121 Royal Orchard Drive
(905) 454 - 4458
Principal
Vice Principal
Superintendent
Trustee
S. Mifsud
A. Reilly
G. Prajza
L. Zanella
Brampton, Ontario L6X 4K9
FAX (905) 454 - 0360
Secretary
Parish
Pastor
Associate Pastor
N. Eisan
St. Anne Church
Fr. D. Ali
Fr. K. D’Souza
CHILDREN ARE OUR FOCUS. THEIR GOOD IS AT THE CENTRE OF ALL THAT WE DO
PARENT NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER
2011
Principal’s Message
Welcome Back to All St. Maria Goretti Community Members
We hope you enjoyed a wonderful, fun and relaxing summer.
A new school year begins!! We would like to extend a very warm welcome to all the new families in our school
community and to welcome all those returning to St. Maria Goretti Catholic School. A special greeting is also
extended to our Junior Kindergarten children who are starting school for the first time.
In partnership, our staff, parents, and students will endeavour to make this a very special year – one that
follows Catholic philosophy, passes along our rich faith story, and provides children with high standards and
expectations in educational excellence.
The Teachers have been working hard over the last couple of weeks planning for the opening of school. Thank
you to all of the teachers who have diligently organized and prepared their
classrooms. A special thank you to our custodial team led by Mrs. K. Bradbury and to our head secretary, Mrs.
Eisan for all of her work over the last week.
We would like to welcome Mr. Conflitti; who will be teaching a grade 7/8 class, Mrs. Martin; who will be teaching
some subjects in the Primary grades, Mrs. Lewis, who will be our school Educational Resource Worker and a
welcome back to Mrs. Mandaric, who will be covering a teacher on leave.
We hope to see all of you at our Open House night on Thursday, September 29 rd from 7:00 – 8:00 pm. Please
mark this date on your calendars.
We are all excited about working with you and your children to provide a highly rewarding year - spiritually,
academically, emotionally and physically . . . We hope the 2011/2012 school year will be the best one yet for
everyone. May God bless us as we journey together.
S. Mifsud
Principal
A. Reilly
Vice Principal
Welcome Back – Two Way Communication!
Close, ongoing communication between the
home and school is in the best interest of
your child. Should you have any concerns
about your child, praise, or comments, please
do not hesitate to share them with us. Early and
ongoing information sharing can help to clarify and
often alleviate concerns quickly. Begin by contacting
the classroom teacher who is usually the one most able
to deal effectively with your child‟s learning and
behaviour. A time should be scheduled for you to speak
to the teacher, either by telephone, or at a meeting.
This newsletter is the first of a number of
communications that will give us an opportunity to let
you know what is happening here at school.
One
newsletter per family will be sent home each month with
each youngest or only child. Our school secretary will
also be able to help you with many of your requests.
School Organization
During the first few weeks of school, the school's
enrolment, which was based on a projected total,
undergoes changes and fluctuations. Therefore, as we
start the year, all class lists and staffing are tentative
until numbers are sent to our school board.
Each year St. Maria Goretti has faced some sort of
reorganization of classes to accommodate for changes
due to growth and/or transfers. If necessary,
reorganization of classes will take place on Monday,
September 19, 2011. If your child‟s class placement
changes, you will be notified in writing on Monday,
September 19th.
Any changes required will be made with the best
interest of your children in our minds. Staff spends
many hours in discussion, reflection, revision and
consideration of alternatives, to arrive at the best
organization for each class.
Parish News
When you choose to send your child to a Dufferin-Peel
school, we assure you a holistic Catholic education. We
do this through . . .
 Teaching Religious & Family Life education in each
grade,
 living our faith daily through prayer, celebration and
liturgy,
 building community and “retreat”,



active involvement in charity and initiatives of social
justice from a Catholic context,
everything we do . . . is imbedded with Catholic
values and content, and
assisting the St. Anne‟s Parish team with the
preparation of students for the sacraments.
Our school is part of the parish of St. Anne‟s Church
located on Vodden Street. We consider our Pastor,
Father Ali and Father K. D‟Souza, the Associate Pastor,
to be integral members of our school community.
Weekend masses are celebrated on Saturdays at 5:00
p.m. and Sundays at 8:15 a.m., 10:00a.m., and 12:00 p.m.
Our Pastoral
newsletter.
Plan
will
be available in a future
School Times
8:15 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. (students should not
Arrive before 8:15 am)
8:30 a.m. - Entry
10:10 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. Nutrition Break 1
11:00 a.m. - Morning Kindergarten dismissal
12:30 p.m. - Afternoon Kindergarten begins
12:30 p.m. - 1:20 p.m. Nutrition Break 2
3:00 p.m. - Dismissal
PD DAY
Friday, September 16, 2011
Children do not attend school.
Catholic School Council
Nomination forms for membership in the St. Maria
Goretti Catholic School Council were sent home with
your child last week. Please consider joining us this
year.
September 16th – Nomination forms due by 3:30 pm.
September 21st – Elections at the school: 7:00 am –
7:00 pm.
October 4th – Catholic School Council meeting at
6:00 pm.
Our Catholic School Trustee
We continue to work together with our area trustee,
Linda Zanella, a member of the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board. Mrs. Zanella is
always willing to discuss issues, and receive input
from community members.
Sacramental Preparations
The school works together with the parish and parents
to prepare students for the sacraments of
Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation.
Parents of Grade 2 and Grade 8 students have received
some very important letters from St. Anne‟s Parish
Team regarding the sacraments of First Holy
Communion/First Reconciliation and Confirmation.
These letters contained significant dates of parent
information meetings for your child to receive the
sacrament this year. If you have misplaced this
information, please contact the church.
Open House Night
Please join us for our Open House on Thursday,
September 29th, from 7:00 – 8:00 pm. The evening
will be an opportunity for you to meet your child‟s
teacher. This will not be an opportunity to discuss
your child‟s academic progress . . . this will occur at
a later date when your child‟s teacher will have had a
greater length of time to get to know your child.
Homework policy
Please be advised that teachers at St. Maria Goretti
will adhere to the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board policy on Homework – Kindergarten to
Grade 12. In particular, the policy states that homework
shall not be assigned to students in kindergarten.
Homework in the early grades (Grades 1-3) shall more
often take the form of reading, playing, discussing,
listening, viewing, and interactive activities such as
building and cooking with the family. In later grades
(Grades 4 to 6) homework may take the form of
independent work, with a maximum of 40 minutes per
day, and a maximum of 60 minutes per day on average
for intermediate students. A summary of the policy can
be found in your child‟s agenda (Grades 1 to 8).
We continue to ask for your support as we promote
good work habits at home for our students and ask that
you help in the following ways:
 monitoring daily homework and ensuring that your
child(ren) complete all tasks to the best of their
ability;
 providing a consistent time and location for daily
homework;
Please use your child‟s agenda as one form of
communication with the classroom teacher. It is a
valuable tool.
Crossing Guard
A crossing guard will be available in front of
the school at the following times:
8:00 a.m. - 8:35 a.m.
12:30 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
1:00 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.
3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Please note that the guard will not be available between
12:45 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. All students who must cross
Royal Orchard Drive are instructed to cross while the
crossing guard is on duty.
Medications
It is crucial that you notify the office of any serious
health concerns. If this applies to your child you are
asked to provide us with treatment procedures in
written format.
There is a Board policy on the storage and
administration of medication.
Where a student is
required to take medication at school, medication forms
must be completed by you and your physician prior to
the storage and administration of any prescribed
medication by the school. Any medication brought to
school must be stored in the office. The storage and
administration of an Epi-Pen requires additional forms
to be completed by physicians. The forms are available
from the school.
To ensure the safety of all our children, please do not
send medication to school unless you have made
arrangements with the school in advance.
Information regarding Anaphylaxis, and protocol
regarding safe and unsafe food at school was sent home
in your child‟s initial correspondence package from the
school. Please sign and return the pink form to indicate
that you have received and reviewed this information.
Hepatitis B/Meningitis/HPV Vaccinations
Initial vaccinations by the Region of Peel Health
Department are scheduled for Thursday, September
29th. Parents of students in grade 7, and female
students in grade 8 must complete the consent
forms that have been sent home, and return them to
their child‟s teacher, if they would like their child to
receive the vaccination.
School Insurance - Highly Encouraged
You have received an application for school insurance
for school aged children. If you require more than one,
please stop by the office to pick up additional
applications. 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 via student courier.
Although
enrolment is voluntary, the board encourages parents to
take advantage of the inexpensive insurance coverage,
especially if their child/children participate in sports,
excursions/field trips, or, if parents do not have dental
insurance coverage. Parents alone have the right to
insure their children.
Enrolment is required in writing so there are two
options for enrolment:
 Complete the traditional form and mail it directly to
the company, or
 Photocopy the form and fax it to Reliable Life at 1905-522-7211 or 1-800-463-KIDS (5437).
Code of Conduct & Bill 212
The Catholic Code of Conduct is on the Board Website.
St. Maria Goretti policies and procedures for student
behaviour and discipline have been included in the
students‟ agenda. Please review these with your child.
School Visitors
For safety reasons and the protection of all children in
our care, you are reminded that by law all visitors
(including parents) must report to the office, sign in and
receive an identification badge. Please remember, to
your child, you are the parent, but to other students
you are most likely a stranger. All staff will stop and
question an unidentified person in the school or in the
school yard. If you are dropping something off for your
child, please do so in the main office.
NEW SECURITY SYSTEM
In alignment with Safe Schools Initiatives, St. Maria
Goretti has purchased and installed a security
system at the front doors of the school. Beginning
on Monday, September 12th, the front doors of the
school will remain locked. Anyone arriving at the
school must ring the buzzer. Staff in the office will
have both visual and auditory access to any person
seeking to enter the school. Office staff will unlock
the door, once we have established that the person‟s
presence at the school is legitimate.
"Safe Arrivals" Program - Attendance
Verification
The Safe Arrival Program is designed to ensure that
your children arrive safely at school each day. We
appreciate your cooperation in calling the school to let
us know that your child will not be attending. To help
facilitate this process, we ask that parents call the
school at 905-454-4458 between the hours of 4:00
p.m. and 8:30 a.m.
These times are for your
convenience, but they also help to alleviate a heavy
influx of calls on the main telephone line each morning.
When reporting an absence please state
the child’s name
the child’s grade
the child’s teacher, and
the reason for absence.
Students may not call and leave messages for you as we
require your voice/authorization. If we haven't heard
from you, and your child is not in school, we will attempt
to contact you.
Transportation
For information or concerns regarding
bussing, call 905 – 890 - 0614
or visit:
http://businfo.stopr.ca
Dress Code
Medic Alert - No Child Without
We ask for your support for our dress code.
Students are expected to be dressed in a clean, neat,
and appropriate manner conducive to the school
environment. Clothing must be free from offensive or
questionable language and pictures. Hats/caps must be
removed in the school building. Appropriate footwear
must be worn at all times. Appropriate clothing must be
worn for physical education classes (i.e. running shoes,
shorts, t-shirts).
St. Maria Goretti continues to support The Medic Alert
- No Child Without. This program provides free Medic
Alert Membership for students requiring medical alert
bracelets. For more information, please visit:
www.nochildwithout.ca.
Family Literacy Program:
talk.read.play.sing!
Kiss and Ride/Parking/Safety
Thank you to the many parents who
continue to follow the safety guidelines
for the drop off and pick up of children. These
guidelines are in place to keep all children safe.
Free workshops for families offered by the Region
of Peel
At St. Maria Goretti Catholic Elementary School
The following reviews the school protocol:
The Family Literacy Program is for families with
children aged 0 – 6 years. Families come together for
story times, snack, and activities. Research from the
University of Toronto has shown this program makes
an impact to a child‟s Early Literacy skills along with
their family‟s support.
TRAFFIC SAFETY
The KISS and RIDE LANE is designed to be a quick
and convenient method to drop off children at
school, without the need to park or leave your
vehicle.
The program will be held in the Library on Tuesday
nights, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. for nine weeks, starting
October 4 and ending November 29. We welcome all
families with children under 6 years, as well as older
children in your family. Please register by calling 905
791 1585 x 7222 or visit our website at
www.peelregion.ca and click on Child Care. We hope
to see you there.
Parking in the Kiss and Ride Lane is prohibited.
Illegally parked vehicles pose a danger to students
and pedestrians.
Parking in the school driveway is prohibited.
After dropping children at Kiss and Ride, parents are
to use the front driveway as a drive through. There
is no parking.
If you wish to walk your child to school, please park
in a designated parking spot or park on Royal
Orchard Drive.
Please be advised, that the City of Brampton, Parking
Enforcement will be present to heighten safety
awareness during peak drop off and pick up times.
Students are not to be dropped off at the front
of the school.
DPCDSB Adult and Continuing Education offers:
International Languages classes for elementary
aged children
 A variety of programs for Secondary students and
adults
For details, refer to Fall 2011 Adult and Continuing
Education Flyer posted on:
www.dpcdsb.org/cec/cne

Nutritional Breaks
Students are encouraged to bring healthy food for
these two nutrition breaks. Please do not send any
foods containing nuts or nut products as a snack or
lunch.
Forms have been sent home with students indicating
whether your child will be either staying for lunch every
day or going home for lunch every day. For safety
reasons, students who stay for lunch every day will not
be permitted to leave the school grounds unless
accompanied by a parent/guardian and signed out at the
office.
Volunteers Make a Difference
If you have some time to give to our school as a
volunteer, please consider sharing your talents, energy,
and time as a volunteer. A volunteer form was sent
home with the initial documentation package.
The
volunteer will require a criminal reference check. These
checks are FREE for volunteers.
Scent Sensitivity Awareness
DPCDSB has a scent sensitivity awareness campaign
that provides information regarding allergies to scented
products. At St. Maria Goretti, one of our staff
members is severely allergic to scented products.
Therefore, we ask that staff, students, parents, and
visitors to the school refrain from wearing perfumes,
colognes and scented creams. Thank you for your
cooperation in this matter. For more information about
scent sensitivity, please visit: www.dpcdsb.org and click
on ACCESS Duffer
Late Arrivals, Early Leavers, Interruptions
Staff members work diligently to ensure that time is
not wasted, and that all students are involved in all
possible ways every moment of the day. :
 Please make sure your children leave home so that
they arrive at the bus stop or on the school grounds
on time. Our entry bell rings at 8:30 a.m.
 Whenever possible and appropriate, please schedule
out of school appointments and activities for
weekends, or before or after school hours . . . that
way children will not miss out on any aspect of the
program we are attempting to provide for them.
 If it is necessary that your children leave school
early, make sure they know this in advance, and send


in a written note for their teacher. Staff will then
try to ensure that your children are at the office,
ready to go when you arrive to pick them up. In this
way we won‟t be asked to disrupt the learning of an
entire class by calling your child down to meet you.
Student are discouraged from using our school
phones to make arrangements to go home with
friends, staying for sporting events or other
activities.
Head Injuries
It is a requirement that should your child receive any
type of head injury during the school day, the office
staff will contact you and inform you of the injury.
Pediculosis
Pediculosis, or head lice are a common occurrence in
schools. Head lice are parasites which have been
common among human beings for centuries. They are
not connected with dirt and neglect. Anyone can be
infested with them. If even one case is found in the
school, we will inform all parents in a letter. Please
check your children frequently and if you find them
infested, we would ask that you let us know so we can
advise you on the proper treatment. If a child does
become infested, we will ask you to keep your child out
of school until he/she has been treated with the
correct medicated shampoo and his/her hair is entirely
clear of both lice and nits (eggs). When the child
returns to school, the child needs to come to the office
to be checked before going to class.
If we all cooperate in these procedures we can address
these occurrences in a sensitive manner. We may not
entirely escape outbreaks, but we will be able to bring
them under control quickly.
Opening Mass
Our Opening Mass is scheduled for Wednesday,
September 21, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. in the school gym.
Please join us.
Book Fair
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
Details to follow.
FACT SHEET FOR PARENTS OF ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN
Custody of Children
On rare occasions, we are faced with difficult
situations in which non-custodial parents arrive at
school asking to visit their child or to take their child
home after school. 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.
Important Dates:
Sept 16 – PD Day
Sept 16 – CSC nomination forms due
Sept 21 – CSC Elections
Sept 21 – Mass at 1:30 pm.
Sept 22 – Photo Day
Sept 28 – Terry Fox Run
Sept 29 – Immunization Clinic
Sept 29 – Book Fair
Sept 29 – Open House: 7:00 pm.
Sept 30 – Book Fair
Sept 30 – Virtue Assembly @ 9:00 am.
Oct 4 – Student Vote
Oct 4 – CSC Meeting @ 6:00 pm.
Oct 4 – Family Literacy Program begins.
Oct 25 – Progress Reports go home.
Why is it important for my child to be in school
every day?
 Your child‟s school is dedicated to helping your son
or daughter develop the spiritual, intellectual,
aesthetic, emotional, social and physical capabilities
to live fully and to meet the future challenges of
adult roles and responsibilities.
o Is this what you want for your child?
Most parents would emphatically answer,
“Yes!” The school can best contribute to
your child‟s education and development
when you form a partnership with them.
 As parents you have many responsibilities towards
your child. One responsibility is to ensure that your
child is in school every day, ready to learn. In fact,
it is the law. The Provincial Education Act states
that every child between the ages of 6 and 18 is
required to attend school every day from the first
school day in September until the last school day in
June.
 Parents and schools can work together to keep kids
in school. One of the most important first steps is
for parents to become aware of the dangers that
school absenteeism poses to a child‟s success in
school and later in life.
 When students miss school, they fall behind. When
your child comes home from school after an absence
and tells you that he didn‟t miss anything when he
was away yesterday, remember: He was away. He
cannot begin to know what he missed during the
hours the class was together.

Each school day a teacher presents new material
that builds on the work given the previous day.
When students return after an absence, they
Please read the following information
regarding the importance of your child‟s
attendance and punctuality.
must catch up. For students who are not
strong, independent workers, this can be
difficult. Even strong students will find it
progressively more difficult to do their best as
the gaps in their knowledge and the need to
catch up increases with every absence.
 Arriving at school on time does make a difference.
Your children learn the importance of punctuality
from the example you set.
 Insist that the kids leave the house in time to arrive
at school at least five or ten minutes before the bell.
The time spent in the school yard before school is a
transition time that allows your child to reconnect
with classmates and to refocus on school issues.
Lining up to enter the school with the rest of the
class allows your child to become part of the group
and to ease into the routines of school.
 The first few minutes in the classroom are critical.
During these minutes the teacher deals with the
many issues that individual students share – just like
 The habit of non-attendance established in
elementary school typically continues into secondary
school. By the time your child is in high school, he or
she will have more independence and you will have
less influence. Begin now to set the standard that
every school day is compulsory, even on days when
your child has a headache, is not ready for a test, or
is tired because everyone stayed up late for a family
function. Consider too, the messages you send about
your own attitudes toward missing work or using sick
days.
 While some children may feign illness or beg to stay
home because they feel that they do not fit in with
their classmates, other children are gradually
excluded by their peers as their irregular
attendance makes them increasingly marginal to the
social group.
the busy excitement of a group of relatives getting
together for a visit. And the teacher eases the
students into the business of learning with a number
of routine opening activities. When your child
arrives even five minutes late, it is like arriving at a
family gathering when everyone else is already
seated at the table. You would have missed some
important information and you might feel a little
„outside‟ the group.
 If you are thinking of taking your child out of school
for a week or more, reconsider. Most children
cannot afford to miss a week or more of class work.
 Success at school helps children engage in learning.
Children who miss school and then fall behind tend to
miss more school. These children risk becoming
frustrated and „giving up on school‟. In fact, the
process of dropping out of school begins very early in
the lives of some children. It can start when a child
misses school days without sufficient reason and
then develops the idea that attendance is optional.
At the same time, the student becomes discouraged
with his or her poor academic achievement and feels
even less like going to class. Would you feel like
going to work if you were graded every day on how
well you did your job, and many days you received a
disappointing grade? Set your child up for success
by insisting that he or she attend school daily, and on
time.
Virtue for September: Faith
A faithful person believes that we
are created, guided by and
destined to be reunited with God.
A faithful person believes that God
helps us to create a safe and caring school.
A Faithful person…
 prays whenever they can
 learns from Scripture stories
 assumes that there is good in everyone
 knows that we are all loved by God
Our Daily Prayer for September
Let us now pray …for the grace and strength to be
people of faith-people who can truly believe that God’s
plan for us includes the right to be safe at school. AMEN
The Staff of St. Maria Goretti look forward to a most
successful year working with you and your children.
God Bless.