DEC
Principal’s Message
2016
98 Wanita Road
Mississauga ON,
L5G 1B8
Phone 905.891.7619
Fax 905.278.6539
Trustees
Mario Pascucci,
Bruno Iannicca,
Sharon Hobin,
Esther O'Toole,
Luz del Rosario,
Anna Abbruscato,
Anna Da Silva,
Thomas Thomas,
Darryl D’Souza,
Frank Di Cosola,
Shawn Xaviour
Superintendent
T. Lariviere
Let us welcome God’s bright and
shining morning star,
A child
Born in a manger,
A son
Sent to redeem the world,
A saviour
Come to renew all things.
May his light shine on you,
May his light shine in you,
May his light shine through you,
The light of God’s Christmas
star be with you,
In this season of new birth.
On behalf of the staff of St. James Catholic
Global Learning Centre, I extend our best wishes during this Advent season to all our families. We hope that you will be blessed with the
spirit and gifts of that first Christmas; peace,
love and goodwill toward all. May the promise
of Christmas help to show God’s boundless
love for both you and your family. May you be
blessed with good health, prosperity and happiness throughout the New Year as we strive to
work with and for you in providing excellence
in Catholic education in our community.
May God Bless You,
B. Diogo
Principal
Principal
Amen
B. Diogo
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS
Secretary
A. Litster
School Council
Chair
A. Padzik
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Living Our Faith
2
School Council
3
PYP
4/5
MYP
6/7
Jayhawk News
8/9/10
Take Note & Upcoming Dates
11
Please be reminded that the school is closed for
Christmas holidays December 26th, 2016 –
January 6th, 2017.
The first day of classes in the New Year is
January 9th, 2017.
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2
Living Our Faith
Virtue Corner
DECEMBER ~ HOPE
Living Our Faith
St. James CGLC School and Church Liturgical
Celebrations
“For this God is our God forever and ever: he will
be our guide even unto death.”
Psalms 48:14
This month we will celebrate the virtue of HOPE.
A person with hope…
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Expects the best to happen for everyone
Hold on to their dreams
Always count on God to help them in tough
situations
Trust that things will work out in God’s way
Look for something good to come out of
problems
Are looking forward to life’s blessings
Set and stick to their own goals
We believe that God comes to us as a real human
who can show us the way of life.
We understand that both the world and its people
are from God and so are essentially good. Furthermore, God has given us this Advent season year
after year in order to focus our minds and our hearts
on the good all around us.
Year after year, we are reminded that God chose to
send His Son to us because we are worth it. God
knows how great we can be when we all come together.
ADVENT MASS
As Advent began Sunday November 27th, 2016 we
will be celebrating our Advent Mass on Tuesday
December 6th, 2016 with Fr. Neil
McMillan at 9:30 a.m. in the
gym. Parents and families are
invited to join us in this special
celebration as we give thanks to
God for our many blessings.
DECEMBER
2016
NEWSLE TTER
Advent Mass (Fr. Neil celebrant)
Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. School
Gym
Ash Wednesday Liturgy (Fr. Neil to distribute
ashes)
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 10:45 a.m. School
Gym
Confession
Tuesday, March 20, 2017 at 9:15 a.m.
Holy Thursday Presentation
Thursday, April 13, 2017 at TBD
Easter Mass (Fr. Neil celebrant)
Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. School Gym
St. James Feast Day Liturgy
Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at TBD
Crowning of Mary Liturgy
TBD School Gym
Year End Mass (Fr. Neil celebrant)
Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary
Star of the Sea Parish
Graduation Liturgy
Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. St. Mary
Star of the Sea Parish
PAGE
3
School Council
School Council
Robotics/Coding Club
Fundraising Update
Logics Academy and St James are pleased to offer a
new Lunch Time Robotics Club to our students starting
in January 2017. Logics Academy Lunch Time Robotics
Club is an exciting and educational way to engage students in STEM, Robotics and Coding principles on a
weekly basis. Children work in small groups using the
latest technology and are supported by knowledgeable
and trained educators.
Upon reaching the end of our fundraising campaign, we
would like to express our thanks to all families who have
chosen to donate to this important fund. We were able to
reach a 62% participation rate and have collected a total
of $9,265.00. This money will allow us to implement
many of the plans on our wish-list. When making our
final selections, we will endeavor to use these funds
wisely, under the guidance of the school and the parent
community, and in ways that will enhance the learning
and school experience of all the students and families. Please remember that your voice is important and
you are encouraged to attend CSC meetings so that you
can be part of the decision process moving forward.
1. For Gr. 1-3: Dash & Dot - Travel Adventurers
Students will join Dash and Dot, the world’s greatest
explorers in learning how to program to discover treasure, dodge booby traps, make maps using an intuitive
graphical coding language! They will learn about sequences by creating a travel story, use loops and if statements to solve puzzles and react to the unexpected; create art, dance and play music in different countries
around the world.
2. For Gr. 4-6: Dash & Dot - Dash the Mathematician
Math is a blast when you’re using Dash, the expert
mathematician! Students will learn how to use Dash’s
intuitive programing language to create patterns, improve estimation skills, test probability, solve mazes,
and create mathematical music. They will review sequences by creating their own story about math; learn to
master the use of variables that can count, add, multiply;
use percentages to shoot hoops in basketball; and learn
to create algorithms that give Dash mathematical intelligence that can’t be achieved with only the basics.
3. For Gr. 7-8: mBot - Sport Olympics
Students will learn the physics behind how robot sensors
gather information from the environment. They will create algorithms to make teal-time decisions with multiple
inputs. A split second decision could mean the difference between winning and losing in the ultimate match
up, robot vs robot!
Once all the details have been finalized, registration information will be e-mailed out. Costs are $170 for 8
weeks. Minimum 10 students needed to run each session (maximum 20). We are very proud to be able to
continue to provide a wide variety of OPTIONAL clubs
for all our students.
DECEMBER
2016
NEWSLE TTER
St. Mary Star of the Sea
St. Mary Star of the Sea Choir, Salvation Army Band
Ensemble, John Scerri, St. Gregory Ensemble, The Children's Choir present "O Come, Emmanuel" A Concert of
Carols and Christmas music. Sunday December 4 - 3 pm
@ St. Mary Star of the Sea Church. Tickets $10 for
adults, $5 for students/seniors. A can of food for the food
bank brought to the concert would be greatly appreciated.
Parish day of confessions: Thursday December 15. 9:3011:30 am and 6:30-8:30 pm.
Mark Your Calendars
Please join us for the Catholic School Council meetings.
The meetings are always lively, informative, and very
productive! Meetings start at 6:30 p.m. and childcare
is provided. Feel fr ee to br ing along your own mug or
reusable water bottle to the meetings and help us reduce
our environmental footprint!
Wednesday Jan 18
Thursday Apr 6
Monday June 5
Stay In Touch
For meeting minutes and other council information, visit us at
www.dpcdsb.org/JAMEE/Parents/
We welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions.
Please e-mail us at [email protected].
PAGE
PYP
PYP
The Primary Years
Programme (PYP)
Units of Inquiry
The IB Attribute for this month is risk-taker/
courageous. Risk-takers and courageous students
are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs. “I
am willing to make mistakes. I am confident and
have the courage to try new things.”
The IB Attitude for this month is enthusiasm. Students will be encouraged to strive to understand the
enjoyment of learning and willingness to demonstrate their best effort.
How the World Works
This month the grade 3 students in Mrs. Thibault
and Ms. Maier’s classes, continue to use the transdisciplinary theme How the World Works to inquire into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and
biological) and human societies; how humans use
their understanding of scientific principles; the
impact of scientific and technological advances on
society and on the environment and guide their
unit of inquiry.
During this unit the students have been focusing
on understanding the central idea that forces causing and changing movement can have a significant
impact on humans and the environment.
The lines of inquiry that were used to focus the
students’ learning and deepen their understanding
of this central idea included:

STAY TUNED:
PARENT ENGAGEMENT SESSION
AT ST. JAMES IN JANUARY
Join us as we explore what inquiry
based learning looks like in the classroom. We
will explore commonly asked questions about
inquiry, such as: What does it look like? What
are its benefits? How do I support the inquiry
process at home? We will share our experiences and best practices with you as we aim to create more engaging classrooms that are responsive to the needs of all of our learners.
DECEMBER
2016
NEWSLE TTER
4
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
Forces in nature impact humans and the environment
Types of forces that cause movement
Using force to work and manipulate objects
PAGE
PYP
To begin the unit, students went out into the neighbourhood to investigate the different forces and motion existing at our local Hiawatha Park. While playing at the park, the students learned how the different kinds of playground equipment use various forces to move and/or operate. The students had a fabulous time testing all of the equipment and they were
able to articulate the various forces they used.
5
PYP
One student could be heard saying, “You get
pushed on the swings and use muscular force by
pumping your legs.” Another student could be
heard sharing with her friends, “The ladybug spinner uses a spin motion created by a muscular force.
The student will need to use friction to stop themselves.”
The students also engaged in a variety of collaborative activities throughout the unit as they became
more knowledgeable about the various types of
forces used to manipulate and move objects. The
students were given the task to design a haunted
house which included a variety forces to create
movement. The students completed a design plan
outlining the various forces they would be using
and the features they would incorporate into their
houses. They were also responsible for writing a
procedural description of how they designed their
haunted house structure. The final task for this
project involved writing a persuasive piece enticing people to come and visit or purchase their
property.
The grade 3 students were able to consolidate their
knowledge of forces with a visit from Mad Science. The Mad Science workshop, Make It Move,
gave the students the opportunity to prove the laws
of motion for themselves and experiment with friction, inertia and gravity. They also learned more
about contact and non-contact forces, including
magnetism and static electricity.
Throughout this unit, the students demonstrated
the IB Attitudes Curious and Enthusiasm as they
showed curiosity about their new learning and
were very enthusiastic about their haunted house
creations. It was a very engaging and successful
unit of inquiry. The grade 3 students will be inquiring under the IB transdisciplinary theme
Where we are in Place and Time for their next unit
of inquiry.
DECEMBER
2016
NEWSLE TTER
PAGE
MYP
Middle Years Programme:
December Feature:
Ministry Initiatives in the MYP
Last month, Year 2 & 3 MYP students were very
fortunate to be accepted into the Ministry of Education initiative, Students as Researchers (StAR).
There was great interest amongst all students in the
upper grades, therefore the selection process proved
quite challenging for the team. Each student shared
their interest in attending and what they could offer /
hope to develop through this opportunity. Staff
carefully considered these entries, and following
much debate, were able to select a team of 16 learners. As a staff, we were proud that so many of our
students acted as ‘risk-takers,’ taking a chance to
apply rather than not bothering at all. We commend
all of our students for this action.
Essentially, StAR is a research based activity centered on student voice. That is, what do students
have to say about their learning experiences, what do
students express as their needs, in what ways do students feel they can be better supported in their
school community? StAR believes that students
should be conducting research because they are “the
experts in the student experience.”
6
MYP
As a result of this belief, 16 students were afforded
the opportunity to travel to Thunder Bay, Ontario
to complete the initial stages of their own research
project. Focus was placed on what research is,
research ethics, and qualitative vs. quantitative data, to name a few.
Students were then empowered to work in school
teams to brainstorm and record what they deem as
‘needs’ at St. James. There was no judgement to
be laid, just an honest assessment of their learning
and social experiences. Through much dialogue,
some finessing, re-grouping and teacher facilitation, five needs were identified.
The StAR team next facilitated learning around
turning their established need into a question to
research. Roadblocks, support, materials required,
and timelines
were all explored. Teams
then had the opportunity to do a
sharing with
teams from other schools.
Feedback was
provided, questions asked and
answered – all deepening the understanding of
where this research could go and why. At every
turn there was support from the peer groupings
present and from the StAR and St. James staff.
The conference was exceptionally organized, and
students gained a lot from the experience, both academically and socially.
The experience does not end in Thunder Bay however, as that was just the ‘kick-off’ to a many
month endeavor back here in Mississauga.
DECEMBER
2016
NEWSLE TTER
PAGE
MYP
StAR believes that students can truly be “agents of
change.” In order for them to do this though, they
must learn about the importance of follow through
and commitment.
These are skills we will be reinforcing as we support
the students through their StAR initiatives. Community involvement (i.e., students, staff, parents) may
be necessary at various points over the next few
months. This may come in the form of a student or
parent survey, presentations in the classroom, permission / informational letters regarding topics to be
discussed in classes, etc. We thank you for your
support and time in advance.
The 2016-2017 StAR projects include:
1. Inclusivity
How can we educate our peers to be
aware of and respectful to differing
student positions/
cultures, etc.?
2016
MYP
3. Learning
Styles / Needs
How can we ensure that all learning styles are not
only met, but regularly incorporated
into student learning experiences?
4. Mental / Physical Disease
How can we better
support the students and families
of St. James who
are affected by
mental and/or
physical ailments/
diseases?
5. Transitions
How can we better
support/inform our
Year 2 and 3 students on high
school options and
transitions?
2. Outdoor Playground/Physical
Space
How could redefining our outdoor space better
meet the needs of
all St. James students?
DECEMBER
7
Once the research is completed, students will draw
conclusions and complete an analysis for the Ministry of Education. Each team will be evaluated by
the StAR leads and could earn the chance to present at the Ministry Spring Symposium in Toronto.
Stay tuned!
NEWSLE TTER
PAGE
Jayhawk News
St. James Catholic Global Learning Centre
Registration
Kindergarten to Grade 8: 2017-18 School Year
Jayhawk News
The following documents will be needed when
registering for all grades:

proof of age (Birth Certificate)

original Roman Catholic baptismal certificate
(for child and/or parent/guardian) or baptismal
certificate from an Eastern Church in full communion with the Holy See of Rome. If the
child has not been baptized, and the parent/
guardian is a baptized Roman Catholic or is
baptized from an Eastern Church in full communion with the Holy See of Rome, the parent/
guardian must bring their own baptismal certificate.

updated immunization records

proof of Canadian citizenship (Birth Certificate
or Passport) or permanent resident status

proof of home address (two of the following:
property tax bill, current utility bill, real estate
document or Government of Canada issued
forms) **A driver’s license is not an accepted
document
Please note the following registration dates for Kindergarten to Grade 8 at St. James Catholic Global
Learning Centre for the 2017-18 school year.
Registration for St. James will take place on January
30th, 2017 from 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. and on February 1st, 2nd and 3rd from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
(To be considered for any lottery, registrations
must be received with full documentation by 3:00
p.m. on Friday, February 3rd, 2017).
(January 31st, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., has been
designated as a snow day for St. James registration.)
Potential registrations for Kindergarten for the St.
James Catholic Global Learning Centre are advised
to register at the home school during the Boardwide registration dates.
Kindergarten registration for all other elementary
schools in Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board for the 2017-18 school year will be held on
January 24th from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
- 9:00 p.m. and January 25th, 26th, 27th from 9:00
a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
January 25th, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., has been
designated as a snow day for all other elementary
schools.
The lottery date for St. James Catholic Global
Learning Centre will be held Monday February
6th, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the library.
DECEMBER
2016
NEWSLE TTER
8
Only complete registrations will be
accepted. All documentation must
be received at the time of
registration.
PAGE
Jayhawk News
9
Jayhawk News
Changing Weather
School Event/Trip Permission Forms
Students are asked to ensure that they have a pair of indoor shoes at school. We ask that children change their
footwear when they come inside in an effort to keep our
classroom floors clean.
A friendly reminder that we have started emailing permission /order forms for your child’s various school
events. We are also providing copies of our school
event/field trip permission forms on our website as well
as on the class pages. We are hoping this will lower
the amount of paper being printed
to help the school in its’ Eco
School standing.
Children are expected to participate in recess activities
and are reminded to dress for the weather. Children of all
grades may also wish to have a change of clothing at
school in the event that they get wet while playing outdoors.
Head Injuries
Cold Weather Temperatures
The main risks of exposure to extremely cold weather for
relatively short periods (recess or lunch periods) is that of
frostbite. Someone who is protected by clothing or is
physically active may be able to withstand exposure to
colder temperatures. Therefore, it is recommended that
consideration be given to reducing the amount of time
outdoors for children (grade 8 and under) when the temperature is -20 degrees Celsius or colder. When the temperature or equivalent wind chill temperature is - 25 degrees Celsius or lower children will be kept indoors.
The school continues to follow the school board’s head
incident procedure. Please be aware you will receive a
call from the school informing you of ANY incident
involving your child’s head. If we do not speak to you
directly, a message will be left for you advising of the
incident. In the case of a more serious incident you
will be asked to call the school back and we will continue to try to reach you.
Medication
Winter Wear
Please ensure that the snowpants and gloves/mittens that
your child is wearing are water resistant as many students
are coming back into class with wet clothing. In some
cases the items do not have an opportunity to dry before
the student goes back out for recess. Leaving an extra
pair of gloves/mittens is advisable at this time of year.
A reminder to all parents that medication cannot be
stored on school property without
the proper medical forms on file.
Medical forms can be picked up in
the office.
Going On Vacation
We ask that you please take a moment and send a
note to the office informing us of the dates your son/
daughter will be away. This will help to cut down on
the phone calls needed to track down the missing student(s). We thank you for your help in this matter.
DECEMBER
2016
NEWSLE TTER
PAGE
Jayhawk News
10
Jayhawk News
2017 Registration For Extended French
Christmas Concert
Any student who is eligible to attend a Dufferin Peel
Catholic school and who is presently a Grade 4 student is eligible to enroll in the Extended French program for Grade 5 in September, 2017. Transportation is provided for eligible students in the program
if they attend the centre designated for their region.
(Both transportation and Extended French Centre
locations are subject to board annual review and
therefore subject to change.) More detailed information will be available at parents/guardians meetings to be held:
We are proud to announce that all the students of
St. James School (JK to Grade 8) will be putting
on a spectacular performance on Thursday December, 22nd at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Parents, grandparents and additional guests are
welcome to attend the dress rehearsal performance
at 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday January 17th, 2017 7:00 p.m.
San Lorenzo Ruiz 100 Barondale Dr., Mississauga
St. Philip 345 Fairview Rd. W., Mississauga
Wednesday January 18th 2017 7:00 p.m.
St. Andrew 50 Meadow Dr., Orangeville
St. Monica 60 Sterritt Dr., Brampton
Holy Family 61 Allan Dr., Bolton
St. Anne 124 Vodden St., Brampton
St. Christopher 1195 Clarkson Rd. N., Mississauga
St. Rose of Lima 4590 The Gallops, Mississauga
Thursday January 19th, 2017 7:00 p.m.
St. Jean Brébeuf 63 Glenforest Rd., Brampton
St. Therese of the Child Jesus 6930 Forest Pk. Dr.,
Christmas Hampers
Once again this Advent season, St. James has
"adopted" a number of families in the DufferinPeel region. Please stay tuned for a letter with
more details from your child about his/her
"adopted" family.
Winterland of Gingerbread
We look forward to seeing all the families that are
taking part in our gingerbread
decorating event on Thursday
December 15th, 2016 at 1:30
p.m.. It will be an enjoyable
family event shared by all.
Mississauga
St. Thomas More 3270 Tomken Rd., Mississauga
DECEMBER
2016
NEWSLE TTER
We, the staff of St. James wish you
and your family a very joyous Christmas and may your New Year be filled
with God’s Blessing.
PAGE
11
Take Note
Take Note
Parents In The Yard
Visitors
For your child’s safety we request that he/she not be on
school property until supervision begins at 8:45 a.m.
Please do not drop your child off at the school prior to
8:45 a.m.
We would also like to remind you that parents should
drop off/pick up their children outside the school gates.
Parents are not permitted to be in the school yard at any
time. Although you may be known to your own child
you are a stranger to the other students in the yard.
Anyone entering the school must come to the office
right away. The school is a very busy place and we
have many visitors/parents dropping in for a variety
of reasons. To ensure we maintain the integrity of
the classroom program by avoiding interruptions, and
for the safety of our students, all visitors must come
to the office. We ask that you also convey this
information to older brothers and sisters of our
students. This way we know that anyone in the halls
or in the school yard an authorized visitor. All
students leaving the school early will be released
through the front office as they must sign out. If
Kiss and Ride
The safety of our students and parents is of great
concern to us here at the school.
Please drive SLOWLY through the Kiss and Ride lane
as well as the drive through lane.
Please do not block the Kiss and Ride zone and areas
that would hinder the movement of cars.
Cars cannot be left in the lanes at any time.
Student Absences/Lates
Please use our 24 hour answering service to inform the
school of late or absent students. We must hear
from a PARENT or GUARDIAN if a
student will be absent, arriving late or
leaving early. Phone 905-891-7619
If a pattern of unexcused lateness or absents
becomes apparent, parents will be contacted by
the school.
UPCOMING DATES
Dec 5
-
Gr. 1 Dundas Valley Trip
Dec 6
-
Advent Mass 9:30 a.m. in the gym
Dec 12 -
Gr. 4 & 5 Silvercreek Trip
Dec 15
-
Gr. 1 & 3 Bradley Museum Trip in a.m. only
Dec 15
-
Gingerbread Decorating Event 1:30 p.m.
Dec 22
-
Christmas Concert 1:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
DECEMBER
2016
NEWSLE TTER
your child arrives late we ask you to
NOT accompany them to class.
Snack and Treats for Students
We are asking that all parents please refrain from
bringing in eatable snacks and treats to the
classrooms. Several students in our school suffer
from a severe food allergy to all nuts, peanuts and all
nut products. There is also a Ministry PPM where
the purpose of this memorandum is to set out
nutrition standards for food and beverages in publicly
funded elementary schools in Ontario. For more
information about the PPM please visit, http://
www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/150.html. If
you would still like to do something special for the
classroom, a small non-eatable gift for each student
or perhaps a classroom gift, i.e. board game for
inclement recess, may be a great alternative. Again,
we thank you for your co-operation.
Be sure to visit our school website. All newsletters
and other pertinent information are always updated.
http://dpcdsb.org/jamee
St. James is now on Twitter! For the latest news
and information, follow us @StJamesDPCDSB