NEWSLETTER
September 2015
Principal
D. Della Rossa
Secretary
S. Droy
Superintendent
Mississauga North
T. Cruz
Parish
Merciful Redeemer Parish
Phone: 905-812-0030
Pastor
Fr. Vid Vlasic
Associate Pastor
Fr. Scott Birchall
School Council Co-Chair
Michelle Martinovic
School Council Co-Chair
Jennifer Rodrigo
Trustee
Esther O’Toole
Ward 9
Phone: 905-812-5163
Attendance Verification
Phone: 905-814-9216
Web Site
www.dpcdsb.org/OLMCY
DPCDSB is now on
Twitter!
For the latest board
news and information, follow us
@DPCDSBSchools.
5820 Glen Erin Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 5J9
Telephone: (905) 814-9216
Fax: (905) 814-9217
Our Lady of Mercy Staff
2015-2016
Grade
Teacher’s Name
Loving God, you give us the new school year
JK/SK
H. Maxwell
and new friends with whom to share it.
JK/SK
J. Cahill
Bless all who pray, work and learn together.
DECE
T. Carreiro
Grant a happy year to the entire world.
Grade 1 /2
R. Merle
Grade
2
/3
M. Murphy
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Grade 3
K. Karaim-Rudyk
Grade 4
T. Hillyer
Grade 5
L. Austin
Principal’s Message
S. Daley
As the new school year begins, I would like to welcome Grade 5 FI
all the new families to our school community and wel- Grade 5FI
T. Fang
come back all those who are returning. A special greetR. Sowinski
ing is also extended to our Junior Kindergarten children Grade 6
who are starting school for the first time, our Grade Grade 6FI
N. D’Souza
Five French Immersion students and the new families
M. Xerri-Gagliardi
that join us. May your days here at Our Lady of Mercy Grade 7
be memorable.
Grade 7 /8
N. Rockarts
C. Dodaro
Our custodial staff, Mr. Jones and the night staff, and Grade 8
administrative staff, Ms. Droy, have been diligently FSL
D. Guzman
preparing the school for your children. My deepest
M. Sherri
appreciation is extended to them and all educational PT/SERT
staff who have truly extended themselves in preparing SERT/SERC
K. Read
the school for another year of academic excellence and
S. Cunningham
well-being. We wish to extend a warm welcome back ESL/SERT
to Mrs. Dodaro and to Mme. Guzman who will be re- Librarian/PT
C. Loiacono
turning at the end of the month. We continue to expeN. Heringer
rience changes at Our Lady of Mercy as the EXCEL ERW
Communication Class has been moved to St. Sebastian. ERW(0.5)
M. Debono
We wish to welcome our new night time custodian, Mr.
Custodian
R. Reyes
Reyes, and our Child Youth Worker, Ms. Soberal.
Custodian
C. Huertas
Our school is part of a larger educational community.
We are excited as we continue into our second year Head Custodian A. Jones
with Full Day Kindergarten and French Immersion in Head Secretary S. Droy
our school. In partnership with Merciful Redeemer
D. Della Rossa
Parish, the home and other community partners, our Principal
Beginning of New School Year
school will be able to offer a wide range of learning
opportunities created to enhance the spiritual, academic and physical lives of our students. Our Lady of Mercy School will continue to be an active community that
relies on cooperation and teamwork. Our school community is strengthened by the working relationships we
enjoy with our Parish Team, our active School Council,
our Superintendent Tilia Cruz, our Trustee, Esther
O’Toole and you the parents. Your contribution to the
success of your children is foundational. For this we
urge that you continue to be an active participant in
your child’s education this year.
I wish everyone a very successful school year. Our staff
is dedicated and committed to working with our parents, parish and community partners as they support
the children in their quest for knowledge and spiritual
development. May God bless you and your families .
D. Della Rossa
As we start the new school year, staffing and student class placements are
still tentative. Ther efor e, please note
that your child’s class will be not finalized until after reorganization occurs. If
your child is part of the reorganization
we will inform you by September 17th.
P.D. Day (Re-organization)
Friday, September 18th, 2015
(No School for Students)
School Operations
SCHOOL HOURS
8:30
Supervision in the yard
8:45
School Entry
10:50
Morning Recess (Grade 1-8)
11:15
Kindergarten Dismissal
11:45
Lunch (Grade 1-8)
12:45
Afternoon Starts
2:10
Afternoon Recess
3:15
Dismissal
Attendance
All students are expected to attend school regularly and punctually. In the event that your child will be late or absent, please
telephone the school before 8:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. to inform
us of the absence. All students who arrive after 8:45 a.m. or
12:45 p.m. must obtain a late slip from the office. This measure
is to ensure the safety of your child. We thank you for your continued support in following this procedure.
The number to call is: 905-814-9216
Provide the following information:
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Date of absence(s)
Name(s) of student(s)
Name of student’s Teacher(s)
Reason for absence
Date of Return
STUDENT VERIFICATION FORMS
A Student Verification Form for each child will be sent home.
All sheets (even those which have correct information) must be
returned to the appropriate classroom teacher. This will help us
to update our records. In case of an emergency, we need current
phone numbers and up-to-date information to contact you immediately. Please add cell phone numbers and an –email address if
you wish to receive school news electronically.
Visitors and Volunteers
To ensure school security for students and teachers, the Board
policy requires that all visitors (including parents) and volunteers
must report to the office when entering the school. Please enter
through the main doors only. Identification stickers are required
to be worn when visitors are in the school.
Volunteers are welcome and appreciated in the school. If you
wish to volunteer or help supervise on a trip, you must complete
a criminal reference check. Forms are available in the office. If
you completed a criminal reference check last year, and submitted a copy to the school, you are requested to complete an Offence Declaration Form this year. Please contact the school office for more information.
Extra Curricular Activities & Excursions
Students will have the opportunity to take field trips and participate
in a number of extra-curricular activities. Permission forms will be
sent home to be filled out, signed and promptly returned to school.
NO STUDENT WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE ON A
TRIP OR EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT FROM THEIR PARENT/GUARDIAN.
VERBAL CONSENT OVER THE TELEPHONE WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED. No exceptions will be allowed. Teachers give ample
notice for trip consent forms.
We encourage parents to support these educational opportunities by
volunteering to assist and supervise these excursions. For the safety
of your child, excursions lacking appropriate adult supervision will
be cancelled.
Pick Up and Drop Off Policy
Parents or designated individuals are required to sign children in at
the office when bringing them to school late and must also sign
them out at the office when withdrawing them from school before
regular dismissal time.
Parents are requested to provide the classroom teacher with a note if
it is necessary for a child to leave for an appointment. Please meet
the child(ren) at the main office and sign them out. Upon their return, they must report to the office for an admittance slip.
Lunch Students Leaving School Grounds
The school lunch hour is 11:45 a.m.
– 12:45 p.m. When children
stay for lunch, they will eat with their classmates and remain on
school property throughout the lunch period. Supervision is provided by staff and adult student monitors. For safety reasons, students
either stay for lunch or leave for lunch every day. Changes to this
routine are done only with written permission by a parent/guardian.
Students are not allowed to call home to go out for lunch. The office is very busy at this time and phones are needed for office communication and emergency phone calls. Parents accept the responsibility for conduct, safety and the well being of students when they
are given permission to leave school property. We thank you for
continuing to support this safety routine.
PLASP operates a BEFORE SCHOOL PROGRAM that begins at 7:30 a.m., with
children receiving a nutritional breakfast and participating in recreational activities.
In the AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, which runs from 3:15 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.,
the children enjoy a healthy snack, recreational activities, and have time for homework. To find out more, or to register your child, please speak to the PLASP staff at
the school, during program times. You can also call the PLASP head office at 905890-1711 or visit www.plasp.com.
Agendas
The agenda is a very useful tool to help organize and track assignments,
homework reminders and special events. The student agenda is also an
excellent tool to support parent/teacher communication. Please read your
child’s agenda on a regular basis. Agendas will be provided to students
from Grade 1 to 8 at no cost this year. W e wish to thank our School Council for supporting us with the cost of these agendas. Please review our
school policies in the agenda with your child.
Virtue of the Month
Safety Procedures
Beginning and Dismissal of School
1. Kiss and Ride Program
Our Virtue for September….Faith
To begin the new school year, we’ll focus our attention on the
first of our virtues – faith. Faith is the great virtue of believing
in God and trusting that God is with us. A faithful person believes that we are created, guided by and destined to be reunited
with God. A faithful person believes that God’s plan for us includes the right to be safe, especially at school.
A Faithful person…
Prays regularly and reverently
Learns from Scripture stories
Honours people’s God-given names
Assumes that there is good in everyone
Accepts the God-given worth of themselves and others
Ontario Catholic School
Graduate Expectations
To support out Catholic Board
Learning Plan, we infuse our
Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations in all aspects of
Catholic Education. As a school
we have chosen Becoming a responsible, contributing citizen as
our overall expectation guiding
education at Our Lady of Mercy
School. Together, as a community we work to embed the seven expectations to support the
Catholic Education of our students as they journey
through our schools through to vocation.
Vehicles entering school property from
8:30 to 8:45 a.m. are to use the school’s
Kiss & Ride Program. The program is
supervised by staff and volunteers.
There are two lanes to enter the Kiss and Ride, and then
three that have very specific functions.
The lane on the right and closest to the school is for buses and emergency vehicles ONLY.
There are two lanes to the left of the cement barrier that
serve different purposes. The right Kiss and Ride lane is to
be used for dropping children off at the Drop Off Point.
This drop off point is approximately half of the lane or the
first five vehicles at the front of the Kiss and Ride lane.
Please DO NOT let children leave the car anywhere before
that point. You are definitely putting them in serious danger
of possibly being struck by a vehicle. Children should be
prepared with their bags to exit the vehicle on the passenger
side only. Never exit a vehicle from the driver’s side. Drivers should remain in their vehicles at all times, and a Kiss
and Ride supervisor will assist them to exit the vehicle.
Once your child(ren) has been dropped off, you can access
the left ‘drive through’ lane and ‘slowly ‘ exit the Kiss and
Ride. There is a serious issue with vehicles travelling too
fast through this lane, either to get to the fr ont of the line
or to exit. You will not be able to stop in time when a child
comes out between cars.
When entering or exiting, be VERY mindful of pedestrian
traffic. Cars travelling southbound on Glen Erin and turning
into the driveway often run the red light, and pull in quickly.
There is a cross walk on the south side of the driveway.
Many children from both schools utilize the crosswalk. You
must be vigilant. Pedestrians always have the right of way.
Thank you for co-operation!
Remember - SAFETY FIRST!!!
I AM A BELIEVER!
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I believe that God is an awesome God
I believe and have faith in God
I believe that God is with us always
I believe that we can talk to God anytime and any
where, through prayer
I believe in the stories of the Bible
I believe in the stories of Jesus' life, death & resurrection I believe in the Church community, celebrating
Mass, and the seven Sacraments
I believe in forgiveness
Because I am a believer, I will live my life like Jesus.
2. Supervision in the School Yard
Staff are on duty for 15 minutes before the start of the
school day and throughout the 40 minutes lunch recess.
Therefore, you may safely leave your child in the school
yard upon arrival in the morning or returning to the school
after lunch.
3. Picking Up Students at Dismissal
At the end of the school day, parents, babysitters, older siblings are to meet students outside (Grades 1-8) at the side or
back doors. The front area and doors of the school are only
for Kindergarten parents, staff and bus students. Parents
picking up their children by car at the end of the school day,
can only stop in lane 2 of the Kiss & Ride Lane and must
stay in their vehicles.
Health
Medication
On occasion, the school is asked to store
and/or give medication to students. A
completed form must accompany each
request for medication to be stored and
given out by the school personnel. Ask
the Office to supply you with the appropriate forms. Medical Alerts and Anaphylaxis forms were sent home at the end
of June to facilitate doctor’s appointments and time to complete documentation. This is necessary to update files and
inform staff of concerns.
MedicAlert’s No Child Without Program is at Our
School
The No Child Without program offers a free MedicAlert
membership to students who attend our school and are between the ages of 4 up to their 14th birthday. If your child
has a medical condition, allergy or is required to take medication on a regular basis then you should consider a MedicAlert membership through this program. MedicAlert is
your child’s voice in an emergency,
For further information come to the office for a brochure or
go to www.nochildwithout.ca. To register your child you
will need a No Child Without brochure from the office.
If your child is already part of the No Child Without program and there have been changes to their medical condiWe have a number of children in our school who have setion, medications or emergency contact information, call
vere life threatening allergic reaction to peanuts, peanut but- MedicAlert at 1-866-679-3220 to update your child’s file.
ter, peanut oils and any peanut by-products, as well as nuts,
dairy, egg, seafood (including shrimp), & shellfish .
History of Catholic Education
Peanut Awareness & Other Allergens
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Please refer to the Allergen Awareness letter sent
home on the first day of school and an additional letter specific to each class if it is necessary. Additional
information on anaphylaxis can be found on our
school website.
How long have Catholic separate schools been educating
Catholic children and contributing to the public good in
Ontario?
For about 170 years in the early 1800s there were separate
schools in many cities, towns and townships. In Peel, three
A representative from anaphylaxis Canada will be visiting our separate schools opened before Confederation (1867): St
school to educate staff, students and the community about
James in Malton in the 1830s, St. John’s Agriculture Colallergens and safety. Please join us on Tuesday, September
lege (1861) and St. Patrick’s (1861), both in Wildfield.
ANAPHYLAXIS CANADA PRESENTATIONS
15th. The schedule is as follows: 9:10 Primary Classes, 9:55
Junior Classes, 11:05 Intermediate Class &
12:45 Parent Volunteers, Parents All are welcome.
Student Accident Insurance
Dates to Remember
September
As required by the Education Act and the Ministry of Education, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
annually provides parents with information about costeffective student accident insurance coverage via your
child. Although enrolment is voluntary, the board strongly
encourages parents to take advantage of the inexpensive
insurance coverage, especially if their child/children participate in sports, excursions/field trips, or, if parents do not
have dental insurance coverage.
Parents alone have the right to insure their children. An acknowledgment form(GF401) has been sent home with the
attached brochure. It must be signed and returned to the
school to ensure an awareness that the board does not provide insurance and that you have received the insurance
brochure. It is a requirement for the participation in excursions and/or extra-curricular activities.
15
18
22
22
28
29
30
Anaphylaxis Canada Visits
PA Day - Re-organization
Open House 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
School Council Nomination Forms Due
First Communion Parent Meeting@ Church 7PM
School Council Elections and Meeting 6:30 P.M.
Confirmation—Grade 7 & 8 students—Parent
Meeting @ Church 7PM
30 Terry Fox Walk
October
5
7
12
13
21
25
Confirmation—Grade 7 & 8 students—Parent
Meeting @ Church 7PM
Opening Mass - 9:30 a.m. at the school
Thanksgiving Day
Immunization Gr. 7/8 girls
School Photos
Spirit Week Begins
Personal Electronic Devices on Board Premises and/or Board Sanctioned
Events for Educational Purposes:
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board acknowledges the value of the use of technology for
learning. Students are permitted to register and use personal electronic devices (PEDs) on board premises and/or board sanctioned events for educational purposes, under the direction of staff and only with
parent/guardian permission (GF 066, Network User Application and Agreement). Students may register their PED for the purpose of connecting to the board wireless network. Students are required to adhere to the student “Personal Electronic Device Used with WI-FI Network Student Agreement” and the
“Network User Application and Agreement.” Please be advised that the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board will not be responsible for any cost incurred through the use of personal data plans.
PEDs are to be used responsibly and should not interfere with learning; their use must comply with the
Catholic Code of Conduct, board policies and procedures. Any personal communications (i.e., phone calls,
text messages, etc.) will continue to be directed through the main office. Failure to comply with these
guidelines may result in a loss of PED privileges and/or any other consequences deemed necessary by
school administration.
The school principal may authorize limited acceptable uses of personal electronic devices during schoolsanctioned activities for a specific designated purpose outside of instructional spaces and/or in common areas.
Students are responsible for the safety and security of PEDs at all times and the Board assumes no responsibility for lost, damaged or stolen devices.
Please review parent letter attached for further information. We ask that parent(s)/guardian(s) please
sign the Wi-Fi Student Agreement GF337 and the Internet Agreement GF066 that are
attached to the newsletter.
***Please note that the Wi-Fi activation will take place during the month of October.
School Council Elections and Nomination Forms
If you are interested in an elected position on School Council, please pick up a nomination form at the
office or send a note in with your child for one to be sent home. Please ensure that you fill out your selfnomination form and return it to the office by September 22nd. According to our Catholic School Council
by-laws voted in 2014-2015, there are 15 voting positions on our council. If there are more than 15
nominations for a voting position, we will be holding an election to ascertain the 15 voting members.
Elections will take place before the first School Council meeting to be held on September 29th, 2015.
All parents are welcome to attend our Catholic School Council meetings. We hope to see you there.