H
St. Hilary Catholic
Elementary School
December 2015—Issue 4
5070 Fairwind
Mississauga, ON
L5R 2N4
Office: 905-568-0056
Fax: 905-568-8236
www.dpcdsb.org/hilry
Principal
T. Loftus
~
Secretary
C. DeRoia
~
Superintendent
L. Papaloni
~
Trustee
Thomas Thomas
~
Parish Priest:
Msgr. E. Pan
Associate Pastors:
Fr. S. Savarimuthu
~
Stay Connected
Come, Jesus. Excite in me a wonder at the wisdom and power of
Your Father and ours. Receive my prayer as part of my service of the Lord
who enlists me in God's own work for justice.
Come, Jesus. Excite in me a hunger for peace:
peace in the world, peace in my home, peace in myself.
Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a joy responsive to the Father's joy.
I seek His will so I can serve with gladness, singing and love.
Come, Jesus. Excite in me the joy, love and peace that are right to
bring to the manger of my Lord. Raise in me, too, sober reverence for the God
who acted there, hearty gratitude for the life begun there,
and spirited resolution to serve the Father and Son.
I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, whose advent I hail. Amen
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
Please join us on Friday December 4th at
9:15 a.m. for our Advent Mass.
May the warmth of Jesus’ love surround you
and your families this holiday season and always.
Best wishes for a joyous and peaceful
Christmas and New Year.
The Staff of St. Hilary School
Join the Dufferin-Peel ECommunity
www.dpcdsb.org
Follow DPCDSB on Twitter: @DPCDSBSchools
For the latest board news
and information.
Virtue of the Month: Hope
This month we are celebrating the virtue of
Hope. God has given us this Advent season to
focus our minds and hearts on the good all
around us. Let us pray for the grace and courage
to be people of hope - people who can see,
participate and contribute to God’s goodness
emerging around us, against what is wrong.
ADVENT
The season of Advent
begins with the fourth
Sunday before Christmas.
During the season of
Advent, Christians across
the world prepare for the
celebration of the coming
of the Lord into the world
through the birth of his
Son, Jesus Christ.
Advent is a time to
celebrate light in the midst
of darkness, as symbolized
best by the Advent wreath.
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St. Hilary Catholic Elementary School
Catholic School Council
The Catholic School Council has an email account which parents/guardians
may utilize to contact the Council chairs regarding questions and concerns.
The address is: sthilaryparentcouncil@gmail.com. Please join us at our next
meeting on Monday, December 7th at 6:30 p.m.
Sacramental Preparation Events and Key Dates
First Holy Communion and First Reconciliation:
Jan. 17 and Jan. 31 at Noon.: Preparation Masses
Christmas Gift Card
Program
St. Hilary School’s Youth
Faith Ambassadors have
organized a social justice
initiative
inviting
families to contribute
cash donations toward
the purchase of gift cards
for The St. Vincent de
Paul Society. The gift
cards will be distributed
to families in need within
the St. Francis Xavier
Parish community. The
total amount raised will
be reported in the
January newsletter. We
thank all of our families
for your generous support
and for sharing in the true
meaning of Christmas
with our brothers and
sisters.
Jan. 22 at 9:30 a.m.: First Reconciliation
April 9 at 10:00 a.m.: First Holy Communion Mass
Confirmation:
Dec. 6 at 9:00 a.m.: Inscription Mass
Jan. 28 at 7:00 p.m.: Preparation Mass
Feb. 18: Confirmation Retreat at Queen of Apostles Retreat Centre
April 7 at 7:00 p.m.: Confirmation Mass
ST. HILARY SCHOOL’S CHRISTMAS CONCERTS
KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 3:
Thursday, December 17th at 2:00 p.m.
GRADES 4 TO 8
Wednesday December 16th at 6:00 p.m.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
Mrs. Ribeiro’s Grade 3s will perform in the K to Gr. 3 concert.
Mrs. Ribeiro’s Grade 4’s will perform in the Gr. 4 to 8 concert.
Catholic School Council will be selling Terra Cotta
snowman and chocolate chip cookies for $2.00 each.
Proceeds will be used to purchase student materials and resources.
Thank you in advance for your support.
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Chocolate Fundraiser Results
Thank you to our families for your support with our Catholic School Council’s Chocolate Fundraiser.
We raised approximately $8 275 which will be put towards the cost of activities and materials for
students. A HUGE thank you to Mrs. De Roia, Mrs. Guerra, Ms. Hart, Mrs. Ladislao, Mrs. Peixoto and
Mrs. Ursitti for their hard work and the endless hours dedicated to managing this rewarding event for the benefit of
all of our students! Congratulations to the many students who won the wide variety of wonderful prizes.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
School Uniform Survey Results
Families were recently surveyed to determine an interest in implementing a school uniform at St. Hilary School.
Since significantly less than the required 75% of the families registered at the school demonstrated an interest, a
uniform policy will not be implemented.
2014-2015 EQAO Scores
SCHOOL
BOARD
Grade 3: Reading 86%
71%
Writing 95%
76%
Math
64%
82%
There has been an upward trend in our scores
during the past several years. Staff have been
analyzing individual student data to determine
areas of strength, areas of concern and next steps
for improvement.
Numeracy will continue to be a focus this year.
Grade 6: Reading 91%
81%
Writing 97%
82%
Math
53%
69%
After Hours Security
Students must be diligent in gathering all materials prior to the end of the school day. Once dismissed,
there is no supervision provided to the students. Students/parents must not be returning to school
after school hours to retrieve books/belongings. In order to ensure the safety of the workplace, no
students or parents will be able to enter any classroom after school.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Hands-off Policy
In order to ensure the comfort and safety of all, we expect students to adhere to the “Hands-off Policy”
at the school. “Play fighting” is also not permitted. Every student has been made aware of the
importance of these rules. Please assist us by reviewing these expectations with your child. This will
help to make our school environment a safe, healthy and positive place for all of our students.
St. Hilary Catholic Elementary School
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Royal Canadian Legion Remembrance Day Contest
We would like to congratulate the following students for their winning entries in the Royal Canadian
Legion’s Remembrance Day Contest:
Lakshmi M for placing third in the Junior Black and White Poster Contest
Selena L. for placing second in the Intermediate Essay Contest
We are proud of you both!
Dress for the Weather
Now that colder weather is upon us, please ensure that your children come to school dressed warmly
to participate in recess activities. When weather conditions are severe, we may reduce the outdoor playtime,
or have indoor recess entirely. Fresh air and exercise are vital components for successful learning, so we will
endeavour to have children play outside whenever possible. Help your children come to school appropriately
dressed with scarves, hats and mittens on those really chilly days! For health reasons and to help keep the
school clean, we ask all students to have indoor shoes. Younger children should also have a spare change of
clothing at school or in their backpacks.
TRANSPORTATION CANCELATION AND SCHOOL CLOSURES
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 and television stations:
VIRGIN RADIOFM99.9
CHUM AM1050
CFTR AM680
CFNY FM102.1/AM640
CJCL AM590
CHFI FM98.1
CFRB AM1010
EZ ROCK FM97.3
CJBC (FR) AM860
FM Z103.5
FM93.1
FM Q107
CHIN FM100.7/AM1540
CBC99.1
CITYPULSE
GLOBAL NEWS
CTV
CANADA AM
EXTENDED FRENCH INFORMATION MEETING
Grade 4 parents/guardians who wish to enroll their child in a Grade 5 Extended French class for September,
2016 are invited to attend an information meeting at:
School: San Lorenzo Ruiz
Address: 100 Barondale Drive, Mississauga—L4Z 3R1 (905-501-0400)
Date: Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Time: 7:00 p.m.
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St. Hilary Catholic Elementary School
PEDICULOSIS
Although not a communicable
disease, pediculosis (head lice) is a
concern to parents and teachers.
Each year it is common for outbreaks of pediculosis to occur.
Unfortunately, in recent years, head
lice have become increasingly
common throughout North
America. They are parasites, which
have been common among human
beings for centuries. They are not
connected in any way to dirt or
neglect. Anyone can be infested
with them. When a case of lice is
found at school, we inform parents
of the infected classes by way of a
special letter. In order to control
these pests, we shall follow the
procedures outlined below. We
request your full co-operation.
If a case is found in the school, we
will inform all parents of the
students in that class. We then
request that you check your own
child’s head. If you find them to
also be infested, we would ask that
you contact us so that we may
advise you of the proper treatment
for them. This information can also
be obtained from a pharmacist or
Peel Health Department.
Even if cases are not reported from
the school, it is a wise precaution to
check your child’s head
periodically. Encourage your
children not to put on other
people’s hats or scarves. Inform
them not to use other people’s
combs or hairbrushes.
If your child does become
infested with head lice, we
will ask you to keep them
out of school until after they have
been treated with the correct
shampoo and their hair is entirely
clear of both lice and nits (eggs).
When a child returns to school,
he /she must report directly to the
office and be checked by the
principal or designate before
proceeding to the classroom or the
yard.
No one is to be re-admitted to class
without being checked. If we all
follow these procedures, we may
not entirely escape outbreaks, but,
we may prevent some cases, and,
bring others under control quickly.
DROPPING AND PICKING UP STUDENTS IN FRONT DRIVEWAY
Parents are reminded not to leave their cars parked in the lanes in the front driveway or in the lanes that lead to
the north, rear parking lot. These lanes are fire routes and parking there is illegal. Please also refrain from
blocking the bus lane so that the school buses are able to enter and exit the driveway safely and on schedule.
Please also be reminded that the rear parking lot is for staff only. If you need to park and get out of your car when
dropping off or picking up your child, please park in the parking spots at the front of the school, or, on the street
as permitted. Parking enforcement is often on-site issuing tickets to illegally parked vehicles. It is imperative that
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. Thank you for your co-operation.
INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SHOES
We ask that students bring a pair of indoor shoe that can be worn inside of the school and left in the
classrooms. Removing outdoor shoes upon entering the building helps keep our school environment
healthy, clean and safe.
Intermediate Girls and Boys Volleyball
Thanks to everyone for a great season. Team members showed great enthusiasm and played with great
sportsmanship at the POD Tournaments. We are very proud of our teams and their awesome accomplishments!
Boys: Marc M., Dagi S., Nicholas M., Donte H., Daniel J., Ethan K., Idara U., Nathan G.
Girls: Shyannne M., Selena L., Raquelle L., Victoria B., Kyra P., Kelise G., Reinalyn M., Afua A., Kecha L.
Many thanks to Mrs. Subic, Mrs. Ribeiro and Mr. Tremblay for coaching the teams. FLY HAWKS FLY!!!!
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KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
Full Day Kindergarten Registration Evening
Monday, January 25, 2016
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
SNOW DATE: Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Additional Full Day Kindergarten Registration Dates:
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Thursday, January 28, 2016
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Friday, January 29, 2016
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Parent Evening to Support Transition of Students with Differing Abilities into Kindergarten
Tuesday, January 12, 2016 – CEC Room 301, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Parent Evening to Support the Transition of Children
with Differing Abilities into Kindergarten
There will be an information session for parent(s)/guardian(s) of children with differing abilities including vision,
speech, hearing, autism, physical/medical and/or developmental delays who are transitioning to Kindergarten
in September 2016. The information session will be held at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board -Catholic Education Centre, Room 301 on Tuesday, January 12, 2016, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Snow
date Wednesday, January 13, 2016, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Parent(s)/Guardian(s) are also reminded to
register their child at our school office. Official registration dates are Monday, January 25th, 2016, from 7:00
p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Snow Date for evening registration is Tuesday, January 26th, 2016, from 7:00 p.m. to
9:00 p.m. Additional registration dates are January 27th, 28th and 29th, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Reminders and Resources: Cold and Flu Season
As cold and flu season approaches, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board continues to be vigilant
in ensuring that our schools are clean and that our school communities are educated regarding good hand hygiene and cough etiquette. These practices are promoted on an ongoing basis, but as the prevalence of colds
and flu increases, our board increases the cleaning of contact surfaces, as well as reminds schools to review
cold and flu prevention with students and staff. Many resources are utilized from our regional health units. A
reminder, as well, that communicable diseases can be contracted in public places throughout the year. For
example, cold-related viruses, such as Enterovirus, are transferred from person to person through hand contact. Cold and flu viruses typically peak from December through February, but can start as early as October.
Please assist us by reviewing good hand washing procedures, as well as other preventative measures, as outlined in the various Peel Health and Wellington Dufferin Guelph (WDG) resources available to you through
their websites. As always, children who are unwell, should be kept at home. Also available on the Peel
Health and WDG websites, are the schedules of local Flu Clinics. For more information, visit the health unit
websites: Peel Health website: http://www.peelregion.ca/health
Links to the above information can be found in the Parent Section of the DPCDSB website at
www.dpcdsb.org
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IMPORTANT DATES
December 4
Advent Mass at 9:15 a.m. in the gymnasium
December 6
Confirmation Inscription Mass at 9:00 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier
Church
December 7
Catholic School Council Meeting at 6:30 p.m.
December 9
Mrs. Dias and Mrs. Paniconi’s classes to deliver Toys for Tots
donations at Square One followed by trip to the movies
December 9
Mrs. Fernando and Mr. Tremblay’s class trip to the movies
December 16
Grade 4 to 8 Christmas Concert at 6:00 p.m.
December 17
Kindergarten to Grade 3 Christmas Concert at 2:00 p.m.
December 18
Intermediate Christmas Dance from 1:00 to 3:15p.m.
December 21 to January 1
Christmas Break
January 4
Return to School
January 11
Catholic School Council Meeting at 6:30 p.m.
January 13
St. Hilary Feast Day Mass at 9:15 a.m.
January 17
First Holy Communion Preparation Mass at noon at St. Francis
Xavier Church
January 18
P.A. Day. No school for students.
January 22
First Reconciliation at 9:30 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier Church
January 28
Confirmation Preparation Mass at 7:00 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier
Church
January 31
First Holy Communion Preparation Mass at Noon at St. Francis
Xavier Church
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SAVE THE DATE!!!
FOR AN EVENT THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE
REBOOT! LIVE!
With internationally renowned speaker and author,
CHRIS STEFANICK
And special musical guest,
JON NIVEN
Reboot! Live! is the fun, inspiring and practical experience of applying
the beauty and genius of the heart of the Gospel to every aspect of your life.
From prayer and spirituality, to work, dating, marriage, parenting, health and more!
There is no part of your life that will be left untouched!
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH 2016, 7:00 – 9:30PM
St. Francis Xavier Church, Mississauga
To register, go online to
www.RealLifeCatholic.com – or –
Contact DAVID PATTERSON, at 905-890-5290 ext. 235
-or – email at ym@stfrancisxavierchurch.ca
Tickets are $24.00 each
DO NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO LIVING LIFE MORE FULLY!
THE LIFE GOD HAS CREATED FOR YOU!