NEWSLETTER
January 2009
5820 Glen Erin Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 5J9
Fax: (905) 814-9217
Telephone: (905) 814-9216
Principal’s Message
Principal
T. Cruz
We are entering the final part of our
Christmas celebrations with the
Feasts of the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord. The Christmas
Season helps us celebrate his coming, recognize his presence, and
await his return as we continue
building his Kingdom.
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
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.
I hope that the Christmas Season
provided valuable time to spend
with family and to reflect on the
greater gifts we receive each day. I
hope it was a restful and enjoyable
time for all of our families. For
those who have loved ones that are
ill I hope that this coming year will
bring renewed health.
Be with us as we journey.
Deepen our faith to see all of life
through your eyes.
May God continue to
guide and support all of
us in the coming year.
God bless.
Fill us with hope and an abiding
trust that you dwell in us
amongst all our joys and sorrows.
T. Cruz
Thank you for the treasure
of our faith life.
Thank you for the gift of being
able to rise each day with the
assurance of your walking
through the day with us.
God of this New Year,
Early Release Day
Monday, January 12th, 2009
Students will be dismissed at 11:45 a.m.
__________________________
We praise You.
P.D. Day
Amen
Provincial Education Priorities
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
(No School for Students)
School Operations
Communication Updates
Junior & Senior Kindergarten
Registration for 2009-10
Inclement Weather and School Closure
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.
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:
VIRGIN RADIO 99.9
CHUM 1050
CFTR 680
CFNY 102.1
CJCL 590
CHFI 98.1
EZ ROCK 97.3
CFRB 1010
Z103.5
CJBC (FR) 860 AM
93.1 FM
FOXY 88.5 FM
CJMR/CHWO 1250
CHIN 100.7 FM/1540 AM
CITYPULSE
GLOBAL NEWS
THE WEATHER NETWORK
CBC
CFTO
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.
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.
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: SchoolBusMonitor.com
provides up to date bus cancellation and school closure
information on the web for a number of jurisdictions
across Ontario.
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
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
Literacy Corner
Dear Parents/Guardians,
There is a new resource that can help
support the learning happening at the
school. The Ministry of Education is
introducing video podcasts to help
parents develop learning opportunities at home. They are available in
English and French at the following Website:
ontario.ca/abc123.
The video podcasts show parents how they can support
their children’s education by incorporating reading, writing and math into everyday family life. The videos feature real families engaging in familiar activities and are
aimed at parents of students in Kindergarten through
Grade 6. Please check the website for more information.
French Immersion Information Meeting
• keep your life in balance and focused by helping you cope with new
challenges that come your way
• accept personal responsibilities in life
SK parents/guardians who wish to enroll their child in a
Grade 1 French Immersion class for September, 2009
are invited to attend an information meeting at:
• reflect on your inner desire to grow up into a responsible adult
School:
St. Margaret of Scotland
Self-Control is restraint practiced over one’s own emotions, impulses,
or desires.
Address:
2266 Council Ring Road, Mississauga
Date:
January 26th, 2009
• keep your emotional responses in check or moderation
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.
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.
7:00 p.m.
Extended French Information Meeting
Grade 4 parents/guardians who wish to enroll their
child in a Grade 5 Extended French class for September,
2009 are invited to attend an information meeting at:
St. Therese of the Child Jesus
6930 Forest Park Drive
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
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:
Time:
Criminal Reference Check - final reminder
Last reminder to all parents with Criminal Reference
Checks at office (Offence Declaration forms): if you have
received a note from the office to submit a new form, please
do so as soon as possible or your name will be removed
from the list. Thanks to those who have already done so.
You are practicing the Virtue of SELF-CONTROL/DECISION
MAKING when you…
•
Think before you act
•
Take responsibility for your actions and words
I’m not going to let him get me in trouble.
•
Can walk away from situations that will cause you trouble
I don’t know what his problem is, but I’m going to avoid him.
•
Resolve issues through discussion
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 need more practice when you…
React impulsively
Don’t stop to think about consequences
Are always following someone else’s ideas or actions
Winter Reminders
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:
-25C or colder with wind chill, students are kept inside
-20C to -24C, amount of outdoor time will be reduced.
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.
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. During a fire alarm students cannot stop
to put on boots so it is critical for
students to wear shoes at all times.
Dates to Remember
January
5
Classes Resume
12
Early Release Day
15
School Council Meeting at 6:30 p.m.
21
HPV 2nd dose plus Grade 8 pick-up clinic
21
Mississauga North CCCSC
at St. Sebastian School at 7pm
24
Presentation of Cards for Confirmation - 7 p.m.
28
Ministry P.A. Day
February
3
Extended French Information Meeting - 7 p.m.
11
Grade 4 Trip to the Civic Centre
12
Joe Rich at Mississauga Convention Centre
16
Family Day—No school
18
First Reconciliation for Grade 2 - 9:30 a.m.
18
Family Public Speaking Competition - Seton
19
School Council - 6:30 p.m.
Playing Safely with Snow
23
JK/SK Registration Evening—7:00-9:00p.m.
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.
26
Anti-bullying Assemblies in Gym
27
PD Day – No School - Evaluation of Pupil
Progress & Report Card Preparation
Junior Girls Win Gold Medals
Congratulations to the Junior Girls Volleyball Team for
advancing to the Family Tournament that took place on
December 2nd. They made it to the final round and were
winners for the tournament. They
also advanced to the Boards and finished in second, taking home silver
medals at that tournament. Great team
play and spirit was put forth by all
players. Way to go girls!