Upcoming Easter Schedule at Holy Family Church Wednesday April 4th, Parish Mass (Confessions after Mass) Holy Thurs. April 5th Mass of Lord's Supper 8:00 p.m. Good Friday April 6th Passion of Our Lord 12:00 noon and 3:00 p.m. Good Friday April 6th Dramatic Presentation of the Stations of the Cross, led by LifeTeen at 7:30 p.m. Holy Saturday April 7th 12:00 p.m. Midday Prayer and Blessing of Food Baskets April 7th Easter Vigil, 8:30 p.m. April 8th Easter Sunday 8:15 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Holy Family On­line Holy Family Church has a Parish website. The website is www.holyfamilybolton.ca All families are invited to visit the church website. Earth Week Earth Day is Sunday, April 22nd. The School Green Team has been active in supporting the school with various energy saving initiatives. At home, we encourage families to reduce, reuse and recycle. As the warmer weather approaches, we ask that students walk to school, that cars not be idle in the parking lot and that we reduce the litter during school lunches. Arts Night Preparations are underway to organize an Arts Night for our Grade 4 to Grade 8 students. The evening will occur on May 15th, 2012 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This celebration of the arts will involve a “coffee shop” type of setting in gym 1 with musical performers; spoken performances in the library; and an art gallery setting in gym 2. In between, in the hallways and in some classrooms, we will have visual displays and other performers. We hope everyone will set aside the date to join us. Chalice Chalice supports local needs in other countries. As we proceed through Lent, your support is appreciated. We would like to remind you that the Chalice containers will be collected by Parent Group volunteers after Easter, on Tuesday, April 10th. After School Tutoring Once again we are able to offer support to Grade 3 and 6 students who may benefit from a little extra tutoring in order to be successful with the EQAO testing which will occur later in May. Classes are being organized to begin the week after Easter. April is Reading Month We are looking forward to April which will be our month of Reading! Guest reader week is April 16 ‐ 20. Thanks to the many community members who have agreed to spend time sharing their love of reading with the students. In addition, Grades 4, 5, and 6 students will be having a Used Book Swap again this year. Books can be sent in during the week of April 16th. Only books appropriate for those grades will be accepted. Students in Grades 7 & 8 who have books they don’t mind passing down are welcome to donate to the swap. Safety First A safety reminder to all our students that bikes, scooters and roller blades are to be walked both on and off the school property. Bikes are to be locked at the side of the school. We do not have facilities to store or secure roller blades or scooters, so there is an added risk of damage or theft and they are not encouraged to be brought to school. The school is not responsible for these items. Your cooperation is appreciated. Placements for September 2012 A reminder once again that soon we will begin work on next year’s class lists. If you are planning for your child(ren) to attend Pope John Paul II School next year and there are any learning needs that you think we need to consider in making up classes (this does not include requests for specific teachers), please include this information in a letter to the principal. Educational reasons will be factored into the decisions which will be made by teachers, resource staff and the school administration. Letters must be signed and submitted to the Principal prior to April 30th, 2012. We cannot guarantee your request but we will consider your concerns and reasons along with all other factors. Kindergarten Placements Junior Kindergarten students from this year will be notified of any changes in either a.m. or p.m. program by June 2011 . If there are any students currently attending the morning Junior Kindergarten class, but the family would prefer an afternoon placement, please let us know at the office as there are other families who would like a morning placement. As always, class placements will be tentative until the end of the second week of September when our staffing is confirmed. Your assistance in helping your children understand this process is greatly appreciated. Changes of emergency numbers Throughout the school year there may be any number of changes which occur at home. There are a few families who have not left us with emergency contacts. Please help us ensure that we always have current home numbers, work numbers and emergency contact numbers. In addition, it is important that you have a network of support for your children as a back‐up in case you cannot be reached. Cell phones, family and local friends are all good contacts for us to have on file. Integrated Ridership The school board’s bus transportation services are operated by Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR). This is a consortium, or partnership, between the Dufferin‐Peel Catholic District School Board and the Peel District School Board. The Ministry of Education requires school board bus transportation consortiums to improve efficiency. Over the past year, we have successfully implemented “integrated ridership” with James Bolton School. Please note the distances when bussing is provided: Kindergarten 1.0 kilometre Grades I to 4 1.6 kilometres Grades 5 to 8 2.0 kilometres With the greater efficiency of integrated ridership we expect that there will be very limited courtesy seats. Therefore, it is important for families to plan ahead to make transportation/walking arrangements if they currently qualify for bussing, but may not qualify in September. Review of Bus Routines • Students are not permitted to ride on other busses with friends. This is a safety issue. Notes giving permission for friends or others to ride a bus cannot be honoured. • Students who ride the bus are only permitted to be on their assigned bus. • Students riding the bus, must maintain a routine. If alternate transportation/walking arrangements have now been made, please send a note to the office. This allows us to track those students who should be on each bus. Again, this is for safety reasons. • We ask that you discuss with your child(ren) basic rules of riding on the bus. We are encountering difficulty with some students who are not listening to the driver or moving from one seat to another while the bus is in operation. To ensure safety of all students, we ask that students remain in their seats until it is time for them to get off at their assigned stop. Junior Boy’s Basketball Team Congratulations to all the Boy’s who tried out for our Junior Team. Great enthusiasm was demonstrated by all. Those students who are now training and working to prepare for our April 14 Tournament include Noah D., Joseph C., Chris Z., Daniel A., Michael H., Michael M., Devin E., Jordan D., Dario B. and Jessie I.. Mrs Filippo and Mr. D’Agostino are the coaches.. They have been working with this team and their dedication is appreciated. Personal Electronic Devices Cell phones, MP3 players, IPODS, digital cameras are not to be used on school property. It is against School and Board policy to have these devices at school. Junior Girl’s Basketball Team Shout outs to all the girls who tried out for the team! Wonderful school spirit was demonstrated by all who came to give their all. Representing the school at the Bolton Tournament on April 25th will be, Sydney B., Hannah T., Makana M., Deanna D., Cristina F., Amanda B., Alana C., Chiara D., Isabelle B., Julianna Q., Sicilia M. and Natalie L. Thanks to Coach, Mr. Pusztai and the assistance of Alyssa M. for their work with this team. Weather Update As we go into the wet spring season parents are reminded that children should be cautious of high water levels and to stay clear of these areas. In addition, we are likely to have rapid shifts in weather temperatures from warm to very cool. Students are to dress appropriately for the weather of the day and they must be prepared for outdoor recesses. Body, Mind & Soul The third part of our series is scheduled for Thursday, April 19th at 7 p.m. Building on the success of our evening with the nutritionist and then the Zumba dancing, Dr. Paul Clark PhD. Has been invited to speak about The Habits of Highly Successful Parents. Please let us know at the office if you plan to attend so we can set up appropriately. Child minding services will be provided for children between the ages of 3 – 10. Thanks to the School Council for organizing this series of activities. Parking Enforcement Please be advised that the front of the school where buses drop off students is a designated “fire route”. Local parking enforcement officers have been present at the school and have been issuing fines. They have authority to come on to the property to enforce fire routes and handicapped parking. Kiss and Ride is provided on the west side of the school for students being dropped off before school. Parents should not be dropping off students in this fire route/bus drop off lane at the front of the school. Author Reading Week The Parent Group has been actively planning activities to celebrate April as Reading Month. During the week of April 16th, we welcome guest readers to our classrooms. If you would like to be a guest reader or if you know of someone involved in Literacy who you would like suggest as a guest reader, please let us know at the office. We will also have a book swap for our junior students on April 23rd. This is an opportunity to look through your book collection and donate books which can then be swapped for other books brought in. Thanks again to the Parent Group for organizing these activities. Good Ole Hockey Game Thank you for all who supported our Sharelife Good Ole Hockey Game on the Thursday before the March Break. The adult team was supported by, Fr. Larry, Mr. Barnett, Mr. Gallant, Mrs. Mangiapane, Mrs. Pennella, Mr. Evans, Mrs. Arbic, Mr. D’Agostino, Mr. Cooke, Mr. Dessa, Mr. Esteves, Mr. Stapleton, Mr. Barbosa, Mr. Rochester and Mr. Diebert., The student team included,., Nicholas B., Anthony E., Christopher R., Liam W., Franco Z. Michael K., Nicholas T. Christopher A., Rocco A., Christopher B., Lucas C., Dalton C., Matthew D., John‐Paul L., Curtis R., Gabriel B. and David R. Special thanks to coach, Mr. Maiolino. Our Grade 4 to Grade 8 students vocally supported their favourite team. We are especially grateful to the parent volunteers who accompanied the classes to the game. It was great fun for all. With this special event and Pancake Tuesday, we generated over $1,100 for Sharelife. Thank you. EQAO Assessment Each year Grade 3 and 6 students in Ontario are assessed in reading, writing and mathematics for a period of days. This year the dates for this assessment are: May 24th to June 1st, 2012. Please keep this in mind when booking appointments. Thank you. Fire Drill and Lockdown Procedures Throughout the year safety procedures are reviewed with students on a number of topics. Emergency evacuation drills are conducted to ensure that everyone is aware of the procedures to follow in order to exit the building safely. In the event of an unforeseen emergency situation, students and staff will evacuate to St. Michael’s Secondary School. In the near future, students and staff will also discuss and practice procedures that will be implemented in the event of an emergency lockdown situation. Rough Play While outside during recess, students sometimes find themselves engaging in inappropriate activities that involve rough play. Although some forms of rough play may be considered acceptable at home by some parents, pushing, shoving, tackling, play fighting and wrestling are activities that compromise student safety when carried out at school. Please help us to help your child remain safe by reinforcing the dangers of rough play even when the intent is fun. Environmental Awareness Dufferin‐Peel Catholic District School Board is committed to a safe and healthy environment running staff, students and visitors. In recognition of the medical evidence that the health of some people is affected by scented products, the Board encourages staff, students, and visitors to avoid use of scented personal care products. Indoor Soccer We have two teams of indoor soccer. Our girl’s team consists of Stephanie C., Alexandra G., Alyssa M., Victoria P., Jocelyn C., Morgan D., Vanessa D., Lexie H.P. and Alana S.. They are being coached by Mr. MacNeil and Mrs. Mangiapane. Our Boy’s Intermediate Indoor Soccer Team includes, Joseph C., William B., Daniel M., Sebastian D., Gianluca B., Luca C., Daniel D., Dylan M., Vaughn E., Alessandro C. and Dominic W.. Their coaches are Mrs. Condotta and Mr. MacNeil. Good luck. Education Week This year’s Catholic Education Week (May 6‐12) celebrates our schools with the theme: Catholic Education: Walking in the Light of Christ . We live in a world of light, be it natural or artificial. Without sunlight, life on this earth is impossible. Without the light of Christ, our spiritual walking is an ambling in darkness. Light makes vision possible. Light illuminates the world around us. Light exposes what is hidden, even in our own lives. The light of Christ welcomes us to view the beauty of creation as the work of the Father who created us in His own image. And we do not walk alone. As Catholics and Christians, we are school communities who walk together in the Light of Christ. The Word became flesh and lived among us (John 1:14) and that Word is the lamp for my walking feet and the light that illuminates my path. God is light and in God there is no darkness, so let us walk in that light. Summer Programs 2012 Registrations are now available for 2012 SK‐grade 8 Summer Literacy Camp. If you have any questions regarding these programs, please contact your child’s classroom teacher as soon as possible. Please see attached flyer regarding the summer literacy camp program. Immunization Peel Health has now distributed letters to those families that require updated immunizations. Peel Health works through school boards. If you don’t respond, the school will be instructed to suspend your child. Please check your mail to see if you have received notification and ensure that your immunization records are up to date. i ­Engage Workshop The Family of Schools Catholic School Councils Meeting will occur on Thursday, May 3rd, 2012. At this meeting guest speaker, Anthony McLean will provide a workshop about bullying issues. He will discuss practical strategies for managing a child who is being bullied; as well as dealing with a child who is bullying. He will also address the prevalence of social bullying amongst girls. All parents are welcome to join us for this evening from 6:30 – 9:00 at St. John the Baptist Catholic School. Please let us know at the office if you plan to attend so that seating and refreshments can be arranged. Welcome to Kindergarten Our Welcome to Kindergarten session is scheduled for May 8th from 6:00—7:00 p.m. This session is intended for parents / caregivers and their pre‐kindergarten children (parents/caregivers and their children who will be attending junior kindergarten in September 2012). This initiative will provide pre‐school children and their families with the resources and experiences to support early learning and a smooth transition to formal education. Invitations will be mailed to families who have registered a child for JK in September 2012. If you do not receive an invitation by April 30 and wish to attend, please call the school office. Kindergarten Bussing 2012­2013 On Saturday, August 25th, we will be holding our twentith annual YOUNG RIDER ORIENTATION DAY for ALL Kindergarten children. The intent of the day is to introduce children to school buses in an informal setting prior to the first day of school. We encourage you to participate by bringing your Kindergarten children and elementary age siblings to a one hour program between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 12 noon. Bus rides and a school bus safety video are only part of the informative fun. All Young Rider Days have been tremendous successes. Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR), the Peel District School Board and Dufferin‐Peel Catholic District School Board, First Student Canada, Stock Transportation Limited, Parkview Transit Inc. and Attridge Transportation Inc. support this event. To confirm your attendance and preferred time slot, please call Parkview Transit at 905‐846‐1070 in June 2011. The location for this training is Humberview Secondary School, 135 Kingsview Drive in Bolton. Book Returns All books are due back to the library by June 8th, 2012. As you do any spring cleaning, please keep an eye out for any of our library resources. They are welcome back to our library at any time. Central Committee for Catholic Schools CCCSC Annual In‐Service Conference & Vendor Marketplace is being held on Saturday, April 14th at St. Joseph Secondary School. All parents are welcome to attend. The keynote speaker, Mike Neuts, an advocate for youth will be speaking out against bullying. If you are interested in attending, please call the main office. Happy Spring from the Library!! As part of Reading Month, the library will host children’s author/illustrator Rebecca Bender. Tuesday, April 17th, 2012 students in grades 1‐3 will have the pleasure of listening to this author talk about writing and drawing. Rebecca’s book “Giraffe and Bird” has been nominated for the Blue Spruce Award. Author Eric Walters will be presenting at Pope John Paul II School on May 9th, 2012. Junior and intermediate classes will have the pleasure of listening to this award winning author speak about his books. Forest of Reading: Blue Spruce Voting will take place throughout the week of Monday, April 2nd to Thursday, April 5th. Primary grades have listened to all 10 books and are ready to cast their votes for their favourite picture book. Silver Birch, Silver Birch Express and Red Maple voting will occur on Monday, April 23rd. Way to go readers!! There is a little over 3 weeks to go and Mrs. Condotta hopes to see everyone on voting day. Students must read 5 of the 10 nominated titles in order to be eligible to vote. Keep reading!! Book Fair We will be hosting our final Book Fair of the year from May28th to June 1st. So mark your calendars and come on in to say Aloha to some great books!! Details to follow. Girls on the Run Girls on the Run/Girls on Track is a program for girls in Grades 4 – 7. This activity promotes self esteem, and positive body image as well as health and nutrition amongst the girls involved. After training, the girls will participate in a 5 km. run at Downsview Park on June 17th, Thanks to the School Council for helping to subsidize this program. Special thanks to Mrs. Millar and all the staff coaches involved. Lost and Found There is an amazing collection of items left behind in classrooms and in the yard. At this time out Lost and Found box is overflowing with winter sweaters, boots, coats, mittens, etc. Please remind your child to look in the Lost and Found for any misplaced items. All unclaimed items will be donated to the parish to be distributed to families in need.