The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
56 Oaklea Blvd, Brampton, Ontario, L6Y 4W7
Phone: 905-455-1001
Principal: W. Bodsworth
Secretary: A. Mijandrusic
Fax: 905-455-3406
Superintendent: L. Kazimowicz 905-361-0146
Trustee:
A. DaSilva 905-890-0708
Parish: St. Jerome Church
Pastor: Fr. Jan Kolodynski
905-455-4260
NEWSLETTER #5
Peace of Christ
Thank you loving God for the gift of life,
For the wonderful world which we all share,
For the joy of love and friendship,
For the challenge of helping to build
Your kingdom.
Strengthen my determination to work for a
world of peace,
Strengthen my conviction that we are all
global citizens, one in Christ.
Strengthen my commitment to find positive
ways of solving conflict.
Strengthen my resolve to forgive injuries
and to love everyone in this world.
Teach me the gifts you have given me,
Renew my hope for a world where we can
All share in God’s peace and justice.
Amen.
January 2011
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Happy New Year! Best wishes to you and your
family for every blessing in 2011. With the
holidays behind us, we have all had to quickly
return to the daily routines of waking up early,
curriculum studies, packed lunches and
homework. Please remember the proactive
strategies that lay the foundation for student
success– plenty of sleep, healthy eating, regular
physical activity, consistent completion of
homework, punctuality, nightly reading, and
open communication with the school.
Despite unseasonably mild temperatures at the
onset of winter, we can anticipate that snow
and colder weather are just around the corner.
Please prepare your children for active
participation in outdoor activities by ensuring
that they come to school with warm winter
clothing and accessories.
“Family Literacy Day” is on January 27th! We
encourage all parents to spend time in a literacy
activity by reading a special story, visiting the
library, or participate in storytelling. The value
we place on literacy benefits our children by
nurturing a love of reading and facilitating their
success with school work. Enjoy the precious
time together!
Wendy Bodsworth
FAITH
JANUARY’S Virtue
~Self-control
God has given us the ability to choose.
We are able to control how we react
to what happens around us.
We may feel pressure from inside or
from outside ourselves to react violently to a
situation. We’ve all “lost it” at one time or
another. We are never proud of those
moments. As soon as they happen we make a
promise that they will not happen again.
Through prayer and concentration, we can get
better at controlling our reactions. We can get
better at showing self-control.
Self-control helps us to resist the temptation to
do something that we will regret. Self-control
helps us to resist the temptation to do
something that will harm ourselves or others.
Self-control is one of the marks of a spiritually
mature person.
When we all use self-control, we can be sure
that our school will be a safe, caring and
inclusive place to live and to learn.
A person with self-control…
Is patient
Knows how to wait his/her turn
Can calm him/herself down and think
before reacting to situations
Knows how to avoid physical aggression
(hitting, kicking, pushing, fighting, etc.)
Can think things through and do what is
best for everyone
WELCOME
We would like to welcome a number of teacher
candidates from Charles Sturt University who
will be with us until the spring. Izabela
Jakubowska will be teaching in S. Grasman’s
Kindergarten class, Josie Vivaldo in M.
DeSouza’s kindergarten class, and Daniel
Sponagle in Ms. Stott’s Grade 2/3 class.
Thank you to Ms. Vigneault who is
coordinating the Teacher Candidacy
Program at our school.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Mrs. Rondinelli (gr. 5/6) and
Mrs. Passarelli (Gr. 2) who recently returned to
full time positions at Pauline Vanier after
enjoying time at home with their new babies. It
is wonderful to have them back with us again!
BREAKFAST CLUB
Thanks to sponsorship from the
Boys and Girls Club and Breakfast
Clubs of Canada our school
breakfast club provides many
children with a nutritious breakfast every
morning and a recess snack to carry with them.
If you would like your child to participate in this
program, please phone the school office and we
will arrange for a permission form to be sent
home with your child. The Breakfast Club runs
each morning from 8:15 to 8:30. All students
are welcome to join. Thank you to the many
staff and parents who have volunteered to
assist with the Breakfast Club.
PROGRAM & CURRICULUM
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten registration will take place at the
school on Monday February 7th, from 7:00-9:00
p.m. and on February 9th, 10th, and 11th, from
9:00-11:00 a.m. and 1:00-3:00 p.m. To register
your child, you will require the following
information:
• proof of child’s birth and age
• Catholic baptismal certificate for child or
parent
• immunization records for your child
• Landed immigrant papers if not a Canadian
citizen
• proof of address
Special Needs Information Session
There will be an information session for
parents of children with special needs, such as
vision, hearing, physical, developmental delay
or autism, who are entering into JK or SK in
September 2011. The information session will
be held at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board – Catholic Education Centre (40
Matheson Blvd. West) on January 26, 2011 from
7:00-8:30 p.m. in Room 301. Parents are
reminded to register their child here at the
school in order to plan for a successful entry
into school.
Grade 1 FRENCH IMMERSION
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
offers the French Immersion Program starting in
Grade 1 at six school sites. Students registered
in this program will spend 90% of their day
learning in the French language. All subjects and
activities in the French Immersion classroom
with the exception of Religion and Family Life,
will be delivered in French. In Grades 2 and 3,
70% of the instruction will be in French, with
the proportion of English increasing to 50% in
later years.
INFORMATION MEETING
Senior Kindergarten parents/guardians who
wish to enroll their child in a Grade 1 French
Immersion class for September, 2011 are
invited to attend an information meeting at:
St. Joachim
435 Rutherford Road North
Brampton, Ontario
L6V 3V9
January 12, 2011 7:00 p.m.
The deadline for submission of applications is
2:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 9th, 2011.
INFORMATION MEETING
Grade 4 parents/guardians, who wish to enroll
their child in a Grade 5 Extended French class
for September, 2011 are invited to attend an
information meeting at:
St. Monica
60 Sterritt Drive
Brampton, Ontario
L6Y 5B6
January 12, 2011 7:00 p.m.
At the present time, the above mentioned
school is the designated centre for our area.
Applications will be accepted at that centre for
a two week period following the parent
information meeting and up until 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011.
Report Cards
With the Ministry of Education
changes in reporting procedures,
Term 1 reports will be sent
home on February 1st. Prior to
this, you will receive a letter to schedule
Parent/ Teacher/ Student interviews, which are
required for this first term report.
P.A. Day Reminders
Friday January 14th Professional Activity Day,
dedicated to Assessment, Evaluation and
Reporting. Friday February 4th is also a P.A.
Day, scheduled for Parent/Teacher/Student
interviews. There will be no classes for students
on these two days.
Grade 5 EXTENDED FRENCH
The Extended French Program starts in Grade 5.
In the program, 50% of the total instruction is in
French. The program includes studies in French
language arts, social studies, science, and one of
either: visual arts, music, drama or physical
education. The program leads into Extended
French at the secondary school level, where
French language arts, geography, history and
world religions are offered.
Student Agendas
Please check your child’s agenda daily, as this is
a very effective tool for communication and
tracking of work. This helps students to
develop
skills
in
organization,
time
management and goal setting, helping them to
meet with more success.
Premier Awards for Teaching Excellence
The
Ontario
Government
has
established awards of excellence for
exceptional educators and support
staff; for those who make a difference
to students, schools, and communities.
Deadline for applications is January 31, 2011.
Application forms and further information is
available at the school, or feel free to visit
www.ontario.ca/teaching awards. A reminder
postcard has been sent home with your child.
STUDENT INFORMATION
Contact Information
It is most important that we have
up-to-date records of your address,
phone numbers, and emergency
contacts in the event that the
school must contact you regarding your child.
If there have been any changes, please ensure
that we have this information.
Attendance Verification
Please notify the school at 905-455-1001,
before 8:30 a.m., if your child is going to be
late or absent. Pauline Vanier’s answering
machine is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. This will save Mrs. Mijandrusic, our
school secretary, many hours of phone calls to
verify absences.
Student Illness
Health is important. Students
who come to school are expected
to be healthy enough to
participate in the daily activities
including physical education and outdoor
recess. Should your child not feel well enough
to participate in all facets of our program,
please keep them at home the extra day so they
can fully recuperate. There is no venue to
maintain sick children at the school.
Hand Washing is Important
Hand washing, when done
correctly is the single most
effective way to prevent the
spread of infectious diseases such
as the flu. Please help us reinforce the proper
techniques with your children.
Follow these four simple rules:
• Wet your hands with warm running water.
• Add soap and rub your hands together,
making a soapy lather. Do this away from the
running water for at least 15 seconds. Wash
the front and back of your hands, between your
fingers and under your nails.
• Rinse your hands well under warm running
water. Let the water run back down into the
sink, not down the elbows. Turn the water off
with a paper towel and place it in the garbage.
• Dry your hands thoroughly with a clean towel.
Using good hand washing techniques helps to
reduce the spread of infectious diseases.
SCHOOL COUNCIL
Clothing Drive
Are you cleaning out your closets of old clothing
and material? Please hold on to anything you
want to give away. The school will be running a
used clothing / textile drive in the early spring
and will receive money based on the weight of
materials and clothing collected. BAG2SCHOOL
will collect any clean clothing that is in
reasonable condition, bedding, drapes, soft
toys, shoes (tied together), belts and purses.
More details will follow closer to the date.
Magazine Subscription Customer Service
If you are having questions or problems with
your magazine subscriptions ordered through
the school please direct your inquiries to the
Customer Service line at 1-800-667-2536.
Next Meeting
School Council will meet again on Monday
January 10, 2011 @ 6:30 p.m. in School Library.
All are welcome.
COLD WEATHER PROTOCOLS
Winter weather is here! We ask that you ensure
that your child is dressed appropriately. It is
our Board’s policy that all students go out for
recess.
We cannot accommodate parent
requests for their children to remain indoors,
due to staffing, supervision and facility
restrictions. If your child is not well enough to
go outside, they should not be at school.
Inclement Weather & Indoor Recess
We have guidelines from the
Health Department which help
us make a decision as to whether
it is too cold for students to go
outdoors: A wind chill factor of -22 C is a
modified day; -25 C students stay in all day.
During modified school days students will be
outdoors for am and pm recesses and no longer
than 20 minutes at lunch recess. Please make
sure your child is dressed appropriately for
these extended periods of outdoor play.
Safe Outdoor Winter Play
Snow is part of our winter life in Canada,
providing both frustration and enjoyment. We
all like to play in it. However, snow and ice can
be very dangerous.
Most school injuries
happen during wintertime. For safety reasons,
our school rule must be that snow stays on the
ground – no snowballs, kicking snow or any
other activity with snow or ice that could be
harmful, which includes sliding on slopes or icy
patches.
Since the first snowfall, students have been
reminded that snow, snowballs, and kicking
snow are not allowed at school. Students have
been reminded of the seriousness of these
activities and the possible danger to the eyes
and head. We have asked the students to
refrain from sliding on the ice in order to help
prevent head and back injuries. We have
reminded students to avoid grabbing other
students and pulling students to the ground
(playing tackle & headlocks are not permitted.)
Please assist us by reinforcing these rules with
your child(ren). We want them to have fun, but
to play safely at all times.
Family Safety Plan in Hazardous Weather
There may be days during the upcoming winter
months when inclement weather presents a
potential safety hazard to our students. It is
essential that parents and children discuss the
procedures that they wish to follow for safe
arrival at home.
For students that do not take the bus please
determine:
the best way to walk home;
with whom the child should walk;
where the child should go if there is no one
at home;
how the child should seek help if wind and
snow are so strong that they cannot see the
way home.
For students who do take the bus:
It is a fact that bad weather
may cause delays for student
pick up at bus stops. Please
ensure that your child has a
safe place to go if the bus is late or does not
arrive. If you notice that a student is stranded at
a bus stop, please attempt to contact the child’s
parent for them. It is not recommended that
parents volunteer to drive another child to
school without the permission of the child’s
parent.
If you decide to transport your child to school
because buses have been cancelled, please
ensure that you have made arrangements for
their return home at the end of the school day.
Late Buses
As the winter weather intensifies, please take
into consideration that buses may be delayed in
reaching their stops. We don’t wish to see
students stranded out in the elements so, on
inclement days, please:
• Listen to the radio for bus cancellations.
Check the following website for delays or
cancellations on line at:
http://www.stopr.ca
• If possible, arrange for car pooling.
Please note that a decision to cancel school
transportation and/or close schools, due to
inclement weather, is usually made by 6:30 AM.
Only the Director of Education has the authority
to cancel transportation and/or close schools.
Announcements about school closures are
posted on the Dufferin-Peel website at
http://www dpcdsb.org and broadcasted on
most local radio stations.
Indoor Shoes
We need your help to keep our school safe,
clean, and mud free. Winter weather poses a
real challenge when 350 people are bringing in
snow, slush and mud from the playground on
their outdoor footwear. It is essential for
cleanliness and safety, that your child is vigilant
about changing into a pair of indoor shoes that
are reserved for the classroom and the gym
ONLY, and are never worn outside in the winter.
SCHOOL YARD SAFETY
Please review these rules with your child/ren:
1) We respect everyone – our friends, adults,
our neighbours, and our neighbour’s property.
2) We play non-contact games.
3) We use appropriate language.
4) We remain on school property at all times.
5) We resolve our disagreements by talking with
each other. We can ask an adult for help.
6) Snow, ice, rocks, sand remain on the ground.
VALUABLES AT SCHOOL
Please remember that Board policy
prohibits the use of personal electronic
devices at school, especially cell
phones. During the school day, these
devices must be turned off and kept in
a secure location such as a backpack. Staff
cannot be responsible for any valuables that
your child brings to school. Although we do our
best to ensure that personal items are kept
safe, we cannot always monitor money, jewelry,
electronics, toys, etc. It is best if these items are
kept at home. We also caution that MP3
players and Ipods are lucrative items that are
easily stolen on the way to and from school.
Please don’t put your children at risk by
allowing these items to come to school.
INTERNET SAFETY
As parents, you need to be aware
of your child’s use of the home
computer. As you know many of your children
are using ‘MSN hot mail’ and ‘FACEBOOK’. It is
important that as parents, you are informed as
to what your child is sending out and receiving.
Some of the communication, as well as the
contact names, may be inappropriate. Please
talk to your child about this and supervise their
use of the computer.
SCHOOL LOCKDOWN DRILL
It is a policy of the Dufferin-Peel CDSB that all
schools conduct a practice of “Lockdown
Procedures” at least twice a year.
This
procedure will be initiated should an emergency
exist on school property or in the surrounding
neighbourhood.
Listed are the procedures that our students
have been trained to follow. Teachers regularly
practice this precautionary drill with their
classes. The school will schedule two formal
practices this winter.
Upon hearing the
announcement “Initiate Lockdown Procedures,”
the following will occur:
 The lockdown bell will be repeatedly rung.
 All students and staff inside the building will
remain in their classrooms.
 Students in the hallways or washrooms will
go to the closest classroom.
 Students in classrooms will retreat to a
corner of the room which is out of the
sightline of all windows and doors where
they will wait quietly until given the “all
clear”.
 All students and staff who are outside the
building will move to the alternate
neighbourhood emergency site.
 The announcement “Lockdown Procedures
complete” will indicate the completion of
the drill.
LATE STUDENTS
Punctuality is important. Please ensure that
your children arrive at school no later than
8:25 a.m. The constant parade of late arrivals
between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. is delaying morning
exercises and interrupting the smooth start of
morning lessons. Children who arrive late are
often out-of-sorts and have a hard time settling
in to their day. Their time to socialize and greet
their peers is lost in their hurried entry into the
classroom. Many start-up instructions have to
be repeated for those students arriving late.
A student who is late must obtain a late slip
from the office. This late slip procedure is an
important link in our safe entry protocol. When
a child is alerted to the office as absent, the
secretary cross-references to students who
have entered late before making calls home to
confirm a child reported as absent.
VISITOR SIGN IN… A MUST
It is important for the safety of all students in
the school that parents and visitors sign in at
the office and obtain a visitor’s sticker.
Students and staff feel safer when a visitor’s
sticker is visible on familiar and unfamiliar faces.
SMOKE FREE FACILITY
The Ministry of Health has asked schools to
remind everyone that it is unlawful to smoke
anywhere on school property. This includes,
inside or outside the school, parking lots, inside
cars, soccer fields and driveways. This law is
applicable 24/7 to students, staff, parents and
visitors. There is a $305.00 fine for smoking or
holding lit tobacco on school property.
VISION & HEARING TESTING
For your convenience, we have arranged to
have SEE & HEAR ASSESSMENT at our school
this year to screen for vision and hearing
problems at a cost of $10.00 to the
parent/guardian on Monday, January 24th.
This is an excellent opportunity to check your
child’s vision and hearing in a convenient, cost
effective manner, as Family Doctors are not
usually equipped to identify Hearing Loss … a
Child’s Hearing is not being monitored unless
they have visited an ENT or Audiologist … a
regular visit to the Audiology Clinic is not
covered by OHIP and costs about $35.00.
A permission form will be sent home in the next
few days. If you wish to have your child
participate, please complete and return the
form with $10.00 to the school by January 20th.
ANGER MANAGEMENT
This month we focus on the virtue of selfcontrol. Learning to manage one’s
anger is an important first step
towards this virtue.
Why do kids get angry?
Anger is a completely normal human feeling –
even for young people. Kids experience the
same range of feelings as adults, including
anger. All of these emotions are healthy if they
are managed in a positive way.
What happens when anger is not controlled?
When anger is not managed well it can build up
inside a person. This can lead to health
problems such as depression or may result in
angry outbursts. Parents may see their children
having
problems
with
school
work,
relationships, self-esteem and coping skills.
Tips for Parents
Teach your child to recognize all feelings including
anger and encourage him/her to label their angry
feelings.
Model a good example; express your anger in a
direct, non aggressive way.
Encourage your child to talk about their feelings to
you or anyone they trust.
Talk with your child about why they feel angry;
sometimes the reasons may not be obvious.
Encourage regular physical activity to help reduce
stress. Stressed children cannot cope with their
anger positively.
Help your child to see the humour in situations; it’s
better to laugh at situations than to act out in anger.
If your child’s anger problems are serious, consult
your family doctor or call Region of Peel – Public
Health at 905-799-7700.
PAULINE VANIER SPORTSWEAR
School sportswear is available for purchase
again this term.
Many families took
advantage of the pre-Christmas sale and
have expressed satisfaction with the price
and quality of the gym and casual garments.
The enclosed letter and order form explain
the details. Deadline for orders is January
25th.
ARE YOU TICKED?
Please check your property tax bill to ensure
your support is directed to your local Catholic
school board, in our case, the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board. You can verify
your support by contacting our Admissions
Department at (905) 890- 0708, ext. 24511 or
24512, or your local municipal office. By
ensuring that you are a Catholic school
supporter, you give a powerful message to the
government about the level of support for
publicly-funded Catholic education in Ontario.
To be eligible to vote for your Catholic school
trustee, you must be registered as a separate
school supporter.
This Year…
"This year, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten
friend.
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.
Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage
youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.
Keep a promise.
Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize.
Try to understand. Examine your demands on
others.
Think first of someone else. Be kind.
Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your
gratitude.
Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a
child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder
of the earth.
Speak your love and then speak it again."
Howard W. Hunter
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
January 10-School Council @ 6:30 p.m.
January 14-PA Day-NO SCHOOL
January 24-See/Hear Assessment
January 25-Deadline “Go Green Newsletter”
January 25-Deadline Sportswear Orders
January 26-Special Education Info Session
January 26-Measuring/Fitting for Sportswear
January 27-Family Literacy Day
January 28-Diversity & Black History School
Performance-Loretta Penny
January 31-Deadline Nomination Premier
Award for Teaching Excellence
February 1-Report Cards go home
February 4-PA Day-NO SCHOOL
(Parent Teacher Interviews)
February 7-Kinder Registration Evening
February 9, 10 and 11-Kinder Registration
Daytime (9am-11am; 1-3 p.m.)
th
February 9 -Deadline for Application for
DPCDSB French Programs
February 21-Family Day-NO SCHOOL
NEWSFLASH!!!!!
PAULINE VANIER NEWSLETTER GOING GREEN
We hope to introduce an on-line newsletter in
order to become more environmentally aware
about the amount of paper being used. The
newsletter is already posted on the school
website. Please take time to complete and
return the green sheet (enclosed) entitled
“Going Green with the Newsletter.” If you
would like the newsletter e-mailed directly to
you, please provide us with your e-mail address.
If you prefer a hard copy please let us know as
well. Return the form via your child’s teacher
by January 25th.