St. Vincent de Paul School
665 Willowbank Trail Mississauga, Ontario L4W 3L6
Tel: (905) 848- 5397 Fax: (905) 848-0738
Principal: Mr. Tony McLoughlin
Secretary: Ms. Susan Ferenc
Trustee: Mr. Mario Pascucci (905) 302-3096
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Fax: 905-890-0888
OfficeTelephone:
905-890-0708 ext. 21061
mario.pascucci@dpcdsb.org
www.TrusteePascucci.ca
Pastor: Fr. John Facey (905) 270-2301
Superintendent: Mr. C. Blanchard (905) 890-1221
May 2012
A Spring Prayer
For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in Heaven, we thank Thee!
For blue of stream and blue of sky;
For pleasant shade of branches high;
For fragrant air and cooling breeze;
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in Heaven, we thank Thee!
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
May is the Virtue of Acceptance.
“ God wants us to make friends with everyone
no matter how different they may look or
act.”
An accepting person is…
 Willing to treat everybody as a
member of a group
 Non-judgmental
 Welcoming to those different than
himself/herself
 Loving and happy with who he/she is
EQAO Testing for Grades 3 & 6
Grade 3 and 6 students will
participate in the Provincial
Education, Quality and
Accountability Office testing. The
students will be tested between the confirmed
dates of May 28 to June 8, 2012.
EQAO Website
If parents would like to have their children practice EQAO
questions prior to the test at home, they may go to www.eqao.ca
click English, then click parent information. There are
assessments available from previous years as well as the
exemplars for marking. You will see the level 1 (code 10) to
level 4 (code 40) answers provided for many of the short answer
questions in the exemplars which refer to the assessments
provided.
Please note: Attendance is very important
during the testing, and we ask that parents
make every effort to have students at school,
on time, for the testing dates.
Warm Weather Dress Code and Sun
Protection
With warm weather arriving, it is
important to review the dress code
and appropriate dress for the
school day. At all times clothing
should be comfortable, tasteful and
appropriate to our Catholic school environment.
Specifically not allowed are: bandanas, string tops,
tube tops, halter tops or anything that exposes a
bare midriff and/or undergarments, skin tight
clothing, spandex shorts or pants, sheer materials,
cut-off shorts, torn or ragged clothing and pants
that sag below the waist.
Protective measures such as hats and sunglasses
are strongly encouraged for protection against
harmful UV rays. Students are reminded that
hats need to be removed upon entering the
building. Bottles for water are allowed in the
classrooms only, not outside in the school yard.
Students who come to school in unacceptable
attire may be asked to phone their parents to
arrange for a change of clothing to
be brought to the school and/or
spend time in the office.
Grade 8 Highschool Shadow Day
Are you Planning to
Move?
We are in the process of
planning staffing and
organizing classes for the 2012-2013 school year.
If you are planning on moving out of St. Vincent de
Paul School area, please call the office to make
arrangements for a student transfer form to be
prepared and sent home. The transfer form will
serve as an introduction to your new school and
will enable the school to request student records
from us. If your children are remaining at St.
Vincent de Paul School, but you are simply
changing address or babysitters’ please call the
office with up to date information.
Speech Competitions
Way to go all of our students who have
participated in our Junior and Intermediate
Speech competitions in each class. Most of the
students conquered their nerves and presented
extremely well in front of their classroom peers. .
Parents are welcome to come to our school to see
the culmination of student and staff efforts with
our Junior and Intermediate School Speech Finals
on Friday May 10 at 1:15p.m.
Medication for Students
Due to safety issues and concerns,
medication must not be sent to the
school for students. We ask that
when possible, the medication be
taken at home during lunch hour if you
are at home, or a schedule is arranged for the
medication to be taken at home just prior to
school or right after school.
If a student requires medication daily or for a
short period of time, Form GF035 must be
completed by the attending physician and signed
by the parents requesting storage of medication in
the school. A copy of this form is available at the
office. We ask parents to not send medication
with their children in their lunch bags.
On May 9, our Grade 8’s will have the pleasure of
spending a day at John Cabot Secondary. After
walking next door, our students will get a tour of
the school,” hear the school band and meet many
of the teachers. This is just one of the many
examples of the great partnership between St.
Vincent de Paul and John Cabot.
TIPS FOR PARENTS
There are many things a parent can do at home to
support their children’s learning and to develop a
positive attitude toward school:
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Talk with your child about school, their
friends, and every day events.
Read everyday with your child and/or
encourage them to read for fun. Discuss what
they have read.
Monitor your child’s television viewing and
talk with them about the programs they
watch.
 Supervise homework, making sure
your child has a place to work, a set
homework time, and that their assignments
are completed.
Encourage your child to write.
Encourage exercise and good nutrition.
Provide learning experiences outside of
school. For example, visit the library,
museums, zoo, and historical sites.
Communicate that education is important and
encourage your child to do well.
Promote good discipline. Children don’t know
intuitively how to behave; parents must teach
them.
Grade 8 Graduation Dates
Plans are already underway for our Grade 8
Graduation.Formal activities will take place on
Thursday June 21 at 7pm in the school gym.
The children will, as tradition dictates, go off-site
to have their luncheon and dance on Friday June
22 from 10:30- 4:00 p.m. Thank you also to our
School Council for helping with refreshments,
awards, etc.
Welcome to Kindergarten!!!
Open House for all new parents and their
Kindergarten children new to St. Vincent de Paul
School are to attend an information and learning
session on the evening of Tuesday May 24, 2012
at 6:30 p.m. This interactive session will allow your
child to meet their teachers, new friends and
briefly do some academic Kindergarten activities.
Hold and Secure Drill
A reminder that Board policy directs that schools
conduct a practice of “Hold and Secure”
procedures at least twice a year. This procedure is
initiated should an emergency exit on school
property or in the surrounding neighbourhood. All
exterior doors are locked and only the police are
allowed entrance into the school. Students and
staff have been trained on hold and secure
procedures. During the month of May, we will
again be practicing the procedures at school.
Reflecting on the Diversity of Our School
We are all individuals, yet at the same time, we are
a part of many groups. We are a part of God’s
family. We are a part of our school and we are part
of our country. Canada is made up individuals who
are part of many groups. We respect each other’s
differences. Perhaps as a family, you could discuss
these questions: Why did people come to Canada?
What were their dreams as they sought acceptance
to the nation of Canada?
Indoor shoes
To keep our hallways,
classrooms and gym clean
and safe, please ensure that
your child has a pair of
shoes to wear inside the school. Children may
not wear outside shoes and/or boots in their
classrooms. Many students come in from recess
breaks with muddy and dirty shoes. For safety
and hygiene, they are required to change their
shoes when entering their classrooms. Please
help us to maintain a clean healthy environment
for everyone. Running shoes with non-marking
soles are required for participation in the physical
education programme.
Valuables at School
Just a reminder that students are
not to bring valuables or items of
importance to school. This
includes CDs, CD players, iPods,
MP3 players, Game Boys, Cell
Phones, expensive sports equipment, etc. We
cannot assume responsibility for lost or damaged
valuables.
Catholic Education Week
May 6- May 11, 2012 is Catholic
Education Week. The theme this
year is ―Walking in the Light of
Christ‖. Teachers will be sending
notices home of the specific times and
themes of activities that parents can observe or
actively participate.
Catholic Education Week 2012 begins on a Sunday
to highlight the partnership that remains the
foundation of Catholic education. We particularly
want to underline the relationship of Catholic
schools with the broader Church community,
especially within the parish that remains the
centre of the worshipping faith community.Every
year, the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’
Association provides our Catholic schools with a
resource kit to help students prepare for Catholic
Education Week. We invite all members f our
community to participate in the activities at our
school that will mark the celebration of Catholic
Education Week 2012.
Camp Muskoka Open House
After surveying next year’s Grade 7 and 8
students and parents, they overwhelming
supported going back to Camp Muskoka in
September of 2012. We have, therefore, already
booked September 19- 21, 2012 for our 3 day, 2
night excursion, As always, parents and students
are invited to our Camp Muskoka Open House and
Orientation on May 24 at 6:30 p.m. We hope to
see all parents and students there.
Elementary Summer School
Gr. 7 and 8 students: Remedial Literacy and
Numeracy starts Tuesday July 3 to Friday July 30,
2012 from 8:30 am to 12:30 am. Students are
recommended by the Principal and classroom
teacher. Busing is provided at the home school
pick up points. Deadline for applications is June 7
2012. The Elementary Summer School for St.
Vincent de Paul is Metropolitan Andrei.
Summer Literacy Camp
This program is offered to SK to grade 6 students
starting Tuesday July 3 to Friday July 27, 2012.
You may choose a two week or four week program.
There is a fee for this program. This half day
program runs from 9 - 12 am. Transportation is
not provided. Deadline for applications is June 1,
2012 and students must be recommended by their
teacher. The home school for St. Vincent de Paul
would be Sts. Martha and Mary.
Modified School Year Calendar
The calendar for the 2012-2013 school year has
been approved. School will begin for students, as
usual, on the September 4th Tuesday after Labour
Day. September 14th has been designated as
Ministry of Education Professional Development
Day to deal with topics of Student Enrolment,
Adult Faith Development and Special Education.
There is no school for children on this day.
There is no change to the normal two week
Christmas Break commencing on December 22,
2012 or one week March Break commencing
March 11, 2013. The calendar can be found on the
Dufferin- Peel website at www.dpcdsb.org.
Holiday Homework.
Homework is generally work not completed in
class. Often when families take holidays other
than during the regularly scheduled holiday times,
parents request the work which would cover the
material being missed. We recommend having
students read material related to what they will
see and write a journal about their activities.
If a student is having difficulty demonstrating the
expectations of the grade level, parents may want
to be cautious of how much school time is missed
and the possible effect on the academic success of
their children.
Students Riding Bicycles
As the warmer weather approaches, some
students will be choosing to ride their
bikes to school. Please keep in mind
that students ride their bikes to school at their
own risk. St. Vincent de Paul School cannot be
responsible for any lost or damaged bicycles.
Students are to get off their bicycles when on
school property and then lock their bicycles. They
may bring in their helmet to inside the school
during regular class entrances.
Flexible Boundary Policy
Some students attend our school under the
Flexible Boundary Policy. This offers convenience
for many parents as they access daycare in the
area. Parents who have requested flexible
boundary admittance for their children must be
aware that the policy will be considered on a
student- by-student basis, taking into
consideration the class size of the students who
are enrolling. Although we offer as much support
as possible for our students, please understand
that availability of the flexible boundary policy
should not negatively impact on the school
resources. As previously stated in the April 2012
Newsletter: If you would like to continue to be
granted permission under this procedure for
the 2011- 2012 school year, the request was
supposed to be in by April 29, 2012. Please get
your Flexible Boundary Request letters in as
soon as possible!!!
IMPORTANT DATES
May 2nd:- Mississauga East Chess Tournament
May 2nd:- Scientists in the School: Grade 1 and 2
May 8th – Blades of Glory Day
May 9th – Grade 8 Visit to John Cabot
May 10th – Subday
May 10th – Kindergarten Mother’s Day Tea
May 10th – Jr./Int. Speech Contest
May 11 th – PA Day
May 18th – Crowning of Mary Celebration
May 22nd – Grade 3 Scientists in the School- pm
May 23rd– Diversity Conference—details to follow
May 24th – Subday
May 24th - Camp Muskoka Open House
May 24th – Welcome to Kindergarten—6:30 p.m.