January 2015 newsletter - St. Angela Merici CES

JANUARY 2015
Mrs. L. Piccoli
Principal
New Year’s New Beginnings Prayer
D. Giuliani
D. Hackett
Trustee
Superintendent
L. Scoleri
Head Secretary
Father Michael Pastor
Father Claudio Parish Priest
As the New Year begins, it is a time for reflection as well as celebration.
As you look back on the past year and all that has taken place in your life,
Remember each experience for the good that has come of it and for the knowledge you
have gained.
Remember the efforts you have made and the goals you have reached.
Remember the love you have shared and the happiness you have brought.
Remember the laughter, the joy, the hard work, and the tears.
And as you reflect on the past year, also be thinking of the new one to come.
Because most importantly, this is a time of new beginnings and the celebration of life.
St. Angela Merici
Catholic School
EPIPHANY: JAN 6
Epiphany means “manifestation”. Christ reveals himself to the shepherds who were
Jews; then to the Magi who were pagan, to signify that all people are called to God to
salvation.
“We saw His star as it rose and have come to do Him homage.” (Matthew 2:2, 10)
We hope everyone had a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas Break. We, staff and students of St. Angela Merici, are all looking forward to the challenges and opportunities
which the new year brings. The month of December was very busy, Advent Mass,
classroom concerts, Food Drive, and Santa Breakfast. We showed our support for those
less fortunate. Many thanks to SAM staff, student council, and CSC for their assistance
in coordinating many worthwhile activities. Once again the St. Angela Merici community showed extreme generosity in their efforts for helping others. Many thanks again
to our families for your donations!!!
FAMILY ADVENT MASS
Thank you to all teachers, students and parents for making our Family Advent Mass
such a special celebration. Thanks to Mr. Russo and Mrs. Rego for preparing the readers, and the gift bearers. Thanks to all the readers, the gift bearers and all the students
who assisted in the preparation of this spiritual evening. Thanks to Mrs. Bascio, Mrs.
Gaeta, Mrs. Coronas, Ms. Darmanin and all the members of the choir for their wonderful singing. Thanks to our Catholic School Council for organizing the toy donations and
for graciously providing the nut-free treats for our community social after the mass. A
great deal of work went into organizing this community event, and the CSC Advent
Mass Committee and Faith Committee is to be congratulated for their dedication and
hard work. We thank Father Michael, Father Claudio, and Father Mario for their continued spiritual guidance and support. We truly shared a special community event!
ADVENT FOOD DRIVE
The Annual St. Angela Merici Advent Food Drive was a tremendous success. Every year our school makes a great contribution
to the Vaughan Food Bank. We exceeded our goal of 6000 items and we surpassed the total number of items donated in comparison to other schools. We would like to thank everyone for their generous contributions to this worthy cause. Watching our
school foyer fill up with donations certainly reminds all of us of the true meaning of Christmas. Our very dedicated Student
Council members collected the food and prepared announcements. We couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you goes out
to Ms. Roccari, Ms. Bagazzoli and our enthusiastic and hard working student council for their diligent efforts and commitment
to helping those less fortunate.
CHRISTMAS EVENTS
Thank you as well to the number of parents who came out and assisted with our Santa Breakfast. The Santa Breakfast Committee was led by Mrs. Fanelli and Mrs. Forlingieri who worked extremely hard gathering donations from our community partners.
We would like to thank the following businesses for their donations: Fortino’s Hwy 27, Gaylee Foods, Walmart (Hwy 27 and
Milani), and Longo’s (Clarence and Rutherford). Thank you to the Iskender Family and the Siciliano family for providing
prizes for the raffle. Thank you to our Mrs. Rodrigues for providing coffee for the event and to our Catholic School Council
for their donation.
Thank you to our Kindergarten, primary and language teachers for their hard work and preparations for our Christmas concert.
The children were well-prepared and enthusiastic and epitomized the true meaning of Christmas.
WINTER WEATHER
All students are expected to go outside for recess, therefore children need to come to school dressed warmly in order to spend
the 40 minute lunchtime recess outdoors. During inclement weather the children will stay inside, but these days or times are
not always predictable. Please ensure that your child(ren) have a winter jacket, hat, gloves or mittens, scarf, snow pants or
slush pants and winter boots. Please ensure any loose fixtures on the clothing such as Velcro and strings are secure. It is also
important that you mark your child’s name on each item of clothing. It is highly suggested that you send an extra pair of socks
and gloves, and a change of clothes in the event that the ones they are wearing become damp or wet. Please ensure that all
students have indoor shoes, especially in the winter term, and that the soles are non-marking. Getting fresh air on a regular basis, particularly in the winter months, helps to keep our children healthier than if they spent all their time indoors. A doctor’s note must accompany a request to keep your child indoors during the recess breaks. Thank you to those parents who continue to drop off your children at school and leave the school yard promptly. Your assistance in keeping our school grounds
safe by eliminating physical congestion and visual obstruction go a long way in assisting our staff to do their duties effectively.
Please note that parents should not be waiting inside the school for the bell to ring with their children in the morning because
the temperature is too cold. You are asked to arrive at school 5-10 minutes before the bell.
COLD WEATHER AND INDOOR RECESS
Extremely cold weather can sometimes create dangerous conditions for children. Severe wind chills can make the temperature
feel even colder than it is and can freeze exposed skin very quickly. We are given guidelines by our Health and Safety Department in order to make decisions to ensure student safety when these conditions occur. Indoor recess will be called when the
temperature, with the wind chill factored in, is at or exceeds –20 degrees Celsius. At –15 to –19 we will have a modified lunch
recess with 20 minutes indoor and 20 minutes outside. We will check with the Weather Office for wind chills on a daily basis.
FLU SEASON IS UPON US
Children who are too sick to come to school should stay home in order to get better. We can pass on our germs when sneezing
and coughing. Your family doctor can certainly give you guidance when your child is ill. Students who come to school are
expected to go outside for recess.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR OUTSTANDING STUDENTS
Congratulations to Alexis C. in grade 6 for her incredible writing abilities. She entered the Canadian Safe School story writing
contest and placed first. Her book entitled “Who Belongs?’ will be published later this year. The following intermediate students were recognized in the Royal Canadian Legion literary and poster contest: Chiara D., Elisabetta C., Adam K., Douglas
T., Rose T., Bianca C., Victoria M., Stefania S., Belize B., Maia F., and Victoria R. Again, we are so proud of all of
our students...keep up the great work!.
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HAND WASHING ESSENTIAL DURING FLU SEASON
Hand washing, when done correctly, is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Follow these
four simple steps to keep hands clean: Wet your hands with warm running water. Add soap, and rub your hands together,
making a soapy lather. Do this away from the running water for at least 15 seconds and do not wash the lather away. Wash the
front and back of your hands as well as between your fingers and under your nails.
PEDUCULOSIS
As we begin a new year we remind parent(s) that this may be a good time to check your child’s head for pediculosis (lice). As
you are aware, sometimes there may be a “lice alert” at a school, however the whole school will not be affected and most likely
the whole school will not be notified of an incident unless there is one in your child’s class. Where a case of pediculosis is confirmed, the most effective approach to minimize the spread is to have each student in the classroom, along with the child’s siblings, checked for nits/lice. “The Facts of Lice” pamphlet was sent home in September with more facts and information on this
matter. For further information on this topic, please refer to Policy #210 in the York Catholic District School Board Policies, to
be found in the Board’s website.
ST. ANGELA MERICI FEAST DAY
Parents/Guardians are invited to join us in the school gym on Tuesday, January 27at 9:15 a.m. to celebrate our Feast
Day Mass being led by our Grade 3 and 4 teachers and students. Our parents are welcome to join us in school gym.
STUDENT SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT
We kindly remind you that all students must be picked up at their exit doors. Parents should not be
coming into the school to pick up their children unless they are being signed out early at the office. All
visitors including parents must sign in at the office when entering the building and should NOT proceed down the halls for any reason. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this very important safety
matter.
FRONT DRIVEWAY
For the safety of all of our students parents are reminded that the front driveway is not accessible during school hours as the lane
way needs to remain clear for emergency vehicles and school transportation vehicles. Additionally please respect the
barriers and do not enter the one-way driveway through the exit on the west side of the school. Child
safety is our primary concern and we know that you can appreciate that we need to make the enforcement of the drive way rules
a priority. Thank you for helping to keep our school population safe. Your cooperation is appreciated.
KISS AND RIDE SAFETY
We would like to thank all those parents/guardians who consistently follow the procedures of the school with regards to drop
off, pick up, and signing in at the office. We continue to ask for your cooperation, patience, and positive attitude with regards to
the Kiss and Ride, especially in the mornings. Please do not park along the Kiss and Ride area at any time. With the colder
weather upon us, more people will be driving their children to school which will result in more traffic congestion. We remind
you that by arriving at school at 8:50 a.m. you will most likely be caught in a traffic jam and your child(ren) will be late for
class.
To avoid traffic congestion, we recommend that you arrive at school between 8:35 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. allowing your child(ren)
enough time to line up with their class. We also remind parents that the crosswalk in front of the school is a NO PARKING
zone and cars may be ticketed if parked illegally.
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EXTRA-CURRICULUAR PROGRAMS FOR WINTER MONTHS
Junior Girls and Boys Volleyball continues in January. Thank you goes out to Mr. Russo and Ms.
O’Connell , for coaching these two teams and preparing them for their upcoming tournaments on January 27th and
28th.
.Soccer Plus Lunch Time Program-begins on January 15th for 8 weeks. Information will follow in the new year.
The W5H Club will begin once again this year under the direction of Mrs. Pasquariello.
The Chess Club will begin under the direction of Mrs. Piccoli.
Intermediate basketball will start this month as well under the guidance of Mrs. Pullano, Mr. Belvedere and Ms.
O’Connell. We thank these staff members for their time and efforts.
STUDENT EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
If there are any changes to your emergency contact information, please let the office know. We rely on the information
provided by the parents in case of an emergency, or situation where we need to contact you. Also if your child needs to
be dismissed early due to appointments and/or there are alternate arrangements in regards to who will be picking up your
child at the end of the day, please send a written note to your child’s teacher.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
Our January council meeting will be held on January 13th at 7 p.m. in our school Library. Please join us, and get involved in the number of wonderful initiatives. The CSC will be hosting a Family Skate Night on Saturday,
January 31st, 2015 at Al Palladini Community Centre from 8:15-10:15. Admission is free for all
families, but non-perishable food donation for the Vaughan Food Bank would be happily accepted. We
hope to see you there.
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION DAY
A reminder to all students and parents that Friday, January 16th is a Professional Education Days for teachers and there
will be no school for students. During this day, our staff will be involved in assessment and evaluation.
Library News
Thank you to all St. Angela Merici families, staff, and volunteers who pulled together to make this
year’s Book Fair a HUGE success! By making just under $4800.00 in book sales we were able to
raise $715.00 in cash and $1,000.00 in Scholastic books & resources for all to enjoy. A special thanks
goes out to the following parent volunteers who helped run the book fair; Ms. Forlingeri, Ms. Fanelli,
Ms. Vogelsburg, Ms. McNeill, Ms. Siggia, Ms. Pellegrino and Ms. Salvador. What an amazing display
of support and love of reading!
Thank you also to all who participated in the Library contests and Congratulations to the following winners;
-Bookmark colouring contest winners: John M, Maria M, Victoria M, Cristian R, & Matthew P
-Guess the numberof Lollipops winner & runner-up: Desi D, Cassandra D
-Guess the number of Jelly Beans winner & runner-ups: Joshua B, Isabella A, Daniel B
-Guess the of pages in book winner & runner-up: Alessia F & Amanda F
-Family Door Prize winners: Sebastian M & Ms. Maneli
YORK CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
ADMISSIONS OFFICE
Elementary Schools
JK Registration
School year 2014 / 2015
Important Registration Information
Dear Parent/Guardian:
To register your child(ren) for September 2015, you must provide the following original documents/forms for each child:
- Roman Catholic Baptismal Certificate (child or parent)
- Proof of Age (i.e. child’s birth certificate)
- Proof of Legal Status in Canada (if required)
- Proof of Residency (i.e. Drivers License, tax bill or rental agreement, utility bill, etc.)
- Proof of English Separate School Support (i.e. property tax bill that shows school support designation, MPAC Assessment Notice, Confirmation of school support designation or, completed and signed school support form(s), which
are included in the registration package). We wish to remind families that every time they move to a new residence
School Support form(s) must be completed.
Please note that the Elementary Student Registration Package, as well as the School Support forms are also available
on the Board’s website at:
http://departments.ycdsb.ca/ls/administrative/admissions
We thank you in advance for complying with the Board’s Admissions requirements.
If you have any questions or require assistance, we ask that you please contact the Admissions Office; email at [email protected] or via telephone at (905) 713-1211 or (416) 221-5051 Extension 12434.
Thank you.
York Catholic District School Board Inclement Weather Notification School transportation service may be cancelled from time to time due to inclement weather and/or poor road condi‐
tions. Unless otherwise stated, schools will remain open when transportation services are cancelled. The safety and well‐being of our students is taken into consideration when making decisions concerning transportation service cancellation. Information regarding the cancellation of school transportation or school closures will be made available by 6:15 a.m. Please exercise discretion in deciding whether to send your child to school when school transportation has been can‐
celled, and note the following: A decision to cancel school transportation service will be region‐wide meaning all school buses, vans and taxis will not operate. Unless otherwise stated, schools will remain open and parents can make alternate arrangements to transport their children to and from school if school bus service is cancelled. If transportation is cancelled in the morning, it will not operate in the afternoon. In the event school transportation is cancelled, exams, tests, quizzes, excursions, charter trips, school programs, Hot Lunch Programs (in elementary schools), co‐curricular activities, evening presentations, workshops, as well as, Identification, Placement, and Review Committee Meetings (IPRCs) will be cancelled and rescheduled. Inclement Weather Notifications will be posted to: School Website Board Website (www.ycdsb.ca) Student Transportation Services of York Region Website (www.schoolbuscity.com) Twitter (www.twitter.com/ycdsb) Designated Radio and Television Stations: RADIO
TELEVISION
AM 640
640AM
CKDX
88.5FM
CITY TV
CBC
99.1FM
CKFM
99.9FM
CTV BARRIE
CFNY
102.1FM
KISS
92.5FM
CTV TORONTO
CFRB
1010AM
NEWS
680AM
CP24
CHAY
93.1FM
Q107
107.1FM
GLOBAL NEWS
CHFI
98.1FM
CHIN
1540AM & 100.7FM
CHRW
94.9FM
CHUM
1050AM & 104.5 FM
CIQB
101.1FM
CJBC
860AM
CJCL
590AM
CJEZ
97.3FM
CJKX
95.9FM & 89.9 FM
CKDO
1580AM
Information about school transportation cancellation is also available at www.schoolbuscity.com