to attend
school when busses are cancelled. Teachers will
attempt to provide the most appropriate programming
for students on these days, dependent, of course,
upon attendance.
Please keep the enclosed flyer for easy reference.
Hallowe’en Charity
Following Hallowe’en night, we asked children to bring
into school a handful of hard candy only (easily
preserved and transported) in order to
support
other
children
less
fortunate. Often we send staples and
the bare necessities to others in need, but rarely do
they experience the special treat of candy. All hard
candy that has been sent in November was taken to
Dr. Simone’s Warehouse for Canadian Food for
Children. Thank you for your generosity.
Cold and Flu Season
Lost and Found
We would like to remind parents of the need to have a
network of support to care for children especially in
case of midday illness. As we go through this difficult
time when everyone is anxious about the spread of
germs please note that Peel Health repeatedly
recommends that the best practice to prevent the
spread of viruses is:
Wash hands with soap and water thoroughly
and often
To cough or sneeze into a sleeve or tissue
Stay home if you are sick
When children become sick during the course of the
school day, a plan needs to be in place to care for
him/her. As with all medical issues, we continue to
take direction from Peel Health on how to best respond
to community illness.
Our lost and found box continues to be full. Please
ensure that you label all clothing and that your child
checks the box periodically.
Students will have the opportunity to peruse the Lost
and Found and reclaim any lost items the week before
Christmas Holidays.
Parking Lot
We would like to remind everyone that uses the side
parking lot and Kiss and Ride that we need to rely on
everyone using extreme caution and courtesy as
students are dropped off and picked up. Please be
aware that as you turn into the driveway, one cannot
be in a rush and you will likely require much patience as
the many vehicles make their way through.
In
addition, we would ask that cars not be left double
parked blocking the way of others trying to get
through. In particular, we are anxious about young
people who are asked to run through the lot to or from
parked vehicles. We ask you to always consider the
safety of students as the first priority.
Yearbook Preparations
We are looking forward to once again preparing a
yearbook. In order to plan, we accumulate photos of
students at special events throughout the year. If
you have a concern about your son/daughter’s photo
being included in the yearbook, please advise us at the
office.
QSP Orders
Thank you to everyone for their support of the
magazine subscription campaign.
Your active
participation has resulted in us being able to begin the
process of planning for school yard improvements.
Santa Pictures
On Saturday November 27th, in the morning, Santa sat
in a very big chair on our stage while many children and
families came to get a picture. The gym was prepared
with many craft activities for children to enjoy. This
special event was very well organized. We would like to
thank all the volunteers who made this fundraiser
possible.
JK/SK Registration
Registration for Junior and Senior Kindergarten for
the 2009-2010 year will take place on Monday
February 7, 2011 from 7 to 9 pm.
All registrations will be on a first come, first served
basis (particularly for AM Junior Kindergarten, as it is
most popular). Registration will also occur during the
day on Feb. 9, 10, 11. To register your child, you will
need:
1. Proof of age
2. Original Catholic Baptismal Certificate of the Roman,
Greek, or Ukrainian Rite, for parent (one) and child (if
the child has not been baptized, a letter of counseling
with the parish priest, to complete the process will be
accepted)
3. Updated immunization records
4. Proof of Canadian Citizenship or Landed Immigrant
status
5. Proof of address (utility bill, bank or credit card
statement)
6. For schools in Caledon and Dufferin County:
emergency rural address numbers for identifying your
property
Boys Conference
On Friday November 19, 2010 all the boys in grades 6,
7 and 8 at Pope John Paul II attended the PJP II
2010 BOYS Healthy Living Conference hosted at the
school and supported by the School Council. The goal
of the conference was to empower boys by helping
them to develop a better understanding of who they
are and what their roles are in society. One hundred
and fifty male students participated in their first ever
Boys’ Conference where speakers and mentors (invited
keynote speakers, associate pastor, teachers, Peel
Health representatives, OPP officers and other
Dufferin-Peel Special Services staff) shared the spirit
of wisdom as they led discussions on the key issues
that affect the lives of tween and teen boys today.
Students participated in activities to build their selfesteem, self-confidence, self-worth and overall wellbeing. The conference allowed a unique opportunity for
all boys to celebrate their spirit, to have a voice and to
come together to learn and share stories.