St. Stephen Catholic School 17 Colonel Bertram Rd., L6Z 4N8, Brampton Telephone: (905) 840-3921 Fax: (905) 840-6454 School Website: http://www.dpcdsb.org/STEPH September 2014 – Volume 1 “With Love, Compassion, Honesty, & Respect” Principal OPENING PRAYER S. Rea Highlights: Head Secretary M. Psaila Superintendent M. Vecchiarino Brampton North East (905) 890-1221 Trustee L. Zanella (905) 890-1221 Ward 2 Parish St. Leonard 187 Connestoga Dr. Brampton, Ontario (905) 846-5385 Pastor Fr. John Nosan Fr. Eric Mah School Council Chairs D. Vieira De Santis W. Hawley Follow Us on Twitter! @DPCDSBSchools P.A. DAY September 12, 2014 NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS Dear Lord, As we begin this new school year, we gather once again as your community of believers. We thank you for the energy and the spirit that you renewed in us through the summer months. We thank you for the time to enjoy our family and friends and to reflect on what is important in our lives. Let this year be marked by enthusiasm and love so that, with the inspiration of your Spirit, we may continue to grow in our faith. Help us to fulfill Your hope for us with honest intentions and works of faith. Let us be gentle with ourselves and bring laughter, joy and love to others. We ask this in your name. AMEN Welcome! I feel honored and blessed to have been appointed Principal of St. Stephen and it is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I welcome both new and returning students, staff, and families to the 2014-2015 school year. The staff has been hard at work planning, preparing curriculum, and creating faith-filled learning environments for our students. A sincere ‘thank-you’ is extended to our custodial staff, Mr. Hamilton and Mrs. Halfacree who have put in many hours over the summer while a busy construction project was underway. The school looks wonderful! Mrs. Psaila and the staff have also worked hard to ensure that this school year will be a great success. The commitment and dedication of all of our staff is both a gift and a blessing to our St. Stephen community. We welcome to St. Stephen; Mrs. Hunwicks, Mrs. Mytkowska, and Mrs. Cabral Gallant who will be joining our Full-Day Kindergarten team. Also new to our school community; Ms. Commisso (FSL), Mr. Mierzynski (Planning Time), Mrs. Pritchard (Grade 8), Mrs. M. Walzcak (ERW), Ms. Costa (Grade ¾ LTO), Ms. Costanzo (SERC LTO), and Ms. Strachan (Grade 3 LTO). I am looking forward to working with all students, staff and families in the coming year as, together, we embrace the task of guiding our students on the path of learning, achieving and well-being. God Bless, Ms. S. Rea - Principal Key message for September is… “Everyone has the right to be safe at school” School Council Nomination Open House Night School Photos Safe Arrival Program Sabrina’s Law Full Day Kindergarten Sharks Corner Library News Staff Organization Dates to Remember Virtue of the Month: Faith FAITH ACTIVITIES SCHOOL HOURS 8:30 am – School Entry 10:08 – 10:23 – am Recess 11:45 – 12:05 – Lunch 12:05 – 12:45 – Lunch Recess 2:10 – 2:25 – pm Recess 3:15 pm – Dismissal Please note that staff supervision in the schoolyard begins at 8:30 a.m. and is continuous throughout the entire lunch hour and recess. Please do not leave your child(ren) unattended in the school yard before staff supervision begins. CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL School Council Election: It is a pleasure to invite all parents/guardians to consider becoming members of the St. Stephen Catholic School Council. Our School Council will be comprised of parents/guardians, school staff and a parish representative. If you are interested in becoming a member of the School Council please complete the enclosed nomination form and return it to the office by Sept 19th, 2014. If you do not wish to run for a position, you are still welcome to attend the meetings and offer your thoughts and ideas. We look forward to seeing many parents/guardians at our meetings. The first meeting will take place on September 29th at 7:00 p.m. ST. LEONARD PARISH MASS TIMES Saturday: 5:00 pm Sunday: 9:00 am 10:30 am 12:00 NOON Our school is also part of the parish of St. Leonard, which is located on Conestoga Dr. Our new Pastors; Father John Nosan, Father Eric Mah and the Parish team are integral members of our school community. In partnership with the home, the school and church, we will continue to build the faith development of each student in our care. OPEN HOUSE – Please join us Our Open House is scheduled to take place on Tues Sept 30, 2014. This is our chance to gather together as a community and meet staff. BBQ – 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Classroom visits – 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm How to become a Member: Each parent/guardian seeking election must be nominated or selfnominated in writing, must have a child registered at the school and must declare if he or she is employed by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. Should an election be necessary, each parent/guardian of a student enrolled in the school shall be entitled to one vote for each vacant parent/guardian membership position on the School Council. If necessary, an Election Committee shall be struck by the School Council to help plan the election process, the gathering of nominations, and the running of the elections. No one standing for election, or the spouse of anyone standing for election, shall be a member of the Election Committee. SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS Thursday October 9th is Photo Day at St. Stephen School. Re-takes are scheduled for, Nov 12th. Bring your smiles! Graduation Photos will take place on Jan 22, 2015. STUDENT VERIFICATION FORM & PACKAGE The purpose of the Catholic School Council is, through the active participation of parents/guardians, to improve student achievement and well-being and to enhance the accountability of the education system to parents/guardians. A Catholic School Council’s primary means of achieving its purpose is by making recommendations in accordance with this policy and regulations to the Principal of the school and to the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. Also, to help the Principal and the teachers bring appropriate community resources to the school and to help them ensure that parents/guardians recognize and exercise their right to participate in the education of their children. Student verification forms and packages for each child will be sent home this week. All forms (even those with correct information) must be reviewed, signed and returned to the appropriate classroom teacher. Please return all forms and packages as soon as possible as this will help us update our records and ensure that we have important information on file in the event of an emergency. BUS INFORMATION Transportation eligibility is determined by a student’s home address. The following website, www.businfo.stopr.ca is available to students, parents/guardians, school administrators, secretaries and school bus operators. Parents/guardians who are eligible for transportation will be able to login to the www.businfo.stopr.ca site and access details of their child’s transportation arrangements. SCHOOL AGENDAS Our students will be using school agendas to help develop their organizational skills. Please take some time to look over your child’s agenda. School policy and the Catholic Code of Conduct are outlined in the front section of the agenda. The agenda is used daily to help assist your child with organizational and time management skills. It is also an effective tool used to keep parents/guardians informed on what is happening in class and in the school. Agendas are to be signed daily by parents/guardians and teachers. VOLUNTEERS We are always looking for dedicated parents/guardians to help with events within the school. If you are interested in sharing some of your time, please call the school office and register your name. Please note that all volunteers in a school, including those accompanying students on educational excursions, must have a criminal reference check on file in the school office in order to be able to volunteer at the school or to accompany students on educational excursions. CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECKS Anyone working in our school as an employee or volunteer must provide the school with a Criminal Reference Check completed by Peel Police. Criminal Reference Checks are free of charge for volunteers. Forms are available in the office. You are encouraged to get your Criminal Reference Check completed early so that you do not miss out on any opportunities to volunteer at the school or on educational excursions. REORGANIZATION – Class Placements are Tentative Each school year start-up can bring some unexpected changes in terms of enrolment as a result of families moving out of our school boundary or families moving in over the summer. Class organization is subject to change within the first few weeks of the school year based on the number of students enrolled in our school at that time. In the event that reorganization of classes is required, planning for it will take place on Sept. 12, 2014. Therefore, class placements are tentative until then. Parents/guardians will be notified if any changes will involve their child(ren). PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY DAY Friday September 12th, 2014 is a Professional Activity Day for staff. There will be no school for students. Staff will be involved in Adult Faith Development and reorganization of classes if necessary. VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL Please remember that to other children, you are a stranger. All school doors are locked at all times and a monitored entry system is active at the front door of our school. Please enter the school through the front doors and report to the office, sign in, and pick up a visitor pass. Prior to leaving, sign out and return your visitor’s pass. Any individuals wandering the school without appropriate identification will be asked to report to the office. Please help us to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for your children. Parents/guardians are also kindly asked to bid your child(ren) farewell from beyond the playground. Only students and staff are to be in the schoolyard. Again, this is to ensure the safety of your child(ren). Your attention to this is most appreciated. Please be reminded that dogs are not permitted in the schoolyard area at any time. The excitement of the children or the bell ringing can frighten dogs. Also, some students are afraid or allergic. KISS & RIDE SAFETY St. Stephen is proud of its Kiss and Ride Program. In order for it to continue to run smoothly and safely for all our students, everyone needs to follow the same procedure. Please obey the following procedures when driving into the school parking lot: The entry, exit, cross walk and bus zone, on school property, must never be blocked by cars. Ample space must be left for buses to enter and exit the school property. Please park in the parking spots at the school or on the street. Do not park in any of the lanes in the front of the school and please do not leave your car unattended. GOING OUT FOR LUNCH Please inform your child’s teacher of regular lunch arrangements for your child. Also, for safety reasons please be advised that a signed and dated note must be provided to your child’s teacher each time there is a change in the lunch routine. This is especially important for a child who needs to leave school property during the lunch hour, who normally stays for lunch. Students will be allowed to go out for lunch only if a note is provided. Please use the school agenda book for your lunch notes. In addition, any students leaving or returning to the school due to appointments must be signed out and in at the office by a parent/guardian. Your co-operation and support of this important supervision/safety initiative is appreciated. Thank you. SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM - Attendance Verification Daily attendance at school and punctuality are very important. If your child is going to be late or absent from school, please inform the office at (905) 840-3921. The school has an answering machine to receive messages at any time of the day or night. The child’s parent or the legal guardian must call the school regarding their child’s absence. When calling, please provide the following: Name of student (first & last, spell the last name) Name of teacher Grade Reason for absence REGULAR ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY Regular attendance and punctuality are important life skills that apply not only in the educational setting, but also in various other settings and especially in the work place. When a student arrives late, it can be a disruption to his/her learning as well as to the learning of the other students in the class. A total of the number of days absent and late are documented and become part of the student’s record. Students should arrive on time to line up with their peers when the bell rings. It is important to address frequent absences and late arrivals for non-medical reasons early as they may have a long-term negative impact. It is a parent’s responsibility, as outlined in the Education Act, to ensure that their child is in regular attendance and on time for school. When regular attendance and punctuality are problematic, a meeting with parents, the principal and other school personal may be required in order to discuss a plan for helping the child improve attendance and/or prompt arrival. PLASP – CHILD CARE SERVICES PLASP Child Care Services operates before and after school programs at St. Stephen. The before school program operates from 7:30 am until school begins at 8:45 am. A nutritious breakfast is served daily. The after school program runs from the end of the school day at 3:15 pm until 6:00 pm. Children participate in recreational activities, are served a nutritious snack daily and have time for homework. Fee assistance is available for those who qualify. For more information on the PLASP, Child Care Services Program, visit our PLASP Director, before and after school at St. Stephen or call the PLASP Head Office at 905-890-1711. You can also visit the website at www.plasp.com STORAGE AND ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION Parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that all medication and forms are completed and updated annually for any student who requires medication to be administered at school. If your child requires medication, please have the necessary forms completed and return them, along with the medication, to the office as soon as possible. Forms are available at the school office. All medication is stored in the office area. The only exception to this requirement has to do with any child who, because of life threatening allergies, must carry medication. ALLERGEN AWARE SCHOOL PEANUT & OTHER LIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES, SABRINA’S LAW ANAPHYLAXIS REACTION Sabrina’s Law is an Act to protect anaphylactic students in publicly funded schools in Ontario. Named “Sabrina’s Law” in honor of an Ontario student who died following an anaphylactic reaction in 2003, the law became effective on January 1, 2006. As we begin the new school year, we would like to inform you that St. Stephen is an allergen aware school. There are pupils in attendance at our school who suffer from severe and life threatening allergies to certain foods, such as: peanuts, nuts and their by-products. Exposure to the smallest quantities can cause severe and life threatening reactions in some students. Anaphylaxis is a severe and life threatening allergic reaction. The most common allergen triggers are food, insect stings, medications, exercise and latex. An anaphylactic reaction involves symptoms from two or more body systems. We would appreciate the cooperation of the entire school community by NOT sending any lunches or snacks that contain peanuts, nuts or their by-products. We want St. Stephen’s to be a safe environment for all students. Thank you for your assistance with this initiative. STUDENT INSURANCE As required by the Education Act and Ministry of Education, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board annually provides parents with information about cost-effective student accident insurance coverage via student carrier, ‘insuremykids Protection Plan’ forms were distributed to students the first week of school. Effective September 2012 the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board requires parents, guardians written acknowledgement that they have received information regarding Student Insurance especially for those students participating in out-of-school excursions and/or extracurricular sports activities and is indicated on the respective parent permission forms (ref: GF115 Elements of Risk) distributed when students participated in educational excursions. Although enrolment in the student insurance is voluntary, the Board encourages parents to take advantage of the inexpensive insurance coverage, especially if their child/children participate in sports, excursions/field trips, or, if parents do not have dental insurance coverage. Two options are offered for enrolment: 1.) Complete the traditional form and mail it in or 2.) Photocopy the form and fax it to Reliable Life at 1-905-5227211 or 1-800-463-KIDS (5437). Parents alone have the right to insure their children. CUSTODY OF CHILDREN At times, we are faced with situations in which non-custodial parents arrive at school asking to visit their child or to take their child home after school. We are best able to serve and protect students, when we are made aware of legal custody arrangements, visitation rights and other special instructions. If legal custody matters affect your family, please ensure that our office and classroom teachers are aware of custodial arrangements between parents that may affect your child during school hours. Please ensure that a copy of the Court Order is on file in the school office. MOVING? CHANGE OF INFORMATION? If your are planning to move out of the St. Stephen school area or change address within our boundaries, please let the office know as soon as possible. Please keep us informed of any address, phone number or medical changes for your children. It is of the utmost importance that our records are kept up to date. If your child should get sick or hurt, we must have accurate contact information on file. MR.SUB SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM…COMING SOON SEE HEAR CLINIC See Hear will be at St. Stephen Catholic School on October 1, 2014 for a vision and hearing screening clinic for JK to grade 8 students. Information and registration information will be sent home with your child(ren). HEPATITIS B IMMUNIZATION, MENINGOCOCCAL MENINGITIS, HPV On Friday October 10, 2014 Peel Health will continue to offer free immunization against Hepatitis B, Meningococcal Meningitis for students in grade 7 and HPV for grade 8 female students during the 2014/2015 school year. Students in grade 7 during the 2013-2014 school year, who did not complete the Hep B series or receive Meningococcal Meningitis can complete the vaccinations in grade 8. The forms are to be returned to the classroom teacher by September 5th, 2014. SAFE, CARING, HEALTHY & INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS SEPTEMBER – EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO BE SAFE AT SCHOOL The key message for September is… “Everyone has the right to be safe at school”. Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s initiative to create safe, caring, healthy and inclusive school communities is rooted in our Catholic identity, in particular, our shared belief in the dignity of all persons created in God’s image. Safe Schools Policies include Bullying Prevention and a school wide Progressive Discipline approach. BULLYING PREVENTION INITIATIVES At St. Stephen we have a variety of Bullying Prevention Initiatives, including our Virtues Program, Positive Climate Initiative, PALS, and other meaningful school wide and classroom programs and activities. Expectations around behavior and discipline will be reviewed with all students by administration at Division Level Assemblies in September. Please review the Catholic Code of Conduct with your child(ren) which can be found in the school agenda. Each class will create a set of behavioral guidelines. This activity provides students with an opportunity to identify and discuss their expectations of how to appropriately interact with others. When students feel ownership they tend to assume more responsibility to follow the established guidelines and manage their own behaviors. Students learn about expressing opinions, consensus building and accountability. A sense of safety is established in knowing that all students have agreed to follow the guidelines. By posting the guidelines in the classroom and referring to it throughout the year, peer accountability for behavior management is encouraged. TIPS FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS: - talk with your children about the guidelines - ask them which guidelines they like the most and which ones they think will be most difficult for them - discuss behavioral expectations within your own family and the values or beliefs upon which these are based VIRTUES INITIATIVE A Catholic Faith Community is rooted in a set of common beliefs which are inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus. As a Catholic Community we are called to learn, to grow and to become more like Jesus in the way we see and treat others. Our Catholic faith plays an important role in helping us shape schools that are safe, caring, healthy and inclusive. Catholic School Education provides us the opportunity to integrate virtue formation into all areas of our life within the context of our faith. St. Stephen Catholic School will again focus our attention on the Catholic Virtues. This program is designed to help us nurture virtue and character development in the lives of our students. Each month the whole school will focus on a different virtue. Classroom activities, school wide activities and assemblies will all focus on a specific virtue each month. September – Faith October – Empathy November – Conscience December – Hope January – Self Control February - Respect March - Kindness April - Love May - Acceptance June - Fairness PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES (PEDs) What is a PED? PEDs are wireless and/or portable electronic handheld equipment that include cell phones, smart phones, walkie-talkies, pagers, BlackBerry handsets, palm organizers, iPods, MP3 players and digital cameras. It is the policy of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board that PEDs belonging to students and visitors are to be kept out-of-sight, turned off and not used within school premises or during school sanctioned events, such as, retreats, field trips, sports events, etc. To prevent the loss or damage of PEDs, we encourage students to leave their PEDs at home or in their knapsacks. Full Day Kindergarten St. Stephen is looking forward to our new Full Day Kindergarten Program. Our Kindergarten Team has been working diligently and are excited and enthusiastic about implementing Play-Based Inquiry Learning. Continued… What is the Role of the Teacher and DECE? What is Play-Based Inquiry Learning? Research has shown that there is a strong link between play and learning for young children. This is especially true in the areas of problem solving, language acquisition, literacy, numeracy, and social, physical, and emotional skills. Young children are naturally curious and actively explore their environment and the world around them through a process of play-based inquiry learning. Play is a vital part of a child’s life for optimal development, socially, cognitively, physically, and emotionally. What is the Role of the Teacher and DECE? In the new Full Day Kindergarten program, teachers and Designated Early Childhood Educators will work together in supporting your child’s learning in a playbased inquiry environment. Our team promises to support children in their playbased inquiry learning by: providing large blocks of time for both childinitiated and structured play; guiding, shaping, engaging in , and extending play but not dictating or dominating it; allowing children to be “in charge” of their play – engaging them in the planning of the learning activities and allowing time for unstructured play; providing a variety of hands-on, concrete materials, tools, and equipment that encourage children to engage in different forms of play; changing materials, tools, and equipment as needed, to guide, shape, enhance, and extend learning; asking questions to expand and enhance play; observing, monitoring, and assessing play. “Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” ~O. Fred Donaldson Beautiful Junk Over the year, the children will use a variety of materials for projects and discovery. If you have any such items, we would appreciate it if you could please set them aside and send them to school. Some suggestions include… bottle caps buttons egg cartons baby food containers magazines paper rolls beads bread tags detergent cups styrofoam material/wool baskets sequins wallpaper scraps/samples used greeting cards ribbons cotton balls yarn We also encourage children to bring in items they find in their natural world. LIBRARY NEWS Some news from Mrs. VandeCamp… SHARKS CORNER We are looking forward to our students participating in the many sport teams and activities that our staff will be organizing and running. Many thanks to our staff for their time, commitment and dedication to providing our school community with opportunities where our students can learn, grow and play together in the spirit of healthy living and team building. Looking forward to a fabulous year! CROSSING GUARD LOCATION & HOURS Location: Conservation Drive at Braidwood Lake Road. Schedule: 8:10 am 8:45 am 3:15 pm 3:45 pm The school year is off to a wonderful start and I would like to extend a special welcome to our new students and families as they begin their experience within the St. Stephen family. I am looking forward to working with you and your children in the library this year as they continue on the road of literacy and the love of reading. In the capacity of teacher-librarian, it is my hope to continue to make our library an open, inviting and well used part of the school. Throughout the year, I will endeavor to keep you updated about new resources, books and parent reference materials that we have available. This will be done through the school/library newsletter. Again, this year, I will be looking for parent volunteers to help with library duties, and assisting teachers throughout the school. Please let me know if you are interested in volunteering in the school. In addition, I will also be on the ‘look out’ for student library helpers to assist with general library duties during some recesses and of course some time for reading. If your child is interested please have them speak to me or their teacher about the Library Club. As in previous years, if you have ‘gently used’ books at home that your child no longer requires, we will gladly accept them at school to be used in our needy classroom libraries. As we begin this exciting year together, I look forward to growing and learning with your child as they explore and discover the magic of books and research-inquiry in their library. Sincerely, Mrs. VandeCamp Prayer to St. Stephen O Holy Saint Stephen, Beloved first Martyr, Hear our Prayers at St. Stephen School. Help us to model your devotion to Jesus And stand up and witness our love for Jesus and His ways. As citizens of the next century, Guide us to live the Gospel values of LOVE, COMPASSION, HONESTY & RESPECT. We ask you this in the name of Jesus. AMEN ST. STEPHEN STAFF AS OF SEPT 2nd DATES TO REMEMBER Grade Teacher Room # DECE/FDK DECE/FDK FDK B. Mytokowska/J. Larade S. Cabral Gallant/N. Nomura C. Hunwicks 101 102 103 1 1 2 2 3 3 3/4 4/5 5 6 7 8 B. Klukowski A. Serpe E. Sousa J. Mair M. Davis T. McCallum (LTO-K.Strachan) C. Spizzirri (LTO-T. Costa) M. Chaves M. Hoy C. Tipou D. Jesus L. Pritchard 104 105 116 111 112 115 Portable 2 Portable 1 114 107 108 109 SERC/SERT PT PT T. Pasquino (LTO-S. Constanzo) 113 VandeCamp Library Office L. Commisso French Office L. Muir Portable 3 B. Fazzari Portable 3 M. Mierzynski Portable 3 ERW ERW C. Rozyle M. Walzcak Seminar Seminar CYW M. Rizzuto-Caterina Guidance SAT Steve Quartarone Guidance SERT/Library/ELL S. FSL ELL/PT Head Custodian P. Hamilton Custodian S. Halfacree Cleaner P. Black Custodial Custodial Cleaner Social Worker Psychologist SLP Office Office Office B. Meffe N. Michal B. Benassi Head Secretary M. Psaila Principal S. Rea Office Office Sept 12 Sept 19 Sept 29 Sept 30 Oct 1 Oct 9 Oct 10 Oct 31 Nov 11 Nov 12 Nov 13 P.A. Day – no school for students Catholic School Council Nominations Catholic School Council Meeting Open House See Hear Clinic (JK-8) Photo Day Grade 7 Hepatitis B, Meningococcal Meningitis, and Grade 8 HPV for females Halloween Progress Report to go home Photos Re-take Day Reporting Evening