Panther News

Acting Principal: Mrs. L. Branco

Administrative Assistant : Mrs. Mongeon

Superintendent: J. Kuran

Pastor: Fr. Luis Calleja

Trusstee: F. Di Cosola

To begin the new school year, we’ll focus our attention on the first of our virtues – faith. Faith is the great virtue of believing in God and trusting that God is with us.

A faithful person believes that we are created, guided by and destined to be reunited with God. A faithful person believes that God’s plan for us includes the right to be safe, especially at school.

A Faithful Person...

• Prays regularly and reverently
• Learns from Scripture stories
• Honours people’s God‐given names
• Assumes that there is good in everyone

On behalf of the entire staff, we would like to welcome you and your children to the 2022-2023 school year at St. Peter Catholic School. It promises to be an exciting and rewarding year. We would like to welcome back returning students. We would also like to offer a special welcome to new members of the St. Peter community. We are excited that you decided to join our family. We are all blessed to be surrounded by an amazing school community who work hard each and every day to bring our students the best school experience that they can have. At St. Peter School, we know that we are #StrongerTogether and we are looking forward to a year of more collaboration with staff, students, families and our Parish team. As partners, we will continue to nourish the roots of Catholic education in our community. This school year you will see a focus on promoting our Catholic faith life that includes a lens of "We Are Many, We are One" which is our Catholic Education Week Theme this school year. As part of examining this year's theme, we will continue to see, listen, reflect, learn and act this school year. We will also continue to use the power of our voice to stand up to make a difference. We will continue to strive to promote excellence in academics while working to develop your children’s spiritual, emotional and social growth. In cooperation with our Parish Team, our Catholic School Council, our Superintendent Jodi Kuran, our Trustee, Frank DiCosola as well as you, the parents/guardians, we will work to support the well-being and achievement of your children.

We continue to be concerned about the well-being of your children and it is our top priority. It is for this reason that we focus on students "Being You" and accepting one another and appreciating our differences. We strive to make our school a safe and accepting space where everyone feels welcomed and know that they belong.

I would like to thank our hard working custodians and our dedicated secretary, Mrs. Mongeon who worked throughout the summer to get the school ready on time. Our deepest appreciation is extended to them and each of the educational staff who have truly extended themselves in preparing the school for another year of spiritual growth and academic excellence.

You will receive updates of the exciting things happening around the school through our newsletters which will be shared with families via email. Please ensure that we have your email updated so that you can receive communication on a regular basis. You can also find out up to date information on Twitter. Please follow us @StPeterDPCDSB for the latest news and information about the school and @DPCDSBSchools to receive up to date information about the school board.

We welcome your input and involvement in the learning of your children. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your child(ren’s) teacher(s) or the main office. Best wishes on a wonderful start of the school year! God Bless.

Partners in education,

Mrs. L. Branco

Acting Principal

ARRIVAL: For your child's safety, please do not send your child to school earlier than 8:40. Supervision of students begins at 8:40, students arriving earlier will be unsupervised. As soon as your child arrives to school, they will be entering the building though the side door by the kindergarten yard or the front door. They will report directly to their classroom where supervision is provided. The morning bell signaling the start of our day will ring at 8:55 a.m.

DISMISSAL: In order to reduce congestion, we will begin to dismiss bus students 3:20pm.

School Begins: 8:55am

Recess: 11:01am - 11:16 am

Lunch: 11:56 am - 12:56 pm

Recess: 2:20 pm - 2:35 pm

Dismissal: 3:25 pm

Thank you for your support and patience as we endeavor to make the school the safest place possible for your children.

The beginning of each school year is always marked by unexpected changes which require all of us to be understanding, accommodating and flexible. The September school organization is based on projected enrollment prepared by the Board’s Planning Department. Such enrollment projections determine the number of teachers assigned to the school and consequently the grade and class configurations. In the event that student enrollment falls below or increases above projections, an adjustment to the number of teachers assigned to the school follows, which in essence may affect the placement of your child. Therefore, as we start the year, staffing is still tentative and until actual numbers are realized and assessed, reorganization of classes is a strong possibility. If we need to reorganize the school, it will take place on Monday September 19, 2022 which is our PA Day. You will be notified if changes need to be made.

If reorganization is necessary, we will work as quickly as possible to establish new student and/or teacher assignments. We will endeavour to keep the best interest of your child in mind if a new class placement is required.

All class placements were made with great thought and input from last year's teachers and resource staff to place your child in their new class this school year. We understand that this time of year can be an anxious one. We ask families to allow two weeks for students to get comfortable within their classes. Any changes to class placements will not be accommodated until reorganization as all our class placements and staffing are tentative until September 19th.

Please see below for more information regarding the school's organization plans provided by the board and the combined grades pamphlet.

Wellington Dufferin Student Transportation Services is the organization which administers transportation for both school boards in the County of Dufferin. Their website is: http://www.stwdsts.ca/ It provides information to parents about their child’s bus route, times, and stop location. You can also find out if there are any delays or cancellations. Please use this link to sign-up for the parent portal: https://www.findmyschool.ca/Login?ReturnUrl=%2fProfessional&LoginType=Professional

We ask that students get into the habit of waiting at bus stops at least 5 minutes prior to the scheduled bus arrival time. It is a parental responsibility to ensure that Kindergarten and Grade 1 children are met at the bus stop upon arrival home. Please advise your children that safety is of the utmost importance to all of us. if they do not see a parent or babysitter waiting, they are to remain on the bus and will be returned safely to school to be picked up. Just a reminder to all parents and students that children are assigned to a particular bus and are not allowed to travel on another bus.

Bus Safety

Whether your child rides the bus daily, or for school trips, it is important that they are aware of the safety rules on the bus.

Students are required to:

· Listen to the bus driver at all times and report any problems or injuries to him/her

· Go directly to their assigned seat and remain seated during the entire bus ride

· Do not eat, drink, swear, fight or chew gum on the bus

· Do not put arms out the window, or throw items or garbage out the window

· If any damage to the seat or bus is caused, students will be held responsible

· Be at least 5 minutes early at your bus stop.

Improper conduct on the bus will be dealt with at the office. Repeated or serious incidents can result in bussing privileges being suspended or removed. We kindly ask that you please review these rules with your child. Bussing is a privilege, not a right.

Should you have any questions or require assistance with transportation, please contact the school office.

As we begin a new school year, we would like to remind you that St. Peter is an allergen aware school. There are pupils and staff in attendance who suffer from severe and life threatening allergies to certain foods, such as dairy, peanut and nut products. Exposure to even the smallest quantities can cause severe life threatening reactions. Anaphylaxis is a severe and life threatening allergic reaction.

At St. Peter we would appreciate the cooperation of the entire school community by NOT sending any lunches or snacks that contain nut or nut byproducts including peanut butter alternatives (i.e. WowButter), or other products containing nuts or nut oils (i.e., Nutella). If a student who has such an allergy comes into contact with anything containing peanuts, nuts, nut oils or derivatives, it could be life threatening. Your child’s teacher will inform you of any class specific allergy concerns which could potentially harm a pupil. Please make sure that all of your children’s caregivers are aware of the food restrictions. Please do not send food for birthdays or special occasions. If you have any questions, please talk to your child’s teacher or the school staff. We look forward to your co-operation in making this a safe year for all of our pupils.

MASKS

Wearing a mask is optional and a personal choice of the student/staff member. We respect each person’s personal choice to wear, or not wear a mask, in this regard. Masks (medical grade and N95) will be available for staff across all DPCDSB schools and non-medical cloth masks will be available for students at all DPCDSB schools.

DAILY SELF-SCREENING

It is recommended that staff, students and visitors continue to self-screen every day before attending school using the Province of Ontario’s https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/

TAKE HOME RAPID ANTIGEN TESTS

The Ministry will continue to offer access to rapid antigen tests for students and staff, in alignment with provincial testing guidance. The rapid antigen tests will be provided to staff/students upon their request, and/or upon return from an unplanned absence.

The Ministry will continue to offer access to rapid antigen tests for students. Please contact the school should you require any if your child experiences any symptoms.

WATER FOUNTAINS

There are no longer any restrictions on the use of water fountains, however, individuals are encouraged to use fountains to fill a cup/bottle from which to drink. We ask that you send your child to school with a reusable water bottle to fill, especially during hot days.

ABSENCE REPORTING

DPCDSB schools will continue to track absence rates and communicate information with our regional public health units when these rates increase above 30% of the school’s baseline level. If the absence rates cannot be explained by a specific occurrence, such as a holiday/special event, then our regional public health units may provide a letter to inform the school community. The Ministry of Education no longer tracks and posts school absences.

The Child and Family Services Act compels educators to report any issues that may compromise a child's welfare. If a staff member suspects any issue that may affect a child's safety, then Dufferin Child and Family Services (DCAFS) must be contacted. It is our Legal Obligation as employees of the school to report any suspicions directly to Dufferin Child and Family Services. It is not the role of educators to investigate. That is DCAFS' role. DCAFS, not the school, informs parents directly of the issue.

On rare occasions, we are faced with difficult situations in which non-custodial parents arrive at school asking to visit their child or to take their child home after school. We are best able to serve and protect students when we are made aware of legal custody arrangements, visitation rights and other special instructions. If legal custody matters affect your family, please ensure that our office and classroom teachers are aware of any custodial arrangements that may affect your child during school hours.

Let’s start the year off right! Families are encouraged to label as many of your child’s items as possible to reduce the chance of items being accidentally shared or lost. Take this opportunity with our Mabel’s Labels Fundraiser to purchase stylish, long lasting, waterproof labels for all of your child’s items! They are reasonably priced and if this is done, then we have a much greater chance of returning the lost items to your child!

Simply visit www.mabelslabels.ca, click Support A Fundraiser - search St. Peter (ORANGEVILLE) and have fun shopping!

Thank you for your support!

The School Advisory Council is comprised of parents, a school faculty member, a non-teaching representative, as well as an appointed parish community representative. The aim of the council is to support school activities and students through involvement and fundraising. We are always looking for new parents to join our School Council! If your child is participating in online learning you are still part of our St. Peter community and therefore you are welcome to attend council meetings and participate in council elections. The first council meeting will take place in person on Wednesday, October 5th at 7pm in the school library. You may also join us virtually. Link will be shared via email closer to the date. During this meeting, we will vote on the new council. More information on the election process and future council dates will be coming shortly. We look forward to meeting you and coming together to make this year an exciting one for our students.

As a new school year begins, we encourage all parents/guardians to participate in their child's education and join our Catholic School Advisory Council. Our school community is growing, and we are always looking for new parents/guardians to join our dynamic school council. If you are interested in becoming a member, please complete the nomination form that will be shared electronically (via email) in the coming days. Completed nomination forms can be emailed to PETERInfo@dpcdsb.org or submitted through your child to the school office no later than Friday, September 23, 12:00 pm. Once we have received your application, we will send you an email to confirm receipt. Please note, all Catholic School Council Members must have a valid Criminal Reference Check or an Annual Criminal Offence Declaration Form. Further nominations will not be accepted after this time.

Please visit the church’s website for more information https://sttimothyor.archtoronto.org/ or email the church at parishpriest@sttimothychurch.ca

Mass Times: Saturday Vigil: 5:00pm Sunday: 9:00am & 11:00am

September 19- PA Day (No School for Students)

September 26 - 28- Scholastic Book Fair

Friday, September 23, 12:00 pm- School Council Nominations Due

September 26-30 - Truth and Reconciliation Week

September 30 - Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

*School Open House- Date & Time will be shared in the coming days