April 2014 Edition
Principal
Mr. M. Cassar
Vice Principal
Ms. T. Owens
Head Secretary
Ms. S. McGee
Assistant Secretary
Mrs. M. Kelly
School Council Chair
Mrs. J. Estevao
GuardianAngelsCSC@Gmail.com
Superintendent
Mrs. S. Steer
Ward 6 Trustee
Mrs. L. Zanella
905-890-1211
Parish Team
Father Jan Gogolewski
Guardian Angels Parish
(905) 970 - 9175
We at Guardian Angels School,
dedicate ourselves to creating
and fostering a spiritually
rich learning environment that
empowers the individual to take
responsibility for their
personal and interpersonal
growth and development.
.
School Council
Meeting
Wednesday May 14
@ 6:30 PM - Held in
the library. Please
join us! All are
welcome.
A Springtime Act of Faith.
O God, Creator of the seasons,
We thank you that Spring has come
at last.
We thank you for the warm air that
will awaken sleeping buds and fill
our world, once again, with colour.
We ask you to be with us as we
celebrate this season.
We believe in Spring, the season of
seeds and flowers, of buds that burst
into leaves,
Of bulbs that burst into tulips,
Of caterpillars that burst into
butterflies,
And of Jesus who burst from
His Grave and put death to death!
We believe that life is worth living,
That we were born to sing with the
birds,
to dance in Spring rain,
to laugh when we are happy,
to weep when we are sad,
to live as much and as well as we
can
and to love always.
We believe in Spring,
in seeds that die and are reborn.
We believe in growth.
We believe in life,
in ourselves,
in hope and in joy.
We believe in God.
WELCOME TO
KINDERGARTEN NIGHT
Our Welcome to Kindergarten Evening will
be held on Wednesday, May 28 from 6:30
p.m. to 8:30 p.m. An invitation will be
mailed to parents that have children
registered for JK for Sept. 2014. Please
RSVP to the school.
EASTER PRAYER
Easter is the gift of HOPE,
Easter is the gift of PEACE,
Easter is the gift of LOVE,
Let us rejoice in Him,
Who gives them all.
May God bless you during this Easter time
and keep you
All year through.
May God give you all the faith it takes to
make your dreams come true.
May God’s love and wisdom always help, to
guide you on your way.
May God’s light shine all around you, to
bless your every day. Amen
LOOKING FORWARD
Year-end BBQ
AND celebration of learning
Friday June 20, 2014 @ 5:30 PM
Join us as we celebrate a successful year at
Guardian Angels at our BBQ. Preorder your
burgers, hot dogs and other treats! Our ice
cream truck will be here, along with our
friends from Peel Police and Fire Services.
Face painting and balloons for the kids all
served with music and a chance to socialize
with friends.
School Council will host a silent auction that
evening with great prizes in support of
Guardian Angels School !
Amen
Visit our website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
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and let them know that you appreciate their continued support,
in this regard.
SCHOOL HOURS
Grades 1 - 8
There are 3.9 million Catholics in Ontario; more than 600,000
students attend Ontario Catholic schools. We are strong.
However, we cannot be silent. With the coming of Easter, our
most holy time of the year, we rejoice in the fact that Jesus is the
reason for the season…Happy Easter to all of you and God bless.
9:00 AM – MORNING BEGINS
10:28 AM – RECESS BREAK
12:06 PM – 12:46 PM – RECESS
12:46 PM – 1:06 PM - LUNCH
1:06 PM – AFTERNOON BEGINS
2:29 PM– RECESS BREAK
3:30 PM – SCHOOL ENDS
Mr. Cassar – Principal
Ms. Owens – Vice Principal
SCHOOL COUNCIL
Please note that supervision in the playground begins at 8:45
AM. Please do not leave your children unattended in the school
grounds before the staff supervision begins.
GuardianAngelsCSC@gmail.com
PRINCIPALS’ MESSAGE
The Catholic School Council Auction
Sub-committee is in full swing planning
our Silent Auction Fundraiser.
Supporting and
Advocating for Catholic
Education
As parents/guardians of children in
our publicly funded Catholic school
system, you have a powerful voice,
both as a taxpayer and a constituent. Increasingly, we are seeing
co-ordinated attacks on Catholic education, with calls for the
discontinuation of funding of the Catholic school system in
Ontario, and the establishment of a single secular school system.
We see evidence of this through radio call-in shows, newspaper
articles and opinion pieces, letters to the editor and through
various social media channels.
Your willingness to lend your voice in support of good news
stories about Catholic education and/or to help counter negative
commentary, or attacks on Catholic education through media, or
other means, is an important part of our community’s effort to
promote and maintain our strong, viable and relevant Catholic
education system in Ontario.
More details will follow later, but what we CAN tell you is some
of the great items up for bids: Pandora jewellery, hotel stays,
restaurant gift certificates, leather purses… and we don’t know
what to be more excited by – a signed 2013-2014 Toronto Maple
Leafs hockey stick, the 50” Samsung flat screen TV or the
Carrier Air Conditioner.
We are still collecting and accepting items for the Auction. If
you have new/unused items, PC or Air Miles points you would
like to donate, or business donation contacts, let us know. Please
contact us via the email address noted above or you can leave a
note for us with the office.
UPCOMING DATES OF INTEREST
Wednesday, May 14 @ 6:30 pm Council Meeting, Library
Friday, June 20 @ 5:30 pm Silent Auction Fundraiser, Gym
We welcome ideas and volunteers – email us
GuardianAngelsCSC@gmail.com to get in touch with us.
at
BICYCLES
From time to time, we may bring items to your attention, such as
news articles, that may be in support of, or against Catholic
education. We will make you aware of opportunities to write a
letter to the editor, call in to a radio talk show, or simply vote in
an online survey or other action that will indicate to the public
and the government that there is a strong presence of Catholic
parents/guardians and supporters, who are passionate about
Catholic education and who can provide a balancing point of
view to those who would attack, discredit and/or seek to end
publically funded Catholic education in Ontario.
With the change in weather,
many students are beginning
to ride their bicycles to school.
Please take the time to discuss
proper bicycle safety with
your children to ensure their
safety. Students riding their
bikes to and from school are
expected to follow these
directions:
Mainstream political parties in Ontario have stated their support
for Catholic education. However, that does not mean that we
should not continue to impress upon our locally elected MPPs
our desire to maintain the current system of publically funded
Catholic schools. Take a few minutes to write or call your MPP
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Bikes are to be walked across the school property;
Bikes are to be left in the bike rack area.
Bikes are to be locked
Students are expected to wear helmets
Visit our website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
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Brampton Public LibraryJunior
and
Intermediate
students
have
enjoyed
“Skating & Story” visits to the
Public Library. If you haven't
had the opportunity, check out
the Mount Pleasant Public
Library located beside the
Mount Pleasant Go Station.
NEWS FORM THE SCHOOL LIBRARY
OUR
CATHOLIC
VIRTUES
Forest of Reading
Voting day is approaching for the Forest of Reading Programs.
The students in Grades 1, 2 and 3 are
enjoying reading the Blue Spruce books
during their library classes. Silver Birch
Express (grades 3 and 4), Silver Birch
Fiction and Non Fiction (grades 5 and 6)
and Red Maple (grades 7 and 8) clubs are
welcome to read in the library during lunch
recess on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These
students have also been very busy posting to the Forest wikis and
sharing their thoughts about the books they have been reading.
Voting Day takes place in April. Province wide results will be
announced in May. For more information about the Forest of
Reading program visit www.accessola.com
Here are some thoughts from our Forest of Reading Readers:
“I think that the Forest of Reading is good for students who don’t
read that much because they can get a chance to read books that
they wouldn’t read normally. Kids that are good readers can
experience different literature.” (Abigail. Grade 6)
“Every year the books are interesting. I feel that I am exposed
to more vocabulary. The books are interesting…once you start
reading it’s a ‘you can’t put down book!’.” (Melita. Grade 6)
“I like reading books and Red Maple introduces me to new
authors. Most of the time I read more of their books.” (Katherine.
Grade 8)
The books are good. My favourite Silver Birch Express book is
When I Get Older: The Story Behind Wavin’ Flag. I like reading
all the books and posting comments on the wiki.” (Ava, Grade 3
3)
“Blue Spruce is awesome because we get to listen to new books
and vote for our favourite book.” (Ethan and Kaitlin, Grade 3)
“I think the Blue Spruce books are cool because you get to vote
for the cool books!” (Jazz-Elaine, Grade 2)
A key aspect of the Board’s
strategic direction is the
continued development of
safe,
caring,
inclusive
Catholic school communities.
As a Catholic Community, we
are called to learn, grow and
become more like Jesus.
Catholic education provides
us the opportunity to integrate
the virtues into our students’
daily activity. The virtues will
be covered every month
during
morning
announcements, in class
during discussions, and at our
Living Our Faith Awards
assemblies.
This month we celebrate the Virtue of Love:
Jesus made one lesson clear above all other lessons – the lesson
to love. Love is not about us – it is about forgetting ourselves and
looking out for the good of the other. That is what Jesus did – He
forgot about Himself on purpose. He chose to give up His life for
the good of others – us!
Becoming a truly loving person is challenging - making little
sacrifices on purpose so that others will have a bit of food, a bit
of shelter, a bit of peace, a bit of quiet, a bit of fun, a bit of
friendship. Through prayer and concentration, we can get better
at showing love to everyone we meet. A Loving Person:
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Wants the best for others
Is willing to make sacrifices for the good of others
Learns from the heroic lives of saints and holy people
Knows that we are all lovable
Prays for others
The Scholastic Book Fair will be running from Monday, May
5 to Thursday, May 8 during Education Week. If you are able to
help volunteer during the Book Fair please leave your name with
the school office.
Visit our website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
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LIVING OUR FAITH AWARDS
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We celebrate student success by
holding once-a-month assemblies.
There are three awards per class
given out: Living Our Faith
Award, Most Improved Award and an Academic Award.
April: Love
May: Acceptance
June: Fairness
The assemblies start with a brief liturgical reflection. This
process provides an intimate and special opportunity for students
and parents to celebrate success. Our next assemblies will be:
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Thursday, April 24, for Gr’s K, 1 and 2 @ 9:30 AM;
Friday, April 25 for Gr’s 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 @ 9:30 AM.
All parents are welcome to join us. Parents of children
receiving awards will receive personal invitations.
MORE FROM GUARDIAN ANGELS PARISH
During Lent, the schedule for the
Stations of the Cross are held
every Friday at 7:00 p.m.
followed by Holy Mass at 7:30
p.m.
The parish will hold their Fourth
Annual Easter Egg Hunt on
Easter Sunday, April 20th, 2014
from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. All
children up to age 12 and their
parents are invited to have a great
time.
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Please make cheques payable
Angels Building Fund.
Drop off or mail cheques to:
to:
Guardian
Guardian Angels Parish
46 Elsinore Street
Brampton, ON
L7A 1Z7
WARMER WEATHER IS ALMOST HERE!
With the warm weather soon approaching, we would like to take
this opportunity to review our dress code expectations. Students
are to observe the guidelines. Summer clothing at home is not
always appropriate at school in a Catholic Learning
environment. These guidelines may vary somewhat for Primary
students, as appropriate. If students have any questions, they may
seek guidance from their teacher, Ms. Owens or Mr. Cassar at an
appropriate time.
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Students should come to school wearing sunscreen/hat
Wear shorts of an appropriate length (bottom of shorts
should not go above the child’s fingertips when arms are at
their sides)
No revealing tops. Shoulders straps should be three adult
fingers wide at a minimum.
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No midriff showing
Shorts/pants need to be at the waist and underwear should
not be seen
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Water bottles (recyclable preferred) can be kept in the
classroom for students to refill and drink during the day
A fundraising event entitled "Guardian Angels Parish Got
Talent" Concert and Karaoke Night will be held on Saturday,
April 26, 2014 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at St. Edmund Campion
Secondary School's cafeteria. The proceeds of this event will go
towards building the church. If anybody is interested in singing,
dancing, performing comedy, or playing a musical instrument,
please contact Michael Foster at (905) 970-0334.
The parish has a Building Committee Meeting held at Fortino’s
on the following dates: May 7th, June 4th, August 8th,
September 3rd, October 1st, November 5th and December 3rd,
2014. The objective of this committee is to assist with the raising
of funds towards the Monthly Building Fund Collection.
Ground breaking for the parish hall located at Sandalwood and
Creditview occurred on March 30th, 2014 followed
by refreshments with parishioners at St. Edmund Campion
Secondary School. The parish would like to thank everybody for
their support and for the volunteers who served their fellow
parishioners with food and beverages. The parish would
also like to encourage everybody to make a small donation each
month to assist with their building fund.
Visit our website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
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the school to look through the lost and found items. All items
will be donated at Easter time to charity.
AUTHOR VISIT
We had the honour of having
Canadian award winning author
David Bouchard visit Guardian
Angels School on Friday, April 11.
Students in Grades 6, 7 and 8
enjoyed a dynamic performance by
this celebrated author who has
written over 75 books. David
Bouchard has also been awarded
the Order of Canada in recognition
of his work in literature and
inspiring children to become
readers.
This dynamic presenter encouraged the students to find the "one
book" that will get them hooked on reading and he stressed how
being a reader opens doors for the rest of your life. This was
particularly encouraging coming from David Bouchard. Why?
Because he shared that, he has a learning disability and that he
was not able to read an entire book until the age of twenty-seven.
The importance of celebrating your heritage was also part of the
presentation as David shared his own Metis heritage with the
audience through the reading of his books and the playing of
flutes. The students were enraptured by this amazing man and
did not want the presentation to come to an end! We encourage
our students to find that "one book" that will make a difference
and help them in their journey to become life-long readers.
Thanks to Mrs. McCannel and Mr. Merino for their help
organizing this event.
EARTH DAY
April 22nd is when the world
celebrates Earth Day and
people get involved in helping
the environment. Earth Day
began when people realized
that it was time to start taking
better care of the planet. It is a
special day when everyone can
help to make the planet a
cleaner and better place to live.
The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22nd in 1970. In
1990 Canada joined the rest of the world to celebrate our special
Earth that God has given to us to take care of. What will you do
to support our planet Earth?
LOST AND FOUND ITEMS
There are many lost and found clothing
items in the Lost and Found box. If your
child is missing an item of clothing (e.g.
mittens, a hat, sweater, pants or a jacket)
please remind your child to look through
the items. Parents are also welcome to visit
WELCOMING NEW STUDENTS
When
new
students
register
at
Guardian
Angels, one of the
initiatives that we put into
place is a welcome tour by
our Student Council Prime
Minister; Sarah P. Sarah
will take the new student on a tour of the school, showing them
key locations like washrooms, change rooms and the gym. Sarah
will also introduce the new student to Office staff, the Principal
and Vice Principal and other key staff. The new student is also
given a Welcome to Guardian Angels” pencil. This is just one
aspect of our efforts to make Guardian Angels a family that
welcomes all newcomers.
MASSES
Please join us for our faith celebrations!
Celebration
Date and Time
Location
Resurrection/Easter
Mass
Wednesday, April 23
@ 9:30 AM
School
Year End Mass/
Guardian Angels
Feast Day
Wednesday, June 18
@ 9:30 AM
School
Special Masses
Date and Time
Location
First Communion
Sunday, May 25
@ 3:00 PM
Our Lady of
Fatima Parish
Confirmation
Saturday, May 31
@ 5:00 PM
St. Edmund
Campion School
GUARDIAN ANGELS ME TO WE GROUP
The “Me to We” group has been
focusing on many social justice
issues this year and in particular
Canadian Aboriginal issues. In
fact, on Friday, April 11,
Canadian Metis author David
Bouchard visited our school and presented to students in grades
6 to 8. We are also very excited that the “Me to We” team will
be going on a trip to the Six Nations Reserve’s Woodland
Cultural Centre on Wednesday, May 21 paid for by an
Innovation Grant that was awarded to our group. We have
decided that it would be a great idea to share our knowledge with
the grade 6 to 8 students of Guardian Angels School by hosting
our very own “Me to We” Day at Guardian Angels School on
May 29. Stay tuned.
Submitted on behalf of the “Me to We” team by: Sarah &
Shaelee
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MRS. SIVASANKARAN’S AND MRS.
GRAESSER’S CLASS
During the month of March, the
children loved our Outer Space
Inquiry. They learned about all
the planets, sun and stars. They
enjoyed making the solar system
out of paper mache, and roleplaying in our rocket ship in our
dramatic center. We have had fun
dancing to songs about space on our smart board.
The children enjoyed making St. Patrick’s Day crafts and all our
green activities on St. Patrick’s Day.
In Language, our “Author of the Month” was Jan Brett. The
children enjoyed listening and acting out the story “The Mitten”
as well as enjoying all the other stories written by Jan Brett.
Looking Forward…
In April, we are focusing on “Author of the Month”. This
month’s focus is Robert Munsch. The children will enjoy
retelling the story “Mud Puddle” and will be using drama to act
out the story. We will also retell the story using finger puppets.
We will read many stories written by Robert Munsch, and graph
our favourites.
learning how to solve a problem using different strategies.
In Writing, we are learning to write persuasively. We had a
classroom debate and we are trying to convince Mr. Bell which
season is better; spring or fall.
In Family Life, we are learning about how the mother has a baby
as well as the baby’s life after it is born. We are learning about
the uterus and we were able to share our baby stories and pictures
with the class. Finally, in Reading we are learning to visualize
and use our imaginations effectively!
MS SCHMALZ’S CLASS
Ms Schmalz's class has just
started a new unit in math about
adding and subtracting with
regrouping. We will also be
moving on to multiplication and
division soon, so make sure to
review your multiplication table
at home :) Please continue to look out for new words of the week
each Monday, and how they are sorted, do you notice any
patterns? Our class went on a field trip Thursday, April 10, to
Whole Foods near Square One.
Our Inquiries this month includes: continuing our Outer Space
inquiry and Spring. We will investigate the changes in the
weather, planting and how plants grow. We will study the life
cycle of plants and grow a variety of different plants/ flowers.
We will also focus on Easter, and the children will enjoy many
Easter crafts and activities. In math, we will be focusing on
money and strategies for counting and grouping.
This trip included a tour of the store, and how to identify produce
and make healthy food choices. The students then moved to the
kitchen where the chef worked with them to create meals that
enhanced their well-being using ingredients easily grown in any
garden. Sounds tasty! We will continue our learning at school
and work on procedural writing regarding the meals we made
together. What procedures do you follow at home every
day? Try to write out the procedure and share it with someone
else :)
MR. BUZDON’S GRADE 4 CLASS
"LIFE AS A GRADE 5/6 PARRISEAN"
In science, our grade 4 class is
learning about pulleys and gears.
Did you know that gears and
pulleys make work easier for
people? If something is too heavy
to lift, you can use gears and
pulleys to make it lighter. In social studies, we are learning about
ancient civilizations like Egypt and Rome. Did you know that
Egyptians and Romans used pulleys and gears to help them build
structures? In math, we are learning about Numbers Sense and
how to figure out area of two-dimensional shapes.
Base x Height divided by 2;
Length x Width... ummmm....
coming into Mrs. Parris’ class,
you learn to develop a lot of
formulas in math. In grade 5,
you go deeper into answering
problem
solving
questions. One way to do this
really well is by using our 3
part math lessons. First, we
start with an "Activating" question to get us ready for what we
are learning for that day. Then we do our "Hands On" question
with our partner to help us get another person's point of
view. We learn a lot this way, and we often proudly display and
present our "Banshos" where we get even more information on
our math problems. To check we really have it, we do our "Exit
Tickets."
MR. BELL’S CLASS
In Math, we are learning to solve
problems involving addition and
subtraction. We are learning how to
regroup numbers and we are
Visit our website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
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Another great activity we did last month was our "Harris
Burdick" Fantasy/Mystery plays. We selected a cool picture,
investigated it, and then wrote a script based on the stories we
saw in the posters. We all combined our scripts and enacted
them. They turned out great!!! Some were funny, some were
mysterious, and all of them were fun!
We also got a nice present from Mr. Cassar last week. It was our
long awaited Smartboard...We have some great plans for
it! Thanks Mr. Cassar!
Well, that's it for now from your Grade 6 Parrisiennes...Melita,
Abbey, Ashley, and Alexa
MR. LABUDA’S GRADE 8 CLASS
In Math, we are currently working on the Geometry strand, and
learning how to investigate, describe, and solve problems using
the relationship between angles, intersecting lines, and how to
apply the Pythagorean Theorem in the world around us. In our
math lessons, we begin with an activity to activate our
knowledge, and to discuss what we know about the topic. We
discuss the learning goal to make sure we know what to achieve
by the end of the lesson. We work in small groups on a "big
problem" that is connected to the world around us, and then we
discuss as a class the strategies that were used to come to a
solution. Beginning the week of April 13, Ms. Yarra from York
University will be with us for one month and we will start
Algebra.
In Geography, we just finished learning about Economic
Development and Quality of Life in Canada and throughout the
world. We had the opportunity to interview family members that
have lived in other countries, and we explored how events in
those countries influenced their Quality of Life, and the
development of their economies. Throughout the unit, we also
participated in the stock market. Each of use received $25,000
to invest into virtual stocks. We discussed the events happening
around the world that affected our stocks, and learned how these
events would affect the life and economy of a country. After
four weeks, these were the top five student investors:
of the Future Worlds Book Club. In Music, we are continuing to
learn how to play the guitar with Mr. Merino.
On May 13, we are very fortunate and humble to be able to go to
The Scott Mission in Toronto to volunteer and help by feeding
the homeless. As part of our Confirmation journey, and Lenten
promise of Almsgiving, we know we are fortunate to have been
blessed with the many gifts God has given us, and we are looking
forward to giving back to the community and those less
fortunate.
SHARELIFE
Sharelife Week was a huge
success this year at Guardian
Angels!! Thanks to all of the
students, parents and teachers
for their support in Sharelife.
The students and teachers
participated in a number of activities during Sharelife Week,
March 24-28. The events included: Roll Out the Quarters,
Teacher Pie in the Face, Teacher Lock-Up, Movie afternoon for
grades K-4 students and the Teacher vs. Students Hockey Game
at Cassie Campbell for grades 5-8 students. This year we raised
approximately $1,800! Without everyone's support, this would
not have been possible... TOGETHER WE CAN WORK
WONDERS!
INTERMEDIATE DANCE TEAM
Guardian Angels is
very excited for our
Intermediate
dance
team. On April 30, they
will be competing with
40 different teams from
the
Dufferin-Peel
Board. This year, our
theme is New York New York! The dancers and coaches have
been working very hard to prepare for this event.
If you are interested in attending, tickets go on sale at the box
office on April 13, 2014. The cost is $10.00 for the morning
show and $10.00 for the afternoon performances. Our team will
be competing in the afternoon; however, our Junior team will
perform in the morning. Hope to see you all there! Coaches:
M. Alimurung, J.Valentini, L. Lorusso
CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK
1) Leander + $6,046.42 ** wow **
2) Justin + $4,280.00
3) Brianna D. + $1,395.72
4) Ashley + $1,180.05
5) Andrew + $991.29
Serving in the Love of Christ” is scheduled for the week of May
4 – May 9, 2014. The scriptural passage that guides our theme
is: ‘I am among you as one who serves.’ (Luke 22:27e)
In Language Arts, we just finished writing our very own Science
Fiction Short Stories. We are reading the Hunger Games as part
Visit our website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
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CHESS
This year’s five sub-themes, one for each of the five days of
Catholic Education Week, help students to understand the rich
meaning of this year’s theme:
Monday: Serve with faithfulness
Tuesday: Serve with humility
Wednesday: Serve with compassion
Thursday: Serve with justice
Friday: Serve with joy
On Sunday, March 30th, some of Guardian Angels' chess players
participated in the Mississauga/Brampton Youth Chess
Provincial qualifiers held at the University of Toronto, Erindale
Campus. Our players performed admirably and a number of
them will be performing in the Provincial Championships on
April 13th in Toronto. Some notable placements included were:
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Catholic Education Week begins on a Sunday to highlight the
partnership that remains the foundation of Catholic education
between our Catholic schools and local Catholic parishes.
Throughout Catholic Education Week, we ask you to reflect on
the significance of Catholic education’s presence and
contribution in our Church, and in our society. We invite all
members of our community, to participate in the celebrations and
activities that will mark the celebration of Catholic Education
Week 2014 in our schools.
Leo C. - 2nd place, grade 3
Noah W. and Kyle P. – 3rd
Sean D. - 2nd place, gr. 4
Ayesha M. - 3rd , grade 5
On April 4th, 2014, Guardian Angels
hosted the Brampton West Chess
Tournament. Many schools from
Brampton West came to Guardian
Angels to compete. The players
competed in a 7 game Round
Robin. The Guardian Angels' teams
in each division made it to the semi-final and then the final. All
three teams (Primary, Junior and Intermediate), won 1st place
and will be going to the Board Finals in May along with St. Rita
School who placed 2nd in each division. Congratulations
Guardian Angels! You have made everyone proud and good
luck at the Board Finals!
Well done players! We are all very proud of you! Thank you to
Mr. Buzdon and Mrs. Di Muzio for their efforts with the chess
initiative.
RECESS REMINDERS
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Scientist in the classroom May 5 and 6
Book Fair all week
French Café May 7
Peel Police RAID program for gr. 6 students May 7
Grade 7 trip to St. Roch May 8
Sports teams picture taking May 8
Crowing of Mary Liturgy May 9
INTERMEDIATE BOYS BASEBALL
The spring season is slowly upon
us and with that the start of a new
baseball season. Tryouts for this
year's team will begin the week of
April 21, in preparation for the
Brampton West Family of Schools
Tournament, which has been
tentatively
scheduled
for
Thursday, May 22, 2014. This
year's baseball team will be co-ed,
so all intermediate boys and girls are invited to try out. Thanks
to Mr. Bell, Mr. Labuda, and Mrs. Lorusso for their time and
effort with the team.
We continue to reinforce the need for students to play games and
activities safely at our school. At Guardian Angels, we have a
hands-off policy. This means that activities such as contact
sports, tackling, play fighting, tripping, pushing, piling on and
any rough play are not permitted. Students are consistently
reminded of these rules by staff, supervisors and administration.
We recommend that parents
have focused 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
during recess time. The health
and safety of our students is
always a priority here at
Guardian Angels school.
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8
CLASS LISTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2014
Staff will soon be meeting to
organize class lists for
September 2014. If there are
any special learning needs
your child has that you feel we
should know when making up
classes, please do so in
writing to the Principal by April 30th. Placements are
completed by the middle of May. Submissions after this date
cannot be addressed. Please limit comments to your child’s
specific learning styles and needs.
resources and useful information regarding EQAO, including
sample tests from last year.
AFTER SCHOOL GR’S 3-6 EQAO SESSIONS
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the EQAO
after school tutoring students in grades 3 and 6 who have shown
great commitment and a love of learning! Students will have had
several opportunities each week to ask questions and model their
learning through three-part math and interactive language
lessons using the SMART board!
Requests for specifics that are not generally considered include:
 Placement with a “friend”
 Avoiding a combined grade class or
 Request for a specific teacher.
The first week was a success and with several more sessions to
go, students are beginning to feel more confident and ready for
the EQAO assessment! Good luck to all! Thank you to Mrs.
Parris, Mrs. Bedford, Ms. Schmaltz, Mrs. Lyons, Mrs. Galifi,
Mrs. Petrusa and Mrs. Schiavone for their efforts to work with
our students after school.
Why?
IMMUNIZATION
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Placements with a friend are not necessarily positive.
Combined grades are a reality and most students will
experience it in their schooling career. Our teachers are
trained to combine Ministry expectations and thus
program appropriately.
Yearly teacher assignments may change. Placements
for September are tentative and depend on enrollment
and school needs.
All staff will work hard to balance class lists by abilities, gender
and learning style.
Peel Health has now distributed letters
to those families that require updated
immunizations. Peel Health works
through school boards. If you do not
respond to Peel Health, they may
instruct the school to suspend your
child
until
the
immunization
requirements are met. Please check
your mail to see if you have received notification and ensure that
your immunization records are up to date. Please contact Peel
Health with any questions at: 905-799-7700 on Monday to
Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or online:
PLAN AHEAD
http://www.peelregion.ca/health/immunization/onlineform.htm
We are in the process of
planning staffing and organizing
classes for the 2014-2015 school
year. If you are planning on
moving out of the Guardian
Angels area, or simply changing
your address within our
boundaries, please let the office
know as soon as possible. Families with students who live
outside of the school area are reminded that they must apply
through the Flex Boundary policy to the Principal for permission
to attend the school in September 2014.
EQAO ASSESSMENT
EQAO for all grade three and grade six students will take place
for this year during the period starting Monday May 26th to
Friday June 6th. We kindly ask that
parents refrain from booking
appointments or holidays during this
time. Parents may visit the EQAO
website at www.eqao.com for many
LATES
Our day begins promptly
at 9:00 a.m. Students who
arrive late for class often
miss vital instructional
time, interrupt classroom
routines and disrupt the
learning
of
others.
Attendance
and
punctuality are essential
components
of
the
elementary
school
program. The Education
Act dictates, “A pupil
shall
attend
classes
punctually
and
regularly.” The Ministry
of Education indicates
that poor attendance and frequent lates are often one indication
that a pupil is a ‘Student at Risk’ for successful completion of a
Visit our website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
9
Secondary School diploma. Letters have been sent to parents of
students who show a pattern of late attendance.
BULLYING AWARENESS AND PREVENTION
In conjunction with our Family Life and
Virtues programs, our students experience
opportunities to participate in workshops
and presentations by guest speakers. The
goal is to learn key messages and
strategies to recognize and prevent
bullying in the school and beyond.
Students also just completed an online
bullying survey where they provide
feedback to the staff about the issues occurring at school. Soon,
we will be involved in Peel Health’s Bullying Prevention
program…the theme for the for the month of April will be
Bullying can be stopped!
Through various classroom and school-wide activities, students
will learn how they can help victims and not be passive
bystanders. A comprehensive program provided by the Region
of Peel Public Health services. We encourage parents to visit
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http://www.peelregion.ca/health/bullying/ to support
your son/daughter’s development in this regard. Here
are a couple additional websites for use at home:
Healthy Canadians:
http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/kidsenfants/bullying-intimidation/index-eng.php
Canadian Safe Schools Network:
http://canadiansafeschools.com/
WE HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS ADDRESSING
BULLYING AND ARE PROUD OF OUR SCHOOL AS A
SAFE PLACE TO LEARN
SCHOOL SECURITY PROTOCOL
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Regularly scheduled fire drills occur throughout the year.
Regularly lock-down drills occur throughout the year.
Intruder alert protocols for students and staff are in place.
An evacuation plan is in place.
Student attendance is taken and calls to parents are made to
verify absences.
Criminal Reference Checks are conducted on all employees,
student teachers and volunteers.
TELEPHONE CALLS TO THE SCHOOL
Each day our office receives numerous phone
calls from parents with messages for their
children. With the lines tied up, these calls are
often left as messages on our machine. In an
effort to ensure that we do not miss one of
these messages and not get it to your child on
time, we ask that you please ensure that
arrangements are made the night before and children know what
they are to do after school.
In addition, we encourage parents to send lunches, notes and
messages in the morning with their child(ren) in an effort to
avoid interruptions at the classroom level. We understand that
emergencies do happen and we will do our best to assist in these
situations. Thank you for your cooperation.
SAFE SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT
Guardian Angels is a Catholic community that respects and
promotes the uniqueness of all its members. By following the
teachings of Jesus, we pledge to provide everyone with a safe,
caring and peaceful environment, which ensures the respect and
acceptance of all. Because of these beliefs, bullying will not be
tolerated. Your child deserves a safe environment to work, learn
and play in. If you have any concerns, please contact us.
VOLUNTEERS
We have taken proactive measures to
secure the safety of staff and students by
locking the front door. Visitors may gain
entrance by pressing a buzzer mounted
on the wall, beside the door. The buzzer
activates a 2-way speaker and camera
system. The Office will then be able to
tell who is at the door through a TV
monitor and thus, regulate visitor access
to the school. Other protocols include:
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All outside doors are locked and entry can be gained only
through the front door.
All visitors are to sign into the office and wear a visitor’s
badge.
All supply teachers sign into the office and wear a Supply
Teacher badge.
All Dufferin Peel staff wear an ID badge.
Volunteers play an important role in the life of our school
community. They help to enhance the learning opportunities
available to students and make a difference in the academic life
of our students. If you can spare some time to read with students,
help teachers in the classroom (other than your own child’s)
assist in the literacy room, photocopy, count money for special
events etc., we need you!
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10
NUT ALLERGY AWARENESS POLICY
If you are interested in volunteering within the school, please
contact Ms. Persad, our volunteer coordinator. Please note that
anyone working or volunteering in our school must have a
criminal reference check completed by the local police service
before volunteering can begin. The CRC is free and the form can
be picked up at the office.
VALUABLES
A reminder that AS PER BOARD POLICY,
students are not allowed to bring PERSONAL
ELECTRONIC DEVICES like cell phones,
pagers, iPods, MP3 players, cameras, etc. to
school. These items, especially cell phones,
will be confiscated and parents will be
required to pick them up from the office.
Please keep your child’s valuables at home.
Staff cannot be responsible for any valuables
that your child brings to school. Money, jewelry, Pokemon cards,
electronics, toys, etc., should be kept at home. “Wheelie shoes”
and “Bay Blades” are not allowed at school.
SCHOOL BUS SAFETY RULES
The conduct of individual students on the
bus directly affects the safety of all the
students on the bus. The driver’s attention
needs to be on the road. We are requesting
that all parents/guardians reinforce the
School Bus Rules with their child(ren). All
Students Should:
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Be at the bus stop 5 minutes prior to their stop time.
Never play close to the road.
Be ready to board the bus by waiting in an orderly line.
Board the bus in single file, smaller children first, use the
handrail and sit down quickly.
Listen to the bus driver.
Always remain seated while the bus is moving.
Do not throw anything out of the window.
Keep the aisles clear of objects (backpacks, lunches, etc.).
Do not shout or cause any other unnecessary noises.
Never put any part of your body out an open window.
Be sure to look all ways before crossing the road.
Do not damage the bus in any way.
Do not throw garbage on the floor.
Do not consume any food or drink on the bus.
Bus privileges will be revoked if need be. Thank you for your
support in ensuring that our students journey safely to and from
school.
Please be reminded that no nut products are allowed in school.
We have a number of staff and students who have potentially
fatal anaphylactic sensitivities to nut products. Please do not
send peanuts, other nuts, Nutella or any other nut products.
Thank you.
TECHNOLOGY & CURRICULUM
INITIATIVES
Designing the
Learning
Environment for
Mathematics
Imagine the ideal
learning environment
for today’s learner.
What would it look
like? Think about how
much the world has
changed in the last
three decades and how rapidly it will continue to change in the
years to come. How do we ensure that the instruction we provide
is responsive to the shifting demands of the 21st century?
Researchers and practitioners in a wide range of disciplines
maintain that the key to learning in today’s world is not just the
physical space we provide for students but the social space as
well. The learning environment, they suggest, is “the third
teacher” that can either enhance the kind of learning that
optimizes our students’ potential to respond creatively and
meaningfully to future challenges or detract from it. Susan
Fraser, for example, writes:
“A classroom that is functioning successfully as a third teacher
will be responsive to the children’s interests, provide
opportunities for children to make their thinking visible and then
foster further learning and engagement.”
Many futurists highlight the importance of innovation,
entrepreneurship and creativity in an age of globalization and
rapid technological development; others emphasize the
importance of communication skills and critical thinking. All
concur that developing high levels of literacy and mathematical
proficiency will be foundational for success – the focus for this
monograph.
The Physical Environment…
It is both an art and a science to design (as opposed to decorate)
a learning environment that responds to our ultimate goal as
educators – to develop independent and rigorous thought.
Therefore, if we want to foster discovery and reflection, dialogue
and the sharing of ideas, we will work towards an overall
physical environment that may include:
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11
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 A large gathering
space for whole-group
work and discussions,
located
near
whiteboards, easels
and/or
projector
screens.
 A gathering space
for small-group and
wholegroup
discussions – where
students can see
clearly
the
representations of learning
that are posted on boards or
screens and hear classmates as they share ideas.
Flexible and reconfigurable space for small-group
collaborative work and inquiry – space must allow for
groupings of various sizes, such as pairs, triads and groups
of four or more.
Desks and tables configured to facilitate discussion by
allowing eye contact with peers and teacher, the
unencumbered flow of traffic and enough space for students
to write collaboratively.
Active areas for inquiry, investigation and wonder and quiet
areas for thinking and exploring technology – all areas need
to be accessible to students for communicating and
documenting their own learning (e.g., computers, computer
software, tablets, digital cameras and video recorders,
document cameras, interactive white boards).
Instructional materials organized in such a way as to provide
easy selection and access for all students – materials may
include computer software, educational web sites and
applications, found materials, graphic organizers,
newspapers and other media, resource texts, etc.
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Board and/or wall space to display student solutions for
Math – student solutions should be easily visible from the
group gathering space.
Space to post co-created reference charts such as glossary
terms and past and current summaries of learning that
specifically support the development of the big ideas
currently under study.
Instructional materials organized in such a way as to provide
easy selection and access for all students; may include
mathematics manipulatives, calculators and other
mathematical tools, mathematical texts, hand-held
technology.
Guardian Angels will be moving towards progressive and
effective teaching strategies that encompass 21st Century
learning. Our next newsletter will provide more information of
collaborative learning.
(Source: Ministry of Education monograph: The Third Teacher)
TENTATIVE UPCOMING DATES
Parents are welcome to join us for any assemblies, masses and liturgies.
Please contact the school ahead of time to confirm times and dates.
Tuesday, April 15
Wed., April 16
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Thursday, April 17
Friday, April 18
Monday, April 21
Tuesday, April 22
Wed., April 23
Thursday, April 24
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Friday, April 25
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Monday, April 28
Tuesday, April 29
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Wednesday, April 30
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Thursday, May 1
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Friday, May 2
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FOR MATHEMATICS ...
Mathematically literate students demonstrate the capacity to
“formulate, employ and interpret mathematics” (OECD, 2012, p.
4); they view themselves as mathematicians, knowing that
mathematics can be used to understand important issues and to
solve meaningful problems, not just in school but also in life. By
extension, the physical environment for mathematics learning
may include:
 Spaces where students can use manipulatives to solve
problems and record their solutions.
Monday, May 5
Tuesday, May 6
Wednesday, May 7
Thursday, May 8
Friday, May 9
Monday, May 12
Tuesday, May 13
Wednesday, May 14
Monday, May 19
Visit our website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
Spring picture day for all students – AM
Grade 8 Confirmation retreat
Korean Teacher delegation visiting Guardian
Angels in the PM
Holy Thursday Retreat day for all students
Good Friday. School closed.
Easter Monday. School closed.
Grade 8 retreat at St. Roch SS.
Easter Mass @ 9:30 AM
Living Our Faith Awards @ 9:30 AM for
grades K, 1, 2 and 4 students
Grade 3 trip to Country Heritage Park
Living Our Faith Awards @ 9:30 AM for
grades 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 students
Grade 6 golf lesson #2
School Waste Reduction presentations to all
class throughout the day
Dance team competitions at the Rose Theatre.
Tickets available April 13 @ box office
Grade 7 golf lesson #2
John Samosi: First Nations drums presentation
to grade 6 students
Grade 8 golf lesson #2
Grade 7 Diversity conference at St. Roch
Catholic Education Week starts
Scientist in the class – Kindergarten
Book Fair all week
Scientist in the class – Kindergarten
Fire Drill in the PM
French café
Peel Police RAID Program for grade 6
Sports Teams picture day
Grade 7s visiting St. Roch for school play
Crowing of Mary Liturgy @ 9:30 AM
Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk: Metis music-dance
Mr. Labuda’s class going to the Scott Mission
School Council mtg @ 6:30 PM
Victoria Day – No school
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Wednesday, May 21
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Friday, May 23
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Sunday, May 25
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Wednesday, May 28
Thursday, May 29
Friday, May 30
Saturday, May 31
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Me to We group travelling to the Woodland
Cultural Centre
UPower presentations
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Reach for Your Dreams - jk - grade 3 9:35 - 10:20
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RESPECT - grades 4 - 8 - 10:55 - 12:05
Grade 2 Communion at Our Lady of Fatima
Church @ 3:00 PM
Welcome to Kindergarten Night @ 6:30 PM
Living Our Faith Awards Grades K-4
Living Our Faith Awards Grades 5-8
Grade 8 Confirmation @ St. Edmund Campion
School @ 5 PM
Below, Mrs. Schiavone, Mrs. Alimurung, Mr. Sutherland and
Mr. Labuda are ‘incarcerated’ by Peel police in our display
case all in an effort to raise money for Sharelife. They were
eventually released. Students in Ms. Gunia’s class play the
drums during our Ray Kingsmore drumming workshops.
Students in Mrs. Alimurung’s class show off their Easter art.
Bottom left: students enjoy
We want you to read our
newsletter!
Answer the question below and you can
help your child win a free slice of pizza
courtesy of Mr. Cassar and Ms. Owens.
Answer:_____________________________
Child’s name: _________________________
Teacher:____________________________
Date: ______________________________
Please return to Ms. McGee ASAP.
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Visit our website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
14