St. Raymond
Catholic Elementary School
5735 Whitehorn Avenue Mississauga,
Ontario L5V 2A9 905-286-1010
“Living In Faith”
Principal
Mr. D. Clifford
Acting Vice Principal
Mrs. E. Moran
Head Secretary
Mrs. L. Campoli
Superintendent
Mr. D. Amaral
Trustee
Ms. L. del Rosario
Parish
St. Joseph’s Parish
905-826-2766
Parish
St. Joseph’s Church
5440 Durie Road
Mississauga, ON
905-826-2766
office@stjosephsstreetsville.com
Parish Team
Fr. Campbell --Pastor
Fr. Alozie -Assoc. Pastor
October 2015 Edition
“Vivo In Fides”
OCTOBER VIRTUE ~ Empathy
This month we will focus on the virtue of empathy.
God has given us the ability to form connections with
each other - to live together. Empathy helps us to
connect and live together in safe, caring, inclusive
communities.
We understand empathy to mean the ability to identify
with and feel other people’s concerns. We believe that in
a faith community we are nothing without relationships.
Relationships that grow in a spirit of communion- an
understanding that we share an identity based on being
created in the image and likeness of God and being
imbued with one Spirit. We are many parts of one body.
An empathetic person believes that we all share one
Spirit; that we are many parts of one body because we
are all created in the image and likeness of God.
An empathetic person…
 Listens attentively
 Notices and responds when someone is upset
 Can name her/his feelings
 Can see a situation from another’s point of view
 Knows that different people may feel differently
about the same thing
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OPENING PRAYER
Gracious and merciful God of all creation,
You made us to live together in communities.
We are nothing without relationships.
You have given us the virtue of empathy to ensure
that we are able to identify with and feel other people’s
concerns.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength
to follow your plan and to form a safe, caring, inclusive
community here at St. Raymond.
May your gift of empathy lead us to know and feel your
presence among us.
We ask this in name of Jesus, your Son, who lived to
show us your way.
Amen.
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Staff Update for 2015 – 2016…
Below is a list of our staff for this school year:
L. Wilson & M. Faria
JK/SK
P. Kellar & J. DaSilva
JK/SK
R. Orsini
1
L. Soutsos
1
S. Petruccelli
2
A. Heath
2
J. Pacheco
2/3
L. LeBrun
3
L. Ciavarra
3
S. Moussa
4
S. McCracken
4
K. Corvese-Abdou
5
L. Strk
5
G. Flammini
6
A. Cillis
6/7
M. Miceli
7
C. Abitrante
8
D. Yuzik
8
T. Allen
8
L. Goncalves
Library/Planning
L. Bet
FSL
M. Voyatzis
FSL
M. Rousseau
ESL
R. Davenport
SPEC.ED
S. Kojundzic
SPEC.ED
M. Teixeira
SPEC.ED
I. Alves
Planning Teacher
M. Piccinin
ERW
J. Holden
ERW
V. Noguera
ERW
ATTENDANCE
Please call to register an absence – 905-286-1010. You can call
24hrs. An answering machine is available to take information.
Please provide your child’s name, grade and teacher’s name.
If an absence is not reported, our policy is to call home to
verify student absenteeism. A parent or guardian must sign out
students who leave early. A reminder to parents and students
that an expectation set out from the beginning of the year
clearly indicated that all students must arrive at school on time.
Being consistently and continuously late interrupts the
classroom lessons, creates delays in the office and sets a poor
example for those who do arrive on time. Please note that
issues with lates and absenteeism will be dealt with strictly,
and may involve the school’s Administration, Child Youth
Worker and Social Worker. Please help us teach your
children the value promptness and punctuality.
ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
Research has shown that children perform better in school if
their parents are involved in their education. We as a staff at
St. Raymond School welcome and encourage parental
involvement. Become familiar with the curriculum. Contact the
teacher with any questions or concerns. Work in partnership to
support your child’s learning.
Students and parents can expect to be informed of due dates for
assignments and summative tasks via the agenda. Teachers will
ensure that all students have an opportunity to record daily
homework in the agenda. Parents should check the agenda
daily and monitor homework completion. Parents are
encouraged to be proactive in communicating concerns about
homework or assignments to their child’s teacher. If
extenuating circumstances prohibit homework completion, it is
the parents’ responsibility to inform the teacher. If an
extension of a due date is required, parents are responsible for
requesting the extension in writing, explaining the reason, well
in advance of the due date.
School boards across the province have received a new
ministry document titled “Growing Success” that clearly places
expectation and responsibility on students for their work at
school.
Students are responsible for ensuring that they are adequately
prepared for tests and that they complete all tasks to the best of
their ability. Students are encouraged to seek assistance as
required.
Regular attendance is critical for success. Although we
encourage you to keep your child home when he/she is ill to
avoid the spread of illness, we do also encourage you to avoid
making appointments and planning vacations during regular
school hours. Much of the learning that takes place in the
classroom is through discussion, interaction with teacher and
peers and through in class tasks. These experiences cannot be
duplicated. If you choose to take your child out of school for a
holiday, the classroom teacher will provide you with the topics
being covered, but cannot be responsible for the daily lesson
planning.
ST. RAYMOND SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE BBQ
Thank you to all of our families who
attended our Open House BBQ Night on
September 24th. It was a pleasure to see
so many parents attend the barbeque and
visit their teacher’s classroom. Thank you
to our Catholic School Council and the
Knights of Columbus for organizing the BBQ! We look
forward to working in collaboration with all of our parents to
ensure your child receives the best possible Catholic
educational experience.
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CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL 2015-2016
ANAPHYLAXIS PLAN
St. Raymond School would like to congratulate the following
parent representatives who are members of our 2015-2016
School Council Executive Positions:
We have a number of staff and students
in our school who have severe allergic
reactions to peanuts, peanut butter,
peanut oils, peanut by-products, pinenuts, shellfish, and
seafood. As in the past, we are asking you to not put anyone at
risk. Do not send any PEANUTS, PEANUT BUTTER,
PEANUT OILS AND ANY PEANUT BY-PRODUCTS,
PINENUTS, SHELLFISH OR SEAFOOD INTO THE
SCHOOL. 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. Student birthdays can be acknowledged by sending
non-food items such as a pencil or pen to celebrate a child’s
birthday with his/her peers. Thank you for your co-operation in
this very important matter.
Chair: L. Tedesco
Secretary: M. Foti
Treasurer: R. Pinelli
Community Rep: A. Marchao & J. D’Cunha
Parish Rep: J. Zammit
OAPCE Rep: G. Briand-Santo, C. MacKinnon
Parent Reps: B. Policelli, L. Occhiogrosso, G. Domingos,
M. Lake
We look forward to working with our parent council to provide
the best Catholic Educational experience for our students.
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.’ [CIC, can. 1246 # 1]
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.
STUDENT BIRTHDAYS
Just a reminder that students are no
longer able to bring in food products to
celebrate a birthday in keeping with
Sabrina’s Law. Please consider sending
a non-food item to be shared with the
class instead.
ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION
REACT forms for parents to fill out in the
event that your child has a medical concern have
been already been sent home and returned to us.
The form requires information on the medical
issue, and a picture of the child. Parents are
responsible for ensuring that all medication and
forms are updated annually. If your child requires medication
please have all pertinent forms completed and returned with
the medication to the office as soon as possible.
A reminder that children are not allowed to keep ANY
medication on their persons, in their desk, backpack or
anywhere in their classroom, unless prescribed by their doctor.
In such cases, documentation is necessary. Please contact the
school for more information.
EXCURSIONS AND FIELD TRIPS
Educational trips that extend learning opportunities are
encouraged. Teachers must follow appropriate Board
procedures and, by law, the school must have on file
permission forms which must be signed by parents.
VERBAL PERMISSION will not be accepted.
PICTURE RETAKE DAY
Please note that picture re-takes will be held
on October 29, 2015. If you wish to have
your child’s picture retaken, please send a
signed note with your child on this day.
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TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
At the beginning of October, students eligible for Courtesy
Seating were informed in writing received a Bus Privilege
card. For those of you who were waiting for a Courtesy seat,
we would like to thank you for your patience.
SCHOOL BUS SAFETY RULES
The conduct of individual students on the
bus directly affects the safety of all the
students on the bus.
The driver’s
attention needs be on the road. We are
requesting that all parents/guardians
reinforce the School Bus Safety Rules
with their child(ren).
All Students
should:
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Be at the bus stop 5 minutes prior to their stop time.
Never play close to the road.
Be ready to board the bus by waiting in an orderly line.
Board the bus in single file, use the handrail and sit down
in their seat as quickly as possible.
Listen to the bus driver.
Always remain seated while the bus is moving.
Do not throw anything out of the window.
Keep the aisles clear of objects (backpacks, lunches, etc.).
Do not shout or cause any other unnecessary noises.
Be especially quiet at railway crossings.
Never put any part of your body out an open window.
Be sure to look all ways before crossing the road.
Do not damage the bus in anyway.
Do not throw garbage on the floor.
Do not consume any food or drink on the bus.
Bus privileges will be revoked if need be. Thank you for your
support in ensuring that our students journey safely to and
from school.
KISS & RIDE PROGRAM...
Please be advised that NO CARS are allowed to park in the
Kiss & Ride/fire route lane or drive through lane in the front
of the school or in the fire route on the north side of the
building next to the parking lot. 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 & 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 reminded 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 & Ride lane. We thank you for your cooperation
with this matter.
LUNCH POLICY
Thank you for completing the Lunch
Permission Form and returning it to your
child’s teacher. This will ensure that the
school is aware of where you prefer your
child(ren) to be over the lunch hour. Any changes to the
agreement throughout the year must be submitted in writing to
the teacher and/or office. Thank you for your cooperation in
this matter.
Once children have arrived back at school, they must remain
on school property. They are not permitted to leave school
again without written permission.
The Lunch Table…
A table has been placed outside the office for lunches. Lunches
should only be dropped off on rare occasions. If you are
dropping off a lunch for your child please clearly label your
child’s name and teacher’s name on the outside of the lunch
bag/container and place it on the lunch table. Classes are not
to be interrupted for students to pick up lunches. Please advise
your child(ren) to expect a lunch to be dropped off. They will
be allowed to come down and pick up their lunch at 12:35 PM.
TEXTBOOKS
School textbooks are school property and
are loaned to the students annually. The
expectation is that textbooks will be
returned at the end of the school year.
Students are responsible for these textbooks and will be asked
to pay if these books go missing or have been vandalized. The
cost of an average textbook is about $50.00 each. Please
encourage your child to take care of textbooks!
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HALLOWEEN DANCE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER
30th
All students and staff are welcome to wear
costumes on Halloween Day - Friday,
October 30th. We will have a dance
throughout the day. Students are invited to
bring a “toonie” for ShareLife.
Please note that Halloween costumes should
allow for movement without risk of tripping when using stairs
and allow for a totally unimpaired view of their surroundings
(No Masks).
Please also bear the following in mind and discuss these points
with your children; costumes should be modest and in keeping
with the values of our Catholic schools. (No graphic images)
No weapons of any kind or REPLICAS of weapons may be
brought to school as part of any costume. The Safe School
Policy of this school board makes it an offence, with serious
consequences, to bring any weapons or replicas to school.
Please - no masks of any kind.
Thank you for your co-operation!
HALLOWEEN TREATS &
ANAPHYLAXIS
As Halloween approaches we remind you that our school has
numerous students who have LIFE THREATENING allergies.
All of our affected children have been well prepared to avoid
the potential for a life threatening allergic reaction while at
school. However, as a community, we must make every effort
to minimize the risks for this segment of our student
population. Please DO NOT send in food items of any kind.
Let’s avoid disappointment by creatively considering other
ways to celebrate birthdays and other occasions at school (ie:
pencils, stickers). As always, we thank you for your continued
understanding and support.
HALOWEEN/ALL SAINTS DAY/ALL SOULS
DAY
It is that time of year when our “little ones” will want to
visit their neighbours for trick or treating. In school, we
will remind them about the safety rules so that they can
both enjoy the evening and stay safe.
Halloween Safety…
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Choose brightly coloured costumes
Use face paint instead of masks
Plan a safe route with your child
Remind your child of road safety rules
Accompany your children
Remind children not to enter homes
Check the treats before allowing your children to
eat them
PIZZA DAYS
This month our parent council will be
organizing pizza days for our school on
Tuesdays. Please ensure that you place your
order with the exact amount of money for your child. Students
who have not pre-ordered will also have an opportunity to
purchases slices on Pizza Day. We thank you for your
continued support.
ST. RAYMOND WEBSITE
Looking for a document or information? Check out our
website: http://www.dpcdsb.org/RAYMO
BREAKFAST PROGRAM
We are currently finalizing our breakfast program for
students. All students who wish to participate must
return the signed consent form.
Promoting the Home-School Connection:
Helping your child with Math
Try the following strategies the next time you sit with your
child(ren) to help them with their homework. Ask them:
What do you know?
What do you need to know?
What do you need to find out?
How can you show your work?
What can you try to do to solve this problem?
Do you think that your plan is working?
Is there anything else that you need to do?
Do you think that your answer makes sense?
Is there any other way to solve this problem?
These are some examples of the questions we use in math to
develop higher order thinking skills and to help students gain a
deeper understanding not only of what they are learning but
why.
Looking for additional curriculum resources, videos and
lessons? Then try the Ontario Education Ministry’s website:
https://resources.elearningontario.ca
Username: dpcdsbstudent Password: oerbs
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SCHOOL COUNCIL CORNER: Updates from
our Chairperson.
Pizza Tuesdays are back and started on Tuesday,
October 6th. Pizza days run every Tuesday and the
next payment cycle will be for December and
January.
Sub Days fall every other Friday. Sub Days for the
month of October are the 2nd, 16th, and 30th. Prices
remain the same: combo (includes 6” sub, drink,
and snack) for $5.25 or sub only for $4.25.
Pita Days fall every other Friday. Pita Days for the
month of October are the 9th and 23rd. 6” pitas are
$5 each.
Popcorn Days will continue again this year.
Popcorn bags can be pre-ordered or bought every
Friday during 1st nutrition break for $2/bag.
Food 4 Students will start up again in November.
Watch out for order forms to be sent home shortly.
Lunch Days Payment Procedure will change this
year. Students who would like to order any food
day lunches will have to return order forms along
with payment with a shorter time-frame. No late
order will be accepted. Your support in returning
orders on time will be very much appreciated.
Spirit Wear – will be available for purchase
throughout the year. There are lots of items to
choose from: t-shirts, hoodie, jacket, sweat pants,
caps, gym bag, and toque. Samples will be on
display in the display cabinet in the school’s foyer.
Order forms can be found on the school’s
community board.
Pre-Xmas Fundraiser will be sent home shortly.
The Avgen Gift Card Program allows you to
purchase gift cards for retailers such as No Frills,
Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons, Walmart and many
more. , while the school retains a percentage of
cards sold. As always, there will be some great
prizes for participation.
Dr. Simone – CFFC – Thank you to everyone that
has donated items for Dr. Simone’s CFFC. All
donations will be sent overseas to a third-world
country. We will continue to take donations of
clothing, toys, etc. throughout the year. The
monthly drive during October will be food and
candy. Non-perishable food (salt, sugar, vegetable
oil, dried milk are needed most) and candy.
Students are encouraged to donate some of their
Halloween candy to the poor children of the world.
Candy is shipped in early November and sometimes
reaches its destination around Christmas. A
donation box is located in the school’s foyer. Thank
you for your continued support.
School Council Meeting – Our next school council
meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday,
December 2nd @ 6:30 pm in the school library. All
are welcome. Contact us by leaving a message with
the school’s office or via email at
st.raymond.sac@live.com.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
October / November
October 6 – Opening Mass
October 7 – School Council Meeting
October 13 – Thanksgiving Day – no school
October 21 – Virtues Assembly
October 29 – Picture Retakes (please send a note)
October 30 – Halloween Dance
November 17 – Progress Report Cards sent home
November 19 – Parent/Teacher Conferences (evening)
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