St. Maria Goretti Catholic Elementary School
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
Superint endent
Trust ee
Secret ary
S. Mifsud
S. Steer
D. D’Souza
N . Eisan
Parish
Past or
Associat e Past or
St. Anne Church
Fr. J. Cherickal
Fr. F. Morrone
PARENT NEWSLETTER: JUNE 2015
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 Francesco 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 Darryl D’Sousa, 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 would like to say a heartfelt farewell to two of our long-time staff members: Mrs. D’Paiva
and Mrs. Skikavich, we will always remember your time, talent and dedication to our students
and our school. We wish you well in your forthcoming retirement. We also say good bye to a
number of staff who will not be returning in September. Farewell to Miss Franjic, Miss Molinaro,
Mrs. Abraham and Miss Waters 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
2015-2016 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,
Supplementing the costs for the Grade 8 Ottawa trip, materials for Colour Group
activities, sponsoring a Foster Child, Christmas Open House for the school community,
crafts, and outdoor play equipment for classes.
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 25, 2015. Invitations will be sent home via
your child.
We invite and encourage any parents/guardians to volunteer in the 2015-2016 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 26th or give your child written permission to take home
his/her medication the last day of school.
Medication storage for September 2015
2015 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 24th. 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 25th. The
last day of school is Friday, June 26, 2015.
Planning Ahead for September 2015
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 2015, 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 Franjic can make sure that our library is ready
for the new school year. All books and other library materials must be returned
to
Miss Franjic no later than June 5, 2015. 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 FDK to 8
What: Scavenger Hunt
Where: School yard & Building
When: Thursday, June 25th
Why: To have fun & celebrate our year together
Stay tuned………………
More details to follow
Your Child’s Safety
Children are not supervised by teachers until 8:15 am. Do not drop off your children at school before
8:15 am. Their safety is our number one priority.
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 8th 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 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
Is my child eligible for bussing to St. Maria Goretti School (by student home address)?
When will Courtesy Seats (formerly Empty Seats) be assigned?
No Courtesy Seats will be assigned until October 2015. Courtesy Seats will only be
issued as directed by the Transportation department.
Please see attachments. For more information on bussing visit:
www.stopr.ca
http://businfo.stopr.ca
Grade 8 Graduation
June 22, 2015
We will celebrate the graduation of our grade eight students on June 22nd 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.
Medical Alerts – Severe Allergies
This year we will continue to have students with severe life threatening food allergies. This is a medical
condition that causes a severe reaction to certain allergens and can result in death within minutes.
Although this may not affect your child directly, please send lunches and snacks to school with
your children that are FREE of peanut, tree nut and shellfish products. We ask that you do not
send in food products for the whole class to celebrate birthdays or special occasions. A donation of
stickers, pencils, book or a game to the classroom is a safe alternative to food products and will be enjoyed
so much longer by the children. Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher if you have any concerns or
questions. We thank you for your co-operation and attention to this important health matter.
St. Anne's Parish Feast Celebrations:
July 24th, 25th & 26th. St Anne's Church 115 Vodden Street East, Brampton. 905 453-1303
Friday, July 24 - 7:00 p.m. Mass of Anointing Saturday, July 25 - 9:15 a.m. Mass of Remembrance (followed by
Pancake & Sausage Breakfast)
6:00 p.m. Cultural Night (at Notre Dame High School) Entertainment and BBQ
Sunday, July 26 - 11:00 a.m. Solemn Feast Mass celebrated by H.E. Bishop Vincent Nguyen
followed by an outdoor procession, BBQ and musical entertainment
Message from Trustee
Thank you for Choosing a Dufferin-Peel Catholic Education
Dear Parents and Guardians:
It seems that, all of a sudden, summer weather is upon us and so, incredibly, is the end of the 2014-15
school year. As we reflect back over the year, we can see that it was, in fact, a very successful year for
Dufferin-Peel students in terms of achievement, success and well-being. With steadily rising EQAO scores,
matching or surpassing the provincial standard and averages in most assessment areas, and graduation
rates that are among the highest in the province, this board continues to be defined, in part, by our high
levels of success and achievement. Yet, we are much more than that. Our commitment to helping each
student fulfil their potential, through the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations, means that our
students graduate with the tools to become good, solid contributing members of the communities in which
they will live.
As trustees, we see the contribution of dedicated teaching and support staff, administrators and senior
management working together with trustees facilitate conditions that we can to facilitate success. We also
see, firsthand, the important role of our parents/guardians, working in concert with the school and the
parish in fostering conditions for success and well-being.
So, as we complete the final leg of the journey that is the 2014-15 school year, we thank
parents/guardians for choosing a Dufferin-Peel Catholic education for your child(ren) and for entrusting
them into our care. It is a responsibility for which we are grateful and one that we cherish very much. To
our students, thank you for all you have done to contribute to the life of your school. For those who are
graduating and moving on to post-secondary education or the world of work, may God continue to go with
you and bless you on your journey. To our returning students and families, we look forward to seeing you
in September.
Blessings and best wishes for a peaceful and restful summer.
Darryl D’Souza
This year students and staff at St. Maria Goretti participated in a number of activities to raise
funds for ShareLife. Together we have raised $571.17 for ShareLife.
Important Upcoming Dates
June 3-5 – Intermediate Ottawa Trip
June 5 - Senior Kindergarten Classes ‘Moving Up’ Ceremony - 9:00 am.
June 8 – P.A. Day – No Classes for Students
June 10 - The Ned Show @ SMG
June 10 – Brampton West Track and Field Meet
June 17 – End of Year Mass @ St. Anne Church - 10:30 a.m.
June 22 – Grade 8 Graduation
June 23 – Gr. 7 & 8 Immunization Clinic
June 24 – Report Cards go home
June 25 – Volunteer Tea
June 26 – Bowling Trips
June 26 – Last Day of school
Sept 8 – First Day of School
Oct 1-
Curriculum Night and BBQ
Oct 6-
First School Council Meeting/Election @ 6:20 pm
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.
MICROSOFT OFFICE PRO PLUS
Microsoft Canada has released a program for all students giving us the capability to download the Microsoft
Office Suite entirely free of charge. As a Board that is eligible for this program, students can download
the full Office product across PCs and Macs, iPads, Android tablets, iPhones and Android phones as no cost
for use at home and in the classroom. This process is entirely supported by Microsoft and given the value
of this initiative to students, we hope you will make full use of the program. Microsoft has taken this step
to build on a longstanding commitment of Microsoft to education and helping equip students in and outside
the classroom to realize their full potential and benefit of these tools. If you are interested in this
program, please let your son/daughter’s teacher know via their agenda and further information
will be sent home.
Many Thanks To Our Amazing School Council
It has been a very busy year for your School Council. Every year, the Chocolate bar fundraiser
profits are directed to a number of initiatives to support our students at St. Maria Goretti
School.
Some of these initiatives include:
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Family Evening of playing “Footy” with Aussie X
Student Transportation for school bowling trip
School Sound System
Welcome to Kindergarten Presentation
Cancer Society initiatives
Graduation Cakes for Grade 8s and Senior Kindergarten
Painting of games on pavement for Kindergarten yard and back pavement area
As you can see, the school council accomplished a lot this year. Our school is very special and
lucky to have such a group working so diligently behind the scenes to make sure all of our
students have great experiences at school.
As we look forward to next year, I would encourage you to consider becoming a part of this
wonderful group of volunteers. You can be involved as little or as much as you like, it is up to
you. Please think about donating your ideas, opinions and talents.