THE SABRES ROAR

St. Sofia Byzantine Catholic School

3540 Havenwood Dr. Mississauga, Ontario L4X2M9

(905) 625-0823

E-mail: st.sofiainfo@dpcdsb.org

X (twitter): @StSofia_DPCDSB

Principal
S. Donaghue

Vice Principal
S. Rossi

Head Secretary

O. Tkaczyk

Assistant Secretary
R. Park

D.P.C.D.S.B Catholic Education Centre
905-890-1221

Website: www.dpcdsb.org/SOFIA

Superintendent Mississauga East
D. Belchior
Trustee
Mario Pascucci (Mississauga Ward 3)

Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life and honor.

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on

her tongue. (Prov. 21:21; 31:26)

God wants us to give generously to others around us.

From the perspective of the Catholic Graduate Expectations, a kind

person...

Relates to family members in a loving, compassionate manner

Examines, evaluates and applies knowledge of interdependent systems for the development of a

just and compassionate society

Promotes the sacredness of life

Please be reminded that school dismissal takes place at 4:00 p.m. each day. Early sign‑outs create disruptions to classroom routines and result in a loss of instructional time for both the student being dismissed and their peers. Any changes to pick-up arrangements must be communicated early and in writing to your child’s teacher (e.g., with a note or in your child’s agenda). This helps ensure a safe and organized dismissal for all students.

We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a smooth and uninterrupted learning environment.

Thank you for your support.

June 11: Grade 8 Retreat Day at St. Elias Church

June 15: 6:00 pm Graduation Moleben at St. Mary's Church

June 23: 4:30 pm Graduation Ceremony at Renaissance by the Creek Salon C

6:00 pm - 10:00 pm: Dinner and Dance for Graduates in Salon D

April 1 - Grad Photo Retake Day

March 9 - March 13

Lost and Found items will be set up all week for parents to come and check items before March Break

March 9 - 11:15 am Taras Shevchenko Celebration at St. Sofia on Google Classroom - wear Vyshvanka (Civvies Day)

March 10 - Black History Showcase at St. Sofia in Gym Black History 365 - Canadian Legacies in Action

March 11 - Dance Showcase at Iona Catholic Secondary School - Let's Go Sabres

March 12 - Father Tom Visit

March 12 - 1:30 pm Virtues Assembly (5/6 A and 7/8A Kopach) - Respect - all are welcome

March 13 - Wear green for St. Patrick's Day (Civvies Day)

March 13 - Last day before March Break , reminder to students to bring home all personal belongings

March 16 - March 20 - March Break

Dates to Remember:

March 21 - World Down Syndrome Day

March 23 - Pre - Easter Confessions at St. Sofia

March 24 - April 1 - Pysanky at St. Sofia

March 25 - Last day to purchase Paska , by noon

March 27 - ME Family Chess Tournament at St. Phillip

April 1 - Grad Photo Retake Day

April 1 - Paska Distribution/Pick Up

April 2 - World Autism Day

April 3 - Good Friday - no school

April 5 - Easter Sunday

April 6 - Easter Monday - no school

Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month celebrations that honour the legacy of Black people in Canada and their communities, remembering and acknowledging contributions and achievements both past and present. The 2026 theme, Black History 365: Inspiring Hope - Reclaiming Narratives, challenges us to move beyond a single month of recognition and embrace a continuous, year-round commitment to truth, representation, and celebration. This theme identifies a call to action and an opportunity to reclaim narratives that centre the voices of Black individuals and communities, and to offer counter narratives that reflect the depth, diversity, and richness of Black history and heritage. By uplifting these stories, we offer a chance for students to remember the narratives that depict the presence of Black communities across Canada, to redefine the narratives that have been told through a narrow lens and to rejoice in the narratives that showcase truth, joy and resistance. This theme aligns with the 2026 theme for Catholic Education Week: Pilgrims of Hope: On the Path to Holiness where we have been invited to rediscover the theme of hope and the meaning of hope in our lives.

As such, the events planned for this month are rooted in the virtue of Hope. We invite educators to lead students in February through an intentional celebration of the rich history, contributions and achievements of Black communities and encourage educators to continue to

share this learning year round.

We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help with our Kiss & Ride program. Your support ensures a safe and smooth drop-off and pick-up experience for our students. Please click on the button below and fill out our Google form if you are interested.

· Focus on Writing (March 25, 2026, 12:00 PM)
Join us for a free live webinar about how EQAO assesses students’ writing skills at key stages of their education. EQAO staff will discuss writing prompts and questions from the primary- and junior-division assessments and from the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. Participants will hear how these prompts and questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning.

· EQAO Literacy Session for Families: Focus on Reading
(March 31, 2026, 6:00 PM)
Join us for a free live webinar about how EQAO assesses students’ reading skills at key stages of their education. EQAO staff will discuss reading samples and questions from the primary and junior assessments and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. Participants will hear how these reading passages and questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning.

· EQAO Math Night for Parents and Guardians (April 1, 2026, 6:00 PM)
Join us for a free live webinar where EQAO staff will discuss math questions that Ontario students encounter when they participate in Ontario’s large-scale assessments. These assessments are taken by all Ontario students in Grades 3, 6 and 9. During the webinar, EQAO staff will show how these math questions help assess the skills students are learning in their math classes. Staff will also share valuable insights from EQAO research into assessment results, which can help parents and guardians support their children’s math learning.

· EQAO Math Session for Parents/Guardians of Primary Students
(April 7, 2026, 12:00 PM)
Join us for a free webinar about how EQAO assesses primary-division students’ mathematics learning. EQAO staff will discuss mathematics questions from the mathematics component of the primary-division assessment. Participants will hear how these math questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning.

· EQAO Math Session for Parents/Guardians of Junior Students
(April 16, 2026, 12:00 PM)
Join us for a free webinar about how EQAO assesses junior-division students’ mathematics learning. EQAO staff will discuss mathematics questions from the mathematics component of the junior-division assessment. Participants will hear how these math questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning.

· EQAO Webinar for Parents and Guardians of Elementary School Students
(April 22, 2026, 6:00 PM)
Register for this free live webinar and learn about EQAO’s primary and junior Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Participants will learn about the purpose of Ontario’s large-scale assessments. EQAO staff will explain the assessment format, highlight resources to support students and answer questions from participants. The session will be approximately 45 minutes, followed by a live Q&A with EQAO staff.

· EQAO Webinar for Parents and Guardians of Elementary School Students
(April 29, 2026, 12:00 PM)
Register for this free live webinar and learn about EQAO’s primary and junior Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Participants will learn about the purpose of Ontario’s large-scale assessments. EQAO staff will explain the assessment format, highlight resources to support students and answer questions from participants. The session will be approximately 45 minutes, followed by a live Q&A with EQAO staff.

The purpose of Catholic School Council is, through the active participation of parents, to improve pupil achievement and to enhance the accountability of the education system to parents. A Catholic School Council's primary means of achieving its purpose is by making recommendations in accordance with this policy and regulation to the principal of the school and to the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board.

Council members shall maintain a school-wide focus on all issues. Each member shall:

• Attend regularly and participate in council meetings;
• Participate in faith development, information and training programs;
• Act as a link between the Catholic school council and the school community;
• Encourage the participations of parents from all groups and of other people within the community.

St. Sofia Catholic School Council 2025 - 2026

Yuliya Yarema - Co-Chair

Ulyana Polovka - Co - Chair

Ewa Chalupa - Treasurer

Marianna Pankiw

Mariana Doubas - OAPCE

Oksana Didkovsky -Secretary

Liliya Leheta

Stan Hankowski - Parish Rep

Tania Iwaniura

Nataliya Ryabchun

Oksana Shavel

Alexander Tymoshyk

Olga Meshko-Doubinska

Hanna Konyashyna

Oksana Volchuk

Please join us at our next Catholic School Council Meeting: 6:30 pm on April 23, 2026. - all are welcome

Other Dates Include:

May 28, 2026

The Solemn Holy Communion for Grade 2 students will take place on Saturday May 2nd, 2026 at St. Mary's Ukranian Catholic Church.

April 30 - Grade 2 First Confessions and Retreat at St. Elias Church in Brampton.

Please note that from 12:24-1:04 and 2:27-2:42 students are OUTSIDE for RECESS.

Please arrange for pick ups BEFORE or AFTER those TIMES.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter.

Please be reminded that once students have been dropped off that parents should not remain on the pavement area in the morning. This is for the safety of our students.

Please drop your students off at the entrance to the yard - we have staff on duty and we cannot allow parents on the yard - it is for the safety of all that we follow this rule.

To support our commitment to environmental sustainability, the office will no longer be providing plastic forks, spoons and cups. This change is part of our ongoing efforts to reduce single-use plastics and minimize our ecological footprint. We encourage all students to bring reusable cutlery from home. Thank you for helping us create a greener space!

9:00: Supervision begins

9:15: School day begins

12:04: Lunch Begins: Nutrition Break in classrooms

12:24: Outdoor Recess

1:04: Afternoon classes begin

2:27: Recess Begins

2:42: Recess Ends

4:00: Dismissal

DPCDSB uses School Messenger to deliver text messages to your mobile phone with important information about school closings, safety alerts and more.

You can subscribe to this free service by sending a message of Y or Yes to DPCDSB's number: 978338 (for Canada-based numbers).

Whether it’s a medical appointment, an illness or other important event, there are times when students may need to be away from school. The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District school board is introducing a new method for parents to report their child(ren)’s absences. Using the SafeArrival system, parents will be able to report daily or future absences in one of three ways:

Web:

1. Go to the SafeArrival website at go.schoolmessenger.ca
2. Select Sign Up to create your account. (Only needed for the initial setup, after that you will click on login).
3. Select Attendance.
4. Select Report an Absence.

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. Sofia 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. Sofia 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, 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.

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.

STOPR - Transportation Procedures

The distance criteria for transportation eligibility must be more than:

• 1.0 kilometer Kindergarten and Grade 1

• 1.6 kilometers for Grades 2 – 4

• 2.0 kilometers for Grades 5 – 8

• 3.8 kilometers for Grades 9 – 12

If your child is moving to grade 2, grade 5, or grade 9 in the 2024-2025 school year, their eligibility status for transportation may be changing. Eligibility information can be accessed at the website noted below.

All transported kindergarten and grade 1 students are required to be met by a parent/caregiver when disembarking from their bus on their return trip from school.

Contacting STOPR

Internet: www.stopr.ca. This website provides up to date delay and inclement weather cancellation information in addition to policy, procedures and frequently asked questions businfo.stopr.ca. Please consider registering for notice of alerts regarding issues such as buses running behind schedule. The STOPR website also allows parents to access information specific to “what school do I attend” and “am I eligible for transportation”. This site also provides parents access to specific bus stop location and pick up and drop off times for their children if eligible for transportation.

Telephone: STOPR: Phone: 905 890-6000

Toll free: 1-800 668-1140

Statistics indicate that the most critical moment for student safety, while riding a school bus, is actually when students are getting on or off their school bus. Therefore, it is important that Parents/Guardians understand that they are ultimately responsible for the safe conveyance of their children to and from their bus stop location each day. There is simply no substitute for an adult’s supervision at a bus stop. Here are some important School Bus safety tips for parents and children.

• Get to the bus stop in plenty of time so you do not have to run
• Wait for your bus in a place that is away from traffic in the road
• Bus stops are not appropriate places to push or wrestle with your friends
• Let the school bus stop before you try to get on
• If you can touch the school bus, you are too close
• Remember if you cannot see the bus driver, then the bus driver cannot see you
• The driver will let you know when it is safe to approach the bus
• When getting onto the bus, take the steps one at a time, holding onto the handrail
• Go right to a seat, and sit quietly, without blocking the aisle
• Listen to your school bus driver, and follow his/her instructions.
• Leave the bus in single file, holding the handrail
• Walk away from the bus without running, and never go behind it
• If you have to cross the street to leave or board your bus, you need to be 10 giant steps away from the front of the bus. Watch for overhead red lights to flash, and wait for the stop arm to activate and your driver’s signal before crossing
• If you ever drop something underneath the bus or in its path, leave it there! Never, never stop and reach under the school bus to pick it up. (information taken from https://www.stopr.ca/school-bus-safety)

Bus Safety Tips While At School

• Ensure your child(ren) know their plans for after school dismissal ie taking the bus or being picked up.
• Communicate any changes to the classroom teacher.
• When arriving to school and disembarking the bus, students are to go directly to their classroom.
• Disembark the bus in a single file.
• At the end of the day, remind students to listen attentively for their bus to be called and proceed directly to their bus.
• Once the dismissal bell rings students are to promptly line up in their bus lines.
• Embark the first in a single file, with the youngest students loading the bus first.
• Students are to sit on the bus in order of age, with our youngest students at the front. If siblings would like to sit together, they will sit with the youngest sibling.
• Students are to be seated facing the front.
• Aisle is to be clear at all moments.
• Students are to remain in their seats for the entire bus ride. Seat swapping is not allowed.
• Due to safety precautions eating is not permitted on the bus.
• Screaming, throwing objects, pushing and inappropriate language is not allowed.
• Be kind to each other.
• Listen to the instructions of the bus driver and teachers loading the bus.
• If there is an issue, report it immediately to the bus driver and school staff.
• Parents/Guardians sign up for STOPR bus notifications to be aware of any bus delays.

TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER AND SAFER!

Keeping Our Students Safe through Kiss ‘N Ride, Parking Lots and Bus Lanes

Our school offers a Kiss ‘N Ride program in the morning where parents can drop off their children at a designated area on school property. The program was established to provide a convenient and safe option for parents/guardians who drive students to school. To ensure the safety of staff and students, we ask all parents/guardians to be mindful of the following guidelines on Williamsport Drive:

• There is no parking and no waiting in the Kiss ‘N Ride lane, the lanes are to be clear at all times, before and after school.

• For safety reasons, passengers may only exit from the curb side of the vehicle. Drivers must always remain inside their vehicles.

• Pay attention to the traffic in front of you and pull forward as cars move forward.

• Be mindful that you are not blocking people trying to exit the parking lot.

• As we only have enough parking for staff to park, we ask that parents refrain from parking in the parking lot or in front of the cement garbage containers. Instead, parents are asked to park in designated places on streets near the school.

• Parents/guardians who display a valid handicapped parking pass assigned to the driver of the vehicle may park in one of the designated handicapped parking spaces.

• Vehicles entering the Kiss ‘N Ride lane must stay in the designated lane, unless otherwise directed by a staff member or volunteer.

• Always respect traffic flow, the instructions of staff/volunteers on duty who are wearing reflective safety vests and abide by all traffic laws and signs. Please do not block the flow of traffic through the Kiss ‘N Ride Lane.

• At dismissal please wait for your children to walk to the kiss ‘n ride area.

•Bus lanes are for buses only. Pedestrians dropping off or picking up their children are asked to access the school yard from the south side (kiss n' ride area).

Some of these rules may seem inconvenient for visitors and parents, but it will promote a safer environment for all staff, parents, visitors and most importantly the students that we serve.

In the event that there are changes to the pick up routine, please inform the office prior to 3:30pm. This will ensure accurate communication with the classroom teacher and the safety of our students.

Thank you for your support in trying to keep our community and our students safe. TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER!

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)