St. Therese Tribune

Principal: Cathrine Duke

Administrative Assistant: Joy Lusk

Catholic School Council Chair: Andrea D'Souza

Superintendent of Mississauga North: Peter Cusumano

Trustee Wards 9 & 10 Brea Corbet (905) 301-9373

St. John of the Cross Parish Information Website: http://www.saintjohnofthecross.com/

Email: St.ThereseoftheCJinfo@dpcdsb.org
Website: www.dpcdsb.org/TCHLD
Location: 6930 Forest Park Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Phone: 905-785-0066
Twitter: @StThereseDPCDSB

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

• I co-operate with others in all that I do
• I value everyone's work
• I respect and listen to others
• I think of others before myself
• I follow rules of fair play
• I work hard in school so that I can build my community and make it a better place

Because I am a team player, I know that 'Together is Better', and we will live our lives like Jesus.

During the month of May we will focus on the virtue of Acceptance.

God wants us to make friends with everyone no matter how different they may look or act. An accepting person is…

An accepting person …

• willing to treat everybody as a member of a group
• avoids judging others
• welcoming to those different than himself/herself
• loving and happy with who he/she is
  

The virtue of ACCEPTANCE means 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.

For by the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. Romans 12:3-6

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

God our Creator, we pray:

For new mothers, coming to terms with new responsibility;

For expectant mothers, wondering and waiting

For those who are tired, stressed or depressed;

For those who struggle to balance the tasks of work and family;

For those who are unable to feed their children due to poverty;

For those whose children have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities;

For those who raise children on their own;

For those who have lost a child;

For those who care for the children of others;

For those whose children have left home;

And for those whose desire to be a mother

has not been fulfilled.

Bless all mothers, that their lives may be deep and tender,

And that they may lead their children to know and do what is good,

Living not for themselves alone, but for God and for others.

AMEN

On May 13th our wonderful students and our Rosary Apostolates will be presenting a play, The International of Roses in honor of Mother Mary. Students shared their talents and prayed the rosary in 40 different languages. It was a wonderful faith-filled morning. A big thanks to our Rosary Apostolates and staff, and our extraordinaire Mrs. Mills who always provides students the opportunity to come together and celebrate their Catholic Faith.

On May 27th the Grade 7 & 8 Immunization Clinic will take place. Those who did not receive their immunization shot at the last clinic, will be caught up. Grade 6 students were sent Peel Health Immunization forms for the coming 2025-26 school year. If you have not yet submitted these forms, please do so by this date as they will be collected by the nursing staff.

The L’éducation catholique: Pèlerins de l’espérance

“We must fan the flame of hope that has been given to us.”

(Letter on the Jubilee Year of Hope, February 11, 2022)

The basis and inspiration for the OCSTA Catholic Education Theme Logo for 2024-25 is the logo prepared for the global recognition and celebration of the Jubilee Year in 2025.

The logo chosen for the Holy Year “depicts four stylized figures, representing all of humanity, coming from the four corners of the earth. They embrace each other to indicate the solidarity and fraternity which should unite all peoples.”

The colours used in the Jubilee Year logo have distinctive meanings:

· Red - symbolizes love, passion and self-sacrifice, Christ’s sacrifice and His boundless love for humanity;

· Orange - expresses joy, vitality, and enthusiasm, the light that illuminates the path of faith;

· Green - is universally recognized as the colour of hope, growth, and rebirth, and;

· Blue - symbolizes faith, peace, and tranquility, evoking the sky and spirituality, and inviting contemplation and prayer.

“The cross in the logo is by no means static, but it is also dynamic. It bends down towards humanity, not leaving human beings alone, but stretching out to them to offer the certainty of its presence and the security of hope.”

Pulling upon the faith-filled messages and imagery of the Jubilee Year logo, OCSTA created the following logo to both celebrate the Jubilee Year and Catholic Education in Ontario:

Like the Jubilee logo, the OCSTA “Pilgrims of Hope” logo features 4 figures representing all of humanity and utilizes the Jubilee logo colours (and their associated meanings) to build on the sense of love, service, faith and hope that is ultimately the message of the cross located at the centre of the OCSTA logo. The blue dove which is part of the “Catholic Education Week” branding is the distinctive symbol we have come to use as a representation of Ontario’s Catholic Education system and our distinctive journey.

During the week students will be engaged in various faith-based lessons that focus on this year's theme: Pilgrims of Hope. Each day we will begin by student led virtual liturgies focusing on each theme of the day.

On Wednesday, May 7th: Parent Engagement Math Night (see flyer for details)

On Thursday, May 8th: Primary Poetry Presentation in the library for Grades 1-3 at 1:50pm. Parents are welcome to join us. Please be sure to sign in at the main office.

On Friday, May 9th: Junior & Intermediate Speeches in the gym at 1:45pm. One student representative will be selected from each class to share a speech they have prepared. Parents are welcome to join us. Please be sure to sign in at the main office.

On May 7th, 2025, is Mental Health Wellness Day during Catholic Education Week. We welcome our Peel Health Nurse Mrs. Newman, Mrs. Kellie (CYC) and our Wellness team who will have activities of mindfulness for students to participate in. It's a week to reflect, pray, and be mindful of loving and caring for ourselves. During the week of May 5th to May 9th students will have an opportunity to engage in wellness activities and will be led by positive messages daily through our morning announcements.

There’s no book fair like a Scholastic Book Fair! St. Therese of the Child Jesus will be hosting a Scholastic Book Fair. Students will have the opportunity to browse the Book Fair on May 5th and make purchases from May 7th - 8th, 2025. The fair will be open during school hours. The fair is a great opportunity for our students to expand their reading horizons and discover new literary treasures. Please Note: Scholastic Book Fairs offer secular selections. Money raised will benefit our school community by allowing us to invest in new books and other resources that will enhance the educational experience of our students. SALE: Buy ONE Get ONE!

Provincial Mass with His Excellency, Bishop Douglas Crosby

The Catholic Education Week Provincial Mass will be celebrated by the Most Rev. Douglas Crosby, Bishop of Hamilton. Mass will be live-streamed from the Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King, on Wednesday, May 7th beginning at 11:00 a.m. The link to join the live-stream will be shared once it becomes available.

The event will take place on Thursday, May 8th at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School. Opening ceremonies start at 10:00 a.m. We are very excited, as 10 of our students will be participating in this wonderful event. Students from St. Aloysius Gonzaga will lead relay races, an obstacle course, a bean bag toss, and other Special Olympic activities. Wishing our Thunderbolts Shining Stars a great day.

Our wonderful Grades 4 to 8 Thunder Track and Field Team will be competing in the annual Mississauga North Track Meet at St. Marcellinus High School. We are hoping for great weather, and keeping our fingers crossed to advance to the Board Championship Track Meet in June. Our Schools Track and Field Day is May 14th, 2025 (Rain Date: May 22nd).

Get Ready Thunderbolts...all students in grades 7 and 8 interested are in the process of trying out for the Co-Ed Soccer team! Our Family of Schools Soccer Tournament is happening on May 22nd. More Information to follow for those students who are selected.

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 14th, 2024, from 6:15 pm—7:30 pm. On that evening, families will learn about the Early Learning Kindergarten Program, 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. We look forward to seeing you and welcoming to our school community.

During the last week of March and April our Grade 3 students took part in the Swim to Survive Program through the Lifesaving Society. Students enjoyed the experience as did our parent volunteers. This program is fully subsidized by the City of Mississauga😀

On May 5th, students who registered will participate in the See and Hear Clinic. Growing children are very susceptible to middle ear problems and one of the best ways to prevent hearing loss is early detection of middle ear function issues. The Hear and See screening program will help identify possible hearing or vision issues. As part of the program they will refer any results that are not deemed normal to the parents for further testing.

Statutory Holiday

Communication between home and school is greatly enhanced by parental involvement with the Catholic School Council. The aim of the Council is to promote the vision, values,

sacramental life, and Catholic practices of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and the Catholic community it serves and to advise the principal and the Board. All members of our school community are invited to attend Catholic School Council Meetings.

All meetings will take place in our school library @ 6:00pm

A virtual meeting link will also be provided if a community member can not make in person.

All our welcome!!

Our next meeting is scheduled for:

Thursday, May 29th, 2025

Grade 3 and Grade 6 students will be participating in this province wide assessment from this year. Dates for these assessments will be shared soon. It is very important that student attendance is consistent and that students are punctual during testing periods. Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Our school will be writing EQAO during the following time periods.

Please avoid planning appointments, and vacations during this time.

Grade 3: June 2, 3, 4 - Make up date 5th

Grade 6: May 26, 27, 28 - Make up date 29th

Parents will be sent information along with permission forms for the luncheon and dance for students. All payments will be made through School Cashonline.

On Tuesday, April 29th parents, staff and students gathered in the gym for the Virtue of Love Presentation. Mrs. Dykstra's FDK class and students from Mr. Farace's grade 7 class did a great job presenting. Special thanks to our tech crew. Song, prayer and praise for those who demonstrated the virtue of love this month was the focus😉

The Health and Wellness Leadership Conference took place on April 2nd. It has been a huge success for our Wellness Club. They continue to bring back initiatives, ideas, and wellness to our school. Thank you Mrs. Kellie for running and organizing this great club!

During the month of April our ECO team supported many initiatives and during the week of April 21st to 25th our students participated in recycling garbage pickup on our school property, Wasteless Wednesdays, reduction of lights in the classroom to conserve energy, promoting walking to school and shared fun facts about being Stewards of the Earth! Information was shared through daily announcements, classroom posters promoting each day and ECO team meetings. Way to go Thunder!

Unless it is an emergency, St. Therese of the Child Jesus is kindly asking to refrain from calling the office during our National anthem and Morning Prayers and Reflections. This occurs between 9:20 am to 9:40 am

In arriving at the decision regarding placement of your child for the upcoming year, every consideration is given to individual needs. This decision is made in collaboration with all staff who have been directly involved in your child’s education this year.

If you feel that there are specific needs which should be addressed in determining the placement of your child, please feel free to put them in writing. We ask for all submissions to be sent to the office no later than Friday May 9th, 2025. Your request will be considered at our grade promotion meetings. We remind you that it would not be appropriate to request one teacher over another as placements are subject to change. However, if there is other information regarding your child’s learning style, or other considerations of which we ought to be aware, please advise us of these facts in your letter.

A safety reminder to all students that bikes, scooters, and skateboards 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.

PLASP’s before and after school programs are designed to provide the care that is so important to families. PLASP is a charitable organization, operating on a not for profit basis, and all programs are licensed by the Ministry of Education.

Some of the students in our school have severe life threatening allergic reactions to nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oils and any peanut by -products. For some children the smell of nuts can bring on a severe attack. We need your cooperation! We kindly ask that you DO NOT send snacks to school that contain nuts or any nut products.

Please note that to ensure the continued safety of all students, the Dufferin -Peel Catholic District School Board with the support of the Anaphylactic Society and the Peel Health Department has recommended that students not bring peanut butter alternatives (soy butter, sunflower butter) to school. We thank you for your cooperation in supporting student safety.

We ask that parents continue to support their children in their morning routines so that they can arrive to school on time. This ensures that your child learns an essential life skill, participates in the entire school day, and that disruptions to the learning environment are minimal. Please report lates, appointments and or absences on the Safe Arrival app. If you are going on vacation, please let the main office know as absences are recorded.

When a student receives an injury/bump to the head (however minor), it is Board Policy that we inform parents. 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 will also provide your child with a brochure containing information about Concussions, again this is a precautionary measure and for information purposes.

With the warm weather arriving, it is important to review the dress code. We require your support in assisting children to make appropriate clothing choices when attending school.

As a Catholic community, we encourage children to dress appropriately.

Things to consider:

• Clothing must display appropriate and acceptable words and graphics
• Undergarments, shoulder straps and mid thighs should not be visible
• MOST IMPORTANTLY, children must wear footwear that is conducive to playing outside with many other children – flip-flops or other shoes that leave the foot largely exposed, are not recommended. These kinds of footwear may make things difficult for your child to participate in active play with their peers and he/she could be easily injured

Please be sure review the lastest memo sent in March to all parents/guardians.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Children need frequent reminders that name-calling, put-downs and violence are never appropriate responses to disagreements or arguments, regardless of the provocation. Parents are urged to rehearse assertiveness skills with their children such as saying firmly, ― “Please Stop”, “I don’t like it when..” “Leave me alone”

Playground Safety Rules

* Respect each other by being polite, friendly and co-operative

* Keep hands and feet to yourself

* Allow others to join in your games

* Play fairly and safely

* Play with acceptable toys and equipment

* Respect school property

* Line up quietly when the bell rings

Avoid conflicts and injuries

* NO standing in the middle or walking through active games

* NO leaving school property

* NO name-calling or making fun of others, using inappropriate language or gestures

* NO fighting, pushing, tripping, lifting, grabbing, body-checking, scratching, pinching, spitting or biting

* NO unsafe or rough games: wrestling, tackling, play fighting

Remember to: THINK before speaking—

Is it Thoughtful, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind?

Are you interested in volunteering at St. Therese of the Child Jesus? Our volunteers support programs and activities at the school. We appreciate and rely on parents who can devote a small portion of their time to help. People who volunteer in schools and attend trips are required to have completed Vulnerable Sector Check -Level 3 ($35), which can be completed online at the address below:

https://www.peelpolice.ca/en/services/record-checks-and-suspensions-pardons.aspx

Please note that if you have previously submitted a Criminal Reference Check, they may have expired, unless you have completed the Annual Declaration. Please connect with the main office if you are unsure. The main office MUST have a copy on file.

Once the form is completed, your volunteer service can begin. We look forward to working with you for the betterment and support of all students.

By directing your tax support to the Separate (Catholic) School System:

• You may vote for Catholic School Trustees in Municipal elections
• Your children may attend Catholic elementary schools
• You show your support for the Catholic school system

To verify that you are registered as an English Separate (Catholic) school supporter:

• Check the assessment section of your Tax Bill or Property Assessment Notice
• Check your Voter Information Card received during an election year (2022)

Have you moved?

Even if you have been an English Separate (Catholic) School Supporter in the past, the designation DOES NOT follow you when you relocate. By default, your property taxes support your municipality's English public school board. Every time you move or if there is a change of ownership, it is essential that you register yourself as an English Separate (Catholic) school supporter.

To register as an English Separate (Catholic) School Supporter or change your Direction of School Support, please contact the DPCDSB Admissions Department by phone at 905-890-0708 ext. 24512 or by email at admissions@dpcdsb.org.

Learn More:

• Visit the Direction of School Support webpage
• Watch our Direction of School Support video

You can now reset your password remotely by registering for the Password Reset Tool. You must know your old password to create a new one.

To reset your password remotely you must first register with the “Password Reset Tool”, which you can do by following one of these two steps:

Students: students.dpcdsb.org and select Password Reset

Staff: https://account.activedirectory.windowsazure.com/PasswordReset/Register.aspx ​

**Access to personal email/cell phone is required for registration.

Once you are registered, please follow the Password Reset Instruction

School Mental Health Ontario has updated their list of resources. We invite you to review their list of resources help support students during this time of transition back to school. For a list of community telephone-based mental health supports, please see below.

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 or text "CONNECT" to 686868 (0-18 years of age)
• 24.7 Crisis Support Peel Dufferin: 905-278-9036 I 1·888·811·2222. (for all ages)
• Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310 (support for all Indigenous peoples across Canada)

May 5th - 9th: Catholic Education Week: Pilgrims of Hope

May 5th - 8th: Scholastic Book Fair

May 5th: See & Hear Clinic

May 7th: Parent Engagement Math Night 6:00pm - 7:15pm & Scholastic Book Fair

May 8th: Shining Stars & Primary Poetry Readings

May 9th: Jr & Int Speech Presenations 1:10pm in the gym

May 13th: Celebration of Mary Liturgy

May 14th: Gr 4 -8 Track & Field Day (Raindate May 22nd)

Journey Into Learning Evening 6:15pm - 7:30pm

May 16th: PA Day No school for students

May 19th: Victoria Day No school for students

May 21st: Free Wheeler Event FDK - Gr 6 (Raindate May 29th)

May 22nd: Intermediate Co-Ed Soccer Tournament

May 23rd: Gr 8 Teen Ranch Extended Day Trip

May 26th - 28th: Grade 6 EQAO

May 26th - 29th: Bike to School Week

May 27th: Gr 8 Hope Stone Faith Retreat

June 2nd - 4th: Grade 3 EQAO