Dufferin-Peel CDSB ST. GERTRUDE SCHOOL Guided by Faith, Committed to Excellence NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2013 This Year St. Gertrude School 815 Ceremonial Dr., Mississauga, ON L5R 3S2 Tel: 905 568 7660 Fax: 905 568 8194 Principal T. De Vellis Carino Vice-Principal P. Golin Mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion, and replace it with trust. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Find the time. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Listen. Apologize if you were wrong. Try to understand. Flout envy. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Appreciate. Be kind; Be gentle. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more. Deserve confidence. Take up arms against malice. Decry complacency. Express your gratitude. Have faith. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love. Speak it again. Speak it still once more. Secretaries D. Bachle M. Cherubino (Author unknown) Superintendent Mississauga Brampton Central L. Kazimowicz Trustee T. Thomas Parish St. Francis Xavier 905 890 5290 Pastor Rev. Msgr. Edgardo Elias Salazar Pan Principal’s Message As we enter into this New Year, we need to reflect upon and appreciate the richness that we have in our St. Gertrude Community. I would like to thank the many parents who came in the week before Christmas to wish us a happy holiday and to thank our wonderful staff for their hard work and efforts. As we look back on the past year, we must remember each experience for the good that has come of it and the knowledge we have gained. It is a time to reflect on the past year, and remember the laughter, the joy, the hard work and the tears. This New Year, 2013, will bring with it a time for new beginnings. I would like to welcome the new families who have recently joined our school community. As we begin 2013, we pray not only for love and peace within our St. Gertrude Community but within our Global Community. On behalf of the staff and students of St. Gertrude School, I would like to wish each and every one of you a Happy New Year filled with good health, love and God’s blessings. T. DeVellis-Carino, Principal P. Golin Vice, Principal Page 2 Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence JANUARY’S VIRTUE -Self-ControlGod has given us the ability to choose. We are able to control how we react to what happens around us. We may feel pressure from inside or from outside ourselves to react violently to a situation. We‟ve all “lost it” at one time or another. We are never proud of those moments. As soon as they happen we make a promise that they will not happen again. Through prayer and concentration, we can get better at controlling our reactions. We can get better at showing self-control. Self-control helps us to resist the temptation to do something that we will regret. Self-control helps us to resist the temptation to do something that will harm ourselves or others. Self-control is one of the marks of a spiritually mature person. When we all use self-control, we can be sure that our school will be a safe, caring and inclusive place to live and to learn. A person with self-control… Is patient and knows how to wait his/her turn Can calm him/herself down and think before reacting to situations Knows how to avoid physical aggression (hitting, kicking, pushing, fighting) Can think things through and do what is best for everyone SACRAMENTAL UPDATE If you wish your child to receive a sacrament this year, please be sure you have attended an information meeting and registered your child at the parish. The final information meetings for those who haven‟t attended one yet are scheduled as follows: First Communion: Jan. 10, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. Confirmation: Jan. 10, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. Inscription for both First Holy Communion and Confirmation will be on the weekend of January 19 & 20, 2013. RECONCILIATION Grade Two Reconciliation will take place on Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier Church. FIRST HOLY COMMUNION The Grade Two students will receive their First Holy Communion on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at 10 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier Church. CONFIRMATION Our Grade Eight students will be confirmed on Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Church. ***************************** NOT SUCH AN ORDINARY TIME Ordinary Time As we bring to a close the season of Christmas, we begin to settle into the less active, more ordinary season of our wintery lives. The Church as well moves into Ordinary time as the church colours move from celebratory white to green vestments and altar cloths. During the liturgical year of the church, the term “Ordinary Time” may be misleading. In the context of the liturgical year the term “ordinary” does not mean “ usual or average.” Ordinary here means “not seasonal.” Ordinary Time is the part of the Liturgical Year that lies outside the seasons of Lent-Easter and AdventChristmas. In Ordinary Time, the Church celebrates the mystery of Christ not in one specific aspect but in all its aspects. The readings during the liturgies of Ordinary Time help to instruct us on how to live out our Christian faith in our daily lives. Ordinary Time in the Church‟s year occurs in two sections. The first part begins on the Monday following the Christmas season, which ends with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on the Sunday following January 6. It lasts through the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season. Ordinary Time resumes after the Easter Season, on the Monday after Pentecost, and continues until evening prayer on the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent. During the Liturgical Year, the scripture readings for the seasons of Lent, Easter, Advent, and Christmas have prominent themes. During Ordinary Time the readings are not chosen according to a theme. During the Christmas season, the gospels recount the birth and early life of Jesus. On the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, the gospel begins to speak about the ministry of Jesus through the text about the wedding feast at Cana and two other passages from the Gospel of Mark. Then, with the Third Sunday, the life and preaching of Jesus unfold in each of the Gospels. We mark ordinary time with the colour green… the colour of growth and life. During ordinary time we reflect on how Christ‟s gospel message can come to new life within our daily lives. Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence COLD WINTER WEATHER Our students need to bring the necessary labelled clothing and shoes/boots with them in order to ensure that they are dressed appropriately to meet the challenges of the winter season. Our school policy is that recess is a part of the school day. If a student is too ill to participate in all components of the school day, including recess, please do not send him/her to school. If there are specific medical reasons which should exclude a child from going outside, please submit a doctor‟s note to the office. This note should indicate the reason and the time period for the modified recesses. We have guidelines from the Health Department which help us make a decision as to whether it is too cold for students to go outdoors: -20 degrees C is a modified day and –25 degrees C students stay indoors. During modified school days students will be indoors for am and pm recesses and no longer than twenty minutes at lunch recess. INDOOR SHOES We are once again requesting that your child have a pair of indoor shoes to be left at school. As you know, it is always important for your child‟s health and safety to have shoes to wear in the classroom and in the halls. It is imperative that your child has shoes on if an emergency, such as a fire drill occurs. There is no time to stop and put on boots or other footwear. MEDICATION AT SCHOOL For safety reasons, no child should bring medication to school without prior approval from the office. The school will store necessary prescribed medication upon the return of the “Request for Storage and Distribution of Prescribed Medications” form, which has been filled out, signed by the parents and physician and returned to the school. School staff, without the proper board documentation, cannot distribute medication of any kind. PRIMARY CHRISTMAS CONCERT Our annual Christmas Concert was an overwhelming success for our children and a delight to everyone fortunate enough to witness it. The young talents and voices of our primary students raised the roof. We thank each and every child and our primary division staff for bringing such wonder and joy to the Christmas Season. Page 3 PUBLIC SPEAKING Once again, as part of the Language Arts Curriculum, our students in Grade 4 through 8 will be involved in planning, preparing and presenting oral presentations – speeches. Our school competition is an excellent opportunity for students to develop a comfort and proficiency in presenting their thoughts and ideas. Further information to follow. SHARELIFE Excerpt from a thank you letter received. “A hearty thank you to the students and staff of St. Gertrude School. Your kind gift to ShareLife has made a difference in the lives of many in your community, the Archdiocese and worldwide. On behalf of those served by our agencies, I thank you for your vital contribution. Together we are making a difference!” TOILETRY DRIVE-KNIGHTS TABLE On behalf of the Knights Table, we wish to thank all of you who generously contributed goods to our Toiletry Drive. Hundreds of items were collected. The items were distributed to the homeless and disadvantaged. The Knights Table continues to offer a necessary service to the community and they stated that your donations did make a difference in someone‟s life. Thank you for your generosity. CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE We would like to thank the entire St. Gertrude Community for your tremendous generosity and goodwill. JUNIOR AND SENIOR KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION Registration for the 2013-2014 school year will be held at all Dufferin-Peel Catholic elementary schools on the following dates: Monday, January 28, 2013 * 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. *snow date: Tues., Jan. 29, 2013, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. January 30, 31 & Feb. 1, 2013 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Page 4 Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence SAFETY FIRST Please do not cross the lanes of traffic immediately in front of our front doors. We would appreciate parents walking their children to either end of our driveway, and entering our property at these points. Please do not cross the Kiss „N Ride lanes in the area of the flagpole, as the moving traffic can be dangerous. We have also noticed that cars are entering through the pylons at the end of the day. The pylons are there to remind parents that they are not to enter the driveway after 2:40 p.m. Cars are also stopping in the driveway to pick up children from the Kindergarten area after school. This is a no parking area. Please be advised that we have your children‟s safety as our first priority. Please be reminded that children should not be dropped off before 8:05 a.m. as there is no teacher supervision until this time. Also, please do not obstruct our neighbours‟ driveways when waiting for your child(ren). STUDENT PUNCTUALITY It is the school‟s expectation that all students arrive on time and be prepared for class. Late arrival is a disruption to the class and your child is missing valuable instruction time. Please ensure that your child arrives at school no later than 8:15 in the morning and 12:15 in the afternoon so that they will be present to join their class for entry. SCHOOL COUNCIL Our “Milk Bags for Haiti” initiative will continue throughout the school year. Remember to send in your milk bags with your child for this worthy cause. P.A. DAYS - no school Monday, January 21, 2013: Teachers will be involved in assessment and evaluation activities. Friday, February 8, 2013: Interview day TWITTER DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news and information, follow us at @DPCDSBSchools DATES TO REMEMBER Jan. 8 Virtue Assembly 9:50 am Jan. 9 Meningitis (gr. 7) & HPV (dose 2) Jan. 10 First Communion/Confirmation Information Meeting 7:00 pm Jan. 14 French Immersion Mtg 7:00 pm Jan. 15 School Council Mtg 6:30 am Jan. 17 Gr. 2 First Reconciliation 9:00 am Jan. 19 & 20 Make up Inscription First Communion/Confirmation Jan. 21 PA Day No School for Students Jan. 23 One Movement Presentation 9:30 am BALLROOM DANCING We are very excited as the Grade 4-8 students prepare for their ballroom dancing lessons. Thanks goes to our School Council for funding this program. The program runs for eight weeks and is taught by qualified instructors. At the end of the session, the students will perform in a friendly ballroom showcase. Jan. 28 JK/SK Registration 7-9 pm Jan. 29 Snow Date JK/SK Registration 7-9 pm Jan. 30 Gr. 8 Graduation Photos Feb. 5 Virtue Assembly @ 12:30 pm Feb. 5 Reports sent home Feb. 7 Interview Evening The program is scheduled to begin during the week of January 7, 2013. Feb. 8 PA Day No School/ Interview Day Feb. 12 School Council Feb. 13 Ash Wednesday Feb. 26 Lenten Mass @ St. FX Church 9:30 am