CARDINAL NEWMAN CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
698 Balmoral Drive, Brampton, ON, L6T 1X1
Telephone: (905) 792-2268 Fax: (905) 792-7566
“Where Heart Speaks to Heart”
NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2014
Principal
K.Charron
Vice-Principal
M. Castro
A Prayer For Our Community O God, Our Creator and Lord You are our light; We are Your People, a people of Light. Bless us O Lord and send your Spirit upon us. It is through our love and caring That You give us light And we bring Light to each other. Help us, O Lord, to make our communities Centres of Light; Places of Sharing; Of Learning; Of Giving; Places where Love for you and one another Will inspire and sustain us as we struggle in our journey. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen Office Staff
D. Cosentino
F. Machado
Superintendent
M. Vecchiarino
Family of Schools
Brampton North
East
Trustee
S. McLauchlan
Parish
St. John Fisher
Parish Priest
Fr. A. Grima
Parish Telephone
(905) 793-6610
Regional Secondary
School
St. Thomas
Aquinas
SCHOOL HOURS
9:15 a.m.–3:45 p.m.
LUNCH HOUR
12:15 – 1:15 p.m.
RECESS
11:15-11:30 a.m.
2:10-2:25 p.m.
WELCOME! On behalf of the staff, may we extend a warm welcome to you and your children as we begin this new school year. A very special welcome is extended to all new families, and to children beginning kindergarten for the first time. We are sure you will find our school to be a caring and supportive Catholic community. Cardinal Newman School will continue to foster the spiritual, academic, physical, social and emotional growth and development of all students. We eagerly anticipate a year of excitement and meaningful learning opportunities for everyone. We look forward to the opportunity this year to work collaboratively with you in this incredible Catholic community. Open communication between home and school is very important. Please do not hesitate to contact the school at any time if you have questions or concerns. We kindly ask that you take a few moments to read through this important newsletter. Looking forward to seeing you at our Open House and Curriculum Night on Wednesday, September 17th, 2014 and will be sending more detailed information in the first few days of school. With warm regards, Mrs. K. Charron, Principal Mrs. M. Castro, Vice Principal CONGRATULATIONS MRS. CHOPORIS AND WELCOME MRS. CASTRO! It is with mixed emotions that we congratulate Mrs. Choporis on her appointment to full‐time vice‐principal at St. John Fisher. As you know, Mrs. Choporis is a devoted individual who will be missed greatly by the Cardinal Newman community. She is an outstanding leader who will continue to be an integral part of the St. John Fisher community. Please join me in welcoming our new vice‐principal to our school: Mrs. Castro. She is an exceptional educator who comes to us with a wealth of experience. DATES TO REMEMBER First day of School September 2, 2014 nd
th, CSAC nominations September 2 – September 11 2014 September 9, 2014 Pizza Day September 12, 2014 Principal’s Day: Re‐organization/ Faith Development September 16, 2014 Pizza Day September 17, 2014 Open House September 17, 2014 CSAC Election September 19, 2014 Picture Day September 23, 2014 Pizza Day September 30, 2014 Pizza Day VIRTUE OF THE MONTH ‐ FAITH
To begin the new school year, we’ll focus our attention on the first of our 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. A faithful person believes that God’s plan for us includes the right to be safe, especially at school. A Faithful Person...  Prays regularly and reverently  Learns from Scripture stories  Honours people’s God‐given names  Assumes that there is good in everyone  Accepts the God‐given worth of themselves and others SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION Parent meetings will take place at St. John Fisher Parish for Grade 2 (November 19th @ 7 p.m.) and for Grade 8 students (November 20th @ 7 p.m.). For further information about these meetings, contact St. John Fisher Parish directly at 905‐793‐6610. Please refer to the Pastoral Plan which will be sent home and also posted on our website. ATTENDANCE VERIFICATION Important Information for your child’s safety Daily attendance and punctuality are very important. On the days that your child will be absent, we ask that you please contact the school. The number is 905‐792‐2268, press ‘1’ for the attendance voice mail. It is the parent’s responsibility to call the school in the event of an absence. The school is responsible for attendance verification, not an attendance check. This is a safety precaution. Please provide your child’s name, grade, teacher and reason for the absence. Thank you for your support in keeping our children safe. STUDENT’S EMERGENCY INFORMATION Your child will receive a copy of the Student Verification form which contains your address, phone numbers, emergency contacts and health information as it currently exists in our computer. We ask that you take a few minutes and look over the information to ensure that it is accurate. Please make any changes needed directly onto the sheet and return it to your child’s teacher as soon as possible. It is very important that we have accurate phone numbers and emergency contacts. Additionally, please consider including your email address (at the bottom of the form) in order that we can send you newsletters and other information in a timely and environmentally manner. MEDICAL CONCERNS We have a number of students in the school with health conditions requiring specialized medication or supervision. In order for students to have access to medicine on a daily basis or for us to store medication in the school, your doctor MUST complete the required form. All medication of this sort is to be stored in the school office. We take this precaution so that medication does not fall into the wrong hands. If your child has a medical condition, please notify the school office. NUT/PEANUT/OTHER ALLERGY ALERT We are asking for your co‐cooperation in keeping our school safe for all our students and staff. Several students and staff in our school suffer from severe food allergies to all nuts, peanuts and nut products. Please do not send your child with any food for lunch or snack that contains nuts or nut products. Additionally, in the interest of keeping everyone’s children safe, students are NOT PERMITTED to bring any food items for sharing with others. Any food items, sent in for sharing, will be stored at the office until the end of the day. If you are thinking of your child sharing a birthday treat at school, please consider a pencil, eraser or small non‐
edible token instead. Another alternative is to commemorate your child’s birthday by purchasing a book for donation to our school library. Should you wish to do so, we will be happy to place a sticker with a sentiment similar to: “Donated by Noah Brooks in honour of his 5th birthday on October 16th, 2014”. Thank you in advance for your support and understanding. LUNCH HOUR During the lunch hour, all students who stay for lunch are expected to remain at school, and all students who go home for lunch are expected to go home for lunch. If there is a change in the regular lunch hour procedure for your child, parents/guardians are asked to provide the teacher with a note explaining the change. Student safety is essential at Cardinal Newman School. For this reason, students staying for lunch at school will not be permitted to go to the local plaza. We would like to remind you that the school is not equipped to provide lunches to students who are sent to school without a lunch. Please ensure that your child has a suitable lunch, every day. If you plan to deliver your child’s lunch to the school, please ensure that it is delivered before 12:15pm and is left on the table outside the main office. LUNCHES BROUGHT TO THE OFFICE Please consider having your children bring their lunches with them in the morning as the new safe schools access protocol may cause delays in your child receiving lunch. If you are bringing a lunch for your child to pick up from the office, please ensure that it is labelled with your child’s name, teacher’s name and room number. Please instruct your child to come to the front lobby and pick it up from the lunch table. In keeping your child’s safety at heart, students will not be permitted to go out of the building to get their lunches. In order to avoid interruptions to instructional time, students will not be called from class. LUNCH OPTIONS IN THE FUTURE Please stay tuned for more information on lunch options including pizza and sub days. Details will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. PAPERLESS SNACKS/LUNCHES Students and staff are encouraged to be environmentally friendly by reducing the amount of paper and plastic waste from lunches and snacks. Last year we received GOLD level standing ECO school certification. Snacks will not be permitted in the playground. Wasps, bees and birds continue to be a problem in the schoolyard. As a result, students will have an opportunity to eat snacks before or after recess. BEFORE SCHOOL SUPERVISION For your child’s safety, we request that students not be on school property until supervision begins at 9:00 a.m. Last year, many students were left at school in the morning before school supervision begins and remained at school long after school dismissal times. This is unsafe and leaves children vulnerable. Please make sure that you make the necessary arrangements for your children before and after school. Parents will be contacted if children are left unattended before or after school. If you need information about local babysitting facilities or our Before and After School Program, please contact the school office. VISITORS AT THE SCHOOL & SAFE SCHOOLS ACCESS All visitors and parents are requested to enter the building through the front door and check in at the office. Please sign in, and obtain a pass if you plan to remain in the building for any reason during school hours or in the playground while the children are outside. Please understand that during instructional time, teachers are not available to meet with you or to take phone calls. All messages or deliveries for students will be handled through the front office. Students are expected to enter and exit through their designated doors. TRANSPORTATION BUS LOADING ZONE Please be reminded that the front of the school is designated as a “Bus Loading Zone”. Parents are not permitted to pick up or drop off students in this zone. The safety of the students is our priority. Please drop off or pick up students in the designated school parking lot or the “Kiss and Ride” area. Please ensure that your child rides the bus to which he or she has been assigned. If you wish to change your child’s bus, bus stop or have concerns about the bus schedule you must contact the Transportation (STOPR) department directly @ 905‐890‐6000. The Peel Transportation Consortium has ruled that the Courtesy Rider policy will only take effect as of October. The school will be notified by STOPR if we are permitted to allow more riders. We are starting the school year with our buses quite full with eligible riders, reducing the possibility of courtesy seats becoming available. Requests for “empty seats” must be submitted in writing and addressed to Mrs. Castro. Please pick up and fill out a TFL004 should you wish to apply for a courtesy seat. Please be sure to list your child’s grade, address and phone number. Bus students must have written permission from a parent, handed in to Mrs. Castro, two days prior, if they wish to walk home or take a bus other than the one assigned. On these occasions, parents must sign the TFL003 form issued by Mrs. Castro prior to the child riding a different bus. It is a parental responsibility to ensure that kindergarten students are met at the bus. If the bus driver does not see a parent or sitter at the scheduled bus stop, the child will be returned to school. KISS AND RIDE The school’s Kiss and Ride Program is located at the front of the building. The “Kiss and Ride” lane is for stopping to drop off your child. It is NOT for parking in the morning. If you need to come into the school, please park in a designated parking spot. The parking authorities frequently make visits to our school and many members of our community have been ticketed with very expensive fines. For parents who wish to walk their child to the Kindergarten area, please park your car in the parking area. Please do not park in the Kiss and Ride area or the reserved parking spots. RECESS BREAKS Recess breaks serve a special purpose in the daily life of a school. If your child is sick, he or she should be at home recuperating and not spreading their flu, cold, etc. There is no indoor supervision at recess for students as staff members are occupied elsewhere or on duty outside. CATHOLIC SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL ELECTIONS Nominations will take place from September 2nd‐11th, between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. Nomination forms are available in the office. No nominations will be accepted after September 11th, 2014 at 3:45 p.m. A listing of all nominees and biographies will be posted on the bulletin board and a copy sent home with students. Elections will be held on September 17th with results posted on September 18th. Our first meeting of the new council will be on September 22nd @ 7:00 p.m. in the school library. STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE COVERAGE As required by the Education Act and Ministry of Education, the Dufferin‐Peel Catholic District School Board annually provides parents with information about cost effective student accident insurance coverage. Although enrolment is voluntary, the Board encourages parents to take advantage of the inexpensive insurance coverage. All students wishing to play on school sports teams should have insurance. Please take some time to read over the pamphlet sent home with your child. EMERGENCY EVACUATION During each term, staff and students will be practicing emergency evacuation procedures with their students. These will include fire evacuation and lockdown procedures. PEDICULOSIS – HEAD LICE Pediculosis is not considered a health problem because it is not a communicable disease. However, from time to time incidents of pediculosis occur in any school. It is recommended that parents inspect their children’s hair, especially if persistent itching and scratching of the scalp is noticed. Please inform the school if you discover an infestation. Your pharmacist may suggest treatment information. Remind your child that it is not appropriate to share other children’s combs and/or headgear, hats, etc. HEAD INJURIES Even when it may appear to be insignificant, we try to inform parents of all reported head injuries at school, either by a phone call or by telling you of the incident in your child’s journal. We do this in recognition of the potential danger of any injury involving the head area. Our interest is not to alarm you, but to keep you informed. Please remind your child to let a staff member know if they bump their head or if they get hurt at school. SCHOOL AGENDAS Student agendas are available at a cost of $5.00. Agendas assist in the development of organizational and time management skills and facilitate communication between home and school. Students are responsible for updating their agendas with the necessary information to share with their families, e.g. homework, upcoming events, etc. Please send $5 to your child’s teacher if you wish to purchase an agenda for your child. STUDENT USE OF SCHOOL MATERIALS The school will provide your child with the regular school materials such as pens, pencils, workbooks and textbooks. Therefore, it is not necessary that you purchase any such materials. However, it is important that children learn to make proper use of these materials and with this in mind, your child’s teacher will explain our expectations about this matter to the children. One of our expectations is that students will be responsible for the replacement of lost books or damaged materials including texts or library books, which are expensive. CLASS AND SCHOOL REORGANIZATION The final reorganization day will be Friday, September 12th, 2014 to accommodate new enrollments and transfers. The current class structure remains tentative until this time. Students may experience changes should enrolment projections and actual numbers differ. Should class changes occur, parents will be notified in writing or by phone prior by September 12th, 2014. No class changes will be made until this date. P.A. DAY Friday, September 12, 2014 will be a Professional Activity Day. This day is dedicated to organizational meetings, faith formation, goal setting and curriculum discussions for the new school year. There will be NO CLASSES FOR STUDENTS ON THIS DAY. OPEN HOUSE Our Open House will take place on September 17h, 2014. It will run 5:00‐7:00 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and to gather as a community. More details to follow. Please note that the format of the evening is not conducive to interviews or private conversations about specific children. While staff are always willing to communicate with parents about their children, please call the office to set up a mutually convenient appointment at a time other than Open House. PICTURE DAY All students will be photographed by EDGE Imaging on September 19th, 2014 with October 29th, 2014 scheduled for retakes. Details to follow in the next few weeks. EXCURSIONS AND FIELD TRIPS Classes occasionally take educational trips to extend learning opportunities in curriculum areas. 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 has not returned his/her forms, and the parent/guardian cannot come into the school to sign the permission forms, the student will remain at the school. Students will be reminded by their teachers about this policy prior to the trip taking place. CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECKS All volunteers having direct contact with students are required to provide a CRC (Criminal Reference Check). The new board policy has been expanded and includes volunteering on class trips, in classrooms, Catholic School Advisory Council, etc. If there are any community members wishing to volunteer, please visit the school office to pick up the necessary volunteer criminal reference check paperwork. BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM PLASP operates Before and After School Programs at this school in Room 28. This is a change in location from last year. Those involved in this program must use the regular entrance doors for access to this program. Use of the classroom’s side door into the parking lot is prohibited for reasons of safety. The Before School Program runs from 7:30 a.m. until school begins. The After School Program runs from the end of the school day until 6:00 p.m. Fee assistance is available. Register your child with the PLASP Staff before or after school. For further information, call 905‐890‐1711 or visit the website at www.plasp.com COMMUNICATION AND SCHOOL WEBSITE It is a vital concern that the school and home should be in close communication. Throughout the school year, we will be sending home newsletters and various communiqués and we ask that you read these in order to obtain information concerning school matters. Please keep in mind that the monthly newsletter will be sent home with the youngest and only child in the family. Please consider the option of having our newsletter emailed to you by completing and returning the attached CANADA’S ANTI‐SPAN LEGISLATION CONSENT FORM. This ensures you receive it, and other information, in a timely and direct manner http://www.dpcdsb.org/CNEWM Cardinal Newman Catholic School
698 Balmoral Drive, Brampton, Ontario, L6T 1X1
Telephone: 905-792-2268 Fax: 905-792-7566
A WARM WELCOME TO ALL FROM YOUR PRINCIPAL
Welcome back to Cardinal Newman Catholic Elementary School!
On behalf of my staff, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you and your children as we begin the
2014-2015 school year, and especially acknowledge our newcomers, including our Junior Kindergarten
students! My name is Kathy Charron and I am honoured to be your principal.
Many students and parents are excited as well as anxious about the new school year. Each year brings us
new experiences and new opportunities to learn and grow as a Catholic Community. The journey this
year will be a rewarding and fulfilling academic and spiritual learning experience. As a Catholic school
community, we will support each other in this journey together!
In the area of academics, we will continue to focus on Literacy and Numeracy to ensure that high yield
teaching strategies are implemented to improve student achievement. Staff will continue to develop an
inquiry-based approach to learning for students. Guided writing practice and guided reading will be a
school-wide literacy focus. In numeracy, teachers will be concentrating on the three-part lesson plan to
improve numeracy skills. All that we do will be embedded in our Catholic values and the virtues
program, and we plan to educate and nourish your child academically and spiritually.
The 2014-2015 school year promises to be filled with a variety of terrific learning opportunities for our
students. In the pursuit of excellence, the partnership of home, school, church and community is
essential for the success of your child and we encourage you to participate in your child’s spiritual,
physical and academic growth. I encourage all parents and guardians to consider getting involved in the
Catholic School Advisory Council. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact
me or our new vice-principal, Mrs. Maria Castro. I look forward to working with your children to ensure
that they have a successful school year! I promise to give you my best every day and thank you for
entrusting your precious children to the care of my staff and me.
God bless each of you abundantly as we begin our 2014-2015 school year!
With warmest regards,
Mrs. Kathy Charron
Cardinal Newman Catholic School
698 Balmoral Drive, Brampton, Ontario, L6T 1X1
Telephone: 905-792-2268 Fax: 905-792-7566
September 2, 2014
It is with great pleasure that I join the Cardinal Newman Catholic School community! As we
begin the new school year, I look forward to getting to know this wonderful community. It is
my hope that we will work collaboratively as a Catholic school community to provide a
fulfilling academic and spiritual learning experience for your children.
I have worked as an educator in our board for the last 14 years. I feel fortunate to have had the
opportunity to teach in all divisions, as well as to work as a Special Assignment Teacher in the
areas of Brampton West and Brampton North-East. I am most recently honoured to be your
new Vice-Principal. As I look to the year ahead at Cardinal Newman, it is my intent to help
your children achieve success and realize their talents and gifts from God.
I am confident that we will learn and grow together as a community. Please feel free to contact
me should you have questions or inquiries.
With warmest regards,
Maria Castro
1 8 15 22 29 7 14 21 28 Sunday September
Monday Welcome Back! First Day of School 9 Pizza Day 16 Pizza Day 23 Pizza Day 30 Pizza Day 2 Tuesday 18 17 25 24 Open House CSAC Election 11 4 10 3 Wednesday Thursday 698 Balmoral Drive, Brampton, Ontario, L6T 1X1
Telephone: 905-792-2268 Fax: 905-792-7566
Cardinal Newman Catholic Elementary School
26 12 Principal’s Day: Re‐
Organization/ Faith Development 19 Picture Day 5 Friday 27 20 13 6 2014
Saturday CANADA’S ANTI‐SPAM LEGISLATION (CASL) CONSENT FORM September 2, 2014 Parent(s)/Guardian(s)/Adult Student Canada’s Anti‐Spam Legislation (CASL) prohibits the sending of commercial electronic messages, including e‐mails and other forms of digital messaging if the electronic message encourages participation in a commercial activity, unless the sender has received the recipient’s consent prior to sending the message. The Dufferin‐Peel Catholic District School Board and Cardinal Newman Catholic Elementary School require your consent to send any electronic messages which promote, advertise or offer for sale goods and services. While partaking in commercial activities is not a core activity of the board or its schools, information about some of the following example activities, included in an e‐mail or in an electronic newsletter, may be construed as commercial in nature, or may fall under an exception: 
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Promoting the sale of school products, services or other activities, e.g., offering the sale of tickets to a school play or other event. Promoting the sale of products or services of third parties, e.g., offering the sale of discounted tickets to a sporting event, inviting parents/guardians to a seminar where the speaker may promote his/her products/services. Providing information about school photos, field trips, sale of yearbooks, team uniforms, fundraising events, lunch programs, pizza days, prom or dance tickets, athletic events or similar events and offers. If you consent to receiving electronic communications, which may contain commercial electronic messages, such as the examples described above, please sign and date this form, and return it to your school. You may withdraw your consent at any time by notifying the school Principal, or by unsubscribing to any further commercial electronic messages you receive from the board/school. Student’s Name: _______________________________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian’s Name: ________________________________________________________________ E‐Mail Address: ________________________________________________________________________ Signature: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________________________ MUNICIPAL FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT: Personal information on this form is collected under the legal authority of the Education Act, as amended, and will only be used to administer the Board/School’s electronic newsletter, e‐mail communication process, in order to comply with Canada’s Anti‐Spam Legislation, and for no other purpose. Questions may be directed to the School Principal or to the General Manager, Communications & Community Relations, Dufferin‐Peel Catholic District School Board, 40 Matheson Blvd. West, Mississauga, Ontario L5R 1C5 (905) 890 – 1221/1‐800‐387‐9501.