St. Edmund Elementary School
1250 Melton Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L4Y 1L5
Telephone: 905-277-8962 Fax: 905-277-8421
www.dpcdsb.org/EDMUN
October 2013
Principal
A. Maltby
Secretary
B. Vandevalk
Superintendent
C. Blanchard
905-890-1221
School Council Chairs
P. Meehan
Trustee
M. Pascucci
905-890-0708 x20161
905-302-3096 cell
905-890-0888 fax
Mario.pascucci@dpcdsb.org
Parishes
St. Patrick Church
Pastor:
Rev. John Facey
905-270-2301
Sao Salvador do Mundo
Pastor:
Rev. Carlos Macatangga
905-277-8610
What’s Inside:
School Council
Sacramental Preparation
Important Dates
EQAO
Sports
Halloween
WITS
Volume 2, Issue 2
Reflection—Motto for Positive Outlook
Refuse to be unhappy, be cheerful instead. Refuse to let your troubles multiply, just
take them one by one. Organize your time, keep your life simple and exactly the way you
want it. Refuse to complain about things, learn to improve your surroundings and create
your world the way you believe it should be. Refuse to dwell on the mistakes or disappointments that are sometimes a part of life, instead learn how you can make things better. Be
optimistic. Be energetic and positive about the things you do, and always hope for the best.
Ben Daniels
Principal’s Message
We are having a busy and exciting fall at St. Edmund. Our hallways are abuzz with
activity. Students are enjoying the many extracurricular activities being offered by staff such
as our school choir, our Youth Faith Ambassadors, our Eco Kids, our Safe Caring and Inclusive Squad, our cross country team, junior and intermediate volleyball, PALS (playground
leaders), Intermediate Dance Lessons, and our Forest of Reading opportunities. I would like
to thank staff for making these opportunities come alive in our school. Recently we had a
very moving and inspiring Virtues/Terry Fox Assembly where all students should be commended for their levels of participation, enthusiasm, school spirit, and respect. Students
were inspired by a special video presentation by Kyle B. and Sophia V. and choreographed
by Adrienne H., Melissa H., Alexa O. and Sophia A.
I would like to thank all the members of the St. Edmund community who were able
to attend our Open House in September. It was a great success with our community joining
in a BBQ, and parents and staff conversing in classrooms throughout the school. The evening proved to be an excellent opportunity for making positive connections. Thank you to
our School Council members and our volunteers for making the community BBQ possible.
Our School Council has been very busy this fall organizing our school chocolate fundraiser,
as well as supporting our students through their volunteer efforts and in monetary ways.
Thank you to all community members who have contributed to our social justice
initiatives through donations to our Thanksgiving Food Drive, our Terry Fox Walk and to Haiti Support.
Throughout the year, our staff will be involved in numerous professional development opportunities. Our school-wide focus this year will continue to be in the area of numeracy, as well as in the area of student inquiry. All staff will be involved in networking opportunities at the school level this fall. Our Special Assignment Teacher, Mrs. Roddy, is available on a monthly basis to support our staff and students with our initiatives.
As we move toward the end of October and the beginning of November, staff will
be involved in sharing with you information regarding your child’s progress through a Progress Report to be sent home on November 5, with an interview evening scheduled for November 7. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with your child’s teacher at any point
should you have questions, information or concerns that you would like to share.
Please take some time to ask your child about our school’s focus on our WITS program as well as our Bucket program, and the emphasis on the use of ‘I statements’. Communication is a major key to success.
A. Maltby
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St. Edmund Elementary School
Student Safety
Parents our Partners
Safety of all children is a priority at St. Edmund School. It is important that we do not have
unauthorized adults in our yard. We would like thank
parents who are respecting the playground boundaries and remaining outside the yellow lines.
The grade 1’s are now learning “how to do”
recess. They are learning to play cooperatively for 70
minutes of the school day without direct adult intervention. Parents can help them by suggesting cooperative games to play, sending a safe toy (nerf balls,
soft play balls, skipping ropes), and encouraging them
to keep their hands to themselves.
Our PALs program has some of older students
assisting our primary students with cooperative play.
Please encourage your child to talk to school
staff if there are problems. Confident children who
can speak up for themselves are unlikely targets for
bullies. We teach students to use “I-messages” and
the “WITS” key strategies for preventing bullying at
school. Should you feel that there are problems
which need to be addressed, please inform school
staff.
You are reminded that children should not be
dropped off in any yard before 8:30 a.m as there is no
supervision.
Parents are the child’s first teachers. Your
involvement in your child’s education is critical to
their social and academic success. Please continue to
be an active participant in your child’s education this
year. Please continue to communicate regularly with
your child’s teacher via the agenda, or if you have a
particular concern, please call your child’s teacher.
Please consider volunteering your time or talents at
the school, assist your child with homework, pray
with your children and take them to mass, listen to
your child read to you at night or attend our School
Council meetings…together we can continue to make
St. Edmund a place where excellence thrives and
where Catholic values are lived daily.
School Council Election
It’s official — all nominees were acclaimed!
The 2013-2014 School Council is:
Chair:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Patricia Meehan
Crystal McRobert
Kathleen Currie
Parents:
Nelia Toste
Ann Worobec
Michelle Paul
Andrea Landman
Liana Zangrilli-Cordeau
Kathleen Gray
Principal:
Anna Maltby
Kiss’N’Ride
Teachers:
We ask that you use the kiss’n’ride at the
front of the school to drop off your primary, junior and intermediate children. It is not appropriate to use the fire route adjacent to the school as
a substitute kiss’n’ride as
there is no supervision
and it puts the safety of
many children at risk.
Nuno Tome
Ottavio Pividor
Grainne Maddison
Paula Smith
Non Teaching: Barbara Vandevalk
Code of Conduct
Please refer to your child’s agenda for an outline of our Code of Conduct. Classroom teachers
have reviewed these expectations with their students.
Thank you to all parents who put their name forward.
The council has many activities planned throughout
the year and would welcome anyone who is willing to
help. Please call the school to volunteer.
St. Edmund Elementary School
Terry Fox Walk for Cancer Research
Cancer continues to steal away the health or
lives of many family members or friends. St. Edmund
students walked in their honour on Friday, September 27. The Lord gave us another beautiful day for
our annual Terry Fox walk. It was wonderful to see
our neighbours wave to us from their homes in support of our walk. As always the St. Edmund community took on the challenge with much enthusiasm.
Consequently our school surpassed our goal of $3500
and raised just over $3700. The students walked
proudly and were often heard cheering on each other. Their boisterous voices brought out community
members who further encouraged our students as
they walked for this great cause. Many thanks to
Mrs. Mangiardi, Mrs. Romano, Mrs. Wolczek and
Mrs. Galutira-Neculai for organizing the walk and reminding us with music and daily announcements. On
Friday, October 18 a special guest from the Terry Fox
Foundation, Karen Borns, came to St. Edmund to congratulate us on our efforts. Ms. Borns presented us
with a 10 year recognition banner which we will
proudly display in our school. Thank you to al the parents and students for their generous donations to the
Canadian Cancer Society. Together we hope to make
cancer history.
Sacramental Preparation
St. Edmund School belongs to the St. Patrick’s
Parish. As St. Edmund is centrally located, many families in our community may attend other Parishes.
Sacramental preparation is under the auspices of the
church at which you are registered.
In most churches in the Archdiocese of Toronto, sacraments are celebrated with families during
a regular Sunday or Saturday evening Mass at the
parish in which they are registered.
Individual
churches may offer their own sacramental preparation program. The churches collect registrations for
First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation. Children in all Dufferin-Peel Schools also receive preparation throughout the year through our
religion program. As a school we celebrate these sacramental years together with retreats, class celebrations and a picture day for the First Communion Children.
We will provide you with information regarding dates and times of these Parish events, as it is
made available to us. It is up to families to contact
their own parish priest regarding Sacramental preparation.
Page 3
Important Dates:
October 20-26
October 23
October 25
October 28
October 31
November 1
November 2
November 4
Waste Reduction Week
Photo Retake Day
Iona Presentation Intermediates
Miss East Cross Country Meet
Halloween Celebrations
All Saints Day
All Souls Day
Parent Meeting at St. Patrick’s for
First Communion and
Reconciliation
November 5
Progress Reports Home
November 6
Iona Arts Parent Information Night
November 7
Parent Teacher Interview Evening
November 11 Remembrance Day Assembly
November 16 St. Edmund Feast Day
November 19 French Immersion Information
night at St. Pio for parents of
students in SK
November 20 Santa visits St. Edmund
RAID Program begins—gr 6
November 27 School Council Meeting 6:45 p.m.
December 4
Immunizations—Intermediates
December 20 P.A. Day — No School for Students
December 23
To January 3 Christmas Break
January 20
P.A. Day — No School for Students
February 17
Family Day
March 7
P.A. Day — No School for Students
March 10 to 14 March Break
June 9
P.A. Day — No School for Students
June 27
Last Day of School
Lunch and Milk Days—Please mark your calendar
Milk
Pizza
Lunch Lady
Start
September 23
September 25
October 1
End
December 19
December 18
November 29
Subway — October 31, November 14, November 28
Please call the school if your child will be late or
absent. Students must report to the office if they
are late. Our attendance line is available twenty
four hours a day, 905-277-8962, press 1. Please
continue to call each day that your child is absent.
Page 4
Congratulations and Welcome
Congratulations to Mrs. Galutira-Neculai on
the recent birth of her son, Jordan.
Welcome back to Ms. Estacion who has returned to us on a permanent contract. Welcome as
well to Ms. Huang our new 0.5 Planning Time teacher, and to Ms. Di Iorio who is here in Mrs. GalituraNeculai’s place.
We are also fortunate to have with us a number of student teachers, student DECEs, coop students and volunteers. We thank Timothy Mikhail gr
1/2, and Veronica Furlan, gr.7/8 both Student Teachers from Niagara U who recently completed their
placements. We welcome Sarah Casale, FDK Student
DECE Guelph-Humber, Samantha Williamson, FDK
Coop Gordon Graydon, Julia DiBenedetto, FDK coop
St. Paul, Vanda Mota, Volunteer Gr 1 and resource,
Amanda Dobson Volunteer Gr. 1, Melissa DiFelice
Volunteer Gr. 6, Alexandra Plaza gr 2/3, Indra Dhari,
Gr. 1, Christina Amantea, Gr 6 – all three Learn and
Serve placements from Niagara University Marta Lesinski Gr. 4 and Muriel Salame Gr. 8 OISE student
teachers. We thank each of these individuals for the
energy and enthusiasm that they add to our community.
St. Edmund Elementary School
EQAO Results
The Education Quality and Accountability Office
(EQAO) has released Ontario Student Achievement;
EQAO’s Provincial Report on the Results of the 20122013 Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Primary Division (Grades 1-3) and Junior Division (Grades 4-6). Individual student scores have
been sent home. More general information may be
found on the EQAO website at www.eqao.com .
At St. Edmund we are both celebrating our successes
as well as looking at areas for improvement. We will
continue to fine tune our teaching in the area of numeracy and literacy in order to further improve and
set goals for this year.
Grade 3 2012-2013 EQAO Results*
Reading
Writing Mathematics
School
95
100
88
Board
71
80
68
Province
68
77
67
Grade 6 2012-2013 EQAO Results*
Reading
Writing Mathematics
School
97
97
84
Board
79
80
59
Province
77
76
57
*Percentage of all students at or above the Provincial standard.
Special Education
Currently students who require additional
program support are assisted by our special education resource team and Educational Resource Workers. Student programs are supported in a variety of
ways to develop and/or enhance learning opportunities. Periodically, students are presented at a school
TEAM meeting for further consultation and planning.
The following personnel may attend a TEAM meeting:
Psychology staff member, Speech and Language
Pathologist, Social Worker, Child and Youth Worker.
At these meetings, staff summarize their observations, concerns and interventions and seek input regarding next steps; strategies to try in the classroom;
additional services that might be offered; referral for
further assessment of intervention by one of the
school Special Services personnel; referral to an outside agency for further consultation or assessment.
The benefit of a TEAM meeting is the joint consultation which ensures that the best program is in place
to meet the individual needs of each student. Staff
will contact parents prior to these meetings and will
report any recommendations to parents pending the
outcome of the meeting.
Former Student, Mishael Morgan,
comes back to St. Edmund
On Wednesday, October 16, 2013 Mishael Morgan, along
with some of her family members and a crew from Global
TV visited St. Edmund. In Mishael Morgan’s biography it
states that “Mishael caught the acting bug at the age of
ten, during her elementary school's production of "Joseph
and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat". She never pursued acting professionally, until a chance meeting with her,
now agent, David Ritchie who convinced her, to try her
hand at acting. Mishael impressed producers at her very
first audition, landing her a role in Trey Songz "Wonder
Woman" music video. A short ten months, and a couple
roles later, Mishael scored her first series-regular role as
Tracy Dupont-Roymont in YTV's "Family Biz"(2009). Since
then, Mishael has continued to make her name known on
both the small and big screens. Presently Mishael has a key
role on the television show “The Y & R”.
Global TV interviewed Mishael Morgan, along with a few
staff members, in the St. Edmund gymnasium where Mishael initially ‘caught the acting bug’. It was with great
pleasure that staff and students welcomed Mishael back to
St. Edmund!
St. Edmund Elementary School
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Cross Country
Opening/Thanksgiving Mass
Our Cross Country Team has been training very
hard this fall for our Family level meet which will take
place on October 28 at Centennial Park.
On Tuesday, October 9 at 9:30 a.m. at San
Salvador du Mundo we united as a St. Edmund faith
community in celebration of our Opening/
Thanksgiving school mass. Father John Facey was our
celebrant, and he spoke on the theme of extending
ourselves as well as our resources to others. Thank
you to Mr. Spadafina, Mr. Tome and their classes, as
well as Mr. Ellsworth and his beautiful choir for preparing for this special opportunity to come together
as a faith community.
We thank all families who donated to our Thanksgiving Food drive which helped support needy families
in our greater community. We surpassed Food Drive
goal by collecting over 400 pounds of food.
Cross Country Team Members –
Gr. 4/5 Girls: Mackenzie C., Madison J., Teya P., Rachel
R., Joanna S., Alexis S., Olesia M.
Gr. 4/5 Boys: Matthew A., Joshua B., Marcus C., Jude C.,
Owen C., Aiden M., Samuel M., Griffin B., Andrew M.,
Eddy R., Bennett T.
Gr. 6 Girls: Rayauna G., Lindsay G., Natalie H., Sophia T.
Gr. 6 Boys: Michael L., Joshua M., Giuliano R., Elliot R.
Gr. 7 Girls: Sofia A., Melissa H., Adrienne H.
Gr. 7 Boys: Brett C., Karol S.
Gr. 8 Girls: Sarah G., Erika H., Emily M., Jenna P.
A huge thank you is extended to our coaches,
Ms. Smith, Mrs. Currie, Mrs. Rohn, and Mr. Mikhail. All
the best to our cross country runners!
Financial Policies and Procedures
Volleyball Junior
We congratulate our boys’ and girls’ junior volleyball teams for sharing their skills. Under the leadership of Ms. Estacion, Mr. Tome and Mr. Pividor both
teams have represented St. Edmund’s well and have
worked hard at demonstrating true sportsmanship.
Thank you to both teachers for sharing their coaching
expertise.
Congratulations to our boys’ team - Owen C.,
Ryan D., Kristopher H., Aidan H., Lex K., Joshua M., Elliot R., and Dillan S.
Congratulations to our girls’ team- Emily A.,
Mackenzie C., Madison J., Olesia M., Bronwyn M., Arden P., Veronika P., Rachel R., Joanna S., and Vanessa T.
In order to best comply with the procedures
in an efficient and effective manner you will notice
that there will be specific short term dates outlined
for the collection of monies for classroom trips,
school events, etc. Please assist our staff in meeting
requirements by following these outlined schedules.
We request that all forms accompanied with money
or cheque be submitted in a sealed envelope
(recycled is fine) or zip loc bag. Ensure that your
child’s name is on the form or envelope. Thank you
for assisting us in optimizing this process.
Are you on our E-mailing List?
We are so close to having all St. Edmund families on our e-mailing list. Help us go paperless, and
send in your contact information now! Some of the
benefits to being on this list include; electronic distribution of newsletters, timely info regarding events
and accomplishments, and reminders about PA days
and key event days.
Please send us a note with your email address and have it returned to the front office by your
child.
Thank you for helping us ‘go green’!
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St. Edmund Elementary School
October 31 Halloween Events
Homework Hints
During the day, thanks to our intermediate students
under the leadership of Mr. Ellsworth, we will be having Halloween dance celebrations for our primary
students. Our junior and intermediate students will
also be involved in dance celebrations. Students are
encouraged to come in costume. We ask parents to
use discretion in the choice of costume for your child
so that it is in keeping with our Catholic values.
Please remember no replica weapons or facial masks
should be brought to school. A donation of a Twoonie to ShareLife from each child would be much appreciated.
Below are some helpful Be ’s to support families in
the homework process:
Be positive.
Communicate a positive attitude towards homework.
Be consistent.
Develop a homework routine
that includes a set time and a
regular space for completing
homework, free from distractions.
Be available.
Encourage independent work
on the part of your child, but be
available for assistance. Provide guidance, not answers.
Be attentive.
Take a few minutes every day
to chat about the school day.
Listen attentively to your child.
Be a role model.
Let your child see you reading,
writing, and using math during
homework time.
Be a cheerleader.
Praise your child for the effort
displayed in completing homework.
Note any signs of frustration
that your child may display
while completing homework. If
it appears difficult or confusing
or if there are errors, encourage
your child to ask the teacher for
help at school the next day.
Be observant.
Halloween Safety
Please remind your children of safety guidelines for
Halloween:
 Not to wear a face mask, so your child will be
able to see clearly.
 Wear light coloured clothing, so drivers can see
them.
 Carry a flashlight, so your child will be able to see
on dark streets.
 Go out with an adult, or an older brother or sister, if under 10 years of age.
 Stay away from cars, and friendly strangers in
cars.
 Watch for cars, and look both ways when crossing the street.
 Wear their costumes above their shoes, so they
will not trip.
 Not to eat any treats until they are home, and
their parents have checked them.
Be involved.
Participate in school functions
that offer you the opportunity
to stay connected to your
child’s learning.
St. Edmund Elementary School
Page 7
Mathematics Homework Help
School Council Meetings
The Ministry of Education and the DufferinPeel Catholic District School Board are committed to
increasing student success in mathematics and as a
result the board has been invited to participate in a
Homework Help Pilot Expansion Project again this
year. Every student in Grades 7 to 10 in the board is
eligible to register and use the free online tutoring
service. Students across the board will be given information on how to login by their classroom teacher
who will introduce this wonderful homework support
opportunity to their students. To assist with registration, more specific information will be forwarded to
respective parents by the classroom teachers.
School Council was thrilled to see several
new faces at our first meeting on September 25,
2013. Attending school council meetings is a great
way for parents to become involved in their child’s
education and to gain awareness of school and activities within our community. All parents are welcome
to attend any of our meetings throughout the year,
even if you don’t have the time to commit to being a
council member. We are a fun, social and friendly
bunch of parents who have one very important thing
in common – our interest in ensuring that St. Edmund
School is the best it can be for our children!
Open House/BBQ
On Tuesday, September 17 we held our Open
House and BBQ. What a fantastic turnout! Thank
you to all of those who volunteered to make this a
highly successful community event. Our School
Council was the driving force behind the community
BBQ portion of the evening. Lots of work was involved, which led to a great chance to mingle
amongst students, parent community and staff.
Thank you to all families who supported our library
through the purchase of a book for our school.
Lost Articles
Due to the sheer volume of misplaced articles, we do not regularly make announcements regarding lost items. We highly recommend that you
not allow your child to bring valuable items to school.
Toys and special mementos often interfere with the
teaching environment, especially when staff have to
solve disputes over their disappearance or appearance during classroom learning times.
Casual Fridays
You may have noticed that the staff dress in a
casual manner on Fridays. Through donations made
toward these Fridays, we are supporting the many
charities affiliated with the ShareLife.
St. Edmund Garden Mums…oops, Moms!
The St. Edmund school community sends out
a huge thank you to Mrs. Sokolski , Mrs. Basso, and
Mrs. Paul who have beautified our front garden and
outdoor planters this fall. You have brightened our
days with your generosity in providing plants, along
with your gardening skills, to our school community.
Thank you!!!
Movie Night – Turbo–
Sponsored by our School Council
We would like to
thank our School Council
for organizing our upcoming community movie
night event. On Friday,
November 15 at 6:00
p.m. the movie Turbo will
be showing in our gymnasium. We hope to see
you there!
Reliable Student Insurance
Pamphlets were distributed in September for
more information visit: http://
www.insuremykids.com/App_Globalization/en/pdf/
STDESA1213.pdf
WITS
(walk away/ignore/talk it out/seek adult help)
In dealing with daily interactions with their
peers it is helpful for students to develop strategies
to deal with situations of conflict or anxiety. At St.
Edmund we encourage the students to use their
'WITS'. This strategy teaches the children how to
deal effectively with minor situations, thereby empowering them to solve minor situations that may
arise with their peers. Emphasis is also placed on
insisting that they seek adult assistance whenever a
situation is physically or emotionally hurtful. Please
take time to discuss with your child what they may
have learned through using this method. Parental
input, encouragement and knowledge are always key
in a child's development of new skill sets.
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St. Edmund Elementary School
St. Edmund Elementary School
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St. Edmund Elementary School
St. Edmund Elementary School
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St. Edmund Elementary School
Virtues Program
Parent Volunteers
Again, this year we will be participating in a
VIRTUES program that will focus monthly on a different virtue. Listed below are the monthly virtues that
will be a focus at St. Edmund.
We strongly encourage and welcome parent volunteers. If you are able and willing to volunteer, kindly
inform the office and provide a phone number and
dates/times of availability. We are hoping to continue
to run many of our very successful volunteer programs.
If you can volunteer, even one hour per week of your
time please let us know. Volunteers must complete a
Criminal Reference Check as required by School Board
Policy if they have not already done so. Thank you to all
community members who have already joined our volunteer team this fall. It is so wonderful to see so many
new faces as well as our returning members. Come out
and join our team!
SeptemberOctoberNovemberDecemberJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJune -
FAITH
EMPATHY
CONSCIENCE
HOPE
SELF-CONTROL
RESPECT
KINDNESS
LOVE
ACCEPTANCE
FAIRNESS
Virtue of the Month of October
– Empathy
“Walk a Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes”
When we put ourselves into some one else’s position
and try to see things from their point of view, we are
more likely to be understanding and less likely to be
critical or judgmental. An empathetic person believes
that we all share one Spirit; that we are many parts of
one body because we are all created in the image and
likeness of God.
An empathetic person:

Listens attentively

Watches people’s body language

Notices and responds when someone is upset

Can name his/her feelings

Can see a situation from another’s point of view

Know that different people may feel differently
about the same thing
Let us pray this month for the grace and strength to be
people of empathy—people who can identify and feel
the concerns of those around us.
Kiss’N’Ride
If you are able to help us with Kiss’N’Ride in the morning, please call the school.
All Star Reading
We are happy to announce that All Star Reading is returning to St. Edmund School and is already up and
running. This is an exciting component of our literacy
program where reading coaches are matched with primary students who spend 1-2 sessions a week tutoring.
The purpose of the program is to encourage our young
readers to become more self directed and practice
reading strategies that work for them. Parent or other
community volunteers are needed to come into school
on a regular basis for a minimum of one hour per
week . Thank you to Mrs. Rohn for all her work in gathering resources for the program and training the All
Star Coaches. If you would like to volunteer, please
contact the school. All volunteers must have a criminal reference check.
Enjoy a good book with your child today!
Progress Reports
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Interview Evening
Thursday, November 7, 2013
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