1240 Tupper Drive
Milton, Ontario, L9T 6T7

905-864-8272 (Telephone)
289-288-3843 (Fax)

Website

Follow us on Twitter:@saopmilton1

SEPTEMBER 2015

PRINCIPALS MESSAGE

"The spirit of humility is sweeter than honey, and those who nourish themselves with this honey produce sweet fruit." St. Anthony of Padua

Welcome to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School for the 2015-2016 school year!This year, we welcome 960 students as well as the School Uniform initiative.The Halton Catholic District School Board values focus upon: Our Catholic Faith, The Whole Child, Excellence in Learning, Relationships and Partnerships as well as The Importance of Contributing to Our Communities. At our school, we have a dynamic and enthusiastic team devoted to enacting the H.C.D.S.B. values, working in partnership with the home and church as a Catholic school community and most importantly serving the academic, spiritual and social development of every student entrusted to us. We believe that every child is a wonderful gift from God!

At St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School, we pride ourselves upon our close working relationships with parents, the Pastors and Pastoral Team of Holy Rosary Church, as well as various community partners.A very warm welcome to the new Pastors of Holy Rosary Church, FatherMeyer and Father Hubilla ... we look forward to celebrating our Catholic faith and to working together to provide spiritual guidance to our students, parents and staff.To that end, we believe that open, ongoing communication most especially between the home and school is essential to helping our children

reach their full God-given potential.

We would like to extend our gratitude to our Custodians: Mr. Colonna, Mr. Bata, Mr. Tebay and Mr. Cristobal who diligently worked throughout the summer to ensure that our school environment is clean and pleasant for our students.A very special note of thanks to our former Principal, Ms. Dobbie, Vice Principal, Mr. Giacalone, School Secretary, Mrs. Du Charme along with Office Assistants, Mrs. VanHooydonk and Mrs. Mulligan for their many hours of dedication and preparation to ensure that the school was ready for the 2015-2016 year.And finally, a sincere thank you to our outstanding school staff whose commitment to the preparation of a fruitful and productive academic year for our children is most

appreciated and valued.

The new school year offers us an opportunity to reflect upon our personal, professional and spiritual growth, and set new goals and aspirations.Pope Francis has declared 2016 a "Holy Year of Mercy" opening doors of reconciliation, mercy and forgiveness to all around us.

May God grace you and your family with great mercy and many blessings as we embark on the 2015-2016

educational journey together.

We look forward to welcoming you to our F.D.K. to Grade 8 Curriculum Night on Wednesday, September

30th at 7:00 p.m.!

Your partners in Catholic Education,
Mrs. A. Prkacin, Principal

Mr. G. Giacalone, Mr. C. Hawken, Vice Principals

STAFF NEWS

We would like to welcome the new staff members to the St. Anthony of Padua family: Mr. Chris Hawken (Vice Principal), Ms. Erin Beauchesne (FDK), Ms. Susy Amaral-Barbosa (ECE), Ms. Ashley Clark (FDK), Ms. Courtney Rainville (FDK), Mr. Pauolo Faiazza (FDK), Ms. Amanda Fernandes (FDK), Ms. Jowita Gancarz (ECE), Ms. Sara Munsters (Grade 1), Mr. Joel Scott (Grade 2), Ms. Lauren Verestiuk (Grade 2), Ms. Laurie Mitchell(Grade 2), Ms. Lisa Pizzimenti (Grade 4), Mrs. Donna MacEachern (Grade 4), Ms. Joanna Jaroszewicz (Grade 5), Ms. Laurie McNamara (Grade 5), Mr. Michael Coccia (Grade 6), Ms.Alissia Salciccioli (Grade 7), Ms. Brittnie Murray (Grade 8), Hannah Anderson (PTM), Mr. Brandon De Melo (PTM), Ms. Amanda D’Souza (FSL), Ms. Jodi Nieuwendyk (SERT), Mr. Alex Rowles (EA), Mrs. Urszula Jachyra (Arts Teacher).

We would also like to congratulate Mrs. Katarina Lupson, one of our Grade 5 Teachers, on the birth of her daughter Katelyn Helen on August 12th. God bless her at this joyous time.

UNIFORMS

As of September 8th, St. Anthony of Padua has a school uniform, as decided by the results of the parent community vote. All students are expected to be in uniform at all times within the building. McCarthy’s is our Board approved uniform provider. Their products are available online at

For this year only, our Grade 8 students will be exempt from the uniforms, but are still expected to be dressed appropriately, as outlined in our the school Code of Conduct.

Students not in proper uniform will be sent to the office to get proper attire from home. Persistent neglect may lead to further discipline.

SCHOOL CASH ONLINE

We are continuing implementation of the online payment initiative – School Cash Onlinewith the Halton Catholic District School Board, which began at St. Anthony of Padua in February 2014.

School Cash Online provides parents with easy access and convenience at any time to make online payments for a variety of student activities, while maintaining an electronic receipt history for items purchased and providing greater flexibility and control on how payments are made to the school. This new online payment method will also help reduce the risk of theft and cash misplacement.

New this year will be the ability to use credit cards to make secure payments.

If you haven’t already done so, please take a few minutes to register, by following the steps below:

Step 1:Click on the following link:

Step 2:Register by selecting “Get Started Now” and following the steps.

Step 3:After you receive the confirmation email, please select the ‘click here’ option, log in and add the names of each of your children who attend St. Anthony School.

If you have any questions during the registration process, please select the GET HELP option in the top right hand area of the screen. Please note that in order to offer this service to parents, some school activity fees may increase slightly.

For more information including FAQ, the benefits of this program, and how to register for School Cash Online, please visit:

.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school.

SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM

Please call the school at

905-864-8272 to report all student absences and late arrivals.

Please help us to ensure the safety of your children. Call the school (905-864-8272) to report all absences and late arrivals.

Our attendance line is available 24 hours a day. Please leave a message: clearly state your child’s name, grade, teacher, the reason and length (if known) of your child’s absence.

If we do not receive a notification and your child is not at school, our staff will call home, workplace and emergency contactnumbers to determine your child’s location. If we are not able to reach you at any of the numbers provided, safe arrival protocol will be followed and Halton Regional Police will be contacted. Please be sure to keep contact numbers current.

KISS AND RIDE

We respectfully remind parents to please drive carefully in the Kiss and Ride zone and to adhere to the following guidelines to ensure a safe and orderly flow of traffic. The curb lane is NOT FOR PARKING. You may use this lane only for dropping-off or picking-up students. Do not pass another vehicle in the Kiss and Ride zone or back up your vehicle at either gate.

Pull your vehicle up in the queue for the Kiss and Ride lane before letting your child(ren) out of the vehicle at the curb side. If you walk your child(ren) to either gate, please park in the designated parking lot to prevent congestion at the back pavement gate or at the Kindergarten gate. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

DAILY SCHEDULE & SUPERVISION

8:55 a.m. / Yard Supervision Begins
9:10 a.m. / Entry Bell
9:15 a.m. / Instruction Starts
10:25 a.m. – 10:40 a.m. / Recess (Grades 78)
10:40 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. / Recess (Grades 1-6)
12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. / Lunch
12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m / Gr. 1-6 Inside Classroom/
Gr.7&8 Outside Recess
12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. / Gr.7&8 Inside Classroom
Gr.1-6 Outside Recess
2:35 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. / Recess (Grades 1-6)
2:55 p.m. – 3:10 p.m. / Recess (Grades 78)
3:45 p.m. / Dismissal

School yard supervision begins at 8:55 a.m.For the safety of your children we request that your children NOT be on school property until it is supervised at 8:55 a.m.Please see that your children leaves home with ample time to ensure that they are in the back schoolyard when the bell rings. Encourage your children to use appropriate crosswalks and walkways.Establish routines at home that will assist your children to arrive on time. The earlier your children arrive, the safer their entry will be since the volume of vehicular traffic increases significantly just prior to the entry bell.

RECESS ROUTINES

We are enforcing a “nerf or nothing” rule when it comes to sports equipment at recess. We are too large of a population and we want to reduce recess incidents as much as possible. We will be purchasing nerf equipment for the school for students to use at recess. The only exception will be basketballs used for the basketball nets.

We will no longer be offering snacks in the library or office for students. Students are expected to bring food for their needs throughout the day. If a student forgets their lunch, they can contact home through the office.

SCHOOL PROCEDURES

Children arriving at school after 9:10 a.m. must first report to the office for a late slip before going to their classrooms.

Playground Safety:

Teacher supervisors will continue to wear bright orange vests, so that they are easily identified. Your child’s safety is of the utmost importance to us. As such, we ask that parents and caregiversdrop off/ pick up students outside the playground area. This will make it easier for teachers to supervise the children on the playground without having to look for strangers among the adults in the supervised area. Playground supervision begins at 8:55 a.m. Students MUST NOT be left unattended prior to this time.

Students leaving school during the day:

Students who are leaving school outside of normal dismissal times must be picked up at the school office. Please send a note to the teacher stating the time your child is to meet you at the school office. Please be aware that no child will be allowed to leave the school without a signed and dated note from the parent/guardian. The office must be notified in advance if students are to be picked up by anyone other than the parent/guardian.

Noon hour/lunch procedures:

In the package of Family Information and Consent forms that you are asked to complete, you will be asked to pick your child's regular noon hour routine; whether they will be staying for lunch or going home on a daily basis. For safety reasons please be advised that a note to the classroom teacher or phone call to the office must occur each time there is a change in the routine. “Standing Notes" indicating that a child can leave school property anytime he/she chooses are NOT acceptable. As a school staff it is important for us to know each time a child leaves our care at noon hour, that permission has been given and that parents know the exact whereabouts of their child(ren). Your co-operation and support of this important supervision/ safety procedure is appreciated.

Please note: there is a “lunch drop off” table just outside the office entrance. If you are delivering a lunch, please ensure that it is clearly marked with your child’s name. We ask that you instruct your child to check the table if they have forgotten their lunch or were expecting their lunch to be delivered.

Pick up and Drop off routines:

We ask for your cooperation in making pick up, drop off and lunch arrangements with your children prior to the start of the school day whenever possible. Any changes to your regular routine should be sent in writing to your child’s teacher.

With 950 children at the school to keep track of, streams of messages called into the office during the school day regarding changes to pick up routines are challenging to circulate and run the risk of not getting to your child in time. We thank you for your understanding andcooperation.

Dismissal at 3:35 p.m.:

Be aware that St. Anthony’s School office is open from

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.We ask for your cooperation and courtesy in picking your child up on time. We cannot provide student supervision beyond 4:00 p.m. and request that you make alternate arrangements if you cannot pick your child up on time at the end of the school day.

STUDENT AGENDAS AND FAMILY FORMS

Student Agendas:

On the first day of school, students in grades 1 through 8 will receive a student agenda. Parents who have not yet paid are asked to do so using School Cash Online. Otherwise, you can submit $8.00 to the classroom teacher by Friday, September 18thwhich will cover the cost of this important communication tool. Cheques should be made out to St. Anthony of Padua School.

Student Forms:

Students will also receive a package of important Family Forms that must be completed and returned to the school by Friday, September 18th. A cover letter will accompany the Family Forms package detailing more specific instructions. It is very important for parents to accurately and fully complete the forms and to return them to the school in a timely manner. We appreciate your cooperation with this necessary process.

Regular School Communications:

As part of our ECO-School initiatives, we continue to minimize the amount of paper being sent home this year. We have established a data base of family email addresses and will be sending newsletters and most flyers about upcoming events using email. The newsletter, calendar, School Council updates and minutes, and other school information will be posted on our school website. We will also post forms on our website in case you need extra copies. If you have not yet submitted your email address, or need to update changes, please include it on the information forms that will be sent home this week. If you wish to receive a hard copy of the newsletter, please complete and return the ‘Hardcopy Request Form” that will be included in your Family Forms package.

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL

Please do not hesitate to express any concerns you may have at any time.We would ask that you begin with the classroom teacher as they are best suited to addressing your concerns firsthand.In consideration of your child's dignity, we respectfully suggest that you share these concerns at a meeting or over the phone in a private setting rather than in the presence of others.Please make an appointment to meet the teacher before, during or after school.Your child's well-being is of great concern to all of us ... please do not await the November interview time to share pertinent information.For it is when we work together as a team focused upon helping your child be the best they can be, that we truly respond to God's call to love one another and accountably nurture

our future Catholic citizens.

VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL

Please remember that to other children you are a stranger. Our School Board has controlled access systems at all HCDSB elementary schools. Normal procedure is to have all school doors locked to outside access after the start of classes. Any person who is not a current St. Anthony of Padua student or staff member is considered a visitor. To gain entry to the school at anytime during the regular school day, visitors and volunteers must enter through the front doors of the school. Visitors must proceed to the office, sign in and collect a visitor’s badge. If your child is late, she/he must use the front door to gain entry to the building. With this protocol in place, please make every effort to be punctual. The doors will remain locked, except for recess entry, until dismissal. If you have something to drop off to your child, please leave it at the front office where we will be happy to assist. These are safetyprecautions which also minimize classroom interruptions.

Please do not enter the yard or visit the playground areas during the school day without signing in at the office.

NO PETS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY

To safeguard the well-being of our students and your pets, please do not bring your pets onto school property during school hours (8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) If you wish to walk your dog, please arrange to meet your child(ren) off of school property. Seeing- eye dog users and/or trainers are asked to make prior arrangements with the Principal or Vice-Principals.

BUS TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION

If you have inquiries about bussing services, including the Courtesy Seat application process, please contact: Halton Student Transportation Services (HSTS) directly using the following information:

Phone: 1-888-803-8660

Email:

Website:

Parents should have their child’s OEN number (on top of report card) ready when contacting HSTS.

Please note that bus routes and bus stops are determined by your home address. In cases where children need to be picked up and dropped off at a different location, you must inform the school office. Students will not be permitted to change bus routes until the information is updated and confirmed with the school and HSTS.

Bus Drop-Off Zone

The front of the school is designated by law as, and is ONLY tobe used as,a school bus drop-off and emergency vehicle zone.