1. education
2. school

October 2014
St. Veronica CES
"In an instant, I saw five brilliant rays of light shine
forth from his most holy wounds, and all came to
my face."
FROM THE PRI NCI PAL
We have enjoyed another very successful and smooth opening to the school
year. Staff, students and parents have settled in to a new year of learning and
growing. Thank you to the staff for preparing an informative and inviting
Curriculum Night on September 17. It was great to see so many families come
out to the school to meet their child’s teacher and learn about this year’s program.
Thank you as well to all of the parents who came out to the Catholic School
Council Elections and Meeting following the Curriculum Night. It was wonderful
to see so many new faces and the turnout again was incredible! Welcome! Mr.
MacDonald, Mr. Di Marco and I are excited about working with such a warm and
inviting Council. On Curriculum Night, we also hosted a Fitting Event with our
new Spirit Wear provider, Inkspired. We look forward to this new clothing line
with new options and new logos. Thank you to last year’s CSC for helping us to
select our new provider.
We are pleased to provide you with the attached highlights of our school results
on the provincial EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office) test written
last Spring (See table below). We will be reviewing our detailed EQAO results and
other school assessment data, in order to continue to build on our strengths and
address areas requiring improvement. We are very please to report that we have
made gains, and we are committed to continuing this upward trend. The students
who participated in the assessment have received their individual results. For
additional information about this and other province-wide assessments, please visit
www.eqao.com.
sva.ycdsb.ca
@StVeronicaCES
York Catholic Communities of
Faith
Character Trait: Compassion
Catholic Virtue: Compassion
I Will:
 Seek to understand others by listening;
 Be willing to forgive others;
 Give my resources to help those in
need.
Trustee: Maria Carnovale
Director: Patricia Preston
Superintendent: Donna Hackett
School Council Chairs: Tanya Barbosa &
Rocchina Di Tommaso
Principal: Sandra Tuzi-De Caro
Vice Principals: Travis MacDonald, Franco
Di Marco
Secretaries: Nelly Gallo, Teresa Lancia
Pastor: Fr. John Borean, Fr. Peter Turrone
Dates to Remember
PERNTAGE OF ALL STUDENTS AT OR ABOVE THE
Thank you to all of the parents that have expressed their appreciation for the reorganization of the parking lot and Kiss ‘n Ride lane. This area is now safer for
students and running smoothly, both before and after school. The new
Kindergarten Direct Entry is also contributing to the smooth transition into
school in the morning. Thank you also to all parents and caregivers for
respecting the request to stay off of the playground area. Only adults with safety
vests that are supervising students are permitted on this area while students are
out. Together, we will continue to foster a safe and caring school environment.
Sept. 29-Oct. 3—Safety Awareness Week
Sept. 29-Oct. 1—Gr. 6s @ Camp Muskoka
Oct. 3—Gr. 7 & 8 Immunizations; JK/SKs at
Around the Bend Farm
Oct. 6—CSC Meeting—7 pm
Oct. 7—Terry Fox Walk (Oct. 9 Rain Date)
Oct. 8—Opening School Mass
Oct. 13—Happy Thanksgiving (No school)
Oct. 15—Cross Country Meet @ Bruce’s Mill
Oct. 16 & 17—Bus Evacuation
Oct. 27—P.A. Day (No school for students) &
Election Day
Oct. 28—Picture Re-Take Day
Oct. 31—Hallowe’en Dance-A-Thon
171 Maria Antonia Rd., Woodbridge, Ontario, L4H 2S8 905-653-5920
PAGE 2
ST. VERONICA NEWS
York Catholic District School Board Shared Vision
We are a Catholic Learning community of collaborative partners, called to serve one
another by being committed to and accountable for quality learning by all, with
Jesus as our inspiration.
Allergy Alert
Anaphylaxis (anna - fill -axis) is a serious allergic reaction. It can be life-threatening. Food is the most common cause
of anaphylaxis, but insect stings, medicine, latex, or exercise can also cause a reaction. The most common food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, eggs and milk products. The Ontario Allergy Society tells us that “it is impractical
to achieve complete avoidance of all allergenic foods as there can be hidden or accidentally introduced sources.” However, “it is definitely possible to reduce children’s exposure to allergenic foods within the school setting.” Please be
vigilant and do your part to reduce the risk. Help keep our school safe for all!
21ST CENTURY LEARNING AT SVA
The term “21st Century Learning” refers to learning that extends
students’ thinking to meet all of the expectations of the subject areas of the Ontario Curriculum and to develop additional attitudes and
skills that they will need in the future. These 21st century learning
skills are clustered within six key headings, namely Critical
Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Citizenship and Catholic Character. Four staff
members at St. Veronica were provided
with iPads as well as extensive training in
this area over the 2013 – 2014 school
year. The team has been expanded by two
more members this school year and they
will continue to be provided with training and will share their expertise at the school with the rest of the staff and students.
Over the 2013 – 2014 school year, we were able to purchase 60
iPads and three Learning Labs to house the iPads. Each Learning
Lab has an Apple TV and a MacBook Pro to support the iPads. Students in all divisions will be able to use the iPads this year to support their learning. Our goal this year is to purchase an additional
10 iPads as well as 20 – 40 new desktop computers to support student achievement.
CIVVIES DAYS AT SVA
This year, we will continue to have Civvies Days. On these days,
students do not have to wear their Standardized Dress Code clothing. This month, Civvies Day will take place on Friday October 31. On these days, students may dress in non-Standardized
Dress Code clothing for a $2.00 donation to ShareLife. A reminder that clothing worn on Civvies Days must still
be appropriate to the school dress code (neat, no
inappropriate slogans, fully covered, no spaghetti
straps, no short shorts, etc.)
LUKE 4:18 FALL FOOD DRIVE
The Luke 4:18 Committee is once again holding a Fall Food Drive.
We are asking for your donations of non perishable items in support
of our local Vaughan Food Bank. Your support is
always appreciated, especially at this time of year
when we are helping others who are in need. Please
send in items to school by Thursday, October 9,
2014. We thank you for your generosity and ongoing support. We
have a lot for which to be thankful!
OUTDOOR CLOTHING
Now that school has begun again the weather seems to
be fluctuating all the time. We continue to remind
parents that the children must come appropriately
dressed for outdoor recess periods. Only during inclement weather (i.e. rain) will children remain indoors. Fresh air is a necessary ingredient for a responsive child, as
is exercise between periods of class work. If your child is too
sick to go out for recess, then they are too sick to come to
school. All students who come to school are expected to go out
for recess.
NEWS FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB
October is Walk to School Month
The month of October has been designated as International Walk
to School Month. St.Veronica's Environmental Committee is encouraging our school community to walk to
school to help promote the importance of
keeping our air clean. A suggestion for those
families that have to drive is to park well
away from the school and have your child
walk the rest of the way. Better yet, you can walk with them and
enjoy some precious quality time! There are also many health benefits of walking, which include weight and blood pressure control,
reduction in the risk of diabetes, and better academic performance.
In addition, it creates safer streets with less traffic near school
zones. We hope that you can join us in celebrating the many benefits of walking to school!
October 20-26 is Waste Reduction Week
The Environmental Committee is calling on St.
Veronica’s students and staff to join the waste
reduction movement from October 20-26. St. Veronica will be
participating in the Ontario Waste-Free Lunch Challenge
(WFLC) to help encourage our school to reduce the amount of
garbage we produce and to educate our students, staff, and parents
about waste reduction. We are asking that students and staff show
their support by packing a waste-free lunch (one that contains no
throwaway packaging or food leftovers) from October 20-26. Let’s
work together for a greener planet!
PAGE 3
ST. VERONICA NEWS
Community Noticeboard
SAFE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
EARLY ARRIVAL
SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM
Parents must plan early arrival for their children. Supervision in the school yard begins at 8:45 a.m. Students may
be safely dropped off at that time. Early arrival enables
students to line up with classmates when the bell rings at
9:00 a.m. JK & SK students have DIRECT ENTRY starting at
8:45 a.m. Those children entering the school through the front door
and not with their class are late and must get a late slip from the
office.
ABSENCES—WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE. It is
the responsibility of the parent/guardian to inform the
school if their child will not be present at school. As the parent you
are required to report your child’s absence by logging onto the
Safe Arrival Parent Portal at yorkcdsb.schoolconnects.com OR
by calling the Toll Free Safe Arrival Phone Number at 1-855-856
-7862 . If we cannot reach anyone, it is our duty, under the Safe
Arrival Program, to call the police. Let’s work together to make
sure that our children are safe.
PARENTS IN THE SCHOOL BUILDING
CELL PHONES / ELECTRONICS / TOYS
All parents/guardians, volunteers and visitors are welcome to our
school. In the interest of safety, and to prevent interruptions to classes, all parents/guardians and visitors MUST
first report to the school office when entering the school.
Please sign in and wear the visitor identification provided.
For the safety of all occupants in the building, it is important that
the students and staff know that you are an approved visitor (Policy
611). On behalf of your children’s safety, we thank you for
adhering to this procedure.
PARKING / DROP-OFF & PICK-UP
Our drop off/parking situation at St. Veronica has undergone a
transformation. The Kiss ‘n Ride lane is running smoothly as a drop
-off only (no parking). You may use the Kiss ‘n Ride lane to drop
off your child(ren) but you must remain in your vehicle and move
along as soon as they are dropped off so the flow of traffic can continue. No vehicles should be stopped or parked in the Kiss ’n
Ride lane at any time. Also, PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK ANY
DRIVEWAYS OF THE HOMES ACROSS FROM THE
SCHOOL. The parking lot is open for parents who wish to park
their vehicles. Please do not double-park or block anyone in. Think
safety for all children, staff and community.
STANDARDIZED DRESS CODE
It is wonderful to see the students of St. Veronica dressed
in their standardized dress code. Remember, navy blue
bottoms and white, grey, or navy blue tops are permitted.
No jeans are permitted according to the new policy. This year
students who do not comply to the SDC will be subject to Progressive Discipline. Thank you for supporting this initiative and encouraging your children to wear the school colours. It definitely promotes and illustrates our great school spirit!
LUNCH DROP-OFF / ROUTINES
In order to reduce the number of classroom and office disruptions, we ask that students are sent to school with
their lunch in the morning. If a lunch must be brought to school at
lunch time, we ask that you let your child know to come down at
12:00 to get it in the foyer. A lunch table sits in the foyer so that
the child’s labeled lunch can be left on the table for pick up.
We will not be calling into classrooms as this is disruptive to
both student routines and the office. Thank you for your cooperation.
The use of cell phones is strictly prohibited in the school. Students
will be allowed to use the school phone in emergency cases. All electronics—MP3, IPOD, video-players, tablets,
etc., must be safely left at home. If a cell phone is brought
to school, it must be OUT OF SIGHT AND TURNED
OFF. If it is seen, it will be taken away. As well, all expensive jewellery, clothing items, or toys should also be left at home.
The school is not responsible for lost / stolen items.
MEDICATION
If your child requires medication during the school day, please call
the office to get a medication form. The form and the medication
must be brought to the office. Medication cannot be stored in the
classroom or with the student.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
When it is raining in the morning before school begins,
inclement weather procedures will be in place. In this
situation, at 8:45 a.m.—9:00 a.m., students will begin their day indoors. All outer doors will be locked, except for the front doors
and the kindergarten exit doors. All students, except for Kindergarten students, are asked to enter from the front doors during
inclement weather in the morning. Kindergarten students are
asked to enter through their play area to their exterior classroom
doors. Staff members will be there to greet your child and direct
them to their classrooms. During the school day, inclement weather
procedures will be followed for all recesses when it is raining.
ST. VERONICA WEBSITE & TWITTER
Please visit our website regularly at sva.ycdsb.ca for
lots of up-to-date information. As well, follow us on
Twitter @StVeronicaCES for updates on daily
events. Twitter is the fastest and most efficient way to
remain current with all that is happening at SVA!!
Please follow us!
PAGE 4
ST. VERONICA NEWS
School News at St. Veronica CES
LUNCH TIME ROUTINES
Most students stay for lunch at school on a regular basis;
however, some students do go home. It is imperative that
your children’s teachers are informed of this routine. Any
changes in the routine need to be clearly communicated to the teacher.
Parents wishing to treat their children to a “special” lunch are asked to
come to the office to pick-up their children and sign them out. This
applies to all grades, including intermediate.
Students are NOT allowed to leave school property for lunch, unless:
1) they are accompanied by an adult who picks the student up at the
school office; 2) they go home for lunch everyday.
STUDENT SIGN IN / OUT BOOK
Again this year, if you pick-up your child early from
school for an appointment or your child arrives at
school after 9:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m., it is requested that
you sign your child in / out at the office. It is imperative to know the whereabouts of all students. In the event that another
family member / friend must pick-up your child, you must inform
your child’s teacher via a letter and they must follow the procedures.
It is best that arrangements are made in the morning so a letter can be
sent rather than calling the school as this cuts down on class disruptions.
MORNING ROUTINES & SAFETY
Please remember that only students and staff members on supervision duty are allowed to be on the playground. Parents or Caregivers who bring children to school in the morning
must walk their children to the yard and then leave
them in the care of the teachers on duty. For the
safety of all, the only adults in the yard should be
the teachers and staff members wearing their
safety vests. If you are dropping off your kindergarten child, please bring them into their gate and
then return to waiting behind the parking lot fence.
No one should be standing outside the kindergarten fence, since
that is in the Primary playground area. On behalf of your children’s safety, I thank you for respecting this.
BELL TIMES
9:00 a.m.— Morning Entry
10:25 a.m. —10:40 a.m.— Morning Recess
12:00 p.m.—12:20 p.m.— Lunch
12:20 p.m.—1:00 p.m.—Lunch Recess
2:20 p.m.—2:35 p.m.—Afternoon Recess
3:30 p.m.—Dismissal
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
Thank you to all who came out to our first meeting on September 17, and to all who volunteered
their time to be a part of the 2014-15 CSC. It is
wonderful to see such a large and enthusiastic group once
again. Our next meeting will take place on Monday October 6 at 7 pm in the Staffroom. See you there.
CROSS COUNTRY MEET
Grade 4 to 8 students have been practicing hard in preparation for the upcoming Cross Country meet at Bruce's Mills
on Wednesday, October 15th. We are very proud
of the students' ongoing enthusiasm and commitment. We are excited for the upcoming meet and
look forward to seeing our students put their hard
work into practice.
MADD PRESENTATION TO INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS
On Monday September 15, the Grade 7 & 8 students had a
presentation from MADD Canada (Mother’s Against Drunk
Driving). MADD Canada's school assembly programs bring
high-energy drug and alcohol impaired driving awareness
and risk reduction messaging to the world of education.
Youth and school programming have been a key component
of MADD Canada's youth services, education and awareness initiatives since 1994. The programs are designed to
communicate directly with young people on their level and
in their language and encourage them to take a closer look at
their
values
and perceptions.
It is our hope
that
students
retain
this
message
throughout their lives and that it will be a positive reminder
to make good decisions.
GRADE 4 PACE SCREENING
Grade 4 is the school year for the board-wide PACE screening process. This information will be collected over a period
of time and will assist us in assessing children who may benefit from our program for gifted students known as Program
for Academic and Creative Extension (PACE). From September 23-26, all grade 4 students in the York Catholic District School Board took part in a group standardized assessment. Classroom teachers administered the Canadian
Cognitive Abilities Test (CCAT) to their classes. Scores and
school information are reviewed at the Board and children
whose scores are excellent/very high on this achievement test
will be considered for the next step in the screening process.
If your child is selected for further assessment, you will be
asked to complete a Parent Inventory of Information and
return it to the school, at your earliest convenience. If you do
not receive a Parent Inventory, it is because your child’s
scores were not in the range for further screening.
October 2014
S
M
U N
T
O N
W
U E
Health & Safety
Week
Continues
T
E D
1 Gr. 6s return
from Camp
Muskoka
F
H U
2
S
R I
3 Gr. 7 & 8
Immunizations
4
JK/SK Trip to
Round the Bend
Farm—am
5
6 CSC Mtg—7
pm
7 Terry Fox
Walk
8 Opening School 9 Terry Fox Walk
Mass—9:30 am
(Rain Date)
10
11
12
13 Happy
Thanksgiving
Day! (No
school)
14
15 Cross Country
Meet @ Bruce’s
Mill
16 Bus Safety
17 Bus Safety
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27 P. A. Day &
Election Day
(No school for
students)
28 Picture ReTake Day
29
30
31 Happy
Hallowe’en DanceA-Thon
A T
Catholic School Council News
Remaining
Catholic School
Council
Meetings for
2014-2015:
Meetings are held this
school year on
Mondays at 7pm
in the Staffroom
as follows:
Oct 6
Nov 3
Jan 12
Feb 9
April 13
May 4
June 8
Oct
2014
Introducing Our Council:
•Co-Chairs: Rocchina DiTommaso and Tanya Barbosa
•Co-Treasurers: Lea Biasutto and Angela DaSilva
•Co-Secretaries: Lori Thorn and Laura Polidoro
•Fundraising Co-Chairs: Ivana Mariani and Christina Stalteri
•Teacher Representative: Pat Lia
•Council Members:
Rita Meffe, Teresa Vieni, Mary Gallo-Tanel,
Daniela Fragnelli, Mary Cerullo, Antonina Spadafina, Claudia Bernardo,
Angela Bancheri, Helen Perciballi, Cathy Rago, Christine Faraco,
Nella Gagliardi, Melanie Fusaro, Rita Di Stefano, Diana Piscionieri,
Maureen Younan-Khananisho, Nadia DeLiberato, Julie Lopes Brito,
Frank Currim, and Sabrina Onorati.
• We have total of 4 Staff Members, 8 Executives and 20 Members
We encourage all parents to get involved in any of the various school activities
and committees. Together we make SVA a great place for our children!
You are always
welcome to join
us at our next
meeting!
Have ideas for
the
Catholic School
Council?
Come out to our
next meeting
and share your
ideas
and/or
send an e-mail to
[email protected]
SVA CSC is now involved in sponsoring two children from
the Philippines. Boy 7 years of age and a girl, 8 years of
age. We have received photos and letters and will be
displaying them in the school. Our hope is that we can
continue sponsoring and watch these children grow into
the individuals God meant for them to be!