St. Veronica CES
St. Veronica Catholic Elementary School
Trustees: L. del Rosario and T. Thomas
Superintendent: P. Cusumano
Principal: N. Laporte
Head Secretary: L. Magi
Email: VeronInfo@dpcdsb.org
Website: https://www.dpcdsb.org/VERONLocation: 680 Novo Star Dr., Mississauga, ON L5W 1C7
Phone: 905-696-6980
Administrator Message
May promises to be another faith-filled, busy month. We are delighted to begin the month of May with Catholic Education Week, which is recognized throughout Ontario during the week of May 4 - 10. During this week, the Catholic community celebrates the unique and distinctive contribution that Catholic schools make to our students, our community and our province. The theme for Catholic Education Week is “Pilgrims of Hope.” We invite you to join us for the events we will be having during this week. Please refer to the Catholic Education Week flyer that was sent home (and shared in this newsletter) which provides families with specific dates and times. We look forward to seeing you.
May is also the month of Mary, the Mother of God. As we reflect on Mary, we are reminded of the many blessings mothers bestow upon their children each and every day. Let us keep Mary and all mothers in our thoughts and prayers so that the honour and respect that they deserve is not limited to one day or month in the year.
We want to recognize that May is the time of year when we celebrate Mother's Day and those in our lives who work to nurture and care for our children. Thank you for all of the work that mothers and those in mothering roles do for us each and every day. We celebrate you, we appreciate you, and we honour you. Happy Mother's Day!
Take good care.
N. Laporte
Principal
Catholic School Council
St. Veronica CES is blessed to have the support of our Catholic School Council. Due to their hard work and dedication we are able to enjoy:
- Grade 8 graduation
- Grade 3 First Communion gifts
- Grade 7 Confirmation gifts
- Window Covering Magnets
- Craft materials and crafts
- Lego
- Halloween Dance
- Spring Dance
- Movie Nights
- Intermediate Dance lessons
- Movie Theatre Trip
...and many more wonderful initiatives and events.
Exciting Combined Mass Trip and Movie Outing!
We are thrilled to announce a special combined church trip for our students, followed by a fun movie outing! This event is a wonderful opportunity for students to come together, strengthen their friendships, and enjoy a day filled with meaningful activities and entertainment.
Date: Monday, June 23, 2025
Time: 9:00 to 1:30
Grades: JK to Grade 8
The day will begin with a school-wide Mass at St. Francis Xavier Parish. Afterward, we'll head to Cineplex Courtney Park to Disney's Pixar Elio.
We encourage all students to join us for this memorable experience.
Stay tuned for more information.
Track and Field
A huge thank you to Mrs. Ryan Mme. Bozzo, Mrs. Rodrigues, Mrs. Strachan, Mrs. Rietta, Mrs. Adebajo and Mrs. Carvalho for their help and support in running this day.
We look forward to seeing our athletes in action.
Catholic Education Week Activities
This year's Catholic Education Week theme is, “Pilgrims of Hope.”
The theme for Catholic Education Week 2025 was inspired by the following considerations.
In February of 2022, Pope Francis announced that the theme for the upcoming 2025 holy year would be “Pilgrims of Hope.” “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given to us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. (from Vatican News, a short video on the history of the Jubilee/Holy Year: https://x.com/VaticanNews/status/1783768498885275868)
- The Holy Father asks us to focus prayerfully on the bonds that unite our whole human family, to reflect on the rampant poverty in our world, and to think about the plight of the many refugees forced to leave their homes. He also summons us, as stewards of Creation, “to contemplate the beauty of creation and care for our common home.”
- A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey of movement toward a goal, often lived together with others – and that certainly describes Catholic education. Hope – one of the three theological virtues – is grounded in our Easter faith in Jesus’ resurrection and renewal; this is what enables us to be builders, dreamers and leaders in Jesus’ name. Pope Francis invites us to keep moving ahead in faith, in joy, and in hope, as part of a pilgrim people. Even in challenging times, our eyes are focussed on the future.
There are five sub-themes for each day of Catholic Education Week:
Monday: By honouring human dignity
Tuesday: By caring for creation
Wednesday: By responding to the poverties in our world
Thursday: By serving in solidarity
Friday: By living as peacemakers
Every year, the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) provides our Catholic schools with a resource kit to help schools prepare for Catholic Education Week. Using these resources, as well as our own developed activities, we have prepared a series of activities, which will highlight highlight how the students and staff at our school are being Pilgrims of Hope together.
We hope to see many of you during our school celebrations.
DPCDSB Celebrates Catholic Education Week
DPCDSB will run a social media campaign to highlight some of the activities of this year’s Catholic Education Week celebration. Students, staff, parents, trustees and alumni are asked to demonstrate how they are celebrating Catholic Education Week, what they love most about their Catholic school, and how their school is putting the Catholic Education Week theme and sub-themes into action. We encourage you to share your photos, videos, quotes and artwork using the hashtag #DPCDSB_CEW.
To engage our Primary students, we created the “I love my Catholic school” colouring sheet
that you can share with Primary families. Parents/guardians/teachers are encouraged take a photo of their student artwork and post it on their social media channels using the hashtag #DPCDSB_CEW.
Journey into Learning
Kindergarten registrations for next fall are still being accepted at the school office.
Parents and newly registered kindergarten students for 2025 -2026 are invited to attend a Journey into Learning evening at the school on Wednesday May 7, from 6:00 pm—7:30 pm. On that evening, families will participate in a variety of fun activities and will receive a gift bag of resources to help their child successfully transition to life at school.
New kindergarten families, please use the following link to confirm attendance.
Grade 8 Graduation
The Grade 8 Graduation will take place on Friday, June 20, 2025 at Le Treport Banquet Hall in Mississauga. Parents and siblings will be invited to attend the Graduation Ceremony that will take place at 9:30 am (doors open at 9:25 am). Following the ceremony, graduates are invited to attend the lunch and dance.
Families are asked to pick up students at the hall by 1:45 pm.
Jump Rope for Heart
On May 26, students will be participating in Jump Rope for Heart for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Students will discover fun ways to get active and practice healthy habits while helping others by raising money to help beat heart disease and stroke.
If possible please make a donation at jumpropeforheart.ca. Click on registered and find our school name. Students who donate are automatically put into a draw to win some great prizes!
Thank you for your support.
A special thank you to Mrs. Strachan for finding fun ways to keep us healthy while raising money for a good cause.
EQAO - Grade 3 and Grade 6
Quality and Accountability Office testing (EQAO) this year. The testing dates are as follows:
Wednesday, May 28 to Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
EQAO Parent Tips
Stay Positive
- Always celebrate your child’s successes and hard work each day.
- Remind your child that the assessment will have questions asking them things that they have already learned in class.
- Please avoid scheduling appointments during EQAO.
- Be sure your child receives enough sleep every night so that they are rested.
- Continue to ensure that your child eats a healthy, full breakfast and remembers to keep a positive and relaxed attitude in the home environment.
- Do not force your child to study for these tests. They are already working hard at school.
For additional information on grades 3 and 6 testing visit the EQAO website at www.eqao.com and click on “Parent Resources”.
Something to Remember:
Although EQAO offers important information about your child’s learning, it is only one part of the puzzle. The levels achieved on EQAO will not be a part of your child’s report card. The results of your child’s EQAO scores will be provided to each family in the fall.
Asian Heritage Month
Asthma Awareness Month
More than 1 in 8 children are diagnosed with asthma and it is the leading cause of missed school days. Therefore, it is important for everyone to learn about asthma so that we can all work together to create asthma friendly places.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a breathing condition that affects the airways-the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. Certain triggers cause these air-ways to become red, swollen and filled with mucus. When this happens people with asthma may experience symptoms such as cough, difficulty breathing, chest tightness, wheeze and/or shortness of breath.
Follow these tips to help create asthma friendly places:
- If your child has asthma make sure you tell the school. Include information about asthma triggers, warning signs and medications.
- Be aware of common asthma triggers (colds/flu, strong smells, dust, furry animals, smoke, extremes in temperature) and make efforts to reduce them whenever possible.
- Encourage all children to be physically active, especially those with asthma. Speak to your child‘s doctor if asthma is interfering with physical activity.
- Know how to recognize worsening asthma and what to do in an emergency.
You will be given forms for a health care professional signature and your child is required to wear their puffer in a fanny pack around their waist.
St. Francis Xavier Parish
Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00 pm
Sunday Mass: 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm
Daily Masses
Monday to Friday Mass 8:00 am, 7:00 pm
Saturday Mass 9:00 am
Email: stfrancisxaviermi@archtoronto.org
Website: https://stfrancisxaviermi.archtoronto.org/en/
Location: 5650 Mavis Road, Mississauga, ON L5V 2N6
Phone: 905-890-5290
Our Virtue of the Month - Acceptance
God wants us to make friends with everyone no matter how different they many look or act.
An accepting person is...
- willing to treat everybody as a member of the group
- avoids judging others
- welcoming to those different than himself/herself
- loving and happy with who he/she is
The virtue of ACCEPTANCE means that we accept ourselves and others just the way we are. Acceptance is the ability to respect the dignity and rights of people of all ages, beliefs, genders, cultures, and/or abilities. God created all of us in His image, and belonging to God's family means that we love and welcome everyone as Jesus did. Sometimes, we find ourselves in situations where it is easier to follow the crowd than to stand up for what we know is right. Remember that everyone wants to feel like they belong, and Jesus teaches us to accept everyone, even when it is difficult.
Let us now pray...for the virtue of acceptance - the strength to trust that God is at work in everyone's life despite what we think. AMEN.
Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations
- I am a peacemaker
- I am fair
- I am forgiving
- I follow rules and do my share
- I help the poor and care for people in need
- I stand up for what is right
- I know that life is precious
- I respect and protect the world and all that is in it
Because I accept my responsibilities, I can make a difference, and will live my life like Jesus.
May is the Month of Mary
Mary has much to teach us today. All Christians are called to hear the word, to believe that we are greatly loved and that the Spirit is within us, waiting for our 'yes' response so that we may be 'filled with grace and to be open to God's power released in love. We need only to 'let go.' God wishes to send us into our communities and neighbourhoods to serve one another.
Confirmation and First Communion
Congratulations to our students who will be receiving the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation.
We would like to extend a sincere thank you to Father Andrew and the parish team at St. Francis Xavier Church for their continued support. We would also like to thank all the parents, families and teachers who worked to prepare the students to receive their sacraments.
We encourage any new families to our school community to contact the parish to inquire about registering for future sacraments.
“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering ,gentleness, goodness, faith” Galatians 5:22
Phones at School
As we continue to prioritize a focused and productive learning environment for our students, we would like to remind you of the Ontario education policy regarding the use of cell phones and other mobile devices in the classroom.
Policy Overview
• Students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 will now be required to keep phones turned off or set to silent mode and out of sight for the duration of the school day, unless otherwise explicitly allowed by the educator during instructional time for a specific purpose.
• Students in Grades 7 to 12 must store their phones out of view and powered off or set to silent mode during instructional time, unless otherwise explicitly allowed by the educator during instructional time for a specific purpose.
Purpose
This policy is designed to support student achievement and well-being by:
• Removing distractions to keep students focused on learning.
• Promoting mental health by reducing screen time during school hours. Students are responsible for their personal mobile devices and must adhere to the school’s policy.
Contravention of these Ministry of Education expectations would be addressed as per the procedures outlined within DPCDSB’s Code of Conduct. I encourage parents and guardians to discuss this policy with their children and reinforce the importance of following these rules. Together, we can create a positive and distraction-free learning environment for all students.
Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Attendance Verification
In the event that your child is late or absent, please use the Safe Arrival App.
To use the Safe Arrival School Messenger program, use the link provided below or you can down load and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Please note that Safe Arrival uses the SchoolMessenger app.
Alternatively, you can call the toll-free number 1-844-435-3440. Listen to and follow the instructions to report an absence.
Moving
Updated records are also important in the event of an emergency and if we are required to contact you immediately. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sun Safety
- Drink cool water. Anyone in a hot environment should drink cool water in small amounts frequently - one cup every 20 minutes. Avoid caffeinated soft drinks.
- Dress appropriately. Wear lightweight, light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing.
- Wear a hat to protect both the eyes and the skin.
- When possible, stay out of direct sunlight.
- Wear sunblock; the higher the protection factor number, the greater the protection.
Parents are encouraged to reinforce these strategies with their children regularly.
Bikes, Scooters and Rollerblades: Safety First
A safety reminder to all students that bikes, scooters and roller blades are to be walked both on and off the school property. Bikes are to be locked in the bike racks. We do not have facilities to store or secure roller blades or scooters, so there is an added risk of damage or theft and they are not encouraged to be brought to school. The school is not responsible for these items. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Allergies
We are also asking parents not to send food items to school when celebrating your child's birthday. If you would like to send something, please consider alternatives such as pencils, stickers, etc.
We thank you for your continued understanding and support of the safety and well-being of all students.
Storage /Administration of Medication
A reminder that students in grades 1 to 8 are required to wear a fanny pack to house their epi-pen/puffer. All dispensing of medication (including Tylenol) requires medical permission.
Immunization Clinic
Vaccine clinics for routine immunizations (Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Hepatitis B (Hep B), or Meningococcal ACYW-135) are coming to our school! To help protect your child from severe diseases and get them back on track, Peel Public Health will be offering these immunizations to Grade 7 and 8 students at their school.
Thank you to parents who submitted a consent form. Students who have existing consent from earlier this school year or from previous years, or if their parents completed an online or verbal consent, do not need to complete a new consent unless your consent choice has changed. If you have any questions or want to learn more, please visit http://www.peelregion.ca/immunize or call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700.Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700.
Peel Public Health has also provided schools with paper consent forms to distribute to the current Grade 6 students. Thank you to parents who have completed and returned their consent forms. We are asking parents to complete and return the consents to the school so their child can receive their Routine School Immunization (RSI) for Hepatitis B, Meningococcal ACYW-135 and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in the 2024/2025 school year when they are in Grade 7.
Free LINC English Classes for Adult Newcomers
Please see the attached poster for information on learning English (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) for newcomer adults.
There are two locations providing classes:
Central Parkway English Learning Centre
377 Burnhamthorpe Rd. East
Evening & Weekend Classes
St. Kateri Learning Centre
3566 South Common Court
Monday - Friday Afternoon Classes
Register now
905-273-5591
905-366-5703
Please note: transportation assistance is available.
