NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2009
Principal
T. Cruz
Vice Principal
M. MacDonald
Secretaries
D. Nolan
J. Harvey
Superintendent
Mississauga North
D. Oude-Reimerink
Parish
Merciful Redeemer Parish
Phone: 905-812-0030
Pastor
Fr. Vid Vlasic
Associate Pastor
Fr. Peter Jae Choi
School Council Chair
Gail Bellissimo
School Council Co-Chair
Megan Scott
Trustee
Esther O’Toole
Ward 9
Phone: 905-812-5163
Attendance Verification
Phone: 905-814-9216
Web Site www.dpcdsb.org/OLMCY
5820 Glen Erin Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 5J9
Telephone: (905) 814-9216 Fax: (905) 814-9217
A Rite for the Beginning of Advent
Principal’s Message
As we begin the season of Advent we begin one of the most magnificent times of the year in our liturgical calendar.
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. At Our Lady of Mercy we have set up our and our days grow short, our students, and we once again have our mitt and
Christ, our Light and our Hope,
We are looking forward to our Advent mass which will be held at the school. This will allow us to celebrate with all of our children this wonderful
Listen to the words of
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; bration. as dark as night, a light has dawned.
You have increased their joy and given them gladness; 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 Christ-
They rejoice in your presence as those who rejoice at harvest, mas. A blessing to carry you through the season:
May God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; as warriors exult when dividing spoil.
Is. 9:1-2
The warmth of Christmas, which is love;
The belief of Christmas, which is truth;
O God, rejoicing, we remember the promise of your Son.
As the light from this candle, may the blessing of Christ come upon us,
The all of Christmas, which is Christ .
Amen brightening our way and guiding us by his truth.
May Christ our Saviour bring life into the darkness of our world, and to us, as we wait for his coming.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
P.A Day
Parent/Teacher/Student
Conferences
Friday, December 4th, 2009
(No School for Students)

Confirmation of interview times will be sent home with Report cards on Tues. December 1 st . If there are any conflicts with times, please contact the office and we will reschedule.
Report Cards sent home Tues. December 1 st
Parent Interview Night: Thurs. December 3 rd
PD Day – Parent Interviews : Fri. December 4 th
Winter is Here!
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 .
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.
Grade 4 parents/guardians who wish to enroll their child in a Grade 5 Extended French class for September, 2010 are invited to attend an information meeting at:
St. Therese of the Child Jesus
6930 Forest Park Drive, Mississauga
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.
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
GLOBAL NEWS CITYPULSE CBC
CHIN 100.7 FM/1540 AM
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 DIS-
TRICT 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.

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
Everyone is invited to attend the
Family Advent Mass on Monday,
December 7 th at 9:30a.m. at
Our Lady of Mercy School.
Come and join in our Advent liturgical celebration!
Registration for the 2010-11 school year will be held at all Dufferin-Peel Catholic elementary schools on the following dates:
Monday, February 22, 2010 - 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.*
*Snow Date: Tuesday, February 23 - 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday,
February 24, 25 & 26, 2010
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, 2010
Senior Kindergarten - Children must be 5 years old by Dec. 31, 2010
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 905-890-
0708 ext. 24500.
Thank you for all your support in making the fundraiser a success! There were three individual top sellers in the school and three class winners per division. The winners for the class parties were:
Primary Division: Mrs. Merle’s Grade 1’s for a total sales of $1062. Congratulations!
Junior Division: Mr. Suppa’s Grade 3/4 for a total sales of $1216. Fantastic Job! They were also the top selling class in the school.
Intermediate Division:
Mr. Quintana’s Grade 7’s for a total sales of
$844. Congrats!
Special Mention goes to Mrs. Murphy’s Class who sold a total of $962.
Thank you to all the students for all their hard work!

Santa and Mrs. Claus are coming to Our Lady of Mercy on Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. for pictures. A notice was sent home last week. 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.
Christmas Schedule
CHRISTMAS EVE - Wednesday, December 24
4:00, 6:00. 8:00, 10:00 p.m & Midnight
CHRISTMAS DAY - Thursday, December 25
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.
Catholic Ratepayers – Check your Tax
Bill to Ensure Proper Tax Support
If you are a Catholic ratepayer, we urge you to check your property tax bill to ensure that your support is directed to your local Catholic school board, in our case, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. If you are a tenant, you can verify your support by contacting our Admissions Department at (905) 890-0708, ext.
24511, 24512, or 24519, or your local municipal office. By ensuring that you are accurately recorded as a Catholic school supporter, you can help deliver a powerful message to the government about the level of support for publically-funded Catholic education in Ontario. In order to be eligible to vote for your local Catholic school board trustee, you must be registered as a separate school supporter.
December
1 Report Cards go home
1 Junior Volleyball – Family Tournament
1-3 Book Fair
3 Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences
– after school and evening
4 Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences
– P.D. Day (No school for students)
7 Advent Mass - 9:30 a.m. @ school
8 Scientists in the School—Grade 8
8 Peel Regional Police Presentations
8 Santa Clause Pictures - 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
10 Grade 4’s have Artist in the School “Fanzia”
15 Drum Clinics—Junior Grades
15 School Council Meeting/Social—7pm
16 Drum Clinics—Intermediate Grades
18 Intermediate Dance - p.m.
18 Last day of school before Christmas Break
January
4 Classes resume
12 School Council Meeting - 6:30 p.m.
14 Early Release Day-no school in the pm.
Mr. Suppa has been teaching the Grade 3/4 class for the last few of months. He has now been assigned to a Grade
6/7 teaching position at Father Francis McSpiritt School in Brampton. He began his new assignment on November 30 th . We wish Mr. Suppa great success with his new teaching position and we will miss him here at Our Lady of Mercy. We welcome Mrs. Skura to the Gr.3/4 class.
Go online at www.QSP.ca to order your new or renewal magazine subscriptions. Use our school’s name and a portion of your subscription goes to support our school.
If you buy a magazine online, you will also be entered in a contest for a chance to win a Dell Laptop!