An Advent Prayer. L. Papaloni...Superintendent Luz del Rosario.. Trustee V. Pugliese. Principal. P. O Brien...

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An Advent Prayer L. Papaloni...Superintendent 905-890-1221 Luz del Rosario.. Trustee 416-528-6447 V. Pugliese. Principal P. O Brien...Secretary J. Greenman Council Chair 905-826-7606 PARISH St. Joseph 5440 Durie Road Mississauga, Ontario L5M 2J5 Tel: 905-826-2766 Fax: 905-542-7052 Pastor Fr. Marc-Andre Campbell Dear God, our Father, when your precious Son became a tiny baby in a stable in Bethlehem in poverty and simplicity, You changed our world. As we imagine those surroundings, We join with the shepherds And the wise men In wonder and praise. During this Advent season, Help us to remember The true meaning of Christmas And not be consumed By the commercialism That can easily dominate the season. We thank you for our material lives, Praise you For our spiritual lives, And trust in you For our eternal life. Amen School Hours Start: 9:00 Recess: 11:00 11:15 Lunch: 12:00 1:00 Recess : 2:20 2:35 Dismissal: 3:30 Advent Mass We will be celebrating our Advent Mass on Thursday December 8 th, at 10:00a.m., at St. Joseph Church with Father Marc-Andre Campbell. All students will be bussed to the church. Please join our students and staff, as we come together in preparation and celebration of the Eucharist.

Principal s Message This past Sunday, we celebrated the first Sunday of Advent. The word Advent is a Latin word that means the coming. It is a time when we remember Jesus first coming, and prepare our hearts for a new coming. In the Liturgical calendar, the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day, Christians all over the world prepare for the celebration of the coming of the Lord into the world, through the birth of Jesus. Advent provides us with an opportunity to re-evaluate our priorities. It is not only a time for meditation and prayer, but also a time for active service towards those who are poor in body and poor in spirit. It is a time to set aside differences and unite in peace and love. This is a wonderful time of year. The miracle of Jesus birth and the wonders of his life seem so apparent in the celebrations of the season. The birth of Jesus signalled to the world a hope..a hope for peace and kindness among all peoples. As a people of hope, we walk together through this time of waiting, knowing that God s love for us is unlimited. During the busy holiday season it is easy to get caught up in the preparations and festivities that we forget to take time to reflect and give thanks. I would like to take this opportunity to give thanks: for the students of St. Gregory School; for their warmth and enthusiasm; for the staff of St. Gregory School. A hard-working, dedicated and talented group that ensure the students are learning in a safe, stimulating and Catholic environment; for the parents and guardians for their support and generosity; for our Trustee, Luz del Rosario and our Superintendent, Lucy Papaloni for their continual support; to the Catholic School Council who have worked so hard at providing valuable and positive enhancements that assist in the education of the students; for our Parent Volunteers who support student learning and school activities; for Father Marc-Andre Campbell and Father Neiman D'Souza for their spiritual leadership, for the Masses and celebrations that they shares with us, for their visits and their support. As Christmas quickly approaches, it is our hope that the true Spirit of Christmas will be reflected in our daily lives at school, at work and at home, just as Christ gave Himself to us at His birth. On Behalf of the staff of St. Gregory School, we wish to extend to all members of our community, a hope that the Christmas Season will be filled with the peace and joy of Christ and that the New Year will bring much health and prosperity for all. V. Pugliese Christmas Break The Christmas Break will begin on Monday, December 26 th, 2016. The last day for school will be on Friday, December 23 rd, 2016. School will commence in the New Year, on Monday, January 9 th, 2017.

Hat & Mitten Tree You will notice our Hat/Mitten/Scarf Tree in the front foyer of our school. During this season of Advent, we not only prepare ourselves through prayer and quiet renewal for the birth of Jesus, we also prepare by remembering those who are less fortunate in our world. The St. Gregory community has a wonderful history of being very generous all year round. At this time we ask you, as you have done year after year, to send in hats, mittens and scarves for our tree. We will be collecting hats/mittens/scarfs until Tuesday December 20 th. All items will be delivered to St. Vincent de Paul Society to be given to those in need in our community. Kindergarten Advent Celebration Please join our kindergarten students as they celebrate Advent as a group. Our celebration will take place on Thursday December 22 nd at 2:30 pm. in the gymnasium. Our kindergarten classes will come together to present a very special production. Donations of non-parishable food items would be greatly appreciated. Santa Claus is Coming to Town On Monday December 19 th, Santa Claus will be visiting St. Gregory School. Students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 will be spending some quality time with Santa. Santa will be telling stories, singing songs and playing games with our students. Please note, there will be photo opportunities for students in Junior and Senior Kindergarten. Christmas Hampers The Advent season is now here and at St. Gregory we are committed to making a difference in the lives of others and bringing Christ into our parish community. Some of our neighbours live in difficult circumstances and are in need during the Advent and Christmas season. We are collecting items to be placed in Christmas Hampers for 4 families in our parish. It is our hope that you will be able to help in some way. The St. Vincent de Paul Society will be picking up hampers on Tuesday December 6 th. We ask that all items donated be labelled with the family number. Christmas Food Drive As is the tradition here at St. Gregory, we continually strive to bring the Gospel Values to life by supporting our community charities. Christmas is a very special time of the year when we, as a school community collect non-perishable food items to help those in our community who are in need. Collected food items will be delivered to the St. Joseph Church. We also want to thank the Catholic Youth Ambassadors, who have organized and promoted this important event in order to feed the hungry. OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL HERITAGE: What effect did the Canadian Constitution, create in the British North America Act (1867) have on separate schools? When the Fathers of Confederation came from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Canada East and Canada West to meet in Charlottetown and Quebec, they quickly concluded, in the words of one of the Fathers, Sir Charles Tupper, that Without this guarantee for the rights of minorities being embodied in that new constitution, we should have been unable to obtain any Confederation whatever. What guarantee for separate schools does the Canadian Constitution still contain? In 1867 the Fathers of Confederation made section 93(1) part of the Constitution. It states: Nothing in any such [provincial legislative] Law shall prejudicially affect any Right or Privilege with respect to Denominational School which any class of persons [i.e. separate school supporters] have by Law in the Province at the Union. Exactly what separate school rights does section 93(1) guarantee? Section 93(1) protects all the provisions of the last separate school legislation passed before Confederation, the Separate School (Scott) Act of 1863. Among others, the Act provided the following rights: a) To form a separate school board with five or more Catholic heads of family resident in a public school jurisdiction; b) To receive government grants equitable with those of the public school system. c) To receive equitable funding; d) To have separate school boundaries enlarged; e) To elect separate school trustees with all the powers of public school trustees. From: A Historical Understanding of Key Issues Related to Catholic Education, March 2009

The beginning of the Liturgical year begins with Advent. Advent is the period beginning with the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30 th ) and embraces the four Sundays preceding Christmas Day. The first Sunday may be as early as November 27 th, and then Advent has twentyeight days, or as late as December 3 rd, giving the season only twenty-one days. Advent is the season of hope, preparation, expectation and celebration. The word advent is Latin for a coming or arrival. It refers not only to the preparation for the arrival of Christ s birth but is also a time to remind us of our redemption and of the second coming of Jesus that is to come. In Advent we are called to prepare ourselves for the birth of Christ, to prepare our souls for Christ through Holy Communion and to make ourselves ready for Jesus final coming as judge, at the end of the world. The Advent activities and traditions are grounded in the Scriptures, even though some of the symbolism and stories surrounding them have changed over time. The focus continues to be the great news that the Messiah was and is coming and how we live out our heartfelt longing for both. The oldest document in which we find the length and practices of Advent mentioned is a passage in the second book of the History of the Franks by St. Gregory of Tours. In it he states that St. Perpetuus, one of his predecessors, (approx. 480 A.D.) had decreed a fast three times a week, from the feast of St. Martin until Christmas. Whether St. Perpetuus, by his regulations, established a new custom, or merely enforced an already existing Church law is difficult to say. The first authoritative mention of Advent in the Catholic Church appears in the Synod of Lerida (AD 524). The observance of Advent originally began as a period of fasting, similar to Lent. Although the practice of abstention was later relaxed, Advent retains the spirit of atonement and penitence. The Advent wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition; however, the actual origins are uncertain. By the Middle Ages, Christians had adapted a Scandinavian tradition of placing lighted candles in a circle and praying to God, and used Advent wreathes as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas. The Advent wreath is the most recognizable symbol of this season. The wreath is comprised of four candles that symbolize and focus our attention on the coming of Christ, the Light of the World. The wreath is made up of various evergreen branches, signifying continuous life and the freshness and vitality of the relationship among God, humanity and of creation. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul the eternal Word of God, and the everlasting life found in Christ. The lighting of the candles represents the progressive revelation of God - fully realized in the birth and life of Jesus. The first candle is lit on the first Sunday of Advent. This candle, the Candle of Hope, reminds us that Jesus coming was prophesied hundreds of years before He was born. It symbolized the hope of Israel and the hope that we have in Jesus. The candle s purple colour represents Christ s royalty as the King of Kings. The second candle is lit on the second Sunday of Advent. This is the Candle of Peace, which reminds us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. His light helps us find ways to share God s peace with others. The purple candle reminds us that it was Jesus King, who was born in the manger in Bethlehem. The pink candle is the Candle of Joy. This candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent. The Candle of Joy recalls the angels joyfully singing about the birth of Christ. We are reminded that God sent His angels to proclaim His arrival to the common man (shepherds) and that He still uses the ordinary people to spread the good news of Christ. The pink candle represents God s love and faithfulness to his people throughout the ages. On the final Sunday of Advent, the fourth candle is lit. This is the Candle of Love. It reminds Christians that God loves them enough to send his only Son to earth. We are also reminded that we are God s disciples on earth and to love one another. The purple candle represents the King s birth that the Angels were announcing to the world, as they trumpeted His glory. Some modern day adaptations include a white candle placed in the middle of the wreath. This is the Christmas Day Candle which represents Christ, and is lit at the Christmas Eve Vigil on Christmas Eve. It reminds us that Jesus is at the centre of our world and is eternal. The light again signifies Christ, the Light of the world. We remember the birth of our Lord, as the prophets promised so long ago and are filled with wonder and amazement, as were the shepherds in the fields. For Catholics, Advent is a time of reflection about the amazing gift that God gave to us in the person of His Son who came to live among us on earth. It is also an opportunity to restore Jesus to His rightful place as the center of our holiday celebrations! Advent is, appropriately, both somber and joyful!

St. Joseph Parish Christmas and New Year Schedule Christmas Eve Saturday, December 24, 2016 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm, 8:00 pm., 10:00 p.m. and 12:00 Midnight (All in English) Christmas Day Sunday, December 25, 2016 8:00 am, 9:30 am, 11:00 am and 12:30 pm (All in English) [There is no 6:00 pm Mass] Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Holy Days of Obligation) Saturday, December 31, 2016 5:30 pm & New Year s Day Sunday, January 1, 2016 9:30 am, 11:00 am. and 12:30 p.m. [There is no 6:00 pm Mass] The Epiphany of the Lord Tuesday, January 3, 2016 8:00 am, 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 12:30 pm and 6:00 pm St. Joseph Parish Advent Concert Saturday, December 10, 7:30 pm All our parish choirs will come together to help us celebrate Advent and prepare us for our Savior s birth! Please join us in the Church on Saturday, December 10 at 7:30 pm! Please join us. Our Advent Evening of Reconciliation All parishioners and visitors are invited and encouraged to participate in an evening of Reconciliation on Tuesday, December 13 starting at 7:00 pm. at St. Joseph Church. There will be many guest priests available for confessions that evening. Additional Advent Reconciliation Celebrations in our Neighbouring Parishes St. John of the Cross Parish 6890 Glen Erin Drive Monday, December 12, 2016 Starting at 7:00 pm Merciful Redeemer Parish 2775 Erin Centre Blvd. Wednesday, December 14, 2016 Starting at 7:00 pm Sts. Peter & Paul Parish 4070 Central Pkwy E. Wednesday, December 16, 2016 10:00 am 12 noon/1-3pm, 5-7pm St. Francis Xavier Parish 5650 Mavis Road Thursday, December 17, 2016 Starting at 7:00 pm St. Martin of Tours 1290 McBride Avenue Thursday, December 15, 2016 Starting at 7:00 pm St. Ignatius Loyola Parish 2300 Burnhamthorpe Road West Thursday, December 15, 2016 From 7-8:30 pm St. Catherine of Sienna Parish 2340 Hurontario St Wednesday, December 14, 2016 9:30 am - 11 am / 4 pm - 6 pm / 7:30 - to 8:30 pm

Full-Day Kindergarten Registration for 2017-18 Registration for Full-Day Kindergarten for the 2017-18 school year, will take place at St. Gregory on the following days: Tuesday, January 24, 2017 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.* Wednesday, January 25, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, January 26, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, January 27, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. * Snow Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2017 from 7:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. For more information about registration and the Full-Day Kindergarten program, call St. Gregory School or visit www.dpcdsb.org. Information Session to Support the Transition of Children with Differing Abilities into Kindergarten 2017 There will be an information and entry planning session for families of children with differing abilities including vision, hearing, autism, physical/medical and/or developmental delays who are transitioning to Kindergarten in September 2017. The information session will be held at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board -- Catholic Education Centre, Room 301 on Wednesday, January 11, 2017 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Snow date, Monday, January 16, 2017, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Families are also reminded to register their child at their local school. Official registration dates are January 24-27 from 9:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and January 24* from 7:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. *A snow date has been designated on January 25 from 7:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 3. A REFLECTIVE AND CREATIVE THINKER WHO: Recognizes there is more grace in our world than sin and that hope is essential in facing all challenges. Creates, adapts, evaluates new ideas in light of the common good. Thinks reflectively and creatively to evaluate situations and solve problems. Makes decisions in light of gospel values with an informed moral conscience. Adopts a holistic approach to life by integrating learning from various subject areas and experience. Examines, evaluates and applies knowledge of interdependent systems (physical, political, ethical, socioeconomic and ecological) for the development of a just and compassionate society. Extended French Information Meeting Grade 4 parents/guardians who wish to enroll their child in a Grade 5 Extended French class for September, 2017 are invited to attend an information meeting at: School: St. Rose of Lima Address: 4590 The Gallops, Mississauga, L5M 3A9 Date: Wednesday January 18, 2017 Time: 7:00 pm At the present time, the above mentioned school is the designated centre for our area. Applications will be accepted at that centre until 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 21, 2017. Scholastic Book Fair Our Scholastic Book Fair was a great literary event this past month. Once again our students and community came out to support this amazingly fun fundraiser. Students were super excited to see all the items for sale at the Book Fair and even more excited to learn that the library would be getting some of these. Your generous support helped to raise money for our school library. These funds will be used to purchase new books from Scholastic for the library that your children will be able to enjoy. Thank you once again for coming out to visit the Scholastic Book Fair. ATTENDANCE VERIFICATION 905-814-5237 & PRESS 1 Twitter DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news and information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools.

Weather Cancellations There may be days during the upcoming winter months when inclement weather presents a potential safety hazard. It is essential that parents discuss with their children the procedures they wish them to take to get home safely. This discussion should include: where should the child go, if parents are not home. Please be advised that during the winter months, inclement weather may cause disruption of bus transportation and regular school operations. A decision to cancel school transportation and/or to close schools is usually made by 6:00 am. If buses are cancelled in the morning, they will not operate in the afternoon. Therefore students transported to school by parents require the same transportation home. Parents/guardians are asked to monitor the following radio/television to receive bus cancellation/school closure information: CHUM AM1050 FM93.1 FM Z103.5 NEWSTALK 1010 AM CBC FM99.1 FM Q107 CJBC (FR) AM860 CFTR AM680 CHFI FM98.1 EZ ROCK FM97.3 CJCL AM590 CTV VIRGIN RADIO FM99.9 GLOBAL NEWS CHIN FM100.7/AM1540 CITYPULSE BREAKFAST TELEVISION CFNY FM102.1/AM640 www.stopr.ca Cold and Flu Season As cold and flu season approaches, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board continues to be vigilant in ensuring that our schools are clean and that our school communities are educated regarding good hand hygiene and cough etiquette. These practices are promoted on an ongoing basis, but as the prevalence of colds and flu increases, our board increases the cleaning of contact surfaces, as well as reminds schools to review cold and flu prevention with students and staff. Many resources are utilized from our regional health units. A reminder, as well, that communicable diseases can be contracted in public places throughout the year. For example, cold-related viruses are transferred from person to person through hand contact. Cold and flu viruses typically peak from December through February, but can start as early as October. Please assist us by reviewing good hand washing procedures, as well as other preventative measures, as outlined in the various Peel Health resources available to you through their websites. As always, children who are unwell, should be kept at home. For more information, visit the health unit websites: Peel Health website: http://www.peelregion.ca/health. Winter Weather Reminders Our winter season is fast approaching! Please assist us in encouraging your children to dress appropriately for the cold weather. We want our students to feel comfortable outdoors and not get chilled because of inappropriate winter dress. Except under unusual conditions, students will go outside during recess and lunch hour. The outdoor break allows for fresh air and exercise. Health officials indicate that the fresh air is good for children...not harmful, as long as students are dressed properly. Please listen to weather reports and ensure that children are dressed appropriately for the weather. Unfortunately, some of our children do come to school feeling sick and with fevers. We do not have the facilities to care for sick children and sick children are not capable of concentrating on learning. Therefore, if your child complains of a sore stomach, sore throat or aches and pains, please do not send him/her to school. It is harmful to the health of your child and the rest of the school population. All children who come to school are expected to participate in outdoor recreation at recesses. Generally speaking, if a child is well enough to come to school he/she is well enough to go outside at recesses and lunch hour. For our younger students, it would be helpful if parents were to label items of clothing with their child s name, so that each person can more easily locate his/her own clothing from the class coat rack area. Each term many items make their way to the Lost and Found bin and are never claimed. Labelled items can be returned more easily and mixed up items sorted out more readily. If your child brings home any clothing item by mistake, please return it to the school so that this mix up may be corrected. Snow and Ice Please remind your children that their safety is of the utmost importance to us. Snow is always to stay on the ground. Throwing or kicking snow and ice is not permitted here at St. Gregory School. Often during recess, when there is snow and ice, students spend their time building snow forts. Students are reminded that at St. Gregory, we create and we do not destroy. Also, all students are included in our activities. Indoor Footwear Students are expected to wear shoes in the school building at all times. Please note that in the event of an emergency evacuation, students will not have the opportunity to put on shoes, boots, clothing articles, etc. Please ensure that your child has an extra pair of shoes at school, to keep their feet dry and warm during wet and/or snowy weather. A change of clothing stored in a child s backpack, may also be a good idea for younger students.

Catholic School Council News It s hard to believe that we are already in the month of December and the Advent Season is in full swing. St. Gregory Catholic School Council has had a busy start to the new school year and would like to thank the staff, parents, and students, for all their support. We look forward to supporting a number of family activities in the New Year. At this time we would like to wish you all the blessing this season has to offer now and always. Please join us at our next Catholic School Council meeting on Thursday January 12 th, at 6:30 p.m. We encourage parents to attend our School Council meetings and become actively involved in the school community. Your input is greatly welcomed and appreciated. On behalf of our Catholic School Council, we wish all students, parents and staff at St. Gregory a peaceful and blessed Christmas. Christmas Family Activities Evening Our Catholic School Council will be hosting a Christmas Family Activities Evening on Thursday, December 15 th 2016 from 6:30-8:00 pm. There will be a number of Christmas activities for our students, as well as hot chocolate and Christmas treats. All students and parents are welcome to attend. We are asking that families bring either a new toy for our Toy Drive, a non-perishable food donations or a donation to support our hat and mitten tree. Christmas Sing-A-Long Our school Sing-a-long will take place on Friday, December 23 rd, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Students from kindergarten to 8 will assemble in the gym to share in singing a variety of Christmas songs. The students are very excited to be performing a variety of Christmas Carols. As always, all families are invited to attend. Intermediate Girls Volleyball Congratulations to the intermediate girls volleyball team for an amazing season. They worked hard in practices and during the games having a very successful season. The girls advanced to the finals and finished second at the St. Joseph Invitational Tournament. At the pod tournament the girls finished first, going undefeated and advancing to the Family tournament. There the girls hard work paid off again coming in first place at the Family Tournament, advancing to the Board Finals. Good luck to Mara, Karolina, Tea, Emily, Jenna, Ashley, Samantha and Alex. Go Grizzlies. Congratulations to the girls and to their coaches, Ms. West and Ms. Medeiros, on an excellent season. Candy Grams In December we will be selling Candy Grams to support our foster child. Candy Grams will be sold from December 5 th to December 9 th and will be distributed the following week. For $1.00 students will receive a slip of paper to write the name of who they would like to receive the Candy Gram. Students will also get a paper ornament to decorate and write their name on to hang on our "We Support our Foster Child" Christmas Tree. Thank you for buying a Candy Gram and supporting our foster child. Intermediate Boys Volleyball Congratulations to the Intermediate Boys Volleyball Team for another great season. The boys participated in the St. Joseph Invitational Tournament and finished first, winning all their games. The boys also played in the Family Pod Tournament and went undefeated winning all 8-0 matches! They will be moving on to the Family Tournament at St. Gertrude, on Thursday. December 1 st. Congratulations to Dante, Mateo, Shaydon, Ethan, Christopher, Riley, Anthony and Sammy and to their coaches, Ms. Pizzardi and Mr. Burke. Go Grizzlies Go! SCHOOL WEBSITE Check out our school web site. Access the site through the School Board s website at http://www.dpcdsb.org/grego

Graduation Photos Life Touch photographers will be at St. Gregory on Wednesday January 25 th to take graduation photos for our Grade 8 students. If you have a child in grade 8, please ensure that he/she is at school on the 21 st. A letter will be sent out prior to this date with more information. School Day and School Yard Supervision Yard Supervision begins at 8:45 a.m. For safety reasons, please do not send your child to school until then. Our supervisors wear orange vests so that they can be easily visible to a child in need. For reasons of safety, students are expected to go home at the end of the school day, unless supervised by a parent or staff member for a scheduled school activity. If there are any changes to dismissal arrangements, please contact the office or with a note to the teacher. MEDICATION AT SCHOOL: Please be advised that for reasons of safety, no child should bring any form of medication to school without prior approval from the office. The school will store and distribute necessary medication, if a Request Form (available in the office) has been filled out and signed by the parents/guardians; and when authorized by a physician; and when medication must be provided during school hours. Please note, all students who require Epi-pens and Inhalers (except those in kindergarten) are required to wear them during the school day. Please check with your local pharmacist for locations to purchase pouches for Epi-pens. Kiss N Ride Please note that it is extremely important that parents drive slowly and cautiously while on school grounds. The lane closest to the curb is for BUSSES ONLY. The Kiss N Ride lane is the middle lane. Please follow the procedures outlined below when using the Kiss N Ride lane: Drive your vehicle in this lane and proceed to the furthest point closest to the front doors of the school. STOP Child(ren) must exit your vehicle by the right hand side door(s) only Do not leave your vehicle unattended Drive to the end of the Kiss N Ride lane and cautiously proceed into the Drive-Thru lane once all children have left your vehicle Please note that vehicles in the Kiss N Ride lane should not be left unattended, as they could be ticketed. Please do not park in the Kiss N Ride Lanes and walk your child to their entry point. If you wish to walk your child, we request that you park your vehicle in the school parking lot or on the street, and escort your child. Cars parked in the Kiss N Ride create a very dangerous situation and also impede the flow of traffic. Eco News Our school Eco Team has been busy at work making posters and announcements about current events going on to keep our school green. Student monitors have been going to classes on Fridays as part of our Lights Out initiative. We are asking all classes to use natural light during the lunch hour to reduce the amount of energy our school consumes. We have also been collecting used batteries. If you have any at home, please send them to school and we will be happy to recycle them for you! We are also collecting and recycling any old markers, pens and mechanical pencils that are no longer of use. Feel free to send these in! Thank you for continuing to keep our school green! Dates to Remember Dec. 1 Black Creek Pioneer Village Gr. 3 Intermediate Boys Family Volleyball Tournament @ St. Gertrude Dec. 2 Pizza Day Swim To Survive Gr. 3 Dec. 4 Second Sunday of Advent Dec. 5 Lunch Moms Golf Lessons Gr. 7 & 8 Dec. 7 Golf Lessons Gr. 7 & 8 Dec. 8 Advent Mass @ St. Joseph Church 10:0 Dec. 9 Pizza Day Swim to Survive Gr. 3 Intermediate Girls Board Volleyball finals @ Father Michael Goetz S.S. 12 6 pm. Dec. 11 Third Sunday of Advent Dec. 12 Lunch Moms Dec. 14 Rosary Apostolates Dec. 15 Christmas Family Activities Evening 6:30 HPV and Hep. B Vaccines Dec. 16 Pizza Day Swim to Survive Gr. 3 Dec. 18 Fourth Sunday of Advent Dec. 19 Lunch Moms Santa Claus visits St. Gregory Dec. 21 School Advent Retreat Virtue Assembly p.m. Dec. 22 FDK. Christmas Celebration 2:30 Dec. 23 Last Day of Classes Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Dec. 25 Christmas Day Dec. 31 New Year s Eve Jan. 1 New Year s Day Jan. 9 First Day of Classes Lunch Moms Jan. 13 Pizza Day Jan. 16 Lunch Moms Jan. 18 Rosary Apostolates Jan. 19 Virtue Assembly Jan. 20 Pizza Day Jan. 23 P.A. Day Jan. 24 Kindergarten Registration 7:00 pm. Jan. 25-27 Kindergarten Registration 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Jan. 25 Graduation Photos Jan. 27 Pizza Day Jan. 30 Lunch Moms

STUDENT TRANSPORTATION OF PEEL REGION (STOPR) BUS CANCELLATIONS/SCHOOL CLOSING DUE TO BAD WEATHER 2016 2017 SCHOOL YEAR During the winter months inclement weather may cause disruption of bus transportation and regular school operations. A decision to cancel school transportation and/or to close schools is usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be announced on the following radio and television stations: VIRGIN RADIOFM99.9 CHUM AM1050 CFTR AM680 CFNY FM102.1/AM640 CJCL AM590 CHFI FM98.1 NEWSTALK1010 AM EZ ROCK FM97.3 CJBC (FR) AM860 FM Z103.5 FM93.1 FM Q107 CHIN FM100.7/AM1540 CBC99.1 CITYPULSE GLOBAL NEWS CTV BREAKFAST TELEVISION We will be communicating one of six standard messages to the radio stations. The six announcements and their effect on the transportation system are as follows: (Please note that the highlighted text only will be communicated by the radio stations). 1. THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES SERVING ST. ANDREW, ST. BENEDICT AND ST. PETER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND R.F. HALL SECONDARY SCHOOL ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY. 2. THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY. This means that ALL buses which operate into, out of, and within the Town of Caledon are cancelled for the entire day. 3. THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON AND THE COUNTY OF DUFFERIN ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY. This means that all runs listed under announcements #l and #2 are cancelled. Individual schools will be notified if this cancellation affects their school. 4. THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE CITY OF MISSISSAUGA ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY. This means that ALL buses which operate into, out of, and within the City of Mississauga are cancelled for the entire day. 5. ALL DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY. This means that ALL transportation services provided by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and the Peel District School Board, including buses, vans and taxis have been cancelled for the entire day. 6. ALL BUSES ARE CANCELLED AND THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ARE CLOSED. This means that ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and Peel District School board schools and offices are closed to all students and staff. Note: For Secondary School students Riding Public Transit, cancellation of service will be communicated by the respective transit property over the radio. Please be advised that Public Transit rarely cancels and that the level of service on days with inclement weather is unpredictable.