St. Raymond
Catholic Elementary School
5735 Whitehorn Avenue Mississauga,
Ontario L5V 2A9 905-286-1010
February 2013 Edition
Principal
Mr. W. Brunton
Vice Principal
Mrs. S. Galvao
Head Secretary
Mrs. L. Campoli
Assistant Secretary
Ms. T. Caines
Superintendent
Mrs. C. Saytar
Trustee
Mr. P. Ferreira
(905) 890-1221
February VIRTUE ~ Respect
God has given us the virtue of friends and companions
to keep us company and to help us out along the way.
Every person in our lives carries the Spirit of God - and
so every person is our brother or sister through Jesus
Christ.
As brothers and sisters who share one Holy Spirit, we
are all valuable to God. We all deserve to be shown
courtesy, consideration, sensitivity and thoughtfulness,
which are different ways of saying respect.
That respect should come first and foremost from ourselves and then we will be able to respect others. We
should be able to expect to be treated with respect by
everyone we meet - our brothers and sisters in Jesus.
Through prayer and concentration, we can get better at
respecting ourselves as well as respecting those around
us.
Parish
St. Joseph’s Church
5440 Durie Road
Mississauga, ON
905-826-2766
office@stjosephsstreetsville.com
Parish Team
Fr. Andre-Pastor
Fr. D’Souza -Assoc. Pastor
Youth Minister –
Ana DaCosta
Family Day Care
905-542-0101
PRINCIPALS
DPCDSB is now on
Twitter! For the latest board news and
Information, follow us
@DPCDSBSchools.
Prayer for Respect
Almighty God, giver of all that is good.
We thank you for the precious gift of
human life.
Guide us to respect all life.
Like St. Francis,
help us to see the beauty and
goodness in all living things
Help us to imitate your respect for life
For the life of children, making us glad
with their enthusiasm
For the life of young people, hoping for
a better world
For the life of the sick and disabled,
teaching us humility
For the life of the elderly, witnessing
patience and wisdom.
We thank you Lord.
Like Blessed Mary, may we always
say yes to your gift of life.
May we have respect for all.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Amen
From the Office:
There will be parent/teacher
interviews on Friday, February 8th.
Please take note that there will be
NO SCHOOL on that day.
FAMILY DAY HOLIDAY
MONDAY FEBRUARY 18TH
NO SCHOOL on this day.
FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION for
2013-14
We are continuing to accept registrations for Full Day
Kindergarten for the 2013-14 school year.
The following documents will be needed when registering:
 proof of age (Birth Certificate)
 original Roman Catholic baptismal certificate (for child
and/or parent/guardian) or baptismal certificate from
an Eastern Church in full communion with the Holy
See of Rome. If the child has not been baptized, and
the parent/guardian is a baptized Roman Catholic or is
baptized from an Eastern Church in full communion
with the Holy See of Rome, the parent/guardian must
bring their own baptismal certificate.
 updated immunization records (Health Card #)
 proof of Canadian citizenship (Birth Certificate or
Passport) or Landed Immigrant status
 proof of address (any utility bill, bank statement)
School Website
Be sure to visit our school website at
http://www.dpcdsb.org/raymo
For more information about registration and the
Full-Day Kindergarten program, call St. Raymond
School or visit www.dpcdsb.org.
.
BREAKFAST FOR KIDS
As of February, Breakfast for
Kids will be available to students on Wednesday and Thursday
mornings at 8:10. Students who wish to participate must return
the parent consent form.
REPORT CARD AND INTERVIEWS
The Term one report cards were sent home on
Tuesday, February 5, 2013. Interviews will take place
on the evening of Thursday, February 7th and during
the P.D. Day on Friday, February 8th. It is our hope
to see all parents/guardians during this interview
cycle. Confirmation of the interview time will be sent
home with the Report Card.
Parents are asked to complete Page 3 of the Ontario
Report Card. The Parent – Student Response Form is
an opportunity for parents and students to comment
upon student achievement. This is also an opportunity
for parents to express their personal commitment to
helping their child set goals. When parents return this
form to the school, it will be place in their child’s
Ontario Student Record (O.S.R.).
Kindergarten Parent Notice: Please note that
Kindergarten children do not receive a report card in
February. Dufferin-Peel will maintain the current
practice of a planned interview at the end of term one,
a checklist in June of Junior Kindergarten/ Year One
and a full report card in June of Senior Kindergarten
/Year Two full-day Kindergarten students.
PARENTS/ VISITORS AT ST. RAYMOND
We welcome all parents at St. Raymond but continue to
request that parents/ visitors check in the office. In order to
ensure the safety of our students, we cannot have parents or
visitors visit classrooms or walk through the hallways. If you
need to sign out your child we request that you do so at the
office. In the event that you need to drop items off for your
child, please check in at the office. Parents who bring in lunch
for their children are asked to leave it at the table located in the
school foyer and label it. All students leaving the school early
will be released through the front office as they must sign out. If
your child arrives late we ask you to NOT accompany them to
class.
VOLUNTEERS
We welcome volunteers to our school. If interested, please
complete the Volunteer Brochure located in the Community
Board outside the office in the foyer and return it to the office.
STUDENT ABSENCES/ LATES
Please use our 24 hour answering service to inform the school
of late or absent students. We must hear from a parent or
guardian if a student will be absent, arriving late or leaving
early. Phone 905-286-1010
If a pattern of unexcused lateness or absents
becomes apparent, parents will be contacted by
the school.
SCHOOL WEBSITE
Every few days, Mrs. Goncalves updates the website with
letters, information and other pertinent information.
Looking for a document or information, check out our
website:
http://www.dpcdsb.org/RAYMO
Parents please note yard supervision
begins at 8:15 a.m. Students should not
arrive before supervision starts.
LIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES
We would appreciate the cooperation of the entire school
community by NOT sending any lunches or snacks that contain
peanuts/nut products, seafood/shellfish, eggs, chickpeas,
green peas, lentils and kiwi. This includes products like
Nutella as well as Sushi. Please also be aware that some
salad dressings contain oyster juice which can cause a serious
anaphylaxis response. Please do not send any food products
to mark a child’s birthday. It is also prohibited to send your
child to school with any WowButter sandwiches. We want St.
Raymond to be a safe environment for all students. Thank you
for your assistance.
FLU SEASON
We are heading into the flu season. Being parents ourselves,
we are only too aware of the work pressure you experience
when providing care at home for a child who is ill.
Nevertheless, aside from being the best course of action for
your child, keeping your sick child at home may also serve to
limit the spread of influenza in the community of school children
and staff. Below, you will find just such advice coming from the
Health Department
• Stay home! Don’t drag yourself into work or school. You’ll only
infect your colleagues or classmates
• Stay away from people who are elderly, chronically ill, or have
respiratory problems
RECESS BREAKS
Recess Breaks serve a special purpose in the school routine
and except in unusual cases, students are not excused from
going outside. Students who have the flu, heavy coughs or
colds should be kept at home, for they are too contagious with
the cold germ to be sitting in the classroom with other students.
SNOW & ICE
Now that the cold months have arrived and snow and ice are
plentiful, a reminder of our safety policy is warranted. Throwing
snowballs and sliding on ice are NOT allowed. As much fun as
snow and ice are, they can also be very dangerous when there
are many people in one area. Most student injuries happen
during the winter months. In order for our school to be as safe
as possible, the school rule must be that snow stays on the
ground – no snowballs, kicking snow or any other activity
with snow and ice that could be harmful. Please take a few
moments to reinforce these important safety rules with your
children.
WINTER IS HERE
Parents are reminded that students should be dressed
appropriately for winter weather conditions. Recess is
considered a part of the school day and thus students in
attendance are expected to participate in this activity.
Consideration will be given to reducing the amount of time
outdoors for children (grade 8 and under) when the
temperature is -20 degrees Celsius or colder. When the
temperature or equivalent wind chill temperature is minus 25
degrees Celsius children must be kept indoors.
It is also necessary that students bring an indoor pair of shoes
that may be left at the school. This is important, as in the event
of an emergency evacuation we are not able to take the time to
put boots /outdoor shoes on before leaving the building.
USE OF SCHOOL PHONES
Students will only be permitted to use the school phone in
cases of emergency. An emergency is considered to be an
illness or injury. Calling home because it is raining, and/ or for
forgotten shoes, wanting to go to a friend’s house or other
minor issues are not considered emergencies. A reminder that
students are not allowed to use cell phones or pagers during
school hours. If you have a cell phone it should remain off
during the school hours.
PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES (PEDS) ON SCHOOL
PROPERTY
As part of our efforts to promote and maintain a positive
Catholic climate in our schools, the board approved a new
policy last year regarding Personal Electronic Devises (PEDS)
on school property. In this regard, all PEDs (i.e. cell phones,
pagers and video games i.e.PSP’s, IPods, etc) must be kept
out of sight, turned off and not used within school premises or
during school-sanctioned activities. To prevent the loss or
damage of PEDs, we encourage students to leave their PEDs
at home as the school cannot be responsible for their safe
keeping.
SCHOOL CLOSING/BUS CANCEL-LATIONS DUE TO BAD
WEATHER
During the winter months inclement weather may cause
disruption of bus transportation and regular school operations.
A decision to cancel school transportation and/or to close
schools is usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be announced on
the following radio stations:
Virgin Radio FM 99.9,
CHUM AM 1050
CFTR AM 680, CFNY 102.1, CJCL 590, CHFI FM98.1,
CFRB AM 1010
EZ ROCK FM97.3, Z FM10
CJBC (FR) AM860 FM93.1
CHIN FM 100.7 FM/1540 AM
CITYPULSE, CBC,
GLOBAL NEWS, CTV
We will communicated the following standard messages to
the radio stations
―THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL
BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES
ARE CANCELLED.‖ This means that:
ALL Transportation services provided by the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board and The Peel District School
Board, including buses, vans and taxis have been cancelled for
the entire day.
―THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE DUFFERINPEEL CATHO-LIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE
PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ARE CLOSED.‖ This
means that:
ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and Peel
District School Board schools and offices are closed to all
students.
LOST AND FOUND
Many items have been placed in the lost and found bin. If your
child has misplaced an item, please remind them to check the
lost and found bin found in the office. During the report
interviews, tables with lost and found items have been set up in
the foyer.
LIVING OUR FAITH VIRTUES ASSEMBLY
Each month, all students will gather for an assembly that will
focus on the Virtue of the month. The assemblies will be lead
by St. Raymond’s Anti Bullying Team and Youth Faith
Ambassadors to begin with a liturgy followed by a presentation
or discussion regarding an anti bullying theme. Three students
from each class will be recognized and receive an award for
each of the following categories: Christian Living Award, Most
Improved Award and Academics Award. Parents of the
recipients will be invited via a letter to attend the assembly but
all parents are welcome! Our next assembly will take place on
February 25th.
ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION
A reminder that children are not allowed to keep ANY
medication on their persons, in their desk, backpack or
anywhere in their classroom, unless ordered by their doctor. In
such case, documentation is necessary. All dispensing and
storage of ANY medication must occur from the Office.
KISS & RIDE PROGRAM
Please be advised that NO CARS are allowed to park in the
kiss n ride/fire route lane or drive through lane in the front of
the school. If parents are picking up and waiting for their
child they are to use the designated side streets. Please
ensure that you read all street signs prior to parking on any
side streets. It is also prohibited to park at Whitehorn Public
School. Please do not park at Whitehorn Public School as
all parking spots are just enough for Whitehorn Public
School staff.
The city of Mississauga has been patrolling and have
ticketed cars who are in violation of these parking
procedures. St. Raymond School or the Dufferin Peel
Catholic District School Board will not be responsible for any
fines that have been given to cars that are not following city
parking by laws.
When students exit the car in the Kiss N Ride lane, they
should use the passenger doors only to exit vehicles
this will ensure students will be dropped off on the school
sidewalk safely.
Under NO circumstances should vehicles be backing up or
going the wrong way or parking. No vehicles are to park in
the drive thru lane at any time.
School Kiss & Ride should improve the traffic flow and
ultimately create a safer environment for the children.
Please be advised that teachers will not be opening car
doors during the Kiss N Ride duty. For the safety of all
teachers, students, and vehicles, teachers will only
supervise students as they exit the vehicles. Parents
may assist their child on exiting the vehicle, but are
kindly asked not to park in the Kiss N Ride lane. We
thank you for your cooperation with this matter.
FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH
St. Raymond will be celebrating Black History month by
providing “did you know” facts during the morning
announcements weekly. In addition, students will end each
week in February with DPA with music featuring a variety of
black artists from classical to modern music. On Tuesday,
February 5th, students will be taken on a journey through time,
back to African villages and will explore African history and how
its culture and music has affected our world today. They will
play African drums, explore instruments and artifacts and learn
traditional folk dances. They will discuss black heroes of then
and now and use drama strategies to re- enact some of the
most poignant stories and experiences of black history. A fun
and positive way to learn about difficult times!
ASH WEDNESDAY
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of our Lenten Season –
the holiest season in the Liturgical Calendar. Each classroom
will participate in a liturgy followed by receiving ashes by their
teacher.
BE SMART, GET A HEAD START
Head lice are always present in the community. By checking
your child’s head once a week for head lice, you will catch it
early and treat it before it has a chance to spread. Should you
suspect that your child(ren) have head lice, please notify the
school.
Remember, an infestation of lice is not a reflection on the
cleanliness of your child. In fact, students with appropriate
hygiene habits are as susceptible to lice as any other group. A
reminder to all to refrain from sharing hats at any time, but
especially during the winter months. Any infected student will
need to be checked before re-entry to class. Thank you in
advance for your co-operation.
Peel Health (www.peelregion.ca/health/) is available to
provide advice to parents, school staff and students about
treatment and prevention. They can be contacted at (905) 7917800.
School Advisory Council Corner:
Order forms are available online either at
www.thelunchlady.ca or our website www.dpcdsb.org/RAYMO
(under the Links tab)
St. Raymond Reusable Water Bottle – Water bottles will
always be available for purchase on Pizza Day Tuesdays. Just
have your child(ren) visit us during 2nd nutrition break to
purchase our Eco friendly reusable bottles for only $5. Bottles
will also be available at the book fair.
Popcorn/Sub-Day for the month of February will be sent home
with students soon. Please do not include payment for
sub/popcorn with funds for any other event. Also, please attach
payment to the form if it is not placed in an envelope or ziploc
bag. Orders are due back by Wednesday, February 13th.
Speaker – St. Raymond is happy to announce that Q-Mack will
be performing for students in grades 5 – 8 on Tuesday, April
30th at 9:00. Q-Mack educates students about bullying while
entertaining them with basketball tricks. Joining Q-Mack will be
beatboxer J-Box. Parents are welcome to attend.
Movie Night – St. Raymond Council had its first Movie Night
on February 1st. We hope everyone enjoyed the viewing of
Wreck It Ralph. Thank you to all for the donations of nonperishable food items. Six full boxes of items were collected
and will be donated to our local St. Vincent de Paul.
Fundraiser – Please watch out for more details regarding our
major fundraiser for the year. A dance-a-thon will take place
sometime after the March Break. More details to follow.
Council would like to request from parents any prize donations
they can contribute. Any donation, big or small, will be greatly
appreciated. Simply drop off your donation at the office,
leaving your name and the name of your child(ren) with your
donation.
School Council Meeting – Our next school council meeting is
scheduled to take place on Wednesday, February 20 @ 6:30
pm in the school library. All are welcome!
Parish Connection:
Ash Wednesday
Our liturgical season of Lent begins with our “Celebration of
Ashes” on February 13th and continues until Easter. We are
encouraged to say “yes” to God and “no” to our own
selfishness. We can make a fresh start too, and try to keep in
touch with God, to be less selfish and more generous. What
Lenten promises will you and your child(ren) try to follow? The
emphasis should be on doing things for Jesus, rather than
simply on giving things up.
The St. Raymond School community will be receiving their
ashes in their classroom followed by a classroom liturgy on
February 13th. The Youth Faith Ambassadors are taking the
lead in preparing this Liturgy.
ROSARY APOSTOLATE
The Rosary Apostolate, a group of volunteers devoted to the
Mother of God, is currently seeking additional volunteers to
assist with the expansion of this faith-based program. Teaching
students about the Rosary will keep our faith alive for
generations to come. Those who would like more information or
are willing to share their love by visiting elementary schools
once a month to teach children about the Mysteries of God’s
life and how to pray the Rosary, please contact Aileen Haig at
905-607-6851 or Margaret Stanley at 905-567-8371.
a family every Sunday. St. Joseph’s Parish mass times are
as follows:
Saturday mornings – 9:00 a.m.
Sunday – 8:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m 12:30 p.m.
and 6:00 p.m.
GRADE 2 FIRST RECONCILIATION/ FIRST COMMUNION
Reconciliation will take place at the school on Tuesday
February 12, 2013. All parents are invited to attend a special
liturgy at 9:00 a.m. in the gym. Students will be making their
first reconciliation following the liturgy at 9:30 a.m.
First Communion will take place at St. Joseph Church on
Sunday, May 26, 2013 at 3:30 p.m.
GRADE 8 CONFIRMATION
The sacrament of Confirmation will take place at St. Joseph
Church on Tuesday May 14, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
Sports Corner & Clubs:
NOTICE: *NEW* WEEKDAY MASS
St. Joseph’s Parish will be adding a 7:00 am morning Mass
from Monday to Friday, beginning the week of January 14th,
2013. The Parish will also be taking one Mass Intention each
day for this additional Mass. This added Mass will run for 25minutes, which will enable those attending to reach their
workplace on-time.
HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION
It is important that our children continue to be
exposed to our Catholic Community through
experiences at the parish.
The Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and
the Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s
life. ‘Sunday is the day on which the Paschal
Mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to
be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the
universal Church.’
Throughout the school year, students experience the mystery
of Jesus Christ through celebrations, liturgies and mass. We
encourage all of our families to maintain these traditions
and obligations throughout the year by attending Mass as
HOCKEY
A big congratulations goes out to the first EVER St. Raymond
Rockets co-ed ice hockey team. The St. Raymond Rockets
played in the 6th Annual All Saints Memorial Hockey
Tournament this January and came in third place. The bronze
medal was a huge accomplishment for a team that was put
together on such short notice. The team finished with an
amazing record of 5 wins and 1 loss. Way to go Rockets!!!
Thanks to our coaches Mr. Evans and Mr. Burke!
INTRAMURAL/ EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES This
month our PRIMARY students will participate during the
nutritional break and the focused sport will be beach volleyball.
We encourage all students to participate in intramurals as it is
an excellent opportunity for students to develop social skills, cooperative play, and daily physical activity.
operation: Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 8:30 am and 3:00
pm to 6:00 pm. Please call (905)542-0101 for more
information.
LEGO CLUB
Some students have expressed an interest in the start up of a
Lego club. Families who are doing spring cleaning and have
Lego that they would like to donate for this club are welcome to
do so. Please bring to the office.
GIRLS ON THE RUN IS COMING ONCE AGAIN
Girls on the Run Ontario is a positive youth development
program which combines training for a non-competitive 5K
run/walk with an interactive curriculum to develop self-respect
and healthy lifestyles of 8-13 year old girls. The 10 week
curriculum will run at St. Raymond on Monday’s and
Wednesday’s from 3:00-4:00 from April to June 2013. The
curriculum combines training for a 5K run/walk event on
Sunday, June 9, 2013. Online registration opened on January
28th at www.girlsontherun.ca. Space is limited and girls will be
accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. For more
information, please visit www.girlsontherun.ca or contact Ms.
Yuzik or Mrs. McCracken at St. Raymond.
Community News:
French Immersion Information Meeting
Senior Kindergarten parents/guardians, who wish to enroll their
child in a Grade 1 French Immersion class for September, 2013
are reminded that the deadline for submission of Applications is
on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 2:00 pm at the
designated site.
Extended French Information Meeting
Applications will be accepted at St. Rose of Lima until 3:00 pm
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 for students in currently in
grade 4.
L.I.O.N. PROGRAM
Learning in our Neighborhood is a mobile early learning centers
program where parents and caregivers can talk to early
childhood professionals about parenting and early child
development. Families can visit LION to attend parent/child
interactive play-based programs with a language, literacy and
numeracy focus. LION will run every Wednesday at St.
Raymond. For more info visit, www.successby6peel.ca
FAMILY DAY BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL CARE
At this time, Family Day before & after School programs have
available spaces for students in grades 1 to 8. Hours of
ECO FRIENDLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
In an effort to be more environmentally responsible, St.
Raymond School is providing its school newsletter
electronically to parents/guardians. By providing us with an
email address, you will be able to support our efforts to protect
our environment by reducing the amount of paper and
electricity we use in preparing paper newsletters. We will be
able to send you our school newsletter, more efficiently and
effectively if we have your email address.
If you are interested in receiving the school newsletters via
email and NOT a paper copy, please fill in the items below and
return to your child’s teacher as soon as possible. Thank you.
Child’s Name: ________________________
Teacher: ______________________Gr. : ____
Email address: _________________________________
Confirm email: _________________________________