121 Royal Orchard Drive Brampton, Ontario L6X 4K9
TEL: (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
S. Steer
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 2014
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.
I would like to thank Linda Zanella, our Trustee and Sue Steer, our Superintendent for all of
their support and efforts on behalf of the St. Maria Goretti community.
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
Miss Franjic, Miss Khalid and Miss DeMaria who are finishing their placements at our school.
We thank 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:
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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
Criminal Reference Checks/ Declaration Forms
Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board has implemented 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
2014-2015 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 in September.
Pizza Days
The pizza day profits are used to supplement our student’s school experience. The
following outlines the variety of activities that were supported through the profits made
from pizza days this past year: School wide presentations focusing on anti-bullying,
supplement cost of student agendas, transportation for trips and for athletic events,
supplementing Graduation costs for both grade 8 and Senior Kindergarten, butterfly kits
for Kindergarten, materials for Colour Group activities, sponsoring a Foster Child,
Christmas Open House for the school community, crafts, outdoor play equipment for
each class, and indoor games for each class that students can use during inclement
weather.
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 Thursday, June 12, 2014. Invitations will be sent home via
your child.
We invite and encourage any parents/guardians to volunteer in the 2014-2015 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 27th or give your child written permission to take home
his/her medication the last day of school.
Medication storage for September 2014
2014 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 Wednesday, 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 Thursday, June 26th. The
last day of school is Friday, June 27, 2014.
Planning Ahead for September 2014
You will find an insert in your child’s report card envelope outlining procedures for the first day of
school in September as well as important information regarding transportation for September.
ARE YOU PLANNING TO MOVE?
If you are moving out of the St. Maria Goretti School area prior to September 2014, 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 Miss Sousa can make sure that our library is ready
for the new school year. All books and other library materials must be returned
to
Miss Sousa no later than June 13, 2014. 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 St. Maria 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: Thursday, 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 9th 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 Tuesday, June 17th 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.
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 24, 2014
We will celebrate the graduation of our grade eight students on June 24th at 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.
The Power of an Hour - Volunteer today to be an In-School Mentor
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel in collaboration with the Dufferin-Peel District School Board matches
elementary girls and boys with a caring adult mentor. Matches meet for one hour each week during school
hours and on school property to share in fun activities. The result -- increased self-esteem, better grades and
improved relationships with family and peers.
Children are in need of a mentor in schools in your area.
Volunteer today! Call 905-457-7288 or visit www.bbbspeel.com
Mark the date on your calendar...... St Anne's parish is having their annual Feast Day weekend
in July....... All are welcome!
St Anne's Parish Feast Celebrations, July 25th, 26th & 27th.
St Anne's Church 115 Vodden Street East, Brampton. 905 453-1303.
Friday July 25th - 7:00p.m. - Mass of Anointing.
Saturday 26th
- 9:15a.m. - Mass of Remembrance followed by pancakes and sausages and Children's
Carnival.
- 6:00p.m. - Cultural Night, entertainment, BBQ & Dancing.
Sunday July 27th -11:00a.m. Solemn Feast Mass with H.E. Bishop John A. Boissoneau, followed by an
outdoor procession, BBQ & entertainment.
COUNCIL CORNER
As we are entering into the final weeks of school and Council is now wrapping up its activities for this
year, I would like to take a moment on behalf of all Council Members and share with you some of our
accomplishments.
It has been a busy year indeed starting with our Chocolate Fund Raiser which with your generous support
to sell or buy those sweet morsels added to our funds enabling Council to purchase the Wall Padding for
the Gymnasium. We are proud to support initiatives that keep all our SMG kids safe. Our work continued
supporting literacy with the purchase of books for a Library Reading Project. This year we also continued
to support the Color Groups Project to promote school spirit by helping to purchase some materials they
needed. We were able to help forge parent engagement by sponsoring the March Family Movie Night
which was well attended and is now becoming an annual event that promotes family fun. The monies
raised from snack and water purchases during the night was donated to Share Life. Thank you SMG
families for helping us share our blessings with the greater community. We had fun creating a new
fundraising concept we called "Jazzy Jars" and our SMG kids/families joined in the excitement too. Thank
you to those who donated jars (each one was wonderfully unique) and those who purchased tickets. The
monies raised have helped us to fund our final project of the year that will support all SMG kids to
broaden their Catholic Spirituality. In the fall each classroom will have a beautiful Prayer Table to utilize
and help them grow stronger in faith and prayer. What a marvelous way to end our year!
Council would like to extend a thank you to all parents who made an effort to attend our meetings, your
presence and input was valued greatly. We hope you join us again in September. Remember;
"Many Hands Make Light Work" and "All are Welcome".
We would also like to acknowledge and thank Mrs. Eisan for all her hard work keeping our paperwork and
accounting in order.
Finally I would like to extend a gigantic thank-you to all Council Members including Mrs. Cvitanovic, Mrs.
Garcia, Mrs. Rodrigues, Mrs. DeLeye, Mrs. Demedeiros, Mrs. Little, Mrs. Page, Ms. Lewis and Mrs. Mifsud
for volunteering their time, energy and ideas. You are all AMAZING and I feel blessed to work with you.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Murphy, Council Chairperson
Important Upcoming Dates
June 4 – Senior Kindergarten A.M. Class ‘Moving Up’ Ceremony - 9:30 am.
June 4 - Senior Kindergarten P.M. Class ‘Moving Up’ Ceremony - 1:30 pm.
June 9 – P.A. Day – No Classes for Students
June 10 – Brampton West Track and Field Meet
June 12 - Volunteer Appreciation @ 10:10 am – 11:00 am - in school library
June 16 – Kindergarten Play Day
June 17 – End of Year Mass @ St. Anne Church - 10:30 a.m.
June 18 – St. Maria Goretti “Just Dance” Event – 1:20 p.m.
June 19 & 20 – Aussie X Group in to teach students Footie and Netball
June 23 – Awards Assembly – 8:45 a.m.
June 24 – Grade 8 Graduation - 6:30 pm.
June 25 – Report Cards go home
June 26 – “The Amazing Race” Play Day
June 27 – Bowling Trips
June 27 – Last Day of school
Sept 2 – First Day of School
Supporting and Advocating for Catholic Education
As parents/guardians of children in our publicly funded Catholic school system, you have a powerful voice, both as a
taxpayer and a constituent. Increasingly, we are seeing co-ordinated attacks on Catholic education, with calls for the
discontinuation of funding of the Catholic school system in Ontario, and the establishment of a single secular school
system. We see evidence of this through radio call-in shows, newspaper articles and opinion pieces, letters to the editor
and through various social media channels.
Your willingness to lend your voice in support of good news stories about Catholic education and/or to help counter
negative commentary, or attacks on Catholic education through media, or other means, is an important part of our
community’s effort to promote and maintain our strong, viable and relevant Catholic education system in Ontario.
From time to time, we may bring items to your attention, such as news articles, that may be in support of, or against
Catholic education. We will make you aware of opportunities to write a letter to the editor, call in to a radio talk show, or
simply vote in an online survey or other action that will indicate to the public and the government that there is a strong
presence of Catholic parents/guardians and supporters, who are passionate about Catholic education and who can
provide a balancing point of view to those who would attack, discredit and/or seek to end publically funded Catholic
education in Ontario.
Mainstream political parties in Ontario have stated their support for Catholic education. But, that does not mean that we
shouldn’t continue to impress upon our locally elected MPPs our desire to maintain the current system of publically funded
Catholic schools. Take a few minutes to write or call your MPP and let them know that you appreciate their continued
support, in this regard.
There are 3.9 million Catholics in Ontario; more than 600,000 students attend Ontario Catholic schools. We are strong.
But, we cannot be silent.
Coming soon to a Public Library Branch
near you!!
Why: To reinforce reading strategies introduced throughout the
school year and to sustain reading development over the summer
months in a fun parent/child interactive environment.
What: Each week for 6 weeks, Dufferin-Peel teachers will be
modelling and demonstrating a variety of reading comprehension
strategies during read-aloud sessions. Participants will receive a
“Parent Toolkit” and “Student Toolkit” to help support reading
throughout the summer.
Who: Students in Grade 1 through Grade 3, and their family
members.
Where: Select Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon and Orangeville
Public Libraries
When:
library
1 hour weekly (dates and times will vary depending on
locations)
Please look for the registration link on the Dufferin-Peel website, your child’s school
website or from your child’s teacher to enrol your child in the Ready Set Read! Club this
summer.