ST. DAVID OF WALES
MARCH 2014
Principal
B. Gillis
Secretary
J. Galloway
Trustee
Peter Ferreira
(416) 805-7110
Peter Ferreira@dpcdsb.org
Superintendent
D. Amaral
905.890.1221
PARISH
Pastor: Fr. Joyson
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
A Lenten Prayer
God, Heavenly Father,
Look upon me and hear my prayer
During this holy Season of Lent.
By the good works You inspire,
Help me to discipline my body
And to be renewed in spirit
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 joyous feast of
Easter. It is time for prayer, penance and works
of charity for others. Classroom discussion and
activities are designed to enhance
understanding of the Holy Season of Lent. All of
these activities are intended to help our students
understand 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 Wednesday,
April 2, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. All are
welcome to attend. We thank our
very hard working Council Members
for their on-going work and support for
our children!
EQAO DATES FOR 2014
The following time span has been
designated for the Provincial EQAO
testing. We ask that parents of Grade 3
and 6 students make sure that they mark
these dates on their calendar, and we ask
that parents do not book appointments at all during this time
span. Students attendance during this time period is
absolutely essential! The test period has been scheduled
from May 26—June 5, 2014.
SPEECH COMPETITION
Applause go out to the Intermediates who held their school
level Speech Competition earlier this month. The students
gathered in front of their peers, parents, and a panel of judges
GRADE 2 FIRST COMMUNION
to inform, explain and entertain. Topics ranged from Internet
The celebration of the Sacrament of First
Safety, the Big Bang Theory,
Holy Communion will be during masses
Stereotypes, Dreams and the Guinness
between Saturday, April 26 at 10:30 a.m.,
World Records. Joanna S.’s speech on
Saturday, May 3 at 10:30 a.m., and Sunday,
the Power of Words taught an important
May 4, at 2:00 p.m. You must be
lesson and left a huge impact on her
registered with the church to receive First
audience that edged out the others to
Communion this year.
take first place. Finalists include: Kyle
P., Benjamin P., Samantha D., Melanie GRADE 8 CONFIRMATION
C., and David D.
The Grade 8 Confirmation rehersal and
confession will be held on Thursday, April
The Junior division also held their speech finals this month.
24th at 10:00 a.m. The Grade 8
Nine grades 4-6 students wowed the judges with their
Confirmation will be held on Friday, April
presentation and writing skills. They sent the imagination of
25th at St. Martin of Tours Church, 7:00
the audience soaring as they cruised with Disney and handled p.m.
the adolescent angst of braces and homework. They erased
our fears of imperfection by comforting us with our favourite PERSONAL TREASURES
foods and games. Cupid also made an appearance and he left A “personal treasure” is any item, regardless
the spectators lovestruck.
of its monetary value, that holds a personal
significance to a person. This might include
In the end, it was the pesky (and funny) telemarketer,
jewelry, cards or stuffed animals. Parents
Matthew B., whose persistence paid off as he claimed the
are asked to reinforce with their children that
number one spot in the competition. Thank you to all
these items are NOT to be brought to school.
competitors for your eloquent presentations.
All electronic devices and personal electronic devices (ipods,
cell phones, cameras, etc.) are not allowed at the school as per
Special congratulations go to Matthew B. and Joanna S. who Board policy.
represented St. David of Wales brilliantly at the Family of
Schools Public Speaking Contest on February 26, 2014. We SCHOOL YARD SAFETY
are very proud of you.
Just a reminder that student supervision
K. Barry, A. Smith-Foster, and P. Danko
begins at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for
afternoon kindergarten students.
Students must not be dropped off at the
MARCH BREAK
school before this time.
March Break this year takes place
March 10 to March 14 inclusive. A
reminder that there will be no school on SAFETY IN THE GYM
Students are reminded that they must wear proper indoor
Friday, March 7. It is a Professional
shoes for gym and appropriate gym clothes. Jewelry must be
Activity Day. We return to school on
removed when in gym class or during sports activities.
Monday, March 17, 2014.
Students are not allowed to wear their “outside” shoes in the
gym.
SCHOOL WEBSITE
Be sure to visit our school website. All newsletters, calendars
VACCINATIONS
and other pertinent information is always updated. Our
Peel Public Health will be offering Hepatits B (Dose #2) to
website address is: http://www.dpcdsb.org/DWALE
Grade 7 students and HPV (Dose #3) for Grade 8 female
students on Tuesday, April 22, 2014.
LENTEN FOOD DRIVE
The Youth Faith Ambassadors will be
collecting non-perishable food items
during the Lenten season. The last day
for collection is Friday, April 11th. All
non-perishable goods will be donated to the St. Martin of
Tours Community for those families that require some
assistance.
CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK
May 4—9, 2014
The chosen theme for Catholic
Education Week 2014 is: “Serving
in the Love of Christ”. The scr iptural passage that guides our theme
is: ‘I am among you as one who
serves.’ (Luke 22:27e)
CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECKS AND ANNUAL
DECLARATIONS
Volunteers are very much appreciated by staff and students at St. David of Wales. Board policy states that volunteers that come into regular contact with students must
have a Criminal Reference Check completed through Peel
Police. If you plan to volunteer for trips, driving students
or helping students in the school, please
call for an appointment to meet with Mrs.
Gillis and she will sign the form for you to
obtain a CRC. There is no charge for a
Criminal Reference Check when you are a
volunteer. An annual Criminal Offence
Declaration must be completed on a yearly
basis by all volunteers.
MOVING
If you are planning a move or have already moved, please
let us know. You are required to complete a new assessment form even if you move within our school boundaries.
If you are moving to a new school we will give you a
Transfer Form to take with you to the new school. If you
are moving but would like your child to remain at St. David of Wales, please submit your request in writing. We
will be preparing classes for September, 2014 and this
information will be helpful in
determining class sizes. In the
past, we have had to reorganize
our classes in September due to
unexpected transfers.
Please
remember we must adhere to the
ministry cap of 20 students in
our primary grades.
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/guardians have asked teachers to put together homework
packages for their children to complete 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 teacher in an instructional lesson.
STRANGERS IN OUR SCHOOL
Parents/guardians, please remember that at no
time should you be on the playground or near
the doors at the back of the school during
school hours. Parents/guardians are not permitted in the hallways without first signing in at the office and
receiving a “visitor” badge. Kindergarten parents/guardians
must greet their children at the outside gate of the Kindergarten fenced area. Please remember that if you do not have a
“visitor” badge on, you are a stranger to our school.
SCHOOL ACCESS DURING THE LUNCH HOUR
We have posted the following sign at the front entrance. Respectfully, the door will be answered after our National Anthem, Prayers, and Announcements at approximately 11:45
a.m. Please have lunches delivered by 11:30 a.m. There will
be limited access to the school during the lunch hour. Thank
you.
ATTENDANCE
Late and absent students MUST be reported to the office. Please call our attendance line (this line is available 24 hours
a day) at 905-848-4200, Select “1” and
leave a message. It is often very difficult to
reach parents/guardians in a timely fashion
and as always, the safety of your child is of our utmost concern. Please remember to always inform the office if any of
your contact numbers change. It is vital that our contact 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
matter.
LATES
A number of our students continue to arrive
late daily. In some instances, it is the same
students arriving after 8:45 a.m. without parental accompaniment. This is a safety concern
for us. Any student arriving after 8:45 a.m. is
considered late and should be accompanied
by an adult. Please make ever y effort to have your child
(ren) at school on time. When a child is late, they miss valuable teaching time. Late arrivals cause disruption to the other
students and also to the teacher who may have already begun
his/her lessons for the day. Developing good work habits and
time management skills can maximize a child’s learning potential. Let’s work together to develop these skills!!
LET’S 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)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Wet our hands
Soap our hands
Wash our hands
Rinse our hands
Dry our hands
Use paper towels to turn taps off.
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.
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Be at their stop at least 5
minutes before the pick-up
time
Listen to the driver when
getting on and off the bus,
especially when a road must
be crossed
Go directly to their seat and
stay seated until they are let off the bus
Follow all instructions from the bus driver, especially
about where they put their belongings
No food or drink, fighting, swearing or other types of
inappropriate behavior
Do not open or close windows unless the driver permits
Keep all belongings inside the bus
Do not damage the bus seats (students will be held
responsible)
Respect private property while waiting for their school bus
Do not talk to the bus driver while the bus is in operation
unless it is necessary
The conduct of individual students on the bus directly affects
their safety, that of their school classmates, and the driver. At
the discretion of the principal, misconduct may result in
removal of bus privileges.
FLEX BOUNDARY
If you currently live outside the school boundary and are
attending St. David of Wales on a flex boundary request, you
will need to request flex boundary for next year. The “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 you are requesting
flex boundary, please note that transportation is your
responsibility. The Boar d will not pr ovide tr anspor tation
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 2014-2015 school year, please submit your request in
writing by Monday, March 17 , 2014. 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 to update the Region of Peel records.
Failure to do so can result in your child’s suspension from
school, pending update to the Region of Peel. In January,
2014, parents received information from the Region of Peel
Health Department advising you for the need to update your
child’s immunization. A second letter will follow on
Wednesday March 5, 2014 for students who still have
incomplete immunization records. An Order of Suspension
will be mailed from the school to become effective if the
students’ records remain incomplete. For more information,
please contact the Region of Peel at 905799-7700 or visit their website:
www.ImmunizePeel.ca
DATES TO REMEMBER
March 1
March 2
March 4
March 4
March 5
March 7
March 10
March 21
April 2
April 4
April 14
April 18
April 21
April 22
April 24
April 25
April 26
May 3
May 4
May 4-9
May 8
May 8
May 19
Rite of Enrolment First Holy Communion
5pm
Rite of Enrolment First Holy Communion
8am. 10am, 12pm
Pancake Tuesday
Virtue Assembly 9:45am
All are welcome to attend
Pizza Days March 5, 19, 26
Ash Wednesday Liturgy 1:00 pm
All are welcome to attend
PA Day
March Break Begins (March 10-14)
Gr 8 to meet Bishop Boissonneau at St.
Martin of Tours Parish
Catholic School Council Meeting
Gr 4-8 Field Trip Gregg LeRock
Rosary Apostolates Visit
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Immunizations Gr. 7 (Hep B) & Gr. 8
(HPV)
Gr 8 Confirmation Rehearsal 10am
Gr 8 Confirmation 7pm at St. Martin
of Tours
First Holy Communion 10:30am
First Holy Communion 10:30am
First Holy Communion 2pm
Catholic Education Week
Crowning of Mary. Coordinated by Rosary
Apostolates. Everyone welcome to attend.
More information to follow
Welcome to Kindergarten Night 6pm
Victoria Day