EXCELLENCE IN LEARNING THROUGH FAITH FORMATION
PRINCIPAL:
VICE PRINCIPAL:
HEAD SECRETARY:
ASSISTANT SECRETARY:
ASSISSTANT SECRETARY:
A. D’Agostino
V. Viola
M. Villella
A. Burt
A. Mijandrusic
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. Young-Sam You
ST. NICHOLAS
CHAIR:
VICE-CHAIR
TREASURER
SECRETARY
Fax: (905) 857-9353
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
M. De Amicis
J. Nielsen
J. Cugliari
M. Pacek
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
Follow St. Nicholas School on twitter: @StNicholasinfo
Follow Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board on twitter: @DPCDSBSchools
WELCOME BACK!
September 2013
Administrators’ Message
Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year! I hope that
your summer holiday was a safe and enjoyable one.
We look forward to a year of success, growth and
excitement for your child(ren) and our school
community. I wish to extend a special welcome to all
of our new families and students who have moved into
our community over the summer months. A special thank you to our staff who
have been working hard these past few weeks preparing for the beginning of
the new school year. As we begin another school year, it is important for staff,
parents and our parish team to work together to create a safe, caring, and
positive learning environment that reflects our Catholic values and traditions.
Ongoing communication between the school and home is essential to
supporting your child’s progress and success. As parents/guardians, please
feel free to contact the school at any time if you have any questions or
concerns. We hope that you consider volunteering at the school. Volunteers
enrich our school environment and can contribute to the growth of our
students in many important ways.
Wishing you all a successful and happy year!
MATION - BUILDING COMMUNITY
STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE IN LEARNING THROUGH FAITH
As we strive for excellence in learning we also strive for a deeper relationship
with God through Jesus. As Catholic educators we support both family and
the church in the sacramental development of our students. Through our faith
‘student learning’ is enriched. Our faith is present throughout all we do at
school: in our opening exercises, in all subject matter as well as during
religious instruction, in community gatherings, on the playground, during
liturgical celebrations, and in student activities that reach beyond the school.
Christ is at the centre of all we do as a community of learners.
St. Nicholas Open House
Wednesday September 18, 2013
September School Prayer
Dear God, Creator of all, Lord of all.
We thank you for the people
you have brought together in this beautiful setting, in
this warm community.
Lord, You call us to be holy, loving, accepting;
to show compassion,
to encourage and bring out the best in each other.
Thank you for Your gift of love at
St. Nicholas,
Help us to be a school community that is grateful for
our gifts,
Help us to be a school community that is growing in
faith.
Teach us to live in awe of your wonderful creations.
Help us live the gospel values of compassion and
love through our learning.
Open our hearts and work through us so that we
make a difference
in our school and our community
as Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, did.
May all who enter the doors of St. Nicholas
be welcomed and accepted as individuals
gathered together to be a true family of
God. We ask this in the name of our
Brother, Your Son, Christ Jesus.
Amen
School Hours
The school hours for students are as follows:
9:15 a.m. Morning classes begin
11:05 am Morning Recess
12:00 p.m.—1:00 p.m. Lunch
2:23 p.m. Afternoon Recess
3:45 p.m. Classes dismissed
FAITH IN OUR FUTURE
Our Director of Education for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board is J. Kostoff. S. McWatters is the Associate Director
of Instructional Services and J. Hrajnik is the Associate Director.
Our Family of Schools Superintendent is L. Storey.
They can be reached at:
September is Childhood Cancer
Awareness Month
Terry Fox Walk/Run‐September 27
September is Childhood
Cancer Awareness Month. It
is also a time when we
remember our Canadian
hero, Terry Fox. On Friday
September 27, 2013, our
school will be participating
in a “sidewalk chalk
We are fortunate to be associated with a school trustee who
campaign” to send messages
welcomes opportunities to serve you as an elected representative.
of encouragement to
Frank Di Cosola represents the areas of Caledon/ Dufferin.
children suffering with this disease. This will be done
in our school yard. Students and staff will also have
OPEN HOUSE
an opportunity to remember Terry Fox and his
Open House / Meet The Teacher Night is courageous fight against cancer on that day by
scheduled for Wednesday, September 18, participating in a walk/run. Students will be asked to
2013, more information to follow. We are contribute a Toonie for Terry’s great cause.
looking forward to meeting all parents. The
Open House will also be an opportunity to
Picture Day
learn more about becoming involved in St.
Nicholas School. Volunteers are most
welcome. The Catholic School Council will also have a table set-up in the
Life Touch will be in on
foyer of the school to answer any questions you may have with regards to
Wednesday September 25
becoming involved in the School Council.
and on Thursday
September 26 , 2013 for
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
picture day. More
information to follow.
If you are interested in being part of the St. Nicholas Catholic School
Council, nomination forms can be picked up from the office or sent home with
your child upon request. All nomination forms should be completed and NEWSLETTERS
returned to the school office no later than Monday, September 16, 2013 by
3:45 p.m.
Newsletters will be sent home with the youngest or
only child in a family, the first Friday of the month
In the event that we need to proceed to the next step and hold elections, the during the course of the school year. They are meant
elections will be held on Monday September 23, 2013. If you would like to to serve as a means of communication between home
learn more about the Catholic School Council, a table will be set-up in the and school. Please keep them handy for news of
foyer of the school during our Open House on September 18, 2013.
upcoming events in the school, parish, or community.
They will also be made available on the school
The first Council Meeting will take place on Thursday, September 26, at website.
7:00 p.m. at St. Nicholas School. All parents are welcome to attend.
http:/www.dpcdsb.org/NICHO
The Catholic Education Centre
40 Matheson Blvd. West,
Mississauga, Ontario
905-890-1221
We are currently seeking volunteers to be part of an ad hoc election
committee. In order to be part of this committee you cannot be running in the RECEIVING NEWSLETTERS
election. If you are interested please contact the school before September 13, ELECTRONICALLY
2013.
To date we have close to 400 families from
approximately 500 families in our school that have
opted to receive the school newsletter and school
information electronically. We encourage more
families, if you are able, to join our electronic
distribution of information. The school board has a
new policy regarding sending school newsletters
electronically, inviting parents annually to provide
consent to receive the newsletter electronically.
Please find enclosed the form requesting an
electronic version of the newsletter.
FAITH IN OUR FUTURE

Lunch Hour
During the lunch hour all students who stay for lunch are expected to remain
at school, and all students who go home for lunch are expected to go home
every day. If there is a change in the regular lunch hour procedure for your
child, parents/guardians are asked to provide the teacher with a note
explaining the change. A form was sent home earlier this week in regards to
your child’s lunch time arrangements. Please complete, sign and return this
form to the school as soon as possible.If you are dropping off a lunch for your
child, we ask that you label and drop it off at the “Lunch drop off table”
in the front foyer. Students will be allowed to come down to the foyer and
pick up their lunch at 12:00 pm.
Follow all directions from the driver,
especially when getting on and off the bus.
 Go directly to a seat and stay seated until let
off the bus.
 Keep all belongings inside the bus.
 Sit quietly at all times. Speak only in
conversational tones.
 No eating or drinking on the bus.
 Do not speak with the bus driver while the
bus is in operation, unless necessary.
As well, parents of Kindergarten and Grade 1
students traveling by bus will be required to wear e a
bus tag which identifies their bus number and stop.
STUDENT AGENDAS
Every student from grades 1-8 will be provided with a
Student Agenda. An important feature in the student
agenda is the faith dimension and reference to the
liturgical calendar as well as reference to the Catholic
Code of Conduct, progressive discipline, our Virtue’s
Program, and homework policy. Parents are encouraged
to
read and review these expectations with their children.
These
student agendas act as an organizer for students. All
students are expected to use these agendas daily. Special thank you is
extended to the Catholic School Council who purchased these Student
Agendas.
WALKING EXCURSION FORM
Bussing 2013-2014 – On-line Access at
STOPR.ca
You can now track your child(rens) bus stop,
pick up and drop off time, delayed buses,
cancellations etc. at
the following website:
https://businfo.stopr.ca
or by calling 905 890-6000.
On
the back of the Lunch Permission
Form is the Walking Excursion permission
form. This gives your permission for the
teacher to take the class for a walk in the
area surrounding our school. Please sign
this form as well when you sign the lunch
permission form.
KISS and Ride
We would like to thank
those who have been using
St. Nicholas’ “Kiss and
Ride Program”. In order
for it to run smoothly and
BUSSING
safely both before and after
We thank you in advance for your co-operation
school for all our students,
everyone needs to follow
regarding the transportation of your child. Please
the same procedure:
remember that only eligible students may take the bus:
1. To drop students off at the school please drive into
- Grades JK/SK 1.0 km
the driveway on the south side of the school.
- Grades 1 - 4
1.6 km
2. In order to ensure the safety of your children,
- Grades 5 & 6 2.0 km
please do not let your child out of the car until you
- Grades 7 & 8 3.2 km
The distance criteria is determined by the Dufferin-Peel and Peel Boards of have come to a complete stop and received a signal
Education and apply to all students. Once our bus numbers have been from teacher on duty.
finalized by the transportation department by the end of September, we will 3. Never drive or park in the bus lane at the front
of the school. This is reserved for busses.
then initiate a fair process to fill any empty seats available in early October.
4. Never leave your car unattended in the “Kiss And
Some safety rules to share with your child...
Ride” lane. It is against the law and you may be
ticketed.
 Be at the bus stop at least 5 minutes ahead of pick-up.
FAITH IN OUR FUTURE
5. If you need to walk your child to school or you need to stop at the office,
please park in the visitors parking lot. DO NOT PARK in the “Kiss And
Ride” lane. We appreciate your co‐operation in following these procedures.
Your child(ren)’ s safety is our main concern.
children are not allowed to keep any medication in
their desk, backpack or classroom (with the exception
of an epi-pen or puffer). All dispensing of medication
requires medical permission and must be stored in the
office. Medication that is sent to school without the
proper documentation will not be stored or dispensed
SAFETY AND SECURITY IN THE SCHOOL
by school personnel. This also applies to over-the
counter medications such as, Tylenol, Advil, cough
The safety and security of all children in our care is one of our prime medicine, Benadryl, and allergy medications.
concerns. In order to ensure safety and security, we are asking all visitors to
the school, including parents, to come to the office through the front door
Reporting Head Injuries
when you arrive. No parents should be accessing the school through any
Even when it appears to be
other doors. This will allow us to welcome you and to ask you to sign in at
insignificant, we try to inform
the office and to wear a tag as a visitor or volunteer while in the building. In
parents of all reported head
addition to ensuring the security of the children in the school, this will
injuries at school. We do this
allow the staff to get to know parents more quickly.
in recognition of the potential
We ask for your cooperation in making this system
danger of any injury involving the
work. To further ensure the safety of all students and
head area. Our intent is not to
to minimize the traffic in school hallways at arrival
alarm
you,
but
to
keep
you informed. Please remind
and dismissal times, we ask that parents meet their
your
child
to
let
a
staff
member know if they bump
children outside of the school and away from the
their
head
or
if
they
get
hurt
at school.
immediate exit doors. Staff are on duty 15 minutes
before the start of the school day, throughout the
ACCIDENT INSURANCE
entire noon hour, and 15 minutes at the front/back of
the school and Kiss and Ride after school. Any student leaving the school
during the day due to appointments, etc,. must be signed out at the office. Please examine the student insurance information
sent to you. Parents may send the completed forms
Please ensure that you send a note to your child’s teacher.
directly to the insurance company if you wish
coverage.
STUDENT EMERGENCY INFORMATION
Earlier in the week your child received a copy
of student verification sheet
which contains your address, phone numbers, emergency contacts and health
information as it currently exists on our computer records. We ask that you
take a few minutes and check over this information to ensure that it is
accurate. Please make any changes needed directly onto the sheet and return
to your child’s teacher this week. Please add area codes for all phone
numbers. ALL SHEETS NEED TO BE RETURNED TO THE SCHOOL
as soon as possible, even if there are no corrections needed. It is very
important that we have accurate phone numbers and emergency contact
persons in case we need to contact you in an emergency.
MEDICATION
Some
of our students require medication during the
school day. All medication is to be stored in the office
except where directed by a physician, (epi-pens,
puffers). Board Policy requires that we have signed
request/authorization forms from the parents and the
supervising physician in the office. These forms are
available in the office. In some cases of asthma, the
doctor may advise that a student should carry a puffer.
We comply with advice of doctors in these situations,
but we must be made aware of the arrangements. Any
child that requires medication at the school must have
forms signed. These forms can be picked up at the office. A reminder that
ANAPHYLAXIS – IMPORTANT
As
we begin a new
school year we would
like to inform 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, 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.
FAITH IN OUR FUTURE
NO FOOD FOR BIRTHDAYS – SCHOOL POLICY
We are asking parents/guardians to ensure
that their children eat only the food they
bring from home (and not share food),
and that they do not send or bring food to
school for other children to celebrate
birthdays and other festivities. When food
is sent to school, it can be disruptive to
learning and may be shared without the
knowledge and/or consent of other parents,
which is problematic in that it may not
always be nutritious and because
classmates may have potentially lifethreatening allergies. Nevertheless, the school also recognizes that food is
socially important, and an integral aspect of our Faith. With this in mind, a
number of school-sponsored events which include food will continue, (such as
Pizza Days, etc.) however the school and Catholic School Council will ensure
the highest possible standards of preparation and safety.
Bullying Prevention Corner- Everyone
Has the Right to Be Safe at School
The key message for September is “ everyone has the
right to be safe at school. Parents are encouraged to
review the Catholic Code of Conduct that is found in
the front section of the student’s agenda.
Important Dates to Remember
September 2013
3
First Day of
School
13
School
Reorganization
Day/ Professional
Criminal Reference Checks
NO
Please refer to inset regarding the new policy for Volunteers.
SCHOOL
Valuables
Please help us to protect your child’s valuables by
keeping them at home. Staff cannot be responsible for any
valuables that your child brings to school. In order to
avoid valuables being lost or misplaced please keep
them at home.
Construction Update
It was a very busy summer with construction. We now have 5 brand new
classrooms in our addition. Many of you would have had an opportunity to
see it on opening day. There is still some minor work to be done after school
hours. We anticipate that everything will be completed by early-mid October.
Virtue for September is
…Faith
A Catholic School is an ideal
place to practice and prepare to
live a virtuous life. When we
demonstrate these virtues, we are
making the presence of God
visible in the world around us.
We are contributing to nurturing a loving, peaceful environment, free of
discrimination and bullying. This month, we will focus on the virtue of
FAITH.
16-19 Book Fair
16
Parent Council Nominations due in
office
18
Open House/ Meet the Teacher Night
19
Brain Gym with Leah Dilley
24
First Immunization Clinic grades 7&8
25
Grade 1 Apple Orchard Trip
25, 26 Picture Day
25, 26 Dental Screening JK/SK/ grade 2
27
Terry Fox Walk/Run
Sidewalk Chalk Campaign
26
Catholic School Council Meeting /
Brain Gym Demonstration for Parents
30
Rain Date Terry Fox Walk/Run
Sidewalk Chalk Campaign