Website: http://www.dpcdsb.org/TMORE
Welcome One Another As Christ Has Welcomed You, Romans 15:7
St. Thomas More Catholic School
LEST WE FORGET
St. Thomas More
Catholic School
3270 Tomken Road
Mississauga, ON., L4Y 2Y7
(905) 279-6472
Fax: (905) 279-3205
Principal
M. Nicoletti
Vice Principal
R. Furtado
Secretarial Staff
L. Antilope
D. Bozzelli
Superintendent
T. Lariviere
(905) 890-1221
Trustee
Mario Pascucci, Chair
Mississauga Wards 1 & 3
(905) 302-3096
(905) 890-0708 x20161
mario.pascucci@dpcdsb.org
School Council Chair
S. Olmedo
Pastor
Rev. John Facey
St. Patrick’s Church
(905) 270-2301
Follow us on Twitter:
@DPCDSBSchools
We remember them kindly,
We remember them tenderly
Their memories bring tears to our eyes.
They were brave, they're our heroes.
They fought for their country.
And too many paid with their lives
They were seamen and airmen;
They were nurses and soldiers.
They fought so that we could be free.
Some died, some were wounded in horrible battle,
in the air, on the land, on the sea.
We remember to honour, we remember to cherish
those brave souls who fought for our freedom. Our
respects and our tributes we gladly pay to them; we are
grateful that we are still free.
We wear poppies proudly, our praise echoes loudly,
so world wars will not come again. To forget would be
fateful, let us all be so grateful and remember these women
and men, who fought for our freedom.
Poppies are available in our main office for
a nominal donation to the Royal Canadian Legion.
OFFICE REMINDERS
Attendance:
Please call (905) 279-6472 (press 1) to let us
know your child will be late or absent. This
information is important to the safety of
your child.
Visitor’s Protocol:
In keeping with Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board Policy, all visitors to
the school must report to the office.
We are asking for your cooperation to ensure that there are
no visitors on the schoolyard other than those adults
who are staff at the school and can be identified by
wearing an orange safety vest. Parents are welcome to
wait outside fenced areas.
Appointments:
Any student leaving the school during the day due to
appointments, etc., must be signed out at the office. Please
ensure that you send a note in this regard to your child’s
teacher.
Newsletter Inserts:
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StopR Inclement Weather Notification
French Immersion Information/Kindergarten Registration
Math @ Home
PLEASE ARRIVE ON TIME
Start Time
9:00 a.m.
AM Recess
11:11 a.m.
Lunch
12:06 p.m.
PM Recess
2:29 p.m.
Dismissal
3:30 p.m.
BUSING NEWS
BULLYING AWARENESS AND
PREVENTION WEEK (November 15-21)
November 15 marks the beginning of
Bullying Awareness and Prevention
Week in Ontario. As bullying awareness and prevention efforts play a
large part in the life of Dufferin-Peel
Catholic schools, staff and students
across the board will be supporting
this initiative with numerous activities. Here are a few key
activities taking place at STM to support Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week.
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Courtesy Seating:
We have received many requests for
courtesy seats. Every effort has been
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made to accommodate requests on a
case by case basis, in adherence to the
Board’s “Courtesy Seat Policy.” Parents
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have been informed whether their child(ren) have been
granted a courtesy seat for the 2015-2016 school year. All
students riding the bus have been assigned a bus tag which
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must be visible at all times. Additional information on
Courtesy Seats can be found at stopr.ca.
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Inclement Weather:
As colder weather and winter approaches bus transportation may face some disruptions, including delays and cancellations. Please refer to attached insert for
information for media announcements.
Parents/guardians can also subscribe to have 
any delays or cancellations sent directly to
their e-mail by registering at stopr.ca.
KISS & RIDE: SAFETY FIRST
The safety of all children and staff must be considered as
paramount at all times. When dropping students off at
school, drivers are reminded of the following:
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Watch for children/pedestrians
Advance vehicles forward to stop sign
Children must cross at the designated crossing area
Never let your child walk between buses
Do not leave your vehicle unattended in fire routes
Arrive on time (supervision starts at 8:45am)
Do not let children out on the drive through lane
Do not pick-up or drop-off at driveway entrances
Do not cut in front of other vehicles, advance in line
If you need to get out of your vehicle to assist your
child, please advance forward towards stop sign
 Follow all posted traffic signs
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Minute of Silence: On Monday, November 16, at
10:00 a.m., all Dufferin-Peel students and staff will
join together in one minute of silence in recognition
of all victims of bullying, including bystanders.
Anti-Bullying Pledge: All staff and students will
have the opportunity to sign the STM Anti-Bullying
Pledge.
YFA Announcements: Our Youth Faith Ambassadors will be making daily announcements to promote
this important initiative.
Pink Day-Roof Top Photo: All STM students will
join hands and wear pink and have a roof top photo
taken on Wednesday, November 18, 2015.
Classroom Activities: All Dufferin-Peel teachers will
receive a resource package containing prayers, reflections and a liturgy. This will aid in increasing bullying
awareness with a focus on creating a Catholic community of culture and caring.
Online Reporting Tool: The board began a pilot
project with secondary and select elementary schools
last year which allowed for the anonymous reporting
by students and others of bullying incidents and negative behaviours impacting the school community. The
online reporting tool is now available board-wide.
CCCCC School Climate Teams: School teams have
been developed in response to our Catholic Board
Learning Plan’s call to create safe, inclusive caring
environments. The STM team continues to develop
safe school strategies based on the results of the
School Climate surveys.
Peel Regional Police Presentations: Constable
David Craig will be in to present to our students this
week:
Presentation 1: November 18, 2015 (Grades 6-8)
Grades: 7-8 Topic: The Power to Choose
Grades: 6 Topic: Cyber Citizenship
Presentation 2: November 19, 2015 (Grades 3-5)
Grades: 4-5 Topic: The Power to Be Awesome
Grades: 3 Topic: Everyday Hero
CURRICULUM NEWS
Library:
Did you know that through the school
website students have access to many
different internet based learning resources
including books online and electronic
encyclopedias? To begin, follow this path
to locate these materials: http://www.dpcdsb.org/
TMORE > Select “Library” on the top right-hand part
of the window > Select “Elementary eResources” dropdown list on the right-hand-side of the screen. For both
Bookflix and Encyclopedia Britannica the username is
“duffpeel” and password is “duff7878”. For more information please see Mr. Schatz in the library.
Creating Pathways to Success:
In 2013 Ontario Ministry of Education
introduced the Creating Pathways to
Success document, which sets out the
new career development policy for
Ontario schools from grades K-12. Last
year our intermediate students began
using “myBlueprint,” a visual, interactive
portfolio and education planner for
grades 7-12. Recognizing the need for a
similar electronic tool in grades K-6, STM has been
selected to be one of the pilot schools to implement the
All About Me Portfolio (K-6), as part of a Dufferin-Peel
CDSB initiative.
EQAO:
Congratulations to our grade 3 and grade 6 students for
their excellent overall performance in the June 2015
Provincial Assessment. Here are some highlights:
Grade 3:
Reading 81%
Writing 88%
Math
83%
Grade 6:
Reading 91%
Writing 92%
Math
59%
Individual reports will be sent home with your child. We
also encourage parents to view the 2014-2015 School Report in more detail by visiting the following link:
http://www.eqao.com/en
HOMEWORK HELP
This is an excellent resource for
students in grades 7 and 8, who
may need a bit of extra help with
their math homework.
PEEL REGIONAL POLICE PROGRAMS
Youth Education Department:
In collaboration with the Dufferin Peel
Catholic District School Board, many informative programs are offered to positively engage
and influence youth from Grades 1-8. We
welcome Constable David Craig, who will be our Youth
Education Officer, and will be speaking to classes on
November 18th, 19th and February 25th.
RAID Program:
The RAID program (Reduce Abuse in Drugs), is a 5 week
program offered to Grade 6 students. Constable Holly
Faulkner will be at STM in March and April to meet with
the students for 80 minutes and provide the corresponding lesson.
Neighbourhood Police Unit (NPU Officers):
Every school year, all schools are assigned NPU officers
(Neighbourhood Police Unit). We have been informed
that new officers, who have yet to be determined will be
assigned to STM. We would like to thank Constables
Steve and Paul for their roles in promoting positive relationships in our school community.
Our first Lockdown practice will take place on:
November 17th @ 11:30am.
PICTURE RETAKE DAY
Our picture retake day will be held on:
Wednesday, November 18th
Photography services are provided by Lifetouch Canada.
REMEMBRANCE DAY
On November 11th we will reflect on the Virtue of Conscience during our Remembrance Day assembly as we
remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for
our freedom. Please join us at the following times:
10:00-10:35am Classes: FDK1, 1A, 2A,
2/3A, 3B, 4/5A, 4A, 5B, 6C, 7B, 7C,
8B
10:40-11:10am Classes: FDK2, FDK3,
1/2A, 1/2B, 3A, 3/4A, 5C, 6A, 6B,
7A, 8A, 8C
GRADE 8 TRIP TO OTTAWA
We are offering our grade 8 students an
overnight trip experience to Ottawa
between Wednesday, May 18 to Friday,
May 20, 2016. We will hold the Grade 8
Ottawa Trip Information Meeting on:
Homework Help is funded by
the Ontario government and administered by TVO and is
a FREE online math help resource for students in Grades Tuesday, November 10th, 2015 @ 7:00 pm (Small Gym).
7-10.
Ontario.ca/HomeworkHelp
A representative from Explorica Education Tours
(Keating Explorica) will be present at the meeting, along
with school staff, to answer any questions you may have.
VIRTUE OF CONSCIENCE
During the month of November we
will focus on the Virtue of Conscience.
We invite parents/ guardians to join us
at our Virtues Liturgy and Assembly
each month.
A person with Conscience…
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listens to the voice of the Holy Spirit inside
can see how their actions can help or hurt others
chooses to do what Jesus would do
admits their sins and feel badly about poor choices
says sorry and tries to make up for hurtful actions
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
STM Intramural Council:
Five members of STM's new Intramural/
Athletic Student Council attended a student
leadership conference in Guelph on October
22, 2015. At 'Raise the Bar', Anna, Hannah, Christian,
Paola and Tabitha took part in fun, sporting activities
which they intend to incorporate in to STM's own Intramural Schedule. Participation, inclusion, confidence and
relationship-building will be the cornerstones of our program.
Junior Volleyball Intramurals:
We are pleased to announce that our junior students will
have the opportunity to develop their volleyball skills in
the STM Junior Intramural Volleyball League comprised
of five teams. Thank you to Mrs. Venditti and Ms.
God wants us to know the difference between right and
Istaifan for coaching.
wrong choices, and how your choices can impact others
around you.
Intermediate Volleyball:
Both the girls and boys teams have commenced their seaPlease join us at our monthly Virtues Assembly on
son. We would like to wish both teams success. Thank
November 27th to celebrate the Virtue of Conscience as a
you to Mrs. Venditti, Mrs. Kolenko and Mr. DiFilippo for
school community.
coaching.
1:10 pm
Cross Country:
Classes: FDK1, 1A, 2A, 2/3A, 3B, 4/5A, 4A, 5B, 6C,
A record-breaking 72 students took part in The
7B, 7C, 8B
Mississauga East Cross Country Meet at Centennial Park
on October 19, 2015. Congratulations to every student
1:50 pm
who trained, supported team mates and gave their best at
Classes: FDK2, FDK3, 1/2A, 1/2B, 3A, 3/4A, 5C, 6A,
the race. We are very proud of you. There were 21 schools
6B, 7A, 8A, 8C
competing in eight categories. STM attained medals in
five of the eight team categories, as well as a number of
CHRISTMAS FOOD DRIVE
amazing individual performances which resulted in 22 of
our students competing at the board level on October 26,
Thank you to everyone who donated non-perishable food
2015. Needless to say, we were once again awesome in our
items during our Food Drive to help the less fortunate
attitude and our performance. Thank you to Mr. Grogan,
members of our community during Thanksgiving. We
Mrs. Matteo, Mrs. Amante, Mrs. Pellizzari and Mrs.
will commence our Christmas Food Drive during the first
Giacobbe for coaching.
week of Advent on Monday, November 30th.
Indoor Soccer Tournament:
Our Intermediate co-ed indoor soccer team is currently
practicing for their tournament at Iceland on November
Congratulations to our grade 4-5 PALS, who just complet10th. We would like to wish our team much success dured their training under the direction of Mrs. Ferreira, our
ing the tournament. Thank you to Mr. Grogan and Mr.
Peel Health Nurse and Mrs. Nicoletti. PALS is a playDiFilippo for coaching.
ground leadership program for schools with the following
objectives:
STM Choir:
 increase physical activity
The STM choir practices are during Wednesday and
 decrease conflict and reduce the
Thursday lunch recesses. Thank you to Mme Di Ilio and
incident of playground bullying
Mrs. Kolenko for organizing our choir.
 provide leadership for students
Youth Faith Ambassadors (YFAs)
The St. Thomas More Youth Faith Ambassador CommisSTM PALS will now be out at recess
sioning Mass is on Tuesday, November 24, 2015 at Cristo
leading their peers in fun, inclusive
Rei Parish at 10:00am. The YFAs will be involved in
activities.
several social justice initiatives as well as promoting our
WITS initiative throughout the year.
P.A.L.S (Playground Activity Leaders)
DUFFERIN-PEEL CDSB PROGRAMS
IMPORTANT DATES
Full Day Kindergarten:
Registration for the 2016-2017 school year will take place at St.
Thomas More School during the following dates/times:
November 1
January 25 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
January 27, 28, 29 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
All Saints Day
Daylight Savings Time Ends
November 2
SNOW DATE ONLY:
January 26 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
All Souls Day
Mr. DiFilippo @ Riverwood Conservatory
November 3
Grade 4 CCAT Testing
Rosary Apostolates
Grade 8 Speaker from University of
Waterloo
November 4
Grade 4 CCAT Testing
Grade 8 Philip Pocock SS Presentation
November 10
Indoor Soccer Tournament
Bus Safety Training @ STM
Ottawa Parent Info. Night @ 7:00pm
November 11
Remembrance Day Assemblies
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
November 12
Ms. Sequeira @ Riverwood Conservatory
November 7 – CCCSC Event – Training of Catholic
School Council Executive Members
The November 7 Training of Catholic School
Council Executive Members in-service, scheduled
to be held at St. Joseph S.S., has been cancelled
due to ongoing labour negotiations our board and schools are
facing. Instead, the Central Committee for Catholic School
Councils (CCCSC) will offer webinars on Saturday, November
7, 2015, commencing at 9.00 a.m., to assist Chairs and Cochairs, Treasurers, Secretaries, Parish Representatives and
OAPCE Representatives in their roles on Catholic School
Council. Please contact the Principal of your school to obtain
information about the webinars.
November 13
Mme. DiIlio @ Riverwood Conservatory
Extended French:
Information Meeting, January 14, 2016
St. Thomas More School @ 7:00 p.m. (Small Gym)
Deadline for EF applications is 3:00 p.m. on
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
French Immersion:
Parents are invited to attend information sessions on
November 10th, 11th and 12th. Please refer to insert for
additional information including locations and times.
2015-16 St. Thomas More Catholic School Council
Council Executive:
Chair:
S. Olmedo
Vice-Chair:
T. Beaudry
Secretary:
C. Farmer
Treasurer:
T. Zappulla
Parish Rep.:
T. Schmiedt
OPACE Rep.:
A. Farmer
Other Members:
K. Campbell, M. Conte, J. Hawtin, N. Hooper, R. Kochevar, J. PodsiadloRebej, M. Swiezawski, M. Szcezch, I. Tarcoci
Principal:
Vice-Principal:
Teacher Rep:
Non-Teaching Rep:
M. Nicoletti
R. Furtado
M. McCallion
T. Bielecka
November 15-21 Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week
November 16
Scientists in the School (Gr. 1-2)
Catholic School Council Meeting at 7:00pm
November 17
Progress Reports Sent Home
Lockdown Practice (11:30 am)
November 18
Constable David Craig Presentations
Roof Top Photo
STM Picture Re-take
Grade 8 Information Night and
Open House at Philip Pocock at 7pm.
November 19
Constable David Craig Presentations
Progress Report Parent Teacher Interviews
November 20
Scientists in the School (Gr. 3)
November 24
Youth Faith Ambassador Commissioning
Mass at Cristo Rei Parish @ 10:00am
November 25
Junior Achievement Presentations (Gr. 8)
November 27
Virtues Assembly (Conscience)
November 30
Dr. Simone Presentation (Gr. 8)
Dufferin-Peel Catholic schools hold Kindergarten
Registration in January 2016
Kindergarten registration for the 2016-17 school year, will be held at all Dufferin-Peel Catholic elementary schools
on January 25* from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and January 27, 28, 29 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. *A snow date has
been designated on January 26 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Dufferin-Peel offers the full-day Kindergarten program in all 123 Catholic elementary schools in Mississauga,
Brampton, Caledon, Bolton and Orangeville. Registration materials will be available on the board website and in
our schools in January. Parents/guardians are to register their child in person at their designated Catholic school.
To inquire about home school locations/boundary areas, please contact the Planning Department at 905-890-0708
ext. 24440.
The following documents are required for registration:
 proof of age of the child (birth certificate or passport)
 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 has been baptized in an Eastern Church in full communion with
the Holy See of Rome, the parent/guardian must bring their own baptismal certificate.
 updated immunization records (Immunization Card, Peel Health Form or Letter of Exemption)
 proof of Canadian citizenship (Birth Certificate/Passport) or permanent resident status
 proof of home address (two of the following: property tax bill, current utility bill, real estate document or Government of Canada issued forms)
 emergency rural address numbers for identifying your property, if applicable (residents of Caledon and Dufferin County)
proof of English Separate School Support (may be done at the time of registration by completing an Application
For the Direction of School Support and/or a Separate School Lease Agreement available at the school)
Admissions are open to Catholic children and children of Catholic parents. Kindergarten students must be at least 4
years of age by December 31, 2016.
For more information, parents/guardians should contact their local Catholic school, visit the board website at
www.dpcdsb.org, or call the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board at 905-890-1221.
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board to Hold Public Information Meetings
for 2016-2017 French Immersion Program
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board will hold a series of public information meetings in Mississauga and
Brampton for parents and guardians interested in enrolling their children in the board’s French Immersion Program for the
2016-2017 school year. The information sessions are intended to provide parents and guardians with an overview of our
French Immersion Program, the criteria for admittance, and changes that can be expected from the regular program.
Dufferin-Peel offers the French Immersion Program starting in Grade 1 at eight school sites. Students registered in this program will spend 90% of their day learning in the French language. All subjects and activities in the French Immersion classroom, except for Religion and Family Life, will be delivered in French. In Grades 2 and 3, 70% of the instruction will be in
French, with the proportion of English increasing to 50% in later years.
Students in the French Immersion Program usually attain a mid-range level of competency in the language. This means that
after at least 4,510 hours of French instruction during his/her school career, the student should be able to read newspapers and
books, with the occasional help of a dictionary, as well as watch and understand radio and television news and other programs. The student should also be able to participate adequately in conversation, demonstrate knowledge of the culture, society, customs, economy, government, institutions of a French-speaking community and, after a few months’ residence, and
function quite well in a French-speaking community.
Online registration will begin following the French Immersion parent information sessions with the deadline for submissions
to be announced. Should the number of applications exceed the number of spaces available, a centralized, computergenerated lottery will be held following the deadline.
More detailed information will be available at the information meetings to be held at three French Immersion locations:
French Immersion Schools
Information Session Location
Date and Time
St. Gertrude
St. Pio of Pietrelcina
St. Pio of Pietrelcina
4765 Huron Heights Drive
Mississauga
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
7:00 p.m.
Our Lady of Providence
St. Angela Merici
St. Joachim
St. Angela Merici
83 Edenbrook Hill Drive
Brampton
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
7:00 p.m.
Divine Mercy
St. Elizabeth Seton
St. Margaret of Scotland
St. Margaret of Scotland
2266 Council Ring Road
Mississauga
Thursday, November 12, 2015
7:00 p.m.
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is one of largest and most diverse school districts in Ontario, with approximately 82,000 students in 149 Catholic schools throughout Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon and Orangeville. With over
11,000 employees, the board is also one of the largest employers in the region.