ST. BRIGID CATHOLIC SCHOOL
“Live
March
2015
Newsletter
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
Love
Learn
Light”
A Lenten Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
You gather your people during this
Holy Season of Lent,
and call us to repent.
As we return back to you once again,
open our hearts,
so that we might be transformed in your image.
Remove any barriers that keep us from you,
so that we may live fully the life
we received at Baptism.
Help us to love you more
and to reach out to others in friendship,
especially to those who need it most.
May Your sacrifice
remind us of Your call to change.
May Your Spirit give us the courage and strength,
we need to be people of faith
By Your grace,
may we turn to You in our abundance,
and share Your love with the world around us.
We ask this in Jesus’ name
Amen
March Break Reminder
The March Break this year falls on the week of March 16th to 20th. School resumes
again on Monday, March 23rd. The last day of classes before the Break is Friday,
March 13th.
Message from the Principal
We are now in the liturgical season of Lent. Lent offers
us all a very special opportunity to grow in our
relationship with God and to deepen our commitment
to a way of life, rooted in our baptism. In our busy
world, Lent provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon our
patterns, to pray more deeply, experience sorrow for what we've
done and failed to do, and to be generous to those in need. As
Catholics we are called to almsgiving, prayer and fasting.
During the Lenten season the Church invites us to a change of
heart. This is a season that we can commit ourselves to being
more reflective. We can make a point of being more observant,
more aware of what we are experiencing - paying more attention
to what is often "automatic" behaviour. We can focus on the
beauty of the world that God has created and remember to thank
Him for all that He has given us.
Fasting is not about losing weight or getting in shape; it is about
being more alert. Anyone who has tried to diet knows that
something changes in us when we try to avoid eating. The
monks in the desert, centuries ago, discovered that fasting caused
a tremendous boost to their consciousness. Not only did their
bodies go on "alert," but their whole person seemed to be in a
more heightened state of awareness. The whole purpose of
fasting is to aid in prayer - to make it easier to listen to God more
openly.
During the season of Lent, the Church also calls us to practice
generosity. Generosity is not simply the giving of excess clothes
to a place where people who are in need might purchase
them. Nor is it simply giving a generous donation at the times a
collection is taken up for a cause that benefits the poor. While
these are wonderful practices, generosity is an attitude. It is a
sense that no matter how much we have, all that we have is a gift
from God, given to us to be shared. It means that sharing with
others is a priority of ours. That is quite different from assessing
all of our own needs first, and then giving away what is left
over. This kind of self-sacrificing generosity places us in
solidarity with the poor, who share with each other, without
having any excess. It also joins us with Jesus, who gave himself
completely, for us.
In the end, the prayer of St. Augustine places us in the right spirit
for Lent: “O Lord, you have created us for yourself and our
hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day - March 17th
An Irish Blessing
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
E.Q.A.O. Testing -- Grades Three and Six
A reminder that this year the EQAO assessment for Grade 3 and
Grade 6 students will run from May 25th to June 5th. We ask that
parents of students in these grades ensure that their children are
in attendance during these weeks. Visit DPCDSB
on the web for Board and School profiles
http://www.dpcdsb.org/EQAO.
Kindness
No matter where you are, this is the day to change the world with
one simple act of kindness! March is Random Acts of Kindness
month. On Monday March 9, the Diversity Team will be running
our Virtue Assembly for the school. The theme will be kindness
and how to "pay it forward." On Tuesday March 10th, we are
very excited to welcome the "Tour for Humanity" bus. Students
in Grades 4 to 8 will be treated to a very special presentation
which will take place on a high tech bus! Wednesday March 11 th
is Movie Day. Kindergarten and Primary students will be
watching UP, while the Junior and Intermediate students will
watch WALL.E. Students may wear appropriate pajamas and
bring a blanket and pillow. Students will also be able to purchase
popcorn to enjoy while they view their movie. We hope the
students enjoy all these activities and remember that one act of
kindness, no matter how big or how small, can change the world.
Sacraments
Please remember in your prayers our Grade 2 students who
celebrated the sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday February
28th, for the first time. First Holy Communion will
take place on Sunday, April 19th at 12:00 noon at St.
Jerome Church.
Students in grade 8 will be receiving the Sacrament of
Confirmation on Thursday May 28th, at 7:00 p.m. If you have
any questions regarding your child’s sacraments, please contact
the church office at (905) 455-4260
On Friday February 13th staff, students, and parents enjoyed a
day of hopping and bopping to music, in support of our ShareLife
Dance-a-Thon. We would like to offer a big thank you to
everyone in the St. Brigid School community for their support of
this event. Our Dance-a-Thon was a huge success. As a school
we raised at total of $1,819.18. This money will be presented to
Father Jan at our Easter Mass on Thursday May 14th. We would
also like to thank our Catholic School Council for their generous
donation of $500. Our ShareLife Dance-a-Thon again showed
the true spirit of St. Brigid School!
The World within St. Brigid School
In February we celebrated Black History Month. In March we
turn our attention to cultural diversity, as we celebrate
Multicultural Month. St. Brigid School is a culturally diverse
school with over 40 different nationalities represented. To
celebrate our rich culture, during announcements, students are
invited to share with the entire school population, prayers and
readings in their native languages. Students may recite the
Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary or other prayers in their native
language.
Lenten Reconciliation
Please note that on Wednesday March 11th at 7:30 pm. there will
be a Lenten Reconciliation at St. Jerome Church. All students,
especially those students that will be receiving the Sacrament of
Confirmation, are encouraged to attend and prepare for Easter.
From Father Jan
Greetings,
In order to succeed in making this a Holy Season,
you may want to consider the following practices:
 Participate in Making the Stations of the Cross by attending
St. Jerome Parish on Friday evenings at 7:00 p.m.,
followed by evening mass.
 Try to attend Mass once during the week besides Sunday.
 Use Friday well. Abstain from eating meat and prepare
very simple meals that help you to save and contribute alms
to the poor.
 Spend some time with an elderly neighbor or visit someone
in the hospital or nursing home.
 Connect with a friend or relative you don’t usually have
time to visit or whom you have lost contact with.
 Attend our Parish Lenten Reconciliation on Wednesday
March 11 at 7:30 p.m. (All confirmation candidates are
encouraged to attend this Lenten Reconciliation.)
With kind regards,
Fr. Jan Kolodynski
6. A CARING FAMILY MEMBER WHO:
 Relates to family members in a
loving,
compassionate
and
respectful manner.
 Recognizes human intimacy and
sexuality as God given gifts, to be
used as the creator intended.
 Values and honours the important
role of the family in society.
 Values and nurtures opportunities
for family prayer.
 Ministers to the family, school,
parish, and wider community
through service.
Full-Day Kindergarten Registration for 2015-16
We are now accepting registrations for Full-Day Kindergarten
and Grades 1 to 8, for the 2015-16 school year. The following
documents are required for registration:
Are You Moving?
As noted previously, we will soon begin the
process of planning classes and staffing for the
2015/2016 school year. If you are planning to
move anytime between now and September 2015, please inform
the school at your earliest possible convenience.
Proof of age of the child (birth certificate or passport)
Original Roman Catholic Baptismal Certificate or
Baptismal Certificate from an Eastern Church in full
communion with the Holy See of Rome. If the child has
not been baptized, then the Baptismal Certificate of a
parent is required.
Updated immunization records
Proof of Canadian Citizenship (birth certificate, passport,
permanent resident status)
Proof of home address (any 2 of the following: Property
tax bill, current utility bill, real estate document or
Government of Canada issued forms)
Holiday Homework
Homework is generally work not completed in class or
reinforcement of concepts taught in class. Often when parents
take holidays other than during regularly scheduled holiday
times, we are requested to provide homework which would cover
the same material as the students may miss. It is better to take
full advantage of what can be learned on the trip and have
students read material related to what they will see
and write a journal about their activities. In
general, if a concept is not taught to a student,
then homework will not be assigned.
Please call the school at 905-454-0316 if you require any further
information
Science Olympics
Congratulations to our junior students who participated in the
Mississauga Brampton Central Family of Schools Science
Olympics on February 27th. Our students displayed true team
spirt, working with pride and determination in the various events.
Out of the 15 teams that participated in the competition, St.
Brigid finished first! Congratulations to team members:
Avontay, Bea, Ivie, Wanda and Phillip, and a special thank you
to their coaches, Mrs. Albi and Mrs. Murray.
Class List Formation for 2015 - 2016
We will soon begin the process of making up the class lists for
next fall. This is a complex procedure which takes into
consideration not only the needs of the individual child, but
frames those needs in the context of the larger classroom group.
In each class we strive for a balance of learning styles, a balance
of gender, a balance of learning needs and a cross-section of
abilities.
The current teachers of a grade, support staff and administration
all take part in the process. If you wish to provide input into the
process, please take into consideration the following guidelines:
Input must be made in writing to the Principal no later than April
30th, 2015. Requests should be made in terms of educational
contexts, e.g. your child’s learning needs/strengths/style,
information not already known to the school, best learning
environment. Please do not make requests for specific teachers
as staffing is always tentative and changes can take place
between now and September.
Flexible Boundary Policy
Many students attend St. Brigid School under the “Flexible
Boundary policy”. This offers convenience for many parents
who access daycare in the area. Parents who have requested
flexible boundary admittance for their children must be aware
that the policy will be considered on a student-by-student, yearto-year basis taking into account the class size of the students
who are enrolling and the resources available at the school.
While we offer support to all of our students, please understand
that the availability of the flexible boundary policy should never
negatively impact on the class size and school resources. Parents
requesting flex boundaries are asked to do so in writing. Please
feel free to call the school if you have any questions regarding
this policy.
Basketball at the Air Canada Centre
Congratulations to the St. Brigid Intermediate Boys and Girls
Basketball teams who were given the opportunity to play
basketball on the Raptors home court at the Air Canada Centre.
This was an amazing experience for our teams. Thank you to
their coaches, Ms. Duliunas, Mrs. Balchand and Mr. Fitzpatrick.
Staff, students, parents and friends will be attending the annual
St. Brigid Night at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday April 4 th
to watch the Toronto Raptors play against the Boston Celtics.
ATTENTION DOWNHILL SKIERS!!
Due to the extreem cold on February 20th, our ski day also needed
to be cancelled. As such we will be making up
that day on Wednesday March 25th.
ATTENDANCE
VERIFICATION
905-454-0316 PRESS 1
Catholic School Council News
Our Catholic School Council shares your ideas and suggestions
with the school and supports ways to enhance the educational
experience of our students. The Council also contributes to the
fundraising efforts in the school and helps to organize volunteers
for various events and activities.
It was a cold night for skating, but fun was had by all 125-150
students and parents, when we held our Annual Family Skate at
the beginning of February at Gage Park. Our hearts were made a
little warmer when Queen Elsa made an appearance and sang her
way through the Brampton City Hall. As a result we made the
Brampton Guardian. You can read the article at
http://www.bramptonguardian.com/community-story/5325102princess-elsa-stops-by-brampton-for-family-skate-day/
Many thanks goes out to our Volunteers that helped to make this
a successful night!
Council is donating $500.00 towards ShareLife. This money
will be combined with the funds that the students raised during
the Valentine’s Day Dance-a-thon.
Our Sponsored child up-date: Daniel Ngui, wrote to us to say
thank you and explain his family life and schooling. As well, he
drew some wonderful pictures for our students. These will be
posted in the display cabinet at the school.
More Fun Fit Family Days are coming up!
March 11th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Come cook with a Chef
– students are encouraged to get the hands-on training
with Strano Culinary Services and Chef, Rob Mancini.
There will also be a recipe book for the students and
parents to take home.
April 15th - Boot-camp for students and parents.
May 26th - Karate is coming to the school.
More information on these great Fun Fit Family Nights to come.
There’s lots you can do!
Parents – Bring your friends that go to our school, and join us for
our next meeting on March 23rd at 7pm…. Help us decide on our
Fundraising ideas for September’s school year!! We’re all in this
together!
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 905-7997700 or visit www.immunizePeel.ca. Translation services are
available.
Public Speaking:
Here at St. Brigid School we have a long tradition
of excellence in public speaking. This year, our
Intermediate contest will be held on Monday
April 13th, followed by our Junior contest the next day on
Tuesday April 14th. Both presentations shall commence at 9:15
a.m. in the gymnasium. Please join us for both competitions;
you will undoubtedly be both entertained and informed by our
young speakers!
St. Brigid Evening at Swiss Chalet
Please join us on Thursday March 26th at the Swiss Chalet,
located at 2 County Ct Blvd, Brampton, for our annual St.
Brigid Evening at Swiss Chalet. St. Brigid staff will be serving
the public between 6:00 and 8:00 pm. and 10% of all St. Brigid
sales will be returned to our School. Last year’s event was a
great success with teachers, students and parents all having a
wonderful time.
Earth Hour & World Read Aloud Day
World Read Aloud is a day to celebrate reading and storytelling
with the entire world. There are 793 million people in the world
who cannot read and World Read Aloud Day is about showing
the world that we all have the right to read and write by
motivating children and adults to share the reading experience
and create a community of readers. World Read Aloud Day calls
global attention to the importance of reading aloud and sharing
stories.
This year Earth Hour is Saturday, March 28 th from 8:30 pm. to
9:30 pm. As stewards of the earth it is our responsibility to
protect, nourish and preserve what God has created for us. At
St. Brigid School, we will honour Earth Hour and World Literacy
Day on Tuesday March 24th. The entire school community will
gather together for an assembly in the afternoon and then read
together in the dark.
Also, on Friday March 27th, from 11:15 to 12:15 we will be
turning off the lights at St. Brigid. We invite you to come up
with your own family plan to mark Earth Day 2015.
SCHOOL WEBSITE
Check out our school web
site. Access the site
through the School
Board’s website at
http://www.dpcdsb.org/ce
c
You
may
go
to
www.stopr.ca for daily
bus
cancellations or
delays.
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
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.
At no time should parents park in the Kiss ‘N Ride lane. If you
need to enter the school, please park your vehicle in the school
parking lot or on the street.
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.
Parking Enforcement
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.
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.
Also, please be aware that only vehicles that have a handicap
sign displayed in their vehicle are allowed to park in the handicap
parking spots in the school parking lot. Under no conditions
should vehicles without a handicap sign park in these designated
areas.
Twitter
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news and
information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools.
Please note that Friday April 3rd is
Good Friday and that Monday April 6st
is Easter Monday. All schools will be
closed on those days.
Dates to Remember
Mar. 9
Mar. 10
Mar. 11
Mar. 16
Mar. 23
Mar. 24
Mar. 25
Mar. 26
Mar. 27
Mar. 28
Mar. 29
Apr. 2
Apr. 3
Apr. 4
Apr. 5
Apr. 6
Apr. 7
Apr. 8
Apr. 9
Apr. 13
Apr. 14
Apr. 15
Apr. 17
Apr. 20
Apr. 21
Apr. 22
Apr. 29
Virtue Assembly
Tour for Humanity Bus @ St. Brigid
Movie Day
Family Fun Night – Cook with a Master Chef 6:30 to 8:30
March Break Begins
School Resumes
Catholic School Council Mtg. –7:00 pm.
Mr. Sub Lunch
Earth Hour and World Literacy Assembly –
1:15
Lunch Moms
Skiing
Swiss Chalet Night – 6 to 8 pm.
Math Mania @ Our Lady of Peace
Pizza Day
Earth Hour @ St. Brigid – 11:15 to 12:15
Earth Hour – 8:30 to 9:30 pm.
Palm Sunday - Holy Week Begins
Stations of the Cross
Good Friday
St. Brigid @ the ACC
Easter
Easter Monday
Mr. Sub Lunch
Lunch Moms
MBC Chess Tournament @ St. Gertrude
Rosary Apostolates
Intermediate Speech Competition – 9:15
Junior Speech Competition – 9:15
Lunch Moms
Hep. B & HPV vaccines
Family Fun Night – Boot Camp for Kids – 6:30
to 8:30 pm.
Pizza Day
Catholic School Council Mtg. – 7:00 pm.
Mr. Sub Lunch
Lunch Moms
Spring Photos
Lunch Moms