St. Raymond
Catholic Elementary School
5735 Whitehorn Avenue Mississauga,
Ontario L5V 2A9 905-286-1010
March 2014 Edition
“Living In Faith”
Principal
Mr. W. Brunton
Vice Principal
Mr. T. Prugo
Head Secretary
Ms. L. Campoli
Assistant Secretary
Ms. T. Caines
Superintendent
Mr. D. Amaral
This month’s VIRTUE ~ Kindness
God wants us to be kind to everyone we meet.
Being kind is about more than just pretending
to be nice. It is about helping and playing with
others because we want to and not because
we feel we have to. God helps up to be kind to
our family and friends because by being kind
we are able to see God in every one we meet.
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak but
their echoes are truly endless.” - Mother Teresa
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Trustee
Mr. P. Ferreira
(905) 890-1221
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
@
@DPCDSBSchool
PRINCIPALS
DPCDSB is now on Twitter!
For the latest board news and
information, follow us
@DPCDSBSchools
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“Vivo In Fides”
A Lenten Prayer
Lord, Jesus Christ
By Your passion, death and
resurrection
You have set us free from sin
and death.
May Your grace renew our
hearts this Lent
And help us to turn from sin in
our lives.
May we learn to appreciate
more deeply the
Sacrifice You made for us.
Accept our prayer, fasting and
acts of charity as
We seek to draw closer to
You during this
Holy Season.
Strengthen the faith of
Your people
So that we may be a sign of
Your love to all the world.
Amen
From the Office:
Administrator’s Message…
As we continue to prepare for the death and
resurrection of Jesus let us try to keep in our minds
and hearts how we continue to grow following the
teachings of Jesus.
As we approach Easter let us continue to use the
period of Lent to pray for peace and harmony in the
world. Let us pray that our students, families and
staff will be able to journey through Lent in health
and with a renewed sense of peace and faith.
On behalf of the entire St. Raymond Staff, we would
like to wish all the families a holy and blessed
Lenten Season.
God Bless,
W. Brunton & T. Prugo
March Break will take place
from March 10 to March 14th and there
will be no school during this week.
Please note as well, that Friday, March 7th is a P.D day
and there will be no classes for students.
FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION for 2014‐15
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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)
EQAO GRADE 3 & 6 PROVINCIAL TESTING
The EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office) testing
of our Grade 3 and 6 students will take place on selected dates
from May 26th through to June 6th. Please try to avoid
scheduling any doctor’s appointments or anything else that will
take your child out of school during the testing dates. Tests
and materials cannot be given out to parents prior to or during
the testing. Previous media accounts revealed that some
parents and children become anxious about this test. Please
try to keep this testing in perspective for your child. A letter to
grade 3 and 6 parents with further information will be sent
home closer to the testing dates.
BREAKFAST FOR KIDS Fundraiser.
Sincere thanks to everyone who participated and
contributed in support of this well-intentioned programme.
Altogether we collected $ 252.10 for our students.
We are continuing to accept registrations for Full Day
Kindergarten for the 2014-15 school year.
PARENTS / VISITORS AT ST. RAYMOND
The following documents will be needed when registering:
 proof of age (Birth Certificate)
 an 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
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
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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 appreciate the on-going cooperation of the entire school
community of 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.
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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.
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
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
When students are in attendance at school they are expected
to participate in all school activities which includes recess.
If your child is ill or has not fully recuperated from an illness
consideration must be given to keeping the child at home so
that he/she may recuperate fully. We do not have the
resources to provide supervision indoors when all other
students are out for recess. Please note that children who are
ill are not in a learning state and may very well infect others
around them. We thank you in advance for your consideration
in this matter.
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.
We ask 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 using 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. Game Boys, IPods, Walkman)
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.
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SCHOOL CLOSING / BUS CANCELLATIONS 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 & T.V 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
Our Board will communicate 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 Peel District School Board,
including buses, vans and taxis have been cancelled for the
entire day.
“THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE DUFFERINPEEL CATHOLIC 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.
LIVING OUR FAITH VIRTUES ASSEMBLY
Every other month, our students gather for an assembly that
will focus on the Virtue of the month. The assemblies are led
by St. Raymond’s Anti Bullying Team and begin with a liturgy
followed by a presentation or discussion regarding an anti
bullying theme. Three students from each class are recognized
and receive an award for each of the following categories:
Award of Recognition, Christian Living Award, and
Academics Award. Parents of the recipients are invited via a
letter to attend the assembly but all parents are welcome! Our
next assembly will take place on Wednesday, April 30th.
KISS & RIDE PROGRAM
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.
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.
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 (please see above).
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. Kindly review & familiarize yourselves with
the different traffic signs posted near school zones. (See
picture above.)
The treatment for pediculosis is simple. Specially medicated
shampoo or cream rise is available from your pharmacist.
Carefully follow the manufacturer’s directions and remove all
nits from the hair.
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.
Library Corner:
Please be advised that parents should not be parking at
Whitehorn
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.
MAKING READING A HABIT AT HOME:
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.
Research shows that children who read books for
just 20 minutes a day perform better in school. Here
are some great ways to get your child reading:
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Set aside a reading time that is good for everyone Pick a comfortable reading place in your home Read together either by taking turns or having one person read Involve listeners by asking them questions about the story or what they think will happen next Engage them with varied and exciting voices Fill your home with reading materials such as magazines, newspapers, cookbooks and other books Get caught up in reading yourself and your child will be inspired to read as well Have older siblings read to younger siblings to gain confidence Start seasonal traditions. Read a favourite book every year at holidays and when they go back to school Keep your favourite books around. New readers will build confidence and fluency when rereading a treasured book RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS A great reference point for all assignments For Intermediates ARE YOU IN GRADES 7 OR 8 AND LOOKING FOR SOME MATH HOMEWORK HELP?? Then visit: http://homeworkhelp.ilc.org
Anyone can create a Guest account & have access to
all parts of the website, except the ability to ask
questions of the tutors. Students can create an
anonymous account using their Ontario Education
Number.
Homework Help Website
http://homeworkhelp.ilc.org
Sunday to Thursday, 5:30 – 9:30 pm
Helpful Mathematics Homework Links for
Parents
Homework Help provides free, real-time help to our
students taking Grade 7 to 10 Mathematics. It allows
them to get help after school hours, when teachers or
This just in…..Britannica Online…is available both at home and at school. To access Britannica Online use the information found below. 1. Web Address: http://school.eb.com/ 2. Username: duffpeel 3. Password: duff7878 MATH HOMEWORK HELP [Please visit our website:]
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parents are unavailable to help. It can help students
with answering homework questions, reviewing
material from previous grades, and studying for
tests, exams or the EQAO tests. But remember – it is
“homework help” not “homework do” – the tutors
are there to support the students and work through
questions to help them be more confident learners
and better understand the math.
The Tutor Chat Rooms are open 5 nights a week, for
4 hours each night, and can be accessed as much or
as little as needed. Besides the Chat Rooms, there
are other tools available on the website as well:
· Locker
o This automatically saves all of your sessions with
To see what is happening in your community click:
the tutors so you can go back and watch them again.
St. Raymond will be celebrating Earth Hour on
Friday, March 28th from 11:00am to 3:00pm.
· Glossary
o This has definitions and examples for many
different Math terms and concepts.
· Listen & Learn, Tutorials, and Best Sessions
o You can watch how-to videos or use interactive
tools for specific topics and watch recordings of
some of the best ever tutoring sessions.
· Calculator
o Don’t have your calculator? No problem – there is
a scientific one available for you to use online.
ECO Corner Earth Hour is a worldwide grass-roots movement
for the planet organized by the World Wide Fund
for Nature (WWF). Earth Hour engages a massive
mainstream community on a broad range of
environmental issues. It was famously started as a
lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since
then it has grown to engage more than 7000 cities
and towns worldwide. The event is held worldwide
and held towards the end of March annually,
encouraging individuals, communities households
and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights
for one hour as a symbol for their commitment to
the planet.
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http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/residents/earthhour#
School Advisory Council Corner:
Here are a few up & coming items to look forward
to at St. Raymond School.
Pizza Order Forms for April and May will be sent
home soon. Orders for March can still be submitted.
Order forms can be found on the school’s website
and on the community board in the school’s foyer.
Please note that during the Lenten Season
(Wednesday, March 5th to Monday, April 21st),
slices of pizza will not include pepperoni.
Popcorn / Sub Days - Please note that there will be
no Sub Days during the Lenten Season (Wednesday,
March 5th to Monday, April 21st). Sub Day will
resume on Friday, April 25th. Popcorn days for the
month of March are Thursday, March 6th and Friday,
March 28th. Order forms have been sent home and
are due back by Monday, March 3rd.
Movie Night – St. Raymond Council is pleased to
host the viewing of Frozen on Thursday, March 6,
2014. Students must be accompanied by a parent
and are encouraged to bring their pillows and a
sleeping bag. Cost of admittance is a donation of a
perishable food item which will be donated to our
local St. Vincent de Paul. Children will receive one
free bag of popcorn. Additional bags and treats will
be available for purchase at the concession stand.
Please rsvp your attendance too. Blue Jay Game Day – Save the Date!!! Council
has once again scheduled a family outing to a Blue
Jay Game on Friday, June 6th. The Toronto Blue
Jays will face off against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Seats have been reserved in sections 240/241 at a
cost of $24/ticket. More details to follow.
Fundraiser – Please watch out for more details
regarding our major fundraiser for the year. A
dance-a-thon will take place in April or May. 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 Wednesday, May 7th @ 6:30 p.m. in the school library. Council offers free child sitting for children 4+ during our council meetings. Just email us an rsvp to st.raymond.sac@live.com. All are welcome!
DR. SIMONE – CFFC – Thank you to everyone that has donated items to Dr. Simone’s CFFC. We will continue to take donations of clothing, toys, etc. throughout the year. During the month of March, we will hold a drive for candles. Candles give light and a little heat. In the poor countries, most people do not have electricity. Their homes become damp. A little gift like a candle is not only practical but says that someone cares. Used candles are also accepted as they will be melted together to make new candles. Please place your contribution in the "St. Raymond's Chapel", the donation box which is located in the school’s foyer. Thank you for your continued support. Parish Connection:
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
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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
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.
LENTEN MASS
Our Lenten Mass will take place on Thursday, April 10th at
11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Parish. All parents are welcome to
attend.
GRADE 2 FIRST COMMUNION
First Communion will take place at St. Joseph Church every
Saturday at the 5:30 p.m. and Sunday at the 9 a.m. and
12:30 p.m. mass from April 26th to June 8th.
GRADE 8 CONFIRMATION FOR ALL SCHOOLS
The sacrament of Confirmation will take place at St. Joseph
Church every Sunday at the 3:30 p.m. mass from May 4th to
June 8th.
Community News:
Recent news items have focused upon the salt intake of
Canadian children. Sugary substances, fast and processed
foods also pose short and long term health issues in our
children. What can our community do to help?
Curriculum teaches healthy eating from the four food
groups following Canada’s Food Guide. We also ask that
no fast food be brought into the school as it sends the
wrong message of overall health and well-being for
children. We promote healthy and whole-some snacks
and lunches with water or fruit juice rather than fruit
cocktails or fruit punch. Other important components in
improving the health of our children are daily activity,
nurturing a healthy life style and promoting a positive
self-image. For information on improving the overall
health of our children, check out the Toronto Public
Health Helping Children to Be Active, Eat Well and
Accept their Bodies by visiting
http://www.toronto.ca/health/pdf/nm_helping_children.pdf
This article is filled with helpful tips and links in
promoting healthy habits as a family. It is worth
checking out!
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 operation: Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to
8:30 am and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Please call (905) 5420101 for more information.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
March
March 5 – Ash Wednesday
March 6 – Gr. 8 Grads and S.K. Grad Photos
March 7 – P.D. Day
March 10-15 – MARCH BREAK
March 19 – Gr. 7 & 8 Immunization
March 20 – Boys Day-In
March 27 – Gr. 6 Reconciliation
March 28 – Earth Hour Presentation at 11 a.m.
April
April 1-3 – Watershed on Wheels (W.O.W)
Presentations for Gr.1-8
April 10 – Lenten Mass at St. Joseph’s Parish
April 13 – Palm Sunday
April 18 – Good Friday
April 21 – Easter Monday
April 30 – Virtues Assembly
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FOR OUR PARENTAL COMMUNITY:
UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST
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