St. Veronica

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/VERON

Location: 680 Novo Star Dr., Mississauga, ON L5W 1C7
Phone: 905-696-6980

God of Hope,

You sent Jesus, the light of the world.

As we light our Advent candles,

one by one,

one week at a time,

May we rekindle within ourselves, the desire to make peace for Him.

May the flame of His presence grow brighter and brighter

in our hearts,

in our school,

and in our world.

May the God of Hope fill us with joy and peace this Christmas

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

The season of Advent is a time of expectation, kindness, compassion, and hope. We prepare our hearts and lives for the coming of Jesus, whose birth brings new beginnings and renewed meaning to our lives. At St. Veronica, we strive to live our faith through Christian actions, fostering a safe, caring, and inclusive environment where students grow and learn.

Advent calls us to prayer, charity, and social justice. Our school community will support Canadian Food for Children, Jordan's Sock Drive and the Advent Giving Tree. We will celebrate together through our Advent Mass, Christmas Concert, and Family Christmas Night. On December 5, students and staff will share a festive Christmas lunch.

May this season inspire you and your family to embrace peace, love, and goodwill. May the promise of Christmas remind us of God’s boundless love and bless you with health, joy, and happiness throughout the New Year.

As we journey through Advent—a season of hope, peace, joy, and love—we give thanks for the generosity and support of our school community.

A heartfelt thank you to all families who participated in our Big Box of Cards Fundraiser! Your contributions help us provide enriching experiences for our students.

We warmly invite you to join us at our Christmas Market on Friday, December 5, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Come enjoy festive shopping, treats, and the joy of community as we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth.

The next school council meeting will take place on Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 6:30 pm. All are welcome to attend.

November 30 - Advent begins

December 1 - Pie Throwing (Fundraiser winners)

December 3 - St. Veronica Family Christmas Night

December 2 - 12 - Advent Giving Tree (gift cards)

December 1 - 12 - Toiletry Drive

December 4 - Intermediate Boys' Volleyball Family Tournament

December 5 - Christmas Lunch

December 8 - Lockdown Drill

December 9 - Advent Mass at 9:30 am

December 10 - Picture Retake Day

December 11 - Immunization Clinic (Grade 7 and 8)

December 12 - Kindergarten to Grade 4 Christmas Concert

December 14 - Student Lunch Orders due on School Cash Online (chicken, patties, pizza, pasta)

December 15 - 19 - Spirit Week

December 16 - Rosary Apostolate visit

December 17 - Advent Retreat

December 19 - Last day of classes before break

Mass Schedule

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 7:30 am

Email: stfrancisxaviermi@archtoronto.org
Website: https://stfrancisxaviermi.archtoronto.org/en/
Location: 5650 Mavis Road, Mississauga, ON L5V 2N6
Phone: 905-890-5290

If you are new to the community, you are encouraged to register with the Parish.

Advent marks the beginning of the Church’s liturgical year. The four weeks of Advent lead up to the celebration of Christmas. Advent’s familiar sights and sounds stir in us a readiness to receive our Saviour, while sharpening our sense of the world’s need for redemption and of the great mystery of God becoming human for us. Advent is a Latin word meaning the coming. The season of Advent is a time to prepare to celebrate the three comings of Christ: his lowly birth in the past, his mysterious coming to the world in the present, and his promised return in Glory at the end of time.

Advent is a special time of waiting. Since the latter half of the 6th century, Christians have set aside the four weeks before Christmas to remember and to celebrate that Jesus Christ is the one who comes. It is a time to celebrate light in the midst of darkness. Traditional symbols and customs help us to celebrate this special time of waiting.

St. Francis Xavier Parish invites you to discover the Advent events planned at the church here.

All are welcome to attend.

We will be celebrating our Advent Mass on Tuesday, December 9 at 9:30 am in our school gym. All are welcome to attend.

Do you have a child who needs to receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion or Confirmation? Please visit the parish website or contact the parish office for more information.

God helps us to keep on working for a more peaceful world even when we feel discouraged.

A hopeful person is …

• inspired and inspires others
• always counts on God to help them through tough situations
• trusts that things will work out in God's way
• one who sees the good in the world

God has given us this Advent season to focus our minds and hearts on the good all around us. We believe that God created the world and all of us in it to be good. However, sometimes bad things happen to us that we cannot explain. During these times, we tend to get mad at God for putting us through so much pain. We may get discouraged and forget that God is always with us to help. When you feel sad and alone, remember to never lose HOPE, pray to Jesus and things will get better.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 15:13)

I have a voice!

• I speak, write and listen as Jesus would want me to
• I care about others and speak up for them
• I am honest
• I think carefully before I react or speak
• I respect all people and their languages
• I listen to the Word of God

Because I have a voice, I will use it lovingly, and I will live my life like Jesus.

Our annual Christmas drive to support Canadian Food for Children begins December 1. Help us spread the joy of Christmas and fill our boxes with toiletry items. Our toiletry drive will run from December 2 to December 12. All items go to support Canadian Food for Children.

Please find below a list of the most commonly needed items.

• Salt
• Sugar
• Canned goods
• Flour
• Milk powder
• Rice
• Tuna/sardines
• Cookies
• Cereal
• Cooking oil

As we enter the Advent season, let us reflect on how we can provide for others and treat each person with love and dignity. Please know that every item you bring will make a significant difference in the lives served by the Canadian Food for Children. The donations not only provide material support but also instill hope and dignity in those facing adversity.

Our school is proud to support Jordan’s Sock Drive, an initiative that provides warm socks to those in need during the cold winter months. We invite all families to donate new socks of any size. A collection bin will be located in the main office until Friday, December 12. Every pair counts—let’s show our community spirit and keep feet warm this season!

We are celebrating the Christmas season with the St. Veronica community on Wednesday, December 3 with our Family Christmas Night. Families will be decorating gingerbread houses and taking photos with Santa. Hot chocolate and cookies are available to purchase.

There are still some spots left. Please order on School Cash Online should you wish to join us that evening.

See you there!

We are delighted to be hosting a primary Christmas concert for families to attend. Students from kindergarten to grade 3 have been busy practicing and are excited for families to see their performances.

The concert will take place for families on Friday, December 13 at 1:00 pm. Due to the large number of families, we will be having two full concerts on that day - one for students in the morning and one for families in the afternoon. Please note all students will be watching the morning performance, and to ensure that we have enough seating, students will not be able to watch the afternoon performance.

Our Catholic School Council will be selling a variety of treats and juice boxes for $2 prior to both performances.

Each school in Ontario is required to conduct two lockdown drills per school year.

During a lockdown, all students and staff take refuge in a secure location. Lockdowns are initiated when it is unsafe to evacuate the building. We will be conducting our first lockdown drill on Monday, December 8 at 1:00 pm.

Teachers will be assuring their children that this is strictly a practice. Please be assured that we always have the safety of our children as our first concern.

The last two months our intermediate volleyball teams have been practicing hard to prepare for their POD tournaments and after a ton of hard work and perseverance, both teams participated in PODs tournaments.

Our girls team faced off four strong teams and displayed extraordinary skills and did their very best, never giving up. We are so proud of them!

The boys are moving on to the family finals on December 4 after participating in the POD tournament. They faced many challenges but came out in the top two!

As Catholic School Graduates, we encourage our athletes to embrace the excitement, challenges, setbacks and successes of competing against peers within our school communities. Both our teams represented St. Veronica beautifully by showing commitment, respect and sportsmanship while visiting neighboring schools and competing against peers. We are so incredibly proud of you all!

Thank you to coaches Hilario and Aleong for preparing the teams for play.

We’re excited to offer fun and engaging lunch clubs for our students!

• Monday: LEGO Club (grades 1-3) and Chess Club
• Wednesday: LEGO Club (grades 4 - 8)
• Thursday: Board Games Club (grades 1 -3)
• Friday: Board Games Club (grades 4-8) and Chess Club

These clubs are a great way for students to build creativity, teamwork, and friendships during lunch hour.

A special thank you to Mrs. Rodrigues, Mrs. Ryan, Mrs. Carvalho, Ms. de Leon, Mr. Hilario, Mrs. Nichols, Mrs. Lawrence and Mrs. Maron for helping out.

Did you know that every little wrapper adds up? Next week (December 8 -12) we are going LITTERLESS!

That's right - join us for Litterless Lunch Week and help keep our school clean and green. Pack your lunch in reusable containers, skip the single-use plastics, and show off your eco-style!

Small changes make a BIG difference. Together, we can reduce waste, protect our planet, and make lunchtime awesome! Are you in?

Stay tuned for more details on our Christmas Spirit Week (December 15-19)!

Our last day of classes before the Christmas Break is Friday, December 19, 2025.

Classes resume Monday, January 5, 2026.

We wish everyone a safe and restful Christmas!

Are you looking for ways to engage your family in math activities at home? Connect learning between school and home with the Board's Math@Home newsletters.

This month the focus is on coding. Have fun trying out the suggested coding activities at home.

Kindergarten registration for the 2026-2027 school year at Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) schools is now open. The DPCDSB offers the Kindergarten program in 126 Catholic elementary schools in Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Bolton and Orangeville.

Parents/guardians can register online at dpcdsb.org.

Registration is open to Catholic children and children of Catholic parents. Kindergarten students must be at least four (4) years of age by December 31, 2026.

The following documents are required to complete the registration process:

• Proof of age of the child
• Original Roman Catholic baptismal certificate (for child and/or parent/guardian) or original baptismal certificate from a church in full communion with the Holy See of Rome or an Eastern Catholic Church.
• Immunization Reference #’s from the local Public Health Unit
• Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status
• Proof of home address
• Proof of English Separate School Support

Please refer to the Registration webpage for accepted forms of documentation.

Inquiries about home school locations/boundary areas should be directed to the DPCDSB Planning Department at 905-890-0708 ext. 24440.

For more information, parents/guardians should contact their local Catholic school, visit the DPCDSB website at dpcdsb.org, or call DPCDSB’s Admissions Department at 905-890-1221.

Please see the link below for the Thrive Newsletter for December.

Please the following message from Peel Public Health.

It's cold and flu season!

We want to remind parents/guardians that before heading to the emergency room, book an appointment with your family doctor.

If you are unsure if you need to take your child to the emergency room, you can:

• Call your primary care provider
• Call Health Connect Ontario (formerly TeleHealth) at 811 or chat online with a nurse 24/7: Health Connect Ontario | Health Connect Ontario (gov.on.ca)

• Use the online symptom checker at o Sick Kids: Virtual Urgent Care | SickKids

Don't forget to continue practicing other protective measures such as hand washing, avoiding touching your face, staying home when ill to help protect your children, yourself and others from viruses that are circulating.

Free flu shots are now available across Peel. You can get a flu shot at:

• Family doctors' offices and walk-in clinics for adults and children over 6 months of age
• Participating pharmacies for adults and children 2 years or older
• If you don't have a health card you can get the flu shot from a community health centre or local pharmacy.

Did you know? In Canada, over 2 million school days are lost every year due to visits to the dentist or dental sick days.

Untreated cavities may lead to pain, infection, difficulty eating and difficulty concentrating.

Regular dental visits starting by one year of age can prevent cavities, gum disease, and help keep teeth healthy.

The Ontario Government offers FREE programs for regular and emergency dental care for children 0-17 years of age who qualify.

For more information, visit peelregion.ca/dental.

As we approach the winter months and the potential of weather-related bus cancellations and school closures, we provide the following information.

Bus Cancellations

During the winter months, inclement weather and/or poor road conditions may cause the disruption of bus transportation.

If buses are cancelled in zone 1, St. Veronica CES will remain open to students and staff.

There is no distribution of learning devices in anticipation of inclement weather-related bus cancellations.

While students unable to attend in person due to transportation cancellations are not required to access learning materials in the Learning Management System (LMS), they can if they choose to. Learning activities posted in the LMS specifically for inclement weather days provide opportunities for consolidation, curriculum enrichment or practice of skills already taught.

It is acknowledged that teachers will be supporting in-person students and therefore may have limited availability to support students not in attendance.

For students unable to attend in person, no remote access to the classroom will take place. Learning for students will be self-directed. Please be assured that teachers have been advised not to introduce new concepts on days in which buses have been cancelled. As always, parents/guardians can contact their child's teacher if they have any questions or require support.

Full System Closure

If there is a full system closure, where all DPCDSB schools and facilities are closed to students and staff, there is no switch to synchronous learning for the day.

Similar to bus cancellation days, students can access learning activities posted in the Google Classroom specifically for inclement weather days that provide opportunities for consolidation, curriculum enrichment or practice of skills already taught.

As always, parents/guardians can contact their child's teacher if they have any questions or require support.

Daily attendance and punctuality are very important and all students should be prepared to start their day of learning on time and with their classmates.

Thank you to all parents who have been using the Safe Arrival website or app when your child has been absent due to an illness or an appointment.

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 SafeArrival 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.

For the safety of our students and to keep things running smoothly, we kindly ask parents to remain on the sidewalk side of the fence during morning drop-off. Please do not enter school property or come into the building.

If you need to come inside for any reason, please enter through the main office. Thank you for helping us keep our school safe and organized!

St. Veronica is an allergen aware school. We have a number of students in our school who have severe allergic life-threatening reactions to peanut butter, peanut oils, any peanut/nut by-products, dairy products and several others. As in the past, we are asking you to not put any child at risk, therefore, requesting that peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oils, any peanut/nut by-products not be brought into the school. We ask that you read the labels of all food items sent to school. A letter was sent home in September which addressed the allergens for each particular class.

We are asking parents not to send food items to school when celebrating your child's birthday and consider an alternative such as pencils, stickers, etc. We thank you for your continued understanding.

Parents are responsible for ensuring that all medication and forms are updated annually. If your child requires medication, please have all pertinent forms completed and returned to the office as soon as possible. Please see the office or link below for the necessary form to be filled out, especially if meds changed.

JK/SK medications are stored in the classroom.

Grade 1 - 8 medications (including puffers) should be stored in the office health room if not kept in a fanny pack. If you wish to submit additional medication to the office, please send it as soon as possible.

Please ensure your child is sent to school with his/her medication.

The days are getting colder and it appears that winter has arrived. We ask that students dress appropriately with coats, hats, gloves, mitts, boots, snow pants etc. If they are dressed warmly, they are better prepared to participate in outdoor activities during recess and the lunch hour.

For health reasons and to help keep the school clean, we ask all students to have indoor shoes. Please note that in the event of an emergency evacuation, students will not have the opportunity to put their boots on. Thank you for your support in this matter.

Often during the winter season we have students, for various of reasons, coming to the office with wet clothes from playing outside during recess. We recommend, for the younger students, that you place an extra pair of pants, a shirt and socks in their backpacks. This would help to avoid bothering parents at work when these situations occur.

It is also recommended that students bring appropriate snow gear to school during these winter months (snowsuits, boots, gloves, mitts). Students are also encouraged to have waterproof mitts/gloves or else an extra pair should they become wet. Please ensure all items are labelled with your child's name. Thank you for your support!

When the cold months arrive and snow and ice on the ground is plentiful, we all like to play in it and with it. Throwing snowballs and sliding on the ice is fun. However, as much fun as it is, snow and ice, can be very dangerous when lots of people are in a small area. In order for our school to be as safe as possible, the school rule must be that snow and ice stays on the ground.

There will be no snowballs, kicking snow or any other activity with snow or ice that could be harmful.

During the winter season, the school receives calls from concerned parents as to how we determine when children will or will not be allowed outside for recess. On extremely cold days, we limit the amount of time that students spend out of doors. We obtain our weather information from the Environment Canada Weather Information Line and follow School Board guidelines.

Board Guidelines indicate that students will generally be outside for lunch and recess when temperatures do not fall below –25 degrees Celsius, with the wind chill. With the exception of these occasions, all children will go out for recess and the lunch break. We remind all students to dress appropriately for the weather.