2840 Duncairn Drive
Mississauga, Ontario
L5M 5C6
(905) 812-5445 Fax# (905) 812-4922
Follow Us on Twitter@DPCDSBSchools
Principal
L. Calabrese
Vice Principal
S. Krolewski
Head Secretary
C. Pelkey
Assistant Secretary
K. Persaud
School Council Chairs
D. Langley
B. Coady
Superintendent
T. Cruz
Mississauga North
Trustees
E. O’Toole-Ward 9
L. del Rosario-Ward 11
Parish
Merciful Redeemer
2775 Erin Centre Blvd.
Miss., ON. L55 5W2
905-812-0030
ADMINISTRATORS’ MESSAGE
Lenten Season
As we move forward in the Lenten Season,
did you know …
…… the ashes used to mark our foreheads
are made by burning last year’s palms carried
so joyfully on Palm Sunday. Sackcloth and
ashes were outward signs of penitence in
bygone days, however, we have dispensed
with the sackcloth.
….. that Shrove Tuesday is the day on
which one should be “shriven” or cleansed of
our sins in preparation for keeping Lent.
Mardi Gras, literally “fat Tuesday” was a day
to use up all fat and rich ingredients such as
butter, sugar, meat, etc. The colours of Mardi
Gras are gold, green and purple to
correspond with the gifts of the Magi—gold,
frankincense and myrrh.
…… the forty days of Lent match the forty
days Jesus spent in the desert and the forty
days of the Great Flood, during which the ark
was adrift.
Pastor
Fr. Vid Vlasic
Associate Pastor
Fr. Scott Birchall
School Website
www.dpcdsb.org/DMRCY
Together in Christ,
L. Calabrese
Principal
S. Krolewski
Vice Principal
You, the one
From whom on
different paths
All of us have come.
To whom on
different paths
All of us are going.
Make strong in our
hearts what unites
us.
Build bridges across
all that divides us;
United make us
rejoice in our
diversity.
At one in our
witness to your
peace,
A rainbow of your
glory.
Amen
NEW DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION MARIANNE MAZZORATO
We welcome Marianne Mazzorato as our new Director of
Education. Ms. Mazzorato began her career at Dufferin-Peel in
1983. During her 32 years as an educator, she has served as
Elementary Teacher, Vice-Principal, Principal, Superintendent
of Schools, Superintendent of Program and, for the past two
years, as Superintendent of Early Years, Community
Partnerships/Relations. From 2011-2013, she was seconded to
the Education Quality and Assessment Office (EQAO) as Chief
Assessment Officer.
THE VIRTUE OF THE MONTH
During the month of February we will focus on the virtue of
RESPECT.
Respect should come first and foremost from ourselves. We
have to respect ourselves and then we will be able to respect
others. We should also be able to expect to be treated with
respect by everyone we meet – our brothers and sisters in Jesus.
Through prayer and concentration, we can get better at
respecting ourselves as well as respecting those around us.
A respectful person …
• treats himself/herself and everyone else with equal
consideration and courtesy
• uses a positive tone of voice and body language
• avoids swearing, name-calling, put-downs, and inappropriate
gestures
• says “excuse me”, “please”, “pardon me”
• avoids gossip
Let us pray this month, for the grace and courage to be people of
respect –so that everyone we meet will feel like we are their
brother and sister in Christ.
We want to thank you for supporting our efforts at home in
reinforcing with our children the 10 virtues which can be found
in your child’s agenda.
PRAYER TO ST. VALENTINE
God has given us the virtues of friends and companions to keep
us company and to help us along the way.
Every person in our lives carries the Spirit of God – and so every
person is our brother or sister through Jesus Christ.
As brothers and sisters who share one Holy Spirit, we are all
valuable to God. We all deserve to be shown courtesy,
consideration, sensitivity, and thoughtfulness which are different
ways of saying respect.
We are thankful for the gift of love,
and for the gift of knowing
that you are watching over us
in everything that we do.
Your power of healing and love for others has shown us
the true meaning of loving others, ourselves and most of all,
God.
The first blooms of crocus flowers in spring
symbolize a celebration of new life,
a new beginning and a new person in all of us.
Your continuous blessings of hope, strength, courage and love
will
strengthen and enrich our faith in you.
Carry us on your wings of love and sweet flowing grace.
Inspire us to help others and dedicate our lives
into service for others.
Guide us through life and through all obstacles and difficulties.
Let us not be tempted to do things against your will.
Let peace and justice be in our hearts and let helping others be
our mission.
This we ask through Jesus Christ’s name.
St. Valentine pray for us.
Amen.
SCHOOL HOURS
8:15 Supervision in the yard
8:30 School Entry
10:30 – 10:45 Morning Recess
11:30 – 12:30 Lunch
2:00 – 2:15 Afternoon Recess
3:00 Dismissal
Please note that supervision in the playground begins at 8:15
AM. Please do not leave your children unattended in the school
grounds before the teachers begin their duty. At 8:15, we would
ask all parents to leave the pavement area for the safety of all the
children.
ATTENDANCE
Our attendance line is: 905-812-5445 (Press #1). Please call to
register an absence. You can call 24hrs a day including
weekends if you know your child will be absent from school.
An answering machine is available to take information.
Please provide the following information:
• Name(s) of student(s)
• Name of student’s teacher(s)
• Grade of student(s)
• Reason for absence
L5M 5W2
Tel: (905) 812-0030
Fax: (905) 812-0011
Pastor: Father Vid Vlasic
Email: office@mercifulredeemer.org
Website: http://www.mercifulredeemer.org/index.html
YOUTH MASS at Merciful Redeemer Parish every Saturday at
7:00 p.m. Bring your friends and join us for an exciting
celebration!
SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL
If you would like to help with any of the special events, or
would like to have input on the various initiatives that are being
planned for this year, please join us at our next meeting on
Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 6:30pm. At this meeting our
Trustee Esther O’Toole will be speaking as well as our Peel
Health Nurse Natalie Di Santo.
Please mark down our School Council Meeting dates for the
remainder of the school year: April 12, 2016 and May 10, 2016.
Next School Council Meeting
Tuesday, February 9, 2016 @ 6:30pm
If an absence is not reported, our policy is to call home to verify
student absenteeism. A parent or guardian must sign out students
at the office who leave early.
All students are expected to attend school regularly and
punctually. There has been an increase of students coming to
school after 8:30am. This is particularly disruptive to the
school, the class, and the individual child who is late. It is
most difficult for a child to be fully engaged in a lesson when
the lesson has already begun without them.
All students who arrive after 8:30am or 12:30pm must
obtain a late slip from the office. This measure is to ensure
the safety of your child. We thank you for your continued
support in following this procedure.
All Divine Mercy School Parents
are invited to join us.
RECONCILIATION
On Tuesday, February 16, 2016 our grade 2’s will celebrate the
sacrament of reconciliation at Merciful Redeemer Parish. Thank
you to Father Vid and Father Scott for their spiritual guidance.
Thank you Sister Diane for helping to prepare our students with
our staff Mrs. McKinnon, Mlle. Noble, Mr. Tomas, Mme.
Bianchi-Wynne.
MERCIFUL REDEEMER PARISH
REPORT CARDS
2775 Erin Centre Boulevard
Mississauga, Ontario
First term report cards for
students in Grades 1 to 8 will be
sent home on Tuesday, February
2, 2016. Along with the report
card, you will receive a
confirmation time for your
report card conference. This
conference will include the
student, the teacher and the
parents/guardians. Junior and Senior Kindergarten students will
receive their report cards in June.
During this first conference, the teachers would like to see and
speak with all parents and students in JK-Grade 8, in order to
discuss the first term and also to make plans and set goals for the
second term.
exercises, then, Divine Mercy’s Carnaval is the place to be!
This year, we are thrilled to announce that all classes will have
the opportunity to meet and take pictures with Bonhomme
Carnaval! This year will also feature an afternoon Carnaval
presentation for the grade 1 to 5 students and an afternoon
Carnval dance for grades 6 to 8 on Friday February 12 th, 2016.
C’est fantastique! Thank you to Mllle Parsons, Mme Doiron, and
Mme. Bianchi-Wynne.
Interviews will take place on the evening of Thursday, February
4, 2016 and Friday, February 5, 2016.
FRENCH CLUB
ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY
DAY: MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2016
Terms of the recent contract settlement between the teacher
federations and the Ministry of Education included the provision
of an additional Professional Activity Day for the 2015-2016
school year for both elementary and secondary schools.
In the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, the
designated additional Professional Activity Day has been
scheduled for Monday, April 11, 2016.
Therefore, there will be no classes for either elementary or
secondary students on Monday, April 11, 2016.
Bonjour! Our school’s French club is well underway! Students
from grades 4-6 who have signed up for the club, meet every
Wednesday at lunch recess to engage in activities that
complements their French learning. Recently, the students
learned how to draw the Eiffel Tower, one of the iconic
structures that represents France. Students were introduced to
how this structure was built using wrought iron lattice and how
the tower is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel. In the
upcoming months, The French club will be watching French
movies, signing French songs and will be learning cultural
dances of France. We look forward to “avoir du plaisir" in our
French club. Thank you Mme Costanzo, Mme Trinca, Mme
Makoudjou.
SAFE SCHOOL WELCOME PROGRAM
The province’s Safe School Welcome Program provided all
schools with the installation of front door speaker/buzzer/video
monitoring system. The installation of this system allows us to
proactively enhance the safety and security of students and staff
by locking all doors after classes begin. In keeping with the safe
schools program, as of Monday, January 18, 2016 PLASP
students will enter and exit through the kindergarten doors.
Students who arrive late to school will have to enter through the
front doors. On rainy days a staff member will be at the side
door to allow students into the building from kiss-n-ride. Thank
you in advance for your continued support and cooperation.
MUCH MUSIC DANCE-A-THON
Our Major school Fundraiser Dance-A-Thon will be taking place
on Friday, February 26, 2016. Pledge forms and an information
letter have been sent home. We are encouraging all students to
get as many pledges as possible for this event. All funds raised
will be used for various events and initiatives that support all
students at Divine Mercy. Let’s make this year’s event the best
one ever!
CARNAVAL
Winter is here and Divine Mercy will be hosting a school-wide
Winter Carnaval on February 9th, 2016! It will be an action
packed morning filled with fabulous winter themed fun for all to
enjoy. If you like crafts, physical activity and team building
ASH WEDNESDAY
We will be having our Ash
Wednesday
celebration
on
Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at
10:30am. All are welcome to join
us as we receive ashes and begin
our Lenten season.
Loving God,
we enter the season of Lent in the spirit of joy giving
ourselves to spiritual strife,
cleansing our soul and body,
controlling our passions,
as we limit our food, living on the virtues of the Holy Spirit;
May we persevere in our longing for Christ so as to be
worthy to behold
His most solemn Passion and the most holy Passover,
rejoicing while with spiritual joy.
Amen.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
SCHOOL SPORTS / CLUBS CHESS
Every year, Canadians are invited to
participate in Black History Month festivities
and events that honour the legacy of black
Canadians, past and present. Canadians take
this time to celebrate the many achievements
and contributions of black Canadians who,
throughout history, have done so much to
make Canada the culturally diverse, compassionate and
prosperous nation it is today. During Black History Month,
Canadians can gain insight into the experiences of black
Canadians and their vital role in the community.
The Divine Mercy
Chess Clubs have been
meeting to learn and
share their expertise in
chess. We would like
to thank our coaches,
Ms. Sass, Mr. Tomas and Ms. Silvestri. The clubs are preparing
for the upcoming Mississauga North Chess Tournament on
Friday, March 4, 2016 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel– 8:00
AM to 2:00 PM.
BASKETBALL
MARCH BREAK
The March Break will be Monday, March 14, 2015 to Friday,
March 18, 2016. Students and staff will return to school on
Monday, March 21, 2016 at 8:30 AM.
FAMILY DAY
Monday, February 15, 2016 is Family Day and
there will be no school for students and staff. We
hope that you enjoy the day with your family and
loved ones.
Congratulations to the following boys who
have made the junior basketball team; Steven,
Fady, Aidan, Michael, Jericho, Charlie, Ryan,
Adam, Zein, Matthew, Jesse and Leo. We
have just begun our season and have played
two exhibition games so far. The boys are
showing amazing improvement in their skills and great team
work. We look forward to our season starting on Feb. 9 against
St. Elizabeth Seton followed by games against St Joseph's on the
16th and St Rose of Lima on the 17th. Good luck boys. Go
Dragons Go!
DIVINE MERCY HOCKEY TEAM
EQAO 2015
Each year all 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 to
June 8, 2016. Please keep this in mind when
booking appointments / vacations.
The Divine Mercy Ice Dragons
competed in day two of the All
Saints Hockey Tournament. It was
another day of action packed,
edge of your seat hockey. The Ice
Dragons won one game and lost
two. They finished the tournament
with a record of 4 wins and 2 losses. In the end, the team won
the silver medal in the consolation round final. The team showed
tremendous skill and effort and the coaches are very proud of all
of their achievements. Hopefully other tournaments are in their
near future. Go Ice Dragons Go!
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
custodial arrangements between parents that may affect your
child during school hours. Please ensure that a copy of the Court
Order is on file at the school office.
STEELHEADS COMMUNITY EVENING
The Divine Mercy Hockey team and Choir
sang The National Anthem for the
Mississauga Steelheads on Wednesday,
February 3rd, 2016. The Mississauga
Steelheads are a junior ice hockey team in
the Ontario Hockey League.
Prior to the game Divine Mercy students
and families had the opportunity for a free
skate at Hershey Centre. Thank you Mrs. Mezgec, Mrs. Drake,
Ms. Parson, Mrs. Thomas, Mr. Martins and Mr. Azevedo.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR
EXCURSIONS
ACTIVITIES
AND
Students will have the opportunity to take field trips and
participate in a number of extra-curricular activities. Permission
forms will be sent home to be filled out, signed and promptly
returned to school.
NO STUDENT WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE ON
A TRIP OR EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY WITHOUT
WRITTEN
CONSENT
FROM
THEIR
PARENT
/GUARDIAN.
VERBAL
CONSENT
OVER
THE
TELEPHONE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
No exceptions will be allowed. Teachers give ample notice for
trip consent forms. We encourage parents to support these
educational opportunities by volunteering to assist and supervise
these excursions. For the safety of your child, excursions
lacking appropriate adult supervision will be cancelled.
ALLERGIES
We would like to inform you that Divine Mercy School is an
allergen aware school. We have a number of students in our
school who have severe allergic life threatening reactions to
peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oils, any peanut/nut by-products
and dairy products. As in the past, we are asking you to not put
any child at risk, therefore, are requesting that PEANUTS,
PEANUT BUTTER, PEANUT OILS, ANY PEANUT/NUT
BY-PRODUCTS NOT BE BROUGHT INTO THE
SCHOOL. WE ASK THAT YOU READ THE LABELS OF
ALL FOOD ITEMS SENT TO SCHOOL. A letter was sent
home the first day of school which addressed this issue for each
particular class. We are asking parents not to send food items
to school when celebrating your child’s birthday since there
are many alternatives such as pencils, stickers, etc.
BUSSING
STOPR(Student Transportation
of Peel Region)
Stopr
is
providing
bus
transportation services for the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board. The STOPR website address is www.stopr.ca.
This website provides access to up to date information regarding
delayed buses and bus cancellations due to inclement weather.
To check for eligibility for transportation, please access the
following website: businfo.stopr.ca.
STOPR Telephone Contact Information:
905-890-6000
TRANSPORTATION CANCELLATIONS
During the winter months inclement weather may
cause disruption of bus transportation and regular
school operations. A decision to cancel school
transportation and/or to close schools is
usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be
announced on the following radio and
television stations:
VIRGIN RADIO FM99.9
CHUM AM1050
CFTR AM680
CFNY FM102.1/AM640
CJCL AM590
CHFI FM98.1
NEWSTALK1010 AM EZ ROCK
FM97.3
CJBC (FR) AM860
FM Z103.5
FM93.1
FM Q107
CHIN FM100.7/AM1540
CBC99.1 CITYPULSE
GLOBAL NEWS
CTV
CANADA AM
We will be communicating one of six standard messages to the
radio stations. The two announcements that pertain to Divine
Mercy and their effect on the transportation system are as
follows: (Please note that the highlighted text only will be
communicated by the radio stations).
“THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE
PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES
IN THE CITY OF MISSISSAUGA ARE
CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”
This means that ALL buses which operate into,
out of, and within the City of Mississauga are
cancelled for the entire day.
“ALL BUSES ARE CANCELLED AND THE
SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE
DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ARE
CLOSED”.
This means that ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board and Peel District School board schools and offices are
closed to all students and staff.
MOVING?
If you are planning to move out of the
Divine Mercy school area or change
address within our boundaries, please let
the office know as soon as possible.
Please keep us informed of any address, phone number or
medical changes for your children. It is of the utmost importance
that our records be up to date. If your child should get sick or
hurt, we must have accurate contact information.
REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS
COLD WEATHER DRESS
Interested in volunteering at Divine Mercy
School for 2016? During the school year,
volunteers support programs and activities
at the school. We appreciate and rely on
parents who can devote a small portion of
their time to help. You may pick up a Criminal Reference
Check Form at the school office.
The cold weather is upon us. Please ensure
that students dress accordingly. This includes
proper gloves, hats, scarves, jackets, coats, and
boots. Board Guidelines indicate that students
will generally be outside for recesses when
temperatures do not fall below –20 degrees
Celsius, with the wind chill. As such, appropriate clothing is
essential. Please note that students should have indoor shoes
during the winter months. Thank you in advance for your
continued support and cooperation.
People who volunteer in schools and attend trips are required to
have completed Criminal Reference Checks, which can be
picked up from our school office and taken to Police
Headquarters listed on the form. Once the form is completed,
your volunteer service can begin. We look forward to working
with you for the betterment of all students at Divine Mercy
School.
STORAGE
/
MEDICATION
ADMINISTRATION
SNOW AND ICE
Please remind your children that their safety is of the utmost
importance to us. Snow is always to stay on the ground.
Snowball throwing or kicking snow or ice at anyone is not
permitted at Divine Mercy.
OF
PEDICULOSIS
Parents are responsible for ensuring that all medication and
forms are updated annually. If your child requires medication,
please have all pertinent forms completed and returned with the
medication to the office as soon as possible.
Head Lice is a common problem which occurs at some time in
most schools at least once every year. Head lice are parasites
which have been common among human beings for centuries.
They are not connected in any way with dirt or neglect. If a case
is found in our school, we shall inform parents of the students in
that classroom with a letter. We have had a number of cases so
we ask that you also check your own children regularly. If you
find them to be infested, please notify the office. For more
information
go
to
the
following
link:
http://www.peelregion.ca/health/topics/headlice/.
AFTER HOURS SCHOOL ACCESS
When school closes at 3:00pm students should
be leaving with all the homework and books that
they may need for the evening. We strongly
encourage students to do this.
If they do need to return to the school for forgotten homework,
they have until 4:00pm to do so. They are to come back with
their parent, other family member, or guardian and report to the
school office. If the office is closed they are to look for the
Custodian working on the first floor of the school who will assist
them.
LOST AND FOUND
We often find lost items at Divine Mercy
School. Items like shoes, socks, hats,
jackets, gloves etc. are collected and placed
in the ‘lost and found’ box. Please look
through it to see if any items belong to you.
At the end of the school year, all remaining items will be
donated to charity.
SCHOOL WEB SITE
We have updated our school website. This site will be
continually updated and has information for parents regarding
school calendar information, newsletters and school updates.
Visit www.dpcdsb.org and link onto the Elementary site at
Divine Mercy Elementary School @ www.dpcdsb.org/DMRCY.
Thank you Mr. Martins for keeping our website up to date.
SIGN UP TODAY!
Parents and guardians of Dufferin-Peel
Catholic students can stay up-to-date
with the latest board news and
information by joining the DufferinPeel
eCommunity. Members will receive the
latest news and information by email, including news releases,
school activities and events, board meeting highlights, school
and bus cancellations, plus useful tips for parents and students.
Sign up online at www.dpcdsb.org.
DPCDSB is on Twitter! For the latest board news
and information, follow us @DPCDSB Schools.
EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN
In the unforeseen event that we should have an emergency at our
school, we will evacuate to:
Our Lady of Mercy School
5820 Glen Erin Drive
(905) 814-9216
Safety regulations and Board Policy require us to have this
contingency plan in place. In the event of an evacuation to the
school, your child will remain at Our Lady of Mercy until we are
able to contact you and make arrangements for pick up.
ST. ALOYSIUS GONZAGA
SECONDARY SCHOOL
As part of our partnership with St. Aloysius
Gonzaga Secondary School we will, from time
to time, provide you with information about
important dates or events at Gonzaga. It is our
hope that through the sharing of this
information, to strengthen our ties to our Secondary School and to
assist the administration and staff of St. Aloysius Gonzaga in
keeping parents and the community informed of events that are
occurring at the high school. The link to the Secondary site at St.
Aloysius Gonzaga S.S. is www.dpcdsb.org/GONZA.
HEALTHY EATING AND ECOSCHOOLS
PIZZA DAYS
Students have been participating weekly in a
fabulous Pizza lunch, by Pizza Pizza.
There will be 20 pizza lunches taking us
from September 22, 2015 to February 16,
2016. The remaining dates are as follows:
February 2, 9, 16 New dates are: Feb 23
March 1, 8, 22, 29,
April 5, 12, 19,26
May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 June 7, 14, 21, 28
DIVINE MERCY IS AN ECO SCHOOL
We would like to thank all of the parent volunteers and the
Divine Mercy School Council Pizza Committee for their hard
work and dedication
KIDSSENTIALS
The Kidssentials hot lunch program has already begun for
this school year! Kidssentials brings hot lunches to Divine
Mercy every Wednesday.
Did you forget to place your order? The next hot lunch day is
fast approaching, so be sure to place your order online today!
The Kidssentials fresh served program is very popular with the
students and staff, offering a great variety of healthy, delicious
meal options – Not to mention, it’s a break from packing lunch!
Go to www.kidssentials.com/parents and log in or create an
account. To order for any future lunch dates, we require at least
two business days’ notice.
Questions? 905.855.1914
www.kidssentials.com
/
mail@kidssentials.com
At Divine Mercy School, we will be promoting Healthy Eating
throughout the school year by encouraging our students to bring
in healthy snacks and lunches. Students will be able to
participate in activities in their classrooms and projects that
encourage healthy eating.
/
We are an Eco School. What does this
mean? In February, we celebrate the virtue
of RESPECT and as an Eco School we try
to respect the environment. Our school tries
to recycle all paper and plastic materials in
our blue bins. On Fridays we turn lights off
in the afternoon. We promote litterless
lunches. This can include using plastic
containers and reuseable water bottles. We also promote
"Boomerang lunches" where students are asked to consider
taking home any compostables (eg. peels, sandwich crusts,
uneaten food). Please put the compostable waste from school in
your green bins at home. The Region of Peel waste management
does not have the capability to compost in our schools at this
time. This will help with our schools waste consumption. Let’s
together try to make the world a better place. We would like to
thank Mrs. van der Ster and Mrs Commisso for all of their
efforts in making us a more Eco Friendly school.
NEWS FROM THE LIBRARY
ERIC WALTERS:
Award-winning Canadian author Eric Walters will be presenting
at Divine Mercy school to our grades 5-8 students on Friday
February 12th at 9:00 am. Students in the Red Maple Book Club
and The Silver Birch Express Book clubs have been reading his
latest book titles. We also have many of Eric Walters book titles
in Divine Mercy’s school library. You can find out more about
the novels on the author’s website: www.ericwalters.net. Parents
are welcome to join us as Eric Walters inspires our students with
his literature!
Forest of Reading:
The Forest of Reading titles have
been announced and the students
are extremely busy reading the
various nominated books. The
students are very excited about the
many reading programs, which run
through the school library: Blue
Spruce (FDK, grades 1, 2 and 3);
Silver Birch Express (grades 3 and 4); Le Prix Tamarac Express
(grades 3 and 4 French Immersion) Silver Birch- Fiction and
Non Fiction (grades 5-6), and the Red Maple Fiction (grades 7
and 8). The students in Silver Birch and Red Maple have an
online component to the Reading club in the form of a wiki. The
students are able to post comments about the books that they are
reading as well as read comments that are written by other
students at Divine Mercy School. Having the wiki allows the
students to voice their opinions about the various titles. It’s a
very good way for the students to interact about what they are
reading.
Several of our Forest of Reading Clubs are held during lunch
recesses. Voting day for the book clubs is going to take place in
April. Students are encouraged to vote for their favourite book
title, as long as they have read at least 5 books from the selected
genre. For more information about the Forest of Reading please
visit www.accessola.com and search for the Forest of Reading
section to view this year’s nominated titles.
INDOOR FOOTWEAR REQUESTED
Please ensure that students keep a pair of running shoes or other
appropriate footwear at school so that their feet remain dry and
clean at all times. As well, because so many areas of our
schoolyard can be quite muddy at certain times of the year, this
would really help in keeping mud and dirt out of the classroom.
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL HERITAGE
How was the corporation tax issue solved?
In 1962, the Ontario Separate School Trustees’ Association
presented Premier John Robarts a brief which outlined the
probable bankruptcy of some separate school boards and the
inferior salaries, teacher qualifications, school accommodation
and programs compared with those of the public schools. The
government began providing to the separate school boards grants
which compensated for their lack of corporate assessment.
Separate school boards were able to erect new schools and
additions with gymnasiums, libraries, kindergarten rooms, and
special education facilities.
CONCUSSIONS
Concussions are brain injuries caused by excessive, rapid
movement of the brain inside the skull. This movement causes
damage that changes how brain cells function, leading to
symptoms that can be physical (headaches, dizziness), cognitive
(problems remembering or concentrating), or emotional (feeling
depressed). A concussion can result from a blow to the head or
body in any number of activities including receiving a check in
hockey, falling from a jungle gym, or slipping on an icy
sidewalk. All head injuries can be difficult to diagnose, however,
a concussion is the most difficult head injury to diagnose. Brain
scans cannot determine if a concussion exists. The school calls
parents whenever a child has hit their head. It is important that
parents also keep the school informed if their child has had a
head injury during an extracurricular activity. The school will
work with the family to set up a plan (in line with the Board’s
protocol) to assist the student in returning to normal physical
activity.
IMMUNIZE ON TIME REPORT EVERY TIME
NEWSLETTER DISTRIBUTION
If you have not provided the office with your email address and
would like to receive school information via email, please
contact the main office, complete a CASL (Canada’s Anti Spam
Legislation) form and you will be added to the distribution list.
Report all immunizations your child receives to Peel Public
Health.
**online at www.immunizepeel/.ca
** call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7000.
Student records are reviewed annually. Over an eleven week
period, students with incomplete records receive three letters
mailed directly to them to request immunization information. If
parents/students DO NOT provide the required immunization
information, the student will be suspended from school.
PLEASE NOTE: Please send the above information to Peel
Public Heath, not to the school. Thank you
Confirmation
Grade 7 10:30 a.m. Merciful Redeemer Church
Grade 8 1:00 p.m Merciful Redeemer Church
DIVINE MERCY DATES TO
REMEMBERFEBRUARY

SACRAMENTAL DATES
Grade 2s:
Sept. 28, 2015
First Holy Communion Parent Meeting and
Registration
7:30 p.m. Merciful Redeemer Church
Sun, October 18, 2015
First Holy Communion Presentation of Names at any Mass
Tuesday February 16, 2016
Grade Two First Reconciliation
9:30 a.m. Merciful Redeemer Church







Saturday, April 23, 2016
Grade Two First Holy Communion
11:00 a.m. Merciful Redeemer Church
Grade 7 & 8s: September 30 and Oct 5th,
2015
Confirmation Parent Meeting and Registration
7:30 p.m. Merciful Redeemer Church
Saturday, October 10, 2015 ConfirmationLetters of Request
7:00 p.m. Merciful Redeemer Church
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Confirmation- Presentation of Cards
7:00 p.m. Merciful Redeemer Church
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Confirmation Candidates will receive their crosses
7:00 p.m. Merciful Redeemer Church
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Lenten Offering Card
7:00 p.m. Merciful Redeemer
Monday, February 29, 2016
Sacrament of Reconciliation
9:00 a.m. Divine Mercy School
Saturday, April 16, 2016














Monday, February 1, 2016
Term 2 Begins
 Monday, February 1, 2016
Jr Basketball boys and girls at
St Therese of the Child Jesus
 Monday, February 1, 2016
Hockey Tournament at Iceland
Monday, February 1-5, 2016 Book Fair
Tuesday, February 2, 2016 Term 1 Reports go home
Wednesday, February 3, 2016 Hockey Team and
Choir preform national anthem at Mississauga
Steelheads game 7pm
Thursday, February 4, 2016 Interview evening
Thursday, February 4, 2016 Scientists in the School
Mrs. Thomas’s class
Friday, February 5, 2016 PA Day Reporting to
Parents, no school for students
Saturday, February 6, 2016 Grade 7 and 8
Confirmation Lenten Promises at Merciful Redeemer
7:00pm
Monday, February 8, 2016 Grade 7 &8
Confirmation retreat @ Merciful Redeemer Parish
Monday, February 8, 2016 Photos with Bonhomme
Tuesday, February 9 2016 Shrove Tuesday
Tuesday, February 9 2016 Winter Carnival AM,
Carnival performer 12:30 pm in the gym Gr.’s 5-8
Tuesday, February 9 2016 Catholic School Council
meeting 6:30 pm in the library
Tuesday, February 9 2016 Jr. Basketball game girls
and boys at Divine Mercy 3:15pm
Wednesday, February 10. 2016 10:30am Ash
Wednesday Liturgy in the gym
Wednesday, February 10. 2016 Sr. Diane visiting
the Gr 2’s AM
Thursday, February 11, 2016 Mrs. Symonds, Mrs
Thomas’s classes at Living Arts Centre Excursion
Friday, February 12, 2016 Carnival Dance 12:451:45pm Gr. 6-8 in the gym
Friday, February 12, 2016 Eric Walters Author visit
grades 5-8 @ 9:00am
Friday, February 12, 2016 Reptilia visiting Gr 2 FI
Friday, February 12, 2016 9:15-10:30am Gr 2
Reconcilation practice at Merciful Redeemer
Monday, February 15, 2016 Family Day No School












Tuesday, February 16, 2016 Much Music Dance a
thon Assembly @ 200pm
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 9:30am Grade 2 First
Reconciliation @ Merciful Redeemer Parish
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 Jr Basketball girls and
boys at St. Joseph
Wednesday, February 17, 2016 Living Arts Center
excursion for Mme. Makoudjou, Mme Costanzo and
Mrs Sass’s classes.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016 Jr Basketball girls
and boys at St. Rose of Lima
Wednesday, February 24, 2016 Sister Diane to visit
grade 2s
Wednesday, February 24, 2016 Pink Shirt Day
Thursday, February 25, 2016 Rosary Apostolate
and Community Prayer 8:00am in foyer
Thursday, February 25, 2016 Jr. Basketball Family
Tournament at St. Joan of Arc Girls 8am Boys 11am
Friday, February 26, 2016 Much Music Dance A
Thon
Monday, February 29, 2016 Grade 7 and 8
Confirmation Confessions at Divine Mercy
Monday, February 29, 2016 Living Arts Center
excursion for Mrs. Mezgec and Mrs. Silvestri’s
classes
MARCH











Wednesday, March 2, 2016 Grade 8 Grad photos
Thursday, March 3, 2016 Jr Basketball Board
Tournament at Mt Carmel
Friday, March 4, 2016 Chess Tournament at Mt.
Carmel
Friday, March 4, 2016 Much Music Dance A
Thon Prize Assembly 2pm in the gym
Tuesday, March 8, 2016 RAID Peel Police
Program for the Grade 6s begins AM
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 Sr. Diane visiting gr
2s am
Monday, March 14, 2016-Friday, March 18,
2016 March Break, No school
Monday, March 21, 2016 School Resumes
8:30am
Thursday, March 24, 2016 Gr 2s Scientist in the
School AM
Friday, March 25, 2016 Good Friday No School
Monday, March 28, 2016 Easter Monday No
School



Tuesday, March 29, 2016 RAID Peel Police
Program Gr 6
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 Gr. 2s Sister Diane
visit
Thursday, March 31, 2016 Rosary Apostolate
and Community Prayer 8:00am
ATTACHMENTS:
Math February Issue
Camp Tournesol French Overnight