ST. BRIGID CATHOLIC SCHOOL
“Live
Love
Learn
Light”
A Winter
Reflection
L.Papaloni…........Superintendent
905-890-1221
A. DaSilva…. ………..…Trustee
416 -709 -5679
V. Pugliese ……………Principal
C. Bianchi ……….........Secretary
L. Clark ... School Council Chair
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
Winter is a strange time,
as magical as summer
though not often given its due.
Winter is all about the quiet before manifestation.
It can be a brutal time,
a time of tearing away the old and the brittle.
It can be a hostile time,
showing no quarter to the unprepared or weak.
Yet it is beautiful,
and in its own way cleansing.
Winter can bring loneliness or solitude
and that is one of its mysteries.
What we find in those moments of quiet,
of isolation
depends on how well we’ve prepared.
Let us use this, the quiet of winter,
to reflect on the wonders of life,
the beauty of all that is around us,
the blessings that God has placed in our midst
and the peace in our heart
that comes from God’s love.
Winter can be a wonderful time
Report Cards for Term 1
On February 4th Report Cards will be sent home for all students from Grades 1 to 8.
Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences will take place on the evening of February 6 th.
Parents will be notified with the report card of their conference time.
Message from the Principal
Over the past month we have experienced the reality that winter
is upon us. The days are short, the wind is strong and the
weather is cold. This is often seen as a time of despair and
darkness. The reality however is the exact opposite. At St.
Brigid winter is a time of great activity. Snow brings with it a
renewed sense of excitement. Yes, it is cold outside, but our
students are well dressed and prepared for the weather. As
such, recess is a time full of positive activities and interactions.
Students build their snow forts, play foot hockey and many
other winter activities. And when they come in from recess,
although their cheeks are red, there are smiles on the faces of
our students.
Indoors, the positive activities continue for our students. St.
Brigid School is a busy place. There is so much going on, both
curricular and extra-curricular. Students are engaged in their
lessons and are participating in a wide variety of activities, such
as Catholic Student Leaders, Chess Club, Science Olympics,
Homework Club, Free Throw Competition, Skiing, Hockey and
Basketball teams and a variety of others. I would like to thank
the school community for their support of these events. I would
also like to thank the teachers, who are often at school late into
the evening planning special events and lessons for our
students.
The weather is cold and the snow will continue to mount, but
that does not stop us from participating in all that the season has
to offer us. Let us be like our students, not feeling the cold, but
rather see the potential in what winter brings us. Let us
challenge ourselves to focus on the positives of the season and
enjoy the rest of the winter.
Please look at the back of this newsletter to see some
photographs of St. Brigid students enjoying the snow.
Virtue of the Month
Respect
In February we celebrate the virtue
of respect. God has given us the
virtues of friends and companions to
keep us company and to help us out
along the way. Every person in our
lives carries the Spirit of God – and
so every person is our brother or
sister through Jesus Christ. As
brothers and sisters who share one
Holy Spirit, we are all valuable to
God. We all deserve to be shown
courtesy, consideration, sensitivity
and thoughtfulness, which are
different ways of saying respect.
That respect should come first and
foremost from ourselves. We have
to respect ourselves and then we will
be able to respect others. We should
also expect to be treated with respect
by everyone we meet – our brothers
and sisters in Jesus. Through prayer
and concentration, we can get better
at respecting ourselves, as well as
respecting those around us.
V. Pugliese
On Valentine’s Day, Friday February 14th, St. Brigid School
will be hosting a ShareLife Dance-a-Thon. Each class will be
in the gym for approximately an hour, dancing and moving to
music. This year’s theme will be love, in honour of St.
Valentine. Students are asked to wear red, white or pink on that
day. Please encourage your children to participate in this
worthy event. As always, parents are more than welcome to
join with their children and participate in the Dance-a-Thon.
A respectful person…
 Treats himself/herself and
everyone else with equal
consideration and courtesy
 Uses a positive tone of voice
and body language
 Avoids swearing, namecalling, put-downs, and
inappropriate gestures
 Says “Excuse me”, “Please”,
“Pardon me”
 Avoids gossip
Sacraments
Please remember in your prayers our Grade 2
students who will be receiving the sacrament of
Reconciliation on Saturday, March 1st at 12:00 at St. Jerome
Church. Please ensure that your child is registered and that you
are attending mass on a regular basis. Students will be
receiving their First Holy Communion on Sunday, May 11 th at
12:00 noon at St. Jerome Church.
Students in grade 8 will be receiving the Sacrament of
Confirmation on Friday June 13th, at 7:00 p.m. If you have any
questions regarding your child’s sacraments, please contact the
church office at (905) 455-4260.
Canada’s Newest Cardinal
On Sunday January 12th, 2014, from his window overlooking
St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis announced that Gerald Cyprien
Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec, would be elevated to Cardinal.
Archbishop Lacroix, a native of Saint-Hilaire de Dorset, a small
town 300 kilometres east of Montreal, was named Quebec's
archbishop in 2011.
At 56 years old, Archbishop Lacroix will become the third
youngest Cardinal and Canada’s fourth Cardinal.
His
appointment came without any prior notice, catching him and
the Archdiocese of Quebec off-guard. “Very big responsibility.
Very happy to continue to serve the Church with Francis,” he
told reporters, “I am touched by the trust the Holy Father has
put in me.”
Nineteen Cardinals were chosen by Pope Francis, from Europe,
Asia, Africa, Latin America and North America, including the
developing nations of Haiti and Burkina Faso. The elevation of
the new Cardinals underlines Pope Francis’ belief that the
Church must pay more attention to the poor of this world.
Cardinals are the Pope's closest advisers in the Vatican and
around the world. Apart from being Church leaders in their
home countries, they are members of key committees in Rome
that decide policies that can affect the lives of 1.2 billion Roman
Catholics around the world. Furthermore, Cardinals under the
age of 80 will be responsible for choosing the successor to Pope
Francis.
Archbishop Lacroix and the other new Cardinals will be
formally installed at a ceremony at the Vatican on February 22nd
2014, the Feast of the Chair of Peter.
ATTENDANCE
VERIFICATION
905-454-0316 PRESS 1
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL
HERITAGE:
How was the Catholic high school issue resolved?
In 1984, Premier William Davis, edified by the commitment to
Catholic high schools of the Catholic community and
convinced of the injustice of truncated separate schools,
announced that the government would be completing the
separate school system to the end of high school. The Supreme
Court of Canada unanimously responded to a court challenge
against the ensuing legislation by asserting that separate schools
before Confederation were operating secondary school
education with funding from taxes and government grants and,
therefore, section 93(1) of the Canadian constitution guaranteed
the right of separate school boards to administer from junior
kindergarten to the end of high school. After almost sixty years
of financial sacrifice by the Catholic community, Catholic high
schools once more became an equal partner in Ontario’s
publicly funded school system.
Catholic separate schools had a second obstacle to their
survival. How serious a problem for separate school boards
was the corporation tax issue?
This was very serious. As corporations like the Ford Motor
Company, Inco, the Royal Bank of Canada and thousands of
others came on the scene, and as public utilities like the Ontario
Hydro and the Canadian National Railway were created, they
could not pay separate school property taxes. Thus the
assessment of urban public school boards became wealthier and
wealthier, while separate school boards received taxes from
only Catholic home and property owners and from fully or
partially owned small businesses. By the 1920’s urban separate
school boards were operating with about one-quarter to onefifth of the revenues of their urban public boards. There were
no compensatory government grants.
From: An Historical Understanding of Key Issues Related to
Catholic Education, March 2009
Tuesday February 4th is our first Mr. Sub Day of the second
semester. Individually packaged 6” sub, 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 February 18th
 Tuesday March 4th
 Tuesday March 18th
 Tuesday April 1st
 Tuesday April 15th
 Tuesday April 29th
St. Brigid Olympics
St Brigid students and staff will be participating in our own
"Winter Olympics," between February 7th and 20th. Students
will participate in language games, floor hockey, a poster
contest and an outdoor winter play-day. Opening Ceremonies
will be held on February 7th. Let the games begin!
Science Olympics
Five junior students from St. Brigid will be participating in the
Mississauga Brampton Central Family of Schools Science
Olympics on February 21st. Students have been practicing their
skill in the various branches of science and have been preparing
for their special day when they will compete against other
students of our family. This year’s competition will take place
at St. Brigid School.
Why French is the Official Language of the
Olympics?
The Olympics are as much about history, tradition, culture and
ceremony as they are about sport. In the same way the Greek
flag is flown before the host nation flag in recognition of its part
in originating the ancient Games, the French language’s
prominence reflects the part it played in establishing the modern
Games.
The IOC (International Olympic Committee), the organisation
behind the modern Olympics, was founded by Frenchman
Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1894. The first modern Games
were held two years later in 1896, and the Olympic Charter,
which set out that French would be the prominent language, was
first drawn up in 1908.
The Olympic Games has two official languages, French and
English. Depending on where the tournament is being held, the
official language of the host nation may also be used as a third
language. But French has always been the Olympics’ first
tongue.
As the man most responsible for the first modern Games,
Coubertin surely had the right to make his own language the
prominent one. The initial meeting of the IOC that set in motion
plans for the first modern Games was also held in Paris, and the
organisation is now based in a French-speaking part of
Switzerland, making French the logical language to use.”
Taken from:
http://internationalbusinessblog.conversisglobal.com/2012/07/
17/why-french-not-english-should-be-the-first-language-ofthe-olympics/#sthash.XjtbnR41.dpuf
ATTENTION DOWNHILL SKIERS!!
Due to the cancellation of busses in Dufferin County on January
31st, our ski day also needed to be cancelled. As such we will
be making up that day on Tuesday February 25th. Skiing dates
for February are on the following dates:
 Friday February 21st
 Tuesday February 25th
Family Day
Please note that Monday February 17th is Family Day.
There will be no classes for students that day as the
school will be closed. Family Day is a provincially
mandated holiday.
Black History Month
“The ultimate measure of people is not where they
stand in the moments of comfort and convenience,
but where they stand in times of challenge and
controversy."
Dr. Martin Luther King, "An Unbroken Chain" Lerner
Publications, 2000.
In facing the challenges and tribulations of today’s society, Dr.
Martin Luther King’s words call us to a strength of character,
morality and conviction. Let us use Dr. King as an inspiration
to live with conviction to our faith and to strive for a just
society, where all are equal.
February is Black History month......St. Brigid School is
continuing its tradition of recognizing Black History month.
Through readings, poems, profiles and historical facts provided
with our morning announcements, as well as other school-based
initiatives, students will both understand and appreciate the
need and importance of studying Black History.
Front Foyer Renovation
We are in the process of renovating our front foyer. We are
planning on placing a stone/glass mosaic of the Risen Christ on
the wall facing the front doors. As this is a major endeavour,
we will be asking for community/parent donations to help with
the costs of creating the mosaic. We are looking to raise
between 5,000 and 7,000 dollars. We will continue with this
fundraiser until the end of March 2014. Please note that all
money raised will be used for the mosaic. A Charitable
Donation receipt will be issued by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
School Board for donations of $ 25.00 and over.
Extended French Information
Grade 4 parent(s)/guardian(s), who wish to enrol their child in
a Grade 5 Extended French class for September, 2014 are
reminded that applications will be accepted until 3:00 pm on
Wednesday, February 12th, 2014. The designated
Extended French location for St. Brigid students is
St. Monica School, located at 60 Sterritt Dr., in
Brampton, L6Y 5B6.
Get your Newsletter Delivered Right
to Your Inbox
We’re going to do our bit to help the
environment right here at St. Brigid School!
We’d like to drastically reduce the amount of
paper we use in the form of monthly newsletters
and other notices.
We’re in the process of making it possible for
all of our families to be part of a direct email
notification system. Not only will you be able
to receive your monthly newsletters in a timely
fashion but you’ll be able to receive notification
of other important notices as well (e.g., public
health notices).
Once you sign up we’ll stop distributing hard
copies of newsletters and notices to your
child(ren). And as an added bonus, you’ll never
have to go hunting for a newsletter or
information again…it’ll be a few short mouse
clicks away!
Please complete the following information and
return it to your child’s teacher:
Basketball at the Air Canada Centre
Staff, students, parents and friends are invited to
attend St. Brigid Night at the Air Canada Centre on
Thursday February 27th to watch the Toronto
Raptors play against the Washington Wizards. A school bus
with those interested in attending will leave the school at 5:30
pm. Tickets are $52.00 per seat and are available on a first
come, first serve basis. Please note that there are only a limited
number of tickets available. St. Brigid Intermediate Boys
Basketball Team will again be playing at the Air Canada
Centre. This year’s we will be playing on Tuesday February
11th at 10:45 against St. Josephine Bakhita.
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!
March Break Reminder
The March Break this year falls on the week of
March 10th to 14th. School resumes again on
Monday, March 17th. The last day of classes before the Break
is Thursday. March 6th. Please note that Friday, March 7th is a
P.A. Day with no school for students.
Family Name: _________________________
Bullying Prevention Corner
Name(s) of Child(ren) and Teacher:
Yes, I wish to receive direct email
notification of newsletters and other
notices from the school.
Email address: _________________________
_________________________
(please print neatly)
No, I wish to receive paper copies of
newsletters and other notices from the
school.
As we know we must tell others when
bullying is happening. Do not avoid telling
an adult about bullying even though the
bully thinks you’re tattling. The bullying
message for this month is “Telling an adult
about bullying is not tattling”. Bullying
situations must be reported. When bullying
occurs, we have to act fast by telling an adult
or a teacher.
Tattling is defined by trying to get someone
in trouble, or telling when there is no one
being hurt and no rule being broken that
could result in a dangerous situation.
Telling or reporting is defined as reporting
unsafe behaviours to an adult in order to get
help for someone – to get someone out of
trouble.
Peel Public Health - Immunization
Peel Public Health will be reviewing immunization records of
all students at our school. Peel Public Health must have proof
that your child has been fully vaccinated (immunized)
according to the Ontario immunization schedule. If you receive
a letter, please ensure that your child has received the required
vaccine(s), then give the date(s) your child received these
vaccine dose(s) to Peel Public Health immediately to update
your child’s record.
For more information, please call Peel Public Health at 905799-7700 or visit www.immunizePeel.ca. Translation services
are available.
IMMUNIZE ON TIME.
REPORT EVERY TIME.
School Closures
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 stations:
FM Q 107
FM Z103.5
EZ ROCK FM 97.3
CHFI FM 98.1 CBC 99.1
CJBC (FR) AM 860
CFTR AM 680 FM 93.1
CHUM AM 1050
CFRB AM 1010 CJCL AM 590
CJCL AM 590
CITYPULSE
CTV
GLOBAL NEWS
CHIN FM 100.7 / AM 1540
CFNY FM 102.1/AM 640
VIRGIN RADIO FM 99.9
Updates and cancellations are also available on the board
website: www.dpcdsb.org/cec
Report All Immunizations Your Child
Receives to Peel Public Health.



Online at www.immunizepeel.ca
Call Peel Public Health at 905-7997700
Fax at 905-565-0426
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. Snowball throwing or kicking snow or
ice at anyone is not permitted here at St. Brigid
School. Also, students are encouraged to work together to
build with the snow. Students are reminded that at St. Brigid
we build together, we don’t destroy. This especially applies to
snow forts that are built during the recess periods.
PLAYGROUND SAFETY RULES
The safety of all students at St. Brigid is our
number one priority. We remind students daily of
playground expectations. Please review the
following rules with your child:
 Keep your hands and feet to yourselves
 No verbal insults or inappropriate
language
 Treat all people with respect
 Respect school property
 Play only no contact games
 Stay on school property at all times
 Rocks, gravel and snow stay on the
ground.
Transportation
If school buses are cancelled in the morning, due to severe
weather conditions, they will not operate for the take home
run, even if weather conditions permit. In the past, children
have been dropped off at the school in the morning by wellmeaning parents and friends on a day when the buses have been
cancelled, without regard as to how the children would be
transported home. In the event of bus cancellations, please
refrain from picking up students at bus stops and delivering
them to school. There are no buses to return them home from
school and often no one is available to pick them up at school.
Late Arrivals
We continue to have a number of students arriving
at school after the bell has rung. School begins
promptly at 8:50 am. Parents are encouraged to
have their children at school at least five minutes before the
bell. Children who are late must report to the office and sign
in. Students who arrive late for school are missing valuable
learning time. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Twitter
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news and
information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools.
Go to www.stopr.ca for
daily bus cancellations or
delays.
Kiss ‘N’ Ride / Parking
City of Brampton Parking Enforcement officers
have been vigilant in enforcing city parking bylaws in the area around the school. Please be aware of where
you park your vehicle. There are fire hydrants and other No
Parking / No Stopping areas that need to be observed.
Dates to Remember:
Feb. 1
Feb. 3
Feb. 4
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
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.
When in the Kiss ‘N’ Ride lane, please have your child exit your
vehicle from the passenger side. It is very dangerous to exit out
into the “Drive Through Lane”. Also, we ask that all vehicles
move to the front of the Kiss ‘N’ Ride lane prior to letting out
students.
Feb. 5
Feb. 6
Feb. 7
Feb. 10
Winter Clothing
With winter now upon us, parents and students are reminded
that students need to be dressed appropriately for the winter
weather. We want our students to feel comfortable outdoors and
not get chilled because of inappropriate winter dress. Students
should be wearing winter coats, boots, hats, gloves and scarves.
Younger students are also encouraged to wear snow pants.
Please listen to weather reports and ensure that children are
dressed appropriately for the weather.
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.
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.
Feb. 11
Feb. 12
Feb. 13
Feb. 14
Feb. 17
Feb. 18
Feb. 19
Feb. 20
Feb. 21
Feb. 24
Feb. 25
Feb. 26
Feb. 27
Feb. 28
Mar. 1
Mar. 3
Mar. 4
Mar. 5
Mar. 6
Mar. 7
Mar. 10
Mar. 17
SCHOOL WEBSITE
Check out our school web
site. Access the site
through the School
Board’s website at
http://www.dpcdsb.org/ce
c
Mar. 18
Mar. 19
Mar. 21
Mar. 24
Mar. 26
Mar. 27
Mar. 28
Feast of St. Brigid
RAID Program – Ms. Risavy
Feast of St. Brigid celebration – 1:15 pm.
Report Cards Sent Home
Free Throw Competition @ St. Monica
Mr. Sub. Lunch
Lunch Moms
BNW Hockey Tournament @ Cassie
Campbell
All Star Readers Party
Interview Evening
Rosary Apostolate @ St. Brigid
BNW Hockey Tournament @ Cassie
Campbell
BNW Hockey Tournament @ Cassie
Campbell
St. Brigid Olympics Opening Ceremonies
RAID Program – Ms. Risavy
Catholic School Council Mtg. – 7:00 pm.
Intermediate Boys Basketball Team @ ACC
Lunch Moms
Jr. Girls Basketball Tournament @ St. Kevin
Jr. Boys Basketball Tournament @ St. Kevin
Valentine’s Day
ShareLife Dance-a-Thon
Pizza Day
Family Day
Mr. Sub Lunch
Lunch Moms
St. Brigid Olympics – Closing Ceremonies
Skiing
Junior Science Olympics
RAID Program – Ms. Risavy
Skiing
Lunch Moms
St. Brigid School at Raptors Game
Pizza Day
First Reconciliation – 12:00 @ St. Jerome
Church
RAID Program – Ms. Di Vito
Mr. Sub Lunch
Ash Wednesday
Lunch Moms
Rosary Apostolate @ St. Brigid
P.A. Day
March Break Begins
First Day Back at School after March Break
St. Patrick’s Day
Mr. Sub Lunch
Diversity Conference
Lunch Moms
Mary of Nazareth Movie for Intermediates
Catholic School Council Mtg. – 7:00 pm
Lunch Moms
Math Mania
Pizza Day