Email: st.ursulainfo@dpcdsb.org
Website: www.dpcdsb.org/URSUL
Location: 11 Dwellers Road, Brampton, ON, Canada
Phone: (905) 454-5213
Twitter: @StUrsulaDPCDSB

The mission of St. Ursula school community is to ensure that

home, Church, and school are collaborative partners in the

building of an environment that reflects the Catholic faith and

values by celebrating each person as a member of the Body of

Christ, and by challenging all to achieve excellence spiritually,

socially and academically.

Principal: J. Daly

Head Secretary: A. Vitorino

Superintendant of Education, Brampton West: T.L. Peel

Trustee: Darryl D'Souza, Brampton Ward 5

St. Anne Parish Pastor: Rev. Joel Pabilona Jr.

Associate Pastor: Rev. Jobby Muppathiyil Joseph

Blessed are you, loving Father, for all of your gifts to us.

Blessed are you for giving us the gift of family and friends.

We pause and give you thanks, Lord, for all these gifts:

For the rains that give life,

For the harvest.

As we rejoice in your kindness,

We pray for those who are in need.

Open our hearts to them and teach us to be generous to others

as you are to us.

Amen

As the Thanksgiving weekend approaches it is appropriate that we take time to reflect and give thanks for the many gifts that God has placed in our lives. Let us not forget to appreciate:

• our families and friends without whom there would be no true celebration
• our volunteers, staff /leaders and all other persons who give unselfishly of their time to children
• many staff, students and parents involved in ensuring the school year started successfully

Let us also remember to be thankful for all the little things in our lives. Often large issues consume us and the little pleasures and treasures are forgotten. It is in the little things that God’s graces are often revealed. On behalf of the staff of St. Ursula Catholic School, we wish everyone a truly wonderful Thanksgiving.

J. Daly

Principal

Oct 3 Opening School Mass (11am)

Oct 4 St. Roch Regional Arts Program visits Gr. 8's

Oct 5 World Teachers Day

Oct 5 Thanksgiving Liturgy

Oct 6 P.A. Day (No school)

Oct 9 Thanksgiving (No school)

Oct 10 Fire Truck visits PASD/ FDK classes

Oct 12 Jr. Boys Volleyball Tournament @ Vianney

Oct 18 BW Cross Country Meet @ Chinguacousy Park

Oct 27 Virtue of 'Empathy' Celebration

Oct 27 Bus Safety Presentation

Oct 31 Halloween

Please feel free to click on the Translate button on the bottom ofthe newsletter to choose your language of preference! (Arabic,Spanish, Hausa, Portuguese, Taglog, Polish, Italian, Malayalam,Hindi etc.)

During the month of October, we will be focusing on empathy. We understand empathy to mean the ability to identify with and feel other people’s concern. An empathetic person believes that we all share one Spirit; that we are many parts of one body because we are all created in the image and likeness of God.

An empathetic person:

• Listens attentively
• Watches people’s body language
• Notices and responds when someone is upset
• Can name her/his feelings
• Can see a situation from another person’s point of view
• Knows that different people may feel differently about the same thing.

Catholic education views human life as an integration of body, mind, and spirit. Rooted in thisvision, Catholic education fosters the search for knowledge as a lifelong spiritual andacademic quest. The expectations of Catholic graduates, therefore, are described not only interms of knowledge and skills, but in terms of values, attitudes and actions. The OntarioCatholic School Graduate is expected to be:

1. A discerning believer formed in the Catholic Faith community who celebrates the signs andsacred mystery of God’s presence through word, sacrament, prayer, forgiveness, refl ection andmoral living.

2. An effective communicator who speaks, writes and listens honestly and sensitively,responding critically in light of gospel values

3. A reflective, creative and holistic thinker who solves problems and makes responsibledecisions with an informed moral conscience for the common good.

4. A self- directed,responsible, lifelong learner who develops and demonstrates their God -given potential.

5. A collaborative contributor who fi nds meaning, dignity and vocation in work which respectsthe rights of all and contributes to the common good.

6. A caring family member who attends to family, school, parish, and the wider community

7. A responsible citizen who gives witness to Catholic social teaching by promoting peace, justice and the sacredness of human life.

The first C.S.A.C. was held on Wednesday, September 27th 2023. This year’s 2023-2024 Catholic School Council members are:

Chair: Christina Calabrese

Treasurer: Alana McIntosh-Jacobs

Secretary: Anya Bruney- Francis

Parish Rep: Patti Rodrigues

OAPCE Rep: Dawn Cook

Teacher Rep: Ms. Fairclough/ Ms. Yousif

Non-Teaching Rep: Ms. Vitorino

Upcoming Meetings:

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 @ 6:30PM (Virtual)

Wednesday, November 15, 2023 @ 6:30PM (Virtual)

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 @ 6:30PM (Virtual)

Wednesday, December 6, 2023 @ 6:30pm (In-Person)

Wednesday, February 7, 2024 @ 6:30PM (Virtual)

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 @ 6:30PM (Virtual)

Wednesday, May 29, 2024 @ 6:30PM (In-Person)

The next Catholic School Council Meeting will take place virtually on Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 at 6:30 via Microsoft TEAMS. As always, all parents are welcomed to attend this open meeting. Please use the following link to join:

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 274 467 713 319

Passcode: u3QfUv

Starting Wednesday, October 11, 2023, Catholic School Council ishappy to collaborate with Mr. Sub to offer a healthy andaffordable lunch option.

For $5.25 you can enjoy a classic 6" sub with your choice of drink and a snack of Welch’s fruitsnacks or $9.75 for a classic 12" sub every Wednesday. Each month, you will be able to place your order for that month.

If your child is absent on Sub Day, please make arrangements for your order to be picked up by a sibling or parent by the end of the school day.

Refunds will not be given for those students who are absent.

**This order deadline for this month is October 9, 2023

** Order on school cash online only

Pizza days will be back on Fridays starting November 2023. We will be partnering with Pizza Point Pizza and the costis $2.75/slice. Money raised will be used to pay for Guest speakers, andschool/classroom presentations to supplement classroom programming.

As per Ministry of Education guidelines, students in Grades FDK-8 will receive Progress Reports on November 7th, 2023. Interviews for students requiring them as needed will take place on the evening of Thursday, November 9th, 2023. More information regarding the format of interview will be communicated.

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the dedication and support of the wonderful teachers at St. Ursula Catholic School as they help us fulfill our mission as a Catholic education community. Our teachers are called to a vocation which serves a diverse student population – each student having unique needs and talents. We ask God to guide them as they inspire the students at St. Ursula to develop spiritually, intellectually, and into contributing members of society as caring and responsible citizens.

On Friday, September 22, St. Ursula students walked the perimiter of the school as well as in the community to honour Terry Fox for the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope. The school raised $850 to the Terry Fox Foundation. Thank you to all those who donated and walked.

Thank you to all families who joined us on Wednesday,September 28, 2023 to meet your child's teacher. It was sowonderful to see everyone !

Our Youth Faith Ambassadors invite you to help those in need by donating to our Fall Food Drive. The food drive will run until Thursday, October 5th. We are always grateful for your generosity and kindness.

We are happy to bring SUISH (St. Ursula In School Happiness) and Feel Good Fridays back to St. Ursula and we are proud to have our new Grade 8 Leaders join us this year! Each Friday our SUISH leaders will continue to roll out our monthly initiatives to motivate and inspire their peer group. We love seeing our students and staff the first Friday of each month for our dance party and monthly goal roll out!

St. Ursula is in need of Student Monitors during the lunch hour (12:00-1:00pm). Student Monitor is a paid position of 1.2 hours a day. Responsibilities include supervising students eating lunch and supervision students on the school yard during the lunch recess. If you are interested in becoming a Student Monitor please contact the school office for further details.

Calling all students! Bring your smiles! Picture day is scheduled for Thursday, November 9th 2023. Please note that only individual photos will be taken. No class pictures will be taken at this time

All students who have been formally diagnosed with asthma, anaphylaxis, diabetes, or epilepsy must have a plan of care completed. This only needs to be completed once and it will be kept in your child's OSR file.

• If your child has a new diagnosis or is new to St. Ursula, please email the school and we will send you the forms that need to be completed.
• Each year a GF35-Storage and Administration of Medication must be completed and returned to school. You would have received a GF 35 form recently, if not, please contact the office if one is needed.
• Epipens and puffers should be carried by your child and a second one can be stored in the main office.
• Nut free/ Scent Free School : We have a number of children in our school who have severe life threatening allergic reactions to nuts therefore please do not send any food items to school that may contain nuts or nut products. If there are other allergies specific to your child's class you will be notified. We need your cooperation in ensuring that no snacks or lunches be brought into the school that can put children at risk.

All school personnel are obligated to report concerns about children who may be “in need of protection”. PLEASE SEE INFORMATION REGARDING 'Duty to Report'.

St. Ursula School staff would appreciate the co-operation of the entire school community in NOT sending any lunches or snacks that contain peanuts, nuts or any other life threatening allergens, which could potentially harm a child. We would like to keep all classrooms allergen-aware. In an effort to do so, any child that brings a lunch into the classroom that contains any life threatening allergens will eat their lunch in another location in the school designated for that specific purpose. Please make sure that all of your children’s caregivers are aware of this request. We understand that students enjoy celebrating special occasions with others in the classroom; however, to ensure everyone’s safety, the policy at St. Ursula School is that non-edible treats only will be permitted to be shared. There are many alternatives to bringing in food for birthdays and special occasions. Some suggestions are: stickers, gift certificates, erasers, dollar store Some suggestions are: stickers, gift certificates, erasers, pensils etc. If you would like to discuss any other ideas, please talk to your child’s teacher or the school administration. We look forward to your understanding and co-operation in making our school safe for all students.

Daily attendance and puncutality are important. If your child will be absent, please the School Messenger application (School Messneger) or visit the website at go.schoolmessenger.ca or call the attendance line at 1-844-435-3440 to report your child's absence.

Regular Morning, Lunch and Afternoon recess will be outdoorswith supervision.

*If you wish for your child to wear sunscreen, please apply athome before school as teachers are not permitted to apply sunscreen on students. In addition,as we draw closer to the season of fall and the temperature outside begins to drop, we askthat your child comes to school in appropriate clothing/ outerwear.

Students are encouraged to bring their own reusable waterbottle to school for water consumption. Although waterfountains are open, the water fi lling stations are also open andstudents will be able to refi ll their water bottles throughout theday. Please clearly label your child's water bottle.

We have a limited stock of reusable St. Ursula water bottlesfor sale. Please use the link below to get yours today.

Please ensure that your child arrives at school with all the items they need for the day. We realize that there will be occasions where students forget something at home There will be a table located at the front doors for parents/guardians who are dropping off items for theirchildren. Please label the item clearly with the CHILD’S NAME AND TEACHER.

If you plan on bringing your child’s lunch in the morning, let your children know that you will beleaving the lunch on the table at the front doors.

Dufferin- Peel Catholic District School Board policies and procedures support the use of personal electronic devices for educational purposes. This agreement will be signed when your child registers to attend St Ursula. In compliance with the Catholic Code of Conduct and other board policies and procedures, any student opting to use a PED while on school premises for educational purposes must adhere to the policies in the agreement. Please check your inbox for a copy of the document.

Three highlighted policies are:

· Follow board and school policies and procedures regarding appropriate use of technology.

· Be a responsible digital citizen by adhering to guidelines regarding content, security, safety and ethical use through appropriate use of technology.

· Use PED during instructional time and instructional space only with the permission of the classroom teacher and/or staff and only in a manner that supports the teaching learning process.

Compliance with the agreement is mandatory.

Throughout the year school personnel review safety procedures with the students on a number of topics. Emergency evacuation/fire drills are conducted to ensure that everyone is aware of the procedures to follow in order to exit the building safely. Our School Board has also established Hold and Secure and Lockdown procedures should a high-risk incident involving weapons occur on school property, that could endanger the lives and/or the safety of students and/or staff. During the month of October, St. Ursula will practice 3 Fire Evacuation drills and 1 Emergency Lockdown drill. We will also continue to review and practice Emergency Evacuation and Fire Evacuation Procedures throughout the school year.