The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
56 Oaklea Blvd, Brampton, Ontario, L6Y 4W7
Phone: 905-455-1001
Principal: W. BODSWORTH
Fax: 905-455-3406
Superintendent: L. Kazimowicz- 905-890-1221
Trustee: A. Da Silva 905-890-0708
Secretary: A. Mijandrusic
Parish: St. Jerome Church
Pastor: Fr. Jan Kolodynski
905-455-4260
NEWSLETTER #2
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Oh, God, when I have food
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work, help me
to remember the jobless;
When I have a warm home,
help me to remember the homeless;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer;
And remembering, help me
to destroy my complacency
and bestir my compassion.
Make me concerned enough to help, by
word and deed, those who cry out for
what we take for granted.
We make this prayer
in the name of Jesus, our Lord.
Amen
In October we celebrate the virtue of
empathy.
A person with empathy:
 Listens when people speak
 Notices when someone is upset and
tries to help
 Can name his/her feelings
 Can see a situation from another
person’s point of view
 Accepts that others have different
perspectives
October 2011
Principal’s Message
It has been a busy September at Pauline
Vanier.
In a few short weeks, we have
settled into routines and launched several
exciting initiatives! We have gathered as a
community many times for~ divisional
assemblies to celebrate our priorities of
―Faith, Safety and Excellence,‖ the
September Virtue of the Month: Faith
Assembly, the Terry Fox Assembly and
Walk/Run, our annual Open House and
Book Fair, and the School Council Much
Music Fundraiser.
As we reflect on the gifts we are mindful of
our many blessings.
We think of the
untiring support we receive from our trustee,
superintendent, parish family and parent
community. Together, we are committed to
providing a safe, caring and faith-filled
community in which children can ―learn and
grow together with God.‖
We take this opportunity to wish you and
your family a relaxing and peaceful
Thanksgiving weekend.
Wendy Bodsworth
GIVING THANKS
 for our enthusiastic staff members for
getting sports teams and clubs up and
running.
 for the board for responding to our plea
to revitalize our school by providing us
with a new floor scrubber/ polisher, new
nd
baseboards
on
the
2
floor,
whiteboards in the gym, and new tiling
in the Breakfast Club Room, staff room,
office and kindergarten rooms.
 for the many helping hands who
assisted with cleaning out storage
rooms and sorting through learning
materials this summer.
 for all families who attended our Open
House BBQ and Curriculum Evening.
Despite the rainy weather, there was an
excellent turnout and a wonderful
expression of community spirit.
 for our teacher librarian, Mrs. Muzzatti,
and all of her volunteers for a successful
Book Fair.
 for Ms. Tac and the Youth Faith
Ambassadors for organizing our annual
Thanksgiving Food Drive in support of
the Knights Table.

for Mrs. Henry for coordinating another
inspirational and successful Terry Fox
Run-Walk event.

for all parents for their support of their
children and our school activities.
 to our fabulous School Council for their
devotion to our school community.
SCHOOL COUNCIL
We continue to urge parents to become
involved in the School Council which meets the
first Monday of each month and is involved in
many outstanding initiatives to support the
school. The fall organizational meeting was
rd
held on October 3 and once again we have an
enthusiastic and visionary council:
Chair: Andrea Virostek
Vice-Chair: Cheryl Brohart
Treasurer: Katrina La Nave
Secretary: Diana Cacic
Parish Representative: Colin DeSouza
Fund-raising Representative: Michelle Mason
and Lisa Brandon
OAPCE Representative:
Trudy Watson-Leung
Teacher Representative: Carol Thomas
SUPPLY TEACHERS
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
is committed to ensuring that qualified teachers
are teaching in our classrooms at all times.
However, in the regular teacher’s absence, a
certified supply teacher may not always be
available.
In this circumstance, a Boardregistered Emergency Instructor may be called
upon as a casual worker, to cover a classroom.
Careful consideration is given to the selection of
persons to fulfill this role. The Emergency
Instructor is given training in school procedures
and is subject to a Criminal Reference Check
before entering the classroom.
We are also happy to welcome co-op students
and volunteers from St. Augustine Secondary
School, as well as students on practicum
placements from
various colleges and
universities in the GTA. All of these visiting
students work alongside our teachers and assist
in the classroom under the supervision of the
teacher or other school staff. If there are any
questions or concerns about the role of supply
teachers, volunteers, or practicum students at
our school, please contact the office for further
clarification.
MEDICAL MANAGEMENT
Parents please ensure that the office has the
most up to date information so that we can
properly treat and/or manage your child’s
medical needs at school. For the safety of your
child, as well as other children in the school ALL
MEDICINE, including over the counter varieties,
must be reported to the office. If your child
requires the administration of medicine, please
contact the office for the appropriate forms.
EVACUATION PROCEDURES
Pauline Vanier School has very
explicit
Fire
Emergency
Evacuation, Lock Down, and
Hold & Secure Risk Procedures.
These procedures are practiced
throughout the school year to ensure that the
protocols become second nature. In preparation
for fire drills, students are reminded to wear
shoes in the building at all times. If a fire alarm
goes off, students are not permitted to stop and
put on shoes, coats, etc. The safety of all
students is our primary concern so every second
counts.
In case of a real emergency, our evacuation site
is SOUTH FLETCHER’S SPORTSPLEX located
at the North East Corner of McLaughlin Road
and Ray Lawson Boulevard.
KISS & RIDE
Safety of our students is paramount.
Please follow these safety rules when
picking up and dropping off your
children at school:

Do not allow children to get out of the car
until your vehicle has reached the front of
the Kiss and Ride line.

Make sure your child gets out on the right
side of the car where a staff member is on
duty.

Parents using the drive-through lane must
turn left and exit the school grounds.
Vehicles should never cut in front of the
Kiss and Ride Lane to drive into the
Child Care Centre round-about. This
causes an enormous traffic hazard.

Drivers who hope to find a parking spot in
the round-about parking area should line up
in the Kiss and Ride Lane before making
the turn into the parking area. That way, if
no parking is available there is a staff
member on duty in the Kiss and Ride lane
to guide your child from the vehicle.

The round-about in front of the
Kindergarten and Child Care Centre is
reserved for parents using the Child Care
Centre. If a parking space exists, then a
parent of a kindergarten child may park for
a few minutes in order to walk their child to
the kindergarten yard.

There is absolutely no parking, drop-off, or
idling of vehicles permitted against the curb
in the round-about, or in the area to the
east of the school, designated as ―Staff
Parking‖.
RECESS
All students are expected to go outside for
recess and thus must come to school dressed
appropriately. Please ensure that your child has
a pair of boots in anticipation of the winter
ahead. For many children, a spare pair of
socks, gloves or clothing may save a parent a
trip to the school. In the event of inclement
weather, students will be kept indoors. In wet,
muddy or icy conditions, the students will remain
on paved areas. During recess, supervision is
restricted to the playground areas. Supervisors
on yard duty wear bright orange/yellow vests, so
that they are easily visible. Please note, that
there is no scheduled supervision provided in
the office. Therefore, if your child is not well
enough to participate in outdoor recess, please
consider keeping him/her at home until he/she is
well enough to go outside for recess.
SCHOOL YARD BEHAVIOUR
We continue to remind students about the
importance of fair play, respectful conversations
and non-aggressive outdoor play. Students are
frequently reminded that there is to be no
physical contact at school. We realize that in
most cases, children do not mean to hurt each
other, however, when activities become physical
then students often get hurt. Through continuous
reminders, and the teaching of manners and
pro-social skills, we are trying to prevent both
serious injury and hurt feelings on the
playground. We ask for your support in
reminding your children to engage in outdoor
play without physical contact. We need your
help to reinforce the important SCHOOL RULE
that ―play fighting‖ and tackle sports are not
permitted.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Once again, extra-curricular activities are up and
running at Pauline Vanier School. A special
thank you is extended to all staff members for
their efforts in supervising, coaching and
facilitating these activities.
Teachers and
support staff often give of their free time and
lunch hours to contribute to our programs. We
are very proud of all that we have to offer our
student community. We encourage all students
to participate and to listen carefully to
announcements to know when to attend
meetings and clubs. We encourage all students
from Grades 4-8 to try out for our athletic teams
but they must remember that academic
responsibilities must be maintained in order to
remain on a school team. In each newsletter we
will highlight a few of the amazing activities
going on at Pauline Vanier.
BOOK FAIR REPORT
CONFIRMATION
Parent (ONLY) Meeting
Tuesday, October 25th
7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Parents of students who will be confirmed at St.
Jerome’s parish next year are expected to
attend this session.
Mrs. Muzzatti Teacher Librarian
Thank you to all of the students and families
who came out to support the book fair. The
family door prize was won by Gabriel H. in Mrs.
Henry’s Grade 3 class. Both he and Mrs. Henry
have won $25.00 worth of books from our fair.
As well, Mrs. Muzzatti has drawn three names,
one from each division. These students have
won $20.00 each in books from our book fair:
Primary-Mrs. Mayer’s Grade 1-Aaron H.
Junior-Mrs. Rondinelli’s-Grade 5-Alexis R.
Intermediate-Mr.Daniel’s-Grade 8-McAnthony A.
All profits earned from the Book Fair will go
towards the purchase of new materials for your
children to use in our library. Thank you for your
generous support!
VIRTUES EDUCATION
During the month of October we focus on the
virtue of empathy. God wants us to care about
everyone’s feelings. God has given us both the
desire and the ability to form connections with
each other—to live together. Empathy helps us
to connect with each other in meaningful ways to
ensure that we form communities that are safe,
caring and inclusive. We understand empathy
to mean the ability to identify with and feel other
people’s concerns. Please spend some time
this month talking to your children about what it
means to show empathy.
SACRAMENTS
St. Jerome’s Parish
8530 Chinguacousy Rd., Brampton
905-455-4260
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
Parents’ Information Meeting
St. Jerome’s Parish
Tuesday October 18th
7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Parents must attend if they wish their child to
make their First Communion at St. Jerome’s.
Please pick up a Registration Package at the
church office after any weekend mass. Bring a
copy of your child’s Baptismal certificate and the
completed registration form to the meeting.
th
Deadline for registration is November 20
.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Throughout the year, our staff will engage in
many Mississauga-Brampton Central Family of
Schools, and board-sponsored, professional
development in-services both during the day
and after school. Our staff also meets regularly
as a whole staff, by division and by grade to
plan programs and discuss best practices.
Themes addressed during our professional
development include:
 Differentiated instruction
 Smart Board
 Safe School Training
 Positive School Climate
 Analyzing DATA-EQAO
 Diversity
 Classroom Management
 High Yield Instructional Strategies
HALLOWE’EN.
We are pleased to announce
that once again, Madame
Byrne and her Grade 8
students are hosting the French
café entitled Café Chez Pauline
Maison des Monstres. Students
are encouraged to dress up for Halloween
providing that the theme is non-violent and that
the costume does not involve wearing a mask
or bringing a weapon. A letter about the French
café will be coming home shortly. The cost of
the croissant and beverage is $2.00.
Safety Precautions for Halloween Night



Wear light-coloured clothing, so you can be
seen by drivers.
Carry a flashlight, so you will be seen on
dark streets.
Stay away from cars, especially friendly
strangers in cars.





Watch for cars, and look both ways when
crossing the street.
Wear your costume above your shoes, so
you will not trip.
Do not eat any treats until you are home
and your parents have checked them.
Do not damage anyone’s property.
Start trick or treating early and be home by
8:30 p.m.
SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE
The law requires that ―members of the public‖
including professionals who work with children,
have an obligation to report promptly to the
Children’s Aid Society if they suspect that a
child is or may be in need of protection.
Teachers/principals and indeed all adults face
substantial fines if they do not comply. It is the
role of the Children’s Aid Society, to whom we
report, to investigate such a report. If your child
is seriously bruised or marked form an accident
you may wish to let the teacher know the
circumstances. Should a report ever be made
to the Children’s Aid Society, you should
understand that we are complying with the law
and always have the best interests of the child
at heart.
VISITORS IN THE SCHOOL
Just a reminder that parents must check in at
the office and obtain a VISITOR BADGE when
arriving at the school. This ensures the safety
of all students and staff. Circumventing the
procedures undermines the security of all.
Please remember that you may be a parent to
your child but to others you are a stranger.
Please be prepared to be asked to go to the
office to get a visitor badge if you are not
wearing one.
.
TRANSPORTATION
Parents who have requested
COURTESY SEATS will be
notified of their status within the
next week.
All students in Kindergarten
and Grade 1 must wear a read bus protocol
tag. These students must be boarded and
picked up by an adult. We encourage parents
to impress upon their K-1 child that they should
never get off the bus unless the designated
parent or babysitter is there to pick them up. If
no one is the stop, the child will be returned to
the school for the parent/guardian to be
contacted. Parents and sitters can avoid
problems by arriving at the bus stop at least 10
minutes before the scheduled arrival time of the
bus.
Transportation information for your child is
available at:
www.stopr.ca
You will require your child’s OEN number,
located on each report card. If you require
assistance, please contact the school for
further information.
BUS DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY
Wednesday, October 19th
Please remind your child(ren) to thank their bus
driver. A smile goes a long way!
PUNCTUALITY
It is important that your child be on
time for school. Please be aware
that late arrivals have a direct
impact on learning in school and
they also disrupt the classroom
teacher during lessons. Please encourage and
assist your child to recognize that punctuality is
a responsibility that all students should be
developing. Students are expected to be in
their lines at 8:30 A.M. Students must report to
the office if they are late. Persistent latecomers will receive consequences.
DELIVERING YOUR CHILD’S LUNCH
If it is necessary for you to
deliver your child’s lunch to
school, please advise your child
in advance that you will be
doing so, and write his/her
name on the bag. There is a
table at the front of the school to place the
lunch on. Your child can come to the office at
11:25 to pick up his/her lunch. For safety
reasons, students will not be permitted to wait
by the front doors or outside on the driveway
for their lunch to be delivered.
HEALTHY EATING AT SCHOOL
It’s a fact: a healthy mind depends on a healthy
body. Students who eat healthy food are better
prepared to learn and are more likely to
succeed in school. The Ministry of Education
has released a new School Food and Beverage
Policy that includes comprehensive nutrition
standards. The policy ensures that all food and
beverages sold in school will be healthy. For
more information about the Healthy School
Initiative visit:
www.ontario.ca/healthyschools
Ten special event days each year are exempt
from this policy.
LITTERLESS LUNCHES
Students are encouraged to be environmentally
friendly by reducing the amount of paper and
plastic waste from lunches and snacks.
Students are reminded that food wrappers
should be disposed of before going out on to
the yard that no food or drinks are allowed
outside.
CLASSROOM INTERRUPTIONS
Your child’s classroom is a very exciting place.
Important learning activities are going on there.
Staff members make every attempt to ensure
that no time is wasted and that all students are
actively engaged at all times.
Classroom
interruptions disturb your son or daughter’s
learning but also the flow of the lesson for
everyone else. With this in mind, we ask that
you help by trying to schedule appointments
outside of school time where possible; and by
sending a note to the teacher if your child must
leave early. This way your child can be waiting
for you at the office when you arrive. Students
who leave early are required to sign out at the
office.
WELCOME STUDENT MONITORS
We are pleased to announce that three parents
in our community have returned, once again, as
student monitors to supervise children during
lunchtime and on the playground at lunch
recess. These student monitors have received
training for this important role in our school.
Parents are urged to remind their children that
the parents on duty at noon hour have positions
of responsibility and authority in the school.
Please welcome back Mrs. C. Brohart, Mrs. J.
Reyes and Mrs. T. Liem. We are so grateful for
their support!
PIZZA LUNCH
We will continue to provide Pizza every
Tuesday at noon for $2.00 per slice. Please be
aware that late orders will not be accepted.
BREAKFAST CLUB
We are delighted to report that
25-30 students each day enjoy
a nutritious breakfast served by
staff members who have
volunteered to help out. Thanks
to Mrs. Maria DeSouza who has taken on the
responsibility of coordinating the efforts of the
volunteer team. A special thanks to our parent
volunteers who come in every morning to clean
up at the end of Breakfast Club. The initiative
is a team effort made possible by generous
donations from Breakfast Club Canada and the
Girls and Boys Club. Parents who would like
their child (ren) to benefit from a nutritious
breakfast each day please contact the office
to register.
WORLD TEACHER’S DAY
Pauline Vanier school community recognized
the significant contributions of teachers in our
own school and around the world on October
th
5 , World Teacher’s Day. We enjoyed a
reflective PA announcement and a special
prayer in honour of our outstanding teachers.
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE
We are pleased with the response to our
Thanksgiving Food Drive sponsored by our
Youth Faith Ambassadors. Thanks to all of you
for your generosity.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES NEEDED
Dr. Simone Canadian Food for Children is
asking for school supplies to send to
developing countries. Please send pencils,
markers, paper, notebooks, backpacks, binders
and geometry kits with your students to their
classroom teacher.
The deadline for
st
collections is November 1 .
EQAO
The 2009-2010 EQAO results for Pauline
Vanier School can now be viewed on the
EQAO web-site:
https://eqaoweb.eqao.com
It is important to keep in mind that these results
are a snapshot of student achievement and
must be considered along with a variety of
assessments which occur in the classroom.
Summary of Results
Percentage of all students at or above the
provincial standard (Level 3 and 4) in 20102011:
Grade 3:
Reading: School 58% Board 68% Province 65%
Writing: School 58% Board 76% Province 73%
Math: School 54% Board 69% Province 69%
Grade 6:
Reading: School 72% Board 77% Province 74%
Writing: School 75% Board 78% Province 73%
Math: School 42% Board 62% Province 58%
HOMEWORK HELP
, Dufferin-Peel will once again be participating
in the Ministry of Education’s Homework Helps
Project. The project’s goal is to promote
student success and has now expanded to
include 32 English speaking boards provincewide. The following two web-sites are two
fundamental aspects of the project:
 Ontario Educational Resource Bankthe site provides support and resources
for teachers, parents and students from
Grades K to 12.
 ILC’s HOMEWORK HELP-This site
provides students in Grades 7 to 10 with
a variety of math resources as well as
free online tutoring Sunday to Thursday
evenings.
TERRY FOX RUN
Thanks to Mrs. Henry for a very successful
Terry Fox Run/Walk. We nearly doubled our
donations over last year with a grand total of
$1250 to fight cancer. Thanks to all who
participated!
MILK BAGS FOR HAITI
Pauline Vanier School is involved in this
exciting new project. Please join us in making
it successful. The plan is simple. We collect
empty milk bags which are they woven into
durable sleeping mats for needy families in
developing countries. With very little effort we
are able to:
 Reduce waste in our landfills
 Provide long-lasting durable bedding
options for those in need
Please wash and dry the milk bags before
sending them in to your child’s classroom
teacher. Help us to make a difference!!
PRAYER FOR OCTOBER
Empathy
Gracious and merciful God of all
creation,
You made us to live together
in communities.
We are nothing without relationships.
You have given us the virtue of
empathy
to ensure that we are able to identify
with
and feel other people’s concerns.
We come to you now asking
for the grace and strength
to help us connect and live together
in a safe and caring way.
May your gift of empathy lead us
to know and feel your presence
among us.
Amen.
IMPORTANT DATES
October 13th
Media Literacy
Primary Movie Day
October 14th
Much Music
Dance-a-thon
October 18th
First Communion
Parent Meeting
October 19th
Bus Driver Appreciation Day
October 20th
School Council Chair Meeting St.
Francis Xavier Parish
October 25th
Progress Reports
go home
October 27th
Parent Teacher Interviews
th
When Faith Meets Pedagogy
Conference
st
French Café
October 27 -29th
October 31
November 7th
SCHOOL COUNCIL
MEETING