Canonization of Pope John Paul II
We are very proud that the namesake of our school has
been recognized as being a Saint. We plan to celebrate
his life and his sainthood in a ceremony on Tuesday, April
29 at 9:30 a.m.. We have decided to gather the whole
school community in the large gym at St. Michael’s
Secondary School. We are very grateful to our
neighbouring Catholic Secondary School for their
hospitality in accommodating us. It is the only place
nearby where we can all come together at one time.
Students will be walking over and we will be celebrating
with a Liturgy. Holy Family Church will celebrate the
canonization of both, Blessed John Paul II and Blessed
John XXIII on Sunday, April 27, the same date that they
are declared Saints in Rome. This is a wonderful time to
celebrate and we hope families will join the parish and
school in their celebrations.
Rough Play
We continue to reinforce the need for students to play
games and activities safely at our school. At Pope John
Paul II School, we have a hands-off policy. This means
that activities such as contact sports, tackling, play
fighting, tripping, pushing, piling on and any rough play
are not permitted. Students are consistently reminded of
these rules by staff, supervisors and administration. We
recommend that parents have focused conversations
with their children about the types of games they play at
school. We need your help to reinforce with them the
dangers and consequences of rough play and the
importance of notifying staff on duty during recess time.
Earth Week
Earth Day is Tuesday, 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.
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.
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 couple of years, 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.
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 26th to June 6th, 2014. Please
keep this in mind when booking appointments.
Thank you.
Intermediate 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 8th Tournament include. Michael H.,
Michael M., Noah D., Joseph C., Marcello M., Jesse I.,
Devon E., Alessandro C., Cameron T. and Chris Z. Special
thanks to Mr. MacNeil and Mr. Pusztai for coaching
the team. They have been working with this
team and their dedication is appreciated.
Intermediate 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 8th will be, Karla R.,
Cassandra P., Erin H., Natalie L., Makana M., Charlotte B.,
Sydney B., Hannah T., Deanna D. and Amanda B. Thank
you to the dedicated coaches, Mrs. Farquhar and Mrs.
DeAngelis.
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.
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. While we recognize that cell phones are
often used as part of a family safety plan for safe walking
to/from school, under no circumstances should staff
become aware of their presence during the school day.
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.
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.
Catholic Education Week
Catholic Education Week is scheduled for the week of
May 4 – May 9, 2014. This year's theme is "Serving in the
Love of Christ”. The scriptural passage that guides our
theme is: ‘I am among you as one who serves.’ (Luke
22:27e)
This year’s five sub-themes, one for each of the five days
of Catholic Education Week, help students to understand
the rich meaning of this year’s theme:
Monday: Serve with faithfulness
Tuesday: Serve with humility
Wednesday: Serve with
compassion
Thursday: Serve with justice
Friday: Serve with joy
Catholic Education Week begins on a Sunday to highlight
the partnership that remains the foundation of Catholic
education between our Catholic schools and local
Catholic parishes. Throughout Catholic Education Week,
we ask you to reflect on the significance of Catholic
education’s presence and contribution in our Church,
and in our society.
After School Tutoring for Grade 3 & 6 students
Beginning April 1, there will be three classes for Grade 3’s
and another three classes for Grade 6’s offered after
school to help students prepare for the EQAO testing.
We are grateful to the teachers in helping theses
students and the parents who are able to make
arrangements to allow the students to stay after school.
Autism Awareness
The Parent Group has been very busy preparing for a
week of fun activities in support of Autism research. In
the past, we have contributed to Chalice, however, this
year, they have decided to support Autism research in
recognition of those within our community who are on
the Autism Spectrum. Students are encouraged to bring
a twoonie each day of the week of May 5th to enjoy a
spirit activity and it will culminate with Fitness Friday
activities organized with the help of our Student Athletic
Council. Your support is appreciated.
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.
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.
Summer Programs 2014
Registrations are now available for 2014 SK-grade 6
Summer Literacy Camp and Grade 7 & 8 Summer School.
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 programs.
Immunization
Peel Health has now distributed letters to those families
that require updated immunizations. Peel Health works
through school boards. Please check your mail to see if
you have received notification and ensure that your
immunization records are up to date.
Welcome to Kindergarten
Our Welcome to Kindergarten session is
scheduled for May 7th from 6:30—7:30
p.m. This session is intended for parents
/ caregivers and their pre-kindergarten
children who will be attending junior
kindergarten in September 2014. 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 were included in the school registration
packages. We would ask families to please confirm their
attendance by May 1, 2014.
Kindergarten Bussing for 2014-2015
On Saturday, August 24th, STOPR will be holding their
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.
To confirm your attendance and preferred time slot,
please call Parkview Transit at 905-846-1070 in June
2014. The location for this training is Humberview
Secondary School, 135 Kingsview Drive in Bolton.
Happy Spring from the Library!!!
As you do any spring cleaning, please keep an eye out for
any of our libary resources. They are welcome back to
our library at any time.
Forest of Reading
All Forest Reading Programs will come to a close this
month. Voting will take place in the library during the
Week of April 21st. Mrs. Condotta hopes to see everyone
on voting day, April 23rd. Students must read 5 of the 10
nominated titles in order to be eligible to vote.
Book Fair
We will be hosting our final Book Fair of the year at the
end of May! Please mark your calendars for the week of
May 26th!!
Tumble Books
Online database of picture books, chapters books, games
and much more. Available through our school websiteLibrary-Student
Resources. (Username: PJP2 Password: Login)
Lost and Found
There is an amazing collection of items left behind in
classrooms and in the yard. At this time our 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.