October Newsletter
St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic
Elementary School
430 Van Kirk Drive Brampton, ON L7A 0J2
Ph.: 905-846-0078 Fax: 905-846-9044
Board web site: www.dpcdsb.org
School web site: www.dpcdsb.org/bakhi
Thanksgiving Prayer
Father in Heaven, Creator of all and source of all goodness
and love, please look kindly upon us and receive our heartfelt
gratitude in this time of giving thanks.
Thank you for all the graces and blessings, You have
bestowed upon us, spiritual and temporal: our faith and
religious heritage. Our food and shelter, our health the loves
we have for one another, our family and friends.
Principal
S. Boulanger
Vice-Principal
G. Johnstone
Head Secretary
M.Misasi
Assistant Secretaries
M. Jaques
C. Ruggiero
Superintendent
S.Steer
905–890–1221
Trustee
D. D’Souza
905–890-1221
Dear Father, in Your infinite generosity, please grant us
continued graces and blessing throughout the coming year.
This we ask in Your name, Amen
Parish
Virtue of the Month- EMPATHY
A person of Empathy;









Can understand and name
their feelings
Care about others’ feelings
Listen Carefully to others
Listen for clues in tone of voice
Watch expressions and body
gestures for messages
Notice when someone is upset
Can see and respect how others look at things
Know that others may feel differently about things than they do
Respond generously to help others
St. Leonard’s Parish
187 Conestoga Drive
Brampton
Ontario, Canada
L6Z 3X8
(905) 846 – 5385
Page 1 of 11
Together in Faith
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board includes the teaching of
religion, family life, the practice of prayer and worship, and the presence
of Gospel values in the curriculum and daily life in the schools. Schools
have strong links to parishes and assist parishes with sacramental
preparation. Parish staff conduct liturgies and provide other services
within the schools. The Catholic school system maintains strong links
between the home, school and church, and parental participation in the
education of students is highly encouraged. These links provide for a
natural reinforcement and development of Christian values in the
Catholic tradition.
Taken from Our Story. Our Tradition, Our Journey.
Sacramental Dates
Grade 2
Holy Communion/Reconciliation Enrollment
Friday September 25th at 7pm
First Reconciliation
Wednesday, January 13th @ 10 am
First Communion Celebration
Saturday April 16 at 7pm
Grade 7 and 8
Conformation Enrollment
October 17th and 18th at all of the Masses
Confirmation
Grade 8 Confirmation is on March 31st @ 7pm
Grade 7 Confirmation is on April 27th @ 7pm
If you have any questions, please see the parish office or your child’s teacher.
Allergy Awareness
Our school is a “nut free” environment as there are a number of students at St.
Josephine Bakhita School that have a severe life
threatening allergy to nuts. It is therefore imperative
that families refrain from sending to school any foods
that contains nut products, eg. Peanut butter, Nutella,
snacks with nuts or any product that has “may contain
traces of nuts” on the label.
Due to the severity of allergies within our school, we
ask that parents not send in any baked goods to share with classmates, not even
during special occasions such as birthdays or Hallowe’en. Non-food items are
encouraged, such as stickers, pencils, etc. We will not be permitting any food
items to be brought into a classroom to share.
Opening Mass
We will be celebrating our opening
Mass on October 8th at 1:30 pm in
the gymnasium for the Gr. 4-8
students. The Primary students
will meet with Father for a liturgy
of the word at 2:40 pm. All are
welcome to attend.
Progress Report
The Progress Report Card will be
sent home on November 17, 2015.
This report shows a student’s
development of the learning skills
and work habits, and general
progress in working towards the
achievement of the curriculum.
Two Elementary Provincial Report
Cards will be issued later in the
school year, one between January
and February for Term One, and
another towards the end of June
for Term Two.
Page 2 of 11
School Procedures
Be Safe! Arrive on Time!
The Ministry of Education states that it is the responsibility of each parent to
ensure that his/her child “be in attendance at all classes and scheduled
activities on time and with the proper materials required for full participation.
At St. Josephine Bakhita School, we endeavor to teach children to be on time
for their scheduled classes.
The school bell rings at 9:15 am. Any student arriving after the bell is
considered late.
Your child’s lateness affects not only their academic program but also disrupts
the class. Regular attendance on the part of the student is vital to the process
of learning. Students who are late for class suffer in the evaluation process
because their participation and achievement are affected. Please help us to
work together and ensure that your child/ren are arriving to class on time each
day.
Kiss and Ride
Thank you to those parents who are using the Kiss and
Ride program. We appreciate your cooperation and the
care you take as you are dropping off your children.
Parents who are dropping Kindergarten children will be
allowed to park at the south parking lot only. Please no
parking or drop off at the front of the school. This is a bus
zone only and it is an emergency vehicle area.
A few reminders when using Kiss and Ride please:
 Drop your child off at the sidewalk
 Be patient with other cars as they drop off students. Some are younger
students and require more time.
 Drive slowly on school property at all times.
 Pull up as close to vehicle in front to accommodate other parents.
 When pulling out to drive by other stopped cars, proceed with caution.
 Please do not leave your vehicle unattended to walk your child to the
school yard. If you wish to walk your child, find a parking spot and that
may be off school property.
 Students must disembark on the sidewalk side, if you have a child seat
on the wrong side please consider moving it to accommodate safety in
the future.
On September 29th, 2015 the staff of St. Josephine Bakhita was out on Kiss ‘n Ride
conducting an ‘Information Blitz’ to inform parents of safety procedures and
protocols when using the Kiss ‘n Ride.
Visitors to the School
We would like to thank all of our
parents and other visitors to the
school
for
respecting
the
designated waiting areas outside
your child’s exit door. In the event
you have an appointment or are
volunteering, please be reminded
that all visitors to the school are to
report to the office, sign in and wear
a visitor’s sticker. This helps to
ensure the safety and security of all
students.
Scent Awareness
While the Board does not have a
formal Scent Awareness Policy we
ask for your co-operation. As you
can appreciate there are children
and adults who are sensitive and
may be allergic to scents and
fragrances. It would be appreciated
if students and parents could
reduce their use of these strongly
scented perfume and deodorant
type products in the school building.
Thanks.
Page 3 of 11
School Procedures Continued…
Safe Dismissal Policy 502.16 (June 1999; Revised January 2014)
As part of the safe dismissal process, the school will maintain a log for signing
students out before the end of the instructional day. The log will identify the
person signing the student out as well as the date, time and the reason. Written
documentation, authenticated by the date and parent/guardian signature must
be provided if parent/guardian is not present to sign student out.
No verbal/over the phone permission to be taken in order to allow students to
leave the school grounds. Parents will need to fax a letter to the school in
order to grant permission. In an emergency situation, administration will liaise
with parents. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!
Crossing Guards
Crossing Guards are employees of
the City of Brampton. Please
follow these safety guidelines
below:
Transportation 2015-2016
Transportation is provided to students who meet the guidelines as follows:
Kindergarten and Grade one students who live 1.0 km from the school, Grades 24 who live 1.6 km from school, Grade 5-8 students who live 2.0 km from school.
Please visit the following website to determine bussing eligibility for your children.
www.stopr.ca. There are a number of features on that website, the most important
being “Am I Eligible for Transportation?”. Should you find that your child is eligible
for transportation, route information will be posted on the site, as well as at the
front of the school.
Courtesy Seating
1. Crossing Guards are
responsible for crossing
student and anyone else of
any age, while on duty.
2. Please wait until the crossing
guard signals you to enter the
crosswalk. The guard will
ensure that traffic has come to
a complete stop.
Drivers should wait until the guard
has finished crossing the students
and both the crossing guard and
the students are safely on the
sidewalk before proceeding
through the intersection.
We are be informing students who are eligible for courtesy seats prior to
the end of October.
Page 4 of 11
Communication
Open communication between home and school is very important.
Although we will be reporting to you formally during the year, please do
not hesitate to contact us at any time if you have questions or concerns.
A phone call at the onset of a concern usually resolves itself before it
becomes a problem. On our part, if we have any concerns about your
child, we will also contact you at the earliest opportunity. Please use your
child’s agenda to maintain communication with the teacher. If you wish to
meet with a teacher please phone the school for an appointment. Thank
you!
Students Leaving for
Lunch
Lunch Policy
Please be reminded that the lunch hour is from 12:16 p.m. – 1:16 p.m.
Where children stay for lunch, they will eat with their classmates and
Students eat lunch daily from 12:16 p.m. until 1:16 p.m.
Students in Grades 1 through 4 will eat lunch from 12:16 pm until
12:36 pm. Students in Grades 5 to 8 will eat lunch from 12:56 pm
until 1:16 pm. If you are delivering your child’s lunch to school, please
do so between 12:00 p.m. and 12:15 p.m. When lunches are delivered
late, it reduces the amount of time that students have to eat. Please also
write your child’s name on his/her lunch bag and place it on the table by
front entrance. Thank you for your support.
Community Corner
Candy Drive for Dr. Simone
The students of St. Josephine Bakhita can continue to display their
Catholic values by participating in a Candy Donation Drive with Dr.
Simone’s Canadian Food for Children Organization. Our drive will take
place from November 1, 2015 to November 15, 2015. We will be asking
our staff and students to donate any excess or leftover candy to this
drive.
For safety reasons, if a student
is going home for lunch, a
written request signed
and dated in your child’s
agenda or a separate
note from you is required for
each occurrence. Unless you
have indicated that your child
goes home every day.
Terry Fox Walk
On Wednesday,
September 30th,
Students at St. Josephine
Bakhita participated in the
annual Terry Fox Walk. Primary
students walked around the
school yard, while junior and
intermediate students walked
through the neighborhood.
Thank you to Ms. Waters and
Ms. Boudreau for organizing
this event.
Page 5 of 11
FRENCH HOMEWORK HELP
Voilà Learning is excited to be able to offer the Online Homework Help in French free of charge to ALL students
registered in the Dufferin Peel District School Board. This is a FREE Online Homework Help in French available Monday
to Thursday from 5-8 p.m. http://voilalearning.com/en/schoolboard/
Halloween Activities
On Friday, October 30, students are invited to celebrate Halloween by wearing
their costumes. No props or face masks are allowed. All costumes should be
appropriate to the moral tone of our Catholic school.
Individual classes will communicate with parents about any special Halloween
activities planned. Please remember many of our students have life threatening
allergies to nuts, nut byproducts, and other allergens. No treats will be allowed
into the classrooms. If you are considering sending treats to school with your child to share with their class, it is
recommended that non-edible items be sent instead (i.e. stickers, etc.). Thank you for keeping our students safe.
Trick or Treating Safety
We hope that all of your ghost and goblins go trick or treating safely on Hallowe’en night. To keep students safe, we ask
that all our younger trick or treaters are with an adult. Students should walk from house to house and then cross the
road at an appropriate intersection, and not running or darting across the road. It is also a good idea for trick or treaters
to bring a flashlight with them. Lastly, we encourage students to eat their treats at home with adult supervision.
St. Leonard Children’s Choir
If your children enjoy singing consider having them join the children's choir at St. Leonard church. All school-age
children are welcome to join. They sing at 5:00 mass every other Saturday and their practices are at 4:15 on those
Saturdays. The October choir dates are: October 10th and 24th (practice at 4:15 and Mass at 5:00).
Page 6 of 11
Clubs, Teams and Sports News
Intermediate Girls Soccer Team
The Intermediate Girls Soccer team competed at the Brampton West
Tournament on September 28, 2015, and came away undefeated with 5 shutouts! We would like to thank the coaches Mr. Mintz and Mr. Basciano for their
time and effort in preparing the team.
Intermediate Boys Soccer Team
The Intermediate Boys Soccer Team led by Mr. Pacheco and Mr. Abbas
competed at the Brampton West Tournament on September 29, 2015, where
they made it all the way to the quarter finals! We would like to thank the
coaches for their time and effort in preparing the team for an exciting day.
Cross Country Team
Our Cross Country team has been training hard for their Cross Country run on
October 14th, 2015 at Chincagousy Park. Thank you to Mrs. Bartucci and Mr.
Bartucci for their time and effort in coaching these runners.
Junior Boys and Girls Volleyball Teams
The Junior boys and girls volleyball teams are just getting underway, we wish
them luck in their tournaments on October 15th for the boys and October 16th
for the girls.
Parent Corner
Thanksgiving Food Drive
The annual Thanksgiving Food Drive is underway. This year we are donating food
to the Food Bank. Thank you to Ms. Spadafora for organizing the collection of
canned foods for needy families in our community. We will be accepting donations
until October 7, 2015.
Picture Re-take
Picture Retake will take place
on October 29th, 2015. If you
would like to retake a picture,
or if you missed the original
picture date, please notify your
classroom teacher.
Terry Fox Run
On Friday, September 30th,
students, staff and parents
enthusiastically participated in
our annual Terry Fox Walk/Run.
A final tally of donations is still
being calculated as additional
pledges trickle in. A huge thank
you to everyone!! Special
thanks to Ms. Waters and Ms.
Boudreau for co-ordinating this
initiative.
Catholic School Council
On September 23rd, 2015 we had our initial Catholic School Council meeting in
which the new executive was elected:
Co-Chairs
Crystal Gonzales & Lori Toon
Page 7 of 11
Treasurer
Secretary
OAPCE
Parents at Large
Staff Representative
Non-Teaching Rep.
Anna Rosa Risi
David Corbett
Samantha Francis
Joyce DeSousa, Janet Amiel, Erica Belloumini
Tanoon Fraser
Ms. Hanna
Ms. Bonifero
From your Catholic School Council
Your 2015-2016 school council is already hard at work. Here are just a few of the initiatives that this dedicated and
enthusiastic team of parents has started working on:
- Parent Lending Library: We have used the Parents Reaching Out grant to purchase over 50 books that will be
available for parents and guardians to borrow starting in October 2015. Check the school website in October for more
information.
- Movie Night, June 2016: Planning for our much-loved annual school event is already underway.
- 2015-2016 Fundraising plans: A sub-committee is reviewing fundraising options to help fund school programs and
initiatives such as Girls and Boys Night In, 2015/2016 Student Agendas and Math Manipulatives for the Junior
classrooms to name a few.
There are still two openings for parents representatives on the school council. If you would like to join us in service of
the school community and our students, please talk to Mr. Boulanger or Mrs. Johnstone.
Even if you are not able to join the council your input is always welcome. You can contact us at
bakhitacouncil2011@gmail.com, speak with one of the council members or come out to a council meeting - the next
one is October 28th at 6:30pm in the school library. We look forward to hearing from you!
Bakhita Community you did an amazing job last year helping us collect Milk Bags. Our goal was 1600 bags and we
surpassed that goal by collecting over 2000 bags. This year we will be continuing to collect Milk Bags and we are
expanding the program to include teaching the students how to crochet or weave the bags into mats and then donated
to different outreach programs. Our goal this year is to collect 2400 milk bags which would be converted into 6 adult
size mats. For those of you “new” to the Milk Bag program, milk bag mats offer people without beds, an invaluable,
durable and washable alternative to sleeping on the often cold and damp ground. It takes approximately 400 milk bags
to make an adult sized mat. The milk bags used are the ones that hold the three smaller bags of milk. The bags are cut
into strips, tied together, and then woven or crocheted into mats. These bags are very strong and have a life span of 25
years.
Thank you for all of your support. Bags are to be sent to your students’ classroom.
Page 8 of 11
Pupil Accommodation Review Policy Public Consultation
The Ministry of Education released the new Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline (PARG) in
March 2015. This guideline sets expectations for all school boards on managing and reviewing
underutilized school space, including potential school closures, and for the greater coordination
and sharing of planning related information between school boards and other community
partners.
The guideline requires all school boards in the province to develop or revise Pupil Accommodation
Review Policies and to invite public input into the policy before it is finalized.
A survey to collect feedback on the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s draft amended
Policy 6.51 Pupil Accommodation Review will be available for review and comment on the
Board’s website at www.dpcdsb.org until 4:30 pm on Friday, October 16, 2015. Supporting
documents will also be available for reference and review. Please consider reviewing and
providing input on this policy.
October 3
October 5
October 8
October 14
October 15
October 16
October 17 & 18
October 28
October 29
October 30
October 31
November 1
November 2
First Communion Enrolment @ 9:30 am
World Teacher’s Day
Opening Mass @ 1:30pm (Gr. 4-8); 2:40 (JK-3)
DECE Appreciation Day
Cross Country Run @ Chincagousy Park
Jr. Boys Volleyball Tournament
Jr. Girls Volleyball Tournament
Confirmation Enrollment for Gr. 7&8’s at all Masses
St. Edmund Campion Career Path Open House
Catholic School council meeting @ 6:30
Photo Re-Takes
Halloween (students able to wear costumes)
Happy Halloween
All Saints Day
All Souls Day
Page 9 of 11
St. Josephine Bakhita’s Halloween Candy Drive for Dr.
Simone
Monday October 26, 2015
The students of St. Josephine Bakhita can continue to display their Catholic values by participating in a
Candy Donation Drive with Dr. Simone’s Canadian Food for Children Organization. Our drive will take place
from November 1, 2015 to November 15, 2015. We will be asking our staff and students to donate any
excess or leftover candy to this drive.
Canadian Food for Children (CFFC) is an organization of volunteers who gather food and supplies to send
to the poor throughout the world. Each year around Halloween, this organization has a candy drive. The
candy drive is used to aid malnourished children. These children are so malnourished and often dehydrated
that they cannot eat even when offered food. The sugar in candy stimulates their appetites and saliva which
is necessary for these starving children to start eating again. It only takes one piece of candy. He also
reminds us that most of these children have never tasted candy, and that we can bring a moment of joy to
another child’s life through our donations. What a great way to share some of the pounds of excess candy
in our homes after Halloween!
CFFC was started in 1985 by Toronto natives, Dr. Andrew Simone and his wife, Joan. They have been
awarded the Order of Canada for their work. In one year Dr. Andrew Simone and his charity shipped
8,273,000 pounds of goods. New and recycled clothing, non-perishable food, medicine and school supplies
were sent to 22 developing countries such as Sierra Leone and the Philippines.
Dr. Simone and his wife Joan have an amazing story. They have raised 27 children and sacrificed their own
comfort for those less fortunate. In the 1980’s they met Mother Teresa and discovered their true purpose in
life and started Canadian Food for Children based on the premise there were busy people who had great
items to donate. CFFC is also run totally using volunteers. All of CFFC’s operations are financed by
donations. They do not do any fundraising, projects or appeals.
Thank you to our Youth Faith Ambassadors for their dedication and service in support of such a worthy
cause and for helping to organize this event. Boxes for candy collection will be set up in the front foyer of
the school. Please be generous and donate your Halloween Candies to those in need.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Spadafora
Page 10 of 11
INFORMATION LETTER
Partnering for Change
Dear Parents/Guardians:
At Dufferin‐Peel Catholic District School Board, we believe that we are called to create a Catholic learning and working
environment that is safe, caring, inclusive, and welcoming. Together with Central West Community Care Access Centre
(CW CCAC), the Dufferin‐Peel community is continuing with a model of support for students that began last year. The
integrated occupational therapist (OT) model of support was developed and studied by CanChild, a research centre at
McMaster University. This model provides educational opportunities for our teachers to learn more about how children
develop motor skills and how they can promote motor skill development through classroom activities. In this model, the
OT works in the school with select students. She assists teachers, where appropriate, in learning more about motor
development in all children and how to help children who may be having difficulty with some motor skills.
OTs are health professionals who work with children in many different settings and who have an expertise in fine and
gross motor skill development. Fine motor skills are related to tasks such as printing and writing, cutting with scissors,
opening juice boxes and doing up zippers. Gross motor skills include activities like jumping, getting onto the school bus,
climbing stairs and running.
As you may know, the school has a team of staff (resource teachers, support staff) who work with educators to help
students achieve their greatest potential. The OT will be part of the school team process and will be in the school on a
scheduled basis. She will spend time in our classrooms, gym, and playground. She will observe children and work with
school staff to offer instructional methods that may make it easier for children to learn and engage in motor‐based
activities. If the OT feels that your child is continuing to have difficulty learning new motor skills, more than is typical for
his/her age, she or another member of the school team will contact you.
The OT will be spending much of his/her time in kindergarten and primary classrooms supporting the many activities
children do at this age to help develop their motor skills. The OT will be working at the school with the broader school
team and will be available to teachers to provide support as needed. She/he will work with teachers to share useful
information and ideas that support student learning. Educational sessions will be offered for parents as well – watch our
school newsletter for details.
We hope that you will introduce yourself to the OT when you are in the school to attend a parent function or to visit your
child's classroom. If you have concerns about your child’s ability to do motor‐based activities at home, feel free to let the
OT know. If you have any questions about this project, please talk with your child’s principal. You may also contact Susan
Wynes at CW CCAC, at 905‐796‐0040 ext. 2333.
Page 11 of 11