ST. GERTRUDE
A p r i l
SCHOOL
Principal:
Vice Principal:
Secretaries:
T. De Vellis Carino
K. Yates
M. Sgambelluri
M. Cherubino
Pastor:
Rev. Msgr. Edgardo
Superintendent:
2 015
Guided by Faith, Committed to Excellence
815 Ceremonial Drive,
Mississauga, Ontario L5R 3S2
905.568.7660 phone
905.568.8194 fax
Elias Salazar Pan
NEWSLETTER
O Lord, help us to
develop strong and
beautiful friendships
with others and with
You. Help us to find
happiness and contentment within ourselves. May we have strong, caring relationships
that will affect others in a positive and inspiring
manner. May we find our spiritual and loving
needs fulfilled. For this we pray to you, O Lord,
our God.
Blessing for a Happy and Holy Easter!
L. Papaloni
Trustees:
T. Thomas
Please report all ABSENCES
& LATES
A Person of Love…
by calling (905) 568-7660
Council Chair:
S. Dutra


Wants the best for others
Is willing to make sacrifices for the good
of others
 Learns from the heroic lives of saints &
holy people
 Knows that we are all lovable
 Prays for others
God has given us many examples of how to
live faithfully. He sent his Son Jesus to make
sure that we could see how we should live
our lives. Jesus made one lesson clear above
all other lessons – the lesson to love. Love is
not about us – it is about for-getting ourselves and looking out for the good of the
other. He chose to give up His life for the
good of others – for us!
Please report all ABSENCES & LATES
by calling (905) 568-7660
Please join our GREEN campaign and get St. Gertrude
updates & newsletters to be
sent directly to your inbox!
Sign up today by visiting the
office & filling out a blue
form or visit our website
www.dpcdsb.org/GERTR to
download the form.
Becoming a truly loving person is challenging.
It takes prayer and concentration to get used
to making little sacrifices for the good of others. Through prayer and con-centration, we
can get better at showing love to every-one
we meet.
PARENT INFORMATION
From St. Gertrude
LATE ARRIVALS
SCHOOL ORGANIZATION
DOES YOUR CHILD ARRIVE ON TIME?
Although it is only April, preparations are being
made to ensure that our school is organized for the
2015-2016 school year. As such, in the coming
months, teachers will be working hard on student
class placements. As you can appreciate, many
hours of meetings and consultations go into the
class building process, to ensure the appropriate
placement of each and every student.
Students who arrive at school late are out of sorts
and rushed into beginning their day. This also disturbs the class and interrupts lessons. A late arrival
for your child is not healthy. It places them in a
rushed frame of mind for the remainder of the day.
In addition, students who arrive at school late lose
out on time to socialize and greet their peers prior
to the bell ringing at 8:20 a.m.
We suggest that parents have
children get their school items
(homework, shoes and lunch)
ready the night before. By placing their bags at the door ready
for a quick morning departure,
students are ready to go!
RECESS REMINDERS
We continue to reinforce the need for students to
play games and activities safely. At St. Gertrude we
ask students to keep their hands and feet to themselves. This means that activities such as contact
sports, tackling, play fighting, tripping, pushing, pulling on and any rough play are not permitted. Students are consistently reminded of these rules by
staff, supervisors and administration. We recommend parents have conversations with their children
about the types of games they play at school. We
need your help to reinforce with them the dangers
and consequences of rough play and the importance
of notifying staff on duty of any problems during recess time. The health and safety of our students is
always our priority at St. Gertrude.
Puddles in the Yard
As we are hopefully moving toward spring, water
and mud around the school yard is inevitable. Although we direct our students to stay away from pools of water,
accidents do happen. If students get wet, our school approach is
to contact parents to bring dry clothing. We suggest you place an
extra pair of socks and track pants in your child’s back-pack in the
event that a change of clothes is necessary.
When creating a class, teachers look at the following criteria:

Student abilities and needs in the areas of academic, social, physical and emotional development

Balance according to gender.

Learning style connected to required learning environments.

Student relationships
Parental/Guardian input is important to us. It will
be considered along with the other criteria listed
above.
Parental/Guardian input in the form of a letter to
the principal should focus on the learning style of
your child and the type of environment in which
she/he best learns. Please include any other information you feel will assist us in making our decisions, i.e. has been in a split class. Specific teacher
requests will not be considered. Please be reminded that although these letters of request will be
considered, we caution that not all parental requests can be accommodated.
Parents/Guardians who wish to submit a letter are
asked to send them to Mrs. De Vellis Carino by
Friday, May 1, 2015.
ARE YOU MOVING?
We are beginning the process of planning classes and staffing for the 20152016 school year.
This information will help us with our
planning for next year. Please let us
know by writing a letter and submitting it to the office
at your earliest convenience.
UPCOMING EVENTS
At St. Gertrude
SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL
SACRAMENTS
GRADE 8 CONFIRMATION
The Grade 8 students of St. Gertrude
will be celebrating the sacrament of
Confirmation on Thursday May 7th
at St. Francis Xavier Church.
Join us with your family for a great
community gathering!
EQAO DATES
This year Gr. 3 and 6 provincial EQAO assessments of Reading,
Writing and Mathematics will take place between May 26—
June 4th. Please avoid scheduling any vacations or appointments during this time. For more information about the EQAO
Assessments, visit www.eqao.com
Please note: as of September 2015, grade 7 students will receive Confirmation. So for the year
2015, grade 7 and 8 will receive Confirmation. In
Sept 2016, grade 7’s will receive confirmation.
GRADE 2 FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
The Grade 2 students of St. Gertrude
will celebrate the sacrament of First Holy Communion on Saturday May 9th
at St. Francis Xavier Church.
Summer Programs 2015
Summer Literacy Camp (SK-Grade 6)- July 6-July 24
Summer School (Grade 7 &8)– June 29-July 17
Get Ready Program (Gr. 8’s only)- August 26-28
Registration packages will be going out shortly.
SPRING BOOK FAIR
Our Spring Scholastic Book Fair
will run from Friday April, 24 to
Thursday April, 30 from 8:30 3:15. English and French books, as
well as the ever popular Boutique
Items, will be available for students to purchase. Your support helps to continue building our French Library collection as well as adding to our
English books. Many thanks!
Monday April 13, 2015
8:30am-6:30pm
St. Gertrude Gymnasium
The grade 8’s will be traveling to Ottawa this spring
and are planning to host a garage sale to help subsidize the cost of the trip. If you have any items you
would like to donate please drop them off at the office. We encourage you to start your spring cleaning
early & donate any gently used or new items you no
longer need. Tell a neighbour, tell a friend-help our
grade 8’s fundraise for this special event!
On Tuesday, May 5, 2015, St. Gertrude School will be hosting its 17th annual Café Français as part of
our Catholic Education Week celebrations. All students from FDK to Grade 8 will
have the opportunity to spend time in an “authentic” French Café on that day and
to enjoy some delicious croissants! Order forms will go home on April 13th and are
to be returned to the school with payment no later than April 24th. Merci!
COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE
MATH MANIA
CHESS TOURNAMENT
Math Mania was
held at Our Lady of
Peace on March 27.
It was an exciting
day for 5 of our intermediate students. Team members were put to the
test by using their
problem solving
strategies and teamwork skills to answer some very
challenging questions. Way to go, Lysander G, Bernice
S, Anthony T, Jian Carlo M and Vanessa P! St. Gertrude is very proud of you! Thank you to Mrs. Cinapri
for coaching our team.
Our primary, junior and intermediate chess teams
will be playing in the MBC Family of Schools Tournament on April 8 at St. Gertrude. Winners of this
tournament will advance to the board finals
on April 15. Thanks to all the students who have
been playing chess at lunch for the last two
months, and congratulations to the students who
made our teams. Thank you
to Mr. Migdal, Mrs. Lackey,
Mrs. McGuire , and Mr.
Shelsen for coaching the
students and organizing this
event. Check mate!
BRADLEY MUSEUM TRIP
It’s on your pancake, but what you are eating could be fake!?!
St. Gertrude’s Grade 5’s & 6’s went on a trip to Bradley Museum where we learned how pure maple syrup is made. We had
the thrill of drilling trees to see
the sap and joining in on pioneer
activities. It was a fun event!
Leanne A. & Deca Z.
LENTEN RETREAT DAY
On Tuesday March 31st, students and staff were involved in our Lenten Retreat Day. Students participated in a number
of activities such as: poetry, crafts, drama activities, meditation prayer, reflection, story telling, and watching videos
about the Easter Story. Our Youth Faith Ambassadors & teachers led the activities and then we all gathered together in
the gym for a special Liturgy. Special thanks to: Mme. Markic, Mrs. Wasilewski, Mrs. Lackey, Ms. Kapov, and Ms. Dela
Cruz for organizing a beautiful day that allowed us to come together in prayer as a
school community.
GO GATORS!
RAPTORS COMMUNITY GAME NIGHT
On March 25th, St. Gertrude students and parents has a fabulous time at the Air Canada Centre. We watched our Toronto Raptors play an
exciting game against the Chicago Bulls. It was
over when...the Chicago Bulls went on a 10-2 run
to take an eight-point lead with 2:29 remaining the Raptors
couldn't come back and ended
the game with a 116-103 for
the Bulls. Thank you to all who
joined us and thank you to Mr.
Shelsen for coordinating this
community event.
SPIRIT FRIDAYS
BASKETBALL
Mark these dates down Gators! Spirit Fridays are back...
Date
Day
Event
April 10th
Kickoff Day
Wear Blue and White
April 17th
Sports Day
Show off your fav team
April 24th
Pajama Day
Wear your PJ’s
May 1st
Diversity Day
Bring or wear something that represents
your culture
May 8th
Beach Volleyball Day
Beach Wear
GR. 8 RETREAT
st
On Thursday April 9th the Staff of St. Gertrude will play the Peel Regional Police in a
friendly game of volleyball in the school gym.
We are asking for a $2 donation from students to contribute to our local Catholic ShareLife charity.
Students will be watching the
game with their classes during
the day. Go Gators!
On April 1 , the Grade 8 classes had the privilege of being
part of a beautiful and sacred Confirmation Retreat held at
Queen of Apostles Church. During their visit, they were joined
by David Patterson, St. FX’s Youth Minister and the Queen of
Apostles priest who lead them in activities and games that
strengthened their relationships with others and God. While
they were there, the students enjoyed doing the Stations of
the Cross, drama skits, music games, decorating murals &
crosses and photographing their experience. The staff graciously provided lunch for the students and teachers. Overall,
the Gr. 8’s gained a learning experience and enjoyed
strengthening their bond with Jesus in preparation for their
Holy Sacrament of Confirmation.
Vanessa S. & Nicole W.
The Intermediate Boys Basketball team participated
in an exciting tournament at Notre Dame S.S. on
March 26. They won all four games in their pod, but
were sadly defeated in the quarter finals. The
boys will play again on April 24 at St. Jude in our pod
tournament and in the MBC Family Tournament on
April 28. The Intermediate Girls team
will play in their pod tournament on
April 27 at St. Gertrude and in the MBC
Family Tournament on April 30. Thank
you to our coaches Mme. Silva & Mr.
Shelsen.
ECO & HEALTHY SCHOOLS NEWS
ST. GERTRUDE CELEBRATES EARTH HOUR ON MARCH 27
Earth Hour is a worldwide movement for the planet
organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF). The event is held worldwide annually encouraging individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one
hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday in
March, as a symbol for their commitment to the planet.
It was famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney,
Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage
more than 7000 cities and towns worldwide. (Wikipedia) On March 27th, we
turned off the lights from 12:30-1:30 pm in support of Earth Hour. Students discussed how one hour can make a difference in protecting our planet.
EARTH DAY~ APRIL 22
St. Gertrude staff
and students will
participate in our
annual "school yard"
cleanup.
As with all of our
Eco-initiatives, it is
our hope that our practices extend
beyond the school and into our homes
and communities. Thank you for supporting us in our efforts!
BALLROOM DANCING
Our Grades 4-8 students have been hard at work
learning a variety of dances with their Ballroom instructors. Our Showcase is coming up on Wednesday
May 6th. Can’t wait to see the performance! Thank you again to our
School Advisory Council for sponsoring this great experience.
BIKE SAFETY PRESENTATIONS
The Eco & Health School Teams together with
Peel Health and Safety will be presenting bike
safety to Grade 1 to 3. It's Spring --St. Gertrude
students are encouraged
to walk or cycle to school.
APRIL HEALTH TIP
Foods can be thought of as “everyday foods”
or “sometimes foods”. The key to healthy
snacking is providing variety and a balance of
healthy food choices that your children can
enjoy. Limiting foods and beverages high in
calories, fat, sugar, and salt is an important
step towards better health.
GUIDED BY FAITH
ROSARY APOSTOLATE
DATES TO REMEMBER
Thank you to the Rosary Apostolate who have
Apr. 8
Chess Tournament
been visiting our school on the fourth Monday
of every month since October and praying the
rosary with our staff and students. We have
learned about different saints and how to pray
the mysteries. Prayer is making a difference at
school and in our lives: deepening our convictions of faith,
prompting the conversion of
our heart, and strengthening
our will to follow Christ.
Apr. 8
Skills Competition
Apr. 8
Day of Pink
Apr. 9
ShareLife V-ball Game vs. Police
Apr. 9
Family Skate Night @ 6:30-8pm
Apr. 9
Virtues Assembly @ 9:30
Apr. 10
Spirit Friday-Blue & White
Apr. 13
Garage Sale @ 8:30am -6 pm
Apr. 13
Spring Photos
Apr. 14
Sir J. A. MacDonald Speech Comp.
Apr. 16
Gr. 1 Trip to Living Arts Centre
Apr. 17
Spirit Friday-Sports Day
Apr. 17
Gr. 8 Retreat @ St. FX
Apr. 20
Bike Safety Presentations
Apr. 24
Book Fair Begins
Apr. 24
Spirit Friday-PJ Day
Apr. 25
Rosary Apostolates
Apr. 25
Int. Girls Basketball Pod Tourney
Apr. 30
Int. Girls Basketball Fam. Tourney
Apr. 30
Book Fair Ends
May 1
Spirit Friday-Diversity Day
May 1
Gr. 7 Diversity Conference
May 1
Gr. 4-6 FI @ L.A.C.
May 3
Catholic Education Week Begins
May 4
Rosary May Celebration
May 4
Music Monday/Virtues Assembly
May 5
French Café
Our Catholic community
of Ontario engages in a
week-long celebration
of the unique identity
and distinctive contributions of Catholic education during Catholic Education Week.
Catholic Education
Week this year takes
place from May 3rd –
May 8th, 2015. This
years theme is Exploring
Paths of Joy.
Catholic Education
Week is a welcome opportunity to celebrate the
mission of our Catholic schools as they strive to
integrate the Gospel values of Jesus in every aspect of the school’s life and curriculum. Catholic
Education Week 2015 begins on Sunday to highlight the partnership that remains the foundation
of Catholic education. We invite all members of
our community, to participate in the celebrations
and activities that will mark the celebration. A
Flyer will be sent out to the community this
month highlighting our events for the week.