Virtue for September:

Prayer to Begin a School Year

Loving God,

Thank you for this new school year

We ask You to bless the students, staff, and families in our Byzantine Catholic

Community

Send us Your Holy Spirit to give us the courage to do Your will and to seek You

in everything we do

Help us to see Your face in each person we encounter

Help us to continue to love one another as You love us and to treat each other as

we would want to be treated.

Amen

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith you will receive.

Matthew 21:22

YOU’RE INVITED ! Sept. 20th Curriculum Night 7:00—8:30 p.m. Sept. 28th Feast of St. Sofia—Moleben 10:30 a.m.

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

September 2018

In this issue:

Message from your Admin-

istrators

School Routines, Policies &

Procedures

Student Insurance

Online payment system

Emergency Evacuation

Busing Information

Student Health & Safety

Important Notice

Volunteering

Catholic School Council

September Calendar

Dates to Know:

Sept. 14th— Reorganization of classes, if necessary

Sept. 10 - Catholic School Council Meeting @ 6:30p.m. in

the library. All are welcome.

Sept. 20 —Open House/Curriculum Night

Sept. 21—Civvies; Terry Fox Run

Sept. 24-26th—Grade 6s at Camp Muskoka

Sept. 27th— Picture Day

Sept. 28th - Feast of St. Sofia Moleben @10:30 a.m. Dec. 18— St Nicholas Concert

May 12—Solemn First Holy Communion

People of Faith: Know that we are all part of

God’s family

Want to be good like Jesus

Pray regularly and from the

heart

Knows that there is good in

everyone

See good in the world

Use and respect other people’s

right names

Are confident that God loves

them all

Believe that God loves us all

no matter what

Learn from the bible stories

Learn from the family of the

Catholic Church

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR ADMINISTRATORS

Welcome to a new school year at St. Sofia. With each new year, we look forward to the wonder and excitement our students experience as they learn together in our vibrant Byzantine Catholic community. On behalf of our entire staff, we welcome you and your children to the 2018-2019 school year. We extend warm greetings to the many families joining our school community well as our new Year One Kindergarten chil-dren who are starting school for the first time and hope that they will build many happy memories of their experiences at our school as they

being their important educational journey. We would like to welcome a number of new faces to our family at St. Sofia Byzantine Catholic School this year. We welcome D. Fallico for Pani Michalak (FDK D) , B. Blaziak (FDK D, DECE), A. Ardiente for K. Tolomiczenko (grade 2/3), and M. Taplin (grade 7/8) to our school. We

are also pleased to welcome back M. Rossit (grade 3/4) who will now be teaching full time at St. Sofia. Our custodial staff which include Mr. Muniz, Mrs. T. Kulpinski & Mrs. D. Klak along with the administrative staff, including Pani Vereshchak and Ms. Trussler, have been working extremely hard preparing the school for our children. Our deepest appreciation is extended to them as well as all educational staff who have truly extended themselves in preparing the school for another year of academic excellence and well-

being. As parents, your contribution to the success of your children is critical. We encourage you to participate actively in your child’s educational experience this year. One of the many ways in which you can involve yourself is to serve on our Catholic School Council. To date, we have been very blessed to have a devoted and active Catholic School Council. Please consider submitting a nomination of one of our fellow parents to serve on this committee. Our first Catholic School Council meeting will be held on Monday, September 10, 2018 at 6:30pm in our school library. Elections will take place at the first meeting in October. This will also be the deadline for nominations for council positions for the 2018-2019 school year. Copies of the nomination form are available in the main office. Nomination forms need only be completed by those who wish to hold executive council positions (i.e. Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, etc.). Catholic School Council is a very important part of the life of our

school. We look forward to seeing you there if you are able to attend. We look forward to meeting you at our Open House on Thursday, September 20th from 7-8:30 p.m. Parents are welcome to come and meet

the teachers and see their child’s/children’s classrooms at this time. Please feel free to drop into the office to meet us at this time also. We wish everyone a very successful school year. Our staff is dedicated and committed to working with our parents, affiliated parishes &

community partners as they support the children in their quest for knowledge and spiritual development. May God bless you and your families. J. Dmytrasz & K. Ferrao Principal Vice Principal

Attendance Line: 905-625-0823 PRESS #1

As in the past, we ask that you call the school on

the days your child will be absent. This is a safety

precaution that can save precious moments should

there ever be an emergency situation. We thank

you for your continued support in following this

procedure.

Please continue to call on each day that your child

is absent. When your child returns to school,

please provide the teacher with a note regarding

the specific reason for the absence.

STUDENT ABSENCES

Yard Supervision begins 9:00 a.m.

School Start time 9:15 a.m.

LUNCH 12:09 to 1:09 p.m.

Recess 2:19 to 2:34 p.m.

Dismissal 4:00 p.m.

SCHOOL HOURS

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 reminded not to park in spaces desig-

nated 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 driv-

ers have been ticketed. Please obey parking

signs on Havenwood and Williamsport to avoid

receiving parking tickets.

USE OF PARKING LOT

SCHOOL AGENDAS

Students in Grades 1-8 will be using school

agendas to help develop their organizational

skills. Please take some time to look over your

child’s agenda. School policy and

the Catholic Code of Conduct are

outlined in the front section of the

agenda. The agenda is used daily

to help assist your child with

organization and time management skills. It is

also an effective tool used to keep

parents/guardians informed on what is happening

in class and in the school. Parents/Guardians are

asked to please sign agendas daily to support your

child/children in developing their organizational

skills.

DISMISSAL

Parents are reminded that dismissal time is 4:00 p.m. In order to ensure that your child is safely dismissed we request that dismissal routines remain consistent and don’t change on a daily basis. Please do not come into the office to sign your children out early unless it is an emergency. This is disruptive to the students in the class and the learning that is taking place. Parents Picking Students Up Early: Parents are

asked to park legally in the school parking lot on

Williamsport Dr. or on the street. Parking in the

handicapped parking without a valid permit or in

the fire route is subject to towing and ticket from

Parking Control. As always, parents should give

written notice to the school indicating an ear ly pick-

up. This note should be given to the classroom teacher.

Students will be sent to the office at their scheduled

pick-up time. Thank you for your cooperation.

If you arrive at the school to pick-up your child

without a note, we thank you for your patience as it

will take a little longer for the office to locate your

child’s class, notify the classroom teacher, your child

to pack up, and then make their way to the office.

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.

A package of student information forms

has been sent home with your child. It is

very important that all forms be completed.

Please return the forms promptly to your

child’s classroom teacher. A package of

forms needs to be completed for each

child. Enclosed in the student infor -

mation forms is a student verification form.

Please ensure that school has updated con-

tact information for parents/guardians and

emergency contacts. This package will in-

clude information about Student Insurance.

Please keep this brochure. Each permission

form given out during the year will refer to

information in this brochure.

We will continue to send newsletters and information

home to parents via email for the 99% of families that have

signed up to receive them. Urgent, highly sensitive, or other in-

formation will continue to be sent to you by way of a hard copy

with your child. Email addresses are kept on file until you ask us

to remove it, or until your child no longer attends St. Sofia.

Should you wish to start using this service, please contact the

office and the paperwork will be sent home with your child.

Student Information Forms

Electronic Distribution of School Communication

SAFE ARRIVAL

Student Accident Insurance:

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 student courier.

Although enrolment is voluntary, the board encourages

parents/guardians to take advantage of the inexpensive insurance

coverage, especially if their child/children participate in sports or if parents do not have dental

insurance coverage. Enrolment is required in writing. Please read the registration form in the envelope

sent home with your child on the first week of school. All permission forms sent home for school

excursions will refer to this brochure. Please keep the brochure in a safe place for future reference.

Two options are offered for enrolment:

1) Complete the traditional form and mail it in

OR

2) Photocopy the form and fax it to Reliable Life at 1-905-522-7211 or 1-800-463-KIDS (5437). Parents

alone have the right to insure their children.

Please note that the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board DOES NOT provide insurance for

students against any accidental death, disability, dismemberment, or medical expenses that might

occur as a result of accident during school activities, including sports events and field trips.

EMERGENCY EVACUATION

If an emergency required the total evacuation of the school, students and teachers would walk to: St. Alfred School 3341 Havenwood Drive Mississauga, L4X 2M2

An emergency may affect more than one neighbourhood. Parents will be informed as soon as possible as to the safety and whereabouts of their children.

We have a detailed fire safety and lockdown procedures. We will be practicing several times over the course of the year. A reminder: Students must wear shoes in the school building at all times. If the alarm goes off, students will not be permitted to stop to put on shoes, coats, hats, etc. Their safety is our first pri-ority. Please ensure that your child has an indoor pair of shoes at school.

Student insurance — very important action required

BUS SAFETY

Website: www.stopr.ca This website provides up-to-date delay and inclement weather cancellation information in addi-

tion to policy, procedures and frequently asked questions.

Website: Businfo.stopr.ca This website allows parents to access specific information such as whether their child is eligible for

transportation. This site also provides parents information about pick-up and drop-off times for

specific bus stop locations.

Contact STOPR

Telephone: Transportation EAST 905-890-6000 Please 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.

Parents who live in Dufferin County should contact Wellington-Dufferin Student Transportation Ser-

vices at 519-824-4119 or toll free at 1-888-292-2224.

Special Education Transportation: 905-890-6362 or visit the website at www.stwdsts.ca

Those wishing to access “courtesy seating” (formally “empty seat policy”) are asked to pick-up an

application form in the school office and return it to the Office. Please note requests will not be

processed until the beginning of October. Students may not take the bus until Transportation has

advised them that their child/children has/have been officially assigned to a bus route.

BUSING—COURTESY SEAT POLICY

BUSING—CONTACTING STOPR

Students who travel to school by bus must adhere to the rules for their own safety.

Students shall:

Remain seated at all times when the bus is in motion.

Keep all parts of their body inside the bus.

Obey the instructions of the bus driver.

Avoid excess noise and rowdiness, which may distract the driver and thus endanger all students on the bus.

Refrain from throwing objects out the bus window.

Be prepared to pay for any deliberate damage to the bus and/or its equipment and fur-nishings.

All students who receive a Bus Discipline Form (pink slip) from the school bus driver will have a meeting with the Principal or Vice-Principal.

Second “Bus Discipline Form” results in a phone call home to parents.

ALLERGEN AWARE SCHOOL

As we begin a new school year, we would like to inform you that St. Sofia School is an ‘allergen aware school’.

There are pupils in attendance who suffer from severe and life-threatening allergies to certain foods, such as

peanut and nut products and/or milk products. Exposure to the smallest quantities can cause severe life-

threatening reactions.

In order to respect the caution required for bringing food into the school, parents are asked to use

alternate methods to recognize your child’s birthday. This could be in the form of a

book donated to the class in your child’s name or a non-edible treat (i.e., pencil, sticker

etc.).

Donuts from Tim Horton’s, or any other products that are NOT Nut Free, will no

longer be permitted as a treat in class. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

MEDIC ALERT— “NO CHILD WITHOUT” PROGRAM

The No Child Without Program offers a free Medic Alert membership to students who attend our

school and are between the ages of 4 up to their 14th birthday. If your child has a medical condi-

tion, allergy or is required to take medication on a regular basis then you should consider a Med-

ic Alert membership. Your child’s voice in an emergency, Medic Alert membership:

Gives emergency first responders immediate access to your child’s medical information

on their Medic Alert bracelet or necklet.

Enables first responders to quickly obtain up-to-date medical information by means of

the child’s Electronic Health Record through the 24 Hour Emergency Hotline.

Communicates with the parent or emergency contact upon activation of the hotline.

Allows free updates of the child’s medical record as needed.

For further information, visit www.nochildwithout.ca. If your child is already part of the No Child

Without program and there have been changes to their medical condition, medications,

emergency contact information call Medic Alert at 1-866-679-3220 ext #1 to update your child’s

file.

STORAGE & ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION

Parents are responsible for ensuring that all medication and forms are updated annually

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. Parents may request forms from

the office as the need for storage and administration of medication arises throughout the

year. Please note, in the interests of the health and safety of all of our students,

medication (except puffers and epi pens) must be stored and administered in the office.

On rare occasions, we are faced with difficult situations in which non-custodial parents arrive at school asking to

visit their child or to take their child home after school. We are best able to serve and protect students when we

are made aware of legal custody arrangements, visitation rights and other special instructions. If legal custody

matters affect your family, please ensure that our office staff and classroom teachers are aware of any custodial

arrangements that may affect your child during school hours.

CUSTODY OF CHILDREN

FOLLOW US ON Twitter

For school news and information

FOLLOW

@stsofia_DPCDSB

For the latest Board news and information FOLLOW

@DPCDSBSchools

HEPATITIS B/MENINGITIS /HPV INOCULATIONS

Peel Health will continue to offer free immunization against Hepatitis B for students in Grade 7, and the HPV vaccination for Grade 8 students. It is given as a series of two injections over a period of six months. If you have any questions please call the Peel Health Department at (905) 799-7700. The first inoculation date is November 14th.

Parents are welcomed to the school throughout the year, however, for the safety of children, ALL parents and visitors must use only the front door for entry and must sign in at the office and receive a visitor’s sticker each and every time you visit the building. Visitors are not entitled to go to the classrooms as this is a disruption to student programming. Since the hallways are busy during pickup times, siblings and parents are asked to arrange with your child, a meeting spot OUTSIDE of the school. Messages and deliveries (keys, lunches, etc) are handled through the office. Please remember that to most students in the school, you are a stranger.

VISITORS IN THE SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS

Parent volunteers are always welcomed at St. Sofia School. If you are interested in volunteering at the school, please contact the office at (905) 625-0823.

CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECK

Any school volunteers who will come into regular contact with students will be required to produce a Criminal Reference Check and Criminal Offence Declaration (CRC). A Criminal Reference Check is to be submitted to the Principal prior to being accepted as a volunteer in the school. Volunteers who have previously submitted CRC’s will be required to submit an annual Criminal Offence Declaration. Forms should be submitted to the Principal who will house them in a secure location, with the utmost respect to the confidential nature of the material. Come to the office to get the information needed for CRCs for parents who have never had one done.

School Cash Online

Our school will continue to offer School Cash Online, which provides you with the convenience of paying

online for school items such as trips, club/athletic fees, and spirit wear. School Cash Online is a great way to

pay without the need for cash or cheques.

School Cash Online provides an option to pay school-related fees safely quickly, and easily. By using School

Cash Online, you can help increase efficiency and security at our school by making payments directly into our

school bank account.

Parent registration is a simple 3-step process. Create you profile—go to

https://dpcdsb.schoolcashonline.com/ and click “Get Started Today.” Confirm your email (check your inbox

for the email confirmation and click on the link inside. Sign in with your new login details. Add a student by

clicking, “Add a student” and fill in the required fields with your child’s details. Once you have registered,

you will receive email notification of fees or items for payment related to activities for your child(ren). In addi-

tion, a receipt for payment will be issued to you directly and a history of payments is available at all times.

We really want to save you time when paying for school items, so we encourage you to take advantage of the

opportunity.

Please follow the link below to register online—it takes less than 2 minutes:

https://dpcdsb.schoolcashonline.com

Faith is nourished by memory: how many wonderful things God has done for us! How generous is our

heavenly Father! Pope Francis Tweet 2018-08-16

PED POLICY

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board acknowledges the value of the use of technology for learning. Students are permitted to register and use personal electronic devices (PEDs) on board premises

(GF066-Network User Application and Agreement, completed at initial registration). Students may register their PED for the purpose of connecting to the board wireless network. Students are required to adhere to

student “Personal Electronic Device Used with WI-FI Network Student Agreement” and the “Network User Application and Agreement.” The student agreement GF 337 will need to be signed before students can use the WiFi network. The forms… Please be advised that the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board will not be responsible for any cost incurred through the use of personal data plans. PEDs are to be used responsibly and should not interfere with learning; their use must comply with the Catholic Code of Conduct, board policies and procedures. Any personal communication (i.e., phone calls, text messages, etc.) will continue to be directed through the main office. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in a loss of PED privileges and/or any other consequences deemed necessary by school administration. The school principal may authorize limited acceptable uses of PEDs during school-sanctioned activities for a specific designated purpose outside of instructional spaces and/or in common areas. Students are responsible for the safety and security of PEDs at all times and the Board assumes no responsibility for lost, damaged or stolen devices.

Staffing/School Organization

Staffing And Student Class Placements

The beginning of each school year is always marked by unexpected changes which require all of us to be under-

standing, accommodating, and flexible. The September school organization is based on projected enrolment pre-

pared by the Board’s Planning Department. Such enrolment projection determines the number of teachers as-

signed to the school and consequently, the grade and class configurations. In the event that student enrolment falls

above or below projections, an adjustment to the number of teachers assigned to the school follows, which may

affect the placement of your child.

Staffing and student class placements are still tentative. Based on enrolment, we may need to reorganize the clas-

ses. Therefore, please note that your child’s class is not final until after reorganization occurs. If reorganization is

necessary, we will work as quickly as possible to establish new student and/or teacher assignments. We will en-

deavor to keep the best interests of our child in mind if a new class placement is required.

It is expected that all students will come to school each day in full uniform. Please note that McCarthy’s is the official supplier of uniforms for St. Sofia School. The uniform is as follows:

Crested plain white golf shirts or dress shirts (long or short sleeve)

Navy blue tunic (Gr 1 - 6) or kilt (Gr. 7 & 8 girls)

Plain navy blue pants (boys/girls)

Crested St. Sofia Sweater or plain navy blue sweater / sweatshirt

Dark dress shoes or running shoes

Please be aware that t-shirts, cargo pants, sweat pants, leggings, corduroy pants or jeans are not part of the school uniform.

Dry footwear must be worn at all times in the school.

SCHOOL UNIFORMS CIVVIES DAY

Civvies Day will be held once per month, close to the end of each month . It is expected that all students will dress in clean, neat and practical clothing. Students who wear t-shirts with slogans and symbols are asked to be mindful of what is written on them and to ensure they are appropriate for a Catholic school environment.

Please consider becoming more involved by joining our School Council. All parents are welcome to attend meetings scheduled throughout the year. Our first School Council meeting will take place on Monday, September 10 @ 6:30 p.m. in the library. All are welcome. If you are interested in becoming a member of our 2018-2019 Catholic School Council, you are encouraged to complete the attached nomination form. Forms must be submitted to the office by Friday, October 5th, 2018. If an election is necessary, it will take place at the second scheduled meeting in October. The date will be published and given to parents as soon as it is set during the first council meeting. (This is our effort to ensure that all parents have enough notice for the elections). Eligible voters must vote in person. Proxy voting is not permitted. Results will be published in our November newsletter. Please note that if you are interested in being a member of the Catholic School Council, recent legislation makes it mandatory that everyone submit a Criminal Reference Check. Criminal Reference Check Application forms can be picked up at the school but must be dropped off at Peel Police Headquarters at 7750 Hurontario Street, Brampton. However, if you have a Criminal Reference Check on file at the school, then you do not need a new one but will need to sign a Criminal Offence Declaration Waiver in January/February.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL

THANK YOU!

A big thank you to our custodial staff: A. Muniz , T. Kulpinski, and D. Klak. They have worked very hard over the summer to have the school look amazing! Your work is greatly appre-ciated by staff and students.

alendar

SEPTEMBER CALENDAR

Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat

1

2 3

Labour Day

4

5

6 7 First full day

of school for all

Year-One kin-

dergarten stu-

dents

8

9 10

Catholic School

Council Meeting

at 6:30 p.m. in

the Library

11 12 13 14

Reorganization

of classes, if

necessary

15

16 17

18

19

20

Open House

7:00-8:30 p.m.

21

Civvies

Terry Fox

Walk/Run

22

23 24

Grade 6 at

Camp Muskoka

25

Grade 6 at

Camp Muskoka

26

Grade 6 at

Camp Muskoka

27

Picture day!

28

Feast of St.

Sofia

Moleben @

10:30a.m.

Orange Shirt

Day

29

30 On September 28th, Dufferin Peel Catholic School Board will recognize our Indige-

nous People by wearing orange shirts. Students are invited to wear an orange shirt

with their uniform pants on September 28th. Students are reminded that September

28th is not a civvies day. We will be having a Moleben in the morning in honour if

the Feast of St. Sofia.