St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School
2350 Hurontario Street South
Mississauga ON, L5B 1N1
Phone: 905.277.2448 Fax: 905.277.5910
www.dpcdsb.org/siena
October 2014
PRAYER FOR THE SEASON OF THANKSGIVING!
Lord of the Harvest
Principal
G. Pedroso
Vice-Principal
R. Scicluna
Head Secretary
S. Waugh
Assistant Secretary
S. Jones
Superintendent
D. Amaral
905–890–1221
Trustee
B. Iannicca
905–890-1221
Parish
St. Catherine of Siena
2340 Hurontario St.
Mississauga, Ontario
L5B 1N1
905-272-1454
Pastors
Fr. Camillo Lando,
C.S. Pastor
Fr. Santo Cigolini,
C.S. in Residence
Fr. Mario Lorenzana,
C.S. Associate Pastor
School Council
Co-Chairs
Ms. Weerawarna and
Ms. Campinos
O God, source and giver of all things, You manifest your infinite majesty, power and goodness
In the earth about us: We give you honor and glory. For the sun and the rain, For the manifold
fruits of our fields: For the increase of our herds and flocks, We thank you. For the enrichment
of our souls with divine grace, We are grateful. Supreme Lord of the harvest, Graciously accept
us and the fruits of our toil, In union with Jesus, your Son, As atonement for our sins, For the
growth of your Church, For peace and love in our homes, And for salvation for all. We pray
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Administrator’s Message…
Dear Parents:
As the fall colours start to display themselves more brightly, as the days begin to get shorter
and the darkness comes to us a little bit sooner each day, it is time to reflect on a very positive
first month at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School.
This past month was exciting here at the school. The month began with an FDK – Parent
Information Night, followed by: our Start of the Year School Assembly, Opening School Mass, a
Virtue Assembly with a guest speaker from the Terry Fox Foundation, Picture Day, a great
School Council meeting, and of course our Terry Fox Walk where we were able to raise over
$800. We also had our annual Open House\BBQ evening, once again a very successful event
at the school. We would like to thank the whole community for coming out. Thank you to
everyone who donated their time and talents to make this event so successful.
The month of October promises to be another busy and active month. Activities this month
include: World Teacher’s Day, Virtue Assemblies (Empathy), Gr. 8 Trip to the Living Arts
Centre, Thanksgiving Food Drive, the Family and Board Cross-Country Meets, and of course
Thanksgiving and Halloween.
On behalf of the staff of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School, we hope that you and your
family have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday weekend. As we head more deeply into autumn,
may you make the most of the opportunities in gathering with friends and family for times of
prayer and fellowship; these times present us with the chance to strengthen the bonds that
unite us as a caring Catholic community!
Wishing you a very blessed Thanksgiving!
Yours in Catholic Education,
G. Pedroso and R. Scicluna
Many Hands, Many Lands, One Heart, One God
1
October Virtue – 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…
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•
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Listens attentively
Watches people’s body language
Notices and responds when someone is upset
Can name her/his feelings
Can see a situation from another person’s point of
view
Knows that different people may feel differently about
the same thing
Respect for Self, Respect for Others
As a staff, we continue to work together
to provide example and consistency in
modeling Jesus’ message to our
students. We will assist and remind
students of the importance of being
respectful and working together to create a safe, caring,
inclusive community.
Congratulations to Dufferin-Peel Teachers
For the caring and generous ways in
which you help our students grow in their
Catholic faith and expand their
knowledge, while developing important
life skills and their love of learning. Your
dedicated service to students, families,
parishes and the broader community is instrumental in
helping our students to excel. You inspire and help
students to realize their dreams and to build a better
world!! We commend you on World Teacher’s Day,
October 5, 2014.
EQAO Results
EQAO has published the results of
the annual Assessments of Reading,
Writing and Mathematics, Grades 3
and 6, for the school year 2013-2014.
Our results are indicated below:
From the perspective of the Catholic Graduate
Expectations, an empathetic person...
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•
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Is confident in the dignity of selves and others
Believes that the cross is the ultimate sign of
forgiveness
Seeks and grants permission
Prayer for Empathy… Let us pray for the grace and
strength to be people of empathy – people who can
really identify with and feel the concerns of those
around us.
Parish Information:
St. Catherine of Siena
2340 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON L5B 1N1
T: 905-272-1454
E: office@stcatherine.ca
Sacramental Preparation
FIRST COMMUNION – GRADE 2 STUDENTS
The Sacrament of First Communion this year will be held
Saturday, May 9, 2015 at 3 p.m.
CONFIRMATION – GRADE 8 STUDENTS
The sacrament of Confirmation this year will be
celebrated Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 7 p.m.
We continue to work on developing strategies that will
improve student achievement!
Many Hands, Many Lands, One Heart, One God
2
Staffing / School Re-Organization
Breakfast for Kids
In keeping with compliance to meet the Ministry initiative
of capping classes in the primary grades at 20 students,
with only 10 percent of classes across the board eligible
to exceed the cap. At St. Catherine of Siena School, we
experienced a reorganization as a result of shifts in our
population. This resulted in changes in our primary and
junior classes to ensure compliance with the cap and to
ensure balanced classes. Prior to the September 12 PA
Day, staff worked to create new classes that ensured a
mixture of abilities and personalities. We also, where
possible, maintained classes and student-teacher
relationships.
The Breakfast Club provides
meals/snacks for any students
every morning beginning at 8 a.m.
in the school’s Breakfast Room. All
students are welcome.
Below is the current organization at St. Catherine
of Siena:
Ms. Arango
Ms. Ivancsics
Mrs. Duncan
Mrs. J. Chmiel (LTO – TBA)
FDK A
FDK B
FDK C
FDK D
Ms. Barrasso
Mrs. Sitas
Mrs. Menezes
1A
1B
1/2A
Mrs. Bialecka
Mrs. Ferraro
Mr. Brennan
2A
2/3A
2/3B
Mrs. Venchiarutti
Mrs. Connolly
Mrs. Zenga
3A
3/4A
3/4B
Mrs. Sobala
Mrs. Zador
4A
4B
Ms. English
Ms. Hyacienth
5A
5B
Ms. Goncalves
Mr. Evans
6A
6B
Mr. Devito
Ms. Sgro
7A
7B
Ms. Torun
Ms. Tropea
8A
8B
Mrs. Bagin-Kotyk
SERC
Ms. Leo
Mrs. Cimino
Mrs. Cose
Mrs. Cover
Mrs. McComb
Ms. Shoufani
Ms. Sluga
Mrs. LeBlanc
Mme. Jorge
Mme. Posteraro
Teacher Librarian
ESL/SERT
ESL/SERT
SERT
ESL/PT
ESL/PT
ESL/PT
Planning Time
FSL
FSL
Picture Re-Take Day
The school photographer will be Edge
Imaging. Photo Re-Takes will take place on
Monday, October 27, 2014.
Outdoor Classroom
In the coming weeks you
may see some construction
happening in our play yard.
The great news is that we
are creating an Outdoor
Classroom. Outdoor
classrooms bring learning
to life, they are a space
that brings learning
outside. It becomes a gathering place for teachers and
students and provides an opportunity to integrate nature
onto our school grounds. Everyone benefits from
learning outdoors, especially young people. Benefits of
getting outdoors include:
o Improved mood and happier students
o Enhanced appreciation for the outdoors through
interaction
o Increased retention rate for subject material
o Improved learning experience for tactile and
experiential learners
o Lowered school violence and bullying, and improved
social skills
o Increased understanding of complex ecological
concepts
o Community engagement for outdoor spaces that are
used beyond the school community
Green Team
The Green Team is continuing their
great success from last year! Building
on our GOLD certification, St.
Catherine of Siena will once again be
working with EcoSource, a Peel
Region greening initiative. In Year 2 of
the Green Schools Program at St. Catherine of Siena,
EcoSource will continue to support students and staff in
greening our school. Throughout the school year our
Green Team, with EcoSource, will provide fun, hands-on
opportunities to take action and learn about
environmental responsibility. Some of the events
include: Radical Recyclers, GOOS Bin Awareness, and
Message in a Bottle.
Many Hands, Many Lands, One Heart, One God
3
School Council
Attendance and Punctuality
Communication between
home and school is greatly
enhanced by parental
involvement with the Catholic School Council. The aim
of the Catholic School Council is to promote the vision,
values, sacramental life and Catholic practices of the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and the
Catholic community it serves and to advise the principal
and the Board.
All students are expected to attend school regularly and
punctually. In the event that your child will be late or
absent, please call the school and follow the prompts to
leave a message. This can be done 24 hours a day.
For students who are absent and for whom a call is not
received, we will attempt to contact you.
Elections
On Wednesday, September 24, we had our first Catholic
School Council Meeting, with elections, of the year. We
were very excited to see such a great turn out at the
meeting. We are proud to announce that Ms.
Weerawarna and Ms. Campinos are our Co-School
Council Chairs.
Our next meetings are scheduled for:
Nov. 5, 2014 -7:00pm
Feb. 11, 2014 – 7:00pm
June 3, 2014 – 7:00pm
PLEASE CALL: 905-277-2448 Press # 1
Please leave the following information:
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Date of the absence
Student’s full name
Grade level and teacher
Reason for absence
If the bell has rung, all students (Gr. 1-8) who may be
late, are to go to the back of the school and join a
line. If there are no students, and the doors are
closed you are to come to the front of the school
and obtain a Late Slip.
School Driveway
Fire, Lockdown, and
Shelter in Place Drills
As a precautionary measure, we
will practice fire drills and lock
down procedures throughout the
year. We are required to hold six
Fire Drills each year as well as
two Lock Down and one Shelter
in Place drill.
During fire drills, students are
asked to move safely and swiftly
to the nearest exit and to report
to their designated area outside
of the building. If an exit is
blocked students are reminded
to use their alternate exit. We
will have three of the fire drills in the fall and the
remaining three in the spring.
In a lock down, students are alerted over the P.A. that
we are “initiating lock down”. Students are directed to
move away from all windows and doors and to lie on the
floor, if possible under desks. Classroom doors and
windows are secured. Safety regulations require us to
have this contingency plan in place. In such an event,
your child will remain with school staff until we contact
you.
We respectfully ask that drivers refrain
from stopping or parking in the drive –
thru lane in front of the school. This
area is a FIRE ROUTE and fines for a
violation are high. Stopped or parked
cars also create a safety hazard.
Before School Hours Supervision
For your child’s safety, we request that children not be
on school property until supervision begins at 8:45 a.m.
Volunteers - Criminal Reference Check
We are pleased to welcome our
volunteers for another year to supporting
learning in our school. We appreciate
their commitment & support and look
forward to a great year!
In accordance with the Safe Schools Act, all volunteers,
including those going on one day school trips, must have
a Criminal Reference Check.
Criminal Reference Checks
Anyone working in our school as a new employee or
volunteer must have a Criminal Reference Check
completed by the Peel Police. CRC are free of charge
for volunteers. Forms will be available from the office
and at the Community Information Board.
Many Hands, Many Lands, One Heart, One God
4
Lunch Policy
Please be reminded that the lunch hour is from
12:03 p.m. – 1:03 p.m. Where children stay for lunch,
they will eat with their classmates and remain on school
property.
For safety reasons, if a student
who regularly attends lunch here
at school is going out for lunch,
they will need a written note
dated in their agenda or on
a separate piece of paper
for each occurrence.
Lunch Drop-Off
All schools have a locked door policy, therefore we
encourage students to bring their lunches with them in
the morning.
If you are delivering your child’s lunch
to the school, we will open the doors at
noon. Please do not block the
doorway, and have your child’s lunch
labeled with their name and class, and
place it on the lunch table.
Medical Concerns
If your son / daughter has any
medical concerns, please ensure that
you inform the school. Information
may be shared directly with the
classroom teacher / office. If
medication is required, forms will be
sent for completion by parents and the family doctor. All
information is held in confidence.
Distribution and Storage of Medication
Some of our students require medication during the
school day. All medication is to be stored in the office,
except where directed by a physician. Board Policy
requires that we have signed request/authorization forms
from parents and the supervising physician in the office.
These forms are available in the office.
provided by the pharmacist. Please do not have students
deliver medication to the office; it should be brought in
by an adult. Medication that is sent to school without
the proper documentation will not be stored or
dispensed by school personnel. This also applies to
over-the counter medications such as, Tylenol, aspirin,
ibuprofen, cough medicine, Benadryl, and allergy
medications.
Halloween Costumes at School
All students from Kindergarten
to Grade Eight are encouraged
to wear their Halloween
costumes to school on Friday,
October 31. Please remember
that guns, swords or weapons
of any kind are not permitted at school on this day. Also,
due to safety reasons, students are not allowed to wear
full masks to school.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY
FOOD/CANDY/TREATS,
they will not be distributed to students.
Thanksgiving Food Drive
As we prepare for Thanksgiving,
we take the time to be thankful
for all the blessings we have in
our lives. In preparation for this
month’s virtue of empathy, and in
connection with Thanksgiving,
our school is having a food drive
to help those who are less fortunate than us.
The food will be donated to The Mississauga Food Bank,
which is very much in need of stock -- anything we can
give will help make other’s lives easier. If you could
donate the items as outlined per grade, it would be
greatly appreciated, however any non-perishable items
are welcome.
FDK
Gr. 1
Gr. 2
Gr. 3
Gr. 4
Pasta
Beans
Canned soup
Cereal
Rice
Gr. 5
Gr. 6
Gr. 7
Gr. 8
Jams and Spread
Canned vegetables
Canned fruit
Canned meat/fish
We have sent information home to each parent in
this situation that we have been made aware of and
encourage you to follow up. If you have not received
these forms - especially for EpiPens - please contact the
office. In some cases of asthma, the doctor may advise
that a student should carry an inhaler. We comply with
advice of doctors in these situations, but we must be
made aware of the arrangements.
Terry Fox Run
When medication is approved for storage, it must be
labeled with the student’s name, name of medication,
prescription information and dosage. The medication is
to be brought to the school in the bottle that was
Sincere thanks are extended to Mrs. Connoly, Mrs.
Ferraro, and Mrs. Ciminio for their assistance with this
year’s event.
On Friday, September 26, St.
Catherine of Siena participated in
the annual Terry Fox walk.
Congratulations to our students
and staff for their generous
donations – in excess of $600
dollars – to support cancer research.
Many Hands, Many Lands, One Heart, One God
5
Family Literacy Program
> Talk. Read. Play. Sing!
Free workshops for families offered by the Region of
Peel at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Elementary
School.
The Family Literacy Program is for
families with children aged 0 – 6
years. Families come together for
stories, snack, and activities.
Research from the University of
Toronto has shown this program
makes an impact to a child’s Early
Literacy skills along with their family’s support.
The program will be held in the library on Wednesday
nights, beginning February 25 and ending May 6. The
program will run from 6:30 – 8 p.m. Please note there
will be no program on March 18 and April 1. All families
with children under 6 years, as well as older children in
your family, are welcome.
Please register by calling 905 791-1585, ext. 7222 or
visit our website at www.peelregion.ca and click on Child
Care. We hope to see you there.
Siena Awards Award Winners!
When teachers notice a
student(s) living out the
virtues, here at school, they
will give out a SIENA Award
Slip to the student(s).
> K-3: Ema (Ms. Arango) and Emmanuel (Mr. Brennan)
> 4-6: Venuja (Ms. Goncalves) and Renua (Mrs. Zenga)
> 7-8: Ranny (Ms. Torun) and Mariam (Ms. Tropea)
These students have been acknowledged school wide
through a P.A. announcement and have their picture
posted on our SIENA Award / Virtue board. Teachers
focused on, although not limited to, the virtue of the
month.
Please do not send birthday
snacks / cakes / treats into
the school. There are many
alternatives such as stickers
and pencils.
Library Corner
Scholastic Book Fair
Thank you to the families that
visited the Family Event Night and
to all that supported the Scholastic
Book Fair. It is always rewarding to
see children as well as adults
excited about books and reading.
Congratulations to all of the winners and especially to
the Grand Prize Winner, Patrick in Mrs. Ferraro’s grade
2/3 class. Both he and Mrs. Ferraro received $25.00
each in Scholastic books.
Library Circulation
Book Exchange began the week of September 22nd. All
students have visited the library to take out books and
will be returning on a weekly basis to renew or exchange
books. Please encourage your child to read every
evening. You may have them read to you, read to them
or show an interest in what they are reading by asking
them about the books they have borrowed from the
library. Please help your child to take care of the books
while they are at home. Books should be kept away
from food, liquids and from small children and pets that
may damage or destroy the books. Books should be
returned in the same condition as they were in when
borrowed from the library. Some books have inserts
such as attachments, posters, 3D glasses, letters, cards
etc., to enhance the students’ reading experience. All
inserts must remain with the book and returned with the
book. Students are responsible for any damaged, lost or
destroyed books at a replacement cost.
The library’s goal is to create excitement when visiting
the library, choosing, reading books and taking
responsibility for school property. Please help support
your child’s learning and love of reading.
L. Leo,
Teacher-Librarian
Popcorn Fridays at Siena
Friday, October 3, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
Friday, October 31, 2014
$3 for 3 days
Money due to your teacher by Thursday, October 2, 2014
DPCDSB is now on Twitter!
Outdoor Movie Night:
For the latest board news and information, follow us
@DPCDSBSchools.
Mark your calendars - Friday, November 7
More information coming
Many Hands, Many Lands, One Heart, One God
6
MONTH of
OCTOBER
Calendar
Sunday
Oct. 2014
Monday
29
Tuesday
30
Wednesday
1
Thursday
2
Friday
Saturday
4
3
World Teacher’s Day
Celebrated at School
Jr. Volleyball Game
5
7
6
World Teacher’s
Day
9
8
Gr.7 Vaccinations
and Hep B Shots
Gr.8 HPV Shots
Pizza Day
Popcorn Friday
10
Virtue Assembly
Fire Drill (a.m.)
(Empathy/Harvest)
Gr4-8 @ 10 a.m.
FDK-3 @ 1:30 p.m.
Gr.8 Trip to Living
Arts Centre
11
Food Drive Last Day
Jr. Volleyball Game
12
13
14
No School
15
16
Artists in the
School for K-3 (10
a.m.)
Volleyball – Family
Tournament (Jr.)
17
18
Popcorn Friday
Pizza Day
19
20
21
22
Cross-Country
Meet (Family @
Erindale Park)
Dental
26
27
28
23
24
25
30
31
1 (Nov.)
Pizza Day
Screening
29
Picture Re-Take
Cross-Country
Meet (Board at
Centennial)
Pizza Day
Popcorn Friday
Web Resources:
Primary: En Garde Duel Game
www.mathisfun.com
Junior:
Estimation
Valley Golf
www.mathfrog.ca
How High?
+Intermediate:
www.wiredmath.ca (gr. 7)
Family Math Activity
K-3
Volume 1
Estimation
Estimating develops a sense of number and is
consolidated through practice and reflection.
This also develops risk-taking, problem
solving, and the idea that there is a range of
possible answers.
With your child, fill a jar with an item you can find around the house (buttons,
macaroni, coins, jelly beans, etc.). Family members take turns estimating how many
items there are in the jar. Take out a hand full and count them, then ask if anyone
would like to change their estimate. Finally, count the items in the jar. Whose
estimate was the closest?
Grades 4-6
Estimate how many bags of milk your family will need for the week. At the end of the
week, count up the number of bags you actually used. Estimate the time needed for a
trip. If the trip is expected to take 25 minutes, when do you have to leave? Estimate the
distance of a trip or a walk. How close were you? Did you use the best measure (metres,
kilometres)?
Need extra help in Grade 7 or 8 math? Visit the Homework Help website for free help from Ontario certified teachers. On this site, students have access to live chat rooms between the hours of 5:30‐9:30 from Sunday to Thursday and 24/7 resources such as videotaped lessons and interactive tutorials. Homework Help is ideal for understanding homework, reviewing lessons, studying for tests, and searching math topics. Register today at https://homeworkhelp.ilc.org/. All you need to register is your student OEN number which is found on your report card. If you have additional questions, please contact your classroom teacher. “This is the best! Every time I get stuck the tutors are so patient that, well, it makes it easier to
understand. I am going to tell everyone I know to use this site, it works!!!
Grade 7 Student, April 2012
Elementary Program Team 2012 INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES
PROGRAM
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ARAMAIC
ARABIC
CANTONESE
CROATIAN
GERMAN
GREEK
HEBREW
HINDI
HUNGARIAN
IGBO
ITALIAN
KOREAN
MALAYALAM
MANDARIN
POLISH
PORTUGUESE
PUNJABI
RUSSIAN
SLOVAK
SPANISH
TAGALOG
TAMIL
THELUNGA
TURKISH
UKRAINIAN
URDU
VIETNAMESE
Elementary International Language
Classes are available to students in
grades JK to 8.
Please register at the IL sites (listed
below) on Saturdays.
Day schools do not accept
registrations.
There is continuous enrolment.
For more information please visit
www.dpcdsb.org/programs &
services/languages/international languages
BOLTON
St. John the Baptist
BRAMPTON
St. Kevin
Pauline Vanier
St. Francis Xavier
St. Isaac Jogues
MISSISSAUGA
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Divine Mercy
MISSISSAUGA
Father Daniel Zanon
Mary Fix
Metropolitan Andrei
St. Bernadette
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
St. Clare
St. Herbert (Sunday classes)
St. Jude
Sts. Peter & Paul
St. Philip
Sts. Martha & Mary
INTERNATIONAL
Student Programs
DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC INSTITUTE
FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
INFORMATION NIGHT
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
in collaboration with the
Canadian Education Exchange Foundation,
University of Toronto Mississauga
and Newcomer Centre of Peel
is pleased to invite students, parents, guardians, teachers and administrators
to an International Education information session on:
Thursday, October 23, 2014
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Learning Centre
3566 South Common Court, Mississauga
Information regarding the International Student Program, the new Summer ESL Credit
Program for International Students, our Student Exchange Program, and community
supports available to newcomers, will be shared. Full details of the various programs
and opportunities will be provided by several guest speakers and there will be an opportunity to ask questions. Our current International Students and their families are
encouraged to attend.
For more information, contact Rita Borg
at 905-412-3341 ext. 31460 or visit
www.dpcdsb.org
Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District
School Board