JAN

2018

98 Wanita Road Mississauga ON,

L5G 1B8 Phone 905.891.7619

Fax 905.278.6539

Trustees

Mario Pascucci, Bruno Iannicca, Sharon Hobin, Esther O'Toole, Luz del Rosario,

Anna Abbruscato, Anna Da Silva,

Thomas Thomas, Darryl D’Souza, Frank Di Cosola, Shawn Xaviour

Superintendent

M. Lewis

Principal

B. Diogo

Secretary

A. Litster

School Council

Chair

A. Padzik

Come Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Risen Christ,

Be with us today and always. Be our light, our Guide and our

Comforter. Be our Strength, our Courage, and our

Sanctifier.

May this year be a time Of deep spiritual growth for us,

A time of welcoming your graces and gifts,

A time of forgiving freely and unconditionally,

A time for growing in virtue and goodness.

Come Holy Spirit,

Be with us today and always.

Amen

We welcome everyone back after the Christmas vacation and wish that the New Year is filled with all of God’s blessings for you and your family. As 2018 begins we all look forward to new challenges and opportunities with great antici-pation and excitement. The New Year has just begun and our students and staff are working hard and striving towards the important school goals for the remainder of the year. We will also see the many other great facets of student life continuing with our intramural athletic pro-grams and a variety of clubs including our bas-ketball teams, chess club and many more oppor-tunities for our students on the horizon. We return to school with a renewed energy and a positive outlook as we look forward to the many initiatives taking place this term. Best wishes to all for a happy, healthy and successful 2018.

May God Bless You, B. Diogo Principal

Principal’s Message

Living Our Faith 2

School Council 2

PYP 3/4

MYP 5

Jayhawk News 6/7/8

Take Note & Upcoming Dates

9

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

P.A. DAY

There will be a professional activity

day on Monday January 22nd, 2018.

Please take note that there will be

NO SCHOOL on that day.

JANUARY ~ SELF CONTROL

This month we will celebrate the virtue of SELF CONTROL.

A person with self control… Is patient. Knows how to wait his/her turn. Can calm himself/herself down and think before

reacting to a situation. Knows how to avoid physical aggression

(hitting, kicking, pushing, fighting). Can think things through and do what is best for

all. God has given us the ability to choose. We are able to control how we react to what happens around us. We may feel pressure from inside or from outside our-selves to react violently to a situation. We've all “lost it” at one time or another. We are never proud of those moments. As soon as they happen we make a promise that they will not happen again. Through prayer and concentration, we can become better at exhibiting self-control. Self-control helps us to resist the temptation to do something that we will regret. Self control helps us to resist the temptation to something that will harm our-selves or others. Self-control is one of the marks of a spiritually mature person. When we all use self-control, we can be sure that our school will be a safe, caring and inclusive place to live and to learn.

P A G E 2

Living Our Faith

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 N E W S L E T T E R

Catholic School Council (CSC) We will be changing the date and location of our next Catholic School Council meeting. The meeting which was previously scheduled for February has been changed to:

Date: Wednesday, January 24th, 2018

Time: 6:30 pm

Location: John Cabot Catholic Secondary School

Mark Your Calendars Please join us for the Catholic School Council meet-ings. The meetings are always lively, informative, and very productive! Meetings start at 6:30 p.m. and childcare is provided at all council meetings. Thursday April 5 Thursday June 8 Stay In Touch

For meeting minutes and other council information, visit us at www.dpcdsb.org/JAMEE/Parents/ We welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions. Please e-mail us at stjamesCGLC-council@gmail.com

School Council

Virtue Corner

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 N E W S L E T T E R

P A G E 3

(PYP)

The Primary Years

Programme

Units of Inquiry The IB Attribute for this month is knowledgeable. Students will explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understand-ing across a broad and balanced range of disciplines. “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” ~Chinese Proverb The IB Attitudes for this month are commitment and

independent. Students will show commitment to their own learning, persevering and showing self-discipline and responsibility. Students who are inde-

pendent think and act independently, making their own judgments based on reasoned argument, and being able to defend their judgments.

Inquiry based learning at St. James

As an IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), one of our goals is to focus on the development of the

whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. The PYP is committed to struc-tured, purposeful inquiry that engages students ac-

tively in their own learning. The programme sup-ports students’ efforts to construct meaning from the world around them by:

PYP drawing on their prior knowledge

providing provocation through new experiences

providing opportunities for reflection and consolidation The teachers at St. James use an inquiry based ap-proach to teaching. The role of a teacher in an in-quiry based environment can be characterized as the following: Teachers are viewed as facilitators and not

‘distributors’ of knowledge Teacher provocations spark students’

knowledge about a topic Use more of a hands-on approach rather than

reliance on textbook teaching Teaching methods build on students' individual

knowledge and interests and emphasizes learn-ing how to learn and how to find out

Focus on curriculum – big ideas Success criteria and learning goals Create classroom environments that are condu-

cive to inquiry Community and society are connected with the

inquiry The role of the student in an inquiry based learning environment can be characterized using the fol-lowing characteristics: Exploring, wondering and questioning Making connections between previous learning

and current learning Making predictions and acting purposefully to

see what happens Researching and seeking information Solving problems in a variety of ways Working collaboratively with others Take ownership of their learning

PYP

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 N E W S L E T T E R

P A G E 4

Grade 4 Inquiry Unit Highlights

The grade 4 students at St. James just wrapped up

their unit of inquiry under the transdisciplinary theme, Sharing the Planet. The grade 4 class used the following central idea to guide their inquiry: Hu-

man activity involving rocks and minerals affect the environment in various ways.

Throughout the unit of inquiry, the students asked questions and investigated the following lines of in-quiry: Physical properties of rocks and minerals How people use rocks and minerals The impact of humans and nature on the land-

scape

PYP The students enjoyed their field trip to The Royal Botanical Gardens where they explored various rocks and minerals. They also had the privilege of having a member of the St. James parent commu-nity visit their classroom to discuss the mining in-dustry and share expert information on rocks and minerals. The culminating task had the students take on the role of a geologist and use a form of media to share their expertise on a rock or mineral that most interested them.

PYP

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 N E W S L E T T E R

P A G E 5

Middle Years Programme:

January Feature: Year 3 Community Projects The Community Project is a service and action endeavor that all Year 3 IB-MYP students must complete. It does not simply ask students to volunteer in the community, but rather, pro-motes a critical stance. Students select an area of need, and work to understand it from the inside out. They investigate, plan, take action and reflect. They strive to inspire involve-ment of others and ultimately do work that leads to a positive change. The students may not know it yet, but this change will not just occur to those benefiting from their action. It will be visible in their growing passion and dedication to their cause.

Their work may call for your par-ticipation at various points. This may include the filling out of a survey, granting permission for your child to do so, participation in a drive or fundraiser, attendance at a special presentation. We thank you in advance for all of the sup-port we know is to come.

At this point, all Year 3 students have completed the proposal stage and have a defined conceptual question that will drive their project. This is a multi-month process that will culminate at the end of May with our school celebration of student find-ings.

Please take note of the Yr. 3 investigations:

Ivan, Michael & David: How can we build a community culture where choices reflect positive personal and physical health and lifestyle?

Ethan, Lucas & Joshua: Can an awareness campaign cre-

ate more supportive relationships between our school commu-nity and an institution?

Organizational Link:

Sylvana, Ava & Isabella: Can increased awareness regard-ing mental, social, or physical differences lead to greater ac-ceptance of others’ identity?

Organizational Link:

MYP Daniel, Aiden, Jonathan: Can providing access to equal

opportunities create a change in the life experiences of a

youth?

Organizational Link:

Alex: Do actions taken in one community lead to positive global interactions with another?

Supporting Hurricane Relief:

Anneli: How does literacy help form and inspire our personal and cultural identity?

Organizational Link:

Issa, Robert, Nazariy: Can connections with animal or-ganizations in the community help develop an understanding of the rights & responsibilities of living things?

Organizational Link:

Amelia & Bethany: Can positive messages, communicat-ed through verbal and non-verbal means, improve the self-confidence and mental health of youth?

Harper & Natasha: Will the availability of stress reduc-ing tools, and speaking of the commonality of mental health challenges, develop an environment where students feel comfortable and are best able to succeed?

William: If students have exposure to Visual Arts will their interest in the aes-thetic and expressive nature of it be in-creased?

Please refer to the Community Project links on the school website for further information and updates as the year pro-gresses.

MYP

The following documents will be needed when registering for all grades: proof of age (Birth Certificate) original Roman Catholic baptismal certificate

(for child and/or parent/guardian) or baptismal certificate from an Eastern Church in full com-munion with the Holy See of Rome. If the child has not been baptized, and the parent/guardian is a baptized Roman Catholic or is baptized from an Eastern Church in full com-munion with the Holy See of Rome, the parent/guardian must bring their own baptismal certif-icate.

updated immunization records proof of Canadian citizenship (Birth Certificate

or Passport) or permanent resident status proof of home address (TWO of the following:

property tax bill, current utility bill, real estate document or Government of Canada issued

forms) **A driver’s license is not an ac-cepted document

Only complete registrations will be accepted. All documentation must

be received at the time of registration.

**Please Join Us For Our

Registration Open House **

Tuesday, January 23rd, 2018 Classroom Visits & Informational Video

6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (Followed by registration in the gym)

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 N E W S L E T T E R

P A G E 6

St. James Catholic Global Learning Centre

Registration Kindergarten to Grade 8: 2018-19 School Year

Please note the following registration dates for Kin-dergarten to Grade 8 at St. James Catholic Global Learning Centre for the 2018-19 school year. Registration for St. James will take place on January 23rd, 2018 from 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. and on Jan-uary 24th, 25th, 26th from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (To be considered for any random selection, reg-istrations must be received with full documenta-tion by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, January 26th, 2018). (January 24th, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., has been designated as a snow day for St. James registration.) Potential registrations for Kindergarten for the St. James Catholic Global Learning Centre are advised to register at the home school during the Board-wide registration dates. Kindergarten registration for all other elementary schools in Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board for the 2018-19 school year will be held on January 15th from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. & January 17th, 18th, 19th from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. January 16th, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., has been designated as a snow day for all other elementary schools.

The random selection date for St. James Catholic Global Learning Centre will be held Wednesday February 7th, 2018 at

7:00 p.m. in the library.

Jayhawk News

Jayhawk News

Medication

On occasion, the school is asked to store and/or give medication to students. Medication of any kind cannot be stored on school property without the proper medical forms on file.

1. A completed form must accompany each re-quest for medication to be stored and given out by the school personnel. It is the prerogative of the Principal to decide whether or not medi-cation will be stored or given out and may es-tablish such conditions as are deemed neces-sary regarding any specific request.

2. School personnel will not assume responsibil-ity for the administration of any medication.

3. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to monitor the quantity of medication stored by the school

4. Storage of Medication Forms can be picked up in the office.

School Trip/ Event Permission Forms A friendly reminder that we will continue to email permission /order forms for your child’s various school events. We are also providing copies of our school event/field trip permission forms on our website. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the community with all your help in our efforts to re-duce the amount of paper used by our entire school community

By emailing our forms to the community, we are able to reduce the printing of non essential docu-ments.

Please feel free to add all siblings on one form when they are attending the same

event.

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 N E W S L E T T E R

P A G E 7

School Front Door Access Protocol Parents/guardians are encouraged to: Arrive at school on time to allow children to

enter with their classmates to avoid front en-

try lates. Our bell time is 9:00 a.m. Send lunch with your child in the morning to

limit traffic in through the front door at lunch time as office supervision is limited at this time. Access during lunch time may be delayed de-pending on the availability of staff who are re-quired to monitor the system, please be patient.

We respectfully request that you limit your visits to the school during the daytime as much as pos-sible in order to protect the instructional time and reduce interruptions.

Out of respect and to limit interruptions, access will not be granted once the National Anthem and daily prayer has begun. The door will once again be opened upon their conclusion.

Please be patient as there are times when staff are away from the desk attending other du-ties.

Thank you for your understanding and co-operation as we continue to implement the access protocol. Head Injuries The school continues to follow the school board’s head incident procedure. Please be aware you will receive a call from the school informing you of ANY incident involving your child’s head. If we do not speak to you directly, a message will be left for you advising of the incident. In the case of a more serious incident you will be asked to call the school back and we will continue to try to reach you.

Jayhawk News

Jayhawk News

Cold Weather Temperatures

The main risks of exposure to extremely cold weather for relatively short periods (recess or lunch periods) is that of frostbite. Someone who is protected by clothing or is physically active may be able to withstand exposure to colder tempera-tures. Therefore, it is recommended that consider-ation be given to reducing the amount of time out-doors for children (grade 8 and under) when the temperature is -20 degrees Celsius or colder. When the temperature or equivalent wind chill temperature is - 25 degrees Celsius or lower children will be kept in-doors.

Winter Wear Please ensure that the snow pants and gloves/mittens that your child is wearing are water re-sistant as many students are coming back into class with wet clothing. In some cases the items do not have an opportunity to dry before the student goes back out for recess. Leaving an extra pair of gloves/mittens is advisable at this time of year.

Changing Weather Students are asked to ensure that they have a pair of indoor shoes at school. We ask that children change their footwear when they come inside in an effort to keep our classroom floors clean. Children are expected to participate in recess activ-ities and are reminded to dress for the weather. Children of all grades may also wish to have a change of clothing at school in the event that they get wet while playing outdoors.

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 N E W S L E T T E R

P A G E 8

Christmas Concert

We wish to thank all those involved with this years’ Christmas Concert. It was a fun night for all the stu-dents. Thank you to all the teachers that put in many extra hours preparing for this event. Thank you to our volunteers for the beautiful decorating. Without the help of our many volunteers we would never be able to bring you such a wonderful show.

Breakfast With Santa

The staff of St. James School would like to thank the community for all your support during our Breakfast With Santa. A special thank you to all the helpers for donating their time to help make this event a suc-cess. Santa was pleased to see so many smiling fac-es.

Hat/Glove/Mitten Donations

We would also like to thank the community for all your mitten, glove, hat and scarf donations for those in need this Christmas season. The receiving school was very happy with our contribution and were able to help many families.

Jayhawk News

After School Sports No students will be allowed to stay and watch the after school basketball home games without a parent present as there is no supervision by a staff member at the games.

Jayhawk News

Student Absences/Lates Please use our 24 hour answering service to inform the

school of late or absent students. We must hear from a PARENT or GUARDIAN if a student will be absent, arriving late or leaving early. Phone 905-891-7619

If a pattern of unexcused lateness or absents becomes apparent, parents will be contacted by the school.

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 N E W S L E T T E R

Be sure to visit our school website. All newsletters and other pertinent information are always updated.

http://dpcdsb.org/jamee

St. James is now on Twitter! For the latest news and infor-mation, follow us @StJamesDPCDSB

Snack and Treats for Students We are asking that all parents please refrain from bringing in eatable snacks and treats to the classrooms. Several students in our school suffer from a severe food allergy to all nuts, peanuts and all nut products. If you would still like to do something special for the classroom, a small non-eatable gift for each student or perhaps a classroom gift, i.e. board game for inclement recess, may be a great alterna-tive. Again, we thank you for your co-operation.

Parents In The Yard For your child’s safety we request that he/she not be on school property until supervision begins at 8:45 a.m. Please do not drop your child off at the school prior to 8:45 a.m. We would also like to remind you that parents should drop off/pick up their children outside the school gates. Parents are not permitted to be in the school yard at any time. Although you may be known to your own child you are a stranger to the other students in the yard.

Kiss and Ride The safety of our students and parents is of great concern to us here at the school. Please drive SLOWLY through the Kiss and Ride lane as well as the drive through lane. Please do not block the Kiss and Ride zone and areas that would hinder the movement of cars.

Cars cannot be left in the lanes at any time.

UPCOMING DATES

Jan 10 - Gr. 1 Scientists In The School Jan 16/23/30 - Gr. 3 Swim To Survive Jan 22 - P.A. Day, No School Jan 23 - Author Visit - Philip Roy Jan 30 - Gr. 7 Trip Silvercreek

Visitors

Anyone entering the school must come to the office right away. The school is a very busy place and we have many visitors/parents dropping in for a variety of reasons. To ensure we maintain the integrity of the classroom program by avoiding interruptions, and for the safety of our students, all visitors must come to the office. We ask that you also convey this information to older brothers and sisters of our students. This way we know that anyone in the halls or in the school yard an authorized visitor. All students leaving the school early will be released

through the front office as they must sign out. If your child arrives late we ask you to

NOT accompany them to class.

P A G E 9

Take Note Take Note