Courageous Cougars Family Monthly

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

St. Clare Community,

As November comes to a close, we look back on an incredible month filled with learning, faith, and fun! Our Kindergarten and Primary students worked hard to complete their Acadience screeners, showing great progress in their early literacy skills.

The grade 8 boys proudly represented our school at the Cross Country Board Meets, showcasing their determination and school spirit. Congratulations to our Intermediate Girls’ and Boys' Volleyball Team for winning the pod tournament. Both teams also triumphed in exhibition matches against Christ the King. A heartfelt thank you to our fantastic coaches, Ms. Black and Mr. Benec, for their guidance and support.

Meanwhile, all the grade 8s also enjoyed an inspiring visit to Loyola High School, getting a glimpse of the exciting opportunities that await them in the next chapter of their education.

We were blessed to welcome Rosary of Apostolate, who shared meaningful messages with our students and enriched our faith journey.

Academically, progress reports went home, and we had wonderful conversations during parent-teacher conferences to celebrate growth and set goals for the future.

Safety remained a priority as we successfully completed our third and final fire drill for this term.

We came together as a community to wear blue in support of Diabetes Awareness, showing our care and solidarity.

We closed out the month with a burst of holiday cheer at our Jingle Jam celebration. Santa made a special appearance, and the event was filled with laughter, music, and festive fun. It was a heartwarming way to bring our community together and kick off the holiday season in style! Thank you to our incredible Parent Council!

Thank you to our students, staff, and families for making November such a memorable month. We look forward to an exciting December filled with more learning, faith, and community fun.

S. Correia

Principal

Searching for Hope, Peace, Joy and Love...and Waiting, Jesus is the Light of our World.

Loving God, in this time of preparation and planning,

We thank you for the hope, peace, joy, and love,

that you unfailingly offer us.

Show us the creative power of hope.

Teach us the love that comes from justice.

Prepare our hearts to be transformed by your joy,

That we may walk in the peace and light of Christ.

Amen.

“Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together.”

Isaiah 40:5

“Advent” originates from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming" or "arrival." The first day of Advent is the first day of a new Liturgical calendar and begins a four-week period of preparation for the nativity of Jesus Christ at Christmas. Advent began on Sunday, November 30, 2025. The Advent Season is about reflecting on how we can prepare our hearts and homes for Christ's birth.

Here at St. Clare, we highlight the significance of the birth of our Savior through our Christian deeds. We ensure that Advent is a time where we partake in reflection, charity, and social justice initiatives. It is a time to prepare our hearts and to acknowledge God’s presence in our lives each and every day through prayer and Christian actions.

We wish you and your family a Holy Advent and blessed Christmas.

Families are welcome to join us at St. Ignatius Loyola Church for our Advent Mass on December 11th, 2025 at 10:15 a.m.

This month, we celebrate the virtue of Hope.

Hope reminds us that God came to us as a real human being to show us the true way of life. We believe that both the world and its people come from God and are fundamentally good. Each year, the season of Advent invites us to turn our hearts and minds toward the goodness that surrounds us.

Year after year, we are reminded that God sent His Son because we are precious in His eyes. God knows the greatness we can achieve when we come together in faith and love.

When we view the world through God’s eyes, we begin to see it transforming into the reign of God that Jesus proclaimed.

• A Person of Hope…

  • Expects the best for everyone
  • Holds on to their dreams
  • Trusts God’s help in difficult times
  • Believes that things will work out according to God’s plan
  • Looks for goodness even in challenges
  • Anticipates life’s blessings with joy
  • Sets meaningful goals and stays committed to them

From the perspective of the Catholic Expectations, a person of Hope…

• Sees more good than evil in the world
  
• Acts legally and morally

Prayer for December:

Let us pray for the grace and strength to be people of hope. People who can see, participate in and contribute to God’s goodness emerging around us.

AMEN

Lunch orders are posted on SchoolCashOnline.

Monday – Shawarma

Tuesday – Pizza

Wednesday – Chicken & Baked Fries

Thursday – Pasta

Friday – Bar Burrito

As the weather begins to change, please ensure children are dressed appropriately for varying conditions. We encourage students to wear layers to stay comfortable on cooler days. Additionally, students should have a pair of indoor shoes at school. This is especially important as wet or muddy boots will be left in the hallways to help keep classrooms clean and safe.

It’s cold and flu season!

Keep sick kids at home before and after the break. Children may return to school and childcare after they have no fever and symptoms have improved for 24 hours (or 48 hours for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea). If experiencing severe symptoms like chest pain or difficulty breathing, visit the nearest emergency department.

If you have general questions, or are unsure where to access care, call Health Connect Ontario (formerly Telehealth) at 811, available 24/7 in multiple languages, speak to your family doctor, or access these resources available to everyone, including individuals without an Ontario health card.

• Regional Virtual Urgent Care Program: regional-virtual-urgentcare.ca/
• Pediatric Care Clinic: summervillefht.com/displayPage.php?page=Pediatric
• Chat online with a nurse, 24/7: health811.ontario.ca/static/guest/home
• Practice good hygiene. Remind children to cover coughs and sneezes and wash hands often or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Screen with the self-assessment tool at Ontario.ca/self-assessment and consider testing for COVID-19 as needed. Rapid antigen test kits are available now. Visit peelregion.ca/health/diseases/covid19/ for pickup locations.
• Consider wearing a mask indoors, especially in crowded spaces where you can’t keep a safe and comfortable distance from others, and follow additional protective actions at these links.

How to protect your family from respiratory illness, and where to seek care if sick:

• peelregion.ca/health/diseases/respiratory-illnessseason/
• Fever & Cough Resources for Parents: thp.ca/emergency/A/fever.html#ermenutop /2
• Get vaccinated and stay up to date with vaccinations. Everyone 6 months and older can get the flu or COVID-19 vaccine for free.
• Where to get the flu vaccine: peelregion.ca/health/diseases/flu/
• Where to get the COVID-19 vaccine: peelregion.ca/health/vaccinations/covid-19/ These actions can keep you and your loved ones from getting severely sick.

Peel Public Health wishes you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season.

Region of Peel Public Health supports the Canadian Paediatric Society's (CPS) position that there is no sound medical rationale to support exclusion of students with head lice from school. Children with head lice should be treated and can attend school.

Peel Public Health does not allow it’s public health nurses to visit schools and provide such services like screening for lice. Further to this, Peel Public Health does not provide recommendations for external services.

CPS further recommends that:

• Treatment should be recommended, and close head-to-head contact should be discouraged pending treatment.
• Families of children in a classroom where a case of active head lice has been detected should be notified and informed about proper diagnosis, and prevention.

To read the Canadian Paediatric Society's position statement on head lice, please visit: http://www.cps.ca/en/documents/position/head-lice.

Please visit: Head lice | Caring for kids (cps.ca) for additional information on head lice.

Wet, Windy, Wintery Weather is upon us! Students are asked to have a pair of indoor shoes that can be kept at school, along with an extra pair of gloves, mitts, or other winter apparel. An extra set of clothing goes a long way, especially in the primary division. Please also consider labeling your child(s) clothing so that we can return any lost items to them.

At school, we will continue to encourage students to bundle up and we also will continue to provide reminders of snow etiquette in play. Please support our efforts, reminding your children at home that snowball throwing is not permitted. We also ask students to stay off icy areas and to report them, in order to prevent unnecessary injuries. Our messaging to students and in the name of kindness is that any snow structures (snow figures or fort) made by their peers are to be respected and students should refrain from intentionally breaking them. As such, we appreciate your support in reinforcing this message.

We are excited to have students engage in SNOW-much fun this winter season at St. Clare school!

Please find the Winter Newsletter from StopR and an important letter concerning inclement weather and bus cancellations for the 2025-26 school year.

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 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.

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.

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 School Advisory Council is comprised of parents, a school faculty member, a non-teaching representative, as well as an appointed parish community representative. The aim of the council is to support school activities and students through involvement and fundraising. We are always looking for new parents to join our School Council!

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: Ms. Traynor

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

Monday, January 26th, 2026

Monday, March 2nd, 2026

Monday, April 27th, 2026

Monday, June 1st, 2026

Please join us for our next council meeting on January 26th @ 6:00-8:00pm Catholic School Council in our Library Learning Commons.

You are invited to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Parent Council Meeting

Time: Jan 26, 2026 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/94779371667

Meeting ID: 947 7937 1667

Join instructions

https://zoom.us/meetings/94779371667/invitations?signature=YF-cB2aWObq1O3cTv9AxmrdNKhSxrmNFsh6KE22HdTE

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

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