ST. DAVID OF WALES
November 2015
Principal
B. Gillis
Secretary
B. Meo
Trustee
L. del Rosario
416- 805-7110
L. delrosario@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 FDK-8
8:45 -3:15
St. David of Wales
4200 Beacon Lane
Mississauga, ON
L5M 2N6
905-848-4200
WebSite
http://
www.dpcdsb.org/
DWALE
WebSite
http://
www.dpcdsb.org/
PEEL REGIONAL POLICE COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIP
Please join me in welcoming Constable A. Markowski, our neighbourhood community officer
through the Region of Peel. This is an important community partnership that gives students the opportunity to engage in meaningful
dialogue to foster a safe, caring, healthy and
inclusive school community.
Constable R. Rezek will be stopping by the
school at various times throughout the school
year. Doing presentations for various classrooms.
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
Becoming a member of our Catholic School Council is an
excellent opportunity for parents/guardians and guardians
to become more involved in our school life. A sampling of
past work includes:
 Organization of school fundraisers and special events
 Purchase of resources and equipment for students, the
school and classrooms
 The ongoing dialogue with the Principal about our
school initiatives
The membership of council includes:
 Parents/guardians – who form the majority of council
members
 Teaching and support staff representatives
 School Principal
SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING
Our next Catholic School Council meeting will take place
on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at 6:30 pm in the
School Library. All are welcome to attend! We are inviting
you to come out and join us, to dialogue with other parents/guardians and St. David of Wales Staff representatives, to become informed about important academic information, events occurring at your child’s school, and to help
council with our ongoing outreach efforts.
Future dates for the 2015/2016 year are as follows:
December 9, 2015
February 24, 2016
May 25, 2016
Please join us for future evenings of sharing, planning and
community spirit!
SHARELIFE
We would like to thank the community for supporting our
fundraising for ShareLife. The Halloween Dance and Popcorn sales was a huge success. We would like to thank
you for your support and helping us give back to our community.
PIZZA LUNCH WEDNESDAYS
Pizza lunch is currently underway with the remaining
Wednesdays:
Nov. 4, 11, 18 and 25
Dec. 2, 9 and 16
Thank you to all of the parents/guardians who are
supporting the ongoing efforts of School Council by
participating in our pizza days.
We will be sending out the pizza order forms for January to March pizza dates in December. In order to
resume pizza lunches first week back in January
2014, we ask that parents/guardians return the orders by the due date.
Thank you to the volunteers who
are assisting with the co-ordination
of our pizza lunch program, and
special thanks to our council members for purchasing water bottles
for pizza lunches.
BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE
Our Book of Remembrance has been placed on the
altar. We will remember in prayer
each day the names of those who
are in our book of Remembrance.
VALUABLES
Please help us to protect your child’s
valuables by keeping them at home.
Staff cannot be responsible for any
valuables that your child brings to school. In order to
avoid valuables being lost or misplaced please keep
them at home.
COLD AND FLU SEASON
As cold and flu season approaches, the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board
continues to be vigilant in ensuring that our schools are
clean and that our school communities are educated regarding good hand hygiene and
cough etiquette. These practices are promoted on an ongoing basis, but as the
prevalence of colds and flu increases, our board increases the cleaning of contact surfaces, as well as,
reminds schools to review cold and flu prevention
with students and staff. Many resources are utilized
from our regional health units. A reminder, as well
that communicable diseases can be contracted in
public places throughout the year. For example, cold
related viruses, such as Enterovirus, are transferred
from person to person through hand contact. Cold
and flu viruses typically peak from December
through February but can start as early as October.
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK
A Criminal Background Check is required if you wish to volunteer
your services in the school, transport students and assist on trips.
Please call to set a date and time to meet with Mrs. Gillis
to get the necessary forms to take to the Peel Police station. Please submit your forms to the police station listed on the
back of the form. Copies of the Criminal Background check forms
are available in the office. The search results will be mailed to you
approximately 4 to 6 weeks later. This only applies to residents of
Peel.
INDOOR/OUTDOOR SHOES
As we move into the fall season and a change in weather, we
ask that students bring a pair of indoor shoes that can be
worn inside the school and left in their classroom. Due to safety reasons, students cannot participate in gym
classes without running shoes.
FREE ONLINE MATH TUTORING
Have a child in Grade 7 or 8 who doesn’t understand how to add fractions? Or maybe your
teenager is struggling with a geometry assignment? Extra help is now available. Check out Homework Help,
where certified Ontario teachers are online 20 hours a week to
provide free math tutoring for the Grade 7 to 10 math students in Dufferin-Peel. Students can log in Sunday to Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., for one-on-one confidential help.
There are interactive discussion rooms for each grade where
they can view to the current lesson, watch tutors draw on the
whiteboard — and then type their own
question for on-the-spot help. To register
go to Ontario.ca/HomeworkHelp.
Dufferin-Peel is one of 15 Englishlanguage school boards offering Homework Help this school year funded by the
Ministry of Education. Studies show that students who like
math and have solid math skills are more likely to succeed in
school and later in life. Homework Help began in 2007-08 at
schools in the Hamilton- Wentworth Catholic District School
Board and Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. Across
Ontario, about 150,000 students will now have access to the
online site. This website is another addition to the online resources available for Ontario’s teenagers. Sign in as a guest
and see for yourself.
STUDENTS WATCHING SPORTING EVENTS
Reminder that spectators are not permitted to attend after
school games or practices. Staff are present to coach or referee the games. No supervision is provided for other spectators.
Only students who are accompanied by their parent/
guardian may stay for games. All other students will be
asked to leave.
In November MAKEkindnessgoviral
The seasons are changing swiftly and it is time to prepare. Help out
your parents, a neighbour or friend by helping them
to prepare for winter. Offer to help rake leaves,
clean up the yard or wrap trees in time for winter.
PEDICULOSIS
Although it may seem early in the school year, we
would like to bring to your attention a problem which
occurs from time to time in each school. The problem is infestation by head lice (Pediculosis). Unfortunately, in recent years, head lice have be-come increasingly common throughout North America. They
are parasites which have been common among human beings for centuries. They are not connected in
any way to dirt of neglect. Anyone can be infested.
In order to control these pests, we shall follow these
procedures and request your full co-operation. If
cases are found in the classroom we shall inform
parents. We would request that
you check your own children
and if you find them to be
infested, we would ask that
you inform the school, and
you contact the Peel Public
Health Department for treatment information. If your children do become infested by
head lice, we will ask you to
keep them out of the school until after they have
been treated with the correct shampoo and their hair
is entirely clear of both lice and nits (eggs). Students will not be permitted to return to class
until they have been checked by the office. If
we all co-operate in these procedures, we may not
entirely escape outbreaks, but we will be able to
bring them under control quickly. For additional information, guidance and any questions please contact Peel Public Health Department at (905) 7997700. As well you may find the following website
useful www.headlice.org.
Leaving At Lunchtime
Please be advised that ALL students
must have written permission from a
parent/guardian to leave the school at
lunch. Verbal permission (over the
phone) will not be accepted. A signed
and dated note with a parent/guardian signature is
required for each occurrence. The note must come to
the office and students are required to sign out and
to sign back in when they return for afternoon classes.
Student Immunization from Peel
Region of Health
Wednesday, November 12th, 2015
 HPV Clinic for Gr. 8 Girls
 Hep B & Meningitis for all Gr. 7
students
Forms have been sent home. If you have not sent
these forms back, please return them to the school
as soon as possible.
Grade 2 First Communion/
First Reconciliation: First Reconciliation will be held
at St. Martin of Tours Parish on Saturday, November 28
at 10:30 a.m. The celebration of the Sacrament of First
Holy Communion will be during masses between April
10 at 2:00 p.m., April 16 at 10:30 a.m., or April 17 at
2:00 p.m.
Advent Mass
Please join us as we celebrate our Advent
mass together on December 10th at 6:30
p.m. The mass will be at St. Martin of
Tours Church. It is a wonderful opportunity to give praise and glory to God and
the community of St. David of Wales. A special thank
you to Father Joyson and the parish team at St. Martin
of Tours for their spiritual guidance and support! All
students and staff will be participating in the Advent
Mass.
Grade 7 & 8 Confirmation: The
Grade 7 and 8 Confirmation this
year will be held at St. Martin of
Tours Parish on Friday, April 14 at
7:00 p.m.
A MESSAGE FROM THE
SOCIETY OF SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL
The members of the St. Vincent de Paul of St. Martin of
Tours Conference would like to thank the community, students and staff for the food that was collected at St. David of
Wales for their Thanksgiving Food Drive.
FRENCH IMMERSION INFORMATION
Year 2 Kindergarten parents/guardians who wish to enroll their child in a Grade 1 French Immersion class for
French
Immersion
Centers
Session
Location
Date and Time
St. Gertrude
St. Pio of
Pietrelcina
St. Pio of
Pietrelcina
Tues. Nov 10th
7:00 pm
Our Lady of
Providence
St. Angela Merici
St. Joachim
St. Angela
Merici
Wed. Nov 11th
7:00 pm
St. Margaret of
Scotland
Thurs. Nov 12th
7:00 pm
Divine Mercy
St. Elizabeth
Seton
St. Margaret of
Scotland
TEXTBOOK AND LIBRARY BOOKS
POLICY
Textbooks/Library books are the property of the school and are loaned out
to students with the expectation that
they will be re-turned in good condition. The teachers keep records of each textbook
that students are given. Cost will be incurred by
students if books are lost or not returned in
good condition.
COLD WEATHER
In colder weather we often
receive requests to allow children to remain indoors when
students have a cold or the flu.
Please note that we cannot
comply, as we have neither the
facilities nor the staff to supervise these students. Please use discretion in keeping
your child at home to recover if they are ill. If your
child is well enough to attend school, they should be
well enough to go outside for a recess break.
The school program is comprised of both physical
and academic activities. Part of the physical activities
includes fifteen minutes recess, morning and afternoon and forty minutes at lunch. Unless the
weather is extremely cold (-25°C) or wet, recess will be outside. Students should come to
school dressed accordingly. Research indicates that
fresh air allows students to refocus on their studies.
On extremely cold days, we limit the amount of time
that students spend out of doors. We obtain our information from Environment Canada Weather Information and follow board guidelines. As the weather
gets colder, please ensure that your child is dressed
appropriately for the colder weather.
PROGRESS REPORTS
As per the Ministry of Education guidelines, students
in grades one to eight will receive Progress Reports
on November 17, 2015. Interviews for students requested by parents/guardians or teachers requesting
an interview will be November 19, 2015. Confirmation times for interviews will be sent home on
November 17, 2015.
SANTA CLAUS
On Friday, December 4 students from
St. David of Wales will have the opportunity to take their picture with
Santa Claus. More information and
order forms will be sent home shortly.
PETS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY
For the safety of our students, parents guardians and staff,
please do not bring Pets on school property when you
are picking up or dropping off students. Several students
have severe allergies and animals may be unpredictable when confronted by a group of children.
Thank you for helping to keep the school environment safe for all!
EXTENDED FRENCH INFORMATION MEETING
Grade 4 parents/guardians who wish to enroll their child in a
Grade 5 Extended French class for September, 2016 are invited to
attend an information meeting at:
School: St. Philip School
Address: 345 Fairview Road West
Date: January 14, 2016
Time: 7:00 p.m.
At the present time, the above mentioned school is the designated
centre for our area. Applications will be accepted at that centre
until 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 16, 2016.
PED POLICY
Personal Electronic Devices on Board Premises and/or Board Sanctioned Events for Educational Purposes:
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board acknowledges
the value of the use of technology for learning. Students are permitted to register and use personal electronic devices (PEDs) on
board premises and/or board sanctioned events for educational purposes, under the direction of staff and only with parent/guardian
permission. Students may register their PED for the purpose of
connecting to the board wireless network. Students are required to
adhere to the student “Personal Electronic Device Used with WI-FI
Network Student Agreement” (GF 337) and the “Network User
Application and Agreement.” (GF066) Please be advised that the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board will not be responsible for any cost incurred through the use of personal data plans.
PEDs are to be used responsibly and should not interfere with
learning; their use must comply with the Catholic Code of Conduct, board policies and procedures. Any personal communications (i.e., phone calls, text messages, etc.) will continue to be
directed through the main office. Failure to comply with these
guidelines may result in a loss of PED privileges and/or any other
consequences deemed necessary by school administration.
The school principal may authorize limited acceptable uses of personal electronic devices during school-sanctioned activities for a
specific designated purpose outside of instructional spaces and/or
in common areas.
Students are responsible for the safety and security of PEDs at
all times and the Board assumes no responsibility for lost, damaged or stolen devices.
A copy of the GF 337 will be sent home with your
child(ren) for your records.
Ontario EcoSchools
St. David of Wales is officially an ECO certified school
with a silver standing!! With an
enthusiastic team of students
Grade 1-8 and staff we implemented “Trash Free Tuesdays” and
GOOS bins throughout our school.
We look forward to continuing
these initiatives and implementing new ones ie. “Steps
to School”. Our school nurse, Ms. Grayson, will be
working with our team again this year. Our team is
expanding and we are excited to involve more students
and invite community members and volunteers. More
information will follow about “Steps to School”.
Ontario EcoSchools is an environmental education and
certification program for grades K-12 that helps school
communities develop both ecological literacy and environmental practices to become environmentally responsible citizens and reduce our ecological footprint. The
key areas of achievement are: Teamwork & Leadership,
Energy Conservation, Waste Minimization, School
Ground Greening, Curriculum and Environmental Stewardship. This year St David of Wales School will participate in becoming a certified EcoSchool through an annual certification process which assesses and recognizes accomplishments awarding points in each of the six
key areas. The program will:
difference while developing active citizenship skills and
ecological literacy by responding to the increasingly
urgent issue of climate change
environmental learning and actions
EcoSchools certification
for environmental education in Ontario as well as other
Ministry policies
Ms. Horbatiuk, Ms. Colautti and student representatives, will be taking on this huge task as they lead the
community through our ecological journey! We look
forward to our new adventures! More information will
be forthcoming...
STUDENT SAFETY
Thank you to all who support our efforts to provide a safe learning environment for our students by cooperating with school policies related
to safety and security. All visitors
MUST report to the office, sign in and
receive a visitor or volunteer badge. We thank the parents , guardians and visitors who are following this policy. Also, we continue to remind the students that safety
is our top priority. We encourage students to be extra
careful in the school yard and to always use appropriate entrances and exits.
P.E.D. POLICY
In the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, “we believe that each one, created in the image and
likeness of God, is called by name into the Dufferin-Peel Community to realize the Ontario Catholic
School Graduate Expectations to the fullest extent possible as we all journey from the early years to vocation.” As we monitor and refine our support, programming continues to ensure that each child is well on
their way to achieving the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations within the context of learning in
the 21st century.
St. David of Wales School r ecognizes the value of using Per sonal Electr onic Devices (PEDs) to enhance learning and curriculum delivery. As such, we support the responsible and ethical use of PEDs in
keeping with the Catholic Code of Conduct and the DPCDSB’s Policies and General Administrative Procedures.
Through the authority of the principal or designate and under the direction of staff, students are permitted
to use the school board’s wireless network and their registered PEDs for educational purposes. Policy and
guidelines will include, but are not limited to the following:
PEDs may be used only with permission from a staff member
Students need to be diligent about safely storing their PEDs.
St. David of Wales School is not responsible for lost, stolen and/or damaged PEDs
Students are to keep their personal information private (e.g., age, address, phone numbers, usernames,
passwords)
Students are to use good judgment in accessing material on the internet, and report concerns
The Catholic Code of Conduct and academic integrity apply to the use of technology when students are
accessing information
Any communication with your child (i.e., personal phone call, text messages, etc.) will continue to be
directed through the main office
The board will not be responsible for any cost incurred through the use of personal data plans
It is the student’s, and/or parent/guardian’s, responsibility to address normal and reasonable security
measures such as maintaining anti-virus protection and security patches for software for the protection of
those sharing the wireless network
Students should not expect privacy with respect to any of their activities when using the board’s wireless
network and agree to and accept that access and/or wireless network activity may be monitored in order to
identify usage patterns, security issues, etc.
Photos, videos or images of an individual/group are not permitted to be taken without expressed consent. Expressed consent must be obtained from the individual(s) - over the age of 18—or parental
consent (for those under the age of18).
No school and/or board data can be stored on a PED
Inappropriate use of board technology and/or PEDs may result in confiscation of the PED, discipline, suspe
sion or termination of these services, or police involvement
Please refer to the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and School websites for further information. If you have any further questions, please contact the principal.