The Thunderbird Nest

Principal: C. Roda

Vice-Principal: L. Di Muzio

Head Secretary: J. Sequeira

Catholic School Council Chair: N. Graham

Superintendent of Mississauga West: L. Odo

Trustee Wards 9 & 10: Brea Corbet (905) 301-9373

Please remember that the student agendas continue to be the best way to get in touch with your child's teacher, as emails are not monitored throughout the day.

Email: St.TeresaofAvilaInfo@dpcdsb.org
Website: https://www.dpcdsb.org/avila
Location: 6675 Montevideo Road, Mississauga, ON, Canada
Phone: (905)858-3462
Twitter: @AvilaDPCDSB

As we enter this joyful season of Advent and prepare for the Christmas holidays, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your support, dedication, and hard work throughout this year thus far. It has been a truly special time at St. Teresa of Avila, and we are so fortunate to be part of such a vibrant, caring community.

Advent is a time of reflection, hope, and preparation. It reminds us of the importance of family, faith, and the spirit of giving. As we approach the Christmas break, we encourage our students, staff, and families to take this time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the warmth of the season.

We hope that this break brings peace, happiness, and meaningful moments with loved ones. Let us continue to spread kindness, compassion, and generosity throughout our community and beyond.

On behalf of the entire staff, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the new year, ready for another exciting chapter in our school year.

Warmest wishes,

Mrs. Roda and Mrs. Di Muzio

• December 1 - 1st Sunday of Advent
• December 3 - Advent mass @ 1:00
• December 3 - International Day of Persons with Disabilities
• December 4 - Vaccine Clinic
• December 8 - Second Sunday of Avent
• December 9 - Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• December 10 - International Human Rights Day
• December 11 - St. Teresa of Avila Christmas Concert
• December 13 - Kinder Christmas Concert @ 1:00 p.m.
• December 15 - Third Sunday of Advent
• December 16 - Sockember Donation Deadline
• December 16-20 - Christmas Spirit Week
• December 22 - Fourth Sunday of Advent
• December 23 to January 3 - Christmas Break
• December 24 - Vigil of Christmas - The Nativity of the Lord (Solemnity)
• December 25 - Christmas Day
• January 6 - School resumes

First Communion registration meetings

Sunday, September 22/24 7:00 p.m. @ church

Tuesday, September 24/24 7:00 p.m. @ church

Reconciliation

Monday, November 25/24 7:00 p.m. @ church

Tuesday, November 26/24 7:00 p.m. @ church

First Communion registration meetings

Sunday, January 19/25 7:00 p.m. @ church

Tuesday, January 21/25 7:00 p.m. @ church

Enrolment Ceremony

January 25th & 26th, February 1st & February 2nd all masses

Ash Wednesday is March 5, 2025

Easter Sunday is April 20, 2025

First Communion masses

Saturday, May 3/25 10:30 a.m. @ church

Sunday, May 4/25 2:00 p.m. @ church

Saturday, May 10/25 10:30 a.m. @ church

Sunday, May 11/25 2:00 p.m. @ church

CONFIRMATION PARENT MEETINGS

Sunday, September 29th, 2024 6:00pm @ church

Tuesday, October 1st, 2024 7:00pm @ church

Confirmation Rite of Enrollment

CONFIRMATION DATES

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Children’s Liturgy

Will take place at the 5pm, 10am, 12pm, and 4pm Mass. All children from 5 to 8 years old are invited to join the Liturgy of the Word for Children.

The Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations

Catholic education views human life as an integration of body, mind, and spirit. Rooted in this vision, Catholic education fosters the search for knowledge as a lifelong spiritual and academic quest. The expectations of Catholic graduates, therefore, are described not only in terms of knowledge and skills, but in terms of values, attitudes and actions. Vision of the Learner The Graduate is expected to be:

1. A discerning believer formed in the Catholic Faith community who celebrates the signs and sacred mystery of God’s presence through word, sacrament, prayer, forgiveness, reflection and moral living.

2. An effective communicator who speaks, writes and listens honestly and sensitively, responding critically in light of gospel values

3. A reflective, creative and holistic thinker who solves problems and makes responsible decisions with an informed moral conscience for the common good. 4. A self- directed, responsible, lifelong learner who develops and demonstrates their God -given potential.

5. A collaborative contributor who finds meaning, dignity and vocation in work which respects the rights of all and contributes to the common good.

6. A caring family member who attends to family, school, parish, and the wider community

7. A responsible citizen who gives witness to Catholic social teaching by promoting peace, justice and the sacredness of human life.

During the month of December, we will focus on the virtue of Hope.

Hope is the virtue of relying on God. It keeps us searching for true happiness and sustains us during hard times or discouragement. God helps us to keep on working for a more peaceful world even when we feel discouraged.

A hopeful person is …

• inspired and inspires others

• always counts on God to help them in tough situations

• trusts that things will work out in God ’s way

• one who sees the good in the world

God has given us this Advent Season to focus our minds and hearts on the good all around us. We believe that God created the world and all of us in it to be good. However, sometimes bad things happen to us that we cannot explain. During these times, we tend to get mad at God for putting us through so much pain. We may get discouraged and forget that God is always with us to help. When you feel sad and alone, remember to never lose HOPE, pray to Jesus, and things will get better.

Let us now pray for the grace and courage to be people of hope - people who can see, participate in and contribute to God ’s goodness emerging around us.

AMEN.

Advent marks the beginning of the Church ’s liturgical year. The four weeks of Advent lead up to the celebration of Christmas. Advent’s familiar sights and sounds stir in us a readiness to receive our Saviour, while sharpening our sense of the world ’s need for redemption and of the great mystery of God becoming human for us. Advent is a Latin word meaning the coming.

The season of Advent is a time to prepare to celebrate the three comings of Christ: His lowly birth in the past, His mysterious coming to the world in the present, and His promised return in Glory at the end of time. Advent is a special time of waiting. Since the latter half of the 6th century, Christians have set aside the four weeks before Christmas to remember and to celebrate that Jesus Christ is the one who comes. It is a time to celebrate light in the midst of darkness. Traditional symbols and customs help us to celebrate this special time of waiting.

The Advent Wreath is used to help us prepare for Christ ’s coming. We use evergreen branches to make the Advent wreath. These stay green all year long. This reminds us that God and His love for us never changes. The circular shape reminds us of God Himself, His eternity and endless mercy, His never ending love for us, which has no beginning or end. The light reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent or the four Gospels; unlit they represent the ages “sitting in darkness” awaiting the coming Christ; the growing circle of light represents the “approaching” light of the world. Three of the candles for the wreath are purple, as a sign of our need to repent and turn back to God in preparation for Jesus ’ coming. During Advent we try to say that we are sorry for not loving Jesus enough and we promise to try hard to do better in our Christian walk. The fourth one, lit on the third Sunday of Advent, is rose or pink to express our joy that Christmas is so close. Some Advent wreaths have a large white candle in the center, the ‘Christ Light ’, to be lit on Christmas Eve to herald the birth of Jesus. Each time we light a candle on the Advent wreath we are reminded that Jesus is the light of the world. His teachings are our guiding light. If we listen to what He wants us to do, we will be happy with Him forever.

Father of our lord Jesus Christ, ever faithful to your promises and ever close to your Church: the earth rejoices in hope of the Savior ’s coming and looks forward with longing to His return at the end of time. Prepare our hearts and remove the sadness that hinders us from feeling the joy and hope which His presence will bestow, for He is Lord forever and ever. Amen.

Fifteen year old Jordan is out to warm the world...one pair of socks at a time!

Donations have benefited many organizations including:

• Salvation Army/Peel Region Shelters (5 locations),
• The Peel Street Outreach Program,
• Salvation Army - Peel & Cobourg
• Transition House - Cobourg
• Cornerstone, Cobourg
• Sistering, Toronto

@Jordanssocks
Jordanssocks@hotmail.com

The International Day of Disabled Persons aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society.

All families are welcome to join us at 1:00 p.m. in our gymnasium for the Advent mass.

Hello Avila Families!

This year, St. Teresa of Avila will once again be having the Great Christmas Basket Giveaway!

Please access the SMORE at the link below to see all the baskets available!

Tickets will be on sale beginning tomorrow, December 5th!

Students will be able to purchase 1 ticket for $3.00 or 3 tickets for $5.00

Thank you!

Candy Cane Gram sales are back! This is a fantastic opportunity to get into the Christmas spirit and spread some cheer to your classmates. Starting on December 9th to December 20th, candy gram sales will take place Monday to Thursday. For $1.00, you can purchase a peanut free candy cane to send to your friends. Candy canes will then be delivered on Friday Dec 13th and 20th. If possible, please bring exact change or small bills to make purchases go more smoothly. All proceeds will go towards supporting grade 8 graduation expenses. If you do not want your child to receive any candy grams, please contact their teacher.

This day commemorates the anniversary of one of the world's most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Join us for some Christmas Cheer on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 @ 1:00pm to celebrate the season of Christmas! Classes have been working very hard putting together performances to get us all in the spirit of the season!

Christmas Baskets will be also on display, and tickets will be available for purchase.

Doors open at 12:33pm!

Greetings FDK Families!

Please hold the date for our FDK Christmas Concert! We hope you are all able to make it! Please see below for more details.

All students are encouraged to participate in our Christmas Spirit Week. Please see below for all of the festive fun that will take place at St. Teresa of Avila!!

As we celebrate the birth of Christ and the spirit of love, peace, and hope, may your hearts be filled with the warmth of family, the joy of togetherness, and the peace that this season brings.

We are excited to share that beginning on Friday, January 10, 2025, St. Teresa of Avila will be offering Swiss Chalet lunches to all students every Friday. Thanks to our new community member at Swiss Chalet in Meadowvale Town Centre, this opportunity has become available to our school.

Students will have the option between:

• Quarter Chicken, dark meat
• Quarter Chicken, white meat
• Pierogies
• Chicken Strips
• 
  

All meal options come with the choice of one side:

• Garden salad
• Cesear salad
• Mashed pototoes
• Rice
• Veggies

All the details are on SchoolCash online!

We would like to send this reminder to all families to ensure that students come to school properly dressed for the outdoors.

All students are expected to participate in two fifteen minute recesses, as well as a forty minute lunch recess. Therefore, it is very important that they are dressed appropriately.

Please remember to send:

• Winter coats
• Hats
• Scarves
• Mittens / Gloves
• Winter Boots

With the winter weather, we will also be encouraging students to bring a pair of "indoor shoes" to school, so they are able to change out of their wet boots. Indoor shoes cannot be slippers.

For our younger students, it is also recommended that families label belongings so students and teachers are able to quickly identify items.

Kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school year at Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) schools is now open. DPCDSB offers the Kindergarten program in 125 Catholic elementary schools in Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Bolton and Orangeville.

Parents/guardians can register online at dpcdsb.org.

Registration is open to Catholic children and children of Catholic parents. Kindergarten students must be at least four (4) years of age by December 31, 2025.
The following documents are required to complete the registration process:

• Proof of age of the child
• Original Roman Catholic baptismal certificate (for child and/or parent/guardian) or original baptismal certificate from a church in full communion with the Holy See of Rome or an Eastern Catholic Church.
• Immunization Reference #’s from the local Public Health Unit
• Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status
• Proof of home address
• Proof of English Separate School Support

Please refer to the Register for School webpage for accepted forms of documentation.
Inquiries about home school locations/boundary areas should be directed to the DPCDSB Planning Department at 905-890-0708 ext. 24440.

For more information, parents/guardians should contact their local Catholic school, visit the DPCDSB website at dpcdsb.org, or call DPCDSB’s Admissions Department at 905-890-1221.

As you may already know, soccer prooves to be a very popular activity for our students to participate in at recess. However, lately, the teachers and the office have observed an increase in injuries, conflict, and general unkindness from the students paricipating in soccer at recess. This is not to say that all of the students at St. Teresa of Avila are responsible for these issues, however, as a concern for student safety, soccer at recess has been temporarily cancelled.

Recently, the school team met with a group of students who wished to bring soccer back to Avila. They were tasked with developing a "Code of Conduct" to ensure that soccer remains an enjoyable activity, and not a source of injury or hurt feelings. Together, this group of students collaborated and developed the following Code of Conduct.

Soccer Rules

• No debating on a goal: a goal is a goal
• No taunting each other after a goal just play on
• No swearing at each other
• No putting hands on each other or feet
• Always play fair and dont start conflict. If there is conflict find a teacher
• No slide tackling or tackling
• Only play with your division (intermediate,junior,primary)
• Don't play with your shoes off
• Don't punch or fight each other
• Play soft and not rough
• All are included
• Have fun!

As promised, we are sharing these expectations with all of the parents and families in our community. It is our hope that the soccer Code of Conduct is dicsussed at home, so we are all aligned in our expectations of the students of Avila. The Code of Condult will be shared with all of the teachers, and posted on inside the classrooms.

We are very proud of the students for working together to come to a shared solution.

We look forward to soccer returning to Avila immediately!

Once again, we are running our Student Nutrition Program! This year, we will continue our “Family Style” breakfast club. Thank you to our volunteers and staff, the program will be running every day and began on Monday, September 30, 2024. Students are let into the school to access the Breakfast Club between 8:05 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. This program is available to all students interested in starting their day with a healthy breakfast.

** If you are interested in volunteering your time to this amazing program, please send the school an email at St.TeresaofAvilaInfo@dpcdsb.org. Note: A Criminal Reference Check *Vulnerable Sector, is required.

The primary focus of a Catholic School Advisory Council is, through active participation of parents, to improve pupil achievement and to enhance the accountability of the education system to parents. A Catholic School Councils primary means of achieving its purpose by making recommendations in accordance with this policy and regulation to the principal of the school and the DPCDSB.

We would like to thank the Catholic School Council for their efforts on behalf of our students. As a school community we appreciate this continued support and cooperation.

Our next council meetings will be held at 6 pm on the following dates:

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Wednesday March 26, 2025

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Kiss & Ride Procedures.

Guidelines when using the Kiss & Ride program at St. Teresa of Avila:

• Children are to be dropped off or picked up, using the drop off lane between the hours of 8:15 - 8:30 a.m. and 3:00-3:15 p.m. Due to the high volume of cars, especially in the morning, and dependent on the weather, please consider arriving early.
• As cars enter the school driveway, please proceed in a slow and cautious manner, around the parking lot.
• The drop off and pick up lane begins directly in front of the kindergarten yard and extends until the STOP sign. Please drive up to the very top of the kiss and ride lane to drop off and pick up your children to facilitate a steady flow of traffic.
• Children are to exit the car in a safe and careful manner with their backpacks ready to avoid a long wait time in the drop off lane. Children are to exit the vehicle on the right side of the car, onto the curb, for safety purposes and proceed to their door.
• Cars are to exit in a slow and cautious manner and are encouraged to turn right out of the school in order to ease the flow of traffic.
• Please do not attempt to move into the drop-off lane from the drive thru lane.
• Do not park or leave your vehicle unattended in the Kiss & Ride lanes. If you need to get out of your car, please park your car and escort your child(ren) to school.
• Cars may park in the parking lot, Please use the area specified to cross across the lanes safely.

Please see the visual below to help support this messaging

We realize that the mornings are very hectic, and the Kiss and Ride lane is very convenient for many families, however, the safety of the students is always first. Please help us create a safe environment for everyone.

Please feel free to click on the Translate button on the bottom of the newsletter to choose your language of preference! (Arabic, Spanish, Hausa, Portuguese, Taglog, Polish, Italian, Malayalam, Hindi etc.)

Are you interested in volunteering at St. Teresa of Avila? Our volunteers support programs and activities at the school. We appreciate and rely on parents who can devote a small portion of their time to help. People who volunteer in schools and attend trips are required to have completed Vulnerable Sector Check -Level 3 ($35), which can be completed online at the link below.

Please note that if you have previously submitted a Criminal Reference Check, they have expired due to the pandemic time lapse, unless you have completed the Annual Declaration. Please connect with the main office if you are unsure.

Once the form is completed, your volunteer service can begin. We look forward to working with you for the betterment and support of all students.

Good Morning Avila Families!

We are very pleased to share that our lunch options at St. Teresa of Avila:

Thanks to the support from our Catholic School Council , we are able to offer you lunch options for each day of the week!

Monday: Ozmow's (bi-weekly)

Tuesday: Domino's Pizza

Wednesday: Mr. Sub

Thursday: Domino's Pizza

All orders will be placed through SchoolCash Online.

All orders and refunds for the week will close the Friday before. For example, orders for the week of November 4, 2024 will close on Friday, November 1, 2024.

There will not be any opportunity to purchase Ozmow's, or Mr. Sub for the day-of. We will continue to a limited amount of pizza available for same- day sales at $3.00 per slice.

We would like to take this opportunity to share with all of you some of our practice when it comes to student injury at school.

Avila is a very exciting and active environment, where students are always looking for fun and active things to do while outside at recess. Sometimes, however, these activities lead to injury. Students are aware that if they become injured at school, they are to inform a staff member on duty. The staff member then notifies the office who then manages the care of the student.

Head Injuries:

All students who have experienced a head injury are screened for a potential concussion. If symptoms are consistent with a potential concussion, EMS is contacted to assess further. Once EMS is contacted, parents are then contacted to inform them of the situation. EMS will determine next steps at this point. However, if symptoms are not consistent with a potential concussion, the student is treated with ice, and parents are informed. Students will be sent home with the Concussion Screening information. No matter the severity, parents are always informed of a head injury sustained at school.

Other Injuries:

Scrapes, cuts, bumps and bruises are supported on a case-by-case basis. Some injuries are more significant that others, perhaps requiring medical attention (potential break, sprain, etc), which would result in a parent receiving a phone call from the office. Other injuries of a less significant nature may not require a phone call home.

Please note: We are not able to disinfect, or apply any sort of antibacterial product to an injury. Staff will clean wounds with water as best as they can, and bandage the area.

Staff do their best to support each student on a case-by-case basis, and always put themselves in the position of the parent when supporting student injury.

Regular Morning, Lunch and Afternoon recess will be outdoors with supervision.

As we draw closer to the season of fall and the temperature outside begins to drop, we ask that your child comes to school in appropriate clothing/ outerwear.

Students are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottle to school for water consumption. Although water fountains are open, the water filling stations are also open and students will be able to refill their water bottles throughout the day. Please clearly label your child's water bottle to confusion with other students.

Please ensure that your child arrives at school with all the items they need for the day. We realize that there will be occasions where students forget something at home There will be a table located at the front doors for parents/guardians who are dropping off items for their children. Please label the item clearly with the CHILD’S NAME AND TEACHER.

If you plan on bringing your child’s lunch in the morning, let your children know that you will be leaving the lunch on the table at the front doors.

As we begin a new school year, we would like to inform you that St. Teresa of Avila School 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. The most common allergen triggers are food, insect stings, medications, and latex. An anaphylactic reaction involves symptoms from two or more body systems.

We at St. Teresa of Avila School would appreciate the cooperation of the entire school community by NOT sending any lunches or snacks that contain nut or nut byproducts which could potentially harm a pupil. Please also refrain from sending WOW butter, as this product is very difficult to distinguish from peanut butter. 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 . We look for ward to your co-operation in making this a safe year for all of our pupils.

If your child requires medical equipment such as an epi-pen or puffer, please send it to school in a clearly labelled bag, and it can be stored in the main office.

Some important paperwork must be filled out in order for the school to have information on how best to support your child. Please ensure that the Authorization for the storage and administration of medication accompanies all medication coming to the school.

Recently, the Ministry of Education put in place new policies around the use of cell phones by members of the school community, which includes our students. Students are to refrain from using their PEDs unless directed to do so by an educator, or for health medical, and/or special education needs. PEDs (cell phones) are to be kept out of sight and either powered off or on silent mode in the student’s backpack. The school does not assume responsibility for lost, or damaged devices. Please note that St. Teresa of Avila, through the support of the Catholic School Council, has always invested in technology for students. All students have access to devices while at school. Personal devices are not required to access the curriculum.

Communication with students throughout the day is to be made through the school; through either the main phone line or the info mailbox at St.TeresaofAvilaInfo@dpcdsb.org.

**Students are not allowed to use their PEDs on the school bus as per STOPR rules and regulations.

This past June, the Dufferin-Peel school board reviewed the student dress code policies and implemented the following:

A dress code refers to the standard of student dress which is respectful of the dignity of the human person and inclusive. Parents are to ensure students are dressed in a manner which ensures that their torso and upper legs, to the mid-thigh, are not exposed.

In addition, the DPCDSB dress code will exclude any garments with messages containing or portraying any offensive and/or inappropriate content.

Members of the DPCDSB community will not be permitted to wear attire that promotes:

a) hate

b) discrimination

c) illegal activity

d) profanity

e) violence

f) political language

g) threats to health and safety

h) or content that contravenes the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Don't Forget to Get yourself set up on School Cash Online as we are no longer able to accept cash payment.

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has implemented a new student absence reporting system that will make it easier for you to report your child’s absence from school. This new system is called SafeArrival.

With SafeArrival, you are asked to report your child’s absence in advance using any of the following three convenient options:

1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.ca/#/home )

• The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account.
• Select Attendance then Report an Absence

2. Use the SafeArrival website, https://go.schoolmessenger.ca/#/home .

• The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account.
• Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

3. Call the toll-free number 1.844.435.3440 to report an absence using the automated phone system. For Student Being Late to School or Early Departure from School.

• The automated message will prompt you to enter ABSENCE for student, and will ask if the student be ABSENT today, tomorrow etc.
• To this question, please say ‘yes’ to absent as the next question will be to enter the type of absence and will give you options of full day, late, early departure leave and return.
• The above 3 options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week.
• Future absences can be reported at any time.

NOTE: For absences greater than five consecutive days, please call your child’s school directly.

Remember to: Please report absences in advance using SafeArrival instead of sending notes or calling/emailing the school.

The distance criteria for transportation eligibility must be more than:

• 1.0 kilometer Kindergarten and Grade 1
• 1.6 kilometers for Grades 2 – 4
• 2.0 kilometers for Grades 5 – 8
• 3.8 kilometers for Grades 9 – 1

If your child is moving to grade 2, grade 5, or grade 9 in the 2023-2024 school year, their eligibility status for transportation may be changing. Eligibility information can be accessed at the website noted below. All transported kindergarten and grade 1 students are required to be met by a parent/ caregiver when disembarking from their bus on their return trip from school.

Courtesy Seating Requestshave been finalized! Please login to STOPR to see if you have been accommodated.

The STOPR website provides up to date delay and inclement weather cancellation information in addition to policy, procedures and frequently asked question. Please consider registering for notice of alerts regarding issues such as buses running behind schedule. The STOPR website also allows parents to access information specific to “what school do I attend” and “am I eligible for transportation”. This site also provides parents access to specific bus stop location and pick up and drop off times for their children if eligible for transportation.

Telephone: STOPR: Phone: 905 890-6000 Toll free: 1-800 668-1140