St. Maria Goretti Catholic Elementary School
121 Royal Orchard Drive Brampton, Ontario L6X 4K9
TEL (905) 454 - 4458
FAX (905) 454 – 0360
Principal
Superint endent
Trust ee
Secret ary
S. Mifsud
S. Steer
L. Zanella
N . Eisan
Parish
Past or
Associat e Past or
St. Anne Church
Fr. J. Cherickal
Fr. F. Morrone
“CHILDREN ARE OUR FOCUS. THEIR GOOD IS AT THE CENTRE OF ALL THAT WE DO”
PARENT NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER
2014
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.
Our school community is strengthened through our partnerships, none being more important than our parish
team, our active Catholic School Council, our Superintendent, Sue Steer and our Trustee, Linda Zanella. Our
students respond respectfully and enthusiastically to each faith and school initiative; this can only be
attributed to the values modeled by their parents and guardians.
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. Samai; who will be teaching the grade 7/8 class, Ms. Franjic; who will be the
teacher librarian and planning time teacher, Ms. Khalid; who will be teaching the grade 5/6 class, Ms. Nowak;
who will be teaching the grade 2 class, Ms. Haddad; who will be teaching French, Mrs. Pacheco and Ms. Batarseh;
who are the DECEs for our Kindergarten classes, Ms. Accurso; who will be in the role of Educational Resource
Worker, and Mrs. Gordon; who will be our Child and Youth Worker. We would like to congratulate Mrs. Mandaric
on the birth of her baby boy, Madame Catenacci on the birth of her baby girl and Mrs. Raju on the birth of her
baby boy!
We hope to see all of you at our Open House and BBQ night on Thursday, October 2nd. Please save this date on
your calendars, more details will follow.
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 2014/2015 school year will be the best one yet for
everyone. May God bless us as we journey together.
S. Mifsud
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 Friday,
September 12, 2014. If your child’s class placement
changes, you will be notified on or before September
12th.
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 J. Cherickal and Father F. Morrone, 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 8:00 a.m.,
9:30a.m., and 11:30 a.m.
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
12:30 p.m. - 1:20 p.m. Nutrition Break 2
3:00 p.m. - Dismissal
PD DAY
Friday, September 12, 2014
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.
Date Change: First Meeting
October 6th – Catholic School Council meeting at 3:10
pm.
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board
news and information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools.
Follow us on Twitter @DPCDSBSchools
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.
Volunteers
Any individual who works as an employee of the
Board or volunteers to assist with our programs
MUST have a Criminal Reference Check (CRC)
completed by Peel Police.
As of September 2013, ALL volunteers had to
have a CRC, even for one-time events, such as
field trip supervision.
We strongly recommend that parents/guardians
who are interested in supporting our school
programs in this manner, please begin this process
as soon as possible. For all volunteers, CRCs are
free of charge. Further information and forms
are available through the school office.
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 your child may have.
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 and were sent home in June.
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 Tuesday, October 28.
Parents of students in grade 7, and female students
in grade 8 must complete the consent forms that will
be sent home, and return them to their child’s
teacher, if they would like their child to receive the
vaccination.
School Insurance - Highly Encouraged
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board does
not provide accident insurance coverage for student
injuries that occur on school premises or during school
activities. As required by the Education Act and the
Ministry of Education, the Dufferin-Peel CDSB annually
provides parents with information regarding costeffective student accident insurance coverage.
Although enrolment is voluntary, the board encourages
parents to take advantage of this inexpensive insurance
coverage.
You may purchase coverage for your child at
www.insuremykids.com, or by completing the brochure
that will be sent home via the school or by calling toll
free at 1-800-463-5437.
Scent Sensitivity Awareness
DPCDSB has a scent sensitivity awareness campaign
that provides information regarding allergies to scented
products. For more information about scent sensitivity,
please visit: www.dpcdsb.org
Toonie Tuesdays
Toonie Pizza Days will be offered every Tuesday. The
students will only have the choice of pepperoni pizza
and it will cost $2.00 per slice. The money raised will
be used to supplement student resources and
activities. Orders will be taken and money will be
collected every Tuesday morning. Please bring your
own snacks and drinks.
First Toonie Tuesday is September 9th
"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.
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.
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).
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.
The following reviews the school protocol:
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.
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.
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.
P.E.D Policy (personal electronic devices)
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.
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 phoning. 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.
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.
Terry Fox Run
The Fall of 2014 marks the 34th year of the amazing
and courageous charity run of Terry Fox. A Terry Fox
Run/walk will be held at the school on Wednesday,
September 24th.
Our school goal this year is to raise $1500.00. The first
division to all bring in a donation will win a movie showing
for the division! We have pledge sheets attached if you
as a family wish to collect pledges. We ask that all
monies be in by Tuesday, September 30, 2014.
Nutritional Breaks
Pediculosis
Students are encouraged to bring healthy food for
these two nutrition breaks. Please do not send any
foods containing nuts or tree nut products as a snack or
lunch.
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.
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.
Head Injury Policy
When a student receives an injury/bump to the head
(however minor), it is a Board Policy that we inform
parents. Either a note will be left in your child’s agenda,
or a phone message will be left at one of your contact
numbers. This is precautionary only, and we ask that you
check your child when he/she gets home for any signs
of a concussion or illness.
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
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.
 Students are discouraged from using our school
phones to make arrangements to go home with
friends, staying for sporting events or other
activities.
Our Opening Mass is scheduled for Monday,
September 29, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. in the school gym.
Please join us.
School Photo Day
Friday, October 10, 2014
Details will be sent home via your child.
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.
Valuables
Students should not bring valuables or
items of importance to school. The school
cannot assume responsibility for valuables
brought to school.
Daycare Providers
We have had a number of parents
enquiring about home daycare providers.
If you provide daycare services and have
openings, you are welcome to advertise in
our parent corner at the main entrance.
Pets on School Property
There are no pets allowed on school
property during the school day. This
includes drop off and pick up times.
Please call the school if you have any
questions regarding this Board policy.
 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 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.
FACT SHEET FOR PARENTS OF ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN
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.
 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 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.
forward to working together again this year to keep our
school environmentally friendly!!
 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.
 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.
Eco Schools- We got Silver!
Last year for the third year in a row our school was
designated an eco-school. The school’s Green Grizzlies
worked very hard on many projects that allowed our
school to be granted this designation. On behalf of the
Green Grizzlies we wish to thank all the students and
parents who supported our initiatives last year and look
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
Important Dates:
Sept 9 - Toonie Tuesday
Sept 12 – P.A. Day – No Classes for Students
Sept 17 – CSC nomination forms due
Sept 19 – CSC Elections if needed
Sept 24 – Terry Fox Run
Sept 26 – Virtue Assembly 1:30 p.m. (parents
welcome)
Sept 29 – School Mass in the gym (parents
welcome)
Oct. 2 – Open House (details to follow)
Oct. 6 - School Council Meeting 3:10 p.m.
Oct. 10 - School Picture Day
Oct. 28 - Grade 7 & 8 Immunization Clinic