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
Superint endent
Trust ee
S. Mifsud
C. Pitoscia
L. Zanella
Head Secret ary
Parish
Past or
Associat e Past or
N . Eisan
St. Anne Church
Fr. J. Cherickal
Fr. P. Magyar
PARENT NEWSLETTER JUNE 2013
Principal’s Message
The school year is coming to a close. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the
members of St. Maria Goretti School Community for working together to make our school a
wonderful place. 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 James and Father Paul 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
Mrs. Dudycz, who will be leaving St. Maria Goretti to go to another school. As well, Miss.
Franjic is finishing her placement at the school. We thank them both 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:
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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
NEW!
Criminal Reference Checks/ Declaration Forms
Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board will be implementing changes to their Criminal
Reference Check/Declaration Form procedures. In keeping with the Safe Schools Act, all
volunteers including those going on one day school trips must have a Criminal Reference
Check. If you have the time or inclination to be a volunteer, assist with school trips, drive for
sports events, assist with our fundraiser(s), be an active member of school council-dealing with
children in any capacity, please contact the office for a criminal reference check form, for the
2013-2014 school year.
The Criminal Reference check is free for volunteers, and it will assure the safety of all
students at St. Maria Goretti Catholic School. If you already have a Criminal reference check on
file at the school, please complete the Criminal Offence Declaration form. Please have your
check or declaration completed so you can continue to be an important and valued member at
our school.
You will need to obtain from the office a Criminal Reference Check form and an authorization
letter completed by the principal. Once you have completed your criminal reference check, you
will need to deliver these forms to Peel Regional Police Headquarters, 7750 Hurontario Street
Brampton Ontario. It is our hope that you can complete these forms and return them to the
police prior to the end of August so that you can participate in school activities beginning in
September 2013.
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:
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funding Classroom Libraries
funding an afternoon of Zumba for students and a Family Zumba Night
Funding Family Movie Night
providing cakes for Grade 8 graduation and Senior Kindergarten “Moving Up”
provided the cost for bussing for our year end bowling trip
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 12, 2013. Invitations have been sent
home via your child.
We invite and encourage any parents/guardians to volunteer in the 2013-2014 school year.
Medication at School
A reminder to parents that you will need to pick up any medication/epi-pens that has been
stored in the office this year on June 28th or give your child written permission to take home
his/her medication the last day of school.
Medication storage for September 2013
2013 forms for the distribution and storage of medication/epi-pens will be sent home in June.
Parents can then contact their physicians over the summer vacation and return these forms to
school in September.
Report Cards
Final report cards go home on Tuesday, June 25th. 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 26th. The
last day of school is Friday, June 28, 2013.
Planning Ahead for September 2013
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 2013, please
inform the office as soon as possible. This information assists with our planning and organization of
classes.
Lost and Found
We have collected a lot of clothing over
the year; shoes, boots, hats, mitts, shirts, jackets
shorts etc. in our lost and found box. Please drop by
And take a look. We will be packing up these items at the end
Of June and sending them to a local charity.
Calling All Library Books
Our library is filled with exciting books for student use and sign out. It is now time to
return all borrowed books, so that Mrs. Dudycz can make sure that our library is ready
for the new school year. All books and other library material must be returned
to
Mrs. Dudycz no later than June 10, 2013. Thank you in advance for your
cooperation. Lost or damaged books are the responsibility of the student: replacements
costs will be shared with parents if necessary.
Celebrating Goretti
Colour Group Style
Who: Students in Grades 1 to 8
What: Amazing Rainbow Race (previously known as Play Day)
Where: School yard & Gym
When: Monday, June 24th (Rain Date: Wednesday, June 26th)
Why: To have fun & celebrate our year together
Stay tuned………………
More details to follow
PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES
A reminder that Dufferin-Peel CDSB has a PED policy. Students are asked to leave all electronic games,
cell phones, iPods, 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.
EQAO
Thank you very much to the staff and students for their hard work in the preparation
and administration of the Provincial EQAO testing. Thank you also to the parents of
grade 3 and grade 6 students for their efforts in ensuring their child’s attendance at
school during the assessment period.
June 7th P.A. Day
No classes for students. Teachers will be engaged in
assessment and evaluation activities.
End of the Year School Mass
Our end of the year school Mass is Wednesday, June 19th at 10:30 a.m. We will
celebrate Mass at St. Anne Church. We will be looking for parent volunteers to assist,
details will be sent home with your child.
As the year comes to a close, St. Maria Goretti embarks on our final Healthy Living campaign. During the
month of June, SMG will continue to participate in the Trashless Thursday initiative and will be selling St.
Maria Goretti stainless steel water bottles for $5 to promote less use of plastic water bottles.
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.
Transportation
Please see attachments. For more information on bussing visit:
www.stopr.ca
http://businfo.stopr.ca
Grade 8 Graduation
June 27, 2013
We will celebrate the graduation of our grade eight students on June 27st @ 6:30 pm.
Details will be sent home via the grade 8 students.
20Dress 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
 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.
2
2013 - 2014 School Year Calendar
First day of classes elementary and secondary schools Tuesday, September 3, 2013
First Day of classes Semester 2 Secondary Friday, January 31, 2014
School Year ends Elementary and Secondary Schools Friday, June 27, 2014
Number of school days for the 2013 – 2014 school year 194
Number of Instructional Days in Elementary Schools 188
Number of Instructional Days in Secondary Schools 188
Number of Professional Activity Days in Elementary Schools 6
Number of Professional Activity Days in Secondary Schools 6
School Holidays for the 2013-2014 School Year
Every Saturday and Sunday
Labour Day Monday, September 2, 2013
Thanksgiving Day Monday, October 14, 2013
Christmas Break (inclusive) Monday, December 23, 2013 to Friday, January 3, 2014
Family Day Monday, February 17, 2014
Mid-Winter Break Monday, March 10, 2014 to Friday, March 14, 2014 (inclusive)
Good Friday Friday, April 18, 2014
Easter Monday Monday, April 21, 2014
Victoria Day Monday, May 19, 2014
Elementary Schools – Professional Activity Days
1. Friday, September 13, 2013 Principal’s Day: Re-organization/Faith Development/Prov. Priorities
2. Friday, October 11, 2013 Mandatory Unpaid Leave Day as per M.O.U.
3. Friday, December 20, 2013 Mandatory Unpaid Leave Day as per M.O.U.
4. Monday, January 20, 2014 Term 1 Assessment and Evaluation of Pupil Progress
5. Friday, March 7, 2014 Mandatory Unpaid Leave Day as per M.O.U.
6. Monday, June 9, 2014 Term 2 Assessment and Evaluation of Pupil Progress
St. Sofia Only
1. Friday, October 11, 2013 Mandatory Unpaid Leave Day as per M.O.U.
2. Friday, December 20, 2013 Mandatory Unpaid Leave Day as per M.O.U.
3. Tuesday, January 7, 2014 Principal’s Day: Curriculum/Faith Development
4. Monday, January 20, 2014 Term 1 Assessment and Evaluation of Pupil Progress
5. Friday, March 7, 2014 Mandatory Unpaid Leave Day as per M.O.U.
6. Monday, June 9, 2014 Term 2 Assessment and Evaluation of Pupil Progress
Secondary Schools – Professional Activity Days
1. Friday, October 11, 2013 Mandatory Unpaid Leave Day as per M.O.U.
2. Friday, December 20, 2013 Mandatory Unpaid Leave Day as per M.O.U.
3. Thursday, January 30, 2014 Principal’s Day: Semester Turnaround
4. Friday, March 7, 2014 Mandatory Unpaid Leave Day as per M.O.U.
5. Thursday, June 26, 2014 *Principal’s Day: Year End Reporting and Activities
6. Friday, June 27, 2014 *Principal’s Day: Year End Reporting and Activities
*Semester and year end evaluations and school wide promotion meetings; contact parents with summer
school
recommendations, OSR and report card preparation; inventory management of books, equipment,
learning materials;
curriculum development for new course outlines; goal setting for the upcoming school year.
Secondary Schools – Examination Days
Semester 1: January 22 - 28, 2014
Semester 2: June 18 – 24, 2014
Important Upcoming Dates
June 6 – School Council Meeting @ 3:10
June 6 – Senior Kindergarten A.M. Class „Moving Up‟ Ceremony @ 9:00 am.
June 6 - Senior Kindergarten P.M. Class „Moving Up‟ Ceremony @ 1:00 pm.
June 7 – P.A. Day – No Classes for Students
June 12 - Volunteer Appreciation @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am - in school library
June 19 – End of Year Mass @ St. Anne Church - 10:30 a.m.
June 19 – Brampton West Track and Field Meet
June 24 – “The Amazing Race” Play Day
June 25 – Kindergarten Play Day
June 25 – Report Cards go home
June 27 – Grade 8 Graduation @ 6:30 pm.
June 28 – Bowling Trip
June 28 – Last Day of school
A Message from
Linda Zanella, Trustee, Wards 2, 5 & 6
June 2013
Celebrating a year of faith, learning and hope
A website that lists 101 reasons to send your child to a Catholic school includes the following:
1. Prayer each morning before the school day begins, 2. Learning the connection between faith and reason, 3. Hearing
Jesus’ name regularly and not as a swear word, 4. Connecting service with Catholic social teaching, 5. Discipline based on
Gospel values, 6. Hearing “Make room for Jesus” at school dances, 7. A curriculum designed to help students grow in
spirituality, 8. A mission to educate the whole child; spiritually, as well as academically, morally, socially, and physically,
9. An outstanding academic program that helps students become the best they can be, 10. A natural integration with all
aspects of family life, rather than a compartmentalized existence, 11. Moral development based on gospel values, 12.
Learning about the connection between faith and service to the poor and underprivileged.
As trustees and stewards of Catholic education in Dufferin-Peel, we thank you for choosing Catholic education for your
children. Our system is an outstanding one, with committed, dedicated teachers, support staff and administrators, all
focused on helping your child(ren) fulfill their potential. The tagline for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
is “A Tradition of Excellence in Catholic Education.” To us, this is much more than words on a page. This is our promise to
you, and one we take very seriously.
As we close out the 2012-13 school year, we can say that we have much to be pleased with and proud about in our
schools. Our students are performing at levels that meet or exceed the provincial standards and average in most areas
of EQAO assessments. This speaks to the range of academic programs that are designed to meet the needs of the
diverse range of learners in our system. Catholic Education Week in May gave our students and schools the opportunity
to highlight the incredible work that takes place each day in our schools and provided a forum for our community to see
this work firsthand.
One of the exciting concepts Dufferin-Peel schools will notice is a commitment to 21st century learning. Trustees recently
approved a report entitled Forming our Catholic Vision for Learning in the 21st Century. This report outlines the board’s
vision of the what, why and how of 21st century learning in the context of our Catholic faith. Among themes and
understandings moving forward, is a commitment to technological and digital literacy. In this regard, one of the steps we
are taking is the installation of wireless technology in every school and board facility. I encourage you to read the report
which is posted on the board website at www.dpcdsb.org.
We invite parents and guardians to get engaged in Catholic education through your child(ren)’s school by joining the
Catholic School Council, attending council meetings and school functions and becoming aware of relevant issues and
events. There are also opportunities to receive information from the board on school and board issues and
achievements by signing up for eCommunity, a free information service provided through the board website at
www.dpcdsb.org or by following us on Twitter @DPCDSBSchools.
While this has indeed been a school year highlighted by significant success, it has also been a year that will see
significant change for Dufferin-Peel and other school boards across the province. Government mandated changes have
resulted in a major increase in administrative staff retirements. While retirements are part of the natural cycle of any
organization, we will be seeing a greater than usual number of administrative changes in our system in the fall.
It has been our honour and pleasure to serve as your trustee this past year. To those whose children are graduating and
leaving our system, I hope your experience has been a positive one that you will stay connected to Dufferin-Peel and
continue to be a Catholic school supporter. To those parents and guardians whose children remain with us, we look
forward to working on your behalf over the coming years. To all, it is our hope that you will have a safe and enjoyable
summer and experience God’s richest blessings in all that you do.