NEWSLETTER
MARCH
2015
`
ST. RICHARD SCHOOL
`
FeelAdvent
deeply. Mass
Act wisely. Follow Him closely.”
` “Think Clearly.
`Family
7270 Copenhagen Rd., Mississauga, Ontario L5N 2C3
Phone: 905-826-5572
Website: http://w3.dpcdsb.org/RICHA
Fax: 905-826-9564
Prayer for Kindness
M. Araman
Ape
Principal
G. Falotico
Secretary
A. Walker
Custodian
T. Cruz
Superintendent of Schools
(905) 890-1221
E. O’Toole
Trustee
(905) 812 - 5163
M. Kaniewski
School Council
Chairperson
John of the Cross Church
PastorS
Fr. Fr.J. Kalluvila
Associate Pastors
Fr. A. Kulanjiyil
Tel: (905) 821-1331
Mass Times
Weekends
Sat. 5:00 p.m.,
Sun. 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.,
12:00 & 4:00 p.m.
Weekdays
Monday through Friday 9:00
a.m., First Friday only-no
morning mass 7:15 p.m.
Father in Heaven,
You have done such a marvelous job of creating us and the world
around us. You have placed this creation, including all the people
we meet, in our care. We come to you now asking for the grace
and strength to keep a sense of kindness. We hope that by
recognizing and honoring this fruit of the Holy Spirit, we can
contribute to making our school a safer, more caring, more
inclusive community. May kindness, the fruit of your Spirit,
help us to feel the courage to act on behalf of people around
us who are in need. We ask this in name of Jesus, our brother,
who lived to show us your way.
Amen.
Bullying Prevention Education
March
Theme: Bullying Can Be
HHH
Stopped
This month we look at safe strategies students
can use when faced with a bullying situation.
Students learn how to deal with bullying using
the ‘3 Rs’:
Recognize bullying behavior.
Refuse to be bullied.
Report bullying behavior.
There is no set formula that works for dealing
with every bullying situation. Students need
to learn a variety of strategies and the skill to
determine when and how to apply them
safely. Key strategies include: avoidance,
playing with others, staying calm, ignoring,
walking away, saying ‘stop’, being assertive
and telling an adult.
Tips for Parents:




review strategies with your child
help your child practice speaking
assertively (role play)
take time with your child to make a plan
for how you want them to
deal with situations
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Junior Basketball
The Junior Girls' Basketball team worked very hard
and showed amazing team work and spirit! They
competed in three games against other Mississauga
North elementary schools. All in all it was a
wonderful learning experience under the direction
of Coaches J. Polom and L. Mendoza-Peers.
The girls' basketball team members were: Christina
D. Kaylie S., Arielle T. Laura K. Samantha M. Meadoh
C. Sarah-Mae I. Grace R. Hanna-Rose C.
Congratulations also to our Junior Boys Basketball
team. The team worked very hard this season and
displayed determination and perseverance in all
games. The team members included: Alec B., Arwin
A., Logan K., Jack., Nicholas O., Connor B., Andre F.,
Aiden B., Maion M., Tochuku O., and Dario P. Thank
you boys for a winning team spirit and great
sportsmanship. Thank you also to Mme. Ditaranto
and Mr. Shanks for coaching.
Virtues Education
During the month of March we celebrate the virtue of KINDNESS. This virtue fits in perfectly with the season of Lent which begins on
Ash Wednesday on March 5. God wants us to give generously to others around us. Kindness is the act of loving and giving generously
to others as God does. Our empathy for others is transformed
into action, an action that extends beyond concern for ourselves.
People of kindness…
 Are gentle and sensitive to others
 Always look for ways to be helpful
 Say nice things about others from the heart
 Stick up for people who are picked on
 Refuse to join in when others are being mean
 Are generous with their time and talents
 Cooperate and work well in a team
 Avoid being bossy or mean
Immunization Update
Peel Public Health is required by law to keep up to date
immunization records of all school aged children in the
region of Peel. Under the Immunization of School Pupils
Act, students under the age of 18 must provide proof of
either an up to date immunization against diphtheria,
tetanus, polio, measles, mumps and rubella; or a valid
exemption. At various ages of development additional
doses of vaccine are required to maintain a complete and
up to date immunization record. Some of you may have
received letters from the Region of Peel Health
Department stating that your child’s immunization is
behind schedule. If this is the case you are strongly
encouraged to call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700.
Failure to comply by April 28, 2015 will result in your child
being suspended from school under order by the Region
of Peel’s Medical Officer of Health and could be in effect
until requirements are met.
Virtue of Respect Certificate Recipients
Angelina N., Luke M., Ava P., Victoria R., Sullivan M.,
Justin N., Trisha P., Leah W., Abigail A., Aidan A.,
Adrian A., Alexander H., Christopher M., Julianne T.,
Jasmine L., Anthony P., Gabby I., Marlon M.,
Amanda S., Dominika M., Luke M., Jacob S.,
Gabriella C.T., Adriano A., Malesha C., Noah Y.,
Oscar D., Hayriye A., David B., Kristoffer A., Mya A.,
Jessica C., John P., Julia W., Jack K., Lukas V.,
Jeaneille B., Annik C., Caitlin G., Carlin P., Aiden B.,
Emanoael S., Hanna C., Tochukwu O.,Brynn B., Luka
P., Isabella A., Joseph K., Brandon P.
Are You Moving?
The planning of classes and general school organization for the 2015-2016 school year has begun. Please inform the office as soon
as possible if you are planning to move between now and September 2015. Also, if you have already moved and not informed the
office of your new address, please do so immediately as our school records must be accurate at all times. In addition, if any of
your contact information especially telephone numbers have changed please notify us immediately.
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Fire And Lockdown Drills
St. Richard Feast Day/Easter Mass
As part of our safety protocol, every school is required to hold
three fire drills and one lockdown drill each term in order to
familiarize students with procedures to follow in the case of
emergency. Our students have demonstrated excellent skill
during these practices.
All are welcome to join us on Tuesday, April 14 for
our St. Richard Feast Day/Easter Mass. The mass
is scheduled to take place at St. John of the Cross
Church at 1:00 pm.
Homework Help
Dates to Remember
Grade 7 to 10 math students at Dufferin-Peel now
have access to 20 hours a week of free, online math
tutoring to help them improve and succeed in math.
Check out http://homeworkhelp.ilc.org where
certified Ontario teachers are available Sunday to
Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., for one-on-one
confidential help. Dufferin-Peel is one of 15 Englishlanguage boards taking part in this pilot project
funded by the Ministry of Education.
Mar 6
Mar 10
Mar 11
Mar 11
Fr. Jim Roth Student Teacher Hockey Game @ 1 pm
Grade 6 RAID program begins
Grade 8 Confirmation Retreat
Grade 4-8 Chess Competition @
St. Simon Stock
Mar 13 Last Day of Classes
Mar 13 Rosary Apostolate
Mar 16 - 20 – March Break
Mar 23 Intermediate Ballroom Dancing
Lessons begin. Presented by
The School Council
Mar 24 Grade 6 RAID
Mar 25 School Council Meeting @ 6:30
Intermediate Ballroom Dancing
Mar 30 Intermediate Ballroom Dancing
Mar 31 Grade 6 RAID
Apr 1
Intermediate Ballroom Dancing
Apr 3
Good Friday – Schools Closed
Apr 6
Easter Monday – Schools Closed
Eco-Club
Into the Heart: A Journey Through the Theology of the Body …

“How can I live my life in a way that brings happiness and fulfillment?”

Explore deeper St. Pope John Paul II teaching which is setting people free to live
the life of greatness to which we are all called.

Participate in this adult faith formation program that unfolds God’s plan for
human love, life, marriage, and family.

For everyone: singles, engaged couples, married couples, and youth 18+.

Only 9 consecutive Tuesdays beginning April 14th from 7:30pm to 9:30pm at
Merciful Redeemer Parish, 2775 Erin Centre Blvd., Mississauga, ON L5M 5W2.
Did you know? St. Richard School has a group of
students, staff and parents dedicated to promoting and
working towards improving our stewardship of the earth
within this community. Teams of students monitor energy
conservation, adherence to recycling requirements,
promoting litter-less lunches and refillable water bottles.
Collectively we will also be observing Earth hour, Earth day
and beautifying the grounds around the school. We invite
you to donate unused flowers, shrubs and vegetables
plants from your spring planting efforts to be used here at
the school. Please contact the office for more information.
The Eco Club invited presentations from the Eco Source
group, a consortium for electronic waste and the Region of
Peel waste management team. For the past two years St.
Richard has achieved bronze and silver medal certification
from the Ontario Eco-Schools Foundation. This year we
are seeking gold medal certification.
For information and/or registration contact Anthony Mendes 416-302-4253, or
Melvin Marques marquesm2020@gmail.com or Tod Markelj TOB@bell.net.
A fee of $25.00 per person or $30.00 per couple, which includes workbook, will be
collected at the first session.
Registration opens March 14th, 2015.
From Your Catholic School
Trustee - Esther O’Toole
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Science, Science. Fascinating Science
St. Richard School was the scene. Wednesday, March 4 was the day. Students in grades 1, 2 and 3
participated in a fascinating science day. Mrs. McHutchon and Mrs. Lysyuk
organized this amazing day for our teachers and students. The grade ones
participated in "Structures: Under Construction" where they built a structure
capable of supporting their teacher. They discovered the role of fasteners
and used real tools and tested three dimensional shapes for structural
strength. Students in grade 2 participated in "Get Moving with Toys". They
made toy cars and screws to take home. Students learned all about inclined planes
and demonstrated the power of levers. They also lifted their teacher using a powerful lever. The grade 3's
participated in “Structures: Stable and Strong". These junior engineers took up the challenge to build a
newspaper bridge which was strong enough to support three heavy textbooks. They explored man made vs.
natural structures and their impact on the environment.
All in all it was an informative but fun filled day that brought the science curriculum alive for the students.
We would like to thank all the parent volunteers who helped run various centers throughout the day.
Without your generous support, this day would not have been possible.
REFLEX MATH
(We Need Your Help!)
In November 2014, St. Richard School embarked on a quest to improve our ability to solve basic addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division facts without the use of paper and pencil (mental arithmetic). To
make it fun and challenging a site license for Reflex Math was purchased. The results to date have been very
impressive, but we need your help, the parents, to encourage children to access the Reflex Math website 3
times per week. Students who have regularly practiced at home 3 or more times per week have made
significantly more gains in arithmetic fluency than those who have been on less than twice per week. Please
help us by promoting Reflex between now and next January!
Fast Facts:
Number of Users (gr. 1-8):
263
Usage:
 3 – 4 days per week:
11
 Less than 3 days per week:
252
 Top 2 average users:
Grade 7 and 8
Number of Facts Solved Since November:
1, 194, 490
Starting Fluency:
17 %
Current Fluency:
56 %
Growth since November:
39 %
http://www.reflexmath.com/RTI
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