St. Edith Stein Newsletter

Principal - K. Ferrao

Head Secretary - M. van Putten

Superintendent - Dr. M. Lewis

Trustee - B. Corbet

Parish: St. Josephine Bakhita

Pastor: Rev. M. Villanueva

Email: St.EdithSteinInfo@dpcdsb.org
Website: www3.dpcdsb.org/STEIN
Location: 6234 Osprey Boulevard, Mississauga, ON, Canada
Phone: 905-824-5777
Twitter: @SteinDPCDSB

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.)

Hay una opción de traducción en el boletín informativo. W biuletynie znajduje się opcja tłumaczenia. هناك خيار ترجمه في النشرة الاخباريه

God of all time, help us to enter this new year quietly

thoughtful of who we are to ourselves and to others,
mindful that our steps make an impact and our words carry power.
May we walk gently.
May we speak only after we have listened well.

Creator of all life,
help us enter the New Year reverently,
aware that you have endowed
every creature and plant, every person and habitat with beauty and purpose.
May we regard the world with tenderness.
May we honor rather than destroy.
Lower of all souls,
help us enter the New Year joyfully,
willing to laugh and dance and dream,
remembering our many gifts with thanks and looking forward to blessings yet to come.
May we welcome your lavish love.
In this new year, may the grace and peace of Christ bless us now and in the days ahead.

Amen

- Vinita Hampton Wright; Offered by Douglas Ruschman

Welcome back! I hope you were able to enjoy quality time with family and friends during the break. Wishing you many blessings for good health, peace and joy throughout 2023.

Thank you for your on-going support - it is important that we continue to work together as a triad (home, school and parish) to ensure that our students enjoy the benefits of a Catholic Education.

It was awesome to have had the opportunity to see many families as we returned to an in-person Christmas Concert. Your children performed beautifully! We are grateful to all staff for their efforts in creating these performances and to Mrs. Thrasher for coordinating the event with seamless transitions. Our Intermediate Girls Volleyball Team received a pennant for being finalists in the Mississauga North Family of Schools. We look forward to seeing it hanging in our gym. Mr. Ivano and Mrs. Ejzenchart have started Intermediate Soccer practices. We look forward to the basketball season starting. Mme. Habashy, Mrs. D'Souza and Mrs. Ribeiro will also be starting the chess club soon. Students from grade 1-8 may participate in chess (those who don't know how to play will learn how to play). The choir will continue with leadership from Mrs. Ribeiro and Ms. Ferrao. They will be taking their talent on the road... they will be singing at a mass at the Board office in March. Parents are welcome to attend. The Youth Faith ambassadors will continue also with leadership from Mrs. Thrasher, Mrs. Vago and Mrs. Di Vito. We are grateful to have dynamic, caring staff members who volunteer their time to support co-curricular activities.

We continue to work in partnership with Fr. Mark at St. Josephine Bakhita Parish to meet the spiritual needs of our school. The Parish has finalized the list of students receiving First Communion/First Reconciliation and Confirmation. The date for First Reconciliation has not been set yet. First Communion will be held on May 6th @ 12:00 noon. Confirmation will be held on May 9th @ 6 p.m. If you have any questions, please direct them to Cecilia Vaz at St. Josephine Bakhita. Our next mass will be our Lenten Mass on March 31st at 9:30 a.m. in the gym. All are welcome to attend.

Sincerely,

K. Ferrao

Principal

We recognize 2 students from each class each month for demonstrating the Virtues of the Month and 1 student from each class for demonstrating the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectation. We thank these students for being positive role models and leaders in their classrooms.

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

DPCDSB to host Entry Planning and Transition Information Session for students with Differing Abilities

On Wednesday, January 18, 2023, 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 2023. 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.

WHAT: Information Session to Support Entry Planning and Transition of Students with Differing Abilities into the DPCDSB for September 2023

WHERE: Catholic Education Centre (CEC), Room 301 40 Matheson Blvd. W. Mississauga WHEN: Wednesday, January 18, 2023 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Registration Link Parents/guardians are asked to register online for this event by Monday, January 16, 2023. To learn more about registering for school, visit dpcdsb.org.

Thank you to all those who have purchased their tickets for the game. A permission form will be sent home with students whose parents have purchased tickets. Along with this form there will be a note asking for parent volunteers. Those who have CRCs (Criminal Reference Checks with the vulnerable sector checked on file at school) may put their names in to volunteer. Volunteers will be selected from those who submit names and those parents will be contacted. Arrangements will be made for students who did not purchase tickets to continue to work with teachers in classrooms at school. On February 8, students in grades 2-8 will be going to see the Raptors 905 game at The Paramount Fine Foods Centre.

St. Edith Stein is proud to announce the beginning of our “Roots of Empathy” program. In January the kindergarten students in Mrs. Allen and Ms. Clark’s class will welcome a four-month old baby to their classroom. Over the next six months, our little teacher will be joining the class once a week for 30 minutes. Students will learn about care, empathy and human development. Created in 1996 by social entrepreneur Mary Gordon, Roots of Empathy is an evidence-based classroom program that has shown significant effect in reducing levels of aggression—including bullying—among primary and elementary school children while raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy. In Canada, the program is delivered in all ten provinces, in English and French and reaches rural, urban and remote communities including Indigenous communities. Roots of Empathy is also delivered on three continents, and in multiple languages. The mission is to build caring, peaceful and civil societies through the development of empathy in children and adults.

Grade 8s will have the opportunity to have their graduation photos taken on January 24th in the morning. Please see you class' Google Classroom and the letter sent home for detailed information about what to wear.

Please ensure that your child has the appropriate cutlery required to eat their snacks/lunches. Keeping the environment in mind, we will not be providing plastic forks/spoons for students to use.

Please click below to find Trustee Brea Corbet's newsletter.

Please report absences using the School Messenger. This system was implemented last year and can be accessed through their Toll-Free phone number: 1-844-435-3440.

If you are new to the school or have not set up School Messenger, please click on the following link: https://www3.dpcdsb.org/parents/absence-reporting

This will take you to the school board website to find the information and videos you may need to set up the absence reporting system. Note please report absences by 9:00 a.m. After 9:00 am., please call the school at 905-824-5777.

We are grateful to all parents who continue to give of their time to support the school by participating as members of our Catholic School Council (CSC).

Our next meeting will be held on Monday, January 30 @ 7 p.m. This meeting will be held in-person in the library.

Below you will find a 2-page document outlining the focus on the fundamentals of math for grades 1-8 and suggestions for how you can help your child attain their math skills.

Below you will find a pdf of the above picture. Please download the pdf for access to the active links.

Snow is part of our winter life in Canada, providing both frustration and enjoyment. We all like to play in it; however, snow and ice can be very dangerous. In fact, most injuries happen during wintertime. For safety reasons, our school rule must be that snow stays on the ground – no snowball throwing, kicking snow or any other activity with snow or ice that could be harmful, which includes sliding on slopes, snow banks created by snow ploughs or icy patches. Thank you for taking the time to reinforce these safety rules with your children.

Weather can be very unpredictable. The snow has arrived. Please send your child wearing layers that can be removed or added to depending on the weather. Please ensure that children are prepared every day with hats, coats, mitts, and boots. Ensure your child practices zipping, buttoning etc. so they can get ready independently to go outside. An extra set of clothes (regardless of age) at school is a great idea in case of slips/falls. Please remind your child to bring a pair of indoor shoes to school, and label the shoes for our primary students. Running shoes are preferred because they are safe and can also be used for gym. We appreciate your continued support!

Know that we encourage students to wear their warm layers daily - often times we find that they are removing them and leaving them on the ground outside. Many of these items (including winter jackets and snow pants) often end up in the lost and found. Encourage your child to visit the lost and found if they have any missing items.

Cold and flu season is here, and it is already a bad one. We want to remind parents/guardians that before heading to the emergency room, book an appointment with your family doctor or at your local COVID Cough and Cold Flu Clinic.

If you’re unsure if you need to take your child to the emergency room, you can:

o Call your primary care provider

o Call Health Connect Ontario (formerly TeleHealth) at 811 or chat online with a nurse 24/7: Health Connect Ontario | Health Connect Ontario (gov.on.ca)

o Use the online symptom checker at Sick Kids: Virtual Urgent Care | SickKids

Don’t forget to continue practicing other protective measures such as hand washing, avoiding touching your face, staying home when ill and masking for 10 days after being symptomatic to help protect your children, yourself and others from viruses that are circulating.

Visitors, please begin your visit by signing in at the office. We will contact those you have appointments with and direct you accordingly. Please sign out before you leave.

The Child and Family Services Act compel 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 the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) must be contacted. It is not the role of the educator to investigate. That is CAS’s role.

As we begin a new school year, we would like to inform you that St. Edith Stein 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, egg, 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. Edith Stein 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 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 forward to your co-operation in making this a safe year for all of our pupils.

If your child has a medical condition, or develops one in the years after registration, please ensure that the school is aware of it by submitting the proper forms and medication as soon as possible.

Parents are responsible for ensuring that all medications and forms are updated for any student who requires medication to be administered at school. If your child requires medication, please have the necessary forms completed and return them, along with any medication, to the office as soon as possible. Please remember to check the expiry dates of all medication before bringing them to school. We are currently in the process of verifying all prevalent medical conditions for our students. Paperwork required to keep up-to-date records has been sent home to parents/guardians requiring updates. Please do your part to ensure school records are up-to-date for the safety of your child(ren) by submitting forms in a timely manner. Your continued attention to your child's health and safety is much appreciated.

When a student receives an injury/bump to the head (however minor), it is a Board Policy that we inform parents. You will be contacted by phone, a phone message will be left at one of your contact numbers or a note will be left in your child’s agenda if you are unavailable. This is precautionary only and we ask that you check your child when they get home for any signs of a concussion or illness. Agenda’s should be checked by parents daily for this reason, as well as to check for any notes from the teacher or office. A copy of the concussion brochure is always available on our school website.

The Board takes every precaution to provide a safe learning environment for students, but accidents can and do happen. Some families have private accident insurance which is able to respond to costs arising from injuries. However, many families do not.

As required by the Education Act and the Ministry of Education, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board annually provides parents with information about cost-effective student accident insurance coverage via your child. Although enrollment is voluntary, the board strongly encourages parents to take advantage of the inexpensive insurance coverage, especially if their child/children participate in sports, excursions/field trips, or, if parents do not have dental insurance coverage.

Parents alone have the right to insure their children. An acknowledgment form(GF401) has been sent home with the accompanying brochure. Thank you for signing and returning the form (for participation in sports, etc.) indicating your awareness that the board does not provide insurance and that you have received the insurance brochure. It is a requirement for the participation in excursions and/or extra-curricular activities. Below you will also find a link to this brochure.

If your child is experiencing difficulties affecting their mental health, know that we have a Child Youth Worker, a Social Worker and a school Psychologist. They may be able to assist or refer to to organizations that can provide the assistance needed. Let's all work to combat stigma surrounding mental health!

January

9 - Welcome back

10 - Rosary Apostolate Visit

18 - Virtue Assembly (10:45 a.m. in the gym)

19 - Eco workshops

20- BRAVE Antibullying workshops - gr 4-8

23 - PA day reporting

24 - Grad photos

30 - Catholic School Council Meeting @ 7:00p.m.

February

1- group/class photos

2 - First day of Term 2; staff meeting

14 - Rosary Apostolate visit; reports go home

16 - Interview night (interviews are mandatory)

17 - PA day - interviews

20 - Family Day

22 - Ash Wednesday

24- Virtues assembly

March

7- Rosary Apostolate

13-17 - March Break

29 - Choir @ Board office; Virtues Assembly

31 - Lenten Mass @ 9:30 am.

April

6 - Holy Thursday

7- Good Friday

10- Easter Monday

11- Rosary Apostolate

14 - Eastern rite Good Friday

16 - Eastern rite Easter Sunday

21 - Virtues Assembly

Our vision of education in Dufferin-Peel Catholic schools is rooted in the gospel values of faith, hope and love. All sectors of society, including the education sector, must work to keep pace with our rapidly changing world. Our teaching and learning environments - our schools and classrooms - must continue to change and adapt to ensure that our students continue to succeed. Our students and staff are already engaged as 21st century learners, living and shaping ways of being, becoming and belonging in our world. St. Edith Stein School is a PED ready school. DPCDSB Personal Electronic Device Use form with Wi-Fi Network Student Agreement will be signed for all new registrations. It is also be available on our website for download. Please read it over and have yourself and your child sign it so that they may bring their devices to school to be used for educational purposes as directed by staff.

Personal Electronic Devices on Board Premises and/or Board Sanctioned Events for Educational Purposes:

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board acknowledges the value of the use of technology for learning. Students are permitted to register and use personal electronic devices (PEDs) on board premises and/or board sanctioned events for educational purposes, under the direction of staff and only with parent/guardian permission (GF 066, Network User Application and Agreement). Students may register their PED for the purpose of connecting to the board wireless network. Students are required to adhere to the student “Personal Electronic Device Used with WI-FI Network Student Agreement” and the “Network User Application and Agreement.” Please be advised that the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board will not be responsible for any cost incurred through the use of personal data plans.

PEDs are to be used responsibly and should not interfere with learning; their use must comply with the Catholic Code of Conduct, board policies and procedures. Any personal communications (i.e., phone calls, text messages, etc.) will continue to be directed through the main office. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in a loss of PED privileges and/or any other consequences deemed necessary by school administration.

The school principal may authorize limited acceptable uses of personal electronic devices during school-sanctioned activities for a specific designated purpose outside of instructional spaces and/or in common areas.

Students are responsible for the safety and security of PEDs at all times and the Board assumes no responsibility for lost, damaged or stolen devices.

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

Please follow the link below to register online - it takes less than two minutes!

https://dpcdsb.schoolcashonline.com

You will need your child’s name and date of birth. Use of student number is optional.

Should you encounter any difficulties, you can use the parent help desk at 1 (866) 961-1803 or the support link on the school cash online website.

PAY WITH: Credit Card or Debit Card

1. Create Your Profile:

Go to https://dpcdsb.schoolcashonline.com/ and click on "Get Started Today".

2. Confirm Your Email:

Check your inbox for the email confirmation and click on the link inside. Sign in with your new login details.

3. Add a Student

Click "Add Student" and fill in the required fields with your child’s details:

1. School Board name

2. Select a school

3. Legal First Name

4. Legal Last Name

5. Birth Date (Month/Day/Year)