ST. BRIGID CATHOLIC SCHOOL
“Live
February
2016
Newsletter
L.Papaloni…........Superintendent
905-890-1221
A. DaSilva…. ………..…Trustee
416 -709 -5679
V. Pugliese ……………Principal
C. Rice ....……….........Secretary
C. Mexner - 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
Report Cards for Term 1
On Tuesday February 2nd 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 Thursday February 4th and during the day on Friday February 5 th. Please note
that Friday February 5th is a P.A. Day and that there will be no school for students
on that day. Parents will be notified with the report card of their conference time.
Principal’s Message
Later this month we will enter 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.”
V. Pugliese
On Friday February 12th, St. Brigid School will be hosting our
annual Valentine’s Day ShareLife Dance-a-Thon. Each class
will be in the gym for approximately an hour, dancing and
moving to music. 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.
Family Day
Please note that Monday February 15th 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.
Feast of St. Brigid
The Feast of St. Brigid on Monday, February 1 st. At St. Brigid
School we will be celebrating this feast on Monday February 1st,
at 10:00 a.m. in the school gym. Please be sure to mark this date
on your calendar, so you may join us for this celebration.
The Feast of St. Brigid
Brigid was born in approximately the year
453 in Faughart Ireland. Her father was an
Irish chieftain and her mother a slave at his
court. Shortly after her birth, Brigid was
put into fosterage. Brigid grew into beauty
and her love for all of God's creatures knew
no bounds. When she grew older and was
of an age to be useful, Brigid returned to
her father's house, taking her mother's
place as house slave - minding the
livestock, cleaning, serving at meals, etc.
As a young lady, Brigid and her
companions devoted their lives to the
service of a Druid goddess. With her
Christian mother as a guiding influence,
Brigid converted to Christianity and
formed Ireland's first Christian religious
community of women. Legend tells that
upon her acceptance of her vows, fire
appeared above her head.
Brigid's generosity and wisdom became
legendary. Little girls came to be taught,
the sick came to her and asked her to care
for them and she often sold everything she
had and gave the money to the poor.
Brigid travelled all over Ireland building
convents schools and hospitals. By the end
of her life she had brought about 13,000
women to a new life, living in monasteries
and dedicating their lives to Christ. Her
monastery at Kildare became one of the
greatest centers of learning in Europe. She
continued her holy and charitable work
until her death in 526 AD, when she was
laid to rest in a jewelled casket at Kil Dara.
St. Brigid is the patron saint for babies;
blacksmiths; boatmen; children whose
parents are not married; dairymaids;
fugitives; mariners; midwives; milk maids;
sailors; travellers; creativity, scholars,
poets and Ireland. The feast of St. Brigid
is celebrated on February 1st.
Ash Wednesday
The season of Lent begins on February 10th, with Ash
Wednesday. On that day, a liturgy for the students and staff will
take place at the school. Ashes will be distributed to students
during the liturgy. Students will be asked to make their own
Lenten promises prior to our liturgy. These promises should be
their focus for the forty days of Lent and will be a reminder that
Lent is a time to change the things in our lives
which separate us from Jesus. The liturgy will
take place at 9:30 a.m. in our gym. As always
parents, family and friends are invited to join us.
First Reconciliation
Please remember in your prayers our Grade 2 students who will
be receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday,
February 27th at 10:00 am at St. Jerome Church. Please ensure
that you and your child are attending mass on a regular basis.
Please note that the tentative date for First Communion is
Saturday April 23rd at 5:00 pm.
If you have any questions regarding your child’s
sacraments, please contact the church office at (905)
455-4260.
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:
Proof of age of the child (birth certificate or passport)
Original Roman Catholic Baptismal Certificate of child or
Baptismal Certificate from an Eastern Church in full
communion with the Holy See of Rome. If the child has
not been Baptised, 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 (property tax bill, current utility bill,
real estate document or Government of Canada issued
forms)
Please call the school at 905-454-0316 if you require any further
information.
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.
To recognize and to celebrate our inclusive and diverse
traditions, we at St. Brigid will be acknowledging both the
history and the accomplishments of prominent citizens from the
past and present during Black History Month. Students will be
sharing profiles on the morning announcements throughout
February. In March, we will be celebrating our rich cultural
diversity by having students say a prayer on the morning
announcements in another language.
2015-16 School Year Calendar
Additional Professional Activity Day: Monday, April 11,
2016
Terms of the recent contract settlement between the teacher
federations and the Ministry of Education included the provision
of an additional Professional Activity Day for the 2015-2016
school year for both elementary and secondary schools.
Recently, boards were directed to schedule this additional
Professional Development Day on or before April 15, 2016.
In the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, the
designated additional Professional Activity Day has been
scheduled for Monday, April 11, 2016. Therefore, there will be
no classes for either elementary or secondary students on
Monday, April 11, 2016.
Twitter
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news
and information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools.
Science Olympics
Five junior students from St. Brigid will be participating in the
Mississauga Brampton Central Family of Schools Science
Olympics on February 11th. 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 Pauline Vanier School in Brampton.
Math Mania
This year’s Intermediate Math Mania will take place on
Thursday February 25th at Our Lady of Peace School in
Brampton. Five students from grades 7 and 8 will be
representing our school in various mathematical challenges.
Basketball at the Air Canada Centre
Staff, students, parents and friends will be attending
the annual St. Brigid Night at the Air Canada Centre
on Tuesday April 5th to watch the Toronto Raptors play against
the Charlotte Hornets. Both St. Brigid Intermediate Boys and
Girls Basketball Teams played exciting basketball at the Air
Canada Centre on January 19th.
SCHOOL WEBSITE
Check out our school web
site. Access the site
through the School
Board’s website at
http://www.dpcdsb.org/ce
c
5. A COLLABORATIVE CONTRIBUTOR
WHO:
 Works effectively as an
interdependent team member.
 Thinks critically about the meaning
and purpose of work.
 Develops one's God-given potential
and makes a meaningful contribution
to society.
 Finds meaning, dignity, fulfillment
and vocation in work which
contributes to the common good.
 Respects the rights, responsibilities
and contributions of self and others.
 Exercises Christian leadership in the
achievement of individual and group
goals.
 Achieves excellence, originality, and
integrity in one's own work and
supports these qualities in the work
of others.
 Applies skills for employability, selfemployment and entrepreneurship
relative to Christian vocation.
Catholic School Council News
As we enter the month of February, we turn our focus to the
Virtue of Respect. We think of treating others as we would
expect be treated…within our homes and our school community,
and we carry out these values as Catholics. Together, we are
honoured to have another year with our sponsored child, Daniel
from Chalice Catholic Sponsorship programme. If you would
like to read the correspondence from Daniel, we have a binder of
all his communications, in the school library.
Our Annual Family Outdoor Skate Night will be held on
Thursday, February 11th form 6 to 8 pm. at Gage Park. We will
have both Queen Elsa and Princess Anna greet us at Brampton
City Hall Atrium, for hot chocolate and snacks and warm up
those vocal cords from 7:15 to 8 pm. *Skate rentals will be
available for $5 for students and $10 for adults. Please note, this
cost is not covered by Council. Should there be a
snowstorm our Skate Night will rescheduled for
February 18th, 2016.
Thank you all for your support in our pizza days!
Buy your Sweetheart a Cookie: Council will
be selling Sweetheart Cookies for students to
purchase for their friends, for love ones at home
or for themselves. The cost will be $1.00 per
cookie. Proceeds will go towards our ShareLife fundraiser.
Forms will send out Feb. 1st due by Feb. 5th. Cookies will be
delivered Feb. 10th to the students
The Big Crunch! Bring an Apple/Celery Sticks to school for
snacks on March 10th and challenge yourself. Our Catholic
School Council together with the Region of Peel Health
Department and our school will come together and promote
healthy living for the Students! Let’s see if you all can keep this
up during March Break!
Next Council Meeting: January 26th at 7:00 pm.
Tuesday February 2nd 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 2nd & 16th
Tuesday March 1st & 22nd
Tuesday April 5th & 19th
ATTENDANCE
VERIFICATION
905-454-0316 & PRESS 1
March Break Reminder
The March Break this year falls on the week of
March 14th to 18h. School resumes again on
Monday, March 21st. The last day of classes before
the Break is Friday, March 11th.
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.
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. We encourage all students to play
together and not to exclude anyone.
St. Brigid’s Got Talent
Our auditions are well underway and preparations
are in place for our Talent Show. The Talent Show
will be held on Thursday April 14th at 7:00 pm. In
our gymnasium. Further details will be made available later in
the school years.
ATTENTION DOWNHILL SKIERS!!
St. Brigid is participating in a learn to ski program at Blue
Mountain Resort in Collingwood. We have 2 more
ski dates this year:
 Wednesday March 9th
 Friday February 26th
Please note that if school busses are cancelled on a ski date, then
a new ski date will be scheduled.
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.
Weather Cancellations
There may be days during the upcoming winter months when
inclement weather presents a potential safety hazard. It is
essential that parents discuss with their children the procedures
they wish them to take to get home safely. This discussion
should include: where should the child go, if parents are not
home.
Please be advised that 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 am. If buses are
cancelled in the morning, they will not operate in the afternoon.
Therefore students transported to school by parents require the
same transportation home. Parents/guardians are asked to
monitor the following radio/television to receive bus
cancellation/school closure information:
CHUM AM1050
CFRB AM1010
CFTR AM680
CBC FM99.1
VIRGIN RADIO FM99.9
CHIN FM100.7/AM1540
CFNY FM102.1/AM640
CTV
FM93.1
FM Z103.5
FM97.3
EZ ROCK
AM860
CJBC (FR)
CJCL AM590
CHFI FM98.1
CANADA AM
GLOBAL NEWS
CITYPULSE
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.
You
may
go
to
www.stopr.ca for daily
bus
cancellations
delays.
or
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 entrance to the school driveway is restricted for busses only.
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.
IMMUNIZE ON TIME.
REPORT EVERY TIME.
Report All Immunizations Your Child
Receives to Peel Public Health.



Online at www.immunizepeel.ca
Call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700
Fax at 905-565-0426
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 905-799-7700 or visit www.immunizePeel.ca.
Translation services are available.
Parking Enforcement
City of Brampton Parking Enforcement officers have been
vigilant in enforcing city parking by-laws 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.
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.
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.
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.
Please ensure that your child has an extra change of
clothing (socks and pants) stored in their back pack. This
will help prevent phone calls home when your child
comes to the office with wet clothing. Also, please label
your child’s winter garments, so that each student can
more easily locate his/her own clothing from the class coat rack
area. Labelled items can be returned more easily and mixed up
items sorted out more readily. If your child brings home any
clothing item by mistake, please return it to the school so that
this mix up may be corrected.
Dates to Remember
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.
Feb. 5
Feb. 10
Feb. 1
Feb. 2
Feb. 3
Feb. 4
Feb. 11
Feb. 12
Library News
St. Brigid School will once again be participating in The Forest
of Reading® program. This is Canada’s largest recreational
reading program – more than 250,000 readers participate every
year individually, or at their school or public library. This
initiative by the Ontario Library Association offers reading
programs for all ages, and each program consists of popular
Canadian fiction and non-fiction titles. The Forest occupies a
major place of prominence in Canada’s literary landscape and
encourages a love of reading in people of all ages.
All Canadians are invited to participate via their local public
library, school library, or individually. Each program has
nominated titles chosen by committees of library professionals.
Participants read a minimum of five out of the 10 nominated
titles. In the spring, readers vote for their favourite nominated
title and choose the winners of the award programs. The winners
are announced at the Festival of Trees™ in May. This is one of
a few programs in Canada where the award winners are chosen
by the readers.
The Goals of The Forest Include:
To develop recognition for Canadian authors and
Canadian books
To contribute to the financial stability of the Canadian
publishing industry
To provide teachers, teacher-librarians, librarians,
library staff, and parents with a meaningful tool for
improving literacy in schools, libraries, and at home
To respond to community interest and needs
Feb. 14
Feb. 15
Feb. 16
Feb. 17
Feb. 22
Feb. 24
Feb. 25
Feb. 26
Feb. 27
Mar. 1
Mar. 2
Mar. 3
Mar. 9
Mar. 10
Mar. 14
Mar. 20
Mar. 21
Mar. 22
Mar. 23
Mar. 24
Mar. 25
Mar. 27
Mar. 28
Mar. 30
Mar. 31
Feast of St. Brigid – 10:00
Silvercreek – Mrs. Hill
Report Cards Sent Home
Mr. Sub Lunch
Youth Faith Ambassadors Commissioning @
St. Francis Xavier Church
Lunch Moms
Rosary Apostolates
Interview Evening
P.A. Day – Interviews
Ash Wednesday
Lunch Moms
ShareLife Dance-a-Thon
Science Olympics @ Pauline Vanier
Skate Night @ Gage Park – 6 to 8 pm.
Pizza Day
NBA All Star Event – Gr. 8
Valentine’s Day
Family Day - School Closed
Mr. Sub Lunch
Lunch Moms
Catholic School Council Meeting – 7:00 pm.
Lunch Moms
Math Mania @ Our Lady of Peace
Skiing
Reconciliation – 10:00 am @ St. Jerome
Church
Mr. Sub Lunch
Lunch Moms
Rosary Apostolates
Lunch Moms
Skiing
Big Crunch – Peel Health
March Break Begins
Palm Sunday
Holy Week Begins
School Resumes
Mr. Sub Lunch
Lunch Moms
Stations of the Cross
Good Friday
Easter Sunday
Easter Monday
Lunch Moms
Mississauga Brampton Central Family of
Schools Chess Tournament