The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
56 Oaklea Blvd, Brampton, Ontario, L6Y 4W7
Phone: 905-455-1001
Fax: 905-455-3406
Principal: W. Bodsworth
Secretary: A. Mijandrusic
Superintendent:
Trustee:
L. Kazimowicz 905-361-0146
A. Da Silva - 905-890-0708
Parish: St. Jerome Church
Pastor: Fr. Jan Kolodynski
905-455-4260
NEWSLETTER # 4
A NEW YEAR’S PLEDGE FOR
SELF IMPROVEMENT
This Year…
Mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion, and replace it with trust.
Give a soft answer. Encourage youth.
Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.
Keep a promise. Find the time. Forgo a grudge.
Forgive an enemy. Listen.
Apologize if you were wrong.
Try to understand. Flout envy.
Examine your demands on others.
Think first of someone else. Appreciate.
Be kind; be gentle.
Laugh a little. Laugh a little more.
Deserve confidence. Take up arms against malice.
Decry complacency. Express your gratitude.
Have faith. Welcome a stranger.
Gladden the heart of a child.
Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.
Speak your love. Speak it again.
Speak it still once more.
Howard W. Hunter
January 2012
PRINCIPAL‟S MESSAGE
On behalf of the staff of Pauline Vanier School, I would
like to express my sincere thanks for the many kindnesses
extended to us during the Christmas season. We
appreciate the donations many of you made to the school‘s
social outreach initiatives including our mitten tree, food
drive and cash collection in support of the parish
Christmas baskets. Many of you stopped in to the office or
classrooms to wish us a Merry Christmas and dropped off
goodies, personal gifts and gifts for the classroom. We
were overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity! With
the Christmas decorations packed away and the sober
thoughts of trying to sustain our New Year‘s resolutions,
we embrace the Liturgical Season of Ordinary Time and
welcome our return to the comfortable rhythms of our
daily lives.
If we continue to be open to the movement of the Spirit,
Ordinary Time can be a season of enormous opportunity
and growth. Ordinary Time reminds us that time is a
precious gift that must not be squandered. This will be the
focus of our energy over the winter months—to use our
talents wisely and to count our blessings, even when life
becomes ‗routine‘ and sometimes plain hard work! As we
know, an attitude of gratitude can transform an ordinary
day into one of great grace. Like the evergreen tree (the
symbol of Ordinary Time) we can continue to flourish in
the dark of winter with God‘s sustaining love. Let us
rejoice in the opportunities that lie ahead of us in 2012!
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.
ARCHBISHOP THOMAS COLLINS
ELEVATED TO COLLEGE OF CARDINALS
On January 6th, following morning mass at the
Vatican, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI,
announced that His Grace, Thomas Collins,
Archbishop of Toronto, would be elevated to the
College of Cardinals, an international group of
principal advisors to the Pontiff. The formal
consistory, at which the new cardinals will be created,
will take place February 18-19 in Rome. Cardinaldesignate Collins will become the fourth cardinal in
the 110 year history of the Archdiocese of Toronto
and the 16th cardinal in the history of the Roman
Catholic Church in Canada. The community of
Pauline Vanier joins St. Jerome Parish in offering His
Grace our most sincere congratulations for this
honour.
CATHOLIIC SCHOOL HERITAGE
Why did Catholic parents and students have
to pay tuition to attend a Catholic high school
after grade ten? In 1871 the Ontario government
passed an Act to Improve the Common Schools and
Grammar Schools of Ontario. This Act abolished the
common and grammar schools and created public
schools for grades one to ten and high school grades
nine to thirteen. The highest official with the
Department of Education, Egerton Ryerson,
commented that the 1871 Act did not affect separate
schools. The separate school boards operating
secondary school classes carried on, receiving funding
from grants and taxes. However, early in the
twentieth century the government passed legislation
which forbade a separate school board from offering
education beyond grade ten, if its boundaries fell
partially or fully within boundaries of a high school
district. Thus, all but one separate school board (in
Dublin) lost their ability to receive tax or government
grand financing beyond grade ten. Furthermore, if a
separate school board chose to continue operating
grades nine and ten, it received only elementary
school grants for them.
How did Catholic high schools survive?
Catholic parents and students paid tuition after grade
ten. Parental groups raised money from draws,
lotteries and school events. Parish priest contributed
money from their Sunday collections. Many separate
school boards, including Dufferin-Peel, opened
intermediate-division (Grades seven to ten) schools.
With the vital assistance of religious teaching Orders
(which taught in and administered grades eleven to
thirteen for little or nothing), the diocese continued
to operate private Catholic high schools and opened
new ones. In fact, Philip Pocock, the Archbishop of
Toronto, decided in 1971 to open one new Catholic
high in the archdiocese every year until the
government approved tax and grant funding for
grades eleven to thirteen.
From: An Historical Understanding of Key Issues
Related to Catholic Education, March, 2009.
Sacramental Dates
First Reconciliation will be
celebrated on Saturday, March
3rd. The exact time of day will
be announced shortly. The date
for First Holy Communion at St.
Jerome Parish has been set for
Saturday, April 28th, 2012 at the
5:00 p.m. Mass. Thanks to Ms.
Tersigni and Mrs. Cotic for working with the parish
to prepare the children. Confirmation will be
celebrated on the evening of June 6th. Thanks to Mr.
Connelly and Mr. Daniels for their assistance in
preparing the students to receive this powerful
Sacrament.
Youth Faith Ambassadors
The Youth Faith Ambassadors are working with Ms.
Tac and are very excited to start off the New Year!
They will continue to focus on the Haiti Initiative over
the next few months so please continue to send in
milk bags. The Youth Faith Ambassadors will also be
looking ahead to Lent and the Easter Season. They
will be working hard to prepare a ―Way of the Cross‖
liturgy. The date and time will be posted once it is
determined. Please check monthly newsletters for
updates from our Youth Faith Ambassador Team.
Posture for Holy Communion
Please rehearse with your child, the posture/gesture
required for
receiving Holy
Communion.
Read below for
the Church‘s
directive on this
sign of reverence:
In the General Instruction for the Roman Missal with the
proper adaptations for Canada we find this paragraph:
160. The Priest then takes the paten or ciborium and
approaches the communicants, who usually come up
in procession. It is not permitted for the faithful to
take the consecrated Bread or the sacred chalice by
themselves and, still less, to hand them on from one
to another among themselves. In the Dioceses of
Canada, Holy Communion is to be received standing,
though individual members of the faithful may choose
to receive Communion while kneeling. When
standing before the minister to receive Holy
Communion, the faithful should make a simple bow
of the head. When receiving Holy Communion on the
tongue, they reverently join their hands; when
receiving Holy Communion in the hand, they
reverently open their hands placing one beneath the
other, and they consume the host immediately upon
receiving it.
To recap, the person receiving Holy
Communion stands before the Eucharistic
Minister and makes a simple bow of the head
before receiving the Eucharist in the hand or
tongue.
COMINGS AND GOINGS
Welcome
We would like to welcome a
number of teacher candidates
from Charles Sturt University
who will be with us until the
spring. Rina Istaifan is working
with Mrs. A nica Prlic in Grade
1/2, Rudy Bortolamiol is being
mentored by Mrs. Jessie De Souza in Grade 5/6 and
Laura Callahan has been assigned to Kindergarten
with Mrs. Maria DeSouza. Enormous thanks to Sonya
Rondinelli who is co-coordinating the Charles Sturt
Teacher Candidacy Program at our school. Mrs.
Rondinelli is also hosting Simy Chacko who
volunteered in the Primary Division in the fall, and is
now volunteering with the Grade 5‘s as part of her recertification process at OISE (Ontario Institute for
Studies in Education) University of Toronto. In May,
Ms. Grasman will be hosting Ms. Misha Shaal, also
from OISE, who will complete her internship for
Teacher Candidacy at Pauline Vanier School. We are
blessed to have these enthusiastic and dedicated new
teachers working with us and delighted that our
veteran teachers are willing to take on the hosting
responsibility.
Farewell
Student 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.
Emergency Procedures
There may 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 who 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:
Ms. Tracy L., a senior student from St. Augustine
Secondary School, has successfully completed her coop placement at Pauline Vanier School. Her patience,
kindness, enthusiasm and genuine interest in early
childhood education have been apparent to students
and staff alike. We will miss Ms. Tracy L.‘s smiling
face and gentle presence in the Junior Senior
Kindergarten class where she was generously hosted
by Mrs. Maria DeSouza during the first semester of
the secondary school academic year.
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. 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.
STUDENT SAFETY
School Lockdown Drill
Attendance Verification
Please notify the school at 905-455-1001,
before 8:40 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 check up on
the safety of your children are safe.
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 and the school
has held two formal practices this winter.
Upon hearing the announcement ―Initiate Lockdown
Procedures‖:
 The lockdown bell sequence 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 remain in their
classroom, in a corner of the room which is out
of the sightline of all windows and doors.
 All students and staff who are outside the building
are to move quickly to our evacuation site at
South Fletcher‘s Recreation Centre until the
lockdown is complete.
 The announcement ―Lockdown Procedures
complete‖ will indicate the completion of the
drill.
School Yard Safety
Please review our school yard expectations for all
students:
1) We respect everyone – our friends, adults,
neighbours, and our neighbour‘s property.
2) We play non-contact games (hands-off) (feet-off).
3) We use appropriate language.
4) We remain on school property at all times.
5) We try to resolve our disagreements by talking
with each other. We can ask an adult for help.
6) We make sure that snow, ice, rocks, and sand
remain on the ground.
7) We follow the rules that: Throwing snowballs
on school property is absolutely prohibited.
Snow and Ice
Snow is par t of our winter life in Canada, providing
both enjoyment and frustration. We all like to play in
winter weather. Throwing snowballs and sliding on
ice is fun. However, high risk activities such as
snowball fights, tunneling in snow, snow caves, Red
Rover, crack-the-whip, tobogganing, sledding and
sliding on ice are not
permitted at school. These
activities must be reserved
for family and community
outings where one-to-one
supervision is possible.
For safety reasons, our school rule must be that snow
stays on the ground – no snowball fights or kicking of
snow is allowed. Students are also cautioned to stay
off of ice patches which tend to collect in low lying
areas of the playground.
Although the school hill offers lots of fun for weekend
and late afternoon sledding, it is very difficult to
ensure student safety when numerous students are
sliding at the same time. Thus, students are not
permitted to sled or slide on the hill during recess
hours.
Thank you for taking the time to reinforce these
safety rules with your children and to ensure that they
are equipped with warm winter clothing and
appropriate outdoor footwear.
Indoor Shoes
We need your help to keep our
school safe, clean, and mud
free. Winter weather poses
particular challenges when 350
people are bringing 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
ONLY, and are never worn outside. Similarly, skidfree supportive athletic shoes should be worn for
GYM class. Please ensure that your child is equipped
with proper footwear for school.
Valuables at School
We wish to remind all students and parents that our
school board has a Personal Electronic Device policy
that forbids students, staff and visitors from using or
having visible any electronic device on school
property. Students are asked to leave all electronic
games, iPods, walkmans, and cell phones at home.
The school will not be responsible for lost, damaged,
or stolen items. If you insist that your student carries
a cell phone this device must be turned off and kept in
a secure location such as a backpack. It must not be
used on school property. We also caution against
carrying MP3 players and Ipods which are lucrative
items and easily stolen on the way to and from school.
Money, jewelry, toys, expensive sports equipment
and name brand clothing should also be avoided.
Please don‘t put your child at risk by allowing these
expensive 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
the messages and images that your child is sending out
and receiving. It is our observation that some of the
communication, as well as the contact names that are
being used, are inappropriate. Please talk to your
child about their use of the computer and closely
supervise all of their communiqués.
Smoke- free facility
The Ministry of Health has asked schools to remind
everyone that it is against the law 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 and applies to
students, staff, parents and visitors. There is a
$305.00 fine for smoking or holding lit tobacco on
school property.
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 sticker. Students and staff feel safer
when a visitor‘s sticker is visible on the persons of
both familiar and unfamiliar faces.
TRANSPORTATION
Late Buses
As the weather worsens please take into consideration
that buses ma y 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.
• If possible, arrange for car pooling.
• You can also check the following websites for
delays or cancellations:
http://www.stopr.ca
www.dpcdsb.org/VERON
May we suggest that you save these sites to your
favourites for easy reference.
Cancelled Buses
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 are posted on the Dufferin-Peel
website at http://www dpcdsb.org and are made
on the following radio stations:
CKFM – 99.9 FM
CHIN – 100.7 FM, 1540
AM
CHUM – 1050 AM
CJCL – 590 AM
CFTR - 680 AM
CHFI – 98.1 FM
JACKFM – 92.5 FM
CBC – 740 AM
CIAO – 530 AM
CFNY –
102.1 FM
CFRB –
1010 AM
DC103FM
CHAY – 93
FM
Q107 –
107.1 FM
CJMR –
1250 AM
TALK640 –
640 AM
CHEZ
ZP7.3
CJBC (Fr.)
86
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Staying Indoors at Recess
It is not appropriate to request that your child remains
indoors during winter recesses. Some students who
suffer from a medical condition (such as asthma), are
recovering from a cold or virus, or may not be feeling
100% may want to remain indoors, especially for the
first few days after coming back from a sickness.
Unfortunately, due to staffing, time-tabling and
facility restrictions we are not able to offer this kind of
special supervision on a consistent basis. As a
general rule, if your child is not well enough
to go outside, he/she should not be at school.
If there are specific medical reasons which prevent a
child from going outside, please submit a doctor‘s
note to the office. This note should indicate the
reason for the request and the time period for the
modified recesses.
Our school board follows guidelines from the Health
Department which help us make a decision as to
whether it is too cold for students to go outdoors: 22  C is a modified day; -25  C students stay in all
day. During modified school days students will be
outdoors for both am and pm recesses, and no longer
than 20 minutes at lunch recess. It is always wise that
a student comes to school appropriately dressed for
outdoor play, and prepared to be outside for up to 40
minutes at a stretch.
Please Be On Time
Punctuality is a necessary life skill that if practiced
now, will be beneficial in the future. Arriving early or
promptly for your day at work enables you to
compose yourself and ease gently into your
environment. Children who arrive late are often outof-sorts and rushed into the beginning of their day.
Their time to socialize and greet their peers is lost in
their hurried entry into the classroom.
It is the school expectation that instruction begin at
8:40 a.m. and 12:40 p.m. Late arrival disturbs the
class and interrupts lessons. It places the latecomer in
a rushed frame of mind, making him/her feel like
they have to catch up. Even a few late minutes makes
a difference. For those parents that ensure early
arrival for their children, thank you. For those who
are regularly late, please make every effort to arrive
between 8:25 and 8:40 a.m. and between 12:25 and
12:40 p.m. If by chance students are late, we ask that
they obtain a late slip from the office. This late slip is
not meant as a punishment. It is an important link in
our safe entry process. 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.
If you feel there is a discrepancy between our bell
and your time, please visit www.timeanddate.com and
synchronize your clock with ours.
Hearing and Screening at
School
SeeHear will be visiting our school
again this year on January 26th and
27th to conduct their clinic. The
following information has been
provided by them for your
consideration:




Your child‘s hearing and vision should be
screened every year.
Growing children are very susceptible to
middle ear problems and one of the best
ways to prevent hearing loss is early
detection of middle ear function issues.
A visit to an audiologist costs upwards of
$35.00 and is not covered by O.H.I.P.
However, if your child is referred to a
hospital clinic by your doctor, the cost is
covered by O.H.I.P.
Your child‘s hearing is not being monitored
unless they are being seen by an Audiologist
or and E.N.T.
A permission form was sent home with your child,
advertising the clinic date. Please fill out the form,
include $15.00 fee and return to the school prior to
the clinic date if you would like your child screened.
12380 Bramalea Road, Caledon,
Ontario L7C 2P2 416-495-9485
Medications at School
For safety reasons, no child should
bring medication to school without
prior approval from the office. The
school will store necessary
prescribed
medication
upon
completion of the ―Request for Storage and
Distribution of Prescribed Medications‖ form, which
has been filled out, signed by the parents and
physician and returned to the school. School staff,
without proper documentation, cannot distribute
medication of any kind.
Anger Management
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 managed well?
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 your child 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
or
visit
peelregion.ca/health
Breakfast Club
Thanks to 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
8:25 to 8:40 a.m. All students are welcome to
attend.
Thank you to staff and parents who have volunteered
to help with the program. Mrs. Maria DeSouza
deserves special commendation for her leadership in
ordering and monitoring food supplies, planning menus
and coordinating the scheduling of volunteers
ODDS „N‟ ENDS
Use of School Phones
Our office is limited in the amount of incoming and
outgoing calls it can accommodate. Telephone lines
need to be available for emergencies, daily school
business and parent calls. Students will only be
permitted to use the school phone in case of
emergency. An illness or injury is a bona fide
emergency.
Newsletter Goes Green
About 25% of our families have requested to receive
an electronic version of the newsletter rather than a
hard copy. Thank you to these environmentally-aware
individuals for assisting us in reducing the amount of
paper we use each day. If you would like to add
your name to our e-mail list please contact the school
with your e-mail address. Help us go green!
PARENT‟S CORNER
School Council
Our next School Council meeting will be Monday,
January 30, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to
attend. We thank our Council Members for their ongoing work for our children.
Volunteers—Vulnerable Screening
Parents or guardians are reminded that in order to
protect the safety of our students, the board requires
that any adult volunteering in the school is required to
provide the school with a valid Criminal Reference
Check. CRCS can be obtained at no cost from Peel
Regional Police Service. An authorization letter and
application form is available from the school office for
anyone wishing to volunteer in the school.
CURRICULUM
Premier's Awards for Teaching Excellence
Several categories of awards
recognize educators and staff
who are helping Ontario
students and young children
realize their full potential.
This is your opportunity to
give
these
remarkable
professionals the recognition
they deserve.
There are two new awards this year: Early Childhood
Educator of the Year and Full-Day Kindergarten
Team of the Year for a total of eight categories.
Who should I nominate?
Do you know a special teacher who makes learning
come to life? A support staff member who helps kids
overcome obstacles? A school or board leader who
rallied a community to make a difference in the lives
of their students? Or maybe you know an early
childhood educator who builds on a child's interests
and curiosity to find new opportunities to learn.
There are many ways to be an outstanding educator or
staff person, and as many reasons to nominate
someone for a Premier's Award.
Do you know someone who...
Who is eligible?

For Teacher of the Year, New Teacher of
the Year, Excellent Support Staff,
Excellence in Leadership, Lifetime
Achievement and Team of the Year
Awards: Anyone who is employed by a publicly
funded school or board/authority in Ontario.

For the Early Childhood Educator of the
Year Award: All registered early childhood
educators who are employed in licensed child
care settings in Ontario.

For the Full-Day Kindergarten Team of the
Year Award: A team comprised of a registered
early childhood educator and a teacher who are
employed in a full-day kindergarten class in a
publicly funded elementary school in Ontario.
Nomination Deadline: February 6, 2012
For more information visit the ministry web-site
at:
http://edu.gov.on.ca/teachingawards/index.html
Term One Report Cards
Term One report cards will be sent home on
Tuesday, January 31st. Prior to this date, you will
receive a letter to schedule a parent/teacher/student
conference. Parent/Teacher Interviews will be held
the evening of Thursday, February 2nd, and during the
day on Friday, February 3rd, 2012. We hope you
plan to attend with your student. See the helpful
insert to get ready for your conference!
When you receive the report card you will notice that
they include these Learning Skills: Responsibility,
Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration,
Initiative and Self-Regulation.
The elementary provincial report card also has ample
space for teachers to add meaningful, clear and
personalized comments so you can understand how
your child is progressing. On this report card
teachers will provide suggestions on how you can
support your child‘s education at home.
PA Days
The first PA Day of 2012 will be held on Monday,
January 16th and was dedicated to assessment,
evaluation and reporting. Friday, February 1st is a PA
Day scheduled for Parent Interviews. There will be
no classes for students on this day.
Three Part Math Lesson
Students explore Math concepts through a rich,
problem-solving approach.
Student‘s prior
knowledge is activated during a whole-class discussion
prior to them working together in pairs or small
groups on an activity that is planned to help deepen
understanding of particular concepts. Students must
represent or communicate their understanding as they
solve the problem. Finally, students have the
opportunity to learn from one another as work is
examined and consolidated through discussion.
Homework Help: Free online Math
Tutoring available.
Have a child in Grade 7 who doesn‘t quite understand
how to add fractions? Or maybe your teenager is
struggling with a geometry assignment? Extra help is
now available. Check out Homework Help where
certified Ontario teachers are online 20 hours a week
to provide free math tutoring for the Grade 7 to 10
math students in the Dufferin Peel Catholic Board.
Raz-Kids
With the support of School
Council, Pauline Vanier has purchased access to RAZ-
Kids. RAZ-Kids is an on-line reading enhancement
program for students in Kindergarten to Grade 4.
This program allows students to read books on-line
and to hear books read aloud to them, as well as to
record their own voices as they read levelled books.
Students have access to their personalized log-in
account for one full year including throughout holiday
periods.
Teachers are pleased that so many students have
logged on and are taking advantage of this reading
resource at home. Please note that RAZ-Kids‘
levelling system is not identical to the levelling system
used at school. Don‘t be discouraged—the more you
continue to read with your child at home the more
quickly they will progress at school.
Kindergarten Registration
Registration for Junior and Senior Kindergarten for
the 2012-2013 school year will take place at Pauline
Vanier School on the following days:
Monday, February 6th, 2012
7:00-9:00 P.M.
Snow Date: Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
February 8, 9 & 10, 2012
9:00-11:00 a.m.
1:00-3:00 p.m.
Pauline Vanier School will continue to have half day
Junior and Senior Kindergarten for 2012-2013.
For more information, call Pauline Vanier School or
visit www.dpcdsb.org. For more information visit
the Kindergarten Registration webpage at:
http://www.dpcdsb.org/CEC/Schools/
Kindergarten+Registration .htm
What should I bring to Kindergarten
registration night?




Proof of age
Baptismal certificate
Updated immunization record
Proof of Canadian citizenship
 Proof of address (tax bill, utility bill)
Junior Kindergarten must be 4 years old by December 31,
2012.
Senior Kindergarten must be 5 years old by December 31,
2012.
Grade 5 Extended French
Grade 4 parents and guardians who wish to enrol their
child in a Grade 5 Extended French class for
September, 2012 were invited to attend an
information meeting at St. Monica School on January
18th, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. At the present time, St.
Monica is only school in the areas that offers Extended
French. For more information or an application form
contact St. Monica School. Applications will be
accepted at that centre until 3:00 p.m. Wednesday,
February 8th, 2012.
Student Agendas
Please check your child‘s agenda daily, as this is a very
effective tool for communication and tracking of
work. Routine use of the agenda helps students to
develop skills in organization, time management and
goal setting, helping them to meet with success.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Intermediate Boys and Girls Basketball
The intermediate boys and girls
basketball teams are being selected
and will begin their season this
month. Thank you to Mr. Connelly
and Mr. Daniels for their dedication
and time in preparing our athletes.
We wish both teams a successful season.
National Family Literacy Day
The Family Literacy Day Colouring Contest is
back for a second year. This is an at-home
activity to promote parent-child interest in
literacy. For more information please contact
http://abclifeliteracy.ca/fld/2012-familyliteracy-day-colouring-contest-presented-raisereader.
Family Day
Game On
Please note that Monday
February 20th is Family Day.
There will be no classes for
students that day as the
school will be closed.
Family Day is a provincially-mandated holiday. We
hope that you enjoy this day with your family.
Game On! Eat Smart, Play Smart, Live Smart is an
exciting mentoring program being offered through
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel for boys aged 11-14.
The goal of the program is to provide boys and young
men with information and support to make informed
choices about a range of healthy lifestyle practices.
Groups of 8-12 boys will be paired with two to three
male volunteer mentors, aged 18-25. The program
will consist of seven 1 ½ hour sessions. Each session
will be fun-filled, active, and informative.
Tutoring Club
On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:10-4:30
p.m. Ms. Tac offers extra help in Language and
Mathematics to Grade 7 and 8 students. If you are
interested in having your son/daughter stay after
school for additional help, please have your child pick
up a permission form from Ms. Tac. This is an
excellent opportunity for intermediate students as
they prepare for secondary school.
Secondary Winter Night School
Classes run from February 8 to May 23, 2012,
Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Night School Locations:
St. Aloysius Gonzaga S.S. (Mississauga)
Philip Pocock S.S. (Mississauga)
Notre Dame s. S. S. (Brampton)
Registration forms are available from the school
Guidance Department or online at:
http://www.dpcdsb.org/CEC/CNE/Night+School/
Registration closes Wednesday, February 1, 2012.
The Winter 2012 Adult and Continuing Education
Flyer 9 is posted online at:
http://www.dpcdsb.org/CEC/CNE.
Go Girls
Go Girls! Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds is a mentoring
program designed to encourage physical activity
participation, healthy eating choices, and the
development of positive self-image among girls ages
12-14.A seven week program led by 2 female
university/college-aged
mentors,
Go
Girls!
incorporates fun, educational games and activities to
stimulate mentor/participant relationship-building as
well as self-reflection and group discussions about
healthy living and emotional, social and cultural
issues.
Big Kids Entertainment-RAPUNZEL
January 26, 2012
Thanks to the generosity of the School Council all
students will have an opportunity to see Big Kids
Entertainment version of Rapunzel. The focus of the
presentation is Self-Esteem and Character
Development. The theatrical performance is about
30 minutes long followed by actors visiting the
classrooms for a question and answer period.
Self- Control
Dear God,
You have done
such a marvelous job
of creating us and
the world around us.
We come to you now
asking for grace and strength
to keep a sense of self-control.
We hope that
by remaining calm
in the middle of difficult
situations,
we can contribute
to making our school a safer,
more caring, and
more inclusive community.
May your virtue of self-control
help us to make decisions
that serve the good
of all your people
in our families, neighbourhoods
and school community.
We ask this in the name of Jesus,
who lived to show us the way.
Amen.
IMPORTANT DATES
January 26-27
January 26
See Hear Clinic
Big Kids RAPUNZEL
January 30
School Council 6:30 p.m.
January 31st
Report Cards Go Home
February 2
Parent Teacher Interviews
February 3
No School for Students
Parent Teacher Interview Day
February 6,8,9,10 Kindergarten Registration
February 28
Dr. Sturdy Talk 7:00 p.m.