The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
May 2012
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
Principal‘s Message:
I would like to extend my sincere thank you to all
of the parent community for welcoming me to St.
Raymond School throughout the month of April. I
have had the extreme pleasure of meeting many
parents and look forward to working with you to
ensure your child receives the best Catholic education.
I encourage all of our parents to join the staff and
students through prayer, activities, assemblies,
masses, and liturgies that take place at the
school. This month we will celebrate Catholic
education from May 9th to May 11th. This year our
theme is ―Walking in the Light of Christ‖ and will
be celebrated throughout the school and through
student activities. Catholic education celebrates
over 180 years of excellence, and we encourage
our staff, students, and parent community to continue to live through the teachings of Christ and
our gospel messages.
As a Catholic school, May brings the celebration
of our Virgin Mother Mary. Our students will be
praying to our Heavenly Mother and learning
about the rosary. As we celebrate Mother‘s Day
we encourage you to support our work in faith development by praying as a family to Mary and emphasizing the role Mary plays for us as Catholics.
Once again, thank you for your continued support
of the school and my best wishes for continued
success and good health in the months ahead.
God Bless,
W. Brunton
Principal
A Prayer for Mothers
Loving God,
We thank you for the love of the mothers you
have given us,
whose love is so precious that it can never be
measured,
whose patience seems to have no end.
May we see your loving hand behind them
and guiding them.
We pray for those mothers who fear they will
run out of love
or time, or patience.
We ask you to bless them with your own special love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, our brother.
Amen
Virtue of the Month—Acceptance
New Registrations for 2012-2013
The school office will accept new registrations for 2012-2013 school year up to
and including Friday, June 29th of this year (last day of classes). The office will re
-open for new registrations on August 27th to August 31st from
9:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.—3:00 p.m.
Welcome to Kindergarten Evening
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
All new Kindergarten children registered for September 2012 are invited to attend
a workshop with their parents on Wednesday, May 16th at 6:00 p.m. in the school
gymnasium.
This workshop will focus on strategies and activities for preparing your child to
attend school. Each child will receive a bag filled with wonderful materials. These
materials will be excellent for the children and their parents to use in preparation
for Kindergarten. The resources are provided by the Learning Partnership, supported by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.
Grade 7 & 8 Summer School
Once again the Ministry of Education is providing funding for Grade 7 and 8 elementary summer school. The focus of this program will be on those students
whose achievement of Grade 7 or 8 Language and Mathematics expectations indicates that they are likely to experience difficulty in achieving the following grade‘s
expectations.
Students MUST take both the literacy and mathematics classes.
Student eligibility for the summer school program will be determined by the Principal in consultation with teachers.
Trustee Ward 6
Peter Ferreira
416-805-7110
peter.ferreira@dpcdsb.org
Students must attend THE ENTIRE PROGRAM – no holidays are allowed.
Dates: Monday, July 3 to Friday, July 20, 2012
Time: 8:30 am to 12:30 pm EACH DAY @ St. Gertrude School
Director of Education
J. Kostoff
905-890-1221
Transportation for pupils enrolled in these programs will be provided at pick-up
points meeting the Board distance requirements. Pick-up points will likely be your
home school. (Further information to follow in June.)
Associate Director
R. Borrelli
905-890-1221
The deadline for application is Friday, May 31, 2012.
Superintendent
Cathy Saytar
905-890-1221
Bus Transportation
905-890-0614
Family Daycare
905-542-0101
Teachers have already distributed forms to several Grade 7 and 8 students. However, if you are interested in having your child attend, please contact your child‘s
teacher for further information and forms.
Summer Literacy Camp 2012 for Senior Kindergarten – Grade 6
Summer Literacy Camp is a half-day intervention program. The program is designed to improve student performance in Reading and Writing for students in SK
to Grade 6. The Camp is offered for 4 weeks (Tuesday July 3rd—Friday July
27th). Students can enroll for 2 consecutive weeks of a 4 week program. The
program runs from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Summer Literacy Camp is offered at 14 school sites in the Dufferin-Peel C.D.S.B.
Transportation is NOT provided for the Camps. The Camp is $200.00 for 2
weeks or $380.00 for 4 weeks (family discounts are available).
Parents were sent registration forms at the beginning of April. These forms need
to be submitted to the classroom teacher with payment by June 1, 2012. If you
are interested and/or need information or a registration package, please contact
your child‘s teacher.
EQAO Testing
Joe Sax Activity Festival
Students currently enrolled in grade 3 and grade 6
will participate in the Provincial Assessment for
Reading, Writing, and Mathematics, Primary Division and Junior Division. Grade 3 and Grade 6
students will be assessed during the weeks of May
28th—June 8th.
A group of students have been selected to participate in
the annual Joe Sax Activity Festival to take place at Iona
Catholic Secondary School on Wednesday, May 9th,
2012.
Parents/Guardians are asked to avoid scheduling
appointments on these days. Please ensure that
your child has a nutritious breakfast and arrives at
school on time during this assessment period.
Students will do a variety of assessment activities
designed to allow them to demonstrate their skills
and knowledge relating to reading, writing and
mathematics as outlined in the Ontario Curriculum.
These province-wide tests are developed by Ontario teachers and assessment experts and resemble the work children do in class everyday.
EQAO has developed a Parent Bulletin to give you
more information about the assessments and an
understanding of what to expect. The bulletin is
available in over 20 languages on the EQAO Website (www.eqao.com) under ―Parent Resources.‖
This event is named in honour of Dufferin-Peel Teacher
Joe Sax, who passed away in November 2004. Joe was
the Distance Coach for the Mississauga Track Club, a
member of the Toronto Olympic Club, and a Canadian
record holder of the 3000 m Steeplechase.
The goal of the Festival is to provide students with an
opportunity to have a positive physical and social experience through sport.
Tutors in the Classroom Program
With the help of a grant from the Literacy and Numeracy
Secretariat, St. Raymond is currently offering after
school tutoring sessions for students in Grade 3 and 6
classes. The program began the week of April 23 and
will end Thursday, May 24. The sessions consist of
Language and Math activities to assist students to become more prepared for the upcoming EQAO testing.
The sessions run for an hour and a half twice a week.
Thank you to Mr. Pacheco, Mrs. Goncalves, Ms. Barran,
Mrs. Lootsma and Ms. DiPasqua for leading these sessions.
Walking to School
All Star Reading
We would like to thank: Kristen Labutte, Ilaria
Flammini, Victoria Ip, Jessica Dias, Ritu Syal, Lucy
Tedesco, Rosa Pinelli and Tabitha Itwaru who volunteered their time to help make the All Star Reading Program a success this year. The program has
been of benefit to students in both grade one and
grade two.
Diversity Conference
On May 3rd, students from Mrs. Flammini and Mrs.
Kojundzic Grade 7 classes attended the Mississauga South Family of Schools annual Diversity
Grade 7 Conference ―Walking and Embracing
The Light of Christ. The students participated in
mass together with other Grade 7 schools from our
Mississauga South Family of Schools and in various activities at Blessed Trinity School.
Now that Spring has arrived, the St.
Raymond Walk to School Program is up
and running …
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. Starting in May draws will take place
and winners will receive Walk to School prizes. 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.
Take Me Out To the Ball Game
School Council Meeting
On Friday May 18th, 2012 the St. Raymond community will travel together to watch the New York Mets
take on our Toronto Blue Jays. Thank you to all of
our families who have indicated their attendance for
this game. Our school council committee has organized the tickets and buses for this wonderful event.
For those travelling by bus, the buses will depart St.
Raymond School at 5:30 p.m. in front of the school.
We look forward to seeing all of our students and
families at the Blue Jay Game.
Grade 8 Trip to Onondaga Camp
Go Jays Go!
Our next school council meeting will be held
on Thursday May 24th at 6:30 p.m. All are
welcomed to attend.
On Wednesday May 30th our grade 8 students
will be visiting Onondaga Camp for three days
and two nights. Onondaga Camp is located at
Middle Bob Lake, near Minden Ontario. Students will engage in a number of outdoor activities over their three day stay. We look forward to hearing all about their trip when they
return. Have a great time grade eights!
Personal Electronic Devices (PED‘S)
As part of our efforts to promote and maintain a positive Catholic climate in our schools, the board has a
policy regarding Personal Electronic Devices (PEDS)
i.e. wireless and/or portable electronic handheld
equipment such as PEDS i.e. cameras, IPODS, MPs
players, cell phones, video games on school property. In this regard, all cameras, IPODS, MPs players, cell phones, I Phones, I-Pads, and video
games must be kept out of sight, turned off and not
used within school premises or during schoolsanctioned activities. To prevent the loss or damage
of these items, we encourage students to leave them
at home as the school cannot be responsible for
items. Students will always be given the opportunity
to call home in case of emergency.
Policy for late students…
Punctuality is a necessary life skill that if practiced now, will be beneficial in the future.
Please help us to ensure that your child develops good habits in meeting the daily expectations for arrival. It is the school expectation
that classroom instruction begins at 8:30 a.m.
Late arrival disturbs the class and interrupts
lessons. Late arrival is not healthy for your
child. It places them in a rushed frame of
mind, making them feel like they have to catch
up. Even a few minutes late make a difference. For those parents that ensure early
arrival for their children, THANK YOU.
All students arriving late to school must
report to the office and will receive a late
slip. Teachers will be recording student
lateness on the report card.
Catholic Education in Ontario
ONTARIO‘S CATHOLIC SCHOOLS go back as
far as the 1600s. A formal system was established in 1841, and the Scott Act of 1863 gave
the Catholic community the right to establish and
operate publicly funded Catholic schools. Since
then, Catholic schools have made a tremendous
contribution to the vitality and success of Ontario‘s education system, which ranks among the
best in the world. Today, Ontario‘s Catholic education system consistently produces high levels
of student achievement. Further, graduates are
taught the virtues and values of the Catholic faith
– including community, responsibility, accountability, collaboration, caring and family – making
them not just good students, but good citizens.
ONTARIO‘S CATHOLIC EDUCATION system is
not a duplicate of other school systems. While it
ad-heres to Ministry of Education requirements, it
does so from a Catholic perspective. The curriculum is enhanced by Gospel values. Teachers are
professionally trained and committed to serving
in Catholic schools. At the heart of Catholic education is the person of Jesus. Faith development
is integral to every part of Catholic education, as
students are called to respect the dignity of all
human persons in a caring community. In the
Catholic education system, home, school and
parish form a vital partnership. Through participation in the community and involvement with the
parish, students are guided by the Gospel values, principles and standards that reach into
every facet of school life.
Home, school and church work together,
preparing students to receive the sacraments.
Congratulations Grade 8 Confirmation
Students
Special congratulations to all of our grade 8
students who received the sacrament of Confirmation on Thursday April 19th, 2012 at St.
Joseph’s Parish. Thank you to all the parents, families, and sponsors for helping our
students prepare for this Blessed Sacrament.
We encourage our parents and students to
continue with their faith journey and participate regularly in the sacrament of communion.
In Celebration of Catholic Education Week
Why God made Teachers
By Kevin William Huff
When God created teachers. He gave us special
friends,
To help us understand His world and truly comprehend,
The beauty and the wonder of everything we see,
And become a better person with each discovery.
When God created teachers, He gave us special
guides
To show us ways in which to grow so we can all decide,
How to live and how to do what‘s right instead of
wrong,
To lead us so that we can lead and learn how to be
strong.
Why God created teachers, in His wisdom and His
grace,
Was to help us learn to make our world a better, wiser
place.
Catholic Education Week
This month we celebrate Catholic Education Week.
From May 6th through May 11th Catholic School Boards
will recognize the importance of Catholic education in
our province. There are five sub-themes for each day
of Catholic Education Week:
Monday – Listening in the Light of Christ
Tuesday – Learning in the Light of Christ
Wednesday – Living in the Light of Christ
Thursday – Loving in the Light of Christ
Friday – Leading in the Light of Christ
St. Raymond School will have a special sacred performance on Thursday May 10th at 9:00 a.m. in the
gym. Our grade 3 students from Mrs. Davenport‘s
class will be performing the story of Our Lady Guadalupe. In the afternoon from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
our junior and intermediate students will be participating in the Living Rosary. Over 67 students will lead the
students in The Rosary Prayer. All parents are welcome to attend.
First Communion will be held on Sunday May
27, 2012 at 3:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Parish.
Parent Volunteers
We have been very fortunate, within our school
community, to have such a dedicated group of
parents giving of their time to make our school
environment a better and safer place for all of
our children. Thank you to all parents who have
acted as volunteers in any capacity. You have
helped make it another great year at St. Raymond School.
Kiss ‗n Ride Safety
Mr. Sub Day
Mark your agendas….Friday, May 25, 2012 is our
next 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 Thursday, May 17
2012. Great Deal!! Great Meal !!!
You are reminded that the area in front of the
school is a designated Kiss ‗n Ride. Only parents who are dropping off or picking up their
children may be in the middle lane. Students
must be able to exit/enter cars from the doors
on the passenger side of the car when using
Kiss ‗n Ride. Cars may NEVER stop for pick up
or drop off in the left drive-thru lane.
Summer Dress Code
Parking
The staff parking area is for staff parking only.
Students who live North of the school use the
crosswalks in this area to safely leave the
school. Parents are to use the Kiss n‘ Ride to
pick up students, not the staff parking area.
Class Organization
In the very near future, staff will be involved in
discussions regarding appropriate placement of
your child/ren for the fall of 2012. Class organization takes into account many factors and since
you know your child/ren best, we would appreciate
any input that would help us in this respect.
Please use the form enclosed with this newsletter.
Completed forms must be submitted to the office
by Friday, May 18, 2012 for your input to be considered.
Moving
To assist in the organization of classes for the upcoming school year and to have transfer forms
completed, we are requesting that those families
moving out of the area please inform the office as
soon as possible.
With the warmer weather approaching, we request
both student and parent support and co-operation in
ensuring that students are neat, clean and appropriately dressed. Attire should continue to reflect modesty and the moral standard expected at St. Raymond School.
• Clothing should be neat, clean and without tears
and/or holes,
• Patches, symbols or sayings on clothing shall not
be offensive to anyone who might read them nor
should they promote negative messages.
• Halter tops, tank tops, mesh shirts, basketball jerseys, muscle shirts cut- off shirts, midriff tops and
bandanas are inappropriate attire for school.
• Running shoes are safest for playing in the school
yard as they protect the feet and toes.
The use of hats, sunglasses and sunscreen are recommended as required.
School Closed
Please note: Friday, May 11, 2012 is a PA Day.
St. Raymond School is closed. As well, St. Raymond School will be closed on Monday, May 21,
2012 for the Victoria Day Holiday. School will
reopen on Tuesday, May 22, 2012. Enjoy your
Victoria Day Weekend!!!!
Hats Off to Kidz Walk
St. Raymond School will be holding a Walk-a-thon in support of Hats off 2 Kidz,
Leukemia Research at Sick Kids Hospital on Monday, May 7, 2012 beginning at
9:30 am. Rain date: Monday, May 14, 2012.
Hats off 2 Kidz is a charitable organization in the support of Leukemia Research
for the Hospital for Sick Children and the Sick Kids Foundation. To date, HATS
off 2 Kidz has raised over $ 700,000.00.
On Event Day (May 7, 2012), students and staff are asked to wear a baseball cap
as a tribute to children who live with leukemia and the effects of chemotherapy.
In the days prior to the walk, each class will design their own banner to carry on
Event Day.
Sick Kids donation envelopes will be circulating through the classrooms from Tuesday, May 1 to Thursday, May 3.. Give what you can. No donation is too small.
We invite all members of our school communities to “be the voice of children” and
join us on this very special day. Let’s raise awareness of pediatric leukemia, raise
funds for needed medical research and raise our heart rates all at the same time!
Come walk with us!!
KIDS walking for KIDZ. ―Today, we can give a child a reason to smile, tomorrow!‖
We dedicate this year‘s walk in memory of a many brave shining stars in our families.
TOGETHER WE WILL
Library News
St. Raymond 2012 Inventory
During the week of April 16-20th, a crew of three Library Board
Employees were at St. Raymond. They inspected each book and
resource in the library. The crew removed 850 books.
Books were removed for the following reasons:
-ripped pages
-water/liquid damage
-writing within the pages, especially inside the covers
It is important that students treat the books as if they were their own, thus taking better care of them so
that we do not have to remove so many again next year.
Fortunately, the books were put in the staffroom for teachers to use in their classroom libraries, if they
wish to repair them or if they didn't mind the water damage.
The library crew were in again during the week of April 23-27, to conduct a physical inventory. They
compared what was in the library and what the computer system had on file. According to the inventory,
numerous books have been claimed as lost, and students have been asked to pay for their lost library
book. These funds will help to replace the lost books.
Circulation/book exchange resumed on Monday April 30th.
Thank you for your patience and co-operation during the library closure.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Goncalves
Teacher-Librarian
Ready Set Read! Summer Reading Club
Coming soon to a Public Library Branch near you!!
Who:
Students in Grade 1 through Grade 3 (who are reading at an independent reading level of 16 or higher) and their family members.
What:
Each week for 6 weeks, Dufferin-Peel teachers will be modelling
and demonstrating a variety of reading comprehension
strategies during read-aloud sessions. Participants will
receive a “Parent Toolkit” and “Student Toolkit” to help support
reading throughout the summer.
Where: Select Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon and Orangeville Public
Libraries
When: 1 hour weekly (dates and times will vary depending on library
locations)
Why:
To reinforce reading strategies introduced throughout the
school year and sustain reading development over the summer
months in a fun environment!
Please look for the application coming home soon to enrol your child in the Ready Set Read!
Club this summer.