NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2008
5820 Glen Erin Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 5J9
Fax: (905) 814-9217
Telephone: (905) 814-9216
Principal’s Message
Principal
T. Cruz
As we begin the season of Advent we begin one
of the most magnificent times of the year in our
liturgical calendar.
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
Trustee
Esther O’Toole
Ward 9
Phone: 905-812-5163
Attendance Verification
Phone: 905-814-9216
Web Site
www.dpcdsb.org/OLMCY
Advent - A Time of Hope
God of Hope
You sent us Jesus,
the light of the world.
As we light our Advent candles,
One by one, a week at a time,
May we rekindle within ourselves,
the desire to make peace for him.
May the flame of His presence
grow brighter and brighter
During Advent we are called to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Saviour. Let us
prepare the inner core of ourselves, so that we
will be transformed in our lives, in our behaviour and in our hearts. We are waiting for His
birth and prepare for that arrival with a great
deal of excitement and energy. Christmas trees
are decorated, presents are bought or made,
cookies are baked and cards are sent out to all of
our friends, families and colleagues.
We are looking forward to our Advent mass
which, this year, will be held at the school. This
will allow us to celebrate with all of our children. We hope to see many of our parents and
family members at this wonderful celebration.
I sincerely hope that you take the opportunity to
relax, pray and celebrate the birthday of Jesus,
the Son of God during this very holy season.
Wishing you and your families the best of
Christmas. A blessing to carry you through the
season:
in our hearts, in our school,
May God grant you the light in Christmas,
and in our world.
Which is faith;
May the God of Hope
The warmth of Christmas, which is love;
fill us with joy and
peace this Christmas
The belief of Christmas, which is truth;
The all of Christmas, which is Christ.
Amen
T. Cruz
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
P.A Day
Parent/Teacher/Student
Conferences
Friday, December 5th, 2008
(No School for Students)
School Operations
Communication Updates
Report Cards and Interviews
Inclement Weather and School Closure
Confirmation of interview times will be sent home
with Report cards on Tues. December 2nd. If there
are any conflicts with times, please contact the office and we will reschedule.
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:
Report Cards sent home Tues. December 2th
VIRGIN RADIO 99.9
CHUM 1050
CFTR 680
CFNY 102.1
CJCL 590
CHFI 98.1
EZ ROCK 97.3
CFRB 1010
Z103.5
Dressing Warmly
CJBC (FR) 860 AM
93.1 FM
FOXY 88.5 FM
Winter is Here!
CJMR/CHWO 1250
CHIN 100.7 FM/1540 AM
CITYPULSE
GLOBAL NEWS
THE WEATHER NETWORK
CBC
CFTO
Parent Interview Night: Thurs. December 4th
PD Day – Parent Interviews : Fri. December 5th
Please ensure that your children
are dressed appropriately for the
weather. 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.
KISS N’ RIDE & PARKING LOT
When entering the Kiss N’ Ride lane from Glen Erin,
Please make sure to drive all the way to the front of the
lane (closest to the Kindergarten fenced area). Please do
not stop immediately after entering the lane. There
are many cars behind waiting to enter and this is causing
congestion on Glen Erin and the danger of other drivers
having to go around you to drop off their children in the
appropriate spot. Supervisors are also
there to assist your children exiting
your vehicle.
Please allow extra time in the morning
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. Those arriving later are disrupting
classroom procedures and morning prayers and announcements.
Your cooperation and assistance are appreciated!
P.S. Please do not make U-Turns on Glen Erin Drive.
Extended French Information Meeting
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. Rose of Lima
4590 The Gallops, Mississauga
Tuesday, February 3, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
We will be communicating one of four standard messages to the radio stations. The four announcements and
their effect on the transportation system are as follows:
(Please note that the highlighted text only will be communicated by the radio stations).
1. “DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES SERVING ST. ANDREW,
ST. BENEDICT AND ST. PETER ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS AND R.F. HALL SECONDARY SCHOOL
ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”
2. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF
CALEDON AND THE COUNTY OF DUFFERIN ARE
CANCELLED”. This means that all runs listed under announcement #l PLUS the following are cancelled.
•
All schools in the Town of Caledon and all school runs
that begin in the Town of Caledon.
•
Individual schools will be notified if this cancellation
affects their school.
3. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES ARE CANCELLED.”
This means that:
ALL Transportation services provided by the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board and The Peel District School
Board, including buses, vans and taxis have been cancelled
for the entire day.
4. “THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE
DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL
BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL
BOARD ARE CLOSED.” This means that:
ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and Peel
District School Board schools and offices are closed to all
students and staff.
Virtue of the Month
December’s Virtue of the Month is:
Affirmation:
I am hopeful.
I trust in God because He is merciful and faithful to His
promises.
My Hope is my steadfast anchor.
I ask the Holy Spirit to help and guide me.
What is Hope?
Hope is a theological virtue. It informs our Christian moral life
along with the virtues of Faith and Charity. Hope is manifested
in our desire to attain the kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as
our happiness. We place our trust in Christ’s promises and rely
on the grace of the Holy Spirit to guide us.
Why practice Hope?
You need Hope to trust in the promises of Jesus Christ. This
hope is always achieved with the grace and help of the Holy
Spirit. Hope answers our strong burning desires for happiness
and it informs our actions, making them pure of heart. It gives
us strength so that we do not become discouraged and hold on
steadily to our beliefs.
You are practicing the Virtue of HOPE when you…
•
Trust in God that there is some good in everything that
happens
•
Always do your best
•
Do not let doubts blow you off course
•
Stand by your friends and loved ones
•
Ask God to help you keep steadfast
You need more practice when you…
Give into your doubts
Just do what is easiest at the moment
Avoid prayer
Don’t feel joy in life and hope for the future
Family Advent Mass
Everyone is invited to attend the
Family Advent Mass on Monday,
December 8th at 9:30a.m. at Our
Lady of Mercy School.
Come and join in our Advent
liturgical celebration!
Junior & Senior Kindergarten
Registration for 2009-10
Registration for the 2009-10 school year will be held
at all Dufferin-Peel Catholic elementary schools on
the following dates:
Monday, February 23, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.*
*Snow Date: Tuesday, February 24 - 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, February 25, 26 & 27,
2009
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Junior Kindergarten - Children must be 4 years old by
Dec. 31, 2009
Senior Kindergarten - Children must be 5 years old
by Dec. 31, 2009
Parents/Guardians should bring the following documents when registering their child:
• proof of age
• original Catholic Baptismal Certificate of the Roman, Greek or Ukrainian Rite, for parent (one) and
child (if the child has not been baptized, a letter of
counselling with the parish priest, to complete the
process will be accepted)
• updated immunization records
• proof of Canadian citizenship or of Landed Immigrant status
• proof of address (utility bill, bank or credit card
statement)
For more information, contact your local Catholic
school or call the Admissions Department at 905-8900708 ext. 24500.
Sleeping Children Around the World
[SCAW]
We have been raising funds for
Sleeping Children Around the
World [SCAW]. It is a Registered Canadian Charity founded
in 1970 by Margaret and Murray
Dryden. Since then, SCAW has
raised over $20 million to provide bedkits for more than
800,000 children in 32 countries.
Sleeping Children Around the World donations provide
bedkits to children of any religion who will benefit the
most — typically being located in underdeveloped and
developing countries.
Each $35 donation (Canadian funds) provides a bedkit
that consists of a mat or mattress, pillow, sheet, blanket,
mosquito net (if applicable), clothes outfit, towel and
school supplies. Bedkit donations are tax-deductible in
Canada. 100% of every bedkit donation reaches a needy
child.
Thank you to all who have donated the gift of a bedkit!
Pictures with Santa
Santa and Mrs. Clause are coming to Our Lady of Mercy
on Tuesday, December 9th, 2008 between 1:00 p.m.
and 3:00 p.m. for pictures. A full colour sample brochure and prepayment envelopes were sent home last Friday. Photo packages will be
processed and returned to
school next week. One dollar
from each package sale will be
donated back to the school.
Avoid the long mall line-ups
and have your children come
from their classroom to have their pictures taken with
Santa. Sibling photos are welcome and your children can
be called down together for their picture.
Collecting Games for Indoor Recess
School Council is collecting gently used games for classrooms to be used on inclement weather recesses. Such
games include: chess, checkers, Trouble, cards and Connect 4. If you have any of these with all the pieces you
can bring it into the school for redistribution to the classrooms. Your donation is appreciated!
Merciful Redeemer Parish
Christmas Schedule
Dates to Remember
December
2
Report Cards go home
2
Junior Volleyball – Family
Tournament @ Our Lady of Mount Carmel
4
JK & SK Trip to The Living Arts Centre - a.m.
-Mrs. Fang’s and Mrs. Maxwell’s classes
4
Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences Night
5
P.A. Day -Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences
8
Advent Mass - 9:30 a.m. @ school
9
Santa Clause Pictures - 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
9
Christmas Concert for Grade 8's at Gonzaga
11
NET Retreat at Merciful Redeemer - Grade 8's
15
School Council Meeting/Social
—7pm at Turtle Jack’s
18
Jim Arnold - Grade 7 & 8
19
Intermediate Dance - p.m.
19
Last day of school before Christmas Break
January
5
Classes resume
CHRISTMAS EVE - Wednesday, December 24
15
School Council Meeting - 6:30 p.m.
4:00, 6:00. 8:00, 10:00 p.m & Midnight
21
HPV Clinic - Grade 8
CHRISTMAS DAY - Thursday, December 25
21
Mississauga North CCCSC
- 7:00 pm @ St. Sebastian School
28
P.D. Day – Ministry of Education
8:30, 10:00 & 11:30 a.m.
New Year’s Schedule
NEW YEAR’S EVE - Wednesday, December 31
5:00 p.m.
NEW YEAR’S DAY - Thursday, January 1
10:00 & 11:30 a.m. & 7 p.m.
Intermediate Boys Volleyball Team
Congratulations to the Intermediate Boys Volleyball team
advanced to the BoardsTournament on November 13th
after winning the Family Tournament. They competed
against the defending board
champs....and lost two games to the
finalists, St. Francis of Assisi, in the
tournie and won one game. Congrats
once again on a great season this year!
The Power of One - Anti-bullying Assemblies
In our ongoing efforts to combat bullying, we held two antibullying assemblies for our students to create awareness of
types of bullying that occur as well as the role of the bystander. Students were able to witness examples of bullying, victim and bystander behaviour and learned how to help
those who become victims. We wish to thank the Parent
Council for funding for these assemblies.
Lunchroom Supervisor Position Available
We are currently looking for a person interested in taking over as a lunchroom supervisor. Responsibilities
are supervising Grade 1 to 3 children for 20 minutes
while eating their lunch and 40 minutes outside on the
pavement. The position pays about $12.00 per hour and
would take place from 11:45 - 12:45 on school days.
Please contact the school office if you are interested.