🔥The SFA Sizzler🔥

Welcome to the all new SFA Sizzler!. We are so excited to share this new platform with parents and guardians. This platform offers enhanced accessibility features for persons with disabilities and it also provides a translation function for our families.

Information will be updated frequently so be sure to check back often. Remember to Open in Browser if viewing this newsletter on your mobile device. If viewing on a computer, there will be a handy Table of Contents on the left to help you navigate.

Nov 23-Dec 13 Angel Tree Initiative

Dec 2 First Reconciliation

Dec 3 International Day of People with Disabilities

Dec 5 Advent Mass @ 1pm at the parish -- parents/guardians welcome!

Dec 7 School Bus Safety Presentations in the gym

Dec 7 Int. Girls Volleyball Boards at St. Marguerite D’Youville CSS

Dec 14 SFA Choir visits Erinview Retirement Home

Dec 15 Grade 6 & 8 students @Iona for Frozen

Dec 18 Grade 8 Retreat @ the parish

🎄Dec 18-22 CHRISTMAS SPIRIT WEEK!🎄 (please see below)

Dec 19 Last Day for Advent Food Drive

Dec 20 "Jingle and Joy" Christmas Concert (please see below)

Dec 21 Cozy Clothes & Christmas Movie Day

Dec 22 Last Day before Christmas Holidays🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁

Jan 22 PA Day -- No school for students

Click for DPCDSB Events

Principal: A. Lang

Vice Principal: R. Commisso

Head Secretary: T. Van Stokkum

Superintendent of Education - Mississauga South: S. Gos - (905-890-1221)
Catholic School Trustee -- Wards 2 and 8: Herman Viloria -- (905-890-1221)

St Francis of Assisi School
2480 Thorn Lodge Drive, Mississauga, ON L5K 1K5
905-822-3183 www.dpcdsb.org/ASSIS

Twitter: @DpAssisi

St. Francis of Assisi Parish
2473 Thorn Lodge Drive
Mississauga, ON
Tel: (905) 822-8132
Fax: (905) 822-6620
https://stfrancisofassisimi.archtoronto.org

Pastor
Rev. Damian Ali

MASS TIMES
Saturday Vigil:

5:00 PM (English)

Sunday:

8:30 AM (English)

Life is a constant Advent Season:

we are continually waiting to become, to discover, to complete, and to fulfill.

Hope, struggle, fear, expectation and fulfillment

are all part of our Advent experience.

The world is not as just, not as loving,

not as whole as we know it can and should be.

But, by choosing to live our lives

according to the example of Mary,

we will hear God’s call to wait patiently

for the emergence of the light of hope

that can shatter our darkness, liberate us from our fears and reassure us that we are never alone or abandoned.

May this Advent season be the time for bringing hope,

transformation and fulfillment into the Advent of our lives.

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

• optimistic

• one who seeks good things from life

• one who sees the good in the world

❄️🎁SFA invites all parents and guardians to our Jingle and Joy Christmas Concert on December 20th. We will be hosting two repeat performances -- one at 9:30 am and the other at 1:00 pm. Parents and guardians are welcome to join either performance and help us spread Christmas cheer!❄️🎁

As Christmas approaches with all its wonders and delights, we must remember that it also comes with the reality that many families struggle financially. Once again, we are hoping to join together as a school community to support these families just as we have done in the past. This year, however, we will be supporting families across the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. We hope we can all open our hearts and extend our schools’ spirit of giving to families through toys and gift cards this Advent season.

If it is possible, we would kindly ask that you consider contributing to School Cash Online to assist with our Angel Tree initiative. With every donation, an angel with each donor family’s name will be hung on our Christmas tree. These donations will be used to purchase a variety of gift cards that will be given to each family to ensure there will be joy and smiles during the Christmas season.

Families are asked to make all donations in increments of $2, $5, or $10 through School Cash Online.

Our Angel Tree initiative will be in effect from Nov.23-Dec.13, 2023.

We also encourage you to use this opportunity to discuss with your own child(ren) about those less fortunate and how we can all come together as a community to help one another.

We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued generosity and support!

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) will hold two virtual public information meetings for parents and guardians interested in enrolling their child(ren) in the board's Grade 1 French Immersion Program for the 2024-2025 school year. The information sessions will provide parents and guardians with an overview of the French Immersion Program, criteria for admission, information about the online application process, and information about the random selection process (should the number of applications exceed the number of spaces available). Virtual information sessions for parents/guardians will be held on two different evenings based on region of interest.
BRAMPTON & MISSISSAUGA (Our Lady of Providence C.E.S., St. Angela Merici C.E.S., St. Joachim C.E.S., St. Pio of Pietrelcina C.E.S.)
Tuesday December 5, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. Microsoft Teams Online Meeting
MISSISSAUGA (All Saints C.E.S., Divine Mercy C.E.S., St. Elizabeth Seton C.E.S., St. Gregory C.E.S.)
Thursday December 7, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. Microsoft Teams Online Meeting
For more information, visit the French Immersion webpage.

Kindergarten registration for the 2024-25 school year at Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) schools is now open. The 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, 2024.

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. To find out whether your child is eligible for transportation, click here.

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.

Do you have a child with differing abilities who will start school in September 2024? On Wednesday, January 24, 2024, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s (DPCDSB) Special Education and Learning Services Department will host an information session to support the entry planning and transition of students with differing abilities who will be new to the DPCDSB for September 2024. During this session, parents/guardians will have the opportunity to meet with board staff and learn about the entry planning process for students with differing abilities. Differing abilities may include, but are not limited to the following areas: blind low vision, hearing, speech, autism, physical/medical and/or developmental delays in the cognitive and/or motor areas.

The information session will be held at St. Marcellinus Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga from

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Parents/guardians can register online for this event.

WHAT: Information Session to Support Entry Planning and Transition of Students with Differing Abilities into the DPCDSB for September 2024

WHERE: St. Marcellinus Catholic Secondary School

730 Courtneypark Dr. West, Mississauga

WHEN: Wednesday, January 24, 2024

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Registration Link

Inquires regarding registration for the information session, may be directed to Fara Miranda Fernandes, Resource Secretary, Special Education & Learning Services at 905-890-0708 Ext. 24011 or Fara.MirandaFernandes@dpcdsb.org.

To learn more about registering for school, visit dpcdsb.org.

SEAC Parents Reaching Out Event “See Me For Me, A Message of Inclusion” Information

The following Parents Reaching Out Event (PROGrant) is hosted by DPCDSB’s Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC). All families of students within DPCDSB are invited to participate in this online session hosted by Author, Dana Geall and the Special Education and Learning Services Department. The focus of the session will highlight Dana’s picture book entitled, “See Me For Me,” which is based on her personal and lived experience as a mother of triplets born with Cerebral Palsy. Dana will discuss the importance of equity, inclusion, and acceptance of all students as important members within our communities.

Parents/guardians are invited to pre-register to attend the evening event. Registered participants will receive a free copy of the picture book, “See Me for Me,” by Dana Geall. Capacity for the session will be reached at one hundred participants. Registration will be honoured on a first-come, first-serve basis. Staff are asked to forward the enclosed event flyer to families through their communication platforms.

Location: Microsoft Teams Online Meeting Platform

Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024.

Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Registration: Participants are asked to self-register using the link or QR code by Thursday, February 8, 2024.

A virtual meeting invitation will be forwarded to registered participants.

For more information, please contact Tammie Cameron, Academic Consultant, Students with Diverse Learning Needs, Special Education & Learning Services, ext. 24338.

Students can enjoy lunches from Tuesday to Friday as follows:

Tuesday -- Subway Tuesday will start again on January 23, 2024

Wednesday -- Gino's Pizza/Popcorn

Thursday -- Harvey's

Friday -- Fresh Burrito/Popcorn

Be sure to place your order on School Cash Online!

Are you interested in volunteering at St. Francis of Assisi? 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).

Please note that if you have previously submitted a Criminal Reference Check, it may have expired due to the pandemic time lapse. 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.

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has implemented a 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.

Please note that our School has been assigned to Weather Zone 1. Therefore, all our parents/students should be checking the STOPR website and twitter account for Zone 1 cancellations this winter. School Bus Cancellations will be communicated by “Weather Zone” through the STOPR website and the STOPR twitter account @STOPRinfo by 6:00 am each morning. We encourage parents to visit the STOPR website at stopr.ca and click on the “Inclement Weather” tab to review the STOPR weather zone map and all inclement weather procedures.

Don't forget to click on the Translate button on the top of this page to choose your language of preference. (Arabic, Spanish, Hausa, Portuguese, Tagalog, Polish, Italian, Hindi, etc.)