NEWSLETTER
January 2008
5820 Glen Erin Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 5J9
Fax: (905) 814-9217
Telephone: (905) 814-9216
Principal’s Message
Principal
T. Cruz
Vice Principal
M. MacDonald
Secretaries
D. Nolan
J. Harvey
Superintendent
Mississauga North
M. Prospero
Parish
Merciful Redeemer Parish
Phone: 905-812-0030
Pastor
Fr. Vid Vlassic
Associate Pastor
Fr. Ivan Camilleri
Fr. Mariush Runevich
School Council Chair
Gail Bellissimo
School Council Vice-chair
Megan Scott
Trustee
Esther O’Toole
Ward 9
Phone: 905-812-5163
Attendence Verification
Phone: 905-814-9216
Web Site
www.dpcdsb.org/OLMCY
Prayer for the New Year
God of this New Year,
We are walking into mystery.
We face the future not knowing
What the days and months will
bring or how we will respond.
Be with us as we journey.
Deepen our faith to see all of life
through your eyes.
It is with a heavy heart that I welcome everyone back from the
Christmas break. I hope it was a
restful time filled with joy and
laughter for most of our families.
Unfortunately, one of our grade 2
students passed away during this
time and our hearts go out to Keondre’s family. We continue to pray
that God will give them the strength
they need to carry this burden. Our
new year began with a liturgy in
memory of Keondre and many children have been busy drawing pictures and writing letters about their
favourite memories of him. The aim
of these activities is to help our children learn to cope with death.
I hope the new year brings peace to
Fill us with hope and an abiding
those who seek it, joy to those who
trust that you dwell in us
need it most, and love to those who
amongst all our joys and sorrows.
lack it. May God bless each of the
Thank you for the treasure
of our faith life.
Thank you for the gift of being
able to rise each day with the
families in this community and especially our children.
Happy New Year
assurance of your walking
through the day with us.
God of this New Year,
We praise You.
Amen
P.D. Day
Provincial Education Priorities
Wednesday, January 30th,
2008
(No School for Students)
School Operations
Communication Updates
Junior & Senior Kindergarten
Registration for 2008-2009
Registration for children not registered in Dufferin-Peel
Catholic schools will take place during the week of February 25-29, 2008 from 9:00-11:00am and 1:00-3:00pm
and on the evening of February 25, 2008 from 7:009:00pm. If you live within our school boundaries or
know of families moving into our area for the 2008-2009
school year, please register during this week so that our
school will be staffed accordingly, based on registrations
received at this time.
Junior Kindergarten – children must be 4 years old by
Dec. 31, 2008. Senior Kindergarten – children must be 5
years old by Dec. 31, 2008.
•
Parents/Guardians should bring the following documents when registering their child:
•
Proof of age
•
Original Baptismal Certificate from a Roman, Greek
or Ukrainian Rite, for both the parent and child
•
Updated immunization records
•
Proof of Canadian citizenship or of Landed
immigrant status.
Extended French Information Meeting
(Correction from last Newsletter)
Grade 4 parents/guardians who wish to enroll their child
in a Grade 5 Extended French class for September, 2008
are invited to attend an information meeting at:
St. Therese of the Child Jesus
6930 Forest Park Drive
Monday, February 4, 2008
At 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. on:
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Bus Cancellations
If buses are announced as cancelled, schools are still open
unless otherwise indicated. You can check the stations
listed on the right side of this page or check Dufferin-Peel’s
website at www.dpcdsb.org. Please do not call the school to
verify as secretaries are extremely busy on days with poor
weather conditions.
School Bus Monitor Website: Please be advised that
both the Peel District School Board and the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board have been
added to the 'SchoolBusMonitor.com'
website, and can be accessed for bus
cancellation information effective immediately. SchoolBusMonitor.com provides
up to date bus cancellation and school
closure information on the web for a
number of jurisdictions across Ontario.
STAFF PARKING LOT
When dropping off students, please do not enter the
staff parking lot at the side of the school. Recently, we
have been experiencing serious safety concerns regarding
parents trying to drop off children at the back of the
school. Some drivers have been turning around and
backing up while students are
walking from the front of the
school to the school yard. The
accumulation of snow has made
this even more dangerous for our
students. The parking lot is to be
entered and used by Our Lady of
Mercy Staff only. We do not have enough spaces to accommodate parents. If you wish to drop off or pick up
your child, please use Kiss N’ Ride in front of the school.
Kiss N’ Ride
Please allow extra time if you are dropping off your children by car. With the colder months, there are more parents choosing this option. Students should be arriving
between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. Unfortunately, many students are arriving after 8:45 a.m., receiving late slips, and
disrupting classroom procedures and morning exercises.
Inclement Weather and School Closure
During the winter months inclement weather may cause
disruption of bus transportation and regular school operations. A decision to cancel school transportation and/or to
close schools is usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be announced on the following radio stations:
CKFM 99.9
CHUM 1050
CFTR 680
CFNY 102.1
CFTO
CBC
CJCL 590
CHFI 98.1
CFRB 1010
CHEZ EZ Rock
CJBC (FR) 860
Z1-3.5
CHIN 100.7
FM/1540 CJEZ
CJMR/CHWO 1250
FOXY 88.5
The Weather Network
City Pulse
The message usually takes the following form:
“All buses for the Peel District School Board and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board have been cancelled.”
Or to indicate school closures:
“The schools and offices for the Peel District School Board
and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board have
been closed.”
Virtue of the Month
You need more practice with self-control when you…
React impulsively
Don’t stop to think about consequences
Resolve issues with aggression
Are always getting into trouble
Affirmation:
I have self-control.
I know how to get things done on my own.
I have control over my feelings.
I make good decisions in the way I act and speak.
What is Self-Control / Decision Making?
Self-Control / Decision Making is a set of behaviours that help you:
• understand that the only thing in life which you can change and
control is yourself
• keep in check all self-destructive, addictive, obsessive, compulsive,
irrational, and unacceptable behaviours
• keep your life in balance and focused by helping you cope with new
challenges that come your way
• keep your emotional responses in check or moderation
• accept personal responsibilities in life
• reflect on your inner desire to grow up into a responsible adult
Self-Control is restraint practiced over one’s own emotions, impulses,
or desires.
Why practice Self-Control/ Decision Making?
You need to practice Self-Control/Decision Making so that you can
have control over your life. It is important to develop strategies to help
you gain self-control so that you can motivate yourself to get things
done. This virtue also helps you practice something until you know
how to do it well or make it a part of the way you do things. Every
choice you make has consequences and you are responsible for those
choices, therefore you need to ensure that you are making the correct
decisions. Any decision that is made should be a reflection of your
Catholic values.
How do you practice Self-Control/Decision Making?
Self-Control/ Decision Making can be learned. You practice it by
pausing and thinking of the consequences that may result from your
behaviour or decision. When you feel that you are losing control, you
may want to take a deep breath and calmly state how you are feeling
or what is upsetting you. Strategies like self-talk are great to use.
When you get hit; you need to stop, think and evaluate before you hit
back. You may say to yourself:
If I hit him, he’ll hit me back and we’ll get into a fight.
I might get hurt or I might hurt him..
I might be sent to the office or be suspended.
I’m not going to let him get me in trouble.
I don’t know what his problem is, but I’m going to avoid him.
I’ll choose to do the smart thing and walk away.
Other coping strategies can be counting slowly, drawing a picture,
writing down feelings or talking about it.
You are practicing the Virtue of SELF-CONTROL/DECISION
MAKING when you…
•
Think before you act
•
Take responsibility for your actions and words
•
Can walk away from situations that will cause you trouble
•
Resolve issues through discussion
•
Are not afraid to stand your ground
Are always following someone else’s ideas or actions
Donations and Memorial Mass for
Keondre and his family
Our deepest condolences go out to Keondre’s family. Our
Lady of Mercy School has set up a fund to help Keondre’s
family with the payment of funeral expenses. If you would
like to offer your support, we will accept donations at the
school until the end of January. On January 29th at 1pm,
we will hold a Memorial Mass at the school for Keondre
and present his parents with all donations. Your generosity
during this difficult time is greatly appreciated.
Sleeping Children Around the World
[SCAW]
Sleeping Children Around The World was a great success. Our school raised approximately $1,956.00. This
will enable SCAW to purchase 66
bedkits for children in the many communities they service. Many thanks to
all who participated in this worthy
cause. Your generosity has given
hope to many families. This fundraising was a great demonstration of the
virtue of Hope, which was the theme we focused on in
December.
Central Erin Mills (ARC)
Accommodation Review Committee
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board will be convening the first public meeting for the Pupil Accommodation
Review Process. This is a process which undertakes the necessary steps to enable the board to determine whether it should
close schools in the future. The board has identified that the
following schools in the Central Erin Mills review area are in
an area of declining enrolment and should be considered under
the Pupil Accommodation Review process: Blessed Trinity,
Divine Mercy, Our Lady of Mercy, St. Joseph and St. Rose
of Lima. The first public meeting for the Central Erin Mills
ARC will be held at on February 7th at 7:00 p.m. at:
St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School
2800 Erin Centre Boulevard
Mississauga
In the event of extreme winter weather conditions, the alternate date
for the public meeting will be Tuesday, February 19, 2008. Any
changes will be posted to the board website.
Winter Reminders
Playing Safely with Snow
As a result of the winter months, we continue to remind
all students that snow stays on the ground. As well, we
continually remind them that there is to be no pushing of
others on the snow hills that are created when the pavement is plowed. Every student is made aware of the importance of these rules in preventing injuries. Students
are continually reminded with daily announcements and
by classroom teachers and staff on yard duty. We continue to stress our “hands off’ rule to ensure the safety of
every student. Students who continually break these
rules will be tracked at the office and parents will be notified. Please take this opportunity to discuss the dangers
of rough play with your child. Thank you in advance for
your assistance in this matter.
Cold Weather Season
Children will go outside for recesses and for 40 minutes
during the lunch hour. Research indicates that fifteen
minutes of fresh air allows students to refocus on their
studies. On extremely cold days, we may limit the
amount of time that students spend outside. We obtain
our information from Environment Canada Weather Information and follow Board Guidelines which are:
Dates to Remember
January
7
Classes Resume
9
HPV 2nd dose plus Grade 8 pick-up clinic
15
School Council Meeting at 7pm
16
Mississauga North CCCSC
at St. Albert of Jerusalem School at 7pm
– Topic “Safe Schools”
25
Toronto Symphony Orchestra Presentations
28
Rosary Apostolate comes in
30
Ministry P.A. Day
February
6
Ash Wednesday Mass at School
7
Early Release Day
-25C or colder with wind chill, students are kept inside
7
Accommodation Review—1st Public Meeting
-20C to -24C, amount of outdoor time will be reduced
18
Family Day—New Holiday
If it is warmer than -20 with the wind chill, students will
be expected to be outside during the entire recess period.
Please ensure your children are dressed appropriately for
the weather conditions.
19
Accommodation Review—2nd Public Meeting
20
RAID Program (Reduce Abuse in Drugs) begins
Dressing Warmly
The Snow has Arrived!
It is important that your children come to school
dressed with sufficient clothing to be worn outside during recesses. Warm clothes, snow pants, gloves, mitts,
hats and boots are needed for outdoor play. Having an
extra pair of mitts and socks is always appreciated for
children that play in the snow.
Place items in a bag with your
child’s name on it. We recommend
labeling all clothing items. This
will prevent the overflow of items
in the “Lost & Found” box. All
students must bring a pair of
indoor shoes.
for Grade 6 students—7 week program
25
Rosary Apostolate comes in
25
JK/SK Registration Evening—7:00-9:00p.m.
28
Spring Photos for Siblings
29
Grade 5’s trip to Living Arts Centre
Junior Boys Win Silver Medals
Congratulations to the Junior Boys Volleyball Team for
advancing to the Family Tournament that
took place on December 4th. After a
tough day of competition, they made it to
the final round and were runners up for
the tournament. A great team effort was
put forth by all players. Way to go boys!