NEWSLETTER
February 2008
Principal
T. Cruz
Vice Principal
M. MacDonald
Secretaries
D. Nolan
J. Harvey
5820 Glen Erin Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 5J9
Fax: (905) 814-9217
Telephone: (905) 814-9216
Kindergarten Registration
February 27-29, 2008
9:00-11:00a.m. and 1:00-3:00p.m.
and February 25, 2008
7:00-9:00p.m.
More details on page 2
Principal’s Message
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
Reflections on the Child
As in Nature—
No two trees or flowers,
although seeded at the same
time, grow and bloom at the
same rate, at the same height, or
to the same degree of colour–
so also in Children.
Although the same age, each
child is like an individual flower
requiring different amounts of
light, water, air and nurturing
to grow to fullest potential.
Given basic necessities,
children will survive,
but it is important to determine
what each needs to truly flourish.
We are the true gardeners in the
greenhouse of learning.
It has been a long and very cold
winter and I hope that spring will be
along soon with its signs of new life.
Lent will soon be upon us with it’s
signs of growth, and the call for
penance and prayers. It is a time to
follow Jesus more closely. As we
approach the season of Lent let us
use the forty days to pray for peace
and harmony in our world. Our
world continues to need our prayers
so that peace will embrace the
world.
February is also the month we traditionally celebrate Black History but
we will also use this month to celebrate our wonderful spirit of multiculturalism. Let us pray that our
students, families and staff will be
able to journey through Lent in
health.
Early Release Day
Thursday, February 7th, 2008
Students will be dismissed at
11:45 a.m. There will be no
School in the afternoon.
School Operations
Communication Updates
Junior & Senior Kindergarten
Punctuality
Registration for 2008-2009
School begins at 8:45am in the morning and at 12:45pm in
the afternoon. Students should arrive at school on time and
line up with their appropriate class
when entering the school. We have
noticed that most students arriving
late are students that are driven to
school. Parents, we would appreciate your support in stressing the importance of being on time. Punctuality is a student expectation for all students of Our Lady of Mercy.
Registration for children not registered in Dufferin-Peel
Catholic schools will take place during the week of February 27-29, 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.
Registration for Students with
Special Needs
There will be an information session for parents of children with special needs such as vision, hearing, physical,
developmental or autism who are entering JK or SK in
September 2008. The information session will be held at
the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board -Catholic Education Centre on February 6, 2008 from
7:00-8:30 p.m. Parents are also reminded to register
their child here at our school office as soon as possible in
order to plan a successful entry for September.
STAFF PARKING LOT
When dropping off students, please do not enter the staff
parking lot at the side of the school. 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. The accumulation of
snow has made this even more dangerous for our students.
The parking lot is to be 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.
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:
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.
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
HOPE: Celebrated at Our Lady of Mercy
At Our Lady of Mercy, we undertook various activities to
celebrate the virtue of Hope as well as bringing hope to those
in our community and others around the world.
Affirmation:
I am respectful.
I treat others and myself with respect.
I show courtesy to everyone.
I learn from the wisdom of my elders.
What is Respect?
Respect is an attitude of honouring people and caring about their
rights. Being respectful is reflected in the courtesy with which we
treat one another, the way we speak, and the way we treat other
people’s belongings. Speaking and acting respectfully gives people the dignity they deserve. Respect includes honouring the rules
of your family and your school, behaving in a way which makes
life more peaceful and orderly. Being respectful includes selfrespect. Every woman, man and child was created by God and we
all deserve respect.
Why practice Respect?
Without respectfulness people’s privacy would be violated. Without respect people speak rudely to each other and treat others as if
they do not matter. Being respectful helps people feel valued.
When you treat yourself with respect, others respect you too.
The Grade 3 classes performed a liturgy during Advent. Advent is a time of hope. In their liturgy, they discussed the
symbolism of all aspects of the Advent Wreath and raised the
question, “What does Hope look like?” Students worked in
partners creating posters to display their images of Hope.
Our Grade 2’s and Grade 3’s in the combined classes had
been learning and practicing Christmas Carols. In December, they boarded buses for a trip to the Erin Meadows Seniors Centre. While there, the children sung several carols to
the delight of many elder members of our community. Hope
and joy was spread to a very captive audience.
The Grade 8’s developed and ran a social justice committee.
Through World Vision, they brought hope to a community in
Africa. By selling 150 bracelets inscribed with the message,
”We NOT Me”, they were able to buy some chickens, ducks
and a goat for a distant community in need.
The Virtue of Hope has continued to emanate
throughout our school in the new year and we
continue to strive to bring hope to those close to
us and around the world.
How do you practice Respect?
A good way to practice respect is to think about how you would
like to be treated and then treat others that way. How would you
like others to treat your belongings, your right to privacy, your
need for dignity? You do not run around inside someone’s home
when there are breakables there. You treat their space and their
belongings with respect.
Being respectful is expressing even your strongest feelings in a
peaceful way. It is expressing your opinion as an opinion, respectful of the fact that there is more than one way of seeing things.
Practicing self-respect is treating yourself as you feel others deserve to be treated. You deserve it too!
You are practicing the Virtue of RESPECT when you…
Treat everyone the way you would like to be treated
Treat the property of others with special care
Honour other people’s need for time and space to themselves
Speak courteously to everyone
Are receptive to the wisdom of elders
Honour the rules of your family and nation
Expect respect for your body and your rights
You need more practice when you…
Treat others like they do not matter
Ignore the wisdom of elders
Use anything you want without the owner’s permission
Interrupt or barge in on anyone
Make fun or talk back to elders
Disobey the rules of your family or school
Allow others to treat you disrespectfully
Central Erin Mills (ARC)
Pupil Accommodation Review
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 1st 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.
Future Public Meeting Dates:
•
Public Meeting # 2—Thursday, February 19, 2008
•
Public Meeting # 3—Tuesday, March 4, 2008
•
Public Meeting # 4—Tuesday, April 8, 2008
All meetings will be held at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary
School at 7 p.m.
Winter Reminders
Cold Weather Guidelines
“It’s getting a little cold outside!” It
is important that students dress appropriately for the weather! Hats,
mitts, scarves and snowpants are necessary on most winter days. Having
an additional pair of mitts and/or
socks is also appreciated as children
play in the snow and articles become
wet. At times we reduce outdoor play time according to
Wind Chill temperatures:
- 25 or colder: students are kept indoors
- 20 reduce amount of outdoor time
Fresh air and exercise are essential for health and learning. Come prepared to go outside for recess.
Dressing Warmly
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.
Dates to Remember
February
6
Ash Wednesday Mass
at School
7
Early Release Day
7
Accommodation Review—1st Public Meeting
8
Public Speaking—School Competition
15
Peel Regional Police presentations
18
Family Day—New Holiday
19
Reconciliation—Grade 2’s
@ 9:30 a.m. at Merciful Redeemer Parish
19
Accommodation Review—2nd Public Meeting
20
RAID Program (Reduce Abuse in Drugs) begins
for Grade 6 students—7 week program
25
Rosary Apostolate comes in
25-29 JK/SK Registration
25
JK/SK Registration Evening—7:00-9:00p.m.
28
Spring Photos for Siblings
29
Grade 5’s trip to Living Arts Centre
March
4
Accommodation Review—3rd Public Meeting
Peel Police Presentations
5
Peel Regional Police presentations
Officer Cook will be conducting a variety of age appropriate presentations for K to 8 students on February 15th,
March 5th and May 23rd. Topics include street proofing,
stranger awareness, internet safety, bullying and youth
crime. The Intermediates already received a presentation
on Cyber-Bullying.
7
P.A. Day—Report Card Preparation
In addition, beginning on February
19th, the Grade 6 classes will receive
the RAID Program dealing with drug
and tobacco prevention. This program will run for one hour for 7
weeks. These presentations and partnership with the Peel Regional Police is part of our Safe
School Program to promote education, awareness, understanding, and knowledge for our students so they may
make informed decisions.
10-14 March Break
21
Good Friday (Stat. Holiday)
24
Easter Monday (Stat. Holiday)
31
Rosary Apostolate
Public Speaking
Our grades 4-8 students have been busy preparing speeches.
The 2 winners from each class will participate in the school
contest in the gym on February 8th. Intermediate speeches
will be held in the morning. Junior speeches will be held
after lunch. Parents are invited to come and listen to the
speeches.