February is Black History Month
February is Black History Month. Both Federal and Provincial governments recognize the importance of Black History Month. As Canadians and, more importantly, as a Catholic Community, we are called to live in solidarity. Solidarity requires that we learn from, and about our families in Christ. Black History is Canadian history and is a conversation we must all engage in, as it is everyone’s history. We invite you to explore the following resources to deepen your understanding of the contributions of Black Canadians both past and present. Below are resources for families to extend learning at home:
Heritage Mississauga: Black History in Peel
Ontario Black History Society: Biographies on Black Canadians
Parents of Black Children Booklist
Toronto Public Library: Black History Children's Reading List
On Friday, February 7th, the St. Clare primary division will be celebrating the 100th day of school. As a primary division, on this day we are asking that students bring to school 100 items to count that can be placed in a small plastic bag. Some examples of what students can bring in are: buttons, macaroni, paper cutouts, paper clips, LEGO pieces, and much more. These items will then be sorted, glued and worked with throughout the day. Encourage your child to “think outside of the box” when choosing his/her items.
Students are also asked to celebrate this day by dressing like he/she is a 100 years old. If your child would like to participate, be creative!
Winter Weather & Cold Weather Procedures
We encourage students 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 continue to encourage students to bundle up and 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, 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!
Message for Peel Public Health: Steps to Protect Yourself During Winter Break
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.
Allergies
As we begin a new 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.
Medical Conditions
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.
Concussions and Head Injuries
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.
Inclement Bus Cancellations and Weather Zones ~ STOPR
Please find the Winter Newsletter from StopR and an important letter concerning inclement weather and bus cancellations for the 2024-25 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
Bus Safety
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.
Other Safety Reminders
- 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, please do not walk your child into the classrooms, 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.
Fire Drills and Lockdown Practice
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. Dates for lockdown and fire drills are posted in our "Upcoming Events" section.
Thank you for your patience.
Kiss and Ride Reminders
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.
School Volunteers:
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.
Attendance Verification
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
Child Safety
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.
Personal Electronic Devices (PEDS)
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.
Lunches
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.
St. Clare Snack Shack & Nutrition Program
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
Scholastic Book Clubs:
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.
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! If your child is participating in online learning you are still part of our St. Clare community and therefore you are welcome to attend council meetings and participate in council elections.
Please join us for our next council meeting on March 3rd @ 6:00-8:00pm Catholic School Council in our Library Learning Commons.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95894356320?pwd=KaHmehLWml91w1I54olBagCip0lyIc.1
Meeting ID: 958 9435 6320
Passcode: m1GQjm
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Meeting ID: 958 9435 6320
Parish Information
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
Confirmation Information
Summary of Confirmation Dates from our calendar:
Tuesday January 14 OR Wednesday January 15 - Information Session
Tuesday June 3 OR Wednesday June 4 - Confirmation Rehearsal
Tuesday June 10 OR Wednesday June 11 - Confirmation Mass
There will be 4 Confirmation sessions for Confirmands to attend.
This will all be outlined in the registration package:
(1) Monday February 24th OR Tuesday February 25th
(2) Monday March 24th OR Tuesday March 25th
(3) Monday April 28th OR Tuesday April 29th
(4) Monday May 12th OR Tuesday May 13th
Registration will close on Friday, January 10th, 2025. Late registrants will NOT be accepted.
Reconciliation and Holy First Communion Letter to Parents
Please see the attached letter to parents from St. Ignatius Loyola Parish regarding Grade 2 Reconciliation and Holy First Communion for the 2024-25 year.
Information Session: October 15th or 16th at the Parish. Please register through EventBrite. Details attached in the community letter attached.
Reconciliation Dates: November 30 or December 7th
Holy First Communion Dates: May 4 or 25th
