ST. DAVID OF WALES
MARCH 2013
Principal
B. Gillis
A Lenten Prayer
Secretary
D. Gibson
Trustee
Peter Ferreira
(416) 805-7110
Peter
Ferreira@dpcdsb.org
Superintendent
C. Saytar
905.890.1221
PARISH
St. Martin of Tours
1290 McBride Lane
Mississauga, ON
L5C 1M8
905.279-5742
SCHOOL HOURS
Grades 1-8
8:45 -11:45
12:45-3:15
Grades JK-SK
8:45-11:15 or
12:45-3:15
St. David of Wales
4200 Beacon Lane
Mississauga, ON
L5M 2N6
905.848-4200
WebSite
http://
www.dpcdsb.org/
DWALE
Dear God
During this season of Lent,
May You help us
To Thank You for the new life You gave
To our world and to our spirits,
To find Your presence around us, in the sparkle of
sunshine,
A word given in encouragement, a smile shred in
passing,
To open our hearts to your call,
To serve one another with Your loving compassion,
To have the courage to ask for help as we journey
And to know when we have gone off path,
To remember what Lent is all about
And to turn our lives toward You.
Amen
Principal’s Message
During the month of Lent we pay special attention
to turning away from sin to cleanse our hearts and
prepare for the joy-ous feast of
Easter. It is time for prayer, penance and works of charity for
others. Classroom discussion and
activities are de-signed to enhance understanding of the Holy
Season of Lent. All of these activities are intended to help our students under-stand the wonderful journey towards
the Resurrection! Thank you for journeying with us
through this Lenten Season.
B. Gillis
Principal
SCHOOL COUNCIL
Our next Catholic School Council
meeting will be held on Tuesday, April
2, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. Our future meeting date for the remainder of this year
is scheduled for Tuesday, May 28. All
are welcome to attend. We thank our very hard working
Council Members for their on-going work and support for our
children!
GRADE 2 FIRST COMMUNION
The celebration of the Sacrament of First
Holy Communion will be masses between
Saturday, April 13 at 10:30 a.m., Sunday,
April 14 at 2:00 p.m., and Saturday, April 20
at 10:30 a.m. You must be registered with the
church to receive First Communion this year.
GRADE 8 CONFIRMATION
The Grade 8 Confirmation this year will be
held at St. Martin of Tours Parish on Friday,
SPEECH COMPETITION
A standing ovation for their oration as the Intermediates held April 26 at 7:00 p.m. You must be registered
their school level Speech Competition earlier this month. The with the church to receive Confirmation this
students gathered in the library in front of their peers and a
year.
panel of judges to inform, explain, and entertain! Topics
ranged from the lofty Mount Everest and wonderful Winnie
INDOOR SHOES/CHANGE OF CLOTHES
the Pooh, to the mysterious heroine, Amelia Earheart. Joanna
Please ensure that your child(ren)
S.'s highly informative and appropriately
come to school prepared to go outside
persuasive exposition on the ills of recfor recess and lunch hour breaks. It is
reational drug use edged the others to
the expectation that each child comes
take first place. The other finalists were:
dressed appropriately to go outside to
Matthew H., Matteo S., Franks S., Andre
enjoy the weather and get some fresh
S., and Kyle P.
air and exercise. If your child is prone
to getting wet during recess or lunch hour, please send a
The Junior division also held their
change of clothes, especially socks and sweat pants. Please
speech finals this month. Nine grades 4- ensure that your child has indoor shoes.
6 students wowed the judges with their presentation and writing skills. They took their audience on a "roller coaster" ride PERSONAL TREASURES
of topics - from delightful Disney and memorable Muppets, A “personal treasure” is any item, regardless
to something you could really sink your teeth into, Nutella.
of its monetary value, that holds a personal
Speaking of teeth, it was Samantha D.'s endearing expose of significance to a person. This might include
the Tooth Fairy that ended up in first place. Finalists include: jewelry, cards or stuffed animals. Parents
Tyler C., Matthew M., Annie L., Jabez M., Anthony D., Zack are asked to reinforce with their children that
C., David D., and Isbel D.
these items are NOT to be brought to school.
All electronic devices and personal elecGood Luck to both Joanna and Samantha when they represent tronic devices (ipods, cell phones, cameras, etc.) are not alSt. David of Wales at the Family Speech Finals on March 1st. lowed at the school as per Board policy.
Go-o-o-o Dragons!
SCHOOL YARD SAFETY
Just a reminder that student supervision
MARCH BREAK
begins at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for
March Break this year takes place March 11
afternoon kindergarten students. Stuto March 15 inclusive. We return to school
dents must not be dropped off at the
on Monday, March 18, 2013.
school before this time.
SCHOOL WEBSITE
Be sure to visit our school website. All newsletters, calendars
and other pertinent information is always updated. Our web- SAFETY IN THE GYM
Students are reminded that they must wear proper indoor
site address is: http://www.dpcdsb.org/DWALE
shoes for gym and appropriate gym clothes. Jewelry must be
removed when in gym class or during sports activities. StuEQAO DATES FOR 2013
dents are not allowed to wear their “outside” shoes in the
The following time span has been designated for the Provincial EQAO testing. We gym.
ask that parents of Grade 3 and 6 students
LUNCH MONITOR AT ST. DAVID OF WALES
make sure that they mark these dates on
SCHOOL
their calendar, and we ask that parents do
If you are interested in occasionally moninot book appointments at all during this
toring during the lunch hour from 11:45
time span. Students attendance during this
a.m.—12:45 p.m., at St. David of Wales
time period is absolutely essential! The test period has
School, please call the office at (905) 848been scheduled from May 28—June 6, 2013.
4200.
LENTEN FOOD DRIVE
The Student Council and Youth Faith
Ambassadors will be collecting nonperishable food items during the Lenten
season. The last day for collection is
Monday, March 25. All non-perishable goods will be donated to the St. Martin of Tours Community for those families that require some assistance.
LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES
Our School Board has established lockdown
procedures should a high risk incident involving weapons occur in the school, or on school
property, that could endanger the lives and/or
safety of students and/or staff. We will continue to practice the
Emergency Lockdown Procedures with students this term.
EXTENDED VACATIONS
Now that the March Break is fast approaching, we encourage families to plan holidays
during these designated times. Some parents/
The chosen theme for Catholic
guardians have asked teachers to put together
Education Week 2013 is:
homework packages for their children to com“Growing Together in Faith”
plete when they are away on an extended family holiday. It is difficult for teachers to do so
since most of the curriculum being covered is taught by the
STUDENT ENTRANCES AND EXITS
We remind students on a regular basis to enter and exit teacher in an instructional lesson.
through their assigned doors. Students are not to be entering or exiting through the front door, or side door that leads STRANGERS IN OUR SCHOOL
to the parking lot. If students are entering through the front Parents/guardians, please remember that at no time should you
door after the bell has rung they are considered late for be on the playground or near the doors at the back of the school
school and must report to the office. Please be diligent and during school hours. Parents/guardians are not permitted in the
make sure your child arrives on time.
hallways without first signing in at the office and receiving a
“visitor” badge. Kindergarten parents/guardians must greet
CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECKS AND ANNUAL their children at the outside gate of the Kindergarten fenced
area. Please remember that if you do not have a “visitor”
DECLARATIONS
Volunteers are very much appreciated by
badge on, you are a stranger to our school.
staff and students at St. David of Wales.
Board policy states that volunteers that
ATTENDANCE
come into regular contact with students
Late and absent students MUST be remust have a Criminal Reference Check
ported to the office. Please call our attencompleted through Peel Police. If you
dance line (this line is available 24 hours a
plan to volunteer for trips, driving students
day) at 905-848-4200, Select “1” and leave a
or helping students in the school, please call for an appoint- message. It is often very difficult to reach
ment to meet with Mrs. Gillis and she will sign the form for parents/guardians in a timely fashion and as
you to obtain a CRC. There is no charge for a Criminal always, the safety of your child is of our utReference Check when you are a volunteer. An annual most concern. Please remember to always inform the office if
Criminal Offence Declaration must be completed on a any of your contact numbers change. It is vital that our contact
yearly basis by all volunteers.
records are accurate at all times. We must always have the most
current information in case your child needs you during the
school day. We thank you for your continued support in this
MOVING
If you are planning a move or have already moved, please matter.
let us know. You are required to complete a new assessment form even if you move LATES
within our school boundaries. If A number of our students continue to arrive late
you are moving to a new school daily. In some instances, it is the same students
we will give you a Transfer Form arriving after 8:45 a.m. without parental accomto take with you to the new paniment. This is a safety concern for us. Any
school. If you are moving but student arriving after 8:45 a.m. is considered late
would like your child to remain at and should be accompanied by an adult. Please
St. David of Wales, please submit your request in writing. make every effort to have your child(ren) at
We will be preparing classes for September, 2013 and this school on time. When a child is late, they miss valuable teachinformation will be helpful in determining class sizes. In ing time. Late arrivals cause disruption to the other students and
the past, we have had to reorganize our classes in Septem- also to the teacher who may have already begun his/her lessons
ber due to unexpected transfers. Please remember we must for the day. Developing good work habits and time manageadhere to the ministry cap of 20 students in our primary ment skills can maximize a child’s learning potential. Let’s
grades.
work together to develop these skills!!
CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK
May 5—10, 2013
LETS WASH OUR HANDS
Hand washing when done correctly is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as
the flu. Please help us to reinforce the
proper techniques with your child.
1) Wet our hands
2) Soap our hands
3) Wash our hands
4) Rinse our hands
5) Dry our hands
6) Use paper towels to turn taps off.
Say goodbye to germs.
BUS SAFETY
Ensuring student safety is a very important goal to all those
working with students. You are asked to review carefully the
following rules for students while riding on school busses.
Students not following these rules may lose the privilege of
riding on a school bus.
“Flexible Boundary” procedure is reviewed annually. Please
note that flex boundaries will be looked at on a case by case
basis and are not guaranteed from year to year. If your are
requesting flex boundary, please note that transportation is
your responsibility. The Board will not provide transportation for students admitted under this procedure. Note, the
students admitted under this procedure do not automatically
become eligible for the Secondary School serving the school.
A separate request must be made to the Secondary School
Principal. If you would like to be considered for flex boundary for the 2013-2014 school year, please submit your request
in writing by Friday, March 8, 2013. Please include the reason(s) for your request.
IMMUNIZATION
Peel Health Department
The Region of Peel Health Department is in the
process of updating their Immunization Records. Schools collect Immunization information when a student registers for the first time in a school, but
it is the parent’s, not the doctor or the school’s responsibility
 Be at their stop at least 5 minutes before the pick-up time to update the Region of Peel records. Failure to do so can
result in your child’s suspension from school, pending update
 Listen to the driver when getting on and off the bus, esto the Region of Peel. On January 30, 2013, parents repecially when a road must be crossed
 Go directly to their seat and stay seated until they are let ceived information from the Region of Peel Health Department advising you for the need to update your child’s immuoff the bus
nization. A second letter will follow on Tuesday March 5,
 Follow all instructions from the bus driver, especially
2013 for students who still have incomplete immunization
about where they put their belongings
records. A third letter will follow on Tuesday April 9,
 No food or drink, fighting,
2013 for students whose immunization records continue to be
swearing or other types of
incomplete. An Order of Suspension will be mailed from the
inappropriate behavior
school to become effective, only if the students’ records re Do not open or close winmain incomplete on suspension day—Wednesday May 1,
dows unless the driver per2013. For more information, please contact the Region of
mits
Peel at 905-799-7700 or visit their website:
 Keep all belongings inside
www.ImmunizePeel.ca
the bus
 Do not damage the bus seats
DATES TO REMEMBER
(students will be held responsible)
Friday, March 1—1:00 p.m. Lenten Mass
 Respect private property while waiting for their school
at school
bus
Thursday, March 7—Grade 4 Science in
 Do not talk to the bus driver while the bus is in operation
the School
unless it is necessary
Monday, March 11—Friday, March 15 - March Break
Sunday, March 17—St. Patrick’s Day
The conduct of individual students on the bus directly affects
Monday, March 18—Rosary Apostolates
their safety, that of their school classmates, and the driver. At
Thursday, March 21—Spirit Day, Backwards Day
the discretion of the principal, misconduct may result in reFriday, March 22—Senior Kindergarten and Grade 8
moval of bus privileges.
graduation pictures
Sunday, March 24—Palm Sunday
GRADUATION PICTURES
Tuesday, March 26—Grade 1 Structures Workshop
Senior Kindergarten and Grade 8 graduation
Friday, March 29—Good Friday—No school for students
pictures will take place on Friday, March
Sunday, March 31—Easter Sunday
22, 2013. Watch for more information to
Monday, April 1—Easter Monday—No school for students
follow.
Tuesday, April 2—Catholic School Council meeting at 6:30
Thursday, April 11—Scientist in School, Grade 6 class in
morning and Grade 8 class in afternoon
FLEX BOUNDARY
Monday, April 15—Rosary Apostolates
If you currently live outside the school boundary and are atWednesday, April 24—Professional Secretaries Day
tending St. David of Wales on a flex boundary request, you
Friday, April 26—Grade 8 Confirmation at 7:00 p.m., St.
will need to request flex boundary for next year. The
Martin of Tours