Catholic Education: Serving in the Love of Christ
May 2014
PRINCIPAL:
VICE PRINCIPAL:
HEAD SECRETARY:
ASSISTANT SECRETARY:
A. D’Agostino
V. Viola
M. Villella
A. Burt
ASSISTANT SECRETARY:
A. Mijandrusic
120 Harvest Moon Drive, Bolton, Ontario L7E 2W1 Phone: (905) 857-7582 Fax: (905) 857-9353
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS:
TRUSTEE:
HOLY FAMILY CHURCH
PASTOR:
ASSOCIATE PASTOR:
L. Storey
F. Di Cosola
1-800-387-9501
905-951-8898
Fr. L. Leger
905 857-1938
Fr. D. Gikonyo, IMC
ST. NICHOLAS CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
CO-CHAIRS: K. Foschia and M. DeAmicis
TREASURER L. Girimonte
SECRETARY A. Capobianco
SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM: Please remember to phone in your child’s absence: (905) 857-7582.
The answering machine is available 24 hours - Messages are picked up regularly.
For more information about school events, go to our school website: http://www.dpcdsb.org/NICHO
Student Faith Formation and Engagement: The Heart of All We Do
CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK
MAY 4 TO MAY 9, 2014
Mary, the mother of Jesus, holds a
special place in the heart of every
Catholic. Deepen that devotion by
learning what the Bible says about
her, what the Church believes about
Mary and how Catholics can honor
her. Share with your children
Mary’s love for us.
Let us pray together,
Hail Mary, full of grace! The Lord
is with thee. Blessed art
thou among women, and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of
God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Wishing all Mothers a Happy Mother’s Day: Sunday, May 11th, 2014
FEAST OF THE VISITATION LITURGY
Please join us on May 30th, 2014 for the Feast of the Visitation,
parents are welcome to our Liturgy at 1:15 pm or 2:00 pm in the school
gym.
Catholic Education Week will be celebrated
from May 4 – May 9, 2014. Catholic
Education Week is a welcome opportunity to
celebrate the Mission of our Catholic schools
as they strive to integrate the Gospel values
of Jesus Christ in every aspect of the school’s
life and curriculum.
This year’s theme is:
Serving in the Love of Christ
St. Nicholas will be celebrating Catholic
Education week with a variety of activities.
The sub-themes for Catholic Education
Week 2014 are as follows:
Monday May 5, 2014;
Serve with faithfulness
We will celebrate Music Monday, enjoy
the drama performance entitled, “You
Don’t Say” put on by our very own
Drama club students, followed by Jump
Rope for Heart event. Parents are
welcome to attend the assembly at
9:30 am or 10:15 am in the school gym.
Tuesday May 6, 2014;
Serve with humility
Hail Mary, Full of Grace
Catholic Education: Serving in the Love of Christ
Father Larry will celebrate mass with us in the gym followed by a
blessing of our new addition at 9:30 am and again at 11:00 am all
parents are welcome to attend.
Wednesday May 7, 2014; Serve with compassion
We will be holding an Open House, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am all
parents are welcome to visit their child’s classroom for an open house of
learning.
Thursday May 8, 2014; Serve with justice
15 grade 7 students will represent St. Nicholas at the BEACOM
Diversity conference held at St. Marguerite d’Youville Secondary
School.
Friday May 9, 2014; Serve with joy
Lifetouch will be at St. Nicholas taking all the Teams and Clubs
Pictures for the Yearbook.
EQAO PRIMARY AND JUNIOR ASSESSMENTS
Each student in Grades 3 and 6 in Ontario will be assessed in Reading,
Writing and Math for a period of 3 days beginning Monday May 26th
through Friday, June 6th, 2014. Kindly avoid booking dental, doctor and
other appointments during this period. If you have a child in either grade 3
or 6 you will receive specific communication and information regarding the
Provincial Assessment just prior to the start of the testing.
SUMMER LITERACY CAMP
Summer Literacy Camps for students in SK to Grade 6 are being offered by
the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board from Monday, July 7th to
Friday, July 25th. The program runs from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Monday to Friday for 3 weeks. The cost for the program is $300.00.
This year the Summer Literacy Camp is being offered here at
St. Nicholas School. For more information please speak to your child’s
teacher. Applications are due to the Board by June 3, 2014.
GRADE 7 AND 8 SUMMER SCHOOL
Summer School for students in Grades 7 and 8 is being offered
by the Department of Continuing Education from
Tuesday, July 2nd to Friday, July 19th at Good Shepherd
Catholic School in Brampton.
The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from Monday
to Friday and attendance for students enrolled is compulsory.
SCHOOL DRESS CODE REMINDERS
We expect that warmer weather will soon be here,
making classrooms somewhat warm and bringing
about more casual dress. With this in mind, we
will be discussing with students, what is generally
considered to be suitable clothing for school.
Please refer to the Dress Code Section of the
Student’s Agenda. Shorts are permitted, as long
as they are neither too tight nor too short. Tank tops, tube tops, halter‐tops,
muscle shirts or anything that exposes midriffs are not suitable for any
student from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Slogans on shirts will also be
carefully monitored. Hats are not worn in the school. The intent of our
Hail Mary, Full of Grace
school dress code policy is to continue to
provide a modest, yet comfortable work
atmosphere for our students during the
school day. We look forward to your
continued support as concerned parents.
CLEAN CLOTHING REMINDER
At times, our play area
behind the school can
become quite muddy.
We ask that students
keep an extra pair of
pants and socks in their
backpacks or at school.
SAFETY AWARENESS‐PROTECTING
THE SKIN
Over exposure to the sun
can cause skin damage.
We remind students
regularly to take
precautions to protect
their skin during recess
times. The following are
some suggestions to
help protect skin:
 Wear protective clothing to cover
the skin
 Wear a hat to protect both the eyes
and the skin
 When possible, stay out of direct
sunlight
 Know your skin type, for example
fair skinned people are more
sensitive to ultraviolet radiation
 Wear sun block; the higher the
protection factor number, the
greater the protection. Parents are
encouraged to reinforce these
strategies with their children
regularly.
KISS AND RIDE
Safety First when
dropping students
off at school.
The safety of all
children and staff
must be considered
as paramount at all
times when
dropping students
off at school.
The number of serious incidents related to
traffic circulation at the front of the school
and in the Kiss and Ride area during
Catholic Education: Serving in the Love of Christ
morning arrival and afternoon dismissal has risen. These incidents include
vehicles entering the site in the wrong direction, parking and pulling out of
no parking zones, parking in bus lanes, to name a few. It is imperative that
all parents and guardians who drive their children to school adhere to the
traffic circulation plan and comply with the traffic and parking signage on
the site. It is equally imperative that all drivers follow the direction of staff
managing the traffic circulation on the school site. Thank you for your
consideration and co-operation with this important matter.
FIRE DRILL AND LOCK DOWN PROCEDURES
Throughout the year safety procedures are reviewed with
students on a number of topics. Emergency evacuation drills
are conducted to ensure that everyone is aware of the
procedures to follow in order to exit the building safely. In the
event of an unforeseen emergency situation. Students and staff will also
discuss and practice procedures that will be implemented in the event of an
emergency lockdown situation. A practice lockdown is scheduled for the
week of May 5, 2014.
SCHOOL ORGANIZATION 2014-2015
School organization for next year is in the planning stages. Timelines for
making decisions about the number of classes and teacher assignments will
be tentatively determined by the end of June. To help us with our planning
for September 2014, it would be appreciated if you could let us know now if
you will be moving out of our school area over the summer.
ARE YOU TICKED?
Make Sure Your School Support Designation is
English Separate (Catholic)
It’s a powerful message in support of Catholic
education. On October 27, you will cast your vote for
Catholic school trustee in the Municipal elections.
Make your vote count, by ensuring you are registered
as an English Separate school supporter.
When you designate yourself as an English Separate school supporter, you
help foster a strong political voice, through your elected representative
(Trustee), in ensuring your rights to a Catholic education for the young
people in our province.
To verify that you are registered as an English Separate school supporter.
 Check the assessment section of your Tax Bill or Property
Assessment Notice
 Check your Voter Information Card received by mail during the
month of May
We can help you register or change your direction of school support.
Contact the Admissions Department at 905-890-0708 ext. 24512.
For more information, visit www.dpcdsb.org
LOST and FOUND
Please visit our lost and found bin. There is an amazing
collection of items left behind in classrooms and in the yard.
At this time our Lost and Found is overflowing with winter
sweaters, boots, coats, mittens etc. Please remind you child
to look in the lost and found for any misplaced items. All
unclaimed items will be donated to the parish to be
distributed to families in need.
Hail Mary, Full of Grace
WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN
Our Welcome to Kindergarten session is
scheduled for May 22, 2014 from 6:30-8:00
p.m. This session is intended for parents and
caregivers and their pre-kindergarten
children who will be attending junior
kindergarten in September 2014. This
initiative will provide pre-school children
and their families with the resources and
experiences to support early learning and a
smooth transition to formal education.
Initiatives were included in the school
registration packages. We would ask
families to please confirm their attendance
by calling the school.
KINDERGARTEN BUSSING FOR 20142015
On Saturday,
August 24th,
2014 STOPR
will be holding
their annual
Young Rider
Oriantation
Day for ALL
Kindergarten children, the intent of the day
is to introduce children to school busses in
an informal setting prior to the first day of
school. We encourage you to participate by
bringing your kindergarten children and
elementary age siblings to a one hour
program between the hours of 9:00 am to
12:00 pm. Bus rides and school bus safety
video are only part of the informative fun.
All Young Rider Days have been
tremendous successes. To confirm your
attendance and preferred time slot, please
call Parkview Transit at 905 846-1070 in
June 2014. The location for this training is
Humberview Secondary School, 135
Kingsview Drive Bolton.
YEAR BOOKS!
Yearbooks are on Sale!
Last day to order
Yearbooks is Monday
May 12. Get your
yearbook! For the first
time yearbooks will be distributed in June
and students will have an opportunity to get
their friends’ autographs! Year books are
on sale for $22. Hand in your orders now!
Delivery is scheduled for June 2014!
Catholic Education: Serving in the Love of Christ
ENERGY HOG CAMPAIGN – TREE HUGGERS
Our Energy Hog campaign began in the effort of
bringing awareness to unnecessary energy use. We
have our Energy Hog that is displayed in classes
when caught 'hogging' as a reminder to turn lights,
computers and printers off when not in use. The
Eco Team is encouraging all students to continue to
be aware of their energy use.
BULLYING PREVENTION CORNER
Students can use the ‘3 R’s’
- Recognize bullying
behavior; Refuse to be
bullied; Report bullying
behavior. Key strategies
include: avoiding, playing with others,
staying calm, ignoring, walking away,
walking away with an explanation, saying
‘stop’. Being assertive and telling an adult.
Intermediate Boys Basketball Team
Congratulations Intermediate Boys Basketball Team for placing in second
place at the mini-tournament in Bolton on April 8. The boys represented
St. Nicholas will pride. Great work to all the team members: Daine W.,
Luca P., Chris J., Jacob R., Matthew D., Daniel D., and Christian T. and
their coaches Mr. Caschera and Mr. Lise.
VIRTUE AWARDS
Congratulations to our March Virtue Catch
the Spirit Award Recipients!
Kindergarten – Cristina G.
Primary –.Mikayla P.
Junior - Mackenzie O.
Intermediate – Matthew M.
These students received a Virtue T - Shirt
for demonstrating and living the virtues at
St. Nicholas school. Thank you to Mr.
Nobili for donating the Mississauga
Steelheads Tickets for the Virtue Award
Winners!
DANCE TEAM
Congratulations to our Junior and Intermediate Dance Teams. Through
countless hours and perseverance, you did it! St. Nicholas is so proud of
you all. Great job girls! Thank you to; Alexia F., Cora W., Emma P., Ariana
P., Kate N., Alessia V., Isabella C., Jenna M., Abigail T., Luna V., Olivia
D., Thea N., Sara M., Emily M., Yasmina G., Stephanie M., Jayda A.,
Leilanni U., Alexandra S. and coaches Mrs. Antonangeli and Mrs.
DeBartolo who performed at the Rose Theatre on April 30th!
YFA AND ST. NICHOLAS THANK YOU!
THANK YOU to our St. Nicholas community for supporting our Lenten
Food Drive as well as our stuffed animal drive. All the proceeds went to
people in need. We are very grateful for the outpouring generosity and
kindness of our school community!
DR. SIMONE
St. Nicholas was honoured to receive a thank you letter from Dr.
Simone. The soap we sent him was sent to the Sisters of St. John the
Baptist in Cebu City Philippines. The sisters are involved in giving aid to
the victims of typhoon Haiyan. A very BIG Thank You to our entire St.
Nicholas Community!
ANGEL HAIR FOR KIDS EVENT IS HERE!
Are you growing your hair? Are you willing to
support children undergoing serious illnesses? Our
Angel Hair for Kids event will take place on
Monday May 26, 2014. We are looking forward for
everyone’s generosity to support this worthy cause.
The event will take place in the school gym at
9:30am.
MAY VIRTUE OF THE MONTH IS
ACCEPTANCE
During the month of May, we celebrate the virtue of
ACCEPTANCE. One of the great wonders of the
world we live in is that no two people are exactly
alike. We may share biological families or national or
cultural and ethnic identity but we are all unique and
distinct creations. God breaks the mold every time!
DATES AHEAD
MAY
4-9 Catholic Education Week
5
Music Monday, Drama Club
presentation 9:30 am and again
at 10:15 am in the gym
5
Heart and Stroke Event
6
New Addition Blessing Mass in
the school gym 9:30 am and
11:00 am
7
Open House all parents are
welcome to visit their child’s
class from 10:00 am to 11:00 am
8
Catholic Parent Council Meeting
7pm
9
Teams and Clubs Pictures
11 Mothers’ Day
12
Last day to buy Yearbooks!
13-14Hazard Hamlet presentations
13-16 Grade 8’s to Ottawa and Montreal
15-16 Grade 4 to Vandenhoek farm
19 Victoria Day NO SCHOOL
21 Primary Author presentation-Ruth Ohi
22
23
26
30
Hail Mary, Full of Grace
Welcome to Kindergarten 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Roof Top Picture
Angel Hair Cut Day Assembly 9:30 am.
Feast of the Visitation Liturgy in the gym
1:15pm and 2:00 pm
Catholic Education: Serving in the Love of Christ
Hail Mary, Full of Grace