NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER 2012
5820 Glen Erin Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 5J9
Telephone: (905) 814-9216
Fax: (905) 814-9217
In Flanders Fields
Principal
D. Della Rossa
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Secretary
S. Droy
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
Superintendent
Mississauga North
D. Oude-Reimerink
Parish
Merciful Redeemer Parish
Phone: 905-812-0030
Pastor
Fr. Vid Vlasic
Associate Pastor
Fr. Robert Mignella
School Council Co-Chair
Megan Scott
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
Principal’s Message
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the
students and their families of Our Lady of Mercy community for a very successful dance-a-thon fundraiser.
We collected over $11,000.00. We wish to extend a
heartfelt thanks to the staff for their support and to the
parent volunteers for the countless hours spent on making this a great success. We wish to acknowledge
Subway for their sponsorship with the dance-a-thon.
Also, a special thanks to our parents who co-ordinate
the Pizza Fridays. Thank you for your time, presence
and dedication in helping with our pizza lunches.
Trustee
Esther O’Toole
Ward 9
Phone: 905-812-5163
As we approach November 11th, we need to take the
time to pause, thank and reflect on the many men and
women who have died and continue to fight for the
freedoms that we enjoy. We will see many wearing
the red poppy in honour of all war veterans. We
attempt to keep their memories and our quest for peace
alive by wearing a poppy and through liturgies that
commemorate the bravery of these veterans. As
Remembrance Day falls on a Sunday, our school will
be gathering in the gym at 9:15am on Friday, November 9th to participate in an assembly. Please join us.
The entire school will collectively have our minute of
silence at 11:00 am.
Attendance Verification
Phone: 905-814-9216
Also, the week of November 19 to 23 is our Eden Food
Bank Food Drive. Please support our food drive by
bringing in non-perishable food items to support
School Council Co-Chair
Keith Mussar
Web Site
www.dpcdsb.org/OLMCY
DPCDSB is now on
Twitter! For the latest
board news and information, follow us
@DPCDSBSchools.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
Lt. John McCrae
those in need in our community.
Our 2012-2013 Our Lady of Mercy School yearbook is
underway. Please also find attached the order form for
the 2012-2013 School Yearbook. The yearbook will
capture the story that unfolds this year at school.
Thank you to the parents who have shown dedication
and commitment in creating the yearbook.
Many thanks to the entire Our Lady of Mercy community for your ongoing support and partnership.
God bless, D. Della Rossa
P.A Day - Provincial Education
Priorities & Faith Development
Friday, November 16th, 2012
(No School for Students)
School Operations
School Council
ARRIVING ON TIME FOR SCHOOL
All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend our
School Council Meetings! It is a good place to hear about
some of the initiatives that are happening at Our Lady of
Mercy as well as an opportunity to connect and meet with
other parents in the community. Input is welcome so come
and join us. General meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. The following are members of this year’s school council:
Please ensure that your child arrives at school between
8:30 and 8:45 am so they are able to line up with their
class to enter the school in the morning.
LATES – Late for School –
Please, Report to the Office
To ensure safe arrival, late students
need to report to the office rather
than proceed to the back of the
school where students may find
themselves locked out! School
Hours begin at 8:45am.
DRESSING FOR COLD WEATHER
Soon we will be experiencing cold weather and with
winter on its way, we need to prepare. It is important
for students to come prepared to participate in all activities, including outdoor recess. Please ensure that
your child is dressed appropriately for the forthcoming
colder weather, including having hats, boots and mittens/gloves as winter approaches.
COLD AND FLU SEASON
In colder weather, we receive requests
to allow children to remain indoors
when students have a cold or the flu.
Please note that we cannot comply, as
we have neither the facilities nor the
staff to supervise these students. Please
use discretion in keeping your child at home to recover
if they are ill. A child who is coughing, wheezing, etc.
is not in a state to learn and will only infect others. If
your child is well enough to attend school, he/she
should be well enough to go outside at recess.
INDOOR/OUTDOOR SHOES
In order to keep our students warm and
comfortable and to help keep their
workplace clean, please ensure that
your child has a pair of ―indoor
shoes‖. It will reduce the amount of
dirt and mud brought indoors. It will
also assist our custodial staff in keeping our school clean. It is also important because if the fire alarm goes off they cannot stop to
put shoes on.
VALUABLES
Students are reminded not to bring valuables such as
electronic games, toys, or personal items of importance. The school does not accept responsibility for
the above.
Megan Scott
Keith Mussar
Jennifer Rodrigo
Debbie Curic
Terence Noronha
Jennifer Rodrigo
Jeanne Hu
Kathy Kossak
Felicia LoRusso
Barbara Rizzo
Darlene Cocciardi
Lori DeAngelis
Anita Malovic
Angela Vukelic
Rose Cotic
Tina Corsaro
Tonya DeBono
David Della Rossa
Nancy Rockarts
Irina Kostelnik
Co-Chair
Co-Chair
Treasurer
Secretary
Parish /OAPCE Rep
Volunteer Coordinator
Co-Volunteer Coordinator
Events Coordinator
Events Coordinator
Parent Rep
Parent Rep
Parent Rep
Parent Rep
Parent Rep
Parent Rep
Parent Rep
Parent Rep
Principal
Teacher Rep
Non Teaching Rep
The Next School Council Meetings is scheduled for
Tuesday, December 4th, 2012.
We are currently looking for volunteers in the following
areas:

Rosary Apostolate

Kiss N’Ride
If you can volunteer some of your time in one of these areas, please contact the school and a member of the School
Council will contact you directly. For more information on
Volunteering, please refer to the G.I.F.T.S. Volunteer
News that is sent home on green paper every month. For
more info call (905) 814-9216 or email
mercygifts@yahoo.ca
Virtue
Virtue of
of the
the Month
Month
School News
Toonie Tuesday - Nov. 20, 2012
Food Drive—Nov. 19—23
God helps us to choose
to be good people.
A person of conscience…

chooses to do the right thing, even when it is hard

takes time to think and pray before making decisions

knows that their actions and decisions affect all those
around them

thinks of others before themselves

says sorry and tries to make up for their actions
Our Daily Prayer for November
Let us now pray
For the grace and strength to be
people of conscience—people who know the good
and decent way to act, and then choose to act that way.
AMEN.
Dear Partners in Ontario Catholic Education:
We believe that Ontario Catholic education makes a difference.
The Institute for Catholic Education (ICE) invites you to participate in a "Beyond Catholic Graduation Survey" about: the spiritual formation, the cultural engagement; the academic development of Ontario school graduates.
This survey, conducted for ICE by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, remains true to the long-standing distinctive
mandate of Catholic education as reflected in the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations.
It is the hope of the partners in Catholic education that the findings will help us celebrate achievements and identify opportunities for further development and growth in pedagogy as well as
social and cultural change in the world.
The success of this survey depends on all of us. We invite our
Catholic education partners to encourage the participation of as
many Ontario Catholic school graduates as possible. I urge all
Catholic school graduates to complete this survey in the next
few weeks, and I request all partners in Catholic education to
share this invitation with as many graduates as possible. For
further information about this survey, go to
http://www.beyondcatholicgraduation.com.
Sincerely yours,
Sr. Joan Cronin, g.s.i.c.
Executive Director, Institute for Catholic Education
Eden Community Food Bank 3051 Battleford
Road, Mississauga, ON L5N 4Z9 Phone: 905-785-3651
Dear Neighbours,
We would like to encourage you to participate in our 6 th annual
Toonie Tuesday campaign to raise funds for Eden Community
Food Bank.
Eden Community Food Bank provides food and other assistance to hungry families in the L5N, L5M, L5L and L5K postal
code areas of western Mississauga.
By simply donating a toonie on Tuesday November 20th
You will help to make a huge difference in the lives of those who
go hungry in our community.
Your support is needed more than ever, so please help us take a
bite out of hunger.
Junior and Senior Kindergarten Registration for
2013-14
Registration for Junior and Senior Kindergarten for the 2013-14 school
year, will take place at Our Lady of Mercy School on the following days:
Monday, January 28, 2013
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.*
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Friday, February 1, 2013
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
* Snow Date:
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
For more information, call 905-814-9216 or visit www.dpcdsb.org.
LOCKDOWN PRACTICE
As mandated by the Ministry of Education, we will have our
practice lockdown procedure Tuesday, November 13th, 2012
at 9:00 AM. Lockdown procedures are part of our systematic
safety plan that includes fire drills and visitor security protocols. A lockdown could occur in the event of a dangerous situation occurring in or around the school.
A call will be made over the P.A. system indicating that a practice lockdown procedure is taking place. All staff and students
then will follow the emergency procedures established for this
drill which could include getting low to the ground, moving away
from windows and doors, closing doors and turning off lights.
Students are warned ahead of time to reduce any anxiety of what
may occur in a drill of this type. Please feel free to discuss this
drill with your child.
FAMILY ADVENT MASS
Everyone is invited to attend the Family
Advent Mass on Wed., December 5th at
9:30 a.m. at the School. Come and join in
our Advent celebration!
Anaphylaxis
Food Allergies and Anaphylaxis
Our Lady of Mercy is an allergen aware school.
There are pupils in attendance who suffer from severe and life threatening allergies to certain foods.
Exposure to the smallest quantities can cause severe
life threatening reactions. Anaphylaxis is a severe
and life threatening allergic reaction. The most
common allergen triggers are food, insect stings,
medications, exercise and latex. An anaphylactic
reaction involves symptoms from two or more body
systems. Safety of all our students is paramount.
We at Our Lady of Mercy, would appreciate the cooperation of the entire school community by NOT
sending any lunches or snacks that contain any ingredients identified as food allergens for students in
your child’s class.
Please make sure that all of your children’s caregivers are aware of the food restrictions. We also ask
that you review the letters that were sent home at
the beginning of the school year that spoke to specific allergens in your child’s classroom.
For celebrations, we are once again asking that food
NOT be brought into the school since we cannot
control the ingredients in many baked items.
If you have any questions please talk to your child’s
teacher or to school staff. Your co-operation in
helping to keep all our pupils safe is greatly appreciated.
EXTENDED FRENCH INFORMATION MEETING
Grade 4 parent(s)/guardian(s), who wish to enroll their child in
a Grade 5 Extended French
class for September, 2013 are invited to attend an information
meeting at:
St. Rose of Lima Catholic School
4590 the Gallops Mississauga, ON L5M 3A9
Tuesday, January 15, 2013 @ 7:00 PM
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.
Wednesday, February 6th, 2013.
Dates to Remember
November
November
Catholic School Advisory Council Mtg @ 6:30PM
1
4
Daylight Savings– Turn Clocks Back an Hour
6
Progress Reports Go Home
8
Progress Report Interview Evening
9
Remembrance Day Assembly @ 9::15AM
12 Gr. 7s and Gr. 8 Girls Immunization Clinic
13 Co-Ed Football Tournament @Churchill Meadows
16 P.A. Day
17 Confirmation–Presentation of Cards@7:00 PM@
Church
20 Photo Retake Day
20 Toonie Tuesday for Eden Food Bank
19 to 23 Eden Food Bank Drive
27 Santa Visits
December
4 Catholic School Advisory Council Mtg@ 6:30PM
5 Advent Mass - 9:30 am. at Our Lady of Mercy
13 Christmas Bazaar
Our Catholic School Heritage
1. How long have Catholic separate schools been
educating Catholic children and contributing to the
public good in Ontario?
For about 170 years. In the early 1800s there were
separate schools in many cities, towns and townships. In
Peel, three separate schools opened before Confederation (1867): St. James in Malton in the 1830s, St. John’s
Agricultural College (1861) and St. Patrick’s (1861), both
in Wildfield.
2. Has the Ontario government always supported
separate schools?
Yes, as did its predecessor, the United Legislature of
Canada East (now Quebec) and Canada West (now
Ontario) during its total life from 1841 to 1867. One of
the first pieces of legislation it passed in 1841 was the
Common School Act, with a separate school clause.