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