St. Matthew Newsletter for October

Dear St. Matthew Families,

Welcome October! September flew so quickly and we are off to a great start this school year. During the month of September we were busy settling in and building routines. Thanks to all staff for your preparations and working hard to set up for the 2025-2026 school year.

The school participated in the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope on September 26th and was able to raise $800 to support cancer research. September 30 was orange shirt day and marks the day for National Truth and Reconciliation. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day that recognizes the harm that Canada's residential school system inflicted on Indigenous children and their families, and the ongoing trauma that remains today. It is a day to remember and honour the life of every child.

Virtue assemblies are back and take place each month. This is an opportunity for students to demonstrate the characteristics of the monthly virtues and beyond.

Extracurricular activities are beginning at school. Students are encouraged to sign up and try out for teams and sports that are of interest. Cross Country has started the season. Thanks to Ms. Pham, Ms. Bellizi and Ms. O'Connor for coaching.

Thanks to all the teachers for sharing their talents and gifts in coaching various sports, taking the time to lead committees and activities for students.

It was a pleasure to meet all families at the Open House on September 25. Thanks to all families who came out to enjoy the Open House BBQ and attending the classroom/teacher visits. We were so excited to see everyone and connect as a Catholic school community. The Open House evening would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of all staff working to prepare and welcome families. Looking forward to a great school year ahead.

Wishing everyone a blessed Thanksgiving long weekend coming up on Monday, October 13, school will be closed on this day to enjoy the time with your loved ones. School will reopen on Tuesday, October 14.

Thanksgiving Prayer

Our Father, we give thanks for the time we have together to appreciate each other.

We give thanks for your presence which is shared at our table.

We give thanks for your abundant provisions.

We pray your guidance toward paths of righteousness and wisdom.

May our conversation be joyful, edifying and encouraging.

Strengthen us, O God, to share your good news and to serve where you call us.

We pray, humbly, in the name of Jesus, our Savior.

Amen

A. Smith-Foster

Principal

• Please call in your child’s absences or lates using the new Safe Arrival System using the School Messenger App, http://go.schoolmessenger.ca or call 1-844-435-3440

• All students who arrive late to school, must sign in the office once announcements have started. For students, who cannot sign in, parents are asked to sign for them in the office. We ask that during morning exercises prayers, land acknowledgement and O'Canada that if a student is late please do not ring the bell. It is very disruptive and we ask that the student waits patiently for a staff member to open the door.

• St. Matthew is cashless with the use of Online Payment. School Cash Online allows parents to pay school-related fees online safely, quickly and easily. Please go to https://dpcdsb.schoolcashonline.com/ to register online if you are new to the school or if you did not register last year. All lunch programs and field trips will be placed on School Cash Online.

• If you need to pick up your child earlier than the regular dismissal or if their regular pick up routine is changing for the day, please contact the office as well as the teacher so we can ensure that your child is ready and everyone is aware. Please ensure that you call the school before 3:00pm.
  
• Dismissal time is 3:20 p.m. at St. Matthew. We ask that parents are on time to pick up their child(ren) at dismissal. If you are going to be late for pick up time, please notify the office immediately.

• There is no supervision outside before 8:35am. Students cannot arrive at the school before 8:35am without parent supervision as there is no one to watch them in case of an emergency or accident.

Friday, October 10 is a PA Day. School will reopen after Thanksgiving on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving with your family. Have a blessed day giving thanks and celebrating with one another. School is closed on Monday, October 13, 2025.

St. Matthew will have a Halloween Dance on October 31st in the school gymnasium. Each division will have a designated time to attend the Halloween Dance. We invite students to dress up in costume or wear black and orange on Friday October 31st. Please refrain from sending children to school with costumes that have weapons and face masks. Also, please be reminded that costumes should not become opportunities to turn a person's identity into a stereotyped image. Ms. Pham's Grade 7/8 class will be selling variety of snacks at the SnackShack for our Halloween dance. We ask that all purchases for the SnackShack be done on SchoolCash on-line. Any of the proceeds from the sell will be donated to ShareLife. Please click on the link https://dpcdsb.schoolcashonline.com if you would like to purchase a snack for your child at the Halloween dance.

Please send a set of extra clothes in a ziploc bag labeled with your child's name. Label all items in the bag in case an item gets lost. It is important that we have an extra set of clothes for our kindergarten and primary aged students in case of spills and accidents.

Dufferin Peel identifies and defines 10 virtues. October's Virtue is EMPATHY.

We understand empathy to mean the ability to identify with and feel other people’s concerns.

We believe that in a faith community we are nothing without relationships. Relationships that grow in a spirit of communion, an understanding that we share an identity based on being created in the image and likeness of God and being imbued with one Spirit. We are many parts of one body.

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 their feelings
• Can see a situation from another person’s point of view
• Knows that different people may feel differently about the same thing

Empathy Virtue Assembly on October 9th @ 1:15 p.m. Ms.Corona and Ms. Falcone's class

As a school we build community by focusing on skills that help students deal with peer conflict in a positive manner. By having a few specific strategies, we focus on school wide, it is our hope that students will be better able to deal with conflict, while also creating a common language for the entire school. Posters of the WITS and THINK strategy has been provided for each classroom.

The four strategies the school is focusing on are:

WITS The WITS objective is to teach students to Walk away, Ignore, Talk it out, and most of all Seek help when faced with peer conflict. The acronym also provides a common language that children and the adults around them can use to talk about and respond to problems.

THINK The Before You Speak THINK objective is to teach students to learn to stop and reflect on the words that they will use to another person before speaking. Speaking before thinking can cause a lot more then just embarrassment and regret. It leads to hurt feelings, conflict and consequences. The acronym also provides a common language that children and adults can use.

T-Is it True?, H-Is it helpful?, I-Is it Inspiring?, N-Is it Necessary? K-Is it Kind? "I Message" "I Message" are a positive way to express how you feel. It can help in solving problems you might have at school, home or in the community. An "I Message" is a way to be strong without being mean (that is, assertive) when you are angry or upset or disappointed with something another person has done.

FOUR PART APOLOGY We may find ourselves saying things we don't mean or do things that we know we shouldn't do. When an apology is required, the 4-part apology is a communication tool that allows us to resolve our conflict in a positive way. It is a strategy we can use with our friends, family and even teachers.

On October 5 we recognize and celebrate all our teachers. Thanks to our amazing team of teachers and for all your work, dedication and commitment to students. We wish you a wonderful day and appreciate your daily contributions in educating the future and building upon our Faith.

THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 9, 2025

The St. Matthew Food Drive continues through to October 8, 2025. We are encouraging the community and students to please donate to the Thanksgiving Food Drive. All donations will go to St. Vincent de Paul society. Please see the flyer with more information. Thank you for your generous donations in advance. Thanks to Ms. Rondilla and Ms. D'Rosario for organizing the food drive.

Grade 4 parents/guardians who wish to learn more about Extended French or wish to enroll their child in a Grade 5 Extended French program for September 2026, are invited to attend an information meeting at the virtual parent evening session on Tuesday November 4, 2025 @ 7pm:

Are you looking for before or after school childcare? Look no further. PLASP has 2 programs: school age for students in grades 1-6 and Kindergarten. PLASP is located in our school and they provide activities on PA Days as well. Please contact PLASP at 647-484-4372 if you are interested. To find out more information please visit their website.

Our school is part of the parish of Cristo Rei Parish. We consider our Pastor, Fr. Andrzej Grecki, SVD and our Associate Pastor, Fr. Clemens Naben, SVD to be integral members of our school community.

Weekend masses are celebrated on Saturdays at 6:00pm and Sundays at 11:00am and 5:30 p.m.

3495 Confederation Parkway

Mississauga, ON L5B 3G5

Office: cristoreioffice@gmail.com

Pastor: cristoreipastor@gmail.com

Phone: (905) 270-1133 | Fax: (905) 804-8426

We are once again offering cheese pizza and pepperoni pizza on a weekly basis. Pizza days will be every Wednesday. The pizza will be supplied by Gino's Pizza, and they are in compliance with the School Food and Beverage Policy. The month will cover the following dates: October 1st, October 8th, October 15th, October 22nd and 29th

Lunchbox is a convenient, online ordering platform featuring local vendors. An ordering calendar has been coordinated for the school community and can be found on your School Cash Online items page with the following options:

Monday: Quesada

Tuesday: Subway

Thursday: Harvey’s

Friday: Pita Pit

How to Order:

1. Go to your child’s School Cash Online account items page and click “ORDER NOW”.

2. Confirm your child’s account information including their teacher and grade for the current school year.

3. Proceed with ordering your child’s lunch on the school’s ordering calendar by clicking on the blue date for the scheduled vendors.

4. All orders are submitted on the website and payment is processed online by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Debit Visa. Prepaid cards are also accepted.

Important Reminders:

• Deadline to place your order: Sunday at 12pm (NOON) for the upcoming delivery week.

• Deadline to Cancel your Order: 2 days prior to the scheduled delivery.

• New orders will NOT be accepted after the Sunday deadline.

• Orders may be placed weekly or in advance, for the full length of the program.

• If buses are cancelled due to inclement weather or if there is a school closure, lunches will be cancelled, and credit will be issued to your Lunchbox account within 3 business days.

Any questions? Contact the Lunchbox support team at 1 (877) 426-6860 or by email at support@lunchboxorders.com.

October 1: Picture Day

October 3: Immunization Clinic

October 7: Pathways and Transition Facilitator visit in Grade 7 and Grade 8

October 8: St. Francis of Xavier Presentation @ 9a.m.

October 9: Iona Presentation @ 9a.m.

October 9: Thanksgiving/Empathy Virtue Assembly @ 1:15 p.m.

October 10: PA Day (No school for students)

October 13: Thanksgiving no school

October 14: IEPs sent home

October 22: Jiingtamok Celebration of Song author visit Tim McGregor Gr.1-8

October 22: CSC Chair Meeting @ 5:30pm @ St. Francis Xavier

October 28: Circles of Rosary visit

October 30: Picture Retake

October 31: Halloween Dance

November 5: St. Francis Xavier Shadow visit for Grade 8s

November 7: Virtue Conscience Assembly @ 1:15 p.m.

November 11: Remembrance Day Liturgy @ 10:45 a.m.

November 18: Progress Reports sent home

November 20:Parent Teacher Interviews

St. Matthew CES

Head Secretary: C.McCarthy

Superintendent of Mississauga East: D.Belchoir

Email: St.MatthewInfo@dpcdsb.org
Website: https://mathw.dpcdsb.org/
Location: 280 Kingsbridge Garden Circle
Phone: (905)890-698

X: @StMatthewDPCDSB