St. Gregory School
1075 Swinbourne Drive,
Mississauga, Ontario L5V 1B9
Tel (905) 814 5237
Fax (905) 814 5734
www.dpcdsb.org/grego
A Prayer to Begin our New School Year
God of this new year, we continue to walk into mystery.
We face the future, not knowing what the days and months will bring us or how to respond.
Be with us as we journey.
Deepen our faith to see all of life through your eyes.
Fill us with hope and an abiding trust that you dwell in us amidst all our joys and sorrows.
We thank you for the treasure of faith life. We thank you for the gift of being able to rise each
day with assurance of your walking through the day with us.
Newsletter
Sept. 14, 2015
Mississauga Brampton
Central Family of Schools
Trustee:
L. del Rosario
Superintendent:
L. Papaloni
Principal:
J. Krolewicz
God of this new year, we praise you.
H. Secretary:
Amen.
P. O’Brien
Parish Priests:
Fr. Marc Andre Campbell,
Dates to Remember
Sept. 8
First Day of School
Sept. 14 Book Fair Arrives
Sept. 18 P.A. Day - Reorganization/Faith Development
Sept. 22 Grade 7/8 Confirmation Retreat Mount Alverno Retreat Centre
tion at St. Joseph Church Hall
Sept. 30 Terry Fox Run
Oct. 6 7 - 8:30 First Holy Communion Registration
at St. Joseph Church Hall
Oct. 7
Opening Mass @ 10:00, gymnasium
Oct. 10 10:00 First Holy Communion Registration at
St. Joseph Church Hall
Pastor
Fr. Joseph Alojzy
St. Joseph Parish
5440 Durie Rd., Mississauga,
L5M 2J5
905 826 2766
Website:
www.stjosephsstreetsville.com
Sept. 23 School Pictures
Oct. 12 Thanksgiving Day
Saturday Mass 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 24 Open House, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 26 10:00 - 11:30, Confirmation Registra-
Oct. 16 Peel Health Immunization - Round 1
Sunday Masses 8:00, 9:30, 11:00,
12:30, 6:00 p.m.
Opening/Thanksgiving Mass
Wed. Oct. 7 @ 10:00 a.m., St. Gregory School - Gym
Catholic School Council Chair:
Advent Mass
Fri. Dec. 11 @ 10:00 a.m., St. Joseph Church
J. Greenman
Lenten Mass
Wed. Feb. 24 @ 10:00 a.m., St. Gregory School - Gym
Easter Mass
Tues. May 10 @ 10:00 a.m., St. Joseph Church
Gr. 8 Graduation
Wed. June 22 @ 10:00 a.m., St. Joseph Church
First Holy Communion
Every Saturday @ 5:30 p.m. Mass and Every Sunday @ 9:30 a.m. and 12:30
p.m. Mass from April 16th to June 12th
Reconciliation
To be celebrated at St. Joseph Church (First Holy Communion and Confirmation)
Confirmation Retreat
Thurs. Sept. 22, Mount Alverno Retreat Centre (All grade 7 and 8 students)
Confirmation
Grade 7: Thurs. June 2nd @ 7 - 8:30 - Grade 8: Tues. June 7th @ 7 - 8:30
P. A. Days: Sept. 18, Feb. 5, May 13, June 13
Christmas Break: Monday, December 21, 2015 to Friday, January 1, 2016 inclusive
Mid-Winter Break: Monday, March 14, 2016 to Friday, March 18, 2016 inclusive
Principal’s Message:
As we begin a new school year, I would like to
extend a very warm welcome to all the new families
in our school community and to welcome once again,
those returning to St. Gregory School. I hope that
everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer. The staff
and I look forward to a challenging and rewarding
school year. We hope that the new year will be filled
with much success and happiness for everyone.
We welcome Mlle. Czechowska, who will be teaching
French as a Second Language, Mrs. Cinapri, grade 6/7
teacher, Mrs. Co, Planning Time teacher, Ms.
Langenfelds, JK/SK teacher and Ms. Ingraldi, LTO,
who is temporarily taking the place of Mrs. Mimoso.
As always, we hope that all parents will be a part of
the St. Gregory School community! We invite you to
attend our many activities and presentations such as
Open House, school liturgies, Catholic School
Council committees to name a few. I am very
privileged to work with your families, especially your
children and to be part of such a special staff and
school community. I am looking forward to our
continued partnerships with your home and the St.
Joseph Parish. Here’s to a rewarding year ahead,
both academically and spiritually! God bless!
J. Krolewicz
Principal
FAITH LIFE
VIRTUE OF THE
MONTH: FAITH
To begin the new school
year, we will focus our
attention on the first of
our ten monthly virtues FAITH. Faith is the great
virtue of believing in God
and trusting that God is
with us. A faithful person
believes that we are
created, guided by and
destined to be reunited
with God. The faithful
person believes that God’s
plan for us includes the
right to be safe, especially
at school and home.
A faithful person…
 Prays from the heart whenever they can
 Learns from Scripture stories
 Believes that there is good in everyone
 Knows that we are all created and loved by God
The apostles said to the Lord, Make our
faith greater.” The Lord answered, “If you had
faith as big as a mustard seed, you could say to
this mulberry tree, “Pull yourself up by the roots
and plant yourself in the sea!” and it would obey
you.”
Luke 17:5-6
Our Daily Prayer for September:
Let us now pray...for the grace and strength to be people of
faith - people who can truly believe that God’s plan for us
includes the right to be safe at school.
Amen.
“The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer is faith. The
fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service.
The fruit of service is peace.”
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
“Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with
things that are not at hand.”
St. Thomas Aquinas
SCHOOL MASS
Our Opening Year/Thanksgiving Mass will be held on
October 7th at 10:00 a.m. in our school gymnasium. Please
come out and join us for this Eucharistic celebration as we
gather to start the new school year.
We look forward to working with our pastor, Fr. Marc
Andre Campbell, associate pastor, Father Russell Asch and
Fr. Joseph Alojzy this year.
PARISH NEWS
Baptism for Children in School
Baptism is the first Sacrament of
Initiation and it prepares us to celebrate
First Communion and Confirmation. If
your child is not baptized or if your child
was baptized in another Christian
Church (Anglican, Lutheran, etc.) and
you would like your child to be a
member of the Catholic Church please
call the parish office at 905 826 2766.
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL HERITAGE
How long have Catholic separate schools
been educating Catholic children and
contributing to the public good in Ontario?
For about 170 years. In the early 1800s there were
separate schools in many cities, towns and townships. In
Peel, three separate schools opened before
Confederation (1867): St. James in Malton in the 1830s,
St. John’s Agricultural College (1861) and St. Patrick’s
(1861), both in Wildfield.
Has the Ontario government
supported separate schools?
always
Yes, as did its predecessor, the United Legislature of
Canada East (now Quebec) and Canada West (now
Ontario) during its total life from 1841 to 1867. One of
the first pieces of legislation it passed in 1841 was the
Common School Act, with a separate school clause.
Why did the United Legislature of Canada
East and Canada West keep improving
separate school legislation?
It responded to Catholic parents, trustees, bishops and
priests, editors of the four Catholic newspapers,
members of the business and professional world, all of
whom argued for legal and financial rights for separate
schools.
SCHOOL OPERATIONS
SEPTEMBER 18TH PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY DAY
Please note that September 18th is a professional activity
day and there is no school for students. A reminder,
due to Ministry of Education mandate, our classes will
not be finalized until September 18th. Numbers will be
monitored carefully every day and a final decision will be
made prior to our reorganization PA Day. A letter will
be sent home to all students who will be affected by the
reorganization on Thursday, September 17th. Teachers
will also contact parents via telephone. The new classes
will be in place on Monday, September 21st. Thank you
for your patience as we follow the mandated process.
STUDENT AGENDAS
All students in grades 1 - 8 have received a student
agenda. This is an excellent tool to help keep your child
organized and on track with all homework and
assignments. Students should be bringing their agenda
home nightly and maintaining it on a daily basis. The St.
Gregory School Council has generously provided
agendas for all grade 1-8 students. We thank them for
supporting this valuable organizational tool for our
students. Please read the information pages in the front
of the agenda and sign the area designated for parent
signature. The replacement cost will be $5.00 each.
STORAGE OF MEDICATION
We would like to remind all parents who have their
childrens’ medication stored at the school to send in
new medications and forms. New forms need to be
filled out for each new school year.
TERRY FOX RUN/WALK
The Terry Fox Run/Walk is once again
being organized to raise funds for cancer
research on Wednesday, September 30th.
Students are asked to donate “A Toonie
for Terry”. Please join us for our liturgy
and run/walk. More information is to
follow.
KISS ‘N RIDE
For those parents who use the Kiss ’N Ride program we
would like to review the process. The traffic flow
through our front parking lot is oneway only. The entrance is clearly
marked with three lanes. The lane
closest to the building is restricted for
school buses only. The centre lane
marked: Kiss ‘N Ride is reserved for
the delivery of students. The third lane
is reserved for free flowing traffic. When the program is
in operation, a large orange cone will be present beside
the Kiss ’N Ride lane to indicate where to stop your car
and let your child(ren) out. This lane is for parents who,
without getting out of their vehicle, wish to drop off
their child(ren). Children must have their knapsacks and
belongings with them, they should not be getting things
from the vehicle’s trunk, as this is not only unsafe, but
also slows down the Kiss ‘N Ride process. Children
must exit from the right side of the vehicle, on their
own, and proceed towards the school on the walkway.
Following afternoon dismissal, parents who wish to pick
up their children should enter the Kiss ‘N Ride lane and
wait in their car for their child to board their vehicle
from the walkway beside the Kiss ‘N Ride lane. Again,
as a safety measure, students must enter the vehicle
from the right side only. If your child is delayed in
leaving the school, please continue along the Kiss ’N
Ride and park your car on the road. You may then
enter the school and locate your child. There is no
teacher supervision for the afternoon Kiss ‘N Ride. If
you are using the Kiss ‘N Ride in the morning or the
afternoon, it is imperative that you never leave your car
unattended. As an ECO School, we are asking that you
not idle your car. Please note that the morning Kiss ‘N
Ride program will not begin before the yard supervision at 8:45 a.m.
If you are interested in volunteering during the Kiss ‘N
Ride, please let the office know. Parents please do not
leave your car unattended in any of the three Kiss ‘N
Ride lanes at any point in the school day, most especially at lunch time. If you are dropping off a lunch for
your child please park in a designated parking spot or
on the street. A reminder that the gate will be closed
from 8:45 - 9:00 a.m. and from 3:30 - 3:45 p.m. each
day. There will be no access to the north parking lot
or the Daycare at these times. The gate is for the
safety of all our students.
AROUND THE HALLS
OPEN HOUSE MEET THE TEACHER
NIGHT
We are looking forward to meeting parents on Thursday, Sept. 24. Teachers will be available in their classrooms from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. There will be an introduction of staff at 7:30 p.m. in the gymnasium. Please
come in to discuss curriculum and plans for the year.
If you wish to discuss your child’s progress, please
contact your child’s teacher for an appointment at another date.
REPORTING ABSENCES
If your child/children are going to be absent or late for
school, we ask that you call the school office and leave
a message (905) 814 - 5237. Please press 1 for our
attendance line. Let us know on a day to day basis if
your child will continue to be absent. As a safety precaution we will always try to contact parents by phone
if we have not received any messages. Your continued
cooperation is greatly appreciated.
LIBRARY NEWS
Hello St. Gregory Community,
The library is an integral part of your child’s elementary education. We are planning for many wonderful
events and activities to take place this year in order to
enhance your child’s learning and love for reading.
Library circulation will begin on Monday September
28th. This is due to the fact that prior to that date we
will have the Scholastic book fair located in our library.
Students from kindergarten to grade 8 will have a regular scheduled library time each week in which they
will be given the opportunity to exchange their books.
There will also be open periods of book exchange for
students that have forgotten their books or simply
need to exchange because they have finished reading
the book that they had signed out. Students are reminded
to bring their books in every week during their regularly
scheduled library time. Parents are encouraged to mark it
in their school or home calendars as an additional reminder to their children. The safest place at home to keep a
library book is in their backpacks. If your child has forgotten their book, please encourage them to return the book
as soon as possible as there are book exchange times daily.
If your child has an overdue book, a friendly reminder will
be sent home so you may help them locate the book and
return it promptly to the library.
The library has scheduled their book fair for the year and
we will be hosting the book fair from Monday September
14th to Thursday September 24th. It will be open to all
family and friends the evening of our Open House, September 24th, from 3:30pm to 6pm sharp. Please drop by
the library to say hello and view the wonderful new selection of books that Scholastic will be offering for everyone’s
reading enjoyment.
If you have an interest in helping with the book fair or willing to volunteer your time in the library, please contact
the library with the days and times you would be available.
Looking forward to another successful year,
Mrs. Goicoechea
Teacher-Librarian
SCHOOL HOURS:
Start time
9:00 a.m.
Morning Recess
Lunch
(all students)
11:00 a.m.
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Afternoon Recess
2:20 p.m.
Dismissal
3:30 p.m.
Playground Supervision 8:45 - 9:00 p.m.
“REMINDER” - SECURITY SYSTEM
All visitors to St. Gregory School must use the security
entry bell located to the right of the front doors. Please
use the bell to gain entry to the school.
DPCDSB is now on Twitter!
For the latest Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School
Board news and information
on schools, programs, inservices, follow us on Twitter
@DPCDSBSchools
LEAVING SCHOOL PROPERTY
If your child for any reason requires to leave school
during the day or during lunch, a written note must
be provided that is dated and signed by a
parent/guardian. Students will not be allowed to call
home for verbal permission. We will not be accepting verbal permission for any student to leave the
school during the school day. A parent is required to
come into the school and sign their children out if
there is no written note. Thank you for your cooperation.
LAST MINUTE CALLS
We have numerous calls that come at
the end of the day asking us to let students know of a change in home time
routine. While we will make every effort to let a child know of a change in
plan, this should be the exceptional circumstance in
times of emergency. Please ensure that your child
knows to come to the office and wait in case you are
going to be late, or to see a neighbour in case you are
unable to be home. We strive to keep classroom
interruptions to a minimum, so these messages
should be reserved for the rare emergencies which
inevitably occur. Please note that students will not be
allowed to use the phone to make after school plans
with friends.
AFTER SCHOOL SECURITY
Students must be diligent in gathering all materials
prior to the end of the school day. Once dismissed,
there is no supervision provided to the students.
Students/parents must not be returning to school
after school hours to retrieve
books/belongings. In order to ensure the safety of the workplace,
no students or parents will be able
to enter any classroom after
school.
HEALTH AND SAFETY:
SCHOOL YARD SAFETY
Thank you to all parents who have been so conscientious in dropping off and picking up their children in
front of the school. It is important for us to know all
the adults who are in the schoolyard. To all children,
other than your own, you are a stranger. All parents,
in order to ensure the safety of the workplace, siblings attending other schools or any other visitor
must report to the office upon arrival at the school.
Never go directly to your child’s classroom without
having checked in at the office. All students are dismissed from the entrance doors that exit to the
school playground. Student supervision begins at 8:45 and
students must not be dropped off at the school before this
time.
ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK
Please be aware that there are a number of students at St. Gregory with a severe life-threatening
food allergy (anaphylaxis) to peanuts, nuts and fish.
This is a medical condition that causes a severe
reaction to certain allergens and can result in death within
minutes. Although this may or may not affect your child’s
class directly, please send foods with your child
that are free from peanuts, nuts and/or fish.
Thank you for your understanding. Students are
not allowed to take any food or drinks out for
recess because of the possibility of bee/wasp
stings.
MEDICAL CONCERNS
If your son/daughter has any medical concerns, please ensure that you inform the school. Information may be
shared directly with the classroom teacher or with the office. All information is held in confidence. Parents are responsible for ensuring that all medication and forms are
updated annually for any students who require medication
to be administered at school. If your child requires medication, please have the necessary forms (including R.E.A.C.T.)
completed and returned, along with any medication to the
office as soon as possible. This is Board policy. Thank you
for your cooperation.
SCHOOL YEARBOOK 2014 - 2015
Limited copies of the 2014 - 2015 St. Gregory School yearbook are still available. If you missed out on the opportunity to purchase it last June, please pop by the office to place
your order. The yearbook price is $25.00. Please make
cheques payable to St. Gregory School. The books will be
distributed at the school in September 2015.
STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE
The Board takes every precaution to provide a safe learning
environment for students, but accidents can and do happen. Some families have private accident insurance which is
able to respond to costs arising from injuries. However,
many families do not.
Under the Education Act, Ontario School boards are empowered to “provide, by contract with an insurer under the
Insurance Act, accident and life insurance for pupils, the
cost of which is to be paid on a voluntary basis by the parents or guardians.” R.S.O. 1990, c.E.2, s. 176, par. 4.
The ‘Basic Plan’ coverage for school days only can be purchased annually for $32.00 per child and includes a 10 year
dental benefit feature. Family discounts are available. Plans
can be purchased for post-secondary and mature students
and in some cases visitor or immigrant students.
More complete packages include 365 day per year
coverage; the Super Plan Plus has a travel component.
Coverage may be purchased at any time during the
school year. As the cost is very competitive, it will
remain the same regardless of when it was purchased. The best value for parents exists in purchasing the insurance in September. Coverage becomes
effective at the date of purchase.
You may purchase coverage for your child at
www.insuremykids.com or by calling toll free at 1800-463-KIDS (5437). Please direct your questions
to a Reliable Life Insurance Representative.
Student Accident Insurance Brochures are sent
home with students at the beginning of each year. If
you do not receive one please contact us at the
school.
Participation in all extra-curricular activities or excursions will require acknowledgement of receipt
and awareness of Student Accident Insurance available for purchase.
Enclosed you will find an information package about student
accident insurance, If you are
interested in purchasing such
insurance, fill out the forms
and mail directly to the insurance company.
Further information will be coming home under a
separate cover regarding participation in out-ofschool excursions and extra-curricular sports activities.
ST. GREGORY CATHOLIC SCHOOL
PIZZA
Please support our pizza days. Please watch for forms. We
are looking for dedicated volunteers to join our pizza team!
This is approximately a 45 minute commitment weekly.
SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTIONS
According to Ontario Regulation 612, elections must take
place within the first 30 days of each school year. A nomination form for the election of parent members will be available
in the office. Our aim is to have 8 parents on the School
Council. If we have more than 8 parent nominations sent in,
we will have an election. All parent nominations must be submitted no later than Friday, September 25th at 4:00 p.m.
Please note that parents are welcome to self nominate.
Please consider joining our wonderful team! Your time is
truly appreciated and is valued by all our staff and students!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
REGARDING VOLUNTEERS
FOR CLASS TRIPS AND IN
THE SCHOOL
If you plan to volunteer for any class
trips, or in the school, please be aware that you must have a
CURRENT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK (CBC),
including a Vulnerable Sector Screening. We have been directed to strictly enforce this requirement.
If your check was done a couple of years ago, or more, and
you have not signed the yearly declaration in the office, you
will be required to complete a new reference check, as they
expire if there is a break in the declaration process. If you
are not sure if yours is current, please check with the office,
or ask your child to pick up a new form in the office.
We appreciate all our volunteers and wish to make sure the
process is as seamless as possible.
Thank you!
COUNCIL NEWS
We would like to thank our Catholic School Council
for their continued support last year. Their financial
contributions to the school have been outstanding.
All five classroom air conditioners were installed
over the summer months. Thank You!!!!!
MILK PROGRAM
We will be continuing our milk program at St. Gregory School. Forms will be sent out soon. At this
time we are seeking parents to volunteer to assist...please consider helping.
HOT LUNCH PROGRAM
The School Council has switched the hot lunch program to Lunch Moms. More details will be sent out
this week.
Save the date November 28!
We will hold our first annual Christmas
Bazaar!!!!
There will be lots is shopping, bake sale, and fun for the kids.
If you or someone you know would like a table for $50 please
send a note with payment to the school. Cheques payable to
St. Gregory School. Tables will be available on a first come
basis and we will not allow duplicable vendors and reserve
the right to limit the amount of vendors in each category.
From Your Catholic School Trustee
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 1-800-668-1140
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.