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St. Anthony Catholic Elementary
Some notes for the starting school year
St. Anthony Info
Principal- Nuno Tome Secretary- Priscilla Graff
E-mail St.AnthonyInfo@dpcdsb.org Website https://www.dpcdsb.org/anthy
Trustee: Shawn Xaviour (Brampton Ward 7) 905-890-1221
Superintendent- Brian Diogo 905-890-1221
Parish- St. Anthony
Rev. Jibin Joy MCBS Pastor, Rev. Samoj Edathinal Sunny MCBS Part-time Associate Pastor
Parish Number (905) 793‐8030 Parish E-mail: stanthonyofpaduabr@archtoronto.org
Dear St. Anthony Community,
As the new principal, I am excited to welcome you all to a new school year. Our theme this year, "Pilgrims of Hope," invites us to embark on a journey together, grounded in our shared values and commitments.
As families who understand the value of hard work and perseverance, we know that the strength of our community lies in our ability to come together. Your involvement is crucial in nurturing an environment where hope thrives. We encourage you to participate in various activities and events, volunteer, or join our Catholic School Council.
Thank you for choosing St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School.
With love and gratitude,
Nuno Tome,
Principal
FIRST DAY
Class Placements and Board Communication - An email and phone message indicating the class name and room number should be forthcoming this weekend. If you do not receive this information, please rest assured that upon arrival at school on Tuesday, a team of teachers will be here to ensure your child gets to where they need to be. We ask for everyone’s patience during this process.
First Day of School - Starting at 8:15am, as students arrive for the first day of school, they will be directed to their area on the pavement to meet their teacher (BLUE box area). Students will be using this as their assigned exit at the end of the day.
Morning arrival from September 4th to June 30th for Grades 1 to 8:
- We will continue with soft entry this year. This means that students will access the school through the doors closest to church and the front entrance starting at 8:15-8:30.
- Supervision will be present at kiss n ride and classrooms beginning at 8:15 a.m. each morning.
- Students are to arrive at school no sooner than 8:15 a.m. each morning.
End of day (September 4th to June 30th) for Grades 1 to 8:
- At 3:00 p.m. all students will exit out the doors according to the map above.
FDK Daily Arrival and Departure
- All FDK students are to be dropped at the FDK gate and will enter the school via the FDK yard.
- Year Two’s (SKs) start the first day of school and continue all day, every day.
- Year One FDK (JKs) will have a staggered entry for the first week of school. FDK teachers will be contacting families with the information in the coming days.
Busing
All students who qualify for busing will continue to be provided with the bus. We ask that you please visit stopr.ca, click Transportation Eligibility and follow the prompts. If you have more than one child, please complete this for each child. The bus eligibility changes depending on the grade of the child. You will require your child’s OEN (found on report card).
School Items and Supplies
Each student should arrive to school with a full, reusable water bottle along with snacks and lunch each day. If children will be going home for lunch, it is our expectation that your child will go directly to their own home and then return to school. Written permission will be asked of all students leaving the school for lunch.
Each child is welcome to come prepared with learning materials that may be suggested by their teacher. Communication from your child’s teacher will provide some guidelines regarding pens, pencils, crayons, etc. Should students require materials, they will be provided by the school.
Very excited to be returning to school,
N. Tome
Principal
NUTRITION PROGRAM
St. Anthony will be continuing with the nutrition program this 2024-2025 school year. Each morning while students are arriving at school they are welcome to enter room 102 and choose a snack. We provide a variety of healthy snacks such as fruit cups, muffins, croissants, yogurt, cheese and crackers and more. Please be advised of some of the common allergens these foods contain such as: wheat, dairy and egg. If the child under your care should not consume these allergens please email or send a note to the office and we can accommodate for them.
CHILD SAFETY
Attendance
All students are expected to attend school regularly and punctually. In the event that your child will be late or absent, please use School Messenger -SafeArrival to notify the school. Parents can report daily or future absences in one of three ways:
App: Download and install the SchoolMessenger app.
Phone: 1-844-435-3440
All students who arrive through the front doors after 8:30 a.m. must obtain a Late Slip.
Student Leaving For Lunch
All students leaving for lunch:
- need writen permission from parents
- need to leave at 11:40 and return by 12:40
- need to sign out and in when they leave and return
- can not leave school property once they have re-entered
Kiss N Ride
DON'T
- DON'T Walk and cross anywhere and everywhere through the kiss ride and thru lanes to get to the parking lot.
- DON'T Leave your car in kiss n ride to wait outside for kids. If you want to greet them outside your car - find a parking spot in the lot or on the street. Kiss n' Ride is not a parking spot.
DO
- DO Pull up your car as close as you can to the end of kiss n' ride.
- DO Use the cross walk at the front end of Kiss n' ride to go from the parking lot to the school. Crossing between live lanes is unsafe.
- DO Kiss and hug your kids (in the car) and remind them that you love them when you drop them off and pick them up.
Food Allergies
We continue to have students and staff with severe, life-threatening allergies to certain foods, such as peanuts and nuts. This medical condition may cause severe and life-threatening reactions to specific allergens within minutes. Although this may or may not affect your child’s class directly, we require your continued cooperation in sending foods to school with your child that are free from peanuts, nuts, or their by-products.
If your child has a severe allergic reaction to peanuts, peanut by-products, bee/wasp stings, etc., please let the school know as soon as possible. The information you provide us with must be accurate and up-to-date. You and your family doctor must complete various forms if it is necessary to store and dispense an EPI pen or any other medication at school.
Please do not send food products to be shared in your child’s classroom. Consider non-food items such as pencils or stickers if you want your child to share their special day/birthday with their classmates.
Asthma
The school has created a package to assist children with asthma. This package has already been sent to parents whose children have been identified as having asthma in our records. Our board is dedicated to providing a secure and supportive environment for all students. As part of our asthma policies, we require parents or guardians to notify the school principal or designated staff member of their child's medical needs and provide any updated medical information. If your child has asthma and requires a puffer, please visit the office immediately. Parents of children with asthma are expected to comply with our policy and complete an Asthma Package.
Distribution and Storage of Medication
If a child is required to bring medication to school, procedures regarding the administration of medication shall only be adopted:
- when requested by the parents/guardians; and
- when authorized by a physician; and
- when medication must be provided during school hours
A designated staff member must administer medication; hence, a signed request/authorization form from the parents/guardians and the supervising physician must be obtained. These forms are available through the school office. The required authorization forms and the medication shall be delivered to the principal or designated person by the parents/guardians. All medication will be housed in a safe location. Medication must not be kept in the child’s possession or the classroom except for EpiPens and asthma inhalers.
Students with an anaphylactic allergy or asthma are highly encouraged to keep their epi-pen and/or inhaler on them at all times. If able, it is recommended that your child bring two EpiPens and two asthma inhalers to the school. This would allow your child to keep this medication on them and ensure that the school office has additional medications.
Please note that school staff can only dispense medication with physician authorization and a properly labeled container (i.e., prescription bottle or original over-the-counter container).
Concussion Protocol
Students will have the opportunity to participate in different clubs, intramural and intra school sports and activities. Our school adheres to provincial guidelines and policies for concussions from the Ministry of Education and the Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (OPHEA).
A concussion is a brain injury that causes changes in the way the brain functions and can lead to a variety of symptoms including physical (e.g., headache, dizziness), cognitive (e.g., difficulty in concentrating or remembering), and emotional/behavioural changes (e.g., depression, irritability), and/or symptoms related to sleep (e.g., drowsiness, difficulty in falling asleep).
A concussion may be caused either by a direct blow to the head, face, or neck, or by a blow to the body that transmits a force to the head and causes the brain to move rapidly within the skull.
Due to the seriousness of a concussion, school staff, students, parents/guardians, and identified school volunteers all have important roles to play in implementing the school board’s concussion protocols, including prevention, identification, and ongoing monitoring and management of a student with a concussion.
Students wishing to participate in interschool sports, as well as the parents/guardians of students under the age of 18, are required to read the Government of Ontario Concussion Awareness Resources. The resources are hyperlinked in the document below and
can be accessed from the board website at dpcdsb.org/parents/concussion-resources.
A copy of the document below must be signed and returned for your child to participate in any clubs/sports/teams at the school.
If you have any questions, please contact the school.
Custody
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.
TIMES TO REMEMBER
School Schedule
8:15 - 8:30 Open entry (students to use front entrance and doorway closest to the church)
8:30- 10:00 Learning Block
10:00 - 10:15 Recess
10:15-11:40 Learning Block
11:40-12:40 Lunch
12:40-2:05 Learning Block
2:05-2:20 Recess
2:20- 3:00 Learning Block
3:00 Dismissal
DATES AT A GLANCE
First Day of School - Welcome Back:)
Tuesday, Sep 3, 2024, 08:15 AM
Welcome Back Student Assembly
Students only - Primary Students @ 9:00 a.m., Junior/Intermediate @ 9:30
Wednesday, Sep 4, 2024, 09:00 AM
Book Fair at St. Anthony - Sept 11-20
Wednesday, Sep 11, 2024, 07:00 AM
PA Day
No school for students today.
Monday, Sep 16, 2024, 08:30 AM
OPEN HOUSE - ICE CREAM
We're excited to invite you to our "Ice Cream On Us" Open House night on Wednesday, September 18th from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Our school team will be there to welcome you and will be treating all our students and parents to some ice cream. We can't wait to see you and your family there!
Wednesday, Sep 18, 2024, 05:30 PM
Terry Fox Run
Again, this year we are proud to participate in the Annual Terry Fox Walk/Run for Cancer research. Please send in your toonies for this worthy cause to support cancer research. The event will take place on Friday, September 20, 2024. More information to follow.
Friday, Sep 20, 2024, 09:00 AM
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE BEGINS
Let's come together and make a difference in our community by contributing to our Thanksgiving Food Drive. Starting from Monday, September 23rd to Friday, October 4th, we will be collecting food and toiletries for families in need. Your generous donations will go towards supporting those who require assistance through Eden Food for Change. Let's make this Thanksgiving a time to be grateful and give back to those who could use a helping hand. Please contribute whatever you can.
Monday, Sep 23, 2024, 09:00 AM
September 23-27 - Truth and Reconciliation Week
Truth and Reconciliation Week is a national program open to all schools across Canada. Join us as we memorialize the children lost to the residential school system and honour Survivors and their families. Learning and commemorating the truth of our history from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit knowledge keepers is an important part of the path to Reconciliation.
Monday, Sep 23, 2024, 08:30 AM
Orange Shirt Day
We will be participating in Orange Shirt Day on Monday, September 30 to honour our commitment to Truth and reconciliation. National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is on September 30th. It was chosen as a date because it falls during the time of year when Indigenous children were taken away to residential school.
Monday, Sep 30, 2024, 08:30 AM
PARISH INFORMATION
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
School Volunteers - Criminal Reference Checks
Just a reminder that if you are interested in volunteering within the school in any capacity, including field trips, student support, Catholic School Council member, etc., a valid Criminal Reference Check (CRC), with Vulnerable Sector Check - Level 3 is required. Please note that there is about a 3-4 week waiting period to process a CRC.
Please see the website below for more information on how to apply:
Also, please see the attached letter that will be required upon application for this background check.
Catholic School Council
We need your help.
Our Catholic School Councils are a great way for parents and guardians to figure out how they can help the school community using their unique talents and gifts. According to Ontario Regulation 612/00 and 298, the goal of a school council is to involve parents in improving student achievement, equity, well-being, and faith life, and making the education system more accountable to parents.
If you're interested in joining the St. Anthony Catholic School Council, just fill out the nomination form attached by Tuesday, September 24, 2024. All parents and guardians are welcome to join our St. Anthony Catholic School Council meetings.
Thanks,
Cash Online
School Cash Online
School Cash Online allows parents and community members to pay school-related fees online safely, quickly, and easily. Parents can purchase items like spirit wear, lunches, and field trips - anytime, anywhere.
How do I register?
Please refer to these Registration Instructions for step-by-step details on how to get signed-up for online payments. To directly login or to register, visit School Cash Online.
What payment methods will be available?
Parent will be able to pay online using Visa, MasterCard and eCheque.