Newsletter Mar. 16 Year 54, Issue 7 St. Louis Messages Tim Horton’s Camp Gr 4-5-6 Feb 22-26, 2016!! – thanks to the parents who have volunteered to come with us! (C. Attanaiso, S. Agostino, T.Reynolds, M. Bielski and S. Nease) Contents: Reflection 1 Principal’s Message 1 Staff List 2 SKATING Dates 2 School Hours 2 Grad Photos 2 ICE!!!!!! 2 Sacraments 3 PD Days 3 School Holidays 3 Reporting Dates 3 Cold Weather 3 EQAO Info 3 Public Speaking 3 Inclement Weather 4 Virtue Instruction 4 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE: Tim Horton’s Camp has become a great annual event here at St. Louis and we have been fortunate enough to receive this funding for 5 years straight! This year’s activities included an ice storm – complete with the loss of power for over five hours! But our students and their camp leaders braved the storm – power came back on – and we didn’t have to leave early!!!! (some of our students took to praying for divine intervention and it worked!! The power of prayer!) With great excitement, our Grade 8 class will have the opportunity to be at the Onondaga Farm March 22, 23, & 24, 2016 – we thank Mr. Kotulak and Madame Streker for taking our students on this learning experience! NO HOTDOGS – during LENT- - SORRY!!!!! Student Immunization 4 CRC Peel Regional Police 4 4 Attachments: March Calendar Advent Calendar March Break Info Coyote Info- City of Mississauga Tutoring - FREE PA Day Info-Apr 11/16 GOLD PRO info CCCSC Parent Info Math March Info Please join me in thanking Mr. Antal for his contributions to our school as our night custodian for the past 8 years and welcome Mr. Hobbs to our school. Family Skate March 4 &11/2016 – from 1-2pm Clarkson Rink – Helmets Jk to Gr 4mandatory. All students must wear gloves. Family members welcome to skate. YMCA – If you are interested in child care at St. Louis – before or after school – please call the YMCA directly at 905-943-9622 or www.ymcagta.org VIRTUE OF THE MONTH: KINDNESS Virtue – which is an attitude that encourages us to involve God in our lives and helps us develop and maintain relationships with God and with others. God wants us to treat all people with the kindness they deserve. WARNING: Coyotes have been spotted on the Sheridan Creek walkway – and reported by neighbors to be on the school site in the early evening hours. (see attached info provided by the City of Mississauga) Laura DiGiambattista Principal St. Louis Follow us on Twitter @DPCDSBSchools St. Louis Messages Page 2 of 4 St. Louis Staff St. Louis School 1450 Lewisham Dr. Mississauga, ON L5J 3R3 (905) 822 -8251 L. DiGiambattista - Principal L. Carli - Head Secretary M. Silva– Head Custodian M. Hobbs–Night Custodian M. Spiewak-Kabza –JK/SK PRINCIPALL. DIGIAMBATTISTA SECRETARY: L. Carli 8:15am -Supervision in Yard 8:30am -Morning Bell (please be on time) 11:30am -Lunch 11:50am - Lunch Recess 12:30pm- Afternoon Bell 3:00pm –Dismissal (please be on time) 3:15pm - Supervision of dismissal ends K. Calvovic-Sporcic-Jk/Sk T. Boutros-Nimer -ECE D. Ivankvovic –Gr1/2 T. Tome (LTO) – Gr 1/2 SUPERINTENDENT: D. Amaral (905)890-1221 SCHOOL HOURS Graduation Photos – March 8, 2016 for our SK and Gr 8 classes L. Pruss – Gr 2/ 3 J. Marroquin- Gr 3/4 TRUSTEE; S. Hobin 905-301-1210 C. Watts - Gr 4 /5 M. Parent- Gr 5/6 St. Christopher Church: (905) 822-1171 M. Bosnjak – Gr 6/7 F. Kotulak – Gr 8 C Mant – SERT/SERC Pastor: Fr. Scott Young Fr. Jerry Dunn Pastoral Assistant: C. Burles Please Be Careful - ICE We hope everyone had a safe Christmas break. As you know, our school communities experienced a significant ice storm over the winter break. Our custodial and maintenance staff continue to work with plant services contractors to remove ice and snow. For everyone’s safety, please note the following: E. Grego - Librarian/ESL L. McLean– PlanningTime A. Greenshields -SERT/PT H. Saliba Haddad – ERW Family Skate M. Figliuzzi - ERW G. Streker – FSL Teacher Psychology - S. Henry March 4 &11/2016 Soc. Worker – D. Kostyshyn Child/ Youth – a. archbold Speech and Lang.- L. Moeser Head Injury When a student receives an injury to the head, it is Board policy that we inform parents. We will make every attempt to notify you –even when it is a very minor head injury. Please do not be alarmed if you receive this phone call. Head injury prevention will be taught to students this year . Please walk carefully when on school/board property; do not run. Please ensure students dress appropriately for the conditions. We ask all visitors to wear proper footwear for the conditions, including boots/shoes with non-slip soles. Although efforts have been undertaken to clear sidewalks, paths, patches, parking lots and paved play areas, in some cases these efforts were less than successful due to the ongoing freezing temperatures combined with the base of ice resulting from the ice storm. These situations will continue to be addressed. Our parking lots do have ice buildup. Please exercise caution when leaving your vehicles. As always, please drive safely. Please let us know if you see any concerns while on our school/board properties. Happy March Break Happy St. Patrick’s Day St. Louis Messages Page 3 of 4 EQAO Gr 3 and Gr 6 We will write our EQAO assessment this year – for three days during the testing period – which extends from May 25 to June 8, 2016. Please ensure that your child is accessing the EQAO website – from home for extra practice - @ EQAO.com (parent resources) and that all appointments and holidays are not scheduled during this time. We are looking forward to this assessment as it offers our students the opportunity to demonstrate their learning. Tutoring will not be offered this year. Liturgical/ Sacramental Update First Communion Information Meeting Sept 28 or 29 , 2015–at 7:00pm @ St Christopher’s Church Confirmation Information Meeting Grade 8 – Sept 9 or 10, 2015 Grade 7- Jan. 19 or 20, 2016 At St. Christopher’s Church *Gr 7 & 8 will both make confirmation this school year February 18, 2016 - -@St. Margaret of Scotland school Quinton and Vadym represented our school in the Public Speaking contest Confirmations – Grade 8- November 30/15 Grade 7 –XXX Quinton Chose the topic of: Limitless Vadym Chose the topic of: PK Subban PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS Cold Weather With the arrival of colder weather, students are reminded to dress appropriately (hats, mitts, boots, etc.) and to wear all clothing that they came to school in when they go out for recess. We recommend that clothing is labelled for our primary students, so that we can easily identify who owns what. During the winter season it is generally accepted in Dufferin—Peel that when the wind chill factor drops below –25 C, students should not go outside for recess. Cold and Flu Season Please use discretion in keeping your children home to recover if they are ill. A child who is coughing, wheezing, etc. is not in a state to learn and will only infect others. If a student is sent to school, it is assumed that they will participate in all aspects of the school day, including outdoor recess. We do not provide individual indoor supervision. We also remind parents to dress students for our weather conditions. We will be having outdoor recess, weather permitting, as much as possible. At all times, we follow the Board guidelines for inclement weather. The students enjoy going out, especially if they have their snowsuits, hats and mittens. Reporting Dates: Nov 17/15 – Progress Report –Home- Interviews: November 19, 2015 Feb 2/16 – First Term Report Home - Interviews: Feb 4, 2016 – pm only; Feb 5,2016 June 28/ 16 – Final Report Card Home NO SCHOOL- for students Sept .18/15 – Re-Organization Jan. 18/16- Assessment Day Feb. 5/ 16- Reporting To Parents April 11, 2016 -NEW June 13 /16 - Assessment Day SCHOOL HOLIDAYS School Masses Opening Mass-Oct. 13/15 10:30am- Gym Advent-Candles Nov.30, Dec7, Dec 15 8:45am Christmas Mass Jan. 12/16- 10:30am gym Ash Wednesday Feb 10/16- 2:00pm-Gym Stations of the cross March 24, 2016-2:00pm-Gym Easter Mass Apr.6/16-10:30am -Gym (NO SCHOOL) Thanksgiving Day – Monday, Oct. 12, 2015 Christmas Break Mon. Dec. 21-Jan 1, 2016 Family Day – Mon. Feb. 15, 2016 Mid-Winter Break – March 14 –March 18, 2016 Good Friday – Friday, March 25/16 Easter Monday – Monday, March 28, 2016 Victoria Day – Monday, May 23, 2016 Year-End June 23/16-10:30am@St Christopher Church GRADUATIONS: SK Graduation SporcicJune 28, 2016- 2:00pm-gym SK Graduation Spiewak June 29, 2016- 2:00pm-gym Grade 8 GraduationJune 23/16- 10am Mass - 7pm- Awards -@ St. Christopher Church St. Louis Messages - Additional Start-up Info Student Immunization Peel Public Health is reviewing immunization records of all students at our school beginning in January 2016. Peel Public Health must have proof that your child has been fully vaccinated (immunized) according to the Ontario Immunization Schedule. If you receive a letter, please ensure that your child has received the required vaccine(s), then give the date(s) your child received the vaccine dose(s) to Peel Health immediately to update your child’s records. For more information, please call Peel Health at 905-799-7700 or visit www.ImmunizaPeel.ca. Suspension date from school is April 18, 2016. Peel Regional Police Community Partnership Constable Ryan Chan and Constable Mike Beveridge continue to be our NPU - our neighborhood community officers through the Region of Peel. They stops by the school on a regular basis and visit classrooms to speak with students about their role as Police Officers. We would also like to welcome Constable Holly Faulkner, who will be sharing programs on street proofing, and bullying legislation on behalf of Peel Regional Police Educational School Programs- program known as RAID – designed for Gr. 6 students. Guitar club begins right after Christmas!!! Your child will need his/ her own guitar and will need to commit to taking lessons for three months. Lessons will take place on Criminal Check Mclean willReference have a sign-up sheet and any questions should be directed to All parents volunteering in our school must have a Criminal Reference Check – filled out by Peel Regional Police (if parent is living in Mississauga) We have the forms in the office of the school – which must be taken to your local Police Station – or for faster completion – to the head office @ Hurontario and Steeles Once having completed your first criminal reference check – you will be asked to complete an annual declaration form – which will be sent home to you. Virtues Instruction at St. Louis School This year, St. Louis School will be continuing with the Board wide Virtues Program. The notion of virtue is deeply rooted in the Catholic Christian tradition. A virtue is a habit or established capability to perform good actions according to a moral standard. In other words, a virtue is a habit that shows people and God that ‘I am’ a good person. In a school community, virtue formation contributes to a healthy positive learning environment by fostering a climate in which all members feel safe, confident and hope-filled about themselves, their relationships and their futures. This program is cross disciplinary and relevant to character formation, safe schools and bullying prevention. Each month will begin with a liturgy, discussion and plan for that month’s virtue. Each student will receive a pencil with that month’s virtue as a visual reminder of the virtue being reinforced that month! Each month is dedicated to developing a different virtue. September – Faith October – Empathy November – Conscience December – Hope January – Self-Control February – Respect March - Kindness April – Love May – Acceptance June - Fairness Submitted by: Ms. Marroquin, Ms Grego & Ms. Ivankovic– Faith Ambassadors Leaders 2015 March Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 3 2 1 Friday 4 Skating – Jk-8 1-2pm PIZZA,Milk,Chips 7 Milk,Chips -ONLY 8 Grad Photos SK & Gr8 9 10 11 Skating – Jk-8 1-2pm PIZZA,Milk,Chips Milk,Chips -ONLY YOUTH FAITH AMBASSADOR RALLY 14 MARCH BREAK No School 15 16 17 18 MARCH BREAK MARCH BREAK MARCH BREAK MARCH BREAK No School No School No School No School 21 22 Tim Horton’s Camp –Gr8 23 Tim Horton’s Camp –Gr8 24 Tim Horton’s Camp –Gr-8 HOLY THURSDAY PIZZA,Milk,Chips 25 NO SCHOOL – Good Friday STATIONS of the Cross 2pm 29 NO SCHOOL – Easter Monday 30 CHESS TOURNAMENT 31 Library am- JK & SK Library pm- Gr 1/2 Upcoming –April– 2015 - April 1-May 27 –HotDogs resume;April 1- Gr1/2 classes to Library; April 1- Crazy Hair Day for Haiti School; April 6 – Easter Mass; April 8Live Free Day -$2 for Breakfast Club; April 28- Down to Earth Display/Talk/Market Volume 3 Web Resources: Primary www.funbrain.com Junior: Polygon Sort and Patch Tool www.mathfrog.ca Intermediate: Transformations www.wiredmath.ca Geometry The ability to identify and describe shapes, sizes, positions, directions, and movement is important in many work situations, such as construction and design, as well as in creating and understanding art. Becoming familiar with shapes and spatial relationships in their environment will help children grasp the principles of geometry in later grades. Family Math Activities K-3 Bake Christmas Cookies. Use a variety of shapes to make sugar cookies. Talk about how to get the most out of the dough by moving the shapes around. Play "I spy", looking for different shapes. "I spy something that is round." "I spy something that is rectangular." "I spy something that looks like a cone." Hide a toy and use directional language to help your child find it. Give clues using words and phrases such as up, down, over, under, between, through, and on top of. Build structures using blocks or old boxes. Discuss the need to build a strong base. Ask your child, “which shapes stack easily, and why?” Ask your child to draw a picture of your street, neighbourhood, or town for Santa. Talk about where your home is in relation to a neighbour's home or the corner store. Use directional words and phrases like beside and to the right of. Grades 4-6 Ask your child to help you wrap. Take note of the features of the different shaped boxes (number of sides, how many are the same, different, hardest to wrap, why?) Look at the wrapping paper. Take note of the patterns, do any of the shapes rotate, translate or reflect (turn, slide or rotate)? Grades 7 and 8 Geometer’s Sketch Pad Ministry Licensed Software Dynamic Geometry® Software for Exploring Mathematics The Geometer's Sketchpad is a dynamic construction, demonstration, and exploration tool that adds a powerful dimension to the study of mathematics. You and your son or daughter can use this software program to build and investigate mathematical models, objects, figures, diagrams, and graphs. Please go to http://www.keypress.com/gsp/download to download and install the Sketchpad application. License Name: ONTARIO DUFFPEEL STUDENT 2012-2013 Authorization Code: UAF7HU-1GQERM-DHGY7U-BPFMR3 Elementary Program Team 2012 Ready to register? Registration information is available in the school office or through the CCCSC website: http://www.dpcdsb.org/CCCSC/ Saturday, April 9, 2016 AGENDA 8:30 a.m. Registration, Refreshments, Vendor Market Place 9:00 a.m. Liturgy and Opening Remarks 9:30 a.m. Keynote Address: Dr. Susan Williams, Psychologist. Parent’s Guide to Reducing Stress and Increasing Resilience in Children 10:30 a.m. Refreshment Break Vendor Marketplace Alternatively, you may complete the Survey Monkey™ to register using this URL: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M9BFLTY MOVE TO WORKSHOP SESSIONS . . . Extraordinary Lives Start with a Great Catholic Education For more information on the Central Committee of Catholic School Councils in Dufferin-Peel CDSB, visit http://www.dpcdsb.org/CCCSC/ 11:00 a.m. Workshop Sessions [Attend one of eight sessions] 12:00 p.m. Closing Remarks and Door Prizes 12:15 p.m. Vendors open to Conference participants until 12:45 p.m. CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCILS PRESENTS Opening Doors of Mercy “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” – Matthew 5:7 Conference & Marketplace St. Joseph Catholic Secondary School 5555 Creditview Road, Mississauga, ON Located on Creditview Road, north of Bristol Road south of Britannia for Dufferin-Peel CDSB Catholic School Council Chairs, Members &Volunteers and School Administrators Saturday, April 9, 2016 St. Joseph Secondary School 5555 Creditview Road, Mississauga WORKHOP SESSIONS KEYNOTE SPEAKER Dr. Susan Williams, Psychologist Parent’s Guide to Reducing Stress and Increasing Resilience in Children Dr. Williams is currently the Director of the Halton Centre for Cognitive Therapy and Stress Reduction in Oakville. She maintained an appointment for 8 years as Assistant Professor (PT) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University where she conducted research on prevention and intervention with anxious and depressed children, provided treatment in the child, adolescent, and adult hospital programs, and trained residents and interns in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). She has worked on the CBT Unit at the former Clarke Institute of Psychiatry in Toronto (now CAMH), at the Anxiety Treatment and Research Centre at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton, the Mood Disorders program at the former Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital, the Adolescent Program and Eating Disorders Clinic at McMaster University Medical Centre, and the Child and Family Centre at Chedoke Hospital, Hamilton. Children who are excessively stressed or anxious can underachieve in school, have low self-esteem, be angry, sad and lonely, have difficulty with schoolwork and have difficult family and peer relationships. Parents have a significant impact on how well children respond to stress and anxiety. Therefore, it is important that we, as parents, teach ourselves healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety so we can pass on this knowledge to our children. We also need to follow some fundamental parenting principles so children learn how to self-regulate when stressed and anxious. Healthy habits learned in childhood promote lifelong healthy habits and a happier and more productive life. This presentation will describe some reasons why children are more stressed and anxious than before and help parents develop resilience, reduce stress, improve their child’s overall well-being and create a happier home. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer period. Keynote Address 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon A Being Catholic is Cool!! Inspiring Our Children to Deepen their Faith Presenter: S. Byrne, Chaplaincy Leader This workshop will explore different avenues of the Church which your child will find attractive. How do you encourage your child to attend Mass? How about the value of reconciliation and support for youth in the Archdiocese of Toronto? This workshop will give you all the tools to talk to your child about the beauty and value of our Church B Empowering Youth to be Leaders and Achievers Presenter: Miguel Martinez This 45-minute workshop is called "Speaking Their Language." This workshop does not aim to perfect you, but rather to give you insight into your loved one's mind. This workshop will enable you to understand and communicate better with your youth. Results will be based on your effort and diligence in applying the knowledge and techniques you learn. I will teach you the power of music and movement and how you can harness that power in order to understand and connect with the young people in your lives. Mental Well-Being: Supporting Students Experiencing Stress and Worry Sponsored by the Dufferin-Peel Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) Presenters: J. Golla, Principal, Bishop Scalabrini School, Mississauga; Dr. S. Sweet, Clinical Child Psychologist & Mental Health Liaison for DPCDSB; S. Wessler, Social Worker, DPCDSB C In response to the Ministry of Education’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy aligned to the Catholic Board Learning Plan (CBLP), Dufferin-Peel is committed to creating safe, caring, inclusive and healthy school communities. Through a team approach, an administrator, psychology staff, and social work staff, will facilitate a workshop on the needs of the student experiencing stress and worry. This session will provide an overview of worry/anxiety and the team process educators/parents/caregivers may use to support students facing particular challenges. Special Education: A Ministry of Education Perspective on Supports for Students with Differing Abilities Session sponsored by Dufferin-Peel Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)) Ministry of Education Presenters: M. Wallace - Education Officer, Toronto and Area Regional Office, Z. Xu, Education Officer, Special Education Policy and Programs Branch This session is provided for parents/guardians of students with differing abilities including special education learning needs. Staff from the Ontario Ministry of Education's Regional Office and Special Education Policy and Programs Branch, along with Dufferin-Peel Staff, will bring a provincial context for special education and support services aligned with Board programs and services. D 10 select The New Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum Presenter: Shelagh Peterson, Coordinator of Religious Ed & Faith Formation, DPCDSB Ms. Peterson is the Coordinator of Religious Education and Faith Formation for the Dufferin-Peel CDSB. She has been part of the provincial team compiling Catholic resources to support our schools in the implementation of the new Health and Physical Education curriculum. With over twenty years teaching religious education in Dufferin-Peel, she is well versed in the elementary Fully Alive program and the secondary religious education material. E F 21st Century Supports for All Students Presenter: Joseph Marquis Mr. Marquis will focus on technology to support all students in the classroom as part of our Dufferin-Peel Universal Design for Learning Suite. He will also provide handouts to support home downloads of selected software. G Healthy Bodies Nurture Healthy Minds Presenters: Hardev Sohi (PHN), Julia Pilliar (Dietician) Peel Health Nurses will outline the importance of a healthy lifestyle for young children. Presenters will discuss the importance of making appropriate food choices, increasing exercise and proper rest. Focus in these areas can effect a child’s behaviour, growth and development, both mentally and physically Read &Write Gold literacy support software for home In this hands-on workshop parents will discover how Texthelp’s Read & Write Gold software may provide reading, writing, studying, and research support within familiar applications (e.g. Word, Internet Explorer, Adobe Reader). Aimed at building confidence and independence with text, Read & Write can support students in both elementary and secondary schools. Tuesday, April 5, 2016 6:00-8:30 PM (Light Dinner provided 6:00-6:30) Dinner and Presentation in the School Cafeteria: St. Marcellinus Secondary School Read & Write Gold software is available in school to all Dufferin-Peel students and may also be installed on home computers running Microsoft Windows. 730 Courtneypark Drive West Mississauga, ON L5W 1L9 Presented by Lorayne (Rayne) Tunley, Microcomputer Science Centre Inc. Rayne Tunley (AOCAD, CSPWC) has worked with Microcomputer Science Centre as a Training Coordinator & Assistive Technology Trainer since 2005. Rayne was an instructor/professor at numerous institutions, including Sheridan College, where she taught for 20+ years. Rayne is also a certified trainer in many Assistive Technology software programs. Rayne works with and trains both children and adults with various special needs. RSVP by Tuesday, March 22, 2016 Laura Conte (905) 890-0708 x 24011 or laura.conte@dpcdsb.org SEAC Liaisons: Lissette Gaylie, Easter Seals Ontario David Logan, Epilepsy Halton Peel Hamilton Colette Munroe, Autism Ontario (Peel Chapter) OF FE RE D A T N O C O S T T O P ARE N T S, t h i s E VE N T i s SP ONS OR E D b y th e SP E CI AL E D UC A TI ON AD VI SO R Y CO MM I T TE E o f th e D U FFE RIN - PE E L C A THO LI C DIS T RI C T S CHO OL BO AR D w ith FU N D IN G th r ou g h a PA R E NT RE A CH IN G OU T G R A NT, MIN IS T R Y OF E D U CA TI ON NEWSLETTER INSERT FOR SCHOOLS 2015-16 School Year Calendar Additional Professional Activity Day: Monday, April 11, 2016 Terms of the recent contract settlement between the teacher federations and the Ministry of Education included the provision of an additional Professional Activity Day for the 2015-2016 school year for both elementary and secondary schools. Recently, boards were directed to schedule this additional Professional Development Day on or before April 15, 2016. In the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, the designated additional Professional Activity Day has been scheduled for Monday, April 11, 2016. Therefore, there will be no classes for either elementary or secondary students on Monday, April 11, 2016. Thank you for your attention to this addition to the 2015-16 School Year Calendar.