Good Shepherd’s Good News
www.dpcdsb.org/gshep
De ce m b e r 2 0 1 3
Prayer for Advent
Good Shepherd Elementary School
28 Red River Drive
Brampton ON, L6R 2H9
Phone: 905.791.1039
Fax: 905.791.9856
Principal
A. Brunette
Vice Principal
M. Daddabbo
Office Staff
N. Jacques
D. Canal
Superintendent of Schools
L. Storey
(905) 890-0708 ext. 24240
Trustee
S. Mclauchlan
Parish
St. Marguerite d’Youville
(905) 792-7497
Advent - A Time of Hope
God of Hope You sent us Jesus, the Light of the World.
As we light our Advent candles one by one, a week at a time,
May we rekindle within ourselves
The desire to make peace with Him.
May the flame of His presence grow brighter and brighter
In our hearts, In our school, And in our world.
May the God of Hope fill us with joy and peace this Christmas
By the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Throughout the season of Advent we will have time to reflect, pray
and give thanks for our many blessings. Our community outreach
to support needy families in our community and globally, remind
us of how truly fortunate we are. As we await the coming of Jesus,
let us be reminded that Christ is at the heart of Christmas.
The Good Shepherd Catholic School community brings a message
of faith and hope to our world through generous donations of time,
food, clothing, and gifts for those who are in such need of hope.
May God bless each of you in our community; staff members,
students, parents, pastoral team, and trustee for being the hands of
Jesus for those in need. The staff of Good Shepherd Catholic
School wishes your family a blessed Advent and Christmas
season!
Pastor
Father R. Tolentino
December Virtue of the Month – Hope
Hope is the virtue of relying on God. It
keeps us searching for true happiness,
sustains us during hard times, and keeps us
from being discouraged.
People of Hope

Expect the best to happen for everyone

Hold on to their dreams

Always count on God to help them in tough
situations

Trust that things will work out in God’s
way.

Look for something good to come out of
problems
IMPORTANT DATES






Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.

Dec. 20
2,9,16
4,11,18
5
11-13
12
16
Mr. Sub Days
Pizza Days
School Council Meeting – 7:00
Ray Kingsmore – Drummer
Good Shepherd’s Christmas Gala
School Wide Advent Retreat (am)
Advent Mass -1:00 @ church
PA Day – no school for students
Safe Arrival
For safety reasons, it is very important to notify the school
if your child is going to be absent or late. Please call 905791-1039 and press 1 to leave a message if your child is
going to be absent or late.
Page 2 of 4
Good Shepherd’s Good News
Late Arrivals
We have noticed an increase in students arriving late.
With the colder weather and the increase in traffic in the
Kiss and Ride lanes please prepare to leave a little earlier
to get to school for the 8:45 start. Late students should be
checking into the office to obtain a late slip. We will
continue to monitor late arrivals and send communication
home regarding this should your child demonstrate
frequent late arrival to school.
Bus Cancellations and/or 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:
VIRGIN RADIO 99.9
CHUM 1050
CFTR 680
CFNY 102.1
CJCL 590
CHFI 98.1
CFRB 1010
EZ ROCK 97.3
CJBC (FR) 860
Z103.5
93.1 FM
CFTO
CITYPULSE
GLOBAL NEWS
CBC
CHIN100.7
FM/1540 AM
Information is also available on the board website.
Scientists in the Classroom
We are pleased to be offering all students the chance to
experience the Scientists in the Classroom program.
Teachers have signed up for a program that coordinates
with their in-class science units. This program is being
paid for through money collected from pizza days. Thank
you for your continued support which allows us to offer
quality programs to support curriculum in our classrooms.
Roots of Empathy
For the past few months, Baby Scarlett and her mom have
been visiting Mr. Menichetti’s Grade 6 class for the Roots of
Empathy Program. In this program we have been learning
about planning, caring and interacting with baby Scarlett.
Our theme this month is learning about emotions through
the baby’s actions like crying, laughing, smiling, feeding
and playing. We are enjoying this program as each week
we learn more about baby Scarlett as we watch her grow.
By: Elizabeth, Melissa and Adrianna
www.dpcdsb.org/gshep
Health and Hygiene
Please be aware that children who are unwell should
not be at school. If your child becomes ill during the
school day we will contact you, or your designated
caregiver, to pick up your child. We are not able to
care for sick children at school.
Winter Dress
Please ensure your children come to school prepared
to participate in all outdoor recess breaks. All
children should have hats, scarves, gloves, warm
coats and boots, labeled with their name (and send
extras too!). This will enable them to enjoy a fresh
breath of air at recess time! Students who wish to
play in the snow MUST have snow pants.
For health reasons and to help keep the school clean,
we ask all students to have indoor shoes. You may
also wish to pack a spare set of clothes, especially
socks, pants and gloves, in case your child becomes
wet during recess. This would allow them to change
into more comfortable clothes and eliminate the
need to disturb parents for new clothes.
Let it Snow!!
Snow is always an attraction on the yard. We expect
that students will build and play in the snow and
enjoy our Canadian weather. Students are reminded
of our school rules surrounding snow. Throwing of
snow is not allowed for any reason. Snow is to
remain on the ground at all times.
Kiss ’N’ Ride Update
With the weather getting colder and the snow coming
soon, it is apparent that more students are being
driven to school. With the additional vehicles using
Kiss and Ride it becomes imperative that parents
have patience and follow the expectations for all
drivers. Parents are reminded that unless you have
parked in one of the spaces in our parking lot, you
should not be getting out of your vehicle and going to
drop off or pick up your child.
We are also reminding you that no vehicle should stop
in the drive through or bus lane to pick up or drop off
their children. This is very dangerous and blocks the
lane for those cars exiting. Teachers are on duty at
the bus lane, kiss and ride drop off lane and at the
crosswalk to ensure the safety of all our students.
Pylons are placed to direct the flow of traffic. Please
respect the measures we have in place in the interest
of the safety of your children.
The Wellness Committee
DPA has begun at Good Shepherd. Our DPA leaders
are visiting classes once a week to lead students in
routines that raise the heart rate and promote active
living.
Thank you to the leaders and to Mrs.
Pannozzo for organizing this initiative.
Page 3 of 4
Good Shepherd’s Good News
School Council News
Next council meeting is December 5th at 7:00 pm.
Mr. Sub orders for the remainder of 2013 have been
collected and we thank you for participating. We hope
to continue offering lunch options in the new year. All
money raised will be invested back into the school and
its initiatives for the year.
Sports
The intermediate girls’ and boys’ volleyball teams
competed in their tournament on November 20th. They
demonstrated true Good Shepherd spirit representing
our school well in a wonderful season. Thanks to Coach
Rosero for training up the athletes! Basketball will
begin in the new year.
PLASP at Good Shepherd
PLASP is pleased to offer before and after school care at
Good Shepherd. There are currently spaces available.
Please contact the school, visit plasp.com, or call 905890-1711 for more information.
Tall Pines Adventures
On November 27th our Grade 5 class visited Tall Pines
Nursing Home. Our class was divided into 2 groups. In
our group we did different activities with the elders.
Going to Tall Pines reminds me of when I take care of
my grandma. I had lots of fun there. We met a woman
who has 12 kids. We also met a woman who is 100 years
old and she said that she ‘can still move!’ We did
activities like Pass the Ball and we painted mugs. I read
a book to a lady because she is blind but she can still
hear. A woman came up to me and she hugged me and
kissed me on the forehead; she did not speak English. A
man named Sam who speaks French was very funny.
Overall I had fun going to Tall Pines. I can’t wait for our
next visit.
By Kaitlyn
What my class experienced at Tall Pines was fantastic!
In our group, we played Bingo as if we were a senior.
We wore ear plugs to experience being deaf, we wore
goggles that had tape on them to experience being blind
and we had one arm tied to a chair as if we had a
stroke. My group also tried wheelchairs which was
awesome. I learned that when using the wheelchair you
use your whole body to turn. We also tried using
walkers. We learned a lot about what it is like to be a
senior.
By David
Popcorn Sales for Typhoon Relief
Last week the youth faith ambassadors organized
popcorn sales to help raise money for the victims in the
Philippines.
Through your participation we raised
almost $400.00.
This will be matched by the
Archdioceses of Toronto and forwarded to the
Philippines. Thank you for your support.
www.dpcdsb.org/gshep
ADVENT EVENTS at GOOD SHEPHERD
Advent is a time of reflecting and preparing for the
Christmas season. The Good Shepherd community is
hoping to make this holiday season memorable for
families in our community through the Helping
Hands Initiative through the parish. This year we are
adopting 5 families at Good Shepherd. Information
was forwarded last week outlining the needs and
seeking donations. Our Helping Hands Program will
run from December 2nd to December 13th.
Additionally, during the last week of school (Dec.
16-19) we will be holding a spirit week to help raise
funds for the Helping Hands initiative. Details will
be sent home next week.
Our Christmas Gala – Christmas around the World
Family Night will take place on December 12 th at
6:30. Please see attached flyer for further details.
On the morning of December 16th, Good Shepherd
staff and students will be participating in a schoolwide advent retreat. In the afternoon (1:00) we will
be walking to St. Marguerite D’Youville church to
celebrate Advent Mass. Parents are welcome to
join us at mass.
Remembrance Day Posters
Our grade 8 students entered The Royal Canadian Legion
Remembrance Day Poster Contest. Four students were
awarded prizes for their entries. Congratulations go out
to:
Mags G. – 3rd place (Black and White)
Nicole G. – 3rd place (Colour)
Miller B. – 2nd place (Colour)
Eve K. – 1st place (Black and White)
Eve’s poster will be entered in the Regional level
competition. Good luck, Eve!
Bullying…Increase the Peace
Bullying Awareness and Prevention week was held from
November 18-22. Students listened to the message from
Q-Mack about “Increasing the Peace” in the school and on
the
playground.
During
that
week
several
spirit/awareness events were held.
We hope that
students will embrace the message of this week and that
it will have a lasting impact throughout the year.
Page 4 of 4
Good Shepherd’s Good News
Full-Day Kindergarten Registration for 2014-15
Registration for Full-Day Kindergarten for the 2014-15
school year, will take place at Good Shepherd on the
following days:
Monday, January 27, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Friday, January 31, 2014
* Snow Date:
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
7
9
9
9
p.m. - 9 p.m.*
a.m. – 3 p.m.
a.m. – 3 p.m.
a.m. – 3 p.m.
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
For more information about registration and the Full-Day
Kindergarten program, call 905-791-1039 or visit
www.dpcdsb.org.
Amazing Aqua-Terra Columns
The Grade 4 students have been inquiring into and learning
about various habitats. As part of this unit we constructed
Aqua-Terra Columns.
Our class tested how long the fish will survive. We put a
decomposer which is a ghost shrimp or snail. The
decomposer eats the waste from the fish to keep it clean
and the fish eats the plant to live. So far a fish died
because the ecosystem was not balanced. It had two
decomposers and it was probably too much. Our AquaTerra Column is lasting longer than we thought it would.
By Obinna
Drawing by Jessica
www.dpcdsb.org/gshep
Extended French Information Meeting
Grade 4 parents/guardians who wish to enroll their child
in a Grade 5 Extended French class for September 2014,
are invited to attend an information meeting at:
St. Jean Brebeuf
63 Glenforest Rd. Brampton
Wednesday, January 15th, 2014 @ 7:00 p.m.
The deadline for applications is Wednesday, February
12th, 2014 @ 3:00 p.m.
Students With Special Needs - FDK
There
will
be
an
information
session
for
parent(s)/guardian(s) of children with special needs
including vision, hearing, autism, physical/medical
and/or developmental delays who are transitioning to Full
Day Kindergarten in September 2014. The information
session will be held at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board -- Catholic Education Centre, Room 301 on
January 22, 2014, from 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Snow date
Thursday, February 6, 2014.
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) are also reminded to register their
child at our school office. Official registration dates are
January 27th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., January 29th,
30th, and 31st, 2014, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The
Snow Date for evening registration is January 28 th, 2014,
from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Use of Personal Electronic Devices at School
Presentations
Our School Board Policy states that all PEDs are to be
turned off and not used within school premises or during
school-sanctioned activities. This would include the use
of cameras during school presentations. The taking of
photos and videos of individual students is considered to
be the collection of personal information under privacy
legislation. There are times during the year where we
may take photos/videos of students and school activities
for school and/or board promotional purposes eg.
Newsletters. In such instances, where the end use of the
images and personal information collected is specific,
parental consent is obtained in writing.
Our Catholic School Heritage:
A Historical
Understanding of Key Issues Related to Catholic
Education
How long have Catholic separate schools been
educating Catholic children and contributing to the
public good in Ontario?
For about 170 years. In the early 1800s there were
separate schools in many cities, towns and townships.
In Peel, three separate schools opened before
Confederation (1867): St. James in Malton in the
1830s, St. John’s Agricultural College (1861) and St.
Patrick’s (1861), both in Wildfield.
When parents or visitors take photos/videos of students
during school performances, the personal information
(eg., images, video) of students who are not their
children may be captured. In such cases, the school and
board have no control over the end use of those images or
personal information. Given the present digital and
social media age in which we live, we cannot put the
privacy of our students at such risk. It is for this reason
that the taking of photographs or videos during school
performances/activities will not be allowed. Where
possible, we will provide an opportunity for you to take
photos of your child only, either before or after the
performance. We thank you for your cooperation and
understanding in this matter.
You are invited to celebrate a variety of Christmas traditions
through crafts, activities and family fun!
Thursday, December 12th, 2013 at 6:30 p.m.
Please join us in the school gymnasium to begin our evening
in prayer, reflection and celebration at 6:30.
Afterwards spread your Christmas spirit by sharing in
other festivities throughout the school!
Indulge in hot chocolate and cookies provided by the school council!
Remember to visit Mr. and Mrs. Claus in the conference room
across from the main office for a family portrait!
As a special treat please visit Ray Kingsmore in the library to
pound out a Christmas tune on the drums!
(All donations collected this evening will be donated to
the families we have adopted from Helping Hands)