Rough Play We continue to reinforce the need for students to play games and activities safely at our school. At St. 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 each other 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 Wednesday, 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. 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 25th to June 5th, 2015. Please keep this in mind when booking appointments. Thank you. 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. Bussing: When planning for September, some parents forget that the bussing distances change as their children grow older. 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 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 would like to remind students they should not be eating or drinking 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 Girl’s Basketball Team On March 4, 2015, St. John Paul’s Junior Girls Basketball Team played in the Board Finals at St. Michael’s High School in Bolton. The girls played five grueling games against four excellent junior teams, and proudly finished with a 5 -0 record, to win the Board Championship. This is the first time that a junior team from St. John Paul’s has won Boards. The girls demonstrated hard work, determination and wonderful team spirit throughout their 11-0 season. Congratulations to Sophia S., Sofia I., Izabella Z., Hannah T., Alexandra P., Ailen S., Mia C., Valentina C., Julia A., Maya C., Maggie K. and Emma A. Thank you to their dedicated coaches, Mrs. De Angelis, Mme. Filippo and Mrs. Kennett. Intermediate Boy’s Basketball Team Congratulations to all the Boy’s who tried out for our Intermediate Team. Great enthusiasm was demonstrated by all. Those students who are now training and working to prepare for our April 29th Tournament include: Michael T., Noah D., Joseph C., Chris Z., Antonio M., George B., Julian I., Tino V., Will V. Special thanks to Mr. Pusztai for coaching the team – his 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 29th will be, Kaela R., Natalie L., Hannah T., Michaela M., Madison R., Julianna Q., Anna Maria V., Laura P., Martina D., Gabrielle G., Isabella B., Sara R. Thank you to the dedicated coaches, Mrs. Farquhar and Mrs. De Angelis. 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 3rd – 8th. This year's theme is "Exploring Paths of Joy”. The scriptural passage that guides our theme is: “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us on the road?” – Luke 24:32 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: Walking Together and Sharing our Story Tuesday: Opening the Scriptures Wednesday: Welcoming Others to the Table Thursday: Recognizing Jesus in the Breaking of the Bread Friday: Proclaiming the Good News 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 6, there will be three classes for Grade 3’s and another two 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. Chalice The Parent Group has been very busy preparing for a week of fun activities in support of Chalice. Students are encouraged to bring a toonie each day of the week of April 13th to enjoy a spirit week lead by our student Spirit Council. Your support of these endeavours 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. 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 2015. Summer Programs 2015 Registrations are now available for 2015 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. 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 20th. 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. 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 12th from 6:30—7:30 p.m. This session is intended for parents and/or caregivers and their prekindergarten children who will be attending junior kindergarten in September 2015. 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, 2015. Kindergarten Bussing for 2015-2016 On Saturday, August 22nd, 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 Happy Spring from the Library!!! 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. Book Fair We will be hosting our final Book Fair of the year in the middle of May! Please mark your calendars for the week of May 11th!! 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. News from Special Education Dance Mat Typing www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ Welcome to Dance Mat Typing, a great, free website which introduces touch typing for children aged 7 - 11 years! Each of the 4 levels is divided into 3 stages. Begin at Level 1 and build up your skills gradually through to Level 4. Happy Typing! World Autism Awareness Day The eighth annual World Autism Awareness Day is April 2, 2015. Every year, autism organizations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising and awareness-raising events. How will you celebrate? Use #LIUB to share your experience across social media and help light the world up blue this April! Join us to Light It Up Blue! Visit www.AutismSpeaks.org/LIUB