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
A. Tavares
S. Steer
D. D’Souza
N . Eisan
Parish
Past or
Associat e Past or
St. Anne Church
Fr. J. Cherickal
Fr. F. Marrone
PARENT NEWSLETTER MAY 2016
The Month of Mary
May is the month we dedicate to Mary, the mother of our Saviour,
Jesus. As we honour Mary and all mothers, we are reminded of the
many blessings mothers bestow upon their children each and every day.
Let us keep Mary and all mothers in our thoughts and prayers. Happy
Mother’s Day.
A Prayer to Our Lady
O Mary, recall the solemn moment when Jesus, your divine Son, dying on the Cross, confided us
to your maternal care.
You are our Mother, we desire ever to remain devout children.
Let us therefore feel the effects of your powerful intercession with Jesus Christ.
Holy Mary, help those in need, give strength to the weak, comfort the sorrowful, and pray for all
God’s people.
May all who seek your help, experience your unfailing protection. Amen.
Virtue for the Month of May: Acceptance
The virtue of Acceptance means we accept ourselves and others just the way we are.
Acceptance is the ability to respect the dignity and rights of people of all ages, beliefs,
genders, cultures and abilities. God created each of us in His image and belonging to
God’s family means that we love and welcome everyone just as Jesus did.
Catholic Education Week
May 1st – May 6th 2016
Theme: Opening Doors of Mercy
Monday: Mercy that welcomes
Tuesday: Mercy that loves
Wednesday: Mercy that forgives
Thursday: Mercy that lives the Gospel
Friday: Mercy that rejoices
Catholic Education Week begins Sunday to highlight the partnership that remains the foundation of Catholic
Education between our Catholic schools and local Catholic Parishes. During this special week, we ask you
to reflect on the significance of Catholic education’s presence and contribution to our Church, and in our
society. We invite all members of our community to participate in the celebrations and activities that will
mark the celebration of Catholic Education Week 2016 in our school.
Monday – Author Philip Roy visits
Tuesday – Aussie X Visits
Wednesday – Please join us for our Aussie X family night at 6:30
Thursday – Living Rosary @ 1:30
Friday – Closing Liturgy/Contest Special Event @ 2:00
Please support our Dr. Simone food/toiletries drive
Catholic School Council
Next Meeting:
Monday May 9th at 6:30
Friday May 13th
PD Day—
No school for students
Confirmation
Our grade 7s and 8s will
receive the Sacrament of
Confirmation on May 17 at
7:00pm at St. Anne’s
Parish.
EQAO Provincial Assessment 2016
Each year grade three and grade six
students in Ontario are assessed in
reading, writing and mathematics for a
period of five days. This year the dates
for this assessment are:
May 25, 26 and 31
and
June 1, 2 and 6
Please make every effort to ensure
your child’s regular attendance during
this time.
Thank you.
Creating classes for next year
During the month of May, we will be creating class lists for the 2016-17 school year. In every class, we
strive for a balance of learning styles, learning needs and a cross section of abilities. Please note that
combined classes will continue to exist. If you wish to provide input into the process, please submit a
written letter to Mrs. Tavares by May 2, 2016. Please frame your request in terms of educational
contexts (learning, emotional, social needs). Please note that letters which cite the names of individual
teachers will not be considered.
Join us for our Volunteer Appreciation Tea
Our school volunteers give so generously of their time and talents to make our children’s educational
experience “richer” in all areas. We would like to express our sincere appreciation by inviting our
volunteers to a “Volunteer Appreciation Tea” on Friday May 20, 2016 at 10:15 in the school library.
Thank you for all that you do!
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 must 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;
 It is strongly recommended that students not wear open toe shoes as they do not provide adequate
protection in the yard or on the stairs.
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. Thank you for your partnership in our
efforts to instill the values of good taste and modesty.
Criminal Reference Checks/ Declaration Forms
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 councildealing with children in any capacity, please contact the office for a criminal reference check form.
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 at 7750 Hurontario Street, Brampton, Ontario. It
is our hope that you can complete these forms and return them to the school office as soon as possible.
We have a number of school trips planned for the end of the year including a school Mass at St. Anne’s
Church and parent volunteers will be required to assist with meeting supervision ratios.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.
Knowledge is Power Fundraiser
Mrs. Dunec’s grade 5/6 class has been working hard on a very important project. It started off as an
inquiry into the manufacturers of our winter jackets, but as we researched deeper into how and where our
clothing was made we found out shocking information about what really happens behind the scenes.
Many factory workers endure long hours with little pay, their working conditions are very poor, and in
many factories there is terrible child labour. It is the cycle of poverty that is most concerning. Without
access to a proper education the children, and families, caught in this cycle have little hope for their
future.
In an effort to make a difference, our class decided to generate an action plan. Our plan includes things
like; writing letters to different company CEOs and government officials, asking them to take action,
creating an iMovie to share what we have learned with our school community, and the creation of our
Knowledge is Power fundraiser.
For our fundraising campaign we will be raising money by selling gimp and bead “Bag Tags” for $2.00 $3.00 each. All proceeds will be donated to two charities that believe education is the key to ending the
cycle of poverty. The first charity we selected is Indspire, which promotes education for Canadian
aboriginal youth. The second charity is Chalice, whose programs provide education, shelter, and nutrition
for children and elderly in developing countries. The Knowledge is Power fundraiser will run from
May 10th - 12th and we are asking our amazing SMG community to support our campaign. We are taking
action and you should too, together we can make change happen!
Important Upcoming Dates
May 1-6 – Catholic Education Week
May 3 – Aussie X school visit
May 4 – Aussie X Parent Evening - Please join us at 6:30!
May 9 – Council Meeting @ 6:30
May 13 – PA Day (no school for students)
May 17 – Confirmation for Grades 7 & 8 @ 7pm
May 19 – Welcome to FDK evening @ 6pm (NEW DATE!)
May 20 – Virtue Assembly @ 2pm (NEW DATE!)
May 20 – Volunteer tea at 10:15 am
May 25-June 8 – EQAO (grades 3 and 6)
June 8 – Year End Mass at St. Anne’s Church @ 10:30 (parent volunteers required)
June 13 – PA Day (no school for students)
June 20 – Senior Kindergarten Celebration of Learning @ 9:30
June 23 – Colour Groups
June 27 – Grade 8 Graduation luncheon, dance and ceremony
June 28 – Report Cards sent home
June 30 – School Wide Trip (details to follow)/Last Day of School