Catholic Education: Building a Caring Community
HAPPY NEW YEAR! January 2014
PRINCIPAL:
VICE PRINCIPAL:
HEAD SECRETARY:
ASSISTANT SECRETARY:
ASSISTANT SECRETARY:
A. D’Agostino
V. Viola
M. Villella
A. Burt
A. Mijandrusic
January 2014
120 Harvest Moon Drive, Bolton, Ontario L7E 2W1 Phone: (905) 857-7582
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS:
TRUSTEE:
HOLY FAMILY CHURCH
PASTOR:
ASSOCIATE PASTOR:
L. Storey
F. Di Cosola
1-800-387-9501
905-951-8898
Fr. L. Leger
905 857-1938
Fr. D. Gikonyo, IMC
Fax: (905) 857-9353
ST. NICHOLAS CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
CO-CHAIRs: K. Foschia and M. DeAmicis
TREASURER L. Girimonte
SECRETARY A. Capobianco
SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM: Please remember to phone in your child’s absence: (905) 857-7582.
The answering machine is available 24 hours - Messages are picked up regularly.
For more information about school events, go to our school website: http://www.dpcdsb.org/NICHO
Student Faith Formation and Engagement: The Heart of All We Do
Happy New Year!
This New Year, let us pursue
moments of contemplation. Look to
God for assistance. Ask HIM to help
us to see in a deeper way to become
more aware of what speaks to us of
beauty and truth. All of our ordinary
moments are means of entering into a
more significant relationship with God. In the midst of those very common
happenings, God is ready to speak HIS word of love to us. Take the time to
recognize God’s presence. See God, and ask for help to enjoy being, to be
present in the gifts that are ours.
ADVENT OF CHRIST
Special thanks to members of our school community, staff and students who
joined us for the variety of Advent celebrations that took place during the month
of December. Advent liturgies were celebrated by our Primary and Junior
Divisions. Our FDK classes invited parents to celebrate Christmas prayer and
activities. Our Advent Choir, consisting of grades 1, 2 and 3 students contributed
joyously to our St. Nicholas Christmas concert. In the final days of school leading
up to Christmas, we embraced a school wide sing-a-long and Spirit Days,
organized by our Student Parliament.
OUTREACH
Our various community and school Advent activities continued
to be focused on outreach. A Special thank you to all the
families that donated their used clothing for the Bags2School
campaign. St. Nicholas brought in a whopping 1.78 tons of
clothes! This equated to $356.00 that was donated to the
Archdiocese and matched by the government. Therefore, St.
Nicholas efforts actually contributed $712.00 to the Effort Relief
in the Philippines. Student Parliament also contributed to the
Relief Efforts with their Candy Cane sales and popcorn movie day, they raised
well over $1,000! St. Nicholas worked together to support Caledon Community
Living with a breakfast food drive. Thank you St. Nicholas staff, students and
families for taking the time to serve and support those less fortunate.
Prayer for the New Year
Give us the
kindness to hear with
compassion, to offer support,
loving comfort and care.
Give us the courage to do
what is needed, the wisdom
to choose what is right and
most fair.
Give us the vision to see what
is possible.
Give us the faith that we will
pave the way for a present
that’s hopeful, a future that’s
peaceful.
Give us the hearing to bring
joy to each day.
Amen
PROFESIONAL ACTIVITY DAY
January 20, 2014 is Assessment and
Evaluation of Pupils there will be NO
SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS.
REPORTING – TERM 1
Report cards for first term
for grades 1‐8
will go home on
Tuesday, February 4,
2014. Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences for
students in grades JK—8 will take place on the
evening of Thursday February 6th, 2014.
More information regarding the conferences
will be sent home during the week of January
20th, 2014.
PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD
Catholic Education: Building a Caring Community
SCHOOL LITURGY
St. Nicholas staff and students will celebrate a
liturgy on January 14, 2014 during the Christmas
liturgical calendar. Parents are welcome to attend
the liturgy in the school gym either at 9:30 am or
at 11:00 am.
PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins
January 18 and runs until January 25, 2014. Finding
ways to pray together during this January week means that
we are in harmony with people around the world, which
brings its own graces; in this way, we join with all who
are praying, reflecting, studying, and even eating and
drinking together to celebrate and pray for Christian unity.
Our YFA’s will pray over the announcements for Christian Unity.
KINDERGARTEN ENTRY PLANNING FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS
On Wednesday January 22, 2014 the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board’s Special Education and Support Services Department will host a
Kindergarten entry planning information session. This meeting is for parents and
guardians of children with special needs which affect their learning, such as
vision, hearing, physical, developmental or autism, who are entering kindergarten
in September 2014. The meeting will be held at the Catholic Education Centre
from 7:00pm – 8:30pm. For more information about this session, call 905 8900708 ext. 24284.
FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION 2014-2015
Registration for the 2014‐15 school year will be held at St. Nicholas school on
the following dates;
January 27* from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and
January 29, 30, 31 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
*A snow date has been designated on January 28 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m...
Registration materials will be available for pick-up at the schools by January 13,
2014. Parents/guardians are to register their child in person at their designated
Catholic school.
SAFE SCHOOL PROCEDURES
Creating a safe and caring school environment in
which staff and students respect and trust each
other is an important focus at our school.
Lockdown, and fire-safety drills as well as safety
and anti-bullying education programs with Peel
Police are part of our ongoing procedures and
programs that take place each year with our students and staff. We appreciate
your compliance with our school rules. Let us work together to keep
St. Nicholas a safe environment.
SECURITY
A reminder that all visitors INCLUDING PARENTS must come into the
office, sign in and pick up a visitor’s badge when on a prearranged visit. Anyone
not wearing an identification badge will be asked to return to the office
immediately. This procedure will help students
and staff recognize visitors to our school. For
the safety and security of your children ONLY
staff and assigned supervisors are allowed in
the school yard during all recesses. Parents are
kindly asked to NOT go into the students’ play
yard at the back of school. If you need to
speak to your child during a recess,
arrangements can be made in the front office.
We thank you for your cooperation in
supporting the safe environment of our school.
ANAPHYLAXIS – IMPORTANT
REMIDNER
As we transition into 2014 we would like to
again remind you that St. Nicholas School is an
‘allergen aware school’. There are pupils in
attendance who suffer from severe and life
threatening allergies to certain foods, such as
peanut and nut products and/or milk products.
Exposure to the smallest quantities can cause
severe life threatening reactions.
Anaphylaxis is a severe and life threatening
allergic reaction. The most common allergen
triggers are food, insect stings, medications,
exercise and latex. An anaphylactic reaction
involves symptoms from two or more body
systems.
We at St. Nicholas School would appreciate
the cooperation of the entire school
community by NOT sending any lunches or
snacks that could potentially harm a pupil.
Please make sure that all of your children’s
caregivers are aware of the food restrictions.
Please avoid sending food for birthdays or
special occasions. There are many alternatives
such as stickers and pencils. If you have any
questions please talk to your child’s teacher or
call the office. We look forward to your
cooperation in making this a safe year for all
our pupils.
DRESSING FOR WINTER
SOCKS,
BOOTS
AND
EXTRA CLOTHES
We are asking that all
students have an extra pair
of socks and track pants at
school at all times, just in
case they get wet during
recess. Waterproof boots are
also a necessity. Students need to have indoor
shoes and must wear shoes at all times. The halls get
wet and it becomes a safety issue when children have
their outdoor boots on inside. We do not have the
capacity to call home for students who get wet as a
result of outdoor play.
PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD
Catholic Education: Building a Caring Community
STUDENT ILLNESS - STAYING IN FOR RECESS
Students who are ill should be kept home where they are most
comfortable and can recover. A child who is too ill to go out
for recess, is too ill to be at school. Your co‐operation to keep
your child home when he/she is ill is appreciated.
STAYING HEALTHY
The best ways to reduce the risk of becoming ill or spreading flu
viruses include:
Wash your hands frequently: Wash your hands often with soap and
water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after you cough
or sneeze.
Practise good hygiene: Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue
when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after
you use it. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze
into your sleeve or elbow. Avoid touching your eyes,
nose or mouth. Germs are spread this way.
Stay Healthy: Eat healthy foods, stay physically
active and get adequate rest to keep your immune
system strong. [Also, no sharing food].
Monitor your health: If you develop flu-like
symptoms (fever, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and
shortness of breath) stay home from school and limit
your contact with others while you are sick. Parents
may want to consider contacting their doctor or call
Telehealth at 1-866-797-0000 if symptoms get
worse.
SNOWBALLS
With the snow come and gone and likely to arrive
again, it is of importance to remind students that for
the safety of all, the throwing of snowballs is not
permitted. An unsuspecting snowball, often in the
form of ice, can cause serious injury. Students have
been made aware of this school expectation. Students
who are seen throwing snowballs will be issued a
letter.
SNOW FORTS
At St. Nicholas we encourage students to spend their recess breaks engaged in
healthy, safe, and productive activities. Students
typically spend time engaged in a variety of
activities including the building of snow structures
or forts during the winter months. In response to
concerns evolving from the building of these
structures we have implemented a ‘Snow Fort
Code of Ethics’ which has been posted in each
classroom and reviewed by staff with their
students. The code is intended to serve as an on‐
going reminder to all students to continue to value
and respect the efforts of others and sets clear
guidelines around these structures so students
can continue to enjoy recesses building snow
forts. Please review it with your child(ren) so
they have a clear understanding of it.
SNOW FORT CODE OF ETHICS
At St. Nicholas, we enjoy building snow forts.
We will abide by the following agreements:

We do not destroy snow forts. This
agreement is in effect during and after
school hours.

Everyone who builds a fort has to
agree to changing it or breaking it
down.

We need an invitation to go into a
snow fort.

We do not take snow blocks from
other group’s structures unless we
have their permission.

We do not take over other group’s
snow forts.
LITERACY DAY
St. Nicholas will be
celebrating Literacy
Day on January
27, 2014. All
primary students will
be reading with their
buddies celebrating
the joy of reading.
Staff and students in
grades 1, 2 and 3 will be constructing a WEB
of reading. Students are invited to write their
names and the title of the book they read on a
spider and clip it to the web. Junior student
will be tallying their books on a thermometer
displaying the books they read. We hope that
in the next few months we can see many
spiders with books to and thermometers
growing to showcase all the reading that is
going on at St. Nicholas!
15 MINUTES OF FUN! FAMILY
LITERACY ACTIVIITES
Practicing literacy together for just 15 minutes
a day has tremendous benefits for both
children and parents. Try these activities for 15
minutes at home with your children;
 Create your own comic strip about
your family.
 Tell knock-knock jokes while doing
the dishes.
PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD
Catholic Education: Building a Caring Community
GRADE 8 GRADUATION PHOTOS
Photographers will be in on Tuesday, January 28th to take
graduation photos for our Grade 8 Students. A letter will be sent
out prior to this date with more information.
NEW 2014 INCENTIVES FOR OUR TREEHUGGERS!
1. Turn off the Tap Tuesdays! St. Nicholas students tested water
samples from the tap and bottled water and our school
population said that TAP water is BEST!
2. Waste Free Wednesdays. Reusable containers went out
to each family in our school to kick off our waste free lunch
Wednesdays!
3. Lights off Thursdays! Every Thursday we are
encouraging energy conservation.
WHAT’S IN YOUR CHILD’S LUNCHBOX?
During the year please assist us in promoting
healthy eating by encouraging your child and/or
caregivers to pack healthy snacks and lunches.
Research shows that good health is a pre-requisite
for good learning. It is also a vital component of
children’s growth and development. It is 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. For more
information about Ontario’s healthy schools initiatives visit;
www.ontario.ca/healthy schools
VIRTUE OF THE MONTH: SELF CONTROL
God wants us to do what we know and feel is right.
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
 Can think things through
Self-Control helps us to resist the temptation to do something
that we will regret. It also helps us to resist the temptation to
do something that will harm ourselves or others. Each time we
exercise self-control we grow stronger in the Lord and invite
peace to settle in our lives.
VIRTUE AWARDS
Congratulations to our December Virtue Catch the Spirit
Award Recipients!
Kindergarten – Sonia B.
Primary – Juliana C.
.
Junior - Cora W.
Intermediate – Matthew D
These students received a Virtue T - Shirt for demonstrating and living the
virtues at St. Nicholas school. Thank you to the Nobili family who donated
Mississauga Steelheads Hockey tickets to our Virtue recipients.
BULLYING PREVENTION
Everyone faces
conflict in daily
life and through it
we can learn to
negotiate and build
relationships.
Bullying is a form
of violence that
leaves no room for
negotiation and
seeks to tear others
down rather than build relationships.
Tips for parents:
‐help your children apply the definition of
bullying to determine if a situation is bullying
or conflict. Does one person have more power
than the other? Is the behavior intentional/on
purpose? Does it keep happening?
(Answering yes to these questions indicates
bullying; answering no indicates conflict)
‐use teachable moments and “what if’
scenarios with your child to help them
differentiate bullying and conflict
-talk to your children about the difference
between being passive, aggressive or assertive
‐use ‘I messages’
DATES AHEAD
JANUARY
6
First Day Back at School
6
The Epiphany
14 School Liturgy 9:30am and
11:00am in the school gym
16 Catholic School Council meeting
7pm
18-25 Prayer for Christian Unity
20
Term 1 Assessment and Evaluation
of Pupils
(No school for students)
21 Term 2 begins
27
Literacy Day
27
FDK registration 7pm - 9pm
28
Grade 8 Grad pictures
29
FDK Registration 9am - 3pm
30
FDK Registration 9am - 3pm
31
FDK Registration 9am - 3pm
FEBRUARY
4
Reports go home
4,5,6 Drum Fit
6
Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences
13
Catholic School Council 7:00pm
17
Family Day
26
Boys indoor soccer
27
Girls indoor soccer
PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD
Catholic Education: Building a Caring Community
PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD