121 Royal Orchard Drive Brampton, Ontario L6X 4K9
(905) 454 - 4458
FAX (905) 454 – 0360
CHILDREN ARE OUR FOCUS. THEIR GOOD IS AT THE CENTRE OF ALL THAT WE DO
Principal
Vice Principal
Superintendent
Trustee
S. Mifsud
G. Prajza
L. Zanella
Head Secretary
Parish
Pastor
Associate Pastor
N. Eisan
St. Anne Church
Fr. E. Murphy
Fr. D’ Souza
PARENT NEWSLETTER JUNE 2012
Principal’s Message
The school year is coming to a close. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the
members of St. Maria Goretti School Community for working together to make our school a
wonderful place. Thank you to the teachers, whose dedication and commitment have provided
opportunities for students both academically and spiritually. They work extremely hard and are
genuinely concerned about all the children in their care.
A special thank you to Mrs. Eisan, our Head Secretary, for the wonderful work she does each
and every day helping our school run so efficiently. We could not operate as well as we do
without her.
As well, thanks to our custodial staff, Mrs. Bradbury, Mr. Donald and Mr. Decasa, who keep our
school clean and safe.
I would also like to thank Father Damian, Father Ed and Father Kim for their assistance with
the continued faith development of all our students, in particular those who have received the
sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation.
To our Grade 8 students, I wish you the best in your future endeavours. To the parents of our
graduates, we thank you for your support over the years.
To parents and students who will be leaving the St. Maria Goretti Catholic School community
and joining another school community in the fall, we wish you well.
We also say good bye to a number of staff who will not be returning in September. Farewell to
Ms. Tetrault, who will be leaving St. Maria Goretti to go to another school. As well, Mrs.
Mandaric and Ms. Franjic, are finishing their placements at the school. We thank all of them as
they have undoubtedly touched the hearts and minds of many students. We thank them for
their contributions to St. Maria Goretti and wish them every future success.
May God bless you all throughout the summer!
S. Mifsud
Principal
End of the School Year Prayer
As we come to the end of another school year, and may now relax from our studies a little,
We pause to thank you Dear Lord, for all of Your guidance and support in our work throughout
the past year.
Please forgive us for any times that we may have offended you by not using our talents and
gifts to serve you best.
Watch over us as we begin to enjoy our summer vacation.
Keep us safe and free from harm.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Virtue of Fairness:
During the month of June we celebrate the virtue of Fairness. God wants us to treat
each other as we would like to be treated. God made us to live together as a family
in creation, to share and to help each other. Everyone needs a FAIR chance to
succeed – to overcome life’s challenges.
A fair person:




listens to both sides of a story
is a good team player
gives consideration to those who need extra support
works to bring about peaceful solutions to problems
During the month of May, SMG participated in an Anti-idle campaign. Anti-idle Campaign: Pollution is a
very common word these days. In the past few months, SMG has been focusing on trying to improve our
Kiss and Ride lanes. The Green Team members have noticed that if our Kiss and Ride lanes were used
correctly, we could reduce the amount of emission from vehicles. In our effort to raise awareness, the
Green Team were out several times during the month of May to remind you to quickly say goodbye to
your child and then keep on moving. If you plan on helping your child out of the car, please do not leave
your car idling. We suggest you park and bring your child to her/his yard. In doing so, you are saving
our air, and keeping your child safe at the same time.
Wasteless Wednesday: Every Wednesday during the year, SMG asked all students to bring their
lunches, snacks, and drinks to school in REUSEABLE containers. Our goal is to raise awareness and have
every student involved in Wasteless Wednesday.
As the year comes to a close, St. Maria Goretti’s Green Team would like to thank our parent community
for all of your support this past year.
Catholic School Council
We would like to thank all the members of our Catholic School Council for another successful
school year. They have fundraised and built community. Their initiatives have included:






funding Family Movie Night
providing cakes for Grade 8 graduation and Senior Kindergarten Moving Up
providing pins for Grade 2 students who received the Sacrament of First Eucharist
provided the cost for bussing for our year end bowling trip
provided the cost for bussing for the grade 8 graduation
Basketball net in the primary yard
Thank you to all of the parents who supported the Catholic School Council’s fundraising
inititatives. We welcome all parents to join our council in the coming school year.
St. Maria Goretti Volunteers
Thanks to all our volunteers who have helped us throughout the year. Your time, energy, and
presence have greatly benefited our staff and students. Your contributions to our school
community are always appreciated. We hope to see all of you again in September. Please join
us for our Volunteer Appreciation on Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Invitations have been sent
home via your child.
We invite and encourage any parents/guardians to volunteer in the 2012-2013 school year.
EQAO Primary and Junior Assessments
Grade 3 and 6 students are currently participating in the annual EQAO assessments. We would
like to thank the staff and students for their work during this provincial testing period. Thank
you also to the parents for their efforts in assisting with their children’s EQAO preparation and
for ensuring their children’s attendance during the assessment period.
Report Cards
Final report cards go home on Tuesday, June 26th. We wish to draw your attention to the final
page of the report card, which provides the opportunity for discussion and goal setting with your
child. Please complete this form and return to your child’s teacher by Wednesday, June 27th. The
last day of school is Friday, June 29, 2012.
PD DAY – Monday, June 11, 2012
No classes for students.
Planning Ahead for September 2012
You will find an insert in your child’s report card envelope outlining procedures for the first day of
school in September.
ARE YOU PLANNING TO MOVE?
If you are moving out of the St. Maria Goretti School area prior to September 2012, please
inform the office as soon as possible. This information assists with our planning and organization of
classes.
Attention Grade 8’s
St. Edmund Campion Grade 9 Orientation Day
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
8:30 am – 1:00 pm
275 Brisdale Drive


Meet your mentor
Receive your timetable
 Tour the school
Calling All Library Books
Dufferin-Peel is in the process of converting all school libraries to a central system. In May it was our school’s
turn to join the “Symphony” system. Prior to the conversion, all books were collected in order for repair,
record verification, and inventory to take place. Thank you to everyone for returning all of our library items.
Now that we are part of the system, our students’ records will follow them as they continue on to High
School,
or if they move to a new school within the board.
Symphony makes it possible for students to search the Library catalog from home, to see if we have information on topics they may be
researching. In the fall, students will be introduced to this new feature, and information will also be provided in the school newsletter.
Storm Sewer and Watercourse Safety
As a result of the Coroner’s Inquest into the 1990 drowning deaths of two young Brampton students,
recommendations were made related to school boards and schools educating students on the dangers
of storm sewers and watercourses. In this regard, please remind your children that playing in and
around storm sewers and watercourses, entering storm sewers through the outfalls and entering storm
sewers through access covers is dangerous and can lead to a fatality. Children should be made aware
that:




Water flows in storm sewers and watercourses are unpredictable and may change quickly;
Toxic gases may be present;
Tragic falls could take place and;
Access is restricted and therefore, rescue attempts are difficult.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES
A reminder that Dufferin-Peel CDSB has a PED policy. Students are asked to leave all electronic games,
cell phones, iPods, walkmans, etc, at home. The school will not be responsible for lost, damaged or stolen
items. The PED policy (outlined in your child’s agenda) clearly states that consequences, as per our Code
of Conduct, will be levied for students who do not adhere to the policy.
Your Child’s Safety
Children are supervised by Dufferin-Peel CDSB staff beginning at 8:15 am. Do not drop off your
children at school before 8:15 am.
Health and Safety:
Protecting the skin
Overexposure to the sun can cause skin damage. We remind students regularly to
take precautions to protect their skin during recess breaks. The following are some
suggestions to help protect the skin:
 Wear protective clothing to cover the skin
 Wear a hat to protect both the eyes and the skin
 When possible, stay out of direct sunlight
 Know your skin type, and if your are more sensitive, wear sun block with a high level of protection
Parents are encouraged to reinforce these strategies with their children regularly.
Grade 8 Graduation
June 26, 2012
Please join us as we celebrate the graduation of our grade eight students on June 26th @
6:30 pm. This year our grade 8 graduation will be held at the Pearson Convention Center,
2638 Steeles Ave. East, Brampton. Details will be sent home via the grade 8 students.
Dress Code
With warm weather arriving, it is important to review the dress code. We require your
support in assisting students to make appropriate clothing choices when attending school.
We do not have as prescriptive a dress code as our secondary schools, we are a Catholic
School and, as such, we encourage our students to dress modestly. At all times clothing
should be comfortable, tasteful and appropriate to our Catholic school environment.
Here are the guidelines:
 Clothing must display appropriate and acceptable words and graphics
 shorts and skirts much reach the bottom of the student’s fingertips when hands are relaxed at their
sides
 tank top straps must have a minimum width of 5 cm (approx. the width of 3 adult fingers);
 halter tops, mesh shirts, string tops, tube tops or anything that exposes midriffs and/or
undergarments, skin tight clothing, spandex shorts or pants, cut off shorts, torn or ragged clothing
and pants that sag below the waist are inappropriate attire for school. We strongly encourage students
to not wear flip fops as they do not provide protection for their feet when playing.
 sunglasses, hats and bandanas are inappropriate inside the school building
Students who are in violation of the dress code will be asked to change or cover inappropriate wear.
Parents will be contacted to bring appropriate clothing if necessary.
Transportation
Please see attachments. For more information on bussing visit:
www.stopr.ca
http://businfo.stopr.ca
School Start and Class Placements
The school office will be open from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm, during the week of August 27 th to
August 31st for registration and information purposes.
School begins for students on Tuesday, September 4, 2012.
As in previous years, class lists and teacher placements will not be publicized before the first day
of school.
Supervision of students begins in the school yard at 8:15. At 8:30, when the bell rings, students
will gather in designated areas. Please look for signs posted on the exterior walls of the school
within the school yard. Senior kindergarten students will gather in the kindergarten yard
(fenced area at the front of the school).
At 8:30, teachers will meet students at the designated areas. Teachers will call out the names of
the students on their class list, line students up, and take them to their new classroom.
Non-classroom staff will be available to assist with organization and to answer questions that
parents may have. Parents may wait with their children until they are with their teacher, but
will not be able to accompany their child to her/his classroom, as undue congestion poses safety
concerns.
If it is raining, we will post alternative meeting places for children of each grade level to meet
their teachers within the school.
School Hours for 2012-2013
School hours will remain the same for the upcoming school year.
8:15 — Supervision in the yard
8:30 — Morning bell-classes begin
11:00 — Kindergarten dismissal for JK and SK morning students
10:10 — 10:50 - First Nutrition break and recess
12:30 – JK and SK afternoon classes begin
12:30 – 1:20 – Second Nutrition break and recess
3:00 — Dismissal
Please be sure to read the important bussing information attached.
Important Upcoming Dates
May 23 – June 3 – EQAO Tests – Grade 3 and 6
June 7 – Senior Kindergarten ‘Moving Up’ Ceremonies @ 9:00 a.m. And 1:00 p.m.
June 8 - Family Movie Night @ 7:00 p.m.
June 11 – PD Day – no classes for students
June 14 – Year End Mass @ 10:30 a.m. at St. Anne Church
June 20 - Volunteer Appreciation – 10:00 – 11:00 am.
June 22 – Board Track and Field Meet
June 21 – Play Day
June 26 – Kindergarten Play Day
June 26 – Grade 8 Graduation @ 6:30 pm. Pearson Convention Center
June 26 – Report Cards go home
June 28 – Awards Assembly
June 29 – Bowling Trip
June 29 – Last Day of school