NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 2007
Principal
T. Cruz
5820 Glen Erin Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 5J9
Fax: (905) 814-9217
Telephone: (905) 814-9216
Autumn Prayer
Principal’s Message
Lord, we come before you in Thanksgiving
This month is often set aside to reflect on what God has given each of
us as we move through the autumn
season. We often feel that what we
have is limited, however, there is
also so much to feel blessed. At
Our Lady of Mercy, we are committed to ensuring that our students learn their academic lessons
and that they also learn to live life
as Christ modeled for us. As Principal of this school I am very grateful to have the opportunity to
work with such fine young people
and committed staff.
For the gifts you have given
Vice Principal
M. MacDonald
Secretaries
D. Nolan
J. Harvey
Superintendent
Mississauga North
M. Prospero
The colour of the season reminds us of the beauty
You alone can create.
We are thankful for the food you provide
in the harvest.
You have filled the earth with your gifts.
You have blessed us.
We are ever grateful!
Parish
Merciful Redeemer Parish
Phone: 905-812-0030
Our first school mass was on October 2nd. It was a celebration of
Peace and was a wonderful example of how blessed we are to be able
to have the freedom to pray and
celebrate as a community. Father
Vid was able to help our children
learn more about their roles in
bringing peace to our school.
Pastor
Fr. Vid Vlasic
Associate Pastor
Fr. Seamus Hogan
School Council Chair
Collin Noronha
Trustee
Esther O’Toole
Ward 9
Phone: 905-812-5163
Attendence Verification
Phone: 905-814-9216
Web Site
www.dpcdsb.org/OLMCY
Volunteers Make it Happen
Our Lady of Mercy has many volunteer positions
available. Some ongoing ways that you can contribute include the All Star Reading Program,
Kiss & Ride, food days and classroom/library
assistant. As well, we have various special
events that occur throughout the year such as
fundraising, school concerts, religious and seasonal celebrations. Any amount of time you can
offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you to
those who have already signed up to volunteer!
Thanksgiving
There will be no school on this day. Our Lady
of Mercy Staff would like to wish your family
a Happy Thanksgiving and a
safe and bountiful holiday
weekend!
As we continue through this school
year let us all remember the importance of our families and communities. We need to be thankful
that we are able to live in such a
free country such as Canada,
where we have the freedom to
openly pray and talk about our
faith traditions.
May God bless each of you and
keep you safe and well.
T. Cruz
VISITORS TO SCHOOL & CONTACTING STAFF MEMBERS
Parents and visitors to the school are required to come to the office first before entering the school. This policy is for the
safety of our students and staff and will be enforced. If you wish to speak to a staff member, we request that you call and
book an appointment. This enables our staff to plan ahead to meet you without disrupting any planned activities during or
after school.
STUDENT VERIFICATION SHEETS
Thank you to all who have completed and returned the Student Verification Sheet which you received from the classroom
teacher in early September. The information requested is essential for communication with home in the event of an emergency. If you have not returned this information, please do so as soon as possible. Please notify the office of any changes
throughout the year.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES & EXCURSIONS
This year your child will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of field trips and extra-curricular activities. In preparation for these events, permission forms will be sent home. It is essential that these forms be filled out and promptly returned
to the school. No student will be allowed on any trip or activity without a signed permission form. Thank you for your cooperation.
EARLY RELEASE DAYS
The Early Release Days for the school year have been set as follows:
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
These half days have been set aside for professional development activities designed to improve instruction and facilitate curriculum implementation. The students will be dismissed at 11:45am on these days.
CASUAL FRIDAYS
You may observe the staff in casual dress on Fridays.
We are supporting charities sponsored by Share Life, the United Way and the Terry Fox Foundation.
OPEN HOUSE
Many thanks goes out to all those who attended our Open House on Tuesday, October 2nd. The evening was a great success.
During classroom visits, copies of Curriculum at a Glance for Parents were distributed. Please keep them for future reference.
BOOK FAIR
Thank you to all parents, students and staff for their support of this year’s Book Fair. It was a great success which will benefit
continued purchases for our library.
VALUABLES
Students are reminded not to bring valuables such as electronic games, toys, personal items of importance, or money to
school. The school does not accept responsibility for the above. Wherever possible, personal items should be marked with the
child’s name. Students will be asked to have parents pick up from the office any inappropriate items brought to the school.
SCHOOL DRESS CODE – Cooler Weather
Students are expected to adhere to standards of
modesty, neatness and good taste in their attire
within our Catholic school. As temperatures drop, students need to dress warmly and have an additional pair of pants handy
for unexpected playground splashes. Please remember to bring a pair of indoor shoes to keep mud and sand at bay.
KISS N’ RIDE & PARKING LOT
Dropping off and picking up children at lunch and after school is still a safety concern. Parents are reminded NOT TO PARK in
the Kiss’ N’ Ride Lane or to leave their cars unattended at anytime throughout the day. This becomes problematic, as other
vehicles need to enter from Glen Erin Drive. We suggest that parents park on the street if they need to
walk onto school grounds to pick
up children or enter the school.
Your cooperation and assistance
is appreciated!
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE
We had a very successful food drive and we were able to collect a variety of canned and packaged foods. Thanks to all who
sent in food items. The St. Vincent de Paul Society will distribute the food to those in need.
SAFETY OF STUDENTS
A numberof procedures have been established to ensure the safety of our school community. These include:
All doors are locked except the front doors during the school day.
Visitors, including parents, are expected to report to the office when visiting the school.
Emergency response procedures in the event of a fire, bomb threat or serious accident or injury have been established and are
reviewed on a regular basis. Our fire drill procedures are necessary to ensure the safety of everyone in the school. In the
event of a fire, it is important that we all leave the building as quickly and safely as possible.
PEDICULOSIS
Head lice are parasites which have been common among humans for centuries. They are not connected in any way with dirt or
neglect. Anyone can be infested with them. We ask your cooperation in following our school procedures for controlling these
pests.
If cases are found in the school, we will inform parents. We shall check friends and classmates of the affected students. How-
ever, we request that you also check your own children and if you find them to be infested, we would ask that you let us know.
Information on the proper treatment can be obtained from a pharmacist or the Peel Regional Health Department. If your children have head lice, we will ask you to keep them out of school until they have been treated with the correct shampoo and
there is entirely clear of lice and nits (eggs).
Dear Neighbours,
Re: Toonie Tuesday November 20, 2007
It is hard to imagine that there is hunger right here in our own backyards. Did you know that the average yearly income for a
family using the food bank in Peel region is $13,920? This is much lower than the poverty line of $19,948. 73% of their income is spent on paying their rent.
Eden community Food Bank serves an average of 800 people per month, 45% are children who attend schools in the L5N and
L5M postal code areas. We have distributed over 61,000 kg’s (134,200 pounds) of food in the first 8 months of 2007.
As an independent non-profit organization, we receive no Government Funding. We rely heavily on the community we operate
in for monetary donations to cover our operational expenses. Once again, both school boards have agreed to join forces to
help raise funds and support this local endeavor.
“Toonie Tuesday” will be held November 20, 2007. We are hoping that everyone who is able will show their support by donating a Toonie to help the hungry families in our neighbourhood. If you have any questions about this program, please contact
the school, or visit the website of Eden Community Food Bank at www.edenfoodbank.org.
Together we do make a difference.
We thank you for your support and look forward to a successful campaign.
Donna Behmer
Manager
Volleyball Team
The Intermediate Girls & Boys Volleyball teams have just got underway with their first games last week. Let’s cheer them on in
true “Our Lady of Mercy” spirit!
MEDICATION
On occasion, the school is asked to store and/or give medication to students. A completed form must accompany each request for medication to be stored and given out by the school personnel. Ask the Office to supply you with the appropriate
forms. Medical Alerts and Anaphylaxis forms were sent home at the end of June to facilitate doctor’s appointments and time to
complete documentation. This is necessary to update files and inform staff of concerns.
Peanut Awareness & Other Allergens
We have a number of children in our school who have severe life threatening allergic reaction to peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oils and any peanut by-products.
Other life threatening allergens may include allergies to eggs, dairy, and flour products, sesame seeds and types of seafood if
ingested by the student.
Visitors & Volunteers
To ensure school security for students and teachers, the Board policy requires that all visitors (including parents) and volunteers must report to the office when entering the school. Please enter through the main doors only. Identification stickers are
required to be worn when visitors are in the school.
Volunteers are welcome and appreciated in the school. If you wish to volunteer, you must complete a criminal reference check.
If you completed a criminal reference check last year, and submitted a copy to the school, you are requested to complete an
Offence Declaration Form this year. Please contact the school office for more information.
DATES TO REMEMBER
OCTOBER
10
Provincial Election
16
Cross Country Family Meet
17
Early Release Day – no school in pm
18
CCCSAC Central Committee Catholic School Council 10th Anniversary
19
Picture Day
Students in Grade 2 receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Students in Grade 8 receive the
Sacrament of Confirmation. Preparation for these sacraments is a shared responsibility between parents, the parish and the
school.
Tues., Oct. 2
Beginning of the year
9:30 am @ School
Mass
Thurs., Oct. 11
Parent’s Meeting for
7:30 pm @ Merciful
Confirmation
Redeemer Church
Thurs., Oct. 18
Parent’s Meeting for
7:30 pm @ Merciful
First Holy Communion
Redeemer Church
and Reconciliation
Sat./Sun., Nov. 10/11
Presentation of Names
@ Merciful
First Holy Communion
Redeemer Church
and Reconciliation
Tues., Feb. 19
First Reconciliation
9:30 am @ Merciful
for Grade 2 students
Redeemer Church
Sat., April 26
First Communion
11:00 am @ Merciful
Redeemer Church
Tues., Dec. 11
7:00 pm @ Merciful
Advent Mass
Redeemer Church
Wed., Feb 6
Ash Wednesday
11:00 am @ School
Tues., March 4
Confirmation
9:00 am @ Merciful
Confessions
Redeemer Church
Sat., May 3
Confirmation
2:00 pm @ Merciful
Redeemer Church
Tues., June 10
Year End Mas
9:30 am @ School
Mon., June 23
10:00 am @ School
Graduation Mass