Dufferin-Peel CDSB
ST. GERTRUDE SCHOOL
Guided by Faith, Committed to Excellence
NEWSLETTER
JUNE 2014
As we enter into our summer...
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
M. Diab
May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm o f His Hand.
Ancient Irish Blessing
Secretaries
M. Sgambelluri
M. Cherubino
Superintendent
Mississauga
Brampton Central
L. Papaloni
Trustee
T. Thomas
Parish
St. Francis Xavier
905 890 5290
Pastor
Rev. Msgr. Edgardo Elias
Pan
School Council
Co-Chair: R. Ballantyne
Co-Chair: S. Joseph
Principals’ Message
St. Gertrude Catholic School has been very busy implementing curriculum, preparing for Ministry of
Education testing, going on excursions, practising for sporting/special events, preparing for graduation,
Confirmation and enjoying each other’s company. We are truly blessed to be part of such a dynamic
community. Spring has finally arrived and we are looking forward to a well deserved rest with our families and friends!
We are very grateful for the on-gong support received from our partners in education; our dedicated
staff, students, parish and parents of the St. Gertrude School community. Together, we make our school
a wonderful place to be! We thank you for that.
Special thank you to our Catholic School Council and the many parent volunteers who put so much time
and energy toward our school. Volunteers play a very important role and are always welcome.
Congratulations to our grade two student who received their First Holy Communion and our grad eight
students who celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation. We wish the grade eight students continued
success and happiness as they prepared to culminate their elementary education and proceed to education in Secondary School.
Thank you to the many current and past families, staff, administrators, our trustee Thomas Thomas and
Mayor Hazel Mc Callion for joining us as St. Gertrude celebrated 25 years of being “guided by faith
and committed to excellence”.
We wish all families a safe and peaceful summer!
T. De Vellis Carino, Principal
M. Diab, Vice Principal
Page 2
Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence
VIRTUE OF FAIRNESS
Our virtue for June is Fairness and is being celebrated with an assembly on June 23th. Thank you
to the committee led by N. Gentili, A. Petrasek and
M. Wasilewski, along with all the students involved
in our ten virtue assemblies held this year for making these liturgies very meaningful. Thank you also
to M. Kapov is thanked for sharing her many gifts.
GRADUATION 2014
Congratulations to our Gr. 8 students
on their graduation from elementary
school. This is a momentous accomplishment that
marks the start of a new and exciting time in their
lives, but also the ending of what we hope was a
successful and joyful journey. We ask all members
of our St. Gertrude Catholic community to say an
extra prayer for our graduates this year.
Creator, please bless these graduates, and share with
them Your wisdom and strength. Please lead them
on the right path. Help them to remember that
whatever they do, whether in word or deed, they must
take action in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father trough Him. Amen.
We are privileged to have had the opportunity to
educate these future leaders. Congratulations from
the staff and students of St. Gertrude Catholic
School.
The Gr. 8 Graduation Ceremony is being
celebrated on Tuesday, June 24th at 6:30 pm at St.
Francis Xavier Parish Hall.
The Gr. 8 Graduates will be having their luncheon
at Boaden Hall on Wednesday, June 25th from
11 am to 4 pm. They will be travelling with a
school bus and are expected to return by 4:30 pm.
END OF THE YEAR MASS/GRADUATION MASS
This year, the combined Year End Mass and
Graduation Mass will be held on Wednesday,
June 18 at 12:45 pm in the school gym. We are
blessed to come together as a community to
celebrate our Faith and express our thanks to our
heavenly Father for the many gifts that He has
bestowed upon us. We will also be celebrating the
accomplishments of this year’s graduates.
CONGRATULATIONS, FOND FAREWELLS
AND THANK YOU
We offer a special thank you to the people who have
worked at St. Gertrude this year and have contributed
their special talents to our students. We would like to
acknowledge the following staff: S. Borges and G. Esguerra. They have extended themselves with long hours
spent planning and marking, but also through the many
hours they have spent in the support of our various extra
-curricular activities. Thank you also to J. Beaty, C. Dri,
and N. Dableh for their contribution and commitment to
our students.
We offer a fond farewell and congratulations to Mrs.
Marsala on the occasion of her retirement. Mrs. Marsala
has had a long and dedicated career in Catholic Education. Her skills in providing a strong, challenging program
and her kind attitude has been greatly appreciated and
admired. Our students have been blessed by being in
her exceptional care. We wish Mrs. Marsala God’s
blessings during her retirement.
EQAO ASSESSMENT
Thank you very much to the staff and students for their
hard work during the recent provincial EQAO testing.
Thank you also to the parents of Grade 3 and 6 students
for their efforts in ensuring their child’s attendance at
school during the assessment period. Congratulations to
all students in Grade 3 and 6 on the completion of
EQAO!!!!
NEW REGISTRATIONS
The school office will be open for new registrations the
week before school begins from August 26 to
August 30, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
YOUNG AUTHORS AWARDS / PRIX JEUNES
ECRIVAINS
Congratulations to Alexander Dowling in grade 4
French Immersion for winning the 2014 OECTA Young
Authors Award in the Grade 3-4 Non-fiction Category in
French. Winning this award at the provincial level is a
wonderful achievement! Felicitations!
FRENCH SPELLING BEE
On Wednesday, June 25th, the grades 1-5 French
Immersion students will be participating in our first
St. Gertrude French Spelling Bee! Bonne Chance!
Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence
TENTATIVE CLASS PLACEMENTS
Staff have spent a great deal of time organizing the
class lists to ensure the best possible placement for
your child during the 2014/2015 school year. As new
enrolments are considered, staff will continue to meet
and will fine tune each class list as the need arises.
All our class placements will remain tentative until
enrollment is finalized during the second week of
September. Due to the possibility of reorganization,
class placements will not be included with the June
report cards.
In September, any concerns regarding class
placements can be addressed in writing to the
office and will be considered at the time of school
re-organization.
MOVING
If you will be moving from the
St. Gertrude Catholic community
over the summer, please notify the
office. It is important that we are
informed so that we can provide the
necessary transfer forms. You will require these
forms as part of your registration into any school in
the province. Your child’s Ontario Student Record
(OSR) folder is sent to his/her new school only after
we have had official documentation.
COLLECTING AND RETURNING ALL BOOKS
Please check your home and child’s room at home
and be sure all books belonging to the school (both
textbooks and library books) are returned to the
school. As you can understand, these books are very
expensive to replace. Thank you for your attention to
this matter.
LOST AND FOUND
We have collected quite an assortment of shoes, hats,
sweaters etc. in our Lost and Found box. During the
second and third week of June we will display all lost
and found items. Please drop by and take a look. We
will be packing up whatever is left and forwarding
these items to local charities at the end of June.
REPORT CARDS
Report cards will go home on Wednesday, June 25
Please complete page 3 of the report, sign and
return it to your child’s classroom teacher by
Thursday, June 26th.
Page 3
DRESS CODE
School Board policy states that all students are expected
to dress to standards of neatness, cleanliness, modesty
and good taste. Certain items i.e.: shirts with inappropriate logos / wording, exposure of undergarments or midriffs, tight or torn clothing are contrary to both the philosophy of our Catholic School teachings and to the standards we set as parents and educators. Specifically with
regards to clothing:
 It should be neat, clean and without tears / holes
 Shorts and skirts shall be walking length and
hemmed
 Halter tops, muscle shirts, mesh shirts, spandex bicycle wear, cut-off shirts/shorts, midriff tops, spaghetti
straps, p.j. bottoms, skin tight leggings and bandanas
are not appropriate attire for school
 Hats, sunglasses and sunscreen are encouraged for
outdoor wear
 Running shoes or sport sandals are the safest shoes
for outdoor play on the concrete pavement
Your assistance in ensuring that your child is dressed
appropriately is appreciated.
INTERMEDIATE BASKETBALL
B. Shelsen and M. Silva would like thank the intermediate boys’ and girls’ basketball teams for their
commitment and teamwork.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL TEAM
The boys basketball team made their coaches
proud by their efforts to do their best at the pod
tournament. Way to go Mariano A., Joshua B.,
Justin D., Matthew H., David L., Jireh M., Alexander
R., Justus S., and Daniel T.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAM
Congratulations to the girls’ basketball
team who placed first at the Pod tournament and then went on to compete in the
Family tournament at St. Marcellinus Secondary
School. The girls made their coaches very proud
and showed great sportsmanship. Way to go
Kaylynn A., Aiane I., Olivia I., Daniela P., Katarina
R., Brenda N., Sara P., Vanessa S., Monica S., and
Erica M.
A special thank you goes out to the Grade 7&8 students on the “practice” team who helped out during
practices and at the tournaments.
Thank you to the coaches, B. Shelsen and M. Silva
for a great season!
Page 4
Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence
CROSSING GUARD
We will continue to have our crossing guard at the exit
driveway at St. Gertrude School in September. A special
thank you to Mrs. Suida for her dedication and her smile.
You will notice that there is “NO PARKING” by the crosswalk. A sign has been erected by the city. The safety of
our children is always our first priority.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
ST. GERTRUDE
ANNUAL BBQ
Thursday, June 18th, 2014
5:30pm - 7:30 pm
Come out and enjoy many of the exciting activities that
our School Council has planned.
It’s sure to be loads of fun for all ages!!
We would like to take a moment to thank our
Catholic School Council for their ongoing support
and their initiation of the many worthwhile activities
and events that took place this year. Their support
has proven itself to be an enhancement of our goals
and initiatives. We are grateful for their insights,
enthusiasm and child-centered approach to all
decision making. Our school council members each
enriched the school, by attending meetings and
organizing fundraising events which have supported
school based initiatives: ballroom dancing, stained
glass window, literacy materials. School Council
has also generously recognized many milestones
within our students’ lives. Gifts are provided on
behalf of the school community in recognition of
Graduation, Confirmation and First Communion.
Teacher reps: N. Benevides, N. Gentili
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTIONS
A reminder that the elections for the Catholic School
Council for St. Gertrude Catholic School will be held
in September.
Nomination forms for parents/guardians representatives will be available in the main office of the
school from September 2. Eligible parents/
guardians are encouraged to complete a nomination
form and become a parent/guardian representative.
Nominations are due September 18th at 6:00 pm.
Electors must be parents or guardians of students
enrolled in the school and must be separate school
supporters. We encourage everyone to come out
and get involved in your child’s education.
Elections and Our first School Council Meeting
for the 2014/2015 school year will be held on
October 7 2014 at 6:30 in the school library.
ART REACH WORKSHOPS
Thank you to the Parent Council for graciously
funding the Peace Garden Project led by
Visual Arts Mississauga (VAM) artist. Through her
guidance, students in Jk-gr. 8 contributed to the
beautiful art installation in our peace garden. Thank
you for the great learning experience for our young
artists!
Thank you to our Arts committee, P. DeLuca, S.
Martelli, D. Marques, N. Sanderson & I. Talerico
TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
It is time for the transportation department to get
ready for next September. Transportation eligibility
is based on distance from the school. As per Board
policy, until routes are established, no consideration
will be made for courtesy seat riders. Parents of
children from grades 1 to 8, who hope to access the
school bus through the courtesy seat policy next
year, are reminded to find alternative transportation
until the availability for additional riders has been
determined in mid-October.
Please note that the schedule for our bus will be
posted on the front doors of the school the week
before school starts or by visiting the following link
for bus schedules and bus availability for your area.
http://www.stopr.ca
EcoSchool….CONGRATULATIONS EcoTeam!!
Congratulations to all members of the EcoTeam.
St. Gertrude has been re-certified as a “silver”
EcoSchool! It has been an amazing year with the
many environmental projects the dynamic EcoTeam
focused on this year. The EcoTeam’s efforts in
Energy Conservation and Waste Minimization are
commendable; there is definitely a culture of
environmentalism taking shape at St. Gertrude.
The EcoTeam would like to thank all teachers,
students and parents/guardians for their support of
all initiatives and we look forward to another great
year.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY
We would like to take this
opportunity to wish all our
fathers in the community a Happy Father’s Day.
We hope that you have a wonderful day with
your families.
Guided by Faith, Committed to Excellence
LUNCH HOUR CHANGE FOR SEPTEMBER
After piloting a change in the eating time during the
lunch hour, we will be changing back to our previous
schedule. At 11:20 students will eat lunch in their
classrooms and then go outside for recess from
11:40-12:20.
11:20-11:40
11:40-12:20
Students eat lunch inside
Recess outside
Please note this change will take place in
September 2014.
Page 5
25th ANNIVERSARY YEARBOOK
St. Gertrude is putting together a commemorative 25th anniversary yearbook! The professionally bound yearbook will
contain photos from each class, candid pictures to remember
all the fun we’ve had this year, pictures from the past 25
years here at St. Gertrude, and even photos of what your
teachers looked like 25 years ago.Order forms went home in
mid-May and are due back no later than June 16th. Orders
can
also
be
placed
online
until
this
date.
(ybpay.lifetouch.com, Yearbook ID Code 12065614) Don’t
miss out! Order your yearbook today!
A special thank you goes out to our amazing yearbook committee, under the guidance of Mme Silva, Mlle Benevides
and Mme McIntosh: David, Angel, Ariane, Victoria, Danielle,
Alexia, Lindsay, Richelle, and Katrina.
DATES TO REMEMBER
June 3-5
June 9
June 12
June 16
June 16
June 16
June 17
June 18
June 18
June 19
June 23
June 24
June 25
June 25
June 25
June 26
June 27
June 27
Gr. 3 & Gr. 6 E.Q.A.O
P.A. Day Assessment & Evaluation
Silvercreek Ms. Cassano
Silvercreek Mrs. Wasilewski
Silvercreek Mr. Lonardi
Track & Field @ St. Marcellinus
Volunteer Tea - 10:20 Library
Grad & Year End Mass 12:45
School BBQ @ 5:30-7:30
FDK Play Day
Virtue Assembly @ 8:45
Grad Ceremony @ 6:30
Grad Luncheon
French Spelling Bee
Reports Go Home
Jump Rope Celebration / Show
Canada Day Celebration
Last Day - Happy Summer
First Day of School, Sept. 2 2014
Teachers will meet students in the school yard in designated
and marked areas for each grade level.
In the event of rain, teachers will meet students in the
following areas:
French Immersion
Grade 1, Rm
Grade 2, Rm
Grade 3, Rm
Grade 4, Rm
Grade 5, Rm
Grade 6, Rm
112
113
219
216
205
214
Regular Program
Kindergarten: foyer of Rm 101,102 &103
Grade 1, Rm 109
Grade 2, Rm 115
Grade 3, Rm 110
Grade 4, Rm 218
Grade 5, Rm 212
Grade 6, Rm 206
Grade 7, Rm 203
Grade 8, Rm 202
Totus Tuus Catholic Summer Camp at St. Francis Xavier Parish - July 27 — August 1
Come and join us once again this summer for the Totus Tuus Catechetical Summer Camp for children and Youth to be
held at St. Francis Xavier Parish. The camp encourages and helps our youth and children to learn more about our faith
in a fun, engaging, interactive and motivating way. The experienced missionaries ensure that everyone is having fun
while learning about the gospels of the Lord.
The camp details are as follows:
Grade 1 to 6
July 28 - August 1
9:00am to 2:30pm
$60/ per child
Grade 7 to 12
July 27 - July 31
7:00pm to 9:00pm
$40/ per child
For more information or to register:
Visit our parish website: http://stfrancisxavierchurch.blogspot.ca/
Email us: SFX.TotusTuus@gmail.com
Contact us: Parish Office at 905 890 5290