Gryphon Gazette

Head Secretary - M. Kaniewski

Superintendent - D. Radic

Trustee - L. del Rosario (Mississauga Wards 6 & 11)

Parish: St. Martin of Tours

Pastor: Rev. Felix Antony

Email: St.GerardInfo@dpcdsb.org

Instagram: StGerard_dpcdsb
Website: www3.dpcdsb.org/GERAR
Location: 1300 McBride Avenue, Mississauga, ON L5C 1M8, Canada
Phone: 905-277-4512

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.)

Hay una opción de traducción en el boletín informativo. W biuletynie znajduje się opcja tłumaczenia. هناك خيار ترجمه في النشرة الاخباريه

Loving God,

As autumn paints the earth in shades of gold and crimson,

we give thanks for the beauty of Your creation.

As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp,

help us to welcome change with grateful hearts,

trusting in Your constant presence.

May we gather the blessings of each day,

share kindness with others,

and walk in peace, hope, and purpose. Amen.

“Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.”

PA Day - no classes for students

SW here

Swiss Chalet (for those who ordered)

creepy accessories day - hats, socks, headwear, or necklaces

Intermediate Girls Bocce Tournament

CYCP here

Settlement Worker Here

Gryphon Goodies open

Virtue assembly & Terry Fox Finale @ 2:00 p.m. in the gym

Black & Orange or Fall Colours day

Intermediate Boys Bocce Tournament

Pizza Day

Halloween Cozy clothes day

SLP here a.m.

Gryphon Goodies open

wear your Halloween costumes - or fall colours day

Halloween dance

Thank you to the grade 8s for organizing the Halloween Dance. This will be held on Friday, October 30th (see the schedule below).

We are fortunate to have with us Mrs. Mathers (literacy facilitator) for kindergarten to grade 3. Whe is upporting primary classes in a vaiety of ways including but not limited to Empower reading, literacy support for students, implementing the new curriculum in kindergarten, supporting literacy in kindergarten, etc.

Mrs. Murphy (math facilitator) is working with grade 3 and 6 classes (2/3, 3/4, and 5/6) and using Knowledgehook to support short learning cycles, implementing math discussions, She is also working with small groups of students to strengthen math skills.

A friendly reminder to help keep our parking lot safe and running smoothly during drop-off and pick-up times:

• Please do not park along the fence, as this can create safety concerns when vehicles need to back into traffic or into areas where cars and buses are moving.
• Please follow the one-way traffic flow in the Kiss & Ride lanes.
• When exiting the parking lot, please use the exit closest to the stop sign.

Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and support in helping keep our students and families safe. Together, we can make arrival and dismissal times safer for everyone.

We will be locking the gate that opens up to the church parking lot, in the interest of safety. The gate has a tendency to fly open. Also, some kids run out, into traffic entering the church parking lot. From now on, please use the gate that is on the opposite side (near the front of the building). Mr. Vidot has trimmed the garden to clear your path in.

Note, all gates will now be locked on weekends to prevent dogs from entering.

It's time to show your Gryphon spirit! Our school spirit wear is now available for purchase through the eStore.

From hoodies to spirit wear essentials, there's something for everyone. Click the link below to view the collection and place your order:

Gryhpon Spirit Wear (note this link closes on November 6, 2026 at midnight).

Thank you for helping us build school pride and community spirit! 🦅💙

We have seen an increase in illnesses within the community and would like to remind families of the importance of keeping children home when they are sick.

In accordance with Peel Public Health direction, students who have gastrointestinal illnesses (vomitting or diarrhea) should stay home for 48 hours after symptoms have ended.

Those suffering from respiratory illnesses should stay home for 24 hours after symptoms have ended.

In the interest of keeping all children well, the school will contact parents/guardians to pick up any student who develops a fever or is exhibiting gastrointestinal symptoms while at school.

We appreciate your partnership in helping prevent the spread of illness. By keeping sick children at home, you help protect classmates, staff, and families throughout our school community.

Thank you for your cooperation and for supporting the health and well-being of all students.

Background

As Halloween approaches schools may be hosting a variety of Halloween events including dressing up in costumes on October 31. As we approach Halloween and the Feast Days of All Saints Day on November 1 and All Souls Day on November 2, it is important to remember its Christian history. “All Hallows’ Eve” is where the name of Halloween comes from. A hallowed person is another name for a ‘saint’. October 31, All Hallows’ Eve then, is the eve of All Saints Day.

Best Practices When Choosing a Costume

Halloween can be a time for fun. Think critically and creatively when helping your child choose a costume ensuring that the Catholic Social Teaching of Human Dignity is upheld. Always centre impact. Cultivating learning spaces centered in inclusion requires that we critically consider the ways in which costumes can have a negative impact.

Protecting and upholding the dignities of all individuals is a shared responsibility and choosing a costume that is offensive, hurtful, or potentially harassing and/or discriminatory in nature goes against Catholic Social Teachings and values of respect here at DPCDSB.

If selecting a costume, please consider the following:

● Does this costume make fun of human traits, identities, cultures, or race?

● Does this costume reduce culture or identity to stereotypes?

● Who might be negatively impacted by my choice of costume?

● Is this costume depicting and perpetuating a stereotype or stigma associated with a particular race, culture, gender, differing ability, or religion?

● Does this costume include a replication of a garment or item that is a significant component of a particular religion or culture?

● Is this costume depicting a historical time-period where that look/costume is now considered offensive and discriminatory?

● Is this costume mindful of current/ongoing world events that can be traumatizing for families with connections to this region or event?

● Can I confidently say that this costume choice would not be considered offensive to a particular race, ethnic origin, differing ability, gender, or religion?

Accessibility Considerations

According to the Rick Hansen School Foundation (RHFSP), Halloween may not be accessible to 400,000 Canadian children with disabilities every year. In this regard, please consider the following accessibility considerations if you can.

1. Treat Accessibly Lawn Sign - Place an Accessible Trick or Treat lawn sign on your front lawn one week before Halloween.
2. Pumpkin Lantern - Make sure the path to your trick-or-treating area is well lit.
3. Clear the driveway and pathways.
4. Move cars out of the driveway to allow better accessibility for trick-or-treaters.
5. Create a trick-or-treating station at the end of your driveway, for accessibility, or out of your garage.
6. Refrain from the use of strobe lights and high-pitched, sudden loud noises. If you want to have these features, consider making them manual so that you can turn it on when you know you have an audience that will appreciate them.
7. Make sure that any pets are kept safely away from the front of the house.

Thank you for your careful consideration of this important information.

For the time being, the soccer field will remain closed. Student have been hanging onto the top bar of the soccer standard and swinging back and forth. As a result, the nets near the tennis courts are no longer anchored. We have put in a work order to have maintenance come to the school to anchor them again. In the interest of student safety (not wanting anyone to fall, or have the bar fall on them, the field will be closed until the work order has been fulfilled. We do not allow students to play soccer on the pavement as it results in too many injuries. Thank you in advance for supporting your child's safety.

This work is due to be completed by November 14, 2026.

• Remind your child that school is their first and most important job!
• Communicate the importance of regular school attendance to your child so they are hearing the same thing we are saying at school.
• If your child has a doctor/dentist appointment, they can still attend at least some of the day. You can bring them before or after their appointment.

Agendas have now been distributed to students in Grades 1-7. We are asking parents to pay $6 for their child(ren)'s agendas. School cash online will open shortly for you to do so.

Sturdy pouches were purchased for students in JK & SK to send communication between home and school. We are asking parents to pay $6 for these pouches. School cash online will open shortly for you to make these payments.

Thank you, in advance, for helping your child develop organizational skills.

Join me in welcoming the members of St. Gerard's 2026-2027 Catholic School Council:

Chair: Ana Pavao

Co-Chair: Sandra Szewczyk

Treasurer: Andrea Vieira

Secretary: Chantelle D'Melo

Parish Representative: Diana DaPonte

OAPCE Representatives: Chantelle D'Mello

Other Voting member: Jennifer V., Michelle S., Brittany F., Ferran C., Renata D., Laure D., April I., Alessia M., Brittany B., Tanya E., Chantel P., Nancy T., Kasia G., Leanne F., Diana M.,

Principal: Kathleen Ferrao

Teacher Representative: Cathy GIl

Non-Teaching Representative: Magda Kaniewski

Upcoming meetings:

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Wednesday, February 3, 2027

Wednesday, April 28, 2027

Wednesday, June 2, 2027

All meetings take place in-person in the staffroom from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

As well, a virtual link will be sent to those who would like to attend virtually, nearer to the time.

oin us for our Christmas Craft Night on December 10! ✨

We're looking forward to an evening of festive fun, creativity, and community spirit.

🎁 Silent auction prize donations are also welcome! If you'd like to contribute an item, gift card, service, or themed basket, we'd love to hear from you.

More details coming soon! 🎅❄️🦅✨

The St. Gerard dress code will comply with school board policy. A dress code refers to the standard of student dress which is respectful of the dignity of the human person and inclusive. Students are expected to dress in a manner which ensures that the top of the shoulders to the mid-thigh is not exposed.

Additionally, our dress code excludes garments with messages that contain or portray any offensive and/or inappropriate content. Students are not permitted to wear attire that promotes:

a) hate,

b) discrimination,

c) illegal activity,

d) profanity,

e) violence,

f) political language,

g) threats to health and safety,

h) or content that contravenes the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Please be mindful if you have your dog with you when you pick up or drop off students. There may be students who fear dogs or have allergies. Please do not bring your dog onto school property while you wait for pick up or drop off - wait by the fence for your child to come to you. Ensure that your dog is on a leash that you are controlling. Thank you, in advance, for doing your part to ensure that the school yard is a safe place for all students.

Please do not bring dogs to school and allow them in the kindergarten yard after school hours. Let's try to eliminate our youngest learners encountering dog feces while they are playing. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and concern for the health and safety of our students.

Please do not send your child to school with an e-scooter. Here are the updated laws regarding e-scooters in Mississauga:

Requirements:

• Age: Minimum 16 years old.
• Speed: Capped at 24 km/h.
• Helmets: Mandatory for those under 18 and strongly recommended for all.
• Passengers: Only one rider is permitted at a time.

Any e-scooters sent to school will be kept in the office and returned to parent/guardian when they are available.

All volunteers must have a Criminal Background Check, including a Vulnerable Sector Check, in order to volunteer. You can ask the secretary to send home the volunteer note with your child. This note includes instructions for getting the CBC with VSC. Note, at this time of year, it often takes a month to get the document from Peel Police.

· Tuesday September 15, 2026 Parent meeting for Confirmation @ 7 p.m.

· Thursday, September 17, 2026 Parent meeting for First Communion @ 7 p.m.

· Thursday, October 15, 2026 Thanksgiving/Feast of St. Gerard mass @ 9:30 a.m.

· Weekend of September 26, 2026 Rite of Enrolment for Confirmation students

· Monday, December 11, 2026 Advent Mass @ 9:30 @ Church (Feast of Immaculate Conception)

· Weekend of October 17, 2026 Rite of Enrolment for First Communion Students

· Friday, February 19, 2027 Confession – grades 3, 4, 5, 6 & 8

· Saturday, April 10, 2027 First Reconciliation – grade 2 @ 10:00 a.m.

· Saturday, April 3, 2027 Confirmation rehearsal & Confessions @ 9:00 a.m.

· Tuesday, April 6, Sacrament of Confirmation @ 7:00 p.m.

· The Church will determine our First Communion dates (rehearsal/First Communion) after they have the numbers for registration. I will update this once they inform us of the dates..

· Friday, June 18, 2027 - Year End Mass @ 9:30 a.m.

The grade 8s have also been invited to visit St. Martins on November 4. They will leave at 9:15 a.m. and should return by 11:15 a.m. St. Martins will pick them up with their bussette.

October

24 - Confirmation Class prep #2

26 - PA Day

31 - First Holy Communion Prep #1

November

2-6 - Treaty week

2 - All Souls Day

4- School bus safety (in-person JK-7 + IDEA; Gr 8s will have the video safety available to them (they've done in-person bus safety before); Gr. 8 @ St. Martin 9:15-11:15)l Parent discussion and tour of St. Martins (gr. 8 parents) 6-8:30 p.m.)

6 - Vidot & Lepidas' classes at ROM

10- Memoria Mass (for Dafne, H. Tremblay & D. Maleshkov) @ 10:45 a.m.;

11 Remembrance Day - Assembly @ 11:00 a.m.; CSC meeting @ 6:30

12 - Rosary Apostolate

17 - Progress reports go home

19 - Interviews

25 - Family of Schools CSC Chairs (Co-chairs) meeting @ 5p.m. @ St. Francis Xavier CSS)

26 - CSC executive members training

27 -PA Day

If you are new to the school or have not set up School Messenger, please click on the following link: https://www3.dpcdsb.org/parents/absence-reporting

This will take you to the school board website to find the information and videos you may need to set up the absence reporting system. Note please report absences by 9:00 a.m. After 9:00 am., please call the school at 905-277-4512.

As we begin a new school year, we would like to inform you that St. Gerard is an allergen aware school. There are students and staff in attendance who suffer from severe and life threatening allergies to certain foods, such as dairy, egg, 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. Gerard Catholic Elementary School would appreciate the cooperation of the entire school community by NOT sending any lunches or snacks that contain nut or nut by products which could potentially harm a student. 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. We look forward to your co-operation in making this a safe year for all of our students.

If your child has a medical condition, or develops one in the years after registration, please ensure that the school is aware of it by submitting the proper forms and medication as soon as possible.

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. We are currently in the process of verifying all prevalent medical conditions for our students. Paperwork required to keep up-to-date records will be sent home to parents/guardians requiring updates. Please do your part to ensure school records are up-to-date for the safety of your child(ren) by submitting forms in a timely manner. Your continued attention to your child's health and safety is much appreciated.

STOPR - Transportation Procedures

The distance criteria for transportation eligibility must be more than:

• 1.0 kilometer Kindergarten and Grade 1

• 1.6 kilometers for Grades 2 – 4

• 2.0 kilometers for Grades 5 – 8

• 3.8 kilometers for Grades 9 – 12

If your child is moving to grade 2, grade 5, or grade 9 in the 2022-2023 school year, their eligibility status for transportation may be changing. Eligibility information can be accessed at the website noted below.

All transported kindergarten and grade 1 students are required to be met by a parent/caregiver when disembarking from their bus on their return trip from school.

Internet: www.stopr.ca. This website provides up to date delay and inclement weather cancellation information in addition to policy, procedures and frequently asked questions businfo.stopr.ca. Please consider registering for notice of alerts regarding issues such as buses running behind schedule. The STOPR website also allows parents to access information specific to “what school do I attend” and “am I eligible for transportation”. This site also provides parents access to specific bus stop location and pick up and drop off times for their children if eligible for transportation. At this time, you will have to apply for courtesy seats. Courtesy seats are generally not given until after the fourth week of school.

Telephone: STOPR: Phone: 905 890-6000

Toll free: 1-800 668-1140

The Board takes every precaution to provide a safe learning environment for students, but accidents can and do happen. Some families have private accident insurance which is able to respond to costs arising from injuries. However, many families do not.

As required by the Education Act and the Ministry of Education, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board annually provides parents with information about cost-effective student accident insurance coverage via your child. Although enrollment is voluntary, the board strongly encourages parents to take advantage of the inexpensive insurance coverage, especially if their child/children participate in sports, excursions/field trips, or, if parents do not have dental insurance coverage.

Parents alone have the right to insure their children. An acknowledgment form(GF401) has been sent home with the accompanying brochure. Thank you for signing and returning the form (for participation in sports, etc.) indicating your awareness that the board does not provide insurance and that you have received the insurance brochure. It is a requirement for the participation in excursions and/or extra-curricular activities. Below you will also find a link to this brochure.

Don't Forget to Get yourself set up on School CashOnline as we are no longer able accept cash payment.

https://dpcdsb.schoolcashonline.com

You will need your child’s name and date of birth. Use of student number is optional.

Should you encounter any difficulties, you can use the parent help desk at 1 (866) 961-1803 or the support link on the school cash online website.

PAY WITH: Credit Card or Debit Card

1. Create Your Profile:

Go to https://dpcdsb.schoolcashonline.com/ and click on "Get Started Today".

2. Confirm Your Email:

Check your inbox for the email confirmation and click on the link inside. Sign in with your new login details.

3. Add a Student

Click "Add Student" and fill in the required fields with your child’s details:

1. School Board name

2. Select a school

3. Legal First Name

4. Legal Last Name

5. Birth Date (Month/Day/Year)