ST. BRIGID CATHOLIC SCHOOL
“Live
Love
Learn
Light”
PRAYER FOR THANKSGIVING
L.Kazimowicz…..Superintendent
905-890-1221
A. DaSilva…. ………..…Trustee
905-890-0708
ext. 20154
V. Pugliese ……………Principal
C. Bianchi ……….........Secretary
C. Dye…....School Council Chair
905-796-0037
PARISH
St. Jerome
8530 Chinguacousy Road
Brampton, Ontario
L6Y 5G4
Tel: 905-455-4260
Fax: 905-450-6326
Pastor
Fr. J. Kolodynski
School Hours
Start:
Recess:
Lunch:
Recess :
Dismissal:
8:50
11:00 – 11:15
11:55 – 12:55
2:20 – 2:35
3:20
O God of Love,
We thank you
For what you have given us to enjoy;
For healthy minds and bodies,
For love,
For family,
For friendship;
For every gift of happiness.
We praise you
For those that help us
By their example
And encouragement.
Help us to remember the hungry,
The sick
and the friendless.
May we use the gifts
That you have given us
To serve others in your name.
Rekindle in the hearts of all people
The longing for peace
And the courage to build it into our lives.
Amen.
Thanksgiving Day
Please note that Monday October 8th is Thanksgiving Day. As such, there will be
no school for students and teachers on that day.
Principal’s Message
It is hard to believe that we are already into the
second month of school. Our students have made
wonderful adjustments to their new classes and seem to be
thriving in their school work. I would specifically like to
acknowledge the students for their wonderful behaviour
during our first month of school.
I would like to thank all those parents who were able to
take the time to come out to the school for our annual
Curriculum Night/Open House. It was nice to see so many
families in attendance. I really believe this sends an
important message to all children about how much school
and education mean to you. Here at St. Brigid School, we
are always trying to find ways of further strengthening the
important relationship between the home and the school.
Open communication and dialogue are critical factors.
With Thanksgiving weekend just around the corner, it is
appropriate that we take time to reflect and give thanks for
the many gifts that God has placed in our lives. Let us not
forget to appreciate:
 the many staff, students and parents involved in
ensuring the school year started successfully;
 our volunteers, staff coaches/leaders and all other
persons who give unselfishly of their time to
children and are sometimes taken for granted;
 our families and friends without whom there
would be no true celebration.
Let us also remember to be thankful for all the little things
in our lives. Often large issues consume us and the little
pleasures and treasures are forgotten. It is in the little
things that God‘s graces are often revealed. On behalf of
the staff of St. Brigid School, we hope that each and every
member of our school community has a truly wonderful
Thanksgiving.
V. Pugliese
Thanksgiving Food Drive
As is the tradition here at St. Brigid, we are
once again in the midst of our annual
Thanksgiving Food Drive. Thanksgiving 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. We will continue to
collect food items until Thursday October 4th. Collected
food items will be delivered to the St. Louise Outreach
Centre in time for the Thanksgiving long weekend. It is
important for all of us to be grateful for all we have and to
show this by aiding those less fortunate. Many families
will benefit from your generosity. We thank you.
We also want to thank the school Diversity Team, who
have organized and promoted this important event in order
to feed the hungry.
Virtue of the Month
Empathy
During the month of October, we will be
focusing on empathy. God has given us
the ability to form connections with each
other—to live together. Empathy helps
us to connect and live together in safe,
caring, inclusive communities.
We
understand empathy to mean the ability
to identify with and feel other people‘s
concern. We believe that in a faith
community we are nothing without
relationships. Relationships that grow in
a spirit of communion– an understanding
that we share an identity based on being
created in the image and likeness of God
and being imbued with one Spirit. An
empathetic person believes that we all
share one Spirit; that we are many parts
of one body because we are all created
in the image and likeness of God.
An empathetic person:
 Listens attentively
 Watches people’s body language
 Notices and responds when
someone is upset
 Can name her/his feelings
 Can see a situation from another
person’s point of view
 Knows that different people may
feel differently about the same
thing
Terry Fox Run
A big thank you to parents, students and staff for your
active involvement in making our Terry Fox fundraising
effort on Thursday, September 27th such a great success!
We are thrilled with the response of our community to
such a worthwhile event. It was truly an inspirational day
for all as we joined together as a school community to
support this very worthy cause.
Catholic School Council News
Thank you to all the members of the 2011-2012 Catholic
School Council. Your hard work and dedication to St.
Brigid School was truly appreciated by all the staff and
students. Our next School Council meeting will be on
Monday October 15th, at 7:00 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. We want to thank and
congratulate the following parents and staff that make up
the new Catholic School Council:
Chairperson:
C. Dye
Vice Chairperson:
D. Robinson - Ludford
Treasurer:
K. Traversa
Secretary:
S. Davis - Parsons
Parish Rep:
M. Naranj0
Teaching Rep:
K. Duliunas
Non-teaching Rep: K. Italiano
Chocolate Bar Fundraiser
Under the direction of our Catholic School Council, our
school fundraiser began September 25th, with a very
enthusiastic Kick-off Assembly. Students have been
busily selling their chocolates to their family and friends.
We will continue with our fundraiser until Tuesday
October 9th. Please ensure all money/chocolates
are returned to the school by that date.
Many thanks to our Fundraising Committee, for all
their hard work in organizing this event. We also
want to thank our students and their parents for their work,
and the many volunteers who have given up their time in
support of this fundraiser. The money raised will be used
to enhance St. Brigid School.
Customer Rebate Program
Don‘t forget to keep bringing in your Swiss Chalet receipts
from the Swiss Chalet on Financial Drive. Swiss Chalet
(Financial Drive location) will give us a cheque for 10% of
our school‘s total purchases before tax. All you have to do
is remember to send in your receipt!
Tuesday October 30th is our first Mr. Sub Day.
Individually packaged 6‖ subs, drink and snack will be
delivered for students that ordered Mr. Sub sandwiches.
All subs are compliant with the new Ministry of Education
Food Guidelines and will be prepared and delivered fresh
to the schools. The following will also be Sub days:
 Tuesday November 27th
 Tuesday December 18th
 Tuesday January 29th
Pizza Days
The Catholic School Council Pizza Committee will be
offering pizza one Friday a month for this school year
from Pizza Pizza. The following will be pizza days for
2012:
 Friday October 26th
 Friday November 30th
 Friday December 14th
Again, we will be offering Chocolate Milk and a snack
with the pizza.
A few reminders:
 Please remember to put names on pizza order form
 Please provide exact change as we will not be
providing change
 Please check your math to ensure the correct
amount of money is given for the order
 Please fill out one pizza form for each child you
have, please do not fill out one form for 2 or 3
children as we do not know who gets what
 In the event that your pizza order form is lost, you
can get another one from Mrs. Bianchi as she has
extra copies
Halloween
We will be celebrating Halloween at school
with our students. Our celebration will take
place on Wednesday October 31st, for students
from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. Students
may bring a costume to wear or display on Halloween.
We ask for your support in ensuring that costumes either
worn or brought to school are appropriate. For safety
reasons, masks are not to be brought or worn at school.
Also, please do not send replica weapons to school. The
length of some costumes can also be an issue. If they are
too long they may cause your child to trip on the stairs.
We ask that students refrain from wearing costumes that
are frightening or inappropriate in a school setting.
Younger children frighten easily and we want this day to
be a happy day for them. All students must check
with their classroom teacher for appropriateness of
their costume.
SCHOOL WEBSITE
Check out our school web
site. Access the site through
the School Board‘s website
at
http://www.dpcdsb.org/cec
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.
Picture Retake Day
Pictures retakes will take place on Thursday, November
8th. If your child was not at school on Picture Day, they
will have their individual pictures take on November 8 th.
Also, if you were not satisfied with the
pictures taken on Picture day, you may have
your child‘s pictures retaken.
Please note, all students who require Epi-pens (except
those in kindergarten) will be required to wear them
during the school day.
Scholastic Book Fair
Get ready, get set, Read!!! “Every Reader is a Star” is the
theme of this year’s Book Fair. It will take place in the St.
Brigid School Library from Tuesday November 6, 2012 to
Thursday November 8, 2012. Our Special Family Event
Evening will be held on Parent-Teacher Interview Night,
Thursday November 8, from 3:30-5:00 p.m. and 6:00-8:00
p.m. What a great way to start of the new school year and
get your Christmas shopping done early. Last year the
money raised from the fair allowed us to purchase new
books for the library and the children were super excited.
Your support and enthusiasm for this school fundraiser in
the past has been wonderful and we hope you can once
again join us and participate in the Scholastic Book Fair
and spread the news that “Every Reader is a Star!”
End of the Day Parking
Dismissal time is a very busy time of day and the safety of
our students must be our number one priority. As such,
please be aware that at the end of the school day pylons are
placed at the entrance of the school driveway. This is done
to prevent vehicles from driving on school grounds while
students are exiting the school grounds. The gates at the
parking lot are also closed at this time, and will not be
opened until our students and busses have left school
grounds. If you are parked in the parking lot, we ask that
you respect our policy and wait until our gates are opened
by a staff supervisor. Also, please be aware that our drive
way is one way, with the entrance at the east end of the
school. Please do not enter the school grounds through the
exit drive at the west end. We thank you for your
cooperation.
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.
STOP
Child(ren) must exit and enter your vehicle by the
right hand side door(s)
Drive to the end of the Kiss ‗N Ride lane and
cautiously proceed into the Drive-Thru lane
Do not park in the Kiss ‗N Ride lane. If you need to
enter the school, please park your vehicle in the
school parking lot
Please to not park in the Bus Lane, as City of
Brampton Parking Control may ticket violators
You
may
go
to
www.stopr.ca for daily
bus cancellations or delays.
ATTENDANCE
VERIFICATION
905-454-0316 PRESS 1
Operation Christmas Child
In past years, the staff and students of St. Brigid have
participated in Operation Christmas Child. Once again, as
the Christmas season slowly approaches, we are getting
into the spirit of giving. Operation Christmas Child is a
fun and simple hands-on project of Samaritan‘s Purse that
brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations
worldwide through gift-filled shoeboxes. We hope that
many underprivileged children will have a gift to open and
a smile on their face because we are once again choosing
to share God‘s love. Classes will determine whether their
gift will be for a boy or a girl, the child‘s age category and
students can bring in small items (school supplies, hygiene
items, small toys) to fill a shoebox. The project will need
to be completed by November 16, 2012 in order for the
gifts to be delivered in time for Christmas to these needy
children in orphanages and war-torn countries in over 130
countries worldwide. Your support in Operation Christmas
Child will be greatly appreciated, making an eternal impact
in the lives of these children. Thank You!!
Nut Allergies
St. Brigid Catholic Elementary School is an allergen aware
school. We have a number of children in our school who
have severe life threatening allergic reactions to nuts,
peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oils and any peanut byproducts. For some children, even the smell of nuts can
bring on a severe attack. We need your cooperation! We
do not want to put any child at risk, therefore ask that
NUTS, NUT BUTTER, NUT OILS AND ANY NUT
BY-PRODUCT NOT BE BROUGHT INTO THE
SCHOOL.
Please do not send any lunches or snacks that contain
nuts/peanuts or nut by-products.
EQAO Results
Last spring, the EQAO reading, writing and mathematics
assessment was conducted in grade 3 and 6 classes across
the province. This assessment is considered a ―snapshot‖
of the children‘s performance based on their respective
grade level expectation.
At St. Brigid we are proud of the achievement of our
students and use the data collected from the EQAO
assessment, along with other data collected, to improve
instruction and focus learning.
Grade 3
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
Bullying Prevention Corner
Bullying is Not Acceptable
In October we will be focusing on the
definition of bullying. The key message is
“bullying is not acceptable”. Through various
activities the students will understand the vast
array of behaviours that can be bullying
(physical, verbal, social) and explore the
emotional impact of those behaviours on
others. Students develop the ability to
understand and apply the definition of bullying
through constant exposure, repeated use and
consistency. Using the same definition of
bullying throughout the school and at home
allows both students and adults to more
effectively prevent and deal with bullying
situations.


Bullying is: Being mean to others,
on purpose, to hurt them or their
feelings.
Bullying Behaviour: is intended to
hurt, is repeated and involves
unequal power and control.
Tips for Parents:
 review the definition of bullying with
your child
 talk with younger children about
inside and outside hurts
 talk with older children about
intimidation, gossip, rumours and
cyber bullying
 encourage children to share their
feelings about bullying behaviours
that they have experienced, witnessed
or engaged in.
St. Brigid
83
86
86
Grade 6
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
(All Students)
Levels 3 & 4
DPCDSB
70
80
70
Province
66
76
68
(All Students)
Levels 3 & 4
St. Brigid
85
92
77
DPCDSB
78
78
63
Province
75
74
58
Girls Soccer
Congratulations to our girls soccer team who
played three excellent games in our family
tournament on Monday September 24th.
The girls
represented our school with great sportmanship and skill.
Congratulations to our team members: Claudia, Janai,
Emma, Tiziana, Safiya, Noriana,Maria, Morgan, Michelle,
Deandra, Deanna, and Alyssa. Thank you to our coaches,
Mrs. Albi and Mrs. Murray for their dedication and
commitment to the team.
Boys Soccer
On Wednesday September 26th, 2012, the St Brigid boys
soccer team participated in the Mississauga Brampton
Central Family of Schools Soccer Tournament. They
played hard and displayed excellent skill and teamwork.
Their coaches, Miss Duliunas and Miss Graziani are
extremely proud of them. The honourable members are:
Andrew, Dominik, Aidan, Sebastian, Savan, Jonathon,
Jonah, Justin, Greg, Uyi, Ziggy, Jacob, Lucas, Jahmal,
Ivan, and Eduardo. Congratulations boys!!!
Twitter
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news and
information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools.
School Masses
We celebrated our School Opening Mass on
September 27th. It was a beautiful celebration, as
Father Jan spoke to the students about the importance of
putting God first in our lives, and about treating each other
the way that we would want to be treated. It was
wonderful to see so many of our parents in attendance.
Please note the dates for our remaining school year:
Advent Mass
Easter Mass
End of Year Mass
December 7
April 5
June 19
Athletic Wear
In November, St. Brigid School will be offering parents
and students, school crested athletic wear for purchase. A
variety of items will be available, such as T-shirts, full zip
hooded sweat tops, shorts, sweat pants, baseball caps and
toques. All items are made of quality materials and are
very reasonably priced. Some of the items will be in the
display case, by the school office.
Athletic wear is a great way to show school pride and team
spirit.
As always, your attendance at these masses is welcomed
and appreciated.
Rosary Apostolate
Members of the Rosary Apostolate will be visiting St.
Brigid School, on Thursday October 4th. They will be
going into the classrooms and praying the Rosary with our
students. The Rosary Apostolate will be visiting the
school on the first Thursday of each month.
Catholic Student Leaders
Students from grades 7 & 8 who wanted to share their gifts
and talents with the St. Brigid School community have
joined the Catholic Student Leaders. Our Catholic
Student Leaders have met throughout September to
develop their vision and goals for the 2012/2013 school
year. The students are excited to lead a variety of
activities that will reach a diverse group of students within
the school community.
Dates to Remember:
Oct. 3
Oct. 4
Oct. 8
Oct. 9
Oct. 10
Oct. 12
Oct. 15
Oct. 17
Oct. 23
Oct. 24
Progress Report Interviews
Student Progress reports will be sent home on Tuesday
November 6th. Parents are reminded that these are not
Report Cards. Interviews will take place on the evening of
Thursday November 8th. Please note that it is not
necessary that all students participate in Progress Report
interviews, however parents are welcome to request an
interview. It is only through communication and working
together that we will achieve the ultimate success of your
child. A reminder that first term report cards will be sent
home on February 5th and first term interviews will take
place on February 7th and 8th. It is expected that all
students will be participating in the interview process at
that point.
Missed School Work due to Absences
When children are absent from school they miss important
lessons and work that extends from these teachings. If a
child is absent due to illness we kindly request that
children get the needed rest they require so they can come
back to school healthy. The teachers will not be sending
daily work home for your son/daughter to ―catch up.‖
They will spend time assisting students on their return to
school. If your child is absent due to extended illness,
please contact the school.
Oct. 25
Oct. 26
Oct. 30
Oct. 31
Thanksgiving Food Drive Ends
Lunch Moms
Rosary Apostolate visits St. Brigid
Thanksgiving
Dental Screening – Grades FKD, 2 ,4 & 6
Last Day of Chocolate Fundraiser
Lunch Moms
Harvest Clean Up
Virtue Assembly – 1:00 pm.
Catholic School Council Meeting – 7:00 pm.
Lunch Moms
Intermediate Girls Volleyball Tournament at
Our Lady of Peace
MBC Family of Schools Cross Country Meet
Lunch Moms
Intermediate Boys Volleyball Tournament at
St. Brigid
Pizza Day
DPCDSB Cross Country Meet
Mr. Subs Day
Halloween
Lunch Moms
Progress Reports Sent Home
Book Fair
Nov. 6
Nov. 6
to 8
Nov. 7 Gr. 8‘s visit St. Augustine S.S.
Lunch Moms
Nov. 8 Picture Retake Day
Interview Evening
Nov. 9 Remembrance Day Assembly – 10:45 am.
Virtue Assembly
Nov. 14 Lunch Moms
Nov. 16 Last day to Donate to Operation Christmas
Child
Nov. 21 Lunch Moms
Nov. 27 Mr. Subs Day
Nov. 28 Lunch Moms
Nov. 30 Pizza Day