ST. GERTRUDE
NEWSLETTER
S e pte m be r
SCHOOL
2015
Guided by Faith, Committed to Excellence
NEW at St. Gertrude!
815 Ceremonial Drive,
Mississauga, Ontario L5R 3S2
905.568.7660 phone
905.568.8194 fax
Principal:
Vice Principal:
Secretaries:
T. De Vellis Carino
K. Yates
M. Sgambelluri
M. Cherubino
Pastors:
Msgr. Edgardo Pan
Fr. S. Savarimuthu
Fr. David Twaddle
Superintendent:
L. Papaloni
Please report all ABSENCES
& LATES
As in the past, there will be many exciting things occurring at St. Gertrude
School. We will keep parents informed
of these through biweekly or monthly bulletins. If you
have not done so in the past, please sign up for email
so that the updates can be sent to you electronically.
In an effort to be environmentally conscientious all
school communication will be posted on the St. Gertrude website. You can view our website through the
following process: www.dpcdsb.org click on: Elementary Schools >St. Gertrude or visit www.dpcdsb.org/
GERTR
Important school information will be posted on our
website throughout the school year.
568-7660
Trustees:by calling (905) T.
Thomas
Council Chair:
S. Dutra
A New Beginning
Please report all ABSENCES & LATES
by calling (905) 568-7660
Lord, help us to make the
best of a new beginning.
Guide our children to make
wise decisions and achieve
to the best of their abilities
in all of their endeavours.
Friday, September 18th is a
professional activity day for
the staff and students of our
school. This day will be used
for school organization and
staff faith development purposes.
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.
Bless our staff with the gifts of wisdom and patience that they may assist students in seeking knowledge.
Grant our parents generous hearts to
encourage and support their children.
Together, help us to create a community of learners that teaches not only
skills for success but all that we need
to live our faith fully in the world.
Amen
PARENT INFORMATION
From St. Gertrude
WELCOME from St. Gertrude Staff
On behalf of the entire staff, we would like to welcome you and your children to the 2015– 2016 school year at St. Gertrude
School. We trust that the summer has given you time for relaxation and renewal. We look forward to another wonderful
year with many opportunities for learning and growing.
Each child is a precious gift from God and holds great promise for contributing to making our world a better place. May we,
the partners in Catholic Education: school, home and parish, work closely together in the best interests of our students. If
parents have any questions or concerns about your child’s education, you are encouraged to contact the teacher or one of
the administrators to discuss them.
Please take time to read the school news via website, twitter, or bulletins and other correspondence from the school, as they
will contain important information for parents about: school procedures, health and safety, liturgies, activities, curriculum,
upcoming events and other information of interest.
We look forward to many joyful, memory-making school days of learning, self-discovery, working, celebrating, praying and
playing together at St. Gertrude School.
Over the course of the summer, there were some staffing changes.
Please see the chart to the right for a list of teachers and other staff members at the school.
School staff have been working hard to prepare for the new school year. We thank them for their dedication and commitment to our students. We also thank our custodial staff who have worked hard throughout the summer to make our school
a clean and safe environment.
We kindly ask that you take a few moments to read through this important newsletter. We look forward to working with
you and your children over the next ten months to provide a highly rewarding year, both spiritually
and academically.
T. De Vellis Carino, Principal
K. Yates, Vice Principal
ST. GERTRUDE STAFF
Grade
Teacher
Grade
Teacher/Staff
The staff list presented here is tentative and is based on projected September enrolments. Reassignment may be possible on September 18th once actual student numbers
are determined. If your child is part of the reorganization we will inform you by September 17th.
PARENT INFORMATION
From St. Gertrude
ATTENDANCE
HEAD INJURY POLICY
If your child is going to be absent from school, please
call our office to report his/her absence before 8:20am
on the day of the absence. You may call at any time
and leave a message on the answering service.
When a student receives an injury/bump to the head (however
minor), it is a Board Policy that we inform parents. Either a note
will be left in your child’s agenda, or a phone message will be
left at one of your contact numbers. This is precautionary only,
and we ask that you check your child when he/she gets home
for any signs of a concussion or illness.
905-568-7660 press 1
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Volunteers are needed as members of the St. Gertrude Catholic School Council. Many vital
programs are funded and made possible by the volunteerism and fundraising efforts of our
school council members. Information regarding participation in the school council and applications for Criminal Reference Checks are available at the school office.
Please consider helping to make our school a better place for your children!
SCHOOL COUNCIL NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS
We will be forming this year’s School Council and we would encourage all parents to consider getting involved. If you would like to nominate yourself or a friend, please fill out the nomination form found on
our website or you can obtain in the office. Deadline for nominations
is Wednesday, September 23rd at 6:30 pm.
Elections will be held on October 6th, 2015 at the school. An appointed elections committee will assist with the implementation of election
procedures. At that time, our new council will be formed and we will
start our first meeting at 6:30pm. We look forward to having you join
us. Even if you do not want to be a part of council, please attend…
ALL parents are welcome to come to all meetings!
STUDENT AGENDAS
All students (Kindergarten to
Gr. 8) will be using school
agendas to help develop their
organizational skills. Please take
some time to look over your child’s agenda. It is used daily to help assist your
child with organization. It is also an effective vehicle we use to keep parents informed on what is happening in class and
in the school.
Thank you to our School Council for purchasing these agendas for our students.
INPORTANT INFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERS
Any individual who works as an employee of the Board or volunteers to assist with our programs MUST have a Criminal Reference Check (CRC) completed by Peel
Police, even for one-time events, such as field trip supervision.
We strongly recommend that parents/guardians who are interested in
supporting our school programs in this manner, please begin this process
as soon as possible. For all volunteers, CRCs are free of charge.
Further information and forms are available through the school office.
REMINDERS
ALLERGY ALERT
As we begin a new school year we would like to inform you
that St. Gertrude School, is an allergen aware school. There
are pupils in attendance who suffer from severe and life
threatening allergies to certain foods, such as peanut and
nut products. Exposure to the smallest quantities can cause
severe life threatening reactions.
Anaphylaxis is a severe and life threatening allergic reaction. The most common allergen triggers are food, insect
stings, medications, exercise and latex. An anaphylactic reaction involves symptoms from two or more body systems.
We would appreciate the cooperation of the entire school
community by NOT sending any lunches or snacks that
contain nuts, nut oils or derivatives (e.g. peanut butter,
peanuts, or peanut oil ) which could potentially harm a
pupil. Please avoid sending food for birthday or special
occasions. There are many alternatives such as stickers and
pencils.
In our Catholic School Community, we have an obligation to
be responsible for one another. Thanking you in advance
for your support, cooperation and understanding in this
matter.
DISTRIBUTION OF MEDICATION
Should you require that the school store medication
for your child during the school day, then please contact the office. There are forms that need to be completed by you and your doctor. IF YOUR CHILD HAS A
LIFE THREATENING ALLERGY, PLEASE CONTACT US
IMMEDIATELY. WE NEED TO KNOW!
FIRE DRILLS & EMERGENCY
PROCEDURES
We have a detailed fire/emergency evacuation
and lock-down policy. We will be practicing many
times over the course of the school year. In case
we have to evacuate the school:
Our evacuation site is Champlain Trail Public
School.
A REMINDER: Students must wear shoes in the
school building at all times. If the fire alarm goes
off, students will not be permitted to stop to put
on shoes, coats, hats etc. Their safety is our first
priority. Please ensure that your child has an extra
pair of shoes at school during the winter months.
CODE OF CONDUCT
For everyone’s well being, it is necessary to
have a number of rules and expectations regarding acceptable behavior in the school.
There are expectations needed for the classroom, which will be developed by teachers &
students in each class. There are also schoolwide expectations set in the Board Catholic
Code of Conduct (see student agenda). School
rules will be reviewed with students during the
first week of school. Please sign and return the
page in your child’s agenda and return to your
child’s teacher.
SAFE SCHOOLS IN DUFFERIN-PEEL
EXCURSIONS & FIELD TRIPS
Initiatives and efforts will
continue this year to
make St. Gertrude School
a safe environment for all
of our students. Procedures are in place to ensure that strangers do not have access to our school and the comprehensive approach to minimize bullying will be continued. This approach includes participation from public health professionals, police officers,
child service agencies, students and school staff. Please let
us know of any safety & bullying concerns. Together we can
make St. Gertrude School a safe place for everyone!
Educational trips which extend learning opportunities in curriculum areas do take place. Teachers need
to follow appropriate Board procedures. A limited
number of trips may be planned by teachers.
BY LAW the school must have on file permission
forms which must be signed by the parents/
guardians. If on the day of the excursion your child
did not return his/her form, and the parents/
guardians cannot come into the school to sign the
permission forms, the student will remain at the
school. VERBAL TELEPHONE PERMISSION IS NEVER
ACCEPTABLE.
REMINDERS
STUDENT EMERGENCY INFORMATION
STUDENT SIGN IN & OUT PROCEDURES
Your child has received a copy of the Student Verification
Sheet which contains your address, phone numbers, emergency contacts and health information as it currently exists
in our records. We ask that you take a few minutes and
look over this information to ensure that it is accurate.
Please make any changes needed directly on the sheet and
return it to your child’s teacher this week, whether there
are changes or not—all sheets need to be returned. Please
add email addresses and area codes for all phone numbers.
It is very important that we have accurate
phone numbers and emergency contacts in
case we need to reach someone during
school hours.
Students must obtain an ADMIT SLIP upon arrival to
school when they are late either in the morning or
in the afternoon. Students must SIGN OUT at the
office if they have a note from parents asking the
school to dismiss them early for appointments. If
you need to pick up your child before dismissal,
send a note advising the teacher. Your child will be
sent down at the indicated time. You will need to
sign your child out at the office.
SCHOOL HOURS
The following is the daily instructional schedule:
8:05 a.m.
8:20 a.m.
Student supervision by staff begins
in the school yard. Please do not
drop off or send your children to
school prior to 8:05 a.m.
Entry and school day begins
Students arriving after 8:20 will be
marked late by their teacher.
10:25—10:40 a.m.
Morning Recess Gr. 1 - 8
11:20—11:40 a.m.
Gr. 1-8 Students Eat Lunch Indoor
11:40—12:20 p.m.
Gr. 1-8 Outdoor Lunch Recess
1:45—2:00 p.m.
Afternoon Recess Gr. 1 - 8
2:50 p.m.
Dismissal Please make arrange
ments to pick up your child(ren)
promptly at 2:50 since there is no
supervision after this time.
LUNCH TIME ROUTINES
During lunch hour, all students who stay for lunch are expected to remain at school. All students who go home are expected to go home every day. If there is a change in procedure for your child, parents are asked
to provide a note explaining the change. A letter went home with your
child in an envelope. Please indicate your child’s lunchtime arrangements, sign the form & return to your child’s teacher as soon as possible.
DELIVERING LUNCHES
When delivering your child’s
lunch, please advise your child in
advance. Lunches should be delivered between 11:00 and 11:15
a.m. Write his or her name and
teacher’s name on the bag and place it on the
lunch table in the foyer. Children will get their
lunches at 11:20 a.m.
We greatly appreciate your co-operation in this
matter.
VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL
For safety reasons, ALL visitors and parents
are requested to enter the building through
the front door by ringing the doorbell, and
then going directly to the main office.
Please see one of the office staff and they will
assist you and if appropriate, have you sign in
and obtain a visitor’s pass. You are not allowed in the playground while children are
outside.
REMEMBER, TO YOUR CHILD YOU ARE THE
PARENT....TO THE OTHER STUDENTS YOU
ARE A STRANGER.
Students are expected to enter and exit
through their designated doors, not the front
doors. Only late students, and students leaving before the end of day or bus students use
the front doors.
UPCOMING EVENTS
At St. Gertrude
OPEN HOUSE
BOOK FAIR
Our Open House is tentatively
F. Marchand, our Teacher Librarian, will host
a book fair in the Library from
scheduled for:
Wednesday, September 23rd
Monday, Sept 21 to Tuesday Sept 29, until
3:15 pm daily and Wed Sept 23
6:30 - 7:30 pm, during Open
House. Further information
will come home with your children shortly.
TERRY FOX WALK
6:30pm to 7:30pm
Please come meet your child’s
teacher!
SCHOOL PICTURES
Picture Day for all our
students will be held on
The Fall of 2015 marks the 35th year of the
amazing and courageous charity run of Terry
Fox. A Terry Fox charity event will be held at
the school on Wednesday, September 30th
(rain date: Oct. 2).
Further details will be sent home with students
soon. Students will be asked to donate a
“Toonie for Terry” to
support the work of
the Terry Fox foundation.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 13!
Bring your smiles :)
VACCINATIONS
Hepatitis B. & Meningitis Inoculations Gr 7 &
HPV Vaccinations Gr 8 Girls
P.A DAY REMINDER
Friday, September 18th is a professional activity day
for the staff and students of our school. This day will
be used for school organization and staff faith development purposes.
CCAT TESTING
Peel Health will continue to offer free immunization
against Hepatitis B for students in Grade 7. It is given
as a series of two injections over a period of six
months. Grade 8 girls will off receive free HPV Vaccinations. If you have any questions please call the
Peel Health Department at 905-799-7700.
Vaccinations have been scheduled for:
Friday October 16th, 2015
During October, the grade 4 students will be administered the Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test. The results of this test
are used to identify students who may be eligible for academic challenge programming. These tests will be conducted
within the regular classroom environment during the month of October.
GUIDED BY FAITH
School Mass & Sacramental Preparation
Our first school Mass is Wednesday September 23, at 9:00 am in the school gym. Parents are always invited to
attend. During the course of the year, the school, our priest and our parents have the privilege in preparing students
for three of the sacraments:
First Communion Dates ~ Grade 2:
First Communion Parent Meeting
October 8 , 2015 at 7:00 pm at St. FX Parish
First Communion Inscription Mass
November 8, 2015 at 10:30 am at St. FX Parish
First Reconciliation
January 20, 2016 at 9:30 am at St. FX Parish
First Communion Prep Masses
January 24 & 31, 2016 at 1:30 pm at St. FX Parish
First Holy Communion
Saturday April 16, 2016 at 10:00 am at St. FX Parish
Confirmation Dates ~ Grades 7 & 8:
Confirmation Parent Meeting
November 3, 2015 at 7:00 pm at St. FX Parish
Confirmation Inscription Mass
December 6, 2015 at 10:30am at St. FX Parish
Confirmation Prep Mass
January 28, 2016 at 7:00 pm at St. FX Parish
Confirmation
Thursday April 21, 2016 at 7:00 pm at St. FX Parish
Although the school plays a major role in Sacramental preparation, parents, as the primary instructors of faith, are key
in preparing their children to receive these Sacraments. Preparatory meetings have been organized for parents. These
meetings will provide you with an opportunity to be an integral part of your child’s spiritual growth in these sacraments.
ROSARY APOSTOLATES
The Rosary Apostolates are inspired by Pope John Paul II’s call for a New Evangelization in
his third Millennium. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that the ”Rosary is a Biblical prayer
interwoven with Sacred Scripture…It is a prayer of the heart …helps us to meditate on the
word of God”.
We are pleased to welcome this group of dedicated volunteers who will be visiting the
classrooms to teach and pray the Rosary with staff and students. This years theme is the
Year of Mercy. The Rosary Apostolates will visit St. Gertrude monthly throughout the school
year. We will have a final Celebration on May 3rd, 2016.
VIRTUES PROGRAM
Within our Dufferin Peel Catholic School Board, we will be integrating virtues formation into all areas
of our school life within the context of our faith. The “Virtues Program” will help us to nurture virtue
and character development in the lives of our students. It is truly character development within our
Catholic School Environment. We will embrace the challenges as we continue to implement the Virtues Program within our school in the year 2013-2014 Each month we will focus as an entire school,
on one of the virtues. We will begin with a liturgy in the school gym. Each month, teachers will continue to nominate
two students who are exemplary in demonstrating the virtue of Month. The names of these students will be added to a
leaf which will then be added to our Virtue Tree.
September Faith
October Empathy
November Conscience
December Hope
January Self Control
February Respect
March Kindness
April Love
May Acceptance
June Fairness
GO GATORS!
STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board requires
that parents and/or guardians provide written acknowledgment that they have received the ‘insuremykids’ student accident insurance brochure. This requirement applies to all students participating in out-of-school excursions and/or extra-curricular sports activities.
Although the Board takes every precaution to provide a
safe learning environment for students, accidents can
and do happen. Some injuries result in medical, dental or
other expenses that are not covered by the provincial
health care or employer group plans. As a parent, guardian or an adult student you become responsible for these
expenses. Some families have private accident insurance
which is able to respond to costs arising from injuries
however many families do not.
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board does not
and cannot insure students. Coverage may be purchased
by the parents/ guardians or an adult student, through
the Reliable Life Insurance Company
(www.insuremykids.com ) or through their family’s individual work or private plan.
As required under the Education Act, the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board arranges for the distribution of student accident insurance brochures however
the Board assumes no responsibility for the cost of the
plan, applications, premium payments or claims; nor
does the Board receive any remuneration from the Reliable Life Insurance Company.
Please let us know IF YOU DID NOT RECEIVE AN INSURANCE BROCHURE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, require any assistance, or prefer to enroll online or by
phone, please contact the Client Service Department of
Reliable Life Insurance through one of the following options:
Telephone: 1-800-463-5437 (toll free), or 905-523-6525
E-mail: insuremykids@reliablelifeinsurance.com
Web: www.insuremykids.com
Address: P.O. Box 557,
Hamilton, ON L8N 3K9
Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday
(8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET)
PED POLICY
Personal Electronic Devices on Board Premises
and/or Board Sanctioned Events for Educational
Purposes:
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board acknowledges
the value of the use of technology for learning. Students are
permitted to register and use personal electronic devices
(PEDs) on board premises and/or board sanctioned events for
educational purposes, under the direction of staff and only with
parent/guardian permission (GF 066, Network User Application
and Agreement). Students may register their PED for the purpose of connecting to the board wireless network. Students are
required to adhere to the student “Personal Electronic Device
Used with WI-FI Network Student Agreement” and the
“Network User Application and Agreement.” Please be advised
that the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board will not
be responsible for any cost incurred through the use of personal data plans.
PEDs are to be used responsibly and should not interfere with
learning; their use must comply with the Catholic Code of Conduct, board policies and procedures. Any personal communications (i.e., phone calls, text messages, etc.) will continue to be
directed through the main office. Failure to comply with these
guidelines may result in a loss of PED privileges and/or any other consequences deemed necessary by school administration.
The school principal may authorize limited acceptable uses of
personal electronic devices during school-sanctioned activities
for a specific designated purpose outside of instructional spaces and/or in common areas.
Students are responsible for the safety and security of PEDs at
all times and the Board assumes no responsibility for lost,
damaged or stolen devices.
BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
PLASP
operates Before and After School
Programs, in this school, for children up to 12 years of age.
For more information, see the
PLASP staff at this school or call
the PLASP Head Office at:
905-890-1711 or visit www.plasp.com
COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE
BUS SAFETY
Ensuring student safety is a very important goal to all working with students. You are asked to review carefully the
following rules for students while riding the school bus.
Students are required to:
-be at the bus stop at least 5 minutes before the pickup time.
-listen to the driver when getting on or off the bus, especially when a road must be crossed.
-go directly to their seat and stay seated until they are let off the bus.
-follow all instructions from the bus driver, especially where they put their belongings
-not eat or drink, fight, swear or engage in other types of poor behaviour
-not open or close windows unless the driver permits
-keep all belongings inside the bus
-keep arms, hands, heads etc. inside the bus
-not damage the bus seats (students will be held responsible)
-respect private property
Every effort must be made to maintain a high standard of discipline and safety in the operation of the school busses.
When improper conduct is reported:
On the FIRST occasion, the Principal/Vice-Principal will speak to the student.
On the SECOND occasion, a note or phone call will be made to the parents
On the THIRD occasion, the Principal/Vice-Principal will restrict / suspend bus privileges.
TRANSPORTATION-COURTESY SEAT POLICY
Board’s Distance criteria for eligibility: JK to Gr. 1—1 km, Gr. 2 to 4—1.6 km, Gr. 5 to 8—2 km
We have been getting numerous calls from parents who do not live within the transportation areas as established by
the Board requesting permission for their child(ren) to ride the bus by accessing the Courtesy Seat Policy. Parents are
reminded to access information on the Transportation website (www.stopr.ca). This site contains information regarding school transportation eligibility, delays and cancellations. Your child’s student OEN number can be found on his/
her report card.
Courtesy seats will be assigned in October as available with priority to younger students. Please put your request in
writing and submit to the office. PLEASE NOTE: If new students register who are entitled to transportation, and the bus
is loaded to capacity, then students that have accessed the Courtesy Seat Policy will be removed from the bus.
We thank you in advance for your patience.
VALUABLES
There is no place in the school to store valuable belongings. Please do not allow your children to bring any valuables (jewelry, money,
hand held electronic devices, trading cards or toys to school as we cannot be responsible for their safekeeping. Telephones, cameras,
skateboards, rollerblades and other expensive items should not be brought to school. If your child rides a bike to school, please ensure
that you have taken a photograph of the bike, record the serial number and use a lock while parking the bike.
ST. GERTRUDE
KISS & RIDE INFORMATION
Our school driveway is a matter of great concern in regards to the safety of our students. Please follow staff
requests and follow the procedures. Children should be able to enter and exit the car INDEPENDENTLY to use
the Kiss & Ride lane. Move right up to the front of the line before letting your child exit the vehicle. Your child
should exit through the car door immediately adjacent to the curb. If you need to walk your child onto school
property, please park on the adjacent streets and use the pathways and sidewalks. Do not have your child
walk through the parking lot or across the Kiss n Ride lane in front of the flagpole, as this is unsafe.
Please DO NOT BACK UP in the Kiss n‘ Ride lane to get around vehicles.
Parents are reminded NOT to park in the kiss and ride lane. If you wish to stand with your child, you are asked
to park on the adjacent streets or the parking lot.
STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
Follow us on Twitter:
Every effort will be made by your child’s
teacher to keep you informed of his/her progress and involvement in class. If you wish to
speak with a teacher, a note sent with your
child requesting a call is usually sufficient. If,
however, you wish to contact a teacher by telephone, please telephone the office. If the
teacher is not available you are asked to leave
a message on their voicemail.
@StGertrudeMBC
We also ask your consideration in NOT dropping into classes unannounced during school
hours. Teachers will not be available to meet
with you or take phone calls during instructional time.
To access your child’s class webpage, go to www.dpcdsb.org/
GERTR Click on Learning > Class Pages > Your child’s teachers
name
STUDENT USE OF SCHOOL MATERIALS
The school will provide your
child with many of the regular
school materials such as pens,
pencils, workbooks and textbooks. It is important that children learn to make proper use of these materials.
Your child’s teacher will explain our expectations in
this matter.
Students are responsible for these textbooks and
will be asked to pay if these books go missing or
have been vandalized. The cost of an average textbook is about $50.00 each. Please encourage your
child to take care of textbooks!
To get up-to-date information about
what is going on at our school!
We use twitter to supply information, if parents or students
have questions, we ask that you continue to use agendas,
notes to teacher and/or phone calls as a way to communicate.
Thank you!
Strategies for Raising Healthy Happy Kids
Share quality time with your kids! They may not always tell you so,
but your child needs you more than anything! Close family connections give young people a sense of belonging and can help them to
make choices that support their physical and mental health. If you
don’t have hours to spare each day, that’s okay. Just aim to make
time you do spend together count.
5 Ways to do it:
1. Eat more meals as a family. Aim for 3 o 4 times a week!
2. Get active together. A family bike or walk is a great chance to reconnect.
3. Schedule regular family time. A half hour spent playing board games or
an outing together can create space and time to talk.
4. Practise proactive listening. Make an effort to ask questions about your
child’s day, as kids may try to protect their parents from upsetting information (eg. If they’re being bullied).
5. If your child is at a stage where they’re hesitant to
talk to you, it may help if they have a friend or another trusted adult to confide in.
MESSAGE FROM OUR TRUSTEES
From Your Catholic School Trustee
Thomas Thomas & Luz del Rosario
Dear Lord, please bless us as we begin this new school year and guide us to be your beacons of light on
earth.
Welcome to everyone including our new students and their families. To our Full Day Kindergarten parents
who are joining us for the first time, we thank you for choosing a Catholic education for your child or children. We endeavor to give all our students the desire to learn so as to understand better God's world in a
respectful, non-threatening environment. This is fundamental to our philosophy of Catholic education.
A special welcome to our grade nine students who are now on a new adventure. Your four years will fly by.
Take advantage of all the great opportunities that are offered to you. We are very proud of our Link Crew
and Get Ready for Secondary School programs. Never be afraid to ask questions. We hope that you have a
Link Crew Leader to help you along the way.
To our grade twelve students - we wish you all the best in your last year of Catholic secondary school. You
will be thinking about college, university, apprenticeships or the world of work. This is the time you have
been waiting for –senior students! We hope you make the best of this exciting year.
Your Board of Trustees has approved a balanced operating budget of $922, 901,010 with 89.7 % of this
budget going to salaries and benefits. We have 149 schools, 84,000 students and 10,000 employees. We are
the second largest Catholic school board in the province. We have very strong links to our parishes so we
will see our priests visit our schools as well as many of our students will visit our parishes for Mass and the
sacraments. We are blessed that our priests make a special effort to visit with our students.
If you have transportation questions please remember you can call STOPR at 905-890-6000 or 1-800-6681140 or check our web site at www.dpcdsb.org. Click on schools and then student transportation. Transportation was removed from the trustees’ purview under Bill 177 several years ago.
Parents please support and join your Catholic School Council. It is a great opportunity for input and better
understanding of what is happening in education both locally and provincially. You will be amazed at how
much you will learn and how much you can contribute to your child’s school.
Please do not hesitate to contact us. We wish you the very best for this school year and always.
May the good Lord always hold you in the palm of His hand.
DATES TO REMEMBER
~ September 2015 ~
Sun
6
Mon
7
Labour Day
13
14
Tue
Thu
21
Sat
2
3
4
5
8
9
10
11
12
16
17
18
19
First Day of
School!
Return all
Forms in
Envelop
Return all
Forms in
envelop
Return all
Forms in
envelop
DOT DAY!
20
Fri
1
15
Return all
Forms in
envelop
Wed
22
23
24
P.A. DAY
No school for
students
Re-organization,
Faith Development/Provincial
Priorities
25
26
Opening Mass
9 am in gym
Book Fair
Starts
Council Nominations due at
6:30 pm
Open House
6:30-7:30pm
27
28
29
Book Fair
Ends
30
Upcoming Dates:
Terry Fox Run/ School Council Meeting –October 6, 2015
Walk
at 6:30pm
‘Toonie for
Terry’
Picture Day –October 13, 2015
$2.00