Dufferin-Peel CDSB
ST. GERTRUDE SCHOOL
Guided by Faith, Committed to Excellence
NEWSLETTER
MAY 2014

St. Gertrude School
815 Ceremonial Dr.,
Mississauga, ON
L5R 3S2
Tel:
905 568 7660
Fax:
Loving God,
In Mary You have given
Your church a sign of the glory to come.
May those who honour the Virgin Mother
Look to her as a model of holiness for all Your people.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
905 568 8194
Principal
T. De Vellis Carino
Vice-Principal
M. Diab
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
Principal’s Message
We would like to thank all the staff, parents and community
for their support in our many events and activities that continue to
enrich the educational experience for all the students.
May starts with the celebration of Catholic Education week.
Please plan to join us for part or all of the many special events
planned.
As Catholics, we always pay tribute to Mary during the month
of May. God filled Mary with His Grace and she listened to the call of
God. May we follow in her example. We would like to pay tribute to
all mothers in our community for the love and devotion they show to
their children every day.
We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, May 13, 2014, as we
celebrate 25 years - Guided by Faith, Committed to Excellence.
T. De Vellis Carino
M. Diab
Principal
Vice Principal
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Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence
SACRAMENTS
Lifetouch photos available in the Parish
hall, one hour before the service.
FIRST COMMUNION
We are very proud of our grade 2 students who will
be receiving their First Holy Communion at St.
Francis Xavier Church on May 10 at 10 a.m. They
have been preparing to enter into this Sacrament
through study, and through the Sacrament of
Reconciliation. The celebration of the Eucharist is a
happy and holy event. May the many blessings you
receive through the Eucharist enrich you forever
boys and girls!
CONFIRMATION
Our grade 8 students will be receiving the
Sacrament of Confirmation on Thursday, May 1
2014 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Church.
As a Faith Community, we ask you to remember all
of our children in your prayers.
VIRTUE ASSEMBLIES/YEAR END MASS
May 23 at 1:00 pm Virtue of AcceptanceStudents receiving First Communion and Confirmation will receive a gift from the School Council at
the assembly.
June 23 at 8:45 a.m.: Virtue of Fairness
June 18 at 12:45 p.m.: Year End/Graduation Mass
All are welcome.
GRADE EIGHT GRADUATION
Our grade 8 Graduation Awards
Ceremony will take place on
Tuesday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the
St. Francis Xavier Parish Hall.
The Graduation Social will be held on
Wednesday, June 25th at the Boaden Banquet
Hall. There will be a lunch followed by a dance.
MAY VIRTUE: ACCEPTANCE
One of the great wonders of the world we live in is
that no two people are exactly alike. We are all very
unique and distinct creations. God breaks the
mould every time, and that is a fantastic fact of life!
The Virtue of Acceptance describes our ability to look
at the attitudes and actions of those around us and
then just stop and consider without making
judgments. The Virtue of Acceptance means that we
look beyond what we see – a person’s skin
colour, ethnic background, religion, age, gender and
see a person created and loved by God.
An accepting person is …
 friendly and open to all God’s people,
regardless of age, beliefs, gender, culture or
ability
 sees the positive traits in all people even if he/
she disagrees with them
 avoids judging or stereotyping others
 understands that there may be more than one
way to do things
 sticks up for the ‘underdog’
MARY, THE MOTHER OF OUR SAVIOUR
May is the month we dedicate to Mary, the mother of
our Saviour, Jesus. We celebrate Mary, who humbly
and gladly accepted God’s will when she said “Yes”
to our Lord. As we honour Mary and all mothers, we
are reminded of the many blessings mothers bestow
upon their children each and every day. Let us keep
Mary and all mothers in our thoughts and prayers so
that the honour and respect they deserve is not
limited to one day or month in the year.
CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK
Catholic Education Week is being celebrated from
May 4 to May 9, 2014.
During this week the Catholic community celebrates
the unique and distinctive contribution that Catholic
schools make to our students, our community and
our province. Catholic Education Week is an
opportunity to celebrate the Mission of our Catholic
Schools as they strive to integrate the Gospel values
of Jesus Christ in every aspect of the school’s life
and curriculum.
This year’s theme is
“Serving in the Love of Christ”
Themes for the week:
Serve with faithfulness
Serve with humility
Serve with compassion
Serve with justice
Serve with joy
A program of special events will be sent home!
Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence
EQAO
The grade 3 and 6 students of St. Gertrude
continue to prepare for the EQAO assessment of
reading, writing and mathematics. The grade 3 and 6
students will write their test on June 3, 4, and 5.
The results of the test will be received in the fall of
2014.
How to prepare your child for the test?
It is very important that you take the time to talk to
your child and help reduce the anxiety related to any
type of testing situation, while encouraging them to
do their best and answer the questions
fully. You should also be sure that your child has
enough sleep, eats a nutritious breakfast and is well
hydrated. It is especially important that
grade 3 and 6 students are in full attendance
during the assessment.
Please try to avoid scheduling appointments or
holidays during these EQAO days.
SPRING BOOK FAIR
Mme Marchand would like to thank
everyone for their support of our Spring
Book Fair. It is encouraging to see how
many students enjoy reading. Thank you
to all the volunteers who assisted. Your
help is greatly appreciated.
HEALTHY SCHOOL
St. Gertrude’s Healthy School committee would like
to extend a very special thanks to the students who
lead the Walking Squad team. These students
demonstrate dedication, passion and initiative as
they arrive to school early every morning, wearing
their green t-shirts and stamp student Frequent
Walker Cards. They also dedicate their lunch
recess every Wednesday to learning about and
promoting various health initiatives.
Two thumbs up for the HEALTHY SCHOOL
TEAM!!!!
Our team is working very hard this month to
bring awareness to healthy eating. Increase
your child’s fruit intake by packing fresh
fruits daily.
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ARRIVE ON TIME: 8:20 a.m.
Please ensure your children arrive
before the 8:20 a.m. bell.
Being punctual is a life skill we need to
ensure starts young. When students
arrive on time, the day starts off preparing
to learn, rather than joining an activity already in progress. Our Kiss and Ride lane opens at
8:05 a.m. and very few cars take advantage at this
time.
There is no supervision outside after 8:20 a.m.
ARE YOU MOVING?
We are beginning the process of
planning classes and staffing for the
2013-2014 school year. If you are moving, please
complete the form which was sent home earlier.
Please indicate your child’s name, grade, teacher
and the new school that your child will be attending
in September 2014. We would appreciate receiving
this form by May 2, 2014.
A Transfer Form will be prepared and sent home
with your child. You will take this to the new school
to facilitate transferring the Ontario School Record.
SWIM TO SURVIVE
Grade 3 students continue to participate in the
Swim to Survive program at Frank
McKechnie Community Centre. This
program is fully funded by the City
of Mississauga.
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION TEA
The staff and students of St. Gertrude
would like to show our appreciation for
all the support we have received
throughout the year from all our volunteers. If you
have volunteered any time this year, we would like
you to join us for a reception on June 17, 2014 at
10:25 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.
Please RSVP to the main office to confirm your
attendance.
PALS
Pals is a leadership program which will benefit our
primary and junior aged students during recess
breaks. Thank you to C. Peragine, our school
C.Y.W. and D. Marques for leading this initiative.
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Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION RECEIVES AWARD
Congratulations to our Director of Education, John
Kostoff, on receiving the 2014 OCSTA Award. This
award is presented annually by the Ontario Catholic
School Trustees Association (OCSTA) to an individual, other than a trustee, who has made a significant
contribution to Catholic Education in Ontario.
Mr. Kostoff has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership for over 37 years. He has led the
Board through numerous high profile challenges. He
has intuitively insisted upon, and has incorporated
Catholic faith values in seeking and developing solutions to issues. He has continually sought to improve
and promote Catholic Education, both within the
Board and in the province.
CONGRATULATIONS MR. KOSTOFF!
JUMP ROPE FOR HEART
All students from JK-8 participated in our
Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser to raise
money and bring awareness to the Heart
and Stroke Foundation. St. Gertrude spirit
was in full effect as the entire school
jumped rope together outside as the sun came shining through after a week of rainy weather. We are
still waiting to find out the final amount that was
raised but we believe our goal of $1000 was exceeded. Staff and students were able to show their skipping skills and support this wonderful cause. Thank
you to all the families who helped us reach our goal
and we are looking forward to continuing this
healthy heart tradition next year. Thank you to Mme
Borisenko and Mrs. Cinapri for organizing this event.
MISSISSAUGA MARATHON
Congratulations to our Marafun runners who participated in the Mississauga Marathon on Saturday,
May 3rd. Thank you to R. McIntosh, N. Benevides
and A. Viti for preparing our students for this event.
PLAYGROUND SAFETY
Students are consistently reminded at school to
keep their hands and feet to themselves when
playing with others. Please reinforce this
expectation with your children. Students are also
reminded to inform the supervisors at all recess
periods if they require assistance.
WARM WEATHER DRESS CODE
We would like our students to be neat, clean and
comfortable for learning. Students are expected to
dress in an appropriate manner and wear attire that
is suitable for the school environment. Boys must
wear full length t-shirts with sleeves. Girls are not to
wear anything strapless or have bare midriffs. Tank
tops and crop tops are not acceptable nor are very
short shorts. Shirts with offensive language or
pictures are not allowed. This direction is
addressed more toward junior and intermediate
students. A little more latitude is given to primary
students. If students do not adhere to these
guidelines, parents will be called and/or
alternative attire will be provided. We trust you will
assist us in maintaining a sense of dignity and modesty within our Catholic learning environment.
PROTECTING THE SKIN
Overexposure to the sun can cause
skin damage. We remind students to
take precautions to protect their skin
during recess times. The following are some suggestions to help protect the skin:
1. Wear protective clothing to cover the skin.
2. Wear a hat to protect both the eyes and skin.
3. When possible, stay out of direct sunlight.
4. Wear sun block, the higher the protection factor
number, the greater the protection.
SCHOOL EMERGENCY DRILLS
Over the next few weeks the students of St. Gertrude will be participating in three Fire Drills and a
“Lock Down” drill. While we hope that we never
have to experience the types of emergencies we are
preparing for, it is anticipated that student
participation in these drills will better assist them to
respond to emergency situations.
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
Congratulations to the Design and Technology team who
traveled to Waterloo and participated in the Skills Canada
competition on Monday, May 5, 2014. Congratulations to
the team members Rachelle, Olivia I., Olivia C., and
Antoni K. Thank you to Mr. Todoschuk for his guidance
and leadership.
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Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence
CHESS CLUB
St. Gertrude Chess teams did amazing in 2014.
Each team won a medal! Primary and junior
teams attained 2nd place medals and banners.
Our intermediate team won 3rd place overall.
Mrs. McGuire, Mr. Shelsen, Mrs. Lackey and Mr.
Migdal are extremely proud of the teams. We
wish our primary and junior teams the best of
luck as they move forward to the Board tournament.
Primary Team Players: Peter D, Daniel S, Andre,
Redite, Daniel
Junior Team Players: Aaron S, Cyrone U, Luis S,
Vincent M, Lukas M
Intermediate Team Players: Justin D,
Marianno A, Arjo G, Lysander G, and
Josh M
A LASTING LEGACY AT ST. GERTRUDE
St. Gertrude grade 7 and 8 students continue to
work with N. Bruzzese, an artist and retired
Dufferin-Peel elementary & secondary teacher to
create a stained glass project that will adorn the
entrance to the library. This is the second year
of the multi-year project. All students, under the
direction and guidance of N. Bruzzese have met
weekly to plan, design and create the special
stained glass windows.
The final design incorporates themes of Catholic
values and virtues, biblical themes and our motto:
Guided by Faith, Committed to Excellence.
These students have worked collaboratively with
staff, peers and their instructor for many
months....their efforts will leave a lasting legacy for
future generations of the St. Gertrude School
Community. This project could not have been
possible without the generous contribution of our
School Council, who sponsored and supported this
special project. Collaboration is alive and well at
St. Gertrude school!
Junior & Intermediate Teams
No School
May 19 - Victoria Day
Primary Team
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Guided b y Faith, Committed to Excellence
Make Sure Your School Support Designation is English Separate (Catholic)
It’s a powerful message in support of Catholic education
By registering your child into a Dufferin-Peel Catholic school, you have chosen to support Catholic education through direction of
your school support.
When you designate yourself as an English Separate school supporter, you help promote a strong political voice through your
elected representative (Trustee) in ensuring your rights to a Catholic education for the young people in our province.
To verify that you are registered as an English Separate school supporter:


Check the assessment section of your Tax Bill or Property Assessment Notice
Check your Voter Information Card received during an election year
To register or change your direction of school support, contact the Admissions Department
at 905-890-0708
May 1
May 1
May 5
May 5
May 6
May 8
May 8-9
May 9
May 10
May 11
May 13
May 14
May 15
May 19
May 22
May 23
May 27
May 30
June 3-5
June 12
June 16
June 17
June 18
June 18
DATES TO REMEMBER
Grade 8 Confirmation 7pm St. Francis Xavier
Little Red Theatre JK-3
First Communion Retreat
Skills Canada Competition
Panoramic Photo
Stained Glass Installation
VAM Mural Installation
French Café
First Holy Communion 10:00am St. Francis
Xavier
Mother’s Day
25th Anniversary Mass 6:30 pm School Gym
Board Chess Tournament
Medieval Feast Gr. 4 School Gym
Victoria Day No School
Welcome to Kindergarten 6:30-7:30 pm
Virtue Assembly @ 1:00 pm
Parent Information Night - Camp Muskoka
FDK Classes at Downey's Farm
Gr. 3 & Gr. 6 E.Q.A.O
Silvercreek Ms. Cassano’s Class
Silvercreek Mrs. Wasilewski’s Class
Volunteer Tea - 10:20 Library
Grad & Year End Mass 12:45 School Gym
School BBQ
PIZZA AND SUB ORDER DATES
Monday, May 5
-
pizza day
Monday, May 12
-
pizza day
Wednesday, May 14 -
sub day
Monday, May 26
pizza day
-
Wednesday, May 28 -
sub day
Monday, June 2
pizza day
Monday, June 9
Tuesday, June 10
-
PA Day No School
-
pizza day
Wednesday, June 11 -
sub day
Monday, June 16
-
pizza day
Monday, June 23
-
pizza day
Wednesday, June 25 -
sub day