NEW! - Bullying Prevention & Wellness Symposium June 1, 2013
WHEN: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: St. Francis Xavier Secondary School, 50 Bristol Road West, Mississauga
KEYNOTE: Dr. Debra Pepler,
Research Professor of Psychology at York University and a Senior Adjunct Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children Symposium Brochure (PDF)
Please register at: http://osca.ca/en/events/keydates/dpcdsb
Notice to parents/guardians and community members
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
Public Budget Consultation Opportunities
Regarding the Board’s 2013-14 Operating BudgetThe Dufferin‐Peel Catholic District School Board is providing multiple options this year for parents/guardians and other community stakeholders to provide input regarding the board’s 2013‐14 operating budget. Options include:
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Providing written input through the board website at www.dpcdsb.org. Comments received through this channel will be considered as part of the overall budget deliberations.
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Making a five‐minute presentation to trustees through the delegation process at the May 13 Administration and Finance Committee meeting or the May 28 board meeting. Normal protocols and timelines for registering to delegate apply. Delegates must register and provide copies of their presentation to the board at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting date. Each presenter will have a maximum of five (5) minutes to make their presentation. To register to delegate, call (905) 890‐0708, ext. 24433.
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Parents/guardians and community members may also provide input through their local Catholic school trustee.
An outline of current issues and budget pressures is available on the board website at www.dpcdsb.org. Interested parties are encouraged to read the outline prior to delegating or providing a written submission.
If you have any questions, please contact our Communications & Community Relations Department at
(905) 890‐0708, ext. 24278 or 24466.
2013-2014 Budget Consultation Meeting- Parent Letter
Gonzaga Poverty Summit: A Rich Opportunity to Raise Awareness
On Thursday, March 21st, St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School held its first Gonzaga Poverty Summit. The day was focused on increasing awareness about material and spiritual poverty in the Region of Peel. Over one hundred students from Dufferin-Peel’s secondary schools attended this full day event and learned about the causes and effects of both material and spiritual poverty. The day was inspired by Mother Teresa’s observation of western society: “The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty – it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There’s a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.” Staff and students from various secondary schools were welcomed by Patrick Marcolla, Chaplain at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary. Vice-Principal Rosina Ariganello addressed the group: “You are part of a group of students who are involved in social justice initiatives, and this event will help you gain further insight about the material and spiritual poverty that is present in our own community”.
The morning focused on material poverty with the keynote speaker, Mississauga Citizen of the Year, Edna Toth, Director of Peel Poverty Action Group. Along with Edna Toth, Glenn Harvey spoke about his struggle with material and spiritual poverty for much of his life. He inspired students to a call of action with his story about hardship and his recovery efforts which were met by a loud applause by students.
The afternoon session focused on the absence of faith and spirituality in the lives of many. Father Ed Keayes, Chaplain of the Good Shepherd Centre in Toronto, in his keynote address, told students “there is a lot of religion in the world, but there is not a lot of faith”. He spoke further about the importance of faith for those in times of need and the hunger we all have for a loving relationship with God.
In the spirit of giving and a goal of helping to eliminate poverty, donations will be made to ShareLife and all other organizations represented at the event. Patrick Marcolla, lead organizer of the Gonzaga Poverty Summit, says “the Summit was a wonderful opportunity for students to see the plight of the poor through the eyes of those working most closely with the marginalized of our society; that is, they saw the poor through the eyes of Jesus. It is our hope that these students will in turn be Jesus for the materially and spiritually poor among their own communities.”
Gonzaga Wins Gold!
In the academic year of 2011/12, St. Aloysius Gonzaga proudly achieved ‘Gold’ certification due to the many efforts of students, staff and parents in making our school community eco-friendly. Ontario EcoSchools is an environmental education and certification program for grades K-12 that helps school communities develop both ecological literacy and environmental practices to become environmentally responsible citizens and reduce the ecological footprint of schools. The key areas of achievement are: Teamwork & Leadership, Energy Conservation, Waste Minimization, School Ground Greening, Curriculum and Environmental Stewardship.
Well done Gonzaga! Let's continue to work hard to keep our school "green" this year!
Student Accident Insurance
Important notice to parents, guardians regarding insurance for students who participate in out-of-school excursions and extra-curricular sports activities.
Effective September 2012 the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board requires that parents, guardians and adult students provide written acknowledgment that they have received information regarding Student Accident Insurance especially for those students participating in out-of-school excursions and/or extra-curricular sports activities.
Although the Board takes every precaution to provide a safe learning environment for students, accidents can and do happen. Some accidental injuries result in medical, dental and/or other expenses that are not covered by the provincial health care or employer group plans. As the parent, guardian or adult student you become responsible for these expenses. Some families have private accident insurance which is able to respond to costs arising from injuries however many families do not.
Under the Education Act, an Ontario school board may “provide, by contract with an insurer under the Insurance Act, accident and life insurance for pupils, the cost of which is to be paid on a voluntary basis by the parents or guardians. R.S.O. 1990, c.E.2, s.176, par.4.”
As required under the Education Act, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board arranges for the distribution of student accident insurance brochures (i.e., ‘insuremykids’). However, please be advised that the Board assumes no responsibility for the cost of the plan, applications, premium payments or claims; nor does the Board receive any remuneration from the Reliable Life Insurance Company. Furthermore, the Board does not and cannot insure students.
Student Accident Insurance Form
Parent Letter-Student Accident Insurance
Child in Need of Protection
Dear Parents and Guardians:
On April 2000, the Child and Family Services Act was amended and a new law came into effect concerning our obligation to report concerns about children who may be “In need of protection”. As is the Board’s practice, we will continue our duty to ensure your child’s safety this year.
Within our school system, every person who has reason to believe that a child is or may be abused or neglected must report his/her suspicions directly to the Children’s Aid Society.
Please read the attached letter for more information.
Child in Need of Protection
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news and information, follow us 
@DPCDSBSchools.
TRANSPORTATION:
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 RADIO FM99.9
CHUM AM1050
CFTR AM680
CFNY FM102.1
AM640
CJCL AM590
CHFI FM98.1
CFRB AM1010
EZ ROCK FM97.3
CJBC (FR) AM860
FM Z103.5
FM93.1
FM Q107
CHIN FM100.7
AM1540
CBC99.1
CITYPULSE
GLOBAL NEWS
CTV
Bus Cancellations during Inclement Weather
Information for parents regarding School start up procedures for transportation:
Ø Schools will be able to access their runs from GeoQuery effective Friday, August 24th, 2012. Parents can access student transportation information on Monday, August 27th, 2012. Schools and parents can access this information at businfo.stopr.ca or www.stopr.ca.
Ø Please be aware that during September and early October, STOPR priorities are eligible students requiring transportation service, bus overloads, and route timing adjustments.
Ø Requests for additional or adjusted bus stop locations, route adjustments, and challenges to eligibility status will not be addressed until late October.
Ø Courtesy transportation (with the exception of special education vehicles), which is assignment of ineligible students to available empty seats on buses, will not be initiated prior to October 3rd. No exceptions. Schools are encouraged to collect the request forms from parents throughout September.
Ø All transported primary protocol students are required to be met by a parent/caregiver when disembarking from their bus on their return trip from school.
Ø If a child is no longer taking the bus, please make sure you fill out TFL005 in the STOPR School Forms and submit to Transportation.
Ø If you have a special education student that has left the school, please email TransSpeced@dpcdsb.org as we do not download special education student data from Trillium or SIS.
Ø If you are a receiving school for CAP students, please make sure you notify Transportation that these students are attending your school if they require transportation.
Contacting STOPR
Internet:
www.stopr.ca. This website provides up to date delay and inclement weather cancellation information in addition to policy, procedures and frequently asked questions.
Businfo.stopr.ca. This website allows parents to access information specific to “what school do I attend” and “am I eligible for transportation”. This site also provides parents access to specific bus stop location and pick up and drop off times for their children if eligible for transportation.
Telephone:
Transportation East (areas generally east of Highway 10) 905-890-6000
Transportation West (areas generally west of Highway 10) 905-890-0614
Special Education Transportation 905-890-6362
Toll free 1-800-668-1140
STOPR Administration 905 890-0708 ext. 23220
Geoquery Website - http://businfo.stopr.ca
This website also allows parents to login and find their child’s transportation information by following these instructions:
· type in the website address: businfo.stopr.ca
· click “student login”
· enter your child’s OEN number, street/house number, school and grade
· click “login”
This will automatically display the child’s transportation information, if they are eligible.
This capability for “student login” will be available for parents starting the second last week of August until the end of June each year. This feature will be locked down during the summer for route planning purposes.
Additional features of this website are, School Information, Which School Do I Attend and Transportation Eligibility and Delays and Cancellations
STOPR: STUDENT TRANSPORTATION OF PEEL REGION
For information regarding student transportation services, bus stop locations and time details please visit http://www.stopr.ca/Pages/default.aspx