St. Clare Courageous Cougar

Principal: Sonia Correia

Head Secretary: Elena Iannicca

Superintendent: Drago Radic

Pastor: Rev. Edward Curtis, St. Ignatius Loyola Parish

Email: St.ClareInfo@dpcdsb.org

Website: https://www3.dpcdsb.org/CLARE

Twitter/X: @StClareDP

Instagram: @stclaredp

Supervision Begins Outside: 8:15-8:30 am

School Begins: 8:30am

Recess: 10:03-10:18am

Lunch: 11:41am - 12:41pm

Recess: 2:05-2:20pm

Dismissal: 3:00pm

Each month we celebrate a virtue. The Virtue for October is Empathy. New this year, each class will recognize one student who exemplifies the virtue being celebrated.

Judge your neighbour’s feelings by your own, and in every matter be thoughtful. (Sir. 31:15)

Elementary: God wants us to care about everyone's feelings.

From the perspective of the Catholic Graduate Expectations, an empathetic person...

• Is confident in the dignity of selves and others
• Believes that the cross is the ultimate sign of forgiveness
• Seeks and grants permission

Our Daily Prayer for October:

Let us now pray for the grace and strength to be people of empathy

People who can really identify with

and feel the concerns of those around us.

AMEN

Dear Families:

The 2025 Terry Fox School Marathon of Hope is set for this Fall, and we are so excited to be taking part! Our event will be taking place throughout the day on Thursday October 2nd (Raindate: Friday, October 3rd). We need your help to boost our students' fundraising. This event supports vital cancer research while also building school spirit for our students. Let’s all show how incredible and generous our school community is and work to reach the fundraising goal of $1800. Students will be walking around the St. Clare playground to meet a lap goal:

2 laps for kindergarten

5 laps for primary students

10 laps for junior students

15 laps for intermediate students.

Students are also invited to wear RED and WHITE to show their support for our Canadian hero!

The Terry Fox Foundation has created an online fundraising page customized for our school. Don’t delay, let’s start fundraising today!

1. Donate online at https://schools.terryfox.ca/StClareCESMississauga

2. Help your child set up a student fundraising page
   -Upload personal photos, videos and messages to share with friends and family.
   -All student logins and links are private and secure.
   -Student names are not searchable on our website and links can only be shared by you.

3. Support your child’s fundraising efforts
   -Share their fundraising link or your child’s school’s link with family and friends to help them reach their personal goal.

We are very excited to be a part of this year’s Terry Fox event. This is our opportunity to “Try Like Terry” and go the distance “No Matter What!”

Thank you in advance for your support.

Mrs. Traynor, Mrs. Montanaro, Mrs. Mangaroff and Mrs. Kolwich, Mrs. Battiston

Your Terry Fox Team!

• Please DO NOT use the handicap parking spot unless you have a permit.
• Parents, please refrain from using the staff parking lot during AM or PM drop off
• Parents parking there during dismissal must wait until the Kiss 'n' Ride lanes are empty and school buses/Afterschool Vans have left
• Please do not bring your pets (dogs) onto school property
• Please do not enter into the playground pavement area during morning drop off. Please remain along the perimeter in the morning. The field is closed to students in the morning. Parents may stay along the public path or walkways. It is important for staff on duty to have a clear sightling of the children they are supervising. Student safety is paramount. Thank you for your understanding.
• Parents are not permitted to walk their children into their classroom, including Kindergarten families.
• Parents, please refrain from partaking in conversations with teachers/ERWs while on duty in the morning (8:15-8:30). The staff are on duty, and it is important that they are circulating and supervising outdoors.

During the school year we will be rehearsing and will continue to rehearse with students a number of emergency response situations including lock down and fire drills. All schools are required by Board policy to practice these procedures throughout the year. We have these ‘practice drills’ for precautionary purposes only so that in the event of an actual emergency, students will be prepared to respond in a safe and responsible manner. We will also be practicing a Lockdown drill. During this drill, the outer doors will be locked and the office will be unavailable during the time of the drill. No one will be allowed to enter or exit during the drill while the emergency protocol is being followed. The day will continue as normal following the drill.

Thank you for your understanding.

We are now in the process of reviewing our courtesy seating requests. We have submitted them to STOPR and will begin granting access shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday. The school will be in contact with families to facilitate these requests and to notify families of the status of their requests.

If your child is currently eligible for transportation but does not require it and wishes to "opt-out" kindly do so by informing the school.

You may also contact the Transportation Department via the following contact numbers: Transportation: 905-890-6000 Special Education Transportation: 905-890- 6362. To determine if your son or daughter is eligible for transportation. You can also receive up-to-date information by following STOPR on Twitter @STOPRinfo

STOPR website: https://www.stopr.ca/

To receive updates on whether your child’s bus is running late, please subscribe to STOPR. Access your account HERE

The distance criteria for transportation eligibility must be more than:

• 1.0 kilometre for Kindergarten and Grade 1
• 1.6 kilometres for Grades 2-4
• 2.0 kilometres for Grades 5-8

All Kindergarten and Grade 1 students who take the bus are required to be met by a parent or guardian when disembarking from the bus after school.

All bus information for the current school year has been shared with families either via phone call or email. Transportation eligibility is determined via the Board Bus policy. Information regarding this policy as well as current route information is available through the STOPR website: https://www.stopr.ca/

You may also contact the Transportation Department via the following contact numbers: Transportation: 905-890-6000 Special Education Transportation: 905-890-6362. To determine if your son or daughter is eligible for transportation, please visit https://businfo.stopr.ca/Eligibility.aspx?Page=School You can also receive up to date information by following STOPR on Twitter @STOPRinfo

To receive updates on whether your child’s bus is running late, please subscribe to STOPR at https:// businfo.stopr.ca/Subscriptions/Login.aspx

STOPR will provide Courtesy Seats. If you would like your child to take the bus to and from school and are in need of a courtesy seat, please contact the school. Please note that courtesy seats will only be provided after Thanksgiving. Only students who are eligible to ride the bus according to the distance criteria above will be granted a seat on the bus for the first day of school. Courtesy Seating Request form. More information on courtesy seating visit STOPR Here

Bus safety

If your child rides the bus daily, it is important that they are aware of the safety rules on the bus. Students are required to:

• Listen to the Bus Driver at all times and report any problems or injuries to him/her
• Go directly to their assigned seat and remain seated during the entire bus ride
• Do not eat, drink, swear, fight or chew gum on the bus
• Do not put arms out the window, or throw items or garbage out the window
• If any damage to the seat of bus is caused, students will be held responsible
• Be at least 5 minutes early at your bus stop to ensure that you don't miss the bus

Improper conduct on the bus will be dealt with at the Office. Repeated or serious incidents can result in busing privileges being suspended or removed. Please review these rules with your child. Taking the bus is a privilege, not a right.

The Kiss n’ Ride program is available to provide the convenience and safety for our students and parents driving to our school. Please take a moment to review the following procedures to ensure safety for all students and parents using Kiss N’ Ride.

1. NEVER LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE.

Kiss and Ride lanes are to be “moving lane ways”, not parking spots. This ensures that emergency vehicles or buses may enter the school. Please do not leave your vehicle at anytime. If you need to directly drop off your child, please park your car. For safety reasons, have the children exit the car from the passenger side of the vehicle only. If they are unable to do this without your help, you must park your car and walk your child in.

2. DO NOT drop your child(ren) off in the bus loading zone or in the bus lane, only in the DRIVETHRU lane

3.Teach your child to watch for buses in the bus lane, before they cross into the lane and on to the sidewalk. Once on the sidewalk, they can walk along the sidewalk to the back of the schoolyard.

4. Students walking and using the crosswalk, need to respect the crossing guard on duty. Running across Glen Erin Drive is never allowed and is dangerous. Please use the tunnel.

5. PLEASE CONTROL YOUR SPEED.

Kiss and Ride is the type of environment where students behave unpredictably and could quickly ‘pop out’ in front of you. Please give yourself the greatest chance of avoiding an accident. We are all working together to minimize risks to our children. Please remember that the driveway is a one way only. Please follow the signs to ensure that safety for all students and family.

We want to ensure the safety of all students at all times. Please drive slowly. Thank you for your continued cooperation. Please feel free to direct any questions or safety concerns to Mrs. Rodrigues-Coelho.

Peel Public Health (PPH) will be conducting dental screenings for students in JK, SK, Grade 2, Grade 4 and Grade 7 during the school year. There is no cost for these screenings. A dental screening is a quick assessment by a Registered Dental Hygienist who will look inside the child's mouth to identify any dental care needs. This screening can identify dental issues at an early stage and stop more serious dental issues from developing. Maintaining good oral health contributes to better overall health.

Following up with parents/guardians of children who have dental needs is a part of the screening process. To do that, the school will be required to provide updated parent/guardian contact information to Peel Public Health. This information will be used to support parents/guardians with accessing dental care. This information is being shared in accordance with the Education Act and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA).

If you have any questions about the sharing of this information, please contact the DPCDSB’s Manager, Records Management, Access & Privacy at dpprivacy@dpcdsb.org or at 905-890-0708 extension 24443.

IMPORTANT AND NEW: Please note the following important changes that will affect your school community:

• Consent forms/letters will no longer be used.

• All students will be considered to have consented to dental screening unless their parent/guardian actively opts out.

• To opt out, parents must complete and submit the Peel Public Health opt-out form via http://www.peelregion.ca/dental/schoolscreening or they can call Peel Public Health directly at 905-799-7700.

• https://peelregion.ca/children-parenting/childrens-dental-health/school-dental-screening

As we continue into the school year, we would like to inform you that St. Clare 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. Clare would appreciate the cooperation of the entire school community by NOT sending any lunches or snacks that contain nut or nut byproducts including peanut butter alternatives (i.e. WowButter), or other products containing nuts or nut oils (i.e., Nutella). If a student who has such an allergy comes into contact with anything containing peanuts, nuts, nut oils or derivatives, it could be life threatening. Some students have such a severe allergy that only the smell of the allergen may cause a reaction. Your child’s teacher will inform you of any class specific allergy concerns 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. If you have any questions, please talk to your child’s teacher or the school staff. 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, please ensure that the school is aware of it by submitting the proper forms and medication as soon as possible. If you did not receive the necessary forms in June, kindly please contact the office.

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.

Medication that is sent to school without the proper documentation will not be stored or dispensed by school personnel. This also applies to over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen, cough medicine, Benadryl, and allergy medications.

All medication with the exception for Kindergarten or students who carry their medication (ie. fanny pack) will be stored centrally in the school office. Kindergarten student medication will be stored in their classrooms for accessibility. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school.

Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has developed a Concussion Policy and Guidelines for students who have been diagnosed with a concussion by either a medical doctor or nurse practitioner. School staff cannot diagnose a concussion. Anytime a student reports to the office with a head injury, the parent/guardian will be contacted and the incident will be entered into the school’s “Documentation of Head Injuries” log. This is precautionary only, and we ask that you check your child when he/she gets home for any signs of a concussion or illness. We encourage you to click on the Concussion Resources button below which will take you directly to the board website for further information. Again this is a precautionary measure and for information purposes.

It is important for students to be at school on time and ready to work. When students are late they miss important information and routines. We realize that throughout the year there will be times that your child will be away from school.

SafeArrival is an application within SchoolMessenger that will allow parents/guardians to report their children’s absences in one of the following three ways:

• SchoolMessenger App
• SchoolMessenger website https://go.schoolmessenger.ca
• Toll Free number 1-844-435-3440

What is SafeArrival:

• SafeArrival is an absence management system that improves student safety.
• It supports school staff to follow up on unexcused absences.
• It allows parents and/or guardians to notify the school in advance about an upcoming absence.

Benefits:

• Better Attendance Management for Enhanced Student Safety
• Faster and Easier Attendance Management
• Simplified Parent Reporting Tools
• Accessible, Convenient and Secure
• Automated Key Tasks With SafeArrival Administrative Tools

In the event that your child is late or absent, please use one of the three ways to access Safe Arrival.

Students who arrive late to school must proceed to the office to get a late slip.

The Child and Family Services Act compels 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 Children's Aid Society (CAS) must be contacted. It is our Legal Obligation as employees of the school to report any suspicions directly to the Children’s Aid Society. It is not the role of educators to investigate. That is CAS' role. CAS, not the school, informs parents directly of the issue.

The Board recognizes the importance of the use of PEDs by students at school and that students can benefit from their use in the classroom. Students can bring their own devices (B.Y.O.D.) for learning purposes. Please note, it is optional for students to bring their devices to school. Students shall care for, maintain and secure their personal devices at all times and recognize that the Board is not responsible for the replacement of lost, stolen or damaged items. In alignment with Ministry guidelines and board policies, PED's must be "out of sight" and powered off or on silent for the entire instructional day (grades K-6) or during instructional periods (grades 7-12), exceptions for medical, health, to support special needs or for educational purposes with explicit permission. Please do not text, or call your child during the school day on their personal device. If you need to contact your child during the school day, please contact the school by phone.

Students will eat lunch in their classes and are encouraged to bring water bottles to school. These water bottles can be refilled at our water bottle refill stations. Students should bring to school a packed lunch each day to limit the amount of visitors in the building. In the event that a student forgets a lunch, a parent/guardian will be contacted. Students will be allowed to go home for lunch. If you choose to have your child go home for lunch on a daily basis, please notify the school or let your child's teacher know. If your child is to go home on an occasional basis, a written note or email must be provided to the office for each occasion. Unfortunately verbal permission will not be honoured.

For more information about our St. Clare Snack Shack and Nutrition Program please review the attached information letter and permission form.

To make a donation to our YMCA Peel Student Nutrition Program click HERE

Student verification forms will be sent home during the first few weeks of school. We ask that you kindly review all information to ensure that it is correct. Please ensure that all phone numbers are accurate in case we need to contact you should your child be sick at school. If you have any information that has changed, you can call the school and we will update it for you.

At St. Clare our preferred method of payment is with the use of Online Payment. School Cash Online allows parents to pay school-related fees online safely, quickly and easily. Please go to https://dpcdsb.schoolcashonline.com/ to register online if you are new to the school or if you did not register last year. All lunch programs and field trips will be placed on School Cash Online.

PLASP Child Care Services operates Before and After School Programs at this school. The Before School Program operates from 7:30 a.m. until school start. A nutritious breakfast is served daily. The After School Program runs from the end of the school day until 6:00 p.m. Children participate in recreational activities, are served a nutritious snack daily and have time for homework.

ST. CLARE CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL FOR 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR

Principal: Ms. Sonia Correia

Chairs: Mrs. Laura Zampino-Mendonca

Secretary: Mrs. Joanna Agueci

Treasurer: Mrs. Katherine DaSilva

Parish Rep: Mr. Gerald Menezes

OAPCE Rep : Mrs. Sophia Krol

Teacher Rep: Ms. Gillis

Non-Teacher Rep:

Voting Members:

1. Ms. Sophia Krol

2. Mrs. Eva Chatfield

3. Mrs. Melisia Catling

4. Ms. Joanna Agueci

5. Ms. Michelle Divers

6. Mrs. Lisa Whitelaw

7. Ms. Alexandria McCann

8. Mr. Gerald Menezes

9. Ms. Laura Zampino Mendonca

10. Mr. Leonard Mendonca

11. Ms. Tiffany Mammoliti

12. Ms. Claudia Loustel

13. Ms. Aksana Savitskaya

14. Ms. Katherine Da Silva

15. Mrs. Danielle Campion

Catholic School Council Meeting Dates 2024-25

Catholic School Council Meetings start at 6:00-8:00 pm in the Library Learning Commons. All are welcome. There will be 4 meetings in total. CSC added an additional meeting in case of a cancellation.

Monday, November 3rd, 2025

Monday, January 25th, 2026

Monday, March 2nd, 2026

Monday, April 27th, 2026

Monday, June 1st, 2026

Just a reminder that if you are interested in volunteering within the school in any capacity, including field trips, student support, Catholic School Council member, etc., a Valid Criminal Reference Check (CRC), with Vulnerable Sector and Local Records Check is required. Due to COVID closures and not having volunteers in the schools for multiple years, many of our filed CRC and CRC Annual Declarations have lapsed. Therefore, we would like to begin now for any possible volunteer opportunities that may arise this year. Please note that there may be some time required to process a CRC, thus waiting for an announced volunteer opportunity to obtain your CRC may not provide sufficient time for processing. Therefore, we are asking all parents that if you feel that you may be interested in volunteering in any capacity in the school this year, it may be best to start the process now.

Come by the office for a Volunteer Letter from the school before you apply!

Thank you for all your ongoing support and we look forward to having many volunteer opportunities in the school this year.

St. Ignatius Loyola Parish

2300 Burnhamthorpe Rd. West
Mississauga, ON
L5L 3T6

Rev. Edward Curtis

Rev. Alexander D'Silva, Associate Pastor

Deacon John Brown

Deacon Robert Sansone

PARISH STAFF

Olga Calderon Parish Secretary StIgnatiusLoyolaMI@archtoronto.org

t: 905.820.1444

e:stignatiusloyolami@archtoronto.org

Sunday Mass Times for St. Ignatius Loyola Parish are 7:45am, 9:00am, 10:30am and 12:00pm (Noon) Website

Dufferin-Peel is excited to be offering the community again opportunities for students to learn a new language or become familiar with an existing language on weekends. Please see below for more information.

• Welcome newcomer students and their families
• Introduce them to the Ontario elementary and secondary school system
• Offer settlement support through Multicultural Settlement and Education Partnership (MSEP)
• Assess English language proficiency and knowledge of mathematics
• Suggest placement for secondary school students based on school transcripts, assessment results and age
• Counsel secondary school students in choice of program/courses and post-secondary destinations
• Send the assessment report to the school of registration

If you are First Nation (Status Indian or Non-Status Indian), Métis and/or Inuit you can self-identify as Indigenous. You do not need to produce any documentation or proof of ancestry. Self-identification is voluntary and confidential.

“This has been really important for us because of the sense of community and the connection to other Indigenous families.” ~ Melanie Cormier, parent

Self-identification will provide access to culture and language programs and monthly programming for students and families. Relevant information will be sent directly to you about upcoming cultural events and opportunities which help to build community and a sense of Indigenous pride in Dufferin-Peel.

To learn more about opportunities for Indigenous students and families please visit: https://www3.dpcdsb.org/students/indigenous-self-identification

Periodically, throughout the school year, Scholastic Books may be offered by your child's classroom teacher or via Book Fair. While owning books is a valuable experience for children, please note that participation in this program is completely optional and that the books curated in these offerings are selected for a wide audience and not specifically for a Catholic audience given it is a secular company.

We encourage parents/guardians to review the selections that their child/ren make/s to ensure the material chosen reflects their family values.

Build your math skills and confidence with a personalized math coach. Tutors are available online Mondays-Fridays from 9am to 9pm ET and Sundays from 3:00pm to 9pm ET.

https://www.tvomathify.com/students

Here is the link to the THRIVE IN COMMUNITY Newsletter from the DPCDSB Mental Health and Well-Being Team for September.