October - November 2015 Edition
Principal
THANKSGIVING IS NOW!!
Mr. M. Cassar
Thank you to the Guardian Angels
community for attending our fabulous
Open House/BBQ held in September. The
event was a huge success. Some 400
people attended for a fun-filled night that
was highlighted by a tasty BBQ, cotton
candy, ice cream and face painting for the
kids.
Vice Principal
Mrs. M. Thompson
Head Secretary
Ms. S. McGee
Assistant Secretary
Mrs. M. Kelly
School Council Chair
Mrs. A. Saunders-Georges
GuardianAngelsCSC@Gmail.com
or on Twitter @GASchoolCouncil
Superintendent
October was a busy month. We
celebrated our Thanksgiving Mass where
we paused to thank God for the many
blessings in our lives! It is our hope that
you were able to spend time with family
and friends during the Thanksgiving
weekend to celebrate all that is good in
our world.
Mrs. S. Steer
Ward 6 Trustee
Mr. D. D’Souza
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.
FOLLOW US:
We had the opportunity to speak with
many of you. You shared your hopes and
dreams for your children and were very
enthusiastic about how Guardian Angels
fits into those plans. On behalf of the
entire staff at Guardian Angels, we pledge
to work with you to help make those
dreams come true.
Guardian Angels continues to be a leader
in Catholic education as our staff begins
the many co-curricular activities that
complement our rigorous academic
program. Volleyball, choir, soccer and
Cross Country are just some of the
amazing aspects of our school. Our
Halloween Dance is on the horizon too.
Parents on our School Council are poised
to take a visible, proactive and positive
approach to engaging parents in the
education of
their children. We
congratulate the entire School Council
member for stepping up and taking an
active role in supporting the school. Thank
you!
Twitter: @GAngelsschool
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Parent-Teacher-Student
Interview Evening
School Council Meeting
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
@ 6:30 pm
Held in the library. Please join us!
All parents are welcome.
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE
“Jesus made it very clear. Whatever
you do to the least of my brethren, You
do it to me. Give a glass of water, you
give it to me.”
Mother Theresa
Thank you to all of our families for
your generosity in donating food for
our food drive! Our school and our
Community thanks you! Donations
were given to Guardian Angels
Parish and St. Jerome’s Parish.
Thank you to our Student Council
for organizing the drive!
IMMUNIZATIONS
Please make sure you update your
child’s immunization records with
Peel Health to avoid complications
with your child’s attendance at
school.
Thank you…
To those parents who access our
Kiss and Ride …for staying in your
car and not leaving it unattended. It
saves a lot of grief for the people
coming in behind you.
Website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
voluntary donations from the distribution of millions of
poppies is an important source of revenue for the Royal
Canadian Legion that goes toward helping ex-servicemen
and women buy food, obtain shelter and medical attention.
School Hours
Grades 1 – 8:
9:00 AM ......................... Morning Begins
10:28 AM ....................... RECESS BREAK
12:00 to 12:20 PM ......... Kindergarten Lunch
12:06 to 12:46 PM ......... Grades 1-8 RECESS
12:46 to 1:06 PM ........... Grades 1-8 LUNCH
1:06 PM ......................... AFTERNOON BEGINS
2:29 PM ......................... RECESS BREAK
3:30 PM ......................... SCHOOL ENDS
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.
Principals’ Message
Thank you for supporting our efforts to build
community, work collaboratively, promote
respect, and put academics first. Together,
let us move from ‘me to we’.
Welcome to our latest addition to the
amazing team at Guardian Angels.
Welcome to Ms. Pileggi who will be teaching grade 1. We
look forward to sharing in her talents and enthusiasm.
LET US REMEMBER!!
The end of October will end with Halloween festivities
taking place and many ongoing activities including
volleyball, chess, Cross Country running and more.
November will be no less busy. Our Living Our Faith
Ceremony will take place at the end of the month.
Progress Reports coming home to parents, and of course,
our Parent- Teacher- Student Interview Evening will take
place as well.
Our Remembrance Day ceremony will take place on
November 11 @ 9:30 AM. Parents are welcome to join
jus. As Canadians, we will pause in memory of the
thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives in
military service.
The poppy symbolised our
remembrance. Why the poppy?
The association between the poppy and war dates back
to the Napoleonic wars, when a writer saw a field of
poppies growing over the graves of fallen soldiers. During
the Battle of Ypres in 1915, Canadian Lt.-Col. John
McCrae was inspired to write the poem In Flanders
Fields.
The poem was a great inspiration in adopting the poppy
as the Flower of Remembrance in Canada, France, the
U.S., Britain and Commonwealth countries. The first
poppies were distributed in Canada in 1921. Today the
FOLLOW US:
Twitter: @GAngelsschool
Supporting the sacrifice of those one hundred thousand
Canadian lives is imperative. They died for us, for their
homes, families and friends, for a collection of traditions
they cherished and a future they believed in; they died for
Canada. The meaning of their sacrifice rests with our
collective national consciousness; our future is their
monument.
These wars touched the lives of Canadians of all ages, all
races, and all social classes. Fathers, sons, daughters, and
sweethearts: they were killed in action, they were wounded,
and thousands who returned were forced to live the rest of
their lives with the physical and mental scars of war. The
people who stayed in Canada also served - in factories, in
voluntary service organizations, wherever they were
needed.
A Canadian soldier kneels at the
grave of fallen comrade in the
United Nations Cemetery, Korea,
April 1951. (National Archives of
Canada PA 128813)
Yet for many of us, war is a
phenomenon seen through the lens
of a television camera or a
journalist's account of fighting in
distant parts of the world. Our closest
physical and emotional experience
may be the discovery of wartime
memorabilia in a family attic. But even items such as
photographs, uniforms badges, medals, and diaries can
seem vague and unconnected to the life of their owner. For
those of us born during peacetime, all wars seem far
removed from our daily lives.
We often take for granted our Canadian values and
institutions, our freedom to participate in cultural and
political events, and our right to live under a government of
our choice. The Canadians who went off to war in distant
lands went in the belief that the values and beliefs enjoyed
by Canadians were being threatened. They truly believed
that "Without freedom there can be no ensuring peace and
without peace no enduring freedom."
By remembering their service and their sacrifice, we
recognize the tradition of freedom these men and women
fought to preserve. They believed that their actions in the
present would make a significant difference for the future,
but it is up to us to ensure that their dream of peace is
realized. On Remembrance Day, we acknowledge the
courage and sacrifice of those who served their country and
acknowledge our responsibility to work for the peace they
fought hard to achieve.
During times of war, individual acts of heroism occur
frequently; only a few are ever recorded and receive official
Website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
recognition. By remembering all who have served, we
recognize their willingly-endured hardships and fears, taken
upon themselves so that we could live in peace.
REMEMBRANCE DAY
For those who were killed in battle,
For those who gave up their lives to save others,
For those who fought because they were forced to,
For those who died standing up for a just cause,
For those who tried to make peace,
For those who prayed when
others had little time to pray,
For all humanity.
May God hold them in peace
May love flow over the Earth and cleanse us all,
this Remembrance Day for always.
Canada is the greatest country in the world and we paid
the price to make it that way.
Mark Cassar, Principal
Michelle Thompson, Vice Principal
School Council
An election was held last Council meeting and your
2015/2016 Catholic School Council team for this year is:
Chairperson:……………………Arlene Saunders Georges
Treasurer: ................................... Nunzia Rositano
activities. We look forward to your ongoing support with our
school council initiatives!
Mission of the Catholic School Council
Our work is guided by the mission of the Catholic School
Council, which is to serve the needs of our students by:


Promoting the vision, values, sacramental life and
Catholic practices of The Board
Advising and making recommendations to the
Principal and Vice Principal, and the Board
Keeping you Informed!
We have an exciting year ahead and will keep you abreast
in a timely manner of what’s happening, through our
school’s website, Twitter, email blasts, newsletters and
school letters. Stay tuned!
We want to hear from you!
To join our mailing list or to contact us with comments,
questions
or
ideas,
please
email
us
at
GuardianAngelsCSC@gmail.com.
Our next school council meeting will be held on Nov 4th 2015
in the Library. Please join us. All parents are welcome
School Council Samko-Miko Christmas
Fundraiser
Sale Date Timeframe: November 11 – 22
Group Name: GUARDANGELS
Secretary: ................................... Lori Saroli
Parish Representative:.............. Bradley Georges
OAPCE Representative:............ Danielle Cordi-Nardi
Members at Large: ..................... Nadia Arghittu
Teacher Representative: ........... Mrs. Parris
Non-Teaching Representative: Mrs. Sivasankaran
A warm welcome goes out to the new members of Council.
We are very happy to add these dedicated individuals to an
already hard-working team and we look forward to serving
the school community.
Thank you Parents!
Greetings to the school community on behalf of our newly
elected School Council! We are happy to have your trust
and look forward to serving you in the coming year. The
ongoing support of our parent community continues to be a
driving force for excellence at Guardian Angels. Parents,
guardians and caregivers are the “first teachers” in teaching
and living our Catholic faith and promoting the academic
achievement and well-being of the students at Guardian
Angels!
Thank you parents for your ongoing participation through
serving on the School Council; and through coordinating,
volunteering and participating with our various school
FOLLOW US:
Twitter: @GAngelsschool
Guardian Angels Catholic Elementary School has once
again registered for the Fall Fundraising Sale at Samko &
Miko’s Toy and Book Warehouse beginning Wednesday,
November 11th to Sunday, November 22, 2015 at their
two locations: 77 Fima Crescent in Etobicoke (telephone:
416-532-1114) and 60 East Beaver Creek Rd. in Richmond
Hill (telephone: 905-771-8714).
All toys and books are being sold at discounted prices and
are great ideas for Christmas gifts or to donate a book to our
school to keep in their classrooms. We will also be
accepting toy donations for our Christmas concert in
December which is being held by our primary grade
students.
All you need to do is to shop at one of the
locations during these two weeks and once you proceed to
the checkout, please provide the cashier with our registered
group name: GuardAngels which will be stamped on your
sales receipt after you have paid for your purchases.
The original sales receipts must be returned to the school
with your child and dropped off at the front office inside the
box marked Samko & Miko Sales Receipts by no later than
Friday, November 27th, 2015. Please ensure to scan or
photocopy your original receipts in the event that an item is
defective and needs to be replaced, the stores will accept a
copy of the original receipt.
Website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
All original sales receipts will then be submitted to Samko &
Miko for reimbursement (10% of total sales before taxes).
A cheque will then be mailed out to our school and that
money will be used to support our Guardian Angels Catholic
School Council’s initiatives at the school. Please help
support our school’s fundraising program by informing your
friends, relatives and co-workers about this sale and
collecting their original sales receipts for us.
A Samko & Miko Toy & Book warehouse flyer which
contains maps for the two locations, hours of operation and
items for sale will be sent home with your child, the first
week of November; any additional flyers can be picked up
inside the front office.
Once again, we would like to thank you all for your continued
support for all of our fundraising events. ENJOY THE SALE!
Guardian Parish Parish Update
Happy Thanksgiving to All!
October was the month of the Holy Rosary and
Thanksgiving. We trust you all had a great Thanksgiving
holiday and you prayed for the less fortunate among us.
Now that you have settled into the new school term
remember to pay attention to the cool conditions and dress
accordingly.
Fund Raising for the Church
We are enjoying the comfort of our own space but much
work needs to be done. The task of building the church still
lies ahead of us. We need the support of the parish to make
this happen.
In October the International Food Festival raised two
thousand dollars for the building fund. At the end of October
the monthly building fund collection took place. Your
generosity was most appreciated.
New Liturgical Year
Parishioners are reminded that the new Liturgical year starts
on the 29th of November and you will need a new Sunday
Missal. These are now available for $5.00 each after
weekend Masses. Buying one is also a good way to support
the Parish as well as the building fund.
Interested in a Craft Club at Our Parish?
Here’s a great way to enjoy the company of fellow
parishioners while you learn about knitting or crocheting or
teach someone a craft you are good at. Have lots of fun
together, and make things for yourself or for a craft sale.
Can you bake? Here’s a way you can get involved in our
parish community. Calling all pastry chefs to get into action
for this annual event as we need goodies for this activity!
The Office of Vocations is hosting a COME AND SEE
Weekend at St Augustine Seminary, providing time to pray
and to learn what seminary formation is about. You will also
interact and socialize with seminarians and priests. The
weekend offers Communal Prayer, Mass, Adoration and
confession. Friday November 6th (7pm) to Sunday
November 8th (1.30pm). For more information call 416 – 968
– 0997 or email vocations@archtoronto.org. The Office of
Vocations is also hosting a Young Men’s High School
Retreat Day on Saturday November 28th from 9am to 5pm.
For more information call 416 – 968 – 0997 or email
vocations@archtoronto.org.
First Holy Communion and Confirmation
The parish will be holding classes for First Holy Communion
and Confirmation on Sundays, January 10th, 17th, 24th , 31st;
February 7th, 21st , 28th; and March 6th and 20th , 2016. First
Communion classes will be held from 9am to 10am and
Confirmation classes from 10.30 am to 11.30 am.
Registration is required and will take place on the weekends
of December 5th/6th, 13th/14th and 21st/22nd , 2015 after all
masses.
GRADES K-3 CHRISTMAS
CONCERT
Tuesday, December 15 and Wednesday,
December 16
@ 7:00 PM
Please bring a new unwrapped toy to
support Peel Police’s Toys for Tots.
CHRISTMAS VACATION
Saturday, December 19, 2015 to
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Living Our Faith & Catholic Virtues
Voices Needed
The
Choir
needs
you!
Email
Guadianangelschoirs@gmail.com. Ricky is waiting to hear
from YOU!
Come Out and Join the Youth Choir!
We need voices for our children/young people’s choir! If you
love to sing and would like to sing for the glory of God, ask
your parents for permission to join our choir and have them
speak directly to Ricky. You will have a good time!
Bake Sale – Sunday, November 22nd, 2015
FOLLOW US:
Twitter: @GAngelsschool
A key aspect of the Board’s strategic direction is the
continued development of safe, caring, inclusive Catholic
school community. 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
Website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
every month during morning announcements, in class during
discussions, and at our school Living Our Faith Award
assemblies.
Our next Living
Our
Faith
Awards will take
place on:
Monday,
November
30th
Grades K-4
@ 9:30 AM
Grades 5-8
@ 11:00 AM
Jesus spent a
major part of his
time on earth
showing
us
about
the
preferential
option for the
poor and weak.
He spent an
extraordinary
amount of time
showing how to
follow
God’s
rules, the rules of the kingdom. We must learn to follow His
example.
September: ....Faith
October:........ Empathy
November: .....Conscience
December: .... Hope
January: .........Self-control
February: ...... Respect
March: ............Kindness
April: ............. Love
May:................Acceptance
June: ............. Fairness
An Empathetic person believes that we all share one Spirit;
that we are many parts of one body because we are all
created in the image and likeness of God.
Masses
Celebration
Date and Time
Location
Remembrance Day
Liturgy
Wednesday,
November 11
@ 9:30 AM
Guardian Angels
School
Advent Mass
Friday, December 11 Guardian Angels
@ 9:30 AM
School
Advent Confessions Thursday, December Guardian Angels
10
School
@ 9:30 AM
New Year Mass
Friday, January 8
@ 9:30 AM
Guardian Angels
School
Ash Wednesday
Liturgy
Wednesday,
February 10
@ 9:30 AM
Guardian Angels
School
Lenten Mass
Friday, March 4
9:30 AM
Guardian Angels
School
Resurrection/ Easter
Mass
Friday, April 8
@ 9:30 AM
Guardian Angels
School
Crowning of Mary
Liturgy
May TBA
@ 9:30 AM
Guardian Angels
School
Brampton West
Grade 8 Mass
Friday, June 10
@10am
Guardian Angels
School
Year End Mass
Friday, June 17
@ 9:30 AM
Guardian Angels
School
Special Events
Date and Time
Location
First Reconciliation
Grade 2 , 7 and 8
Friday, April 22nd
@ 9:30 AM
Guardian Angels
School
Confessions for
Grade 3 to 8
Students
Thursday, December Guardian Angels
10
School
@ 9:30 AM
First Communion
Sunday, April 24th
@ 3:00 PM
Guardian Angels
Parish
First Communion
Parent Meeting
Sunday, November
29th @ 1 PM
Guardian Angels
Parish
Confirmation for
Grade 7 and 8
students
Confirmation
Meeting for Parents
Thursday, April 28 @ Guardian Angels
7 PM
Parish
Sunday December
13 @ 1 PM
Guardian Angels
Parish
New Confirmation Protocol
The Archdiocese has announced that moving forward;
the sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated in grade
7. Our cohort this year will include a one time, grade 7
and 8 group. Details about this year’s Confirmation
process will be forthcoming, however the date is
Thursday, April 28 @ 7 PM at Guardian Angels Parish.
FOLLOW US:
Twitter: @GAngelsschool
Website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
Follow Us On Twitter and the Web
Mr. Cassar
@GAngelsschool
Mrs. Gibson Power
@MrsGP_GA
Mrs. Commisso
@GACommisso
Mrs. D’Armi Fetz
/Ms. Medeiros
@GAFDK103
Mrs. Parris
@MrsParris_GA
Mrs. Sousa
PICTURE DAY
Our Picture Day was on Wednesday,
October 28, 2015. All FDK to Grade 8
students had their pictures taken, along
with a class picture. Parents can order
online or through a hard-copy package.
Information packages have been sent home already.
Picture retake day is Wednesday November 18, 2015.
SCHOOL FUNDRAISER
@MrsSousaGA
Ms. Galos
@MsGalos
Mrs. Gallant
@MrsGallantAtGA
Ms. Wajzer
@MsWajzerGA
School Council
@GASchoolCouncil
Mrs. Galifi
@lgalifi
GA Eco Team
@GAecoteam
Ms. Yarra
@MlleYarraGr5
Mrs. Thompson
@MrsTGA
Mrs. Petrusa
@MrsPetrusa
Mr. Da Costa
@Gangels_6
Ms. El Choli
@ms-elcholi_GA
Mrs. Baker and
Mrs. Sivasankaran
@GAFDK102
Mrs. Valentini
@jvalentini1
Ms. Pileggi
@MsPileggi
Mrs. Sepe
MrsSepeGA
Mrs. Villamagna
and Mrs. Smith
@GAFDKRM104
Mrs. Insanic
@MrsInsanic
Mrs. Sanna
@GAngelesScience
FOLLOW US:
Twitter: @GAngelsschool
We kicked off our fall fundraising
four weeks ago. These fundraising
events generate funds that support
initiatives within the school. Monies
raised through fundraising help
provide new gym equipment, math
resources for the classroom, guest artists and subsidizes
the costs of trips and school sports teams – uniforms,
referees and busses. Thank you for your support by
selling a box of chocolates. We have fabulous prizes this
year including an Apple IPhone 6!
We have placed a renewed effort to bring curriculum up
to speed and focus on student achievement. Our goal in
this regard is to bring Guardian Angels’ EQAO scores up
and to promote students as learners in a global
community. We have fundraised to support technology in
the classrooms and to support extracurricular activities.
THE FUNDRAISER HAS NOW ENDED.
PLEASE RETURN ALL MONEY AND
UNSOLD CHOCOLATE TO THE OFFICE.
Excursions and Field Trips
Educational trips that extend learning opportunities are
encouraged. Teachers must follow appropriate Board
procedures and by law, the school must have on file
permission forms, which must be signed by parents.
VERBAL PERMISSION cannot be accepted.
WOW Butter
Because it looks and smells just like peanut butter, it is
almost impossible to tell if it is the real thing. We cannot
screen lunches and we do not have the personnel to police
it. Wow butter can cause students will anaphylaxis condition
to be quite anxious if it’s in their presence. We are
requesting that WOW BUTTER lunches are not sent to
school.
Website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
11th Annual Terry Fox Event
This year, to celebrate the Terry Fox
Run, students, staff and parent
volunteers
participated
in
a
community event to raise funds to
support Cancer research. The
weather cooperated, providing a
wonderful opportunity to enjoy an autumn walk around the
school. Students were entertained through a weeklong
campaign that included an assembly and a staff-student
soccer game.
All monies raised go to the Terry Fox Foundation. Guardian
Angels School has raised $15,000 since starting the Terry
Fox event in 2004. Thank you to all the staff and students
who made the event a success. Thank you to our school
community for supporting another successful Terry Fox
Event.
Thank you to Mr. Monardo, Mrs. Kotarska and to Mr.
Sutherland for organizing the events and to the Staff and
students who played in the soccer game.
Bussing for 2015—2016
The board has a system to determine eligibility using a GPS
software system. We request that you visit the website,
http://businfo.stopr.ca. Once on the site, you will have to
change the school year to 2015- 2016 and then enter your
address, grade level of your child and School Board, and it
will inform you if your child is eligible for bussing for 20152016.
Your child may be eligible for transportation to and from
school if you live beyond the following distances:
JK /SK/Gr. 1: .................. 1.0 km
Grades 2 to 4: ................ 1.6 km
Grades 5 to 8: ................ 2.0 km
For eligible students, bus pick up and drop off times are
available using your OEN number (this is on your child’s
report card every year). Should you have any questions
please do not hesitate to contact the Transportation
Department directly. (1-800-668-1140 or 905-890-6000)
As per board policy, any courtesy seats will be granted mid
October 2015. Parents are asked to write a letter to the
Principal/Vice Principal to request an empty seat.
Preferences will be given to students from Grades 1 – 4,
those students with extenuating circumstances and those
living furthest away.
Raptor’s Choir
On April 4, our choir will sing the
National Anthem at the ACC for
the Toronto Raptor’s game. THIS
IS THE LAST TIME OUR CHOIR
WILL BE PERFORMING AT THE
ACC! We have only 300 tickets
available for the game and we
have been completely sold out for
two years running. Tickets will be $30 once again (no
increase in three years) and available on a first come first
serve basis. More information to follow.
Kindergarten Registration For Sept. 2016
Registration for Kindergarten for the 2016-17 school year,
will take place on:
Monday, January 25, 2016.................7 p.m. – 9 p.m.*
Tuesday, January 26, 2016................9 a.m. – 3 p.m
Wednesday, January 27, 2016 ..........9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Thursday, January 28, 2016 ..............9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Friday, January 29, 2016 ...................9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
* Snow Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2016, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
For more information about registration and the Kindergarten
program, call 905-595-0909 or visit www.dpcdsb.org.
Confessions for Grades 3-8 Students
To help our students prepare for the
coming of the Advent season, Father
Jan will be at Guardian Angels
school on Thursday, December 10th,
to hear confession for all baptized
students from grades 3-8.
The classroom teacher will help students prepare for the
sacrament by reviewing what the children should say when
they enter the confessional, by helping reflect on the
weaknesses, and challenges we all face. Please note that
only students who are baptized Catholic and have received
the sacrament of Reconciliation will participate in this
celebration.
School Security Protocol
Our Parish Team
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Father
Jan Gogolewski and the Parish Team of Guardian Angels
Parish to our school. We truly appreciate all of their hard
FOLLOW US:
work and their dedication to the entire Guardian Angels
Community. We look forward to their spiritual guidance with
our staff and students!
Twitter: @GAngelsschool
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,
near the front door. The buzzer activates a 2-way speaker
Website: WWW.DPCDSB.ORG/GANGL
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.
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 voice mail.
We ask that you please ensure that
arrangements are made the night
before and children know what they are
to do after school. We encourage parents to send lunches,
notes and messages in the morning with their child(ren) in
an effort to avoid interruptions. 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. Thank
you for supporting us as we support your child.
Guardian Angels Website
Every few days, Mrs. Gallant updates the website with
letters, information and other pertinent items. Looking for
a document or information? Need to contact our School
Council
Chair?
…check
out
our
website:
http://www.dpcdsb.org/GANGL Thanks to Mrs. Gallant for
up-keeping the website.
Pizza Days
Pizza orders are for one month at a time. Partial and late
orders are not accepted. Envelopes will come home
monthly for you to place your order by the due date. Thanks
to Ms. McGee and all the student runners as well as all of
our parent and student volunteers for supporting this
initiative.
Volunteers
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!
If you are interested in volunteering within the school,
please contact Mrs. Di Muzio, our volunteer coordinator.
Please note that anyone working or volunteering in our
school must have a Vulnerable Sector Check completed by
the local police service before volunteering can begin.
Picture Retake Day
Our Picture RETAKE Day is on Wednesday, November
18. Classes and individual students who missed our
October date can have their picture retaken. Parents can
order online or through a hard-copy package. Information
packages will be sent home soon.
Halloween in Catholic Schools
During
the
early
years
of
Christianity, the Church leaders
found it best to add the new religious
ideas to earlier, already established
beliefs. All Saints Day was
proclaimed on November 1st so that
the people could continue to
celebrate a familiar festival, which
respected the spirits.
The mass that was said on that day was called All hallows
eve so the evening before became known as Hallows Eve,
or Halloween. Eventually the church recognized that
Halloween had become a culture event rather than a
religious event.
Halloween’s Implications for School:
Halloween should be considered a cultural tradition in which
children participate. In today’s culture, it is rarely a
celebration of the Celtic religion. Children today often dress
in costumes, which reflect the heroes of the culture, for
example, Batman.
While some claim that Halloween’s association with the
Ancient Celtic religion is a threat to Christianity; clearly the
Church did not when establishing All Saints Day and the
Day for the Commemoration of All Souls. In the same way,
Father’s Day is a cultural event, which does not detract from
our understanding of God as Father.
Guardian Angels School recognizes the cultural event of
Halloween but attention will be paid to the religious
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significance of All Saints Day, which is the honoring of the
whole Church Triumphant united to Christ in the enjoyment
of the vision of God.
Costumes
Students can wear their costumes on Halloween Day. We
ask that your child come to school dressed in their costume.
Please keep in mind that we are a Catholic school and
students need to be dressed appropriately even at
Halloween.
DO NOT SEND CHILDREN IN COSTUMES THAT
INCLUDE:
1. Masks
2. Replica weapons
3. Offensive Costumes that can offend race,
culture or religion)
Halloween Safety Tips
Please remind your children of safety guidelines for
Halloween:
1. Don’t wear a face mask…so your child
will be able to see clearly.
2. Do wear light coloured clothing…so
drivers can see them.
3. Do carry a flashlight…so your child will
be able to see on dark streets.
4. Do go out with an adult, or an older brother or sister, if
under 12 years of age.
5. Do stay away from cars, and strangers in cars.
6. Do watch cars and look both ways when crossing the
street.
7. Do wear costumes above shoes…so kids will not trip.
8. Do not eat any treats until parents/guardians have
checked it.
9. Do not trick or treat alone.
10. Do make sure you know the route your kids are taking.
Don’t Bring Valuables to School
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, toys, etc., should be
kept at home. “Wheelie shoes” and
“Bey Blades” are not allowed at
school.
Child Illnesses
Please keep your child at home if
he/she is sick. We discourage children
who have a fever, are coughing,
vomiting, or have a runny nose, from
coming to school. They will recover
from their illness much quicker if they
are resting at home.
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).
Should:
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All Students
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, use the handrail and sit
down in their seat as quickly as possible.
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 can be revoked. Thank you for your support in
ensuring that students journey safely on the bus. Drivers can
report students to the school for inappropriate behaviour.
Attendance
Please call to register an absence (905) 595-0909, press 1
for the attendance. You can call 24hrs. An answering
machine is available to take information. Please provide
your child’s name, grade, teacher’s name and reason
for absence. If an absence is not reported, our policy is to
call home to verify student absenteeism. A parent or
guardian must sign out students who leave early. A
reminder to parents and students that an expectation set out
from the beginning of the year clearly indicated that all
students must arrive to school on time.
Being consistently and continuously late interrupts the
classroom during lessons, creates delays in the office and
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sets a poor example for those who do arrive on time. Please
note that issues with lates and absenteeism will be dealt
with strictly, and may involve the school’s Administration,
Child Youth Worker and Social Worker. Please help us
teach your children the value of promptness.
Administration of Medication
We will be sending home REACT forms for parents to fill
out in the event that your child has a
medical concern. The form requires
information on the medical issue, and a
picture of the child. Parents are
responsible for ensuring that all
medication and forms are updated
annually.
If your child requires medication, please have all pertinent
forms completed and returned with the medication to the
office as soon as possible. A reminder that children are not
allowed to keep ANY medication on their persons, in their
desk, backpack or anywhere in their classroom, unless
ordered by their doctor. In such case, documentation is
necessary. All dispensing and storage of ANY medication
must occur in the Office.
check your child when they get home for any signs of a
concussion or illness.
Student Birthdays
When a student has a birthday, we
give them a WHAT WOULD JESUS
DO BRACELET.
Students with
birthdays have their names called during the morning
announcements as well.
Custody of Children
On occasion, we are faced with difficult situations where noncustodial parents arrive at school asking to visit or remove their
child. We are best able to serve and protect students when we
are made aware of legal custody arrangements, visitation
rights and other special instructions.
If legal custody matters affect your family, please ensure
that our office and classroom teachers are aware of any
custodial arrangements that may affect your child during
school hours.
Dropping off Lunches
Student Insurance
As required by the Education Act
and the 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 and school recommends
parents take advantage of this
inexpensive insurance coverage,
especially if your child participates
in sports or field trips, or if parents
do not have dental insurance
coverage. A chipped tooth or
broken glasses can happen
unexpectedly.
Please complete the forms the school provides and mail it
or you can apply online at www.insuremykids.com
Head Injury Policy
When a student receives an injury/bump
to the head (however minor), it is a
Board Policy that we inform parents. A
phone message will be left at one of
your contact numbers. This is
precautionary only and we ask that you
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Lunches should be dropped off before 12:00 PM for
kindergarten students and between 12:00 PM and 12:30
PM for all other students. Parents will label the lunch with
the student and teacher’s name. Parents can simply place
their child’s lunch in the appropriate class basket. A class
runner will deliver the lunches to the classrooms. Student
helpers can earn volunteer hours delivering the lunches.
Note that priority will be given to dealing with office and
student needs not answering the front doorbell, so if you
choose to drop lunches and other materials off late, you will
need to exercise patience. Thank you in advance.
Nut Allergy Awareness Policy
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.
Healthy Snacks
Since we started a healthy snacks
campaign last year, we noticed a reduction
in the number of students coming to
school with soda pop and “energy drinks”
like Red Bull. Red Bull is banned in
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several countries because of its adverse health effects. One
can contains 80 mg of caffeine and 8 oz. of sugar and will
increase hyperactivity. One can of pop contains enough
sugar to negatively affect the pancreas and increase
weight and energy levels.
Guardian Angels is working hard to promote healthy eating.
These drinks defeat the purpose. Please provide water,
juice, or milk in your child’s snacks and lunches!
Kiss & Ride Drop Off and Pick Up
It is important when you are dropping off your child in the
morning that you enter the Kiss and
Ride lane and proceed to end of the
lane before allowing your child to
get out of the car. Students must
exit from the right hand side of the car
(closest to the school) and parents
should remain in the car. Parents
may then enter the “drive thru” lane to
exit the parking lot.
At the end of the day or at lunch, if
you are pulling into the Kiss and Ride lane, please do NOT
leave your car. Drivers have received tickets from the
Municipality for this. If you need to come into the school, you
must park on one of the local side streets, or in the spots at
the front of the school, do NOT park in the side lot as
moving traffic is dangerous to children at this location.
These rules are enforced and you could be fined if not
abiding by Brampton’s By-laws.
If walking your child to school in the morning or picking them
up at the end of the day, parents are asked to remain either
behind the black fence by the parking lot, on the path
closest to the school, or on the perimeter of the school
pavement. This is for your child’s safety, as teachers on
duty cannot distinguish parents from “strangers” in the yard
with such a large school. NOTE: parents are responsible for
arranging to pick up their child on time at the end of the day.
Students from grade 2 to 8 are released at their exit door.
Kindergarten and Gr 1 students ONLY are released from
the Kindergarten fenced yard. Those parents must pull
up to the Kiss and Ride curb and their child will come
to them. A teacher will be on duty to assist.
Only bus students exit at the end of the day through the
front doors. Students walking with siblings are asked to
have a meeting spot at the back of the school. Please meet
your child at the back or wait in the Kiss and Ride.
 More cars and a busier Kiss and Ride
While it is easy to understand the frustration experienced by
drivers, the By-laws remain the same. As we instituted
changes last year, Kiss and Ride enter and exit times
averaged 15-20 minutes. It slowly improved over the winter
to about 8 minutes; quite efficient.
What can WE do to help make things better once the
snow starts?
1. Encourage your kids to walk when possible.
2. Park on adjacent streets. Avoid Heatherdale if possible.
3. Consider not entering the Kiss and Ride…drop your kids
off by the sidewalk and they can walk the remaining few
feet, allowing you to drive away.
4. Car pool…fewer cars saves gas, is faster and helps the
environment.
5. If your address qualifies, have your children take the
school bus.
6. If you must drive, arrive before 9 AM and avoid the rush.
7. Do not get out of your car. That will just make things
much slower and frustrate the drivers behind you.
8. Wait your turn to get to the Kiss and Ride curb and your
child will come to you.
9. Finally – be patient, please.
THANK YOU!
Technology & Curriculum
Our move to enhance classroom teaching and learning has
included an infusion of Smartboard and tablets. Here are
some findings of tablet uses in the classroom:
Benefits to Pupils
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Tablets are used across all subject areas and in a variety
of creative ways by pupils: to make presentations or films,
take notes, do mind-maps, play math games or use a
calculator, record themselves ‘jamming’ in music, reading
e-books or PDFs or simply doing research on a topic or
looking something up immediately. The device has
become for many of the pupils an organic part of their
schoolwork.
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Interactivity is key to pupil learning. Because
portable nature, it is possible for pupils to use the
outside the classroom, and it is often used to film,
record and take pictures. Pupils describe this
Thank you for your cooperation for student safety.
Kiss & Ride: Once it Snows
Once it snows, several difficulties arise:
 Narrowing streets and fewer spots to park
 Fewer parking spots for staff
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of its
tablet
audio
as a
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valuable break from the classroom. This is supported by
teachers who describe giving the class a task and almost
all students disappearing out of the room to solve it;
teachers are happy that pupils take this initiative.
Wed. Nov. 4

School Council Mtg @ 6:30 PM
Wed. Nov. 11

Remembrance Day Liturgy @ 9:30 AM
Thurs. Nov. 12

Rosary Apostolate Day at GA
Enabling pupils to have their own device means that
teachers no longer need to be concerned about booking
computer lab but can integrate the tablet lab into their
own classroom.
Tues. Nov. 17
Wed. Nov. 18
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Progress Reports go home
Picture Retake Day
Thurs. Nov. 19
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Parent-student-teacher Interview evening
Fri. Nov. 27
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Santa Picture in the AM
Sun. Nov. 29
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First Communion Parent meeting at
Guardian Angles parish @ 1 PM
Mon. Nov. 30
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Living Our Faith Awards K-4 @ 9:30 AM –
5-8 @ 11:00 AM
Mon. Dec. 7
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JK. SK, 2, 4 Dental Screening
Tues. Dec. 8
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JK. SK, 2, 4 Dental Screening
Thurs. Dec. 10
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Advent Confession grades 3-8
Rosary Apostolate in all day
Fri. Dec. 11
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Advent Mass @ 9:30 AM
Tues. Dec. 15
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Primary Christmas Concert
Wed. Dec. 16
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Primary Christmas Concert
Sat. Dec. 19
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Christmas Vacation starts
Sun. Jan. 3

Christmas Vacation ends
Having variety in how pupils’ access and present
information was found to especially benefit those pupils
who had previously struggled with their schoolwork. It
gave them more choice and flexibility in how they solve a
task, as well as making it easier for them to organize their
work as the tablet has ‘everything in one place’
There also appears to be a great advantage in tablet use
for special needs children. Teachers often note how
special needs pupils were able to improve their level of
communication and involvement in schoolwork through
using a tablet.
“Those children who really struggle with writing…where
one sentence would be a whole hour’s work for them,
they’re able to access so much more.”
BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE TO SCHOOL
21st century learning broadens the
walls of our classrooms. With
advances in communication and
information
technologies,
teachers, students and parents are
increasingly using a variety of
electronic devices for learning and
communicating.
Students are
reminded that all forms of communication while at school
are to be respectful and in accordance with the Catholic
Code of conduct.
Read our newsletter!
Answer the following question and you can help
your child win a free pizza lunch, courtesy of
Mr. Cassar and Mrs. Thompson.
WHAT THREE ‘things’ ARE NOT
ALLOWED TO BE A PART OF
HALLOWEEN COSTUMES AT
GUARDIAN ANGELS SCHOOL?
While electronic devices can be powerful educational tools,
we will continue to expect that communication during school
time will not involve taking pictures, texting or phone calling.
If you need to speak to your child during school hours please
do not hesitate to call the school. Similarly, if your child
needs to speak to you at any time during the school day, the
school will make every effort to contact you.
Answer: _______________________________
Students are allowed to bring devices to school, for the
purposes of aiding their learning however, it will be utilized
at the discretion of their teacher during appropriate times of
the day.
Child’s Name: __________________________
Tentative Upcoming Dates
Date: _________________________________
Parents are welcome to join us for any of the events below.
Please contact the school ahead of time to confirm times
and dates.
Fri. Oct. 30
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Teacher: ______________________________
Please return to Ms. McGee ASAP.
Halloween Dance
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Fundraising Makes It All Possible
Fundraising helped support many student activities. Thank you for
your support!
Living Our
Faith Awards
DJs for
dances
French
Cafe,
Carnivale
and Me to
We.
Smart
Boards and
Computers
Buses and
taxis for
teams and
clubs
Soccer &
baseball
teams
Birthday
Bracelets/
New
Student
Welcome
Hockey &
Volleyall
teams
Music/
Drama/Art
initiatives
Basketball
& Dance
teams
Fundraising
Subsidizes:
Craft Club,
Chess Club
and Track
& Field
Guest
Speakers &
Workshops
Play Day,
The Choir,
Black
History
Events
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Sports
Uniforms &
Tournament
Fees
21st Century
Classroom
Environment
Twitter: @GAngelsschool
The
Library:
Books &
Equipment
The
Sacrament
sand
Graduation
Student
Council /
The
Guitar
Club
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