ST. DAVID OF WALES SCHOOL
4200 Beacon Lane, Mississauga, Ontario L5C 3V9 TEL. 848-4200
B. Gillis
D. Gibson
C. Baron
Principal
Secretary
C.S.C. Chair
C. Saytar
P. Ferreira
St. Martin of Tours
1290 McBride Lane
Fr. Joyson Pottackal
Superintendent
Trustee
Parish
(905) 279-5742
Pastor
JUNE 2011
WHAT MAKES A DAD
God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle’s flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it……Dad
Author Unknown
Dear God
You have done such a marvelous job of creating us and the world around us.
You have placed this creation, including all the people we meet, in our care.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength to be fair.
Everyday we are tempted to show that we are a little bit superior to those around
us.
Grant us the strength to resist that temptation. Keep our minds and our hearts
focused on your great plan for all people instead of our own small plans for
ourselves.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, our brother, who lived to show us your way.
Amen
A Fair Person…
Listens to all sides before forming opinions
Shows good sportsmanship at all times
Knows that the same rules apply to everyone
Refuses to twist rules to avoid consequences
Works to bring about peaceful solutions to problems
Cheers on the successes of others
Can balance their own rights and responsibilities with those of others
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Principal’s Message
As this school year draws to a close,
please know that I am grateful that
God has allowed me the privilege of
working with a highly dedicated group
of people; amazing students, staff,
volunteers, and parents!
Thank you to Fr. Joyson, Fr. Philip and
the Parish team at St. Martin of Tours
Parish for their spiritual leadership
through school Masses, Liturgies, visits
and Sacramental preparation.
A very special thank you to our trustee
Peter Ferreira, for the on-going support of
our school community.
Special thanks to our Mississauga South
Superintendent C. Saytar, for her support
and encouragement throughout the year.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you
the parents and guardians of these
amazing children! Your work in raising
your children in a Catholic community is
truly commendable.
My final heartfelt appreciation is to the
students of St. David of Wales School. You
are a remarkable group of young people
and to our Graduates I will pray that God
will keep you safe and happy always!!! I
will continue to hold all of you in my
heart!!!
On behalf of the entire St. David of Wales
staff, I sincerely wish everyone a safe,
restful and enjoyable summer with family
and friends.
B. Gillis
CONGRATULATIONS TO STUDENTS!
St. David of Wales students are to be commended for
their excellent efforts at co-operating with instruction
and regular reminders about safety and appropriate play,
both in the school and on the playground. The expert
guidance of staff and the support of parents combined
with the students’ desire to co-operate and do well, helps
keep behavior problems at a minimum. We emphasize
celebrating successes and learning from our mistakes.
This results in our school being a safer, happier place
where students feel valued and respected.
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
Congratulations to our Grade Eight students who
received the Sacrament of Confirmation on Monday,
May 9, 2011.
Thank you to Father Joyson who celebrated the Liturgy
of the Eucharist with us and who helped make the
celebration special for the children and their families.
Thank you to their teachers, Ms. Vivilecchia and Mr.
Howard for preparing the students for this memorable
celebration.
Thank you to parents/guardians for supporting your
child in their Sacramental preparation.
FIRST COMMUNION
Congratulations are extended to all our Grade Two
students, who recently celebrated the Sacrament of First
Holy Communion.
Thank you to their teachers, Mrs. Cicak and Ms. Sinclair
for preparing our Grade 2 students for this Sacrament.
Thank you to parents/guardians for supporting your
child in their Sacramental preparation.
THANK YOU AND APPLAUSE TO:
Parents for reminding their children to be
respectful towards others and to play safely.
Parents who continue to practice safe driveway
and parking routines.
Parents who are encouraging their children to let
an adult know if someone is bothering them.
Parents who got their Criminal Reference Check
so they can supervise class trips.
SCHOOL DAY BEGINS
Just a reminder to everyone that the school day begins
at 8:45 a.m. with the bell. Any student coming into the
school after 8:45 a.m. that has not arrived on a school
bus is considered late and will be marked as late on the
daily attendance. Punctuality is very important. Each
time a student is late, that student disrupts the whole
class when entering and has quite possibly missed
important instructions or announcements.
Punctuality is a life skill which students need in order
to be successful in the future.
HERE COMES THE SUN
With the arrival of warmer weather we are aware of the
concerns regarding the ultra violet rays. There are a
number of scheduled outdoor activities and field trips
during the months June. We encourage you to dress
your children for the events and weather. For example,
hats, t-shirts with sleeves, etc. You may also wish to
consider the use of sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or
greater.
We cannot accept the responsibility for
applying sun screen at school.
We at St. David of Wales will be teaching our students
about the dangers associated with our exposure to the
sun.
Recommendations from Peel Health to reduce the effects
of radiation include:
Wear protective clothing to cover the skin
Wear a hat to protect both the eyes and skin on
the head, particularly if there is a little hair
(students are reminded to remove hats before
they enter the school building).
Wear sunscreen, (it is available in a variety of
protection factors – the high the factor number
the greater the protection).
Stay out of direct sunlight i.e., remain in shaded
areas, particularly during midday, when the
sun’s rays are most direct.
Know your skin type for example, fair-skinned
people are
more sensitive to ultra-violet
radiation.
Parents, please reinforce these recommendations with
your children.
DRESS CODE
With the approach of the warmer weather, we ask you to
review our dress code with your children. At all times,
clothing should be comfortable, tasteful and appropriate
to our Catholic school environment.
Clothing must display appropriate and
acceptable words and graphics.
Girls tops must have a minimum of 5 cm.
(approximately the width of 3 adult fingers) at
the shoulders.
Boys tops mush have sleeves.
Shorts and skirts must reach the bottom of the
student’s fingertips when hands are relaxed to
their side.
Specifically not allowed are: Bandanas, string tops,
tube tops, halter tops, or anything that exposes bare skin,
midriffs and/or undergarments, skin tight clothing,
spandex shorts and pants, sheer materials (including
mesh), cut-offs, torn or ragged clothing and pants which
sag below the waist.
Thank you for your co-operation in helping to instill the
values of common sense, good taste and modesty in our
students.
REPORT CARDS
Report cards will be distributed to students on Tuesday,
June 28, 2011. As in the first term, we ask that parents
sign and return page 3 “Response Form” of the Report
Card. Please ensure that you forward page 3 by
Wednesday, June 29.
Our projected enrolment for September continues to
fluctuate, and changes may occur throughout the
summer and into September. Please be aware that our
re-organization day; if necessary will be on Friday,
September 16. On the first day of classes, Tuesday,
September 6, students will gather in various areas of the
school and be directed to their classes. When the bell
rings, students will gather in the following areas:
Kindergarten students in the Kindergarten Courtyard
Gr. 1, 2 & 3 students in the gym
Gr. 4 & 5 students in the library
Gr. 6 students in room 211
Gr. 7 students in room 201
Gr. 8 students in room 202
JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN 2011/2012
Parents/Guardians of JK students will receive a letter at
the end of June with a date for a school visit with
parent/guardians during the school day during the 1st
week of school. All JKs will begin their program on
Monday, September 12, 2011.
KINDERGARTEN RECESS
students. There will then be a mass @ St. David of
Wales School, in the gym at 6:30 p.m. The mass will be
followed by our graduation ceremony and a social which
will be hosted in the School Library.
All
parents/guardians, invited guests and community
members are invited to attend and celebrate this
momentous occasion with our grade eight students.
The Senior Kindergarten students will be going out for
recess starting on Monday, June 20. This will help them
prepare for grade one. We appreciate our older students
making them feel welcome as the big yard can be quite
overwhelming for the little ones.
CALLING ALL BOOKS
STORAGE OF MEDICATION
New medications and the proper forms for storage will
need to be filled out for the new school year. All
medication will need to be sent home on the last day of
school. If you prefer to pick up the medication, please
send in a note with your child stating that you will be
picking it up on June 30, @ 3:15. Otherwise, it will be
sent home with your child.
BUS TRANSPORTATION
The eligible bussing distances within Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board are as follows:
1.0 km. for students in Jr./Sr. Kindergarten
1.6 km. for students in grades 1 - 4
2.0 km. for students in grades 5 & 8
GRADUATION
Our grade 8 students celebrate their Graduation on
Wednesday, June 29 beginning with a luncheon at The
Renaissance Convention Centre @ 12:00 p.m.
Parents/Guardians are asked to drop their son/daughter
off at The Renaissance Convention Centre and they will
all return by bus to the school by 4:45 p.m. Parents are
asked to be at the school awaiting the arrival of our
The end of the year means returning all library/school
books. Please have a look around your home for any
library or school textbooks and return them to the
school. We do need to complete our end of the year
inventory.
PALS / PEER BUDDIES
Our Peer Buddy and PALS (Playground Activity
Leaders in the School) programs continue to have much
success at St. David of Wales School. The following
students have continued to make a commitment to
participate in these programs:
Daniel M.
Nicole E.
Catherine V.
Michael A.
Precious C.
Kelsey R.
Christopher E.
Adriana S.
Franka S.
Alessana C.
Jillian X.
David K.
Jason B.
Mateo S.
Andre S.
Magda P.
Amanda S.
Emily S.
Kayla S.
Rocio E.
Ryan B.
HEADS UP
On May 24 and 25, a selection of Junior and
Intermediate students represented St. David of Wales in
the Mississauga South Academic “heads Up”
competition. Students tested their knowledge in a
variety of subject and interest areas through responding
to challenging questions.
Congratulations to the Junior team:
Gillyan X.
Joanna S.
James T.
Brandon D.
Matteo S.
(Grade 4)
(Grade 5)
(Grade 6)
(Grade 6)
(Grade 6)
Congratulations to the Intermediate team:
Alana B.
Jonathan S.
David E.
Jade B.
Justin W.
(Grade 7)
(Grade 7)
(Grade 8)
(Grade 8)
(Grade 8)
Both teams put their heads together and did an excellent
job at the tournaments. Ms. Smutnicki, Ms. Vivilecchia
and Mrs. Zoffranieri would like to thank the members of
both teams for putting in a great effort.
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION
LOST AND FOUND
We remind students and parents to check the Lost and
Found for any items that may be yours and were
misplaced throughout the year. Our custodian has
placed these items on a table near the Library. Please
check it, as any items left will be donated to the needy in
our community.
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
The last day of school will be Thursday, June 30, 2011
following regular hours from 8:45 – 3:15.
OPEN HOUSE/ /PIZZA NIGHT
Parents will be invited to meet their child’s teacher early
in September. The School Council will also have a
special presentation for our Fall Fundraiser. Watch for
more details early in September.
NEW REGISTRATIONS
Our Volunteer Appreciation will be held on Thursday,
June 23, in the school library @ 2:00 p.m. Thank you to
all the parents and community members who have
volunteered their time for the students of St. David of
Wales. If you have volunteered and are able to attend,
please call Mrs. Gibson @ (905) 848-4200 ext. 0. We
look forward to seeing all of you.
KISS AND RIDE REMINDERS
The School office will be open for new registrations
starting Tuesday, August 30, 2011 between the hours
of 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
SCHOOL HOURS for 2011/2012
Kindergarten a.m.
Kindergarten p.m.
Grades 1 - 8
Morning Recess
Lunch
Afternoon recess
8:45a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
12:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
8:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
2:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
PEACE GARDEN / LANDSCAPING
This is another reminder to follow the directions for the
Kiss and Ride. Please remind your children that they are
never to enter the car from the drivers side and to stop
and look before getting off the sidewalk.
ARE YOU MOVING
Doesn’t our garden look beautiful? Special thanks
If you are anticipating a move over the next few months,
please let us know. We are preparing classes for
September 2011 and this information is helpful in
determining class sizes. Please call Mrs. Gibson at (905)
848-4200 or send a note to your child’s teacher.
to Mrs. Cairns, Mrs. Metlin, Mrs. Zoffranieri, Mrs. Melo
and Mr. Diolanda for cleaning out, pruning, planting,
watering and adding some TLC to our gardens. We
greatly appreciate your time and expertise.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Monday, June 20
Co-ed Softball Tournament @ St. Christopher
Friday, June 3
Tuesday, June 21
EQAO – Gr. 3 a.m. & Gr. 6 p.m.
Board Track & Field @ St. Marcellinus SS
Monday, June 6
Wednesday, June 22
EQAO – catch up day
a.m. - p.m.
Tuesday, June 7
Reptilia presentation
Thursday, June 23
Pizza Day
a.m. – p.m.
EQAO – Gr. 3 a.m. & Gr. 6 p.m.
a.m.
Toronto Zoo – Gr. 1 & 2
p.m.
Volunteer Appreciation
Wednesday, June 8
EQAO – Gr. 3 a.m. & Gr. 6 p.m.
Reptilia presentation
Friday, June 24
Thursday, June 9
Play Day
EQAO – Gr. 3 a.m. & Gr. 6 p.m.
Monday, June 27
Friday, June 10
Play Day (Rain Date)
EQAO – catch up day
Tuesday, June 28
Education Officer in all day
Report Cards sent home
Monday, June 13
Wednesday, June 29
P.D. Day – (no school for students)
12:00 Graduation Luncheon
Tuesday, June 14
6:30
Sub Day
Graduation Mass, Certificates & Awards
Thursday, June 30
Friday, June 17
Last Day of School -Dismissal @3:15 p.m.
Family Track & Field @ St. Marcellinus SS
“Have a Great Summer”
Congratulations Dufferin-Peel Teachers and Students! In comparison to other Boards, Dufferin-Peel is
above the average when counting the number of Teacher and Student logins to the OERB! Our teachers
continue to excel in incorporating technology into our delivery of the curriculum!
This week’s highlighted resources:
Grade 1 Mathematics
Grade 8 History
Grade 9 English
Grade 4 Social Studies
Grade 11 Chemistry
Grade 12 Environment
For the latest newsletter, click here:
http://dpschoolnet/FYI/Shared%20Documents/OERB%20(Ontario%20Educational%20Resources%20Bank)/The%20OERB
%20Newsletter/Vol%205%20Issue%202%202011-05-23.pdf
Mac users, please note: some users have experienced trouble accessing the newsletters. If you
are experiencing trouble, follow this link,
http://dpschoolnet/fyi/SitePages/Home.aspx?RootFolder=%2FFYI%2FShared%20Documents%2FOERB%20%28Ontario%20Educational%20Resources%20Bank%29%2FThe%2
0OERB%20Newsletter&FolderCTID=0x012000D7E312101B65BD4A8AA44499EEFDB811&View={252A0782-536A-4F15-87AD-98770FF7F6F0}
and download the resource first. Then open it and hopefully you will have no problems.