April 2012
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
St. Raymond School
5735 Whitehorn Avenue
Mississauga, Ontario L5N 6X3
Telephone: 905 286-1010
Fax: 905 286-0712
Principal: W. Brunton
Vice Principal: M. D’Alessandro
Head Secretary: L. Campoli
Assistant Secretary: T. Caines
Dear Parents of the St. Raymond Catholic School Community,
It is with great pleasure that I introduce myself to you
as Principal of St. Raymond Catholic School, effective
Monday April 2, 2012.
I look forward to having the opportunity to meet with
all of you. Getting to know the culture of St. Raymond
Catholic School will take time, but it will be made possible through communication with all members of the
community that we serve; staff, students, parents and
parish alike. I have been familiarized with many of the
great initiatives taking place at St. Raymond Catholic
School, and I am very impressed with everything that I
have witnessed. I also had the opportunity to meet with
some parents and chat about School Council, fundraising, curriculum, and the well being of our students. I
look forward to meeting more of you at upcoming
School Advisory Council meetings.
I come to St. Raymond Catholic School, having left my
most recent role as Vice Principal at Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School, as well as previous administrative assignments at St. Christopher and Father Daniel
Zanon Catholic School. I am very pleased and honoured to have the opportunity to serve the St. Raymond
Catholic School community.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr.
Schuster and Mrs. D’Alessandro for all their hard work
and efforts over the past few years. Mr. Schuster and
Mrs. D’Alessandro have made me feel very welcome
and have helped tremendously with my transition. I
wish Mr. Schuster the very best, and may God continue
to bless him and his family as they begin a new chapter
in their lives as he transitions into retirement. I am also
looking forward to working and learning from Mrs.
D’Alessandro as she will continue to serve as Vice
Principal of St. Raymond School.
Catholic education celebrates over 180 years of
excellence. It is because of the hard work and sacrifices by the many parents, teachers, students, trustees, clergy and lay people that we have the gift of
providing our students with a unique and distinctive
Catholic educational experience. It is my goal to
continue to provide your child with an education
experience illuminated by the light of faith, and
honour the many sacrifices made by our predecessors in Catholic education.
Over the upcoming weeks, please take the time to
introduce yourselves to me. I hope that you will find
my door always open to address any concerns, or
just to share in the common goal of providing the
best quality of a Catholic educational experience for
your children entrusted in my care.
Thank you for the warm welcome to your community that I have received to date.
God Bless,
Mr. Wayne Brunton
Principal
Virtue of the Month—Love
Catholic Education Week—May 6—11, 2012
The chosen theme for Catholic Education Week 2012 is: “Walking in the
Light of Christ.” The five sub-themes for this year‟s theme are: Listening
in the Light of Christ, Learning in the Light of Christ, Living in the Light of
Christ, Loving in the Light of Christ and Leading in the Light of Christ.
Several special school events will take place during Catholic Education
Week this year. Please check the May calendar for specifics.
Parish Corner
St. Joseph‟s Church
5440 Durie Road
Mississauga, Ontario
905-826-2766
office@stjosephsstreetsville.com
Pastoral Team
Fr. Marc-Andre Campbell
Assoc. Pastor Fr. Matthias Kim
Deacon Lionel Gomes
Deacon George Jurenas
Youth Minister Ana DaCosta
Dufferin - Peel CDSB
Personnel
Trustee Ward 6
Peter Ferreira
416-805-7110
peter.ferreira@dpcdsb.org
Director of Education
J. Kostoff
905-890-1221
Associate Director
R. Borrelli
905-890-1221
Superintendent
Cathy Saytar
905-890-1221
Bus Transportation
905-890-0614
Family Daycare
905-542-0101
Grade 2 Reconciliation and Holy Communion
Congratulations to our Grade 2 students who received the sacrament of
First Reconciliation on February 21st. Best wishes to all our grade 2‟s as
they now prepare to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion on Sunday, May 27, 2012.
Confirmation
Our grade 8 students will be receiving the sacrament of Confirmation on
Thursday, April 19th, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. In preparation for this special
event, the students attended a full day retreat at St. Joseph‟s Parish on
Friday, March 23rd. The students engaged in many spirit filled activities.
If you have not registered your child for Confirmation with the parish,
please contact Anna DaCosta @ 905-826-2766.
Moving?
Next year‟s school population has been projected at 580.
As planning has begun with respect to formulating classes
and general school organization for the 2012-2013 school
year, please inform the office as soon as possible if you
are planning to move between now and September 2012.
Best Wishes and Welcome back to….
Ms. K. Maier who is replacing Mrs. Strk in Grade 5 class for the remainder
of this year during her maternity leave.
Best wishes have been expressed to Mrs. Strk and her husband on behalf of the entire St. Raymond
community.
Full Day Kindergarten at St. Raymond School
St. Raymond School is offering 4 full day Kindergarten classes beginning
in September 2012. If your child is going into Junior or Senior Kindergarten and you have not yet registered for September 2012, please come
into the office as soon as possible.
Punctuality is Important
A number of students are arriving to school late. This results in considerable interruptions to lessons and students missing the instructions for the
daily assignments. Arriving on time and being prepared to learn helps
students form good work habits and provides a positive beginning to the
day. The Exceptional School Study support that increased time on task
and fewer disruptions to the learning environment help to support improved academic outcomes. Students should be in the yard before the
bell rings so that they can enter and begin the day with their peers.
STOMP
It is very evident that the St. Raymond community was acting in the spirit of alms giving
this Lenten Season. Our atrium was over
flowing with donations for Dr. Simone and
his organization, Canadian Food For Children. As always, staff, students and community came together in solidarity to help
“STOMP” out poverty and hunger around the
world. It was a beautiful example of the virtue of kindness ever present at St. Raymond
School.
Show support for anti-bullying Wear
Pink!
April 11, 2012 is Day of Pink, the international day against bullying and discrimination in schools. In 2007, a Grade 9 student
in Nova Scotia was bullied for wearing a
pink shirt. Two students took action by
bringing pink shirts to school the next day.
Word spread, and two weeks later, hundreds of students showed up at school
dressed in pink. Since then, participants
wear pink on April 11, to demonstrate antibullying solidarity. St. Raymond invites students, staff and the community to support
Day of Pink by wearing a pink shirt (or anything pink) on April 11th. For more information, visit www.dayofpink.org .
Skills Canada Competition St. Raymond
Conquers Skills
On Tuesday, March 27th 42 students represented
St. Raymond at the annual Dufferin-Peel Skills
Canada Competition. The competition was held
at St. Augustine Secondary School in conjunction
with the Secondary Skills Competition. Students
participated in Junior and Intermediate Lego Robotics, Junior and Intermediate Character Animation, Junior and Intermediate Design & Technology, Junior and Intermediate Lego Dacta Mechanics and Intermediate Health & Safety.
All teams competed in tight competitions where
the skill levels were exceptional. St. Raymond
students excelled in all areas. Our team returned
with a BRONZE medal in Junior Animation
(Giselle, Leah, Nicole and Carlos) and Intermediate Health & Safety (Eric and Vevian); a SILVER
medal went to Intermediate Lego Dacta Mechanics (Kelsey, Bethany, Jamie and Patrick) and a
GOLD medal was awarded to Intermediate Design & Technology (Abigail, Jeffery, Keishaun
and Leisha).
The Intermediate Design & Technology team will
be advancing to the Provincial Finals Skills Competition at RIM Park in Kitchener, Waterloo on
Monday, April 30th. Congratulations and good
luck!
EQAO Grade 3 and Grade 6 Testing
The EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability
Office) testing of our Grade 3 and 6 students will
take place from May 23rd 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.
Nut Allergy Reminder
School Driveway
Several St. Raymond students have extreme
allergies to nuts. This also includes any food
that contains nut products. The allergies of
some students are so severe that it could be
life threatening; they may have a reaction of
any item containing any nuts even in close
proximity. Parents are asked to pack “NutFree” snacks and lunches for their child. As
well, please remind your child not to share
their lunches, snacks or treats. We need your
co-operation in refraining from sending peanut/
nut-based food products to school with your
child. We recognize that for some parents/
guardians this may be difficult to accommodate. Please contact your son‟s/daughter‟s
teacher for alternatives. Thank you for your
assistance in making St. Raymond School a
safe environment for all pupils.
Parents are reminded that when they are picking
up their children they may use the Kiss „n Ride
area in front of the school. The AREA IS A FIRE
ROUTE so the driver MUST remain at the wheel of
the car at ALL times. When the children are in the
car, drivers move to the left lane to exit the driveway. Cars may NEVER stop to park and pick up
children in the left lane. It is a drive thru lane. The
Kiss „n Ride will only hold about 5 cars at a time.
As these cars leave with their passengers others
will be able to enter the area. AT NO TIME MAY
CARS PICK UP STUDENTS FROM THE STAFF
PARKING LOT (handicapped section excluded).
Pylons indicate the area is out-of-bounds. Students who live North of the school cross this parking area to access the sidewalk safely. If all parents follow these procedures, students will be able
to safely leave the school premises. Parents, be
sure to have your children use the sidewalks and
the crosswalks as they arrive and leave the school
property to maximize their safety. Please note that
Parking Enforcement visits and gives out tickets to
those not adhering to the law.
We are recycling batteries at St.
Raymond School. Simply, drop
your used batteries into the recycling bin in the front foyer of
the school. Thank you.
Lost and Found
The “Lost and Found Box”, located in the
school office is a good place to start looking for
missing items. Periodically, we remind students to
check the box for any items they may have lost.
Please remind your child(ren) to check the Lost
and Found Box if anything is lost.
Water bottleless Wednesdays
Mr. Sub Day
Mark your agendas….Friday, April 27, 2012 is
Mr. Sub Day at St. Raymond School.
Enjoy a sub sandwich of your creation for only
$3.50. Add a drink and a cookie for only $5.00.
Orders will be distributed in classes soon. All
order forms are due back to school by Friday,
April 20,2012. Great Deal!! Great Meal !!!
Did you know? Bottled water costs between
$1 and $4 per gallon, and 90% of this cost is for
the bottle, lid and label. Now you know why we
want to eliminate the use of plastic bottles at St.
Raymond.
On Wednesdays (or everyday)
bring a reusable bottle to school (and work) INSTEAD of a plastic water bottle. You will feel *Please note in order to comply with The Food and Beverbetter and will help your school and community age Policy (effective September 2011) Mr. Sub sandwiches
reduce the amount of plastic in landfills. Let‟s will be offered on whole wheat bread only. Thank you.
all do our part to help !!!!
Forest of Reading Program
The Forest of Reading® is Canada's largest recreational reading program! This initiative of
the Ontario Library Association (OLA) offers seven reading programs to encourage a love of reading
in people of all ages. The Forest helps celebrate Canadian books, publishers, authors and illustrators.
More than 250,000 readers participate annually.
St. Raymond students have been reading the nominated books from the Forest of Reading Award Nomination
Lists. For the first time at St. Raymond, a Wiki was created enabling students to post a review of the book he/she had
read. Countless reviews were posted over the last three months from students ranging from grade 3 to 8. Because of the
overwhelming student participation, the Forest of Reading Wiki was a huge success! As a result, the Forest of Reading
Wiki will continue next year when the new nominees are announced in October. I look forward to reading the reviews.
On March 7th, students who fulfilled the required number of books read, were eligible to vote for his/her favourite book nominee. St. Raymond’s voting results were as followed in each category:
Blue Spruce: Giraffe and Bird by Rebecca Bender.
Silver Birch Express: The Last Loon by Rebecca Upjohn
Silver Birch Fiction: Better Than Weird by Anna Kerz
Silver Birch Non-Fiction: Don’t Touch That Toad & Other Strange Things Adults Tell You by Catherine Rondina
and Kevin Sylvester
Red Maple: Home Truths by Jill MacLean
Library Corner
The library will be conducting Inventory mid-April prior to
converting to the new Symphony operating system in May.
As a result, all library books MUST be returned to the library by Friday, April 13th. There will be NO book exchange for the 2 weeks period from Mon. April 16th to Fri.
April 27th. Circulation will commence again on Monday
April 30th. Thank you for your patience and cooperation!
Mrs. Goncalves
Milk Mats For Haiti
Don’t Throw Out Your Milk Bags!!
Join St. Raymond
in collecting Milk Bags
that will be cut into strips,
then knitted into mats
for those in need in Haiti.
Electronic Newsletter
In an effort to be more environmentally responsible, St. Raymond School is aiming to provide 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. Of course, should you prefer not to provide us your email address, we will provide a paper copy of the newsletter to your child (oldest and only) to bring home.
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 here please: ________________________
Walking to School Spring Launch
Now that Spring has arrived, the St. Raymond
Walk to School Program is beginning again …Our
official Launch Day will be Friday, April 20, 2012.
Representatives from the Region of Peel will be onsite to welcome our Walk-to-Schoolers.
Check out the front foyer of the school (near the
office) for a large map of our School Walking
Route. There are also small maps that you can
take, put in your backpacks and agendas, for easy
reference. If you are interested in joining the Walk
to School Club, visit the office for a Walk to School
tracking sheet. Each time you walk to school ask
you teacher to initial the sheet. Once you have 10
initials, your teacher will verify your certificate.
Once verified you need to visit Ms. D. in the office
and your name will be entered into a Walk to
School contest. During the months of April, May
and June, draws will take place and the winners
will receive a Walk to School prize. Good luck.
Remember …. Walking is a great, inexpensive exercise that all of us can do. So, say no to the drive
to school …. walk instead. Make plans with your
friends and brothers and sisters to gather together
and walk to school using the School Walking
Route. Walk with a friend, with your family. Have
fun and enjoy the Spring air.
.