Virtue of the Month

EMPATHY

Thanksgiving Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We thank You for the great love and

care You show for us

Thank You for sacrificing so much for us so that we may experience

Your forgiveness and mercy

Help us to remember those who

hunger and thirst for righteosusness

We thank You for our families and

friends and remember those who are

lonely

Renew our spirits so that we may be

filled with Your peace and joy

Help us to share Your light with

others.

Amen.

St. Sofia School 3540 Havenwood Drive Mississauga, ON L4X 2M9 Tel: 905-625-0823 Fax: 905-625-3124 Website: www.dpcdsb.org/SOFIA Principal J. Dmytrasz Vice-Principal K. Ferrao Secretaries: N. Vereshchak P. Trussler Superintendent M. Lewis 905-890-0708 Parish Priests St. Mary’s Church 905-279-9387 Rt. Rev. Mitred Archpriest Dr. Roman Pankiw, Dean, Pastor Rev. Zenoyviy Bahriy, Assistant St. Elias Church 905-459-8888 Mitrophoric Archpriest Roman Galadza, Pastor Trustees: Brampton: A. da Silva 416-706-5679 D. D’Souza 416-528-8515 S. Xaviour 416-528-9622 Caledon: F. Di Cosola 905-951-8898 Mississauga: M. Pascucci 905-302-3096 mario.pascucci@dpcdsb.org S. Hobin 905-301-1210 A. Abbruscato 416-459-0126 T. Thomas 416-845-8225 L. delRosario 416-528-6447 B. Iannicca 905-270-0536 E. O’Toole 905-812-5163

St. Sofia Byzantine Catholic School

Sharing, Caring and Preparing

ШКОЛА СВЯТОЇ СОФІЇ

October 2018

On November 1st, our school

will honour and pray for

Metropolitan Andrej Sheptytskyj.

His great leadership and determination helped to renew

the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

He was a true pastor to his people. God grant him eternal rest and may his memory be

eternal.

God has given us the

ability to form connec-

tions with each other —

to live together.

Empathy helps us to

connect and live

together in safe, caring,

inclusive communities.

An EMPATHETIC person:

Listens attentively

Watches people’s body

language

Notices and responds

when someone is upset

Can name his/her

feelings

Can see a situation

from another person’s

point of view

Knows that different

people may feel differ-

ently about the same

thing

World Teacher’s Day

Congratulations to the teachers in the Duf-ferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and at St. Sofia School for the generous ways in which you give of yourselves so willingly to help our students grow in Catholic faith, expand their knowledge, inspire a love for learning and develop important life skills. Your dedicated service to our students, fam-ilies, parishes and the greater community is much appreciated. Thank you for inspiring our students to achieve their dreams and build a better world. May God bless you on World Teachers’ Day, October 5, and always.

Bus Driver Appreciation Day October 24th

At St. Sofia, where the vast majority of our students come to school on buses, we are truly grateful to have drivers who provide safe transportation to and from school each day. Thank you for your pa-tience and your commitment to our stu-dents and our communi-ty.

community Helpers A very special thank you to Pani Luba Matviychuk for voluntarily tending to the gardens at the front of our school. Your dedication to St. Sofia School is truly appreciated by staff, students and the greater community.

Clergy Thank you to our clergy, Rt. Rev. Mitred Arch-priest Dr. Roman Pankiw and Mitrophoric Archpriest Roman Galadza, who celebrated the Feast of St. Sofia with us at a Moleben in the gym.

Terry Fox Committee & Coaches Thank you to Pani Mazur, Pani Moskalyk, Pany Holyk, Pani Dowhal, Pani Hrycyk and Pani Waschuk for coordinating our annual Terry Fox event. Thank you also to the intermediate clas-ses for volunteering your help throughout the morning. We raised $864.00 for the Terry Fox Foundation. Thank you to our teachers for giving so freely of your time to coach extracurricular sports and clubs. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. We wish our teams the best of luck in all of their events.

St. Sofia Community Thank you to all families who supported the St. Sofia Chocolate Fundraising drive in the 2017-2018 school year. With your assis-tance we raised $20,454.66 to use towards technology. Our students will truly benefit from all of your efforts.

Catholic School Council We extend our sincere gratitude to all the parents who came to the September meet-ing and to those who were present to in-troduce the community to the School Council during our Open House. Thank you also to the Council for paying for the ice cream truck so that all could enjoy free ice cream.

The School Council also paid for Mathletics licenses for students in Grades 1-8. The classes have been set up.

Licenses are available until November (they are 12-month licenses which end in November 2019). Your child’s password is available through his/her classroom teacher.

SCHOOL OPERATIONS

SAFE ARRIVAL

Upon arriving students are to gather in the schoolyard at the side and rear of the building. At the bell students are to enter the school by their assigned door. Students are not to enter the school by the front doors, unless arriving late. Students arriving late must report to the office. Supervision of students begins at 9:00 a.m. Please do not drop-off your children before this time. Parents Driving Students to School: Parents should be dropping off students at Kiss n’ Ride located on the south side of the school building. The driveway entrance is off Williamsport Drive. Parents are asked to kindly follow the directions of staff on duty. Please do NOT park in the driveway or in the Kiss ‘N Ride lanes. Students should only disembark from vehicles in the Kiss n’ Ride lane (NOT in the Through Lane). Gr. 1-8

students exiting vehicles will be directed and led by staff on duty to the school yard. Our teachers will

gladly escort kindergarten students to the Kindergarten area to meet their teachers on a daily basis.

БЕЗПЕЧНИЙ ПРИЇЗД ДО ШКОЛИ

Опісля приїзду до школи, учні збираються у шкільному дворі вздовж бічної та задньої частини будівлі. Після дзвінка, учні входять до школи за призначеними входами. Учні не повинні входити до школи головними вхідними дверима, якщо вони не приїхали запізнені. Учні, які запізнились, повинні зголосити свій приїзд в офісі школи. Нагляд за учнями починається о годині 9:00 ранку. Будь ласка, не залишайте дітей перед школою до цього часу. Батьки, які привозять дітей до школи: Батьки повинні залишати дітей у зоні Kiss n' Ride («поцілував і поїхав»), розташованій на південній стороні будівлі школи. В'їзд до під’їзної дороги до школи знаходиться від вулиці Williamsport Drive. Просимо батьків доброзичливо дотримуватися інструкцій дижурних учителів. Просмо також НЕ паркувати свої автомобілі на під'їзді до школи або у зоні Kiss n' Ride.

Учні повинні висадитися з авто виключно у зоні Kiss n' Ride (а НЕ у проїзній смузі тобто у Through

Lane). Учні від 1-8 класів, які висаджуються з автомобілів, будуть направлені та супроводжені

дижурними вчителями до шкільного двору. Наші вчителі із задоволенням щодня

супроводжуватимуть учнів дошкілля до зони Kindergarten area, щоб там зустріти своїх вчителів.

The safety and security of our students is of utmost importance. We ask that you follow the routines and procedures set by the

school.

ATTENDANCE

For safety reasons it is very important to notify the school if your child is going to be absent or late. Please call (905) 625-0823 if your child is going to be absent or late. This communication is vital to en-sure the safety of your child. If we do not hear from you, our school office will be calling to verify your child’s absence.

SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS

Interested in volunteering at St. Sofia School for 2018-2019? During the school year, 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 school are now required to have completed Criminal Reference Checks, which can be picked up from our school office. Once the form is completed, your volunteer service can begin. If you are interested in participating in volunteering, please do not hesitate to contact our school office. We look forward to working with you for the betterment of all students at St. Sofia School.

Our desire is to extend a hospitable welcome to all of our visitors and to maintain a safe learning environment. In the interest of safety, we must have the same expectation of everyone who visits the school. A reminder that all visitors and volunteers, INCLUDING PARENTS begin their visit at office - sign in, and pick up a visitor sticker. Anyone not wearing a visitor sticker will be asked to return to the office to sign in and pick one up. Please DO NOT let anyone in the school as you exit the building. We thank you for your cooperation in supporting a safe environment at St. Sofia.

Visitors & School Safety

USE OF PARKING LOT

Parents and staff are welcome to park legally in parking sections in the small parking lot in front of the

school and the additional parking at the side of the school off of Williamsport Drive. All drivers are re-

minded not to park in spaces designated for people with disabilities unless they have a sticker allowing them

to do so. In addition, all drivers are reminded not to park in the Fire Route or in Reserved parking spaces.

Some drivers have been ticketed. Please obey parking signs on Havenwood and Williamsport to avoid re-

ceiving parking tickets.

ВИКОРИСТАННЯ АВТОСТОЯНОК

Батьки та працівники школи можуть законно паркувати своє авто на невеликій автостоянці перед

входом до школи та на додатковій автостоянці біля школи, в’їзд до якої від вулиці Williamsport Drive.

Всім водіям нагадується, щоб не паркували на місцях призначених для людей з інвалідністю, якщо

вони не мають наклейки, яка дозволяла б їм це робити. Крім цього, усім водіям нагадується про те,

щоб не паркували авта на пожежному проїзді-маршруті або на стоянках призначених для

адміністрації школи. Деякі водії одержали вже штрафи за неправильне паркування авта. Будь ласка,

слідкуйте за означеннями на автостоянках при вилицях Havenwood та Williamsport, щоб не отримати

штрафів за неправильне паркування.

Legal Use of Parking Lot

TRANSPORTATION

STOPR (Student Transportation of Peel Region) deals with all busing issues on behalf of Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as bus companies and STOPR work to finalize routes and drivers.

Riding the bus is a privilege. Please remind your children of the importance of following the safety rules that were outlined at the beginning of the year. Parents, please be reminded that you should NOT be boarding buses for any reason. If you have concerns, call STOPR at 905-890-6000 OR 1-800-668-1140.

Please consult the STOPR website, www.stopr.ca for any questions or concerns with regards to your child’s bus transportation information. Information about late and cancelled buses as well as contact phone numbers can be found on this website.

Please call STOPR if you have questions or concerns. Pleases have your child’s OEN (Ontario Education Number) ready when calling. STOPR will not be able to give out student information without it. You can find the OEN number on the report card or by contacting the school.

EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN

We have already had our first Fire Drill and will soon be having our Lockdown Practice. Teachers and students have practiced safe exit from the building in the event of a fire, precautions in the event of a bomb threat, and safety actions in the event of an intruder. In the unforeseen event that we should have an emergency which requires evacuation from our school, our

alternate site is:

St. Alfred School

3341 Havenwood Drive Safety regulations and Board Policy require us to have this contingency plan in place. In such an event, your child will remain at St. Alfred School until we contact you.

NUT-FREE

SCHOOL

School can be a very frightening environment for a child with a severe allergy to peanuts or nut products. In an effort to further promote a safe and secure environment for all our children we ask your support in sending nut free snacks and lunches. We must take into consideration that these children are not isolated to any particular grade level and, like all students, utilize the computer lab, washrooms, library and physical education equipment. We do not allow snacks outside at recess to minimize allergen exposure. We ask that you place careful consideration to school lunches and snacks and refrain from sending in items that are made of, or contain nuts or peanuts. We offer our heartfelt thanks for your support.

Lost & Found: Please remember to Label your items!

Students at St. Sofia School wear a uniform. In order for students to identify their clothing we encourage you to label each article. As well, school and lunch bags should be labeled. In the event that your child loses a personal item you may sign in at the office and then go and check the “Lost and Found” box located outside our main office.

St. Sofia is now on

TWITTER!

Follow us at @stsofia_DPCDSB

For the latest Board news and information FOLLOW US ON Twitter

@DPCDSBSchools

PEDICULOSIS

We would like to bring to your attention a problem that occurs from time to time each year in most schools. The problem is infestation by head lice (pediculosis). If cases are found in the school, we shall inform the parents. If your children do become infested by head lice, we will ask you to keep them out of school until after they have been treated with the correct shampoo and their hair is entirely clear of both lice and nits (eggs). Your cooperation is appreciated as we quickly try to control outbreaks. If you have any concerns, please contact the office.

TEXTBOOK POLICY

Textbooks are the property of the school and are loaned out to students with the expectation that they will be returned at the end of the school year in good condition. The teachers keep a record of

each textbook that students are given. Please help to keep our and your costs down by encouraging your child to take proper care of them. There will be a replacement cost to the student if the textbook is damaged, lost or not returned at the end of the school year.

Following consultation with system stakeholders, a

Dufferin-Peel homework policy document (Kindergarten

to Grade 12) was adopted to foster consistency across the

board in this area.

The policy addresses the following:

definition of homework

characteristics of effective homework

types of commonly assigned homework

general and specific procedures

reporting of homework

roles and responsibilities of administrators, teachers,

students, and families

The homework policy may be viewed in full at:

http://www.dpcdsb.org/homework

A summary of the key features of the document is

available in the student agenda.

HOMEWORK POLICY

Halloween was originally a Christian Holy Day. Halloween is a shortened form of All Hallow’s Evening. It is the evening before the Feast of All Saints on the Roman Calendar. For Byzantine Catholics this is the Feast of ВСІХ СВЯТИХ— the Sunday after Pentecost. On All Saints Day and All Souls Day we remember the reposed who need our prayers. It is also a time to learn about the Saints who have loved God and us. Decorations and costumes reflect the colours of the fall season- orange and black. The harvest of pumpkins, colourful gourds and bountiful fruit—given to us by God– remind us of the goodness in our world . Archpriest Roman Galadza

Please Note - On October 31st, students will be allowed to dress in fall colours

- orange and black. No costumes are to be worn during the school day.

ALL HALLOW’S EVENING/ALL SAINTS/ALL SOULS DAY

CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL

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

Elections for the 2018-2019 Catholic School

Council will take place on Wednesday, October 3 @ 6:30 p.m. in the library. All are welcome.

The EQAO scores for St. Sofia School are in. The following data shows the percentage of students who reached or performed above the Ontario Provincial Standard.

GRADE 3

Reading: 96% at or above the provincial standard (Board 79%, Province 75%)

Writing: 90% at or above the provincial standard (Board 77%, Province 72%)

Math: 79% at or above the provincial standard (Board 61%, Province 61%)

GRADE 6

Reading: 85% at or above the provincial standard (Board 84%, Province 82%)

Writing: 90% at or above the provincial standard (Board 83%, Province 80%)

Math: 72% at or above the provincial standard (Board 48%, Province 49%)

Grade 4 and 7 students will be bringing home their individual results soon.

Board and individual school results are also available on the board website at www.dpcdsb.org. Additional infor-mation on various assessments can be obtained through the EQAO website at www.eqao.com.

June 2018 EQAO Scores

Students who are ill, have the flu, severe coughs and/or colds should be kept home from school. Not only is it very difficult for a sick child to attend to the demands of the school day, it is also unwise to have classmates exposed to cold and flu germs. In the event that your child becomes ill or injured at school it is imperative that we are able to contact you or a person designated by you. Please ensure that your contact person can be easily accessed throughout the day.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

November 1st—Metropolitan Andrej Sheptytskyj Moleben @ 10:30 a.m. November 2nd — Photo retakes November 2oth—Meeting for parents of students receiving First Solemn Communion @ 6:30 p.m. May 12— First Solemn Communion

October 2018

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Thanksgiving

Food Drive begins

2

3 Catholic School Council Elections & Meeting @ 6:30 p.m. in the library

4 Thanksgiv-ing Moleben @ 10:30 a.m. World Teachers’ Day

5 World Teacher’s Day P.A. Day No School

6

7

8

9 Food Drive Ends

10

11 12 13

14 15 World Food Day

16 17 18 19

20

21 22 23 24 Bus Drivers’ Apprecia-tion Day

25 26 Virtues Assemblies

27

28 19 Board Cross Coun-try Meet

30 31 Civvies (Orange & Black)