ST. BENEDICT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
345 Blind Line, Orangeville, ON L9W 4X1
(P) 519-942-5980
(F) 519-942-3849
A Lenten Prayer
Good and Gracious God,
You call your people back to You this Lent.
May this sacred season renew our desire to live fully the promises
Of our Baptism and to love You With a whole heart.
Through more frequent prayer,
Acts of charity and fasting,
May we remember that loving You and one another is the most
Important thing we can do.
In confidence, we ask these things
Through Jesus Christ
Our Lord and Saviour
Amen
SERVING OUR
COMMUNITY
Principal
L. Quick
Secretary
A. Wasyliw
Superintendent BECDM
L. Storey
905-890-1221
Trustee
F. Di Cosola
905-951-8898
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Parish
We have now begun the second term. Thank you to staff, students and
parents for collaborating and planning for further student success.
Pastor
St. Timothy Catholic Church
Fr. S Lee Lung
As busy as we all get in our own lives, we can never forget that we are on
a spiritual journey. Throughout this season of Lent we are reminded of
Jesus in the desert; Jesus carrying the cross; Jesus on the cross. During
Lent, we can take the time to reflect on the choices we make in our lives
and commit to finding ways to make greater improvements. At Easter, we
will celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We are very blessed at St. Benedict to have the opportunity to work
together as a Catholic community – teachers, parents, students and
Church. We are blessed to be involved in so many activies beyond the
mandated demands of the academic program.
May we continue to appreciate one another and the significant efforts of
all the partners within our community.
Sincerely,
L. Quick
Principal
519-941-2424
Catholic School Advisory
Council
Chair: L. Bolzon
lbolzon68@gmail.com
Parent Engagement Evening – Childhood Anxiety
On Wednesday February 17th, 2016 from 7:00 p.m.
– 9:00 p.m. we welcome Cheryl Schneider to St.
Benedict School to speak about anxiety in children.
All children experience worries during their various
stages of development. When it doesn't significantly
interfere with daily functioning or coping, anxiety
can be healthy and normal. This workshop will
address ways parents can identify triggers, provide
support and develop coping skills in their children.
Calendar of Events
February 2 Report Cards go home
February 2 Intermediate Hockey Tournament
February 4 Parent Teacher Interview Evening
February 5 PD Day – No School For students
February 10 Ash Wednesday Liturgy
February 10 Ski/Board Club at Hockley Valley
February 11 Saidat!
Cheryl Schneider is a Child & Youth Counsellor on the
Children's Mental Health team at Dufferin Child &
Family Services. She works with children, youth and
their families to help decrease stress, improve
relationships and develop skills to cope more
effectively.
Kiss and Ride
Kiss and Ride runs every morning
from 8:40 a.m. until the bell rings at
8:55 a.m. An adult is always there to
greet your child.
In colder
temperatures, the front of the
school is often quite busy. Please do not allow your
child to exit the car before the crosswalk area.
There are many buses and it is not safe for students
to cross where there is no adult present. In addition,
please ensure that students are able to exit on the
passenger side of the car. If parents remain in the
car and allow the adult on duty to open the car door
for the child, Kiss and Ride moves quite smoothly and
quickly. Thank you for your understanding and
keeping our students safe!
Parking Lot Reminders
A reminder to parents that cars should never be left
unattended in our driveway as it creates
unnecessary wait times and unsafe
situations for children. Children
are always greeted by a staff
member on duty. If you feel the
need to escort your child, please
park in a parking spot or on one of
the side streets. Please do not
park on Blind Line as it is a very busy street and this
blocks the view of pedestrians.
February 12 Spirit Day – Red, White and Pink Day
February 15 Family Day – no school
February 24 Ski/Board Club at Hockley Valley
Students are dismissed at 3:25 p.m. Understandibly,
our parking lot is quite busy at that time as buses
arrive to pick students up for departure. If you are
picking your child up at the end of the day, we ask
that you do not block the way for the buses to enter
our parking lot. Parking is available on the side
streets – a suggestion is to park on one of these
streests and then walk to the school to pick up your
child.
Public Speaking Competition
On Tuesday February 2, select students from Grades
1 – 8 at St. Benedict will have the opportunity to
participate in our annual Public Speaking
Competition. Students who are successful will
participate in the Legion Public Speaking Contest.
Good luck to all those who are participating!
Carnaval
St. Benedict is once again celebrating
Carnaval on Tuesday February 9th,
2016. Students will be participating
in many outdoor activities and they will also have
the chance to participate in Pancake Tuesday.
Many thanks to the staff and all of our volunteers
who make this day truly special for all of our
students.
Lent
Our school will be celebrating an Ash Wednesday
Liturgy at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday February 10th,
2016. Parents are welcome to join us.
Hockey News
Congratulations
to
the
Intermediate Hockey Team! The
students are involved in a
Tournament at the beginning of
February – good luck! Members
of the team include: Colm B., Josh
P., Cole T., Jake M., Jake D.,
Michael K., Katrina A., Justin O., Ian C., Jaden C.,
Ethan H., Shane H., Connor R., Logan L.
Eco School Initiatives
As a school we are working very hard on several ecoschool initiatives, including:
 Wasteless Wednesdays – students at St.
Benedict are encouraged to try to bring
lunches that result in no waste on this day
– bringing reusable containers, reusable
water bottles, etc.
 Lights Off! – students and staff are
reminded to turn off the lights when
leaving a room
 Distributing the newsletter
and other communications
online and through email –
if you wish to receive the
newsletter
via
email,
please contact the school.
Indoor Shoes
It is an expectation that all students have indoor
shoes. Slippers are not acceptable indoor shoes as
they do not have proper grip and can present a safety
concern for students. Students are expected to put
indoor shoes on as soon as they come in from the
outdoors. In the case of an emergency, students are
not able to stop and put on shoes.
Annual Offence Declaration
It is a requirement that all school volunteers must
present to the school a clear current Criminal
Reference Check (CRC). Upon receipt of this CRC it is
an annual requirement that these school volunteers
complete an “Annual Offence Declaration (AOD). If
you are a parent volunteer who has submitted a CRC,
please contact the school office as soon as possible
to obtain and complete your AOD. Forms are also
available at the school office for those wishing to
obtain an initial Criminal Reference Check. Thanks to
all of our school volunteers for contributing to our
Catholic School community – you make a difference
to so many!
This year, March Break is from March
14th to 18th 2016. There is no school for
students during this time. Students
return to school on March 21st.
Student Learning
As we begin a new term, students are encouraged to
set goals for themselves to improve their learning
and success. Some suggestions below can help
parents support their child’s learning.
 Have high expectations for your child(ren).
Let your children understand that you feel it
is important for them to do well in school.
When parents consistently express belief in
their children’s potential and tell their
children they expect them to succeed
academically, students do better.
 Talk about school. Instead of asking “How
was school?” or “What did you learn at
school today?” (which often leads to the
answer “Fine” and “Nothing”), ask your child
what the most interesting thing they learned
was, or what new wonderings they have
after being at school – and insist on an
answer!
 Help your children develop a positive
attitude toward learning and good work
habits. Focus on helping your children
handle distractions and crises of confidence,
praise them for effort and persistence and
demonstrate a positive attitude about
school as a whole.
 Read together (in any language). Reading is
one of the foundations of all education, and
you can make a big difference by reading and
talking about books and stories with your
children. Make reading fun and enjoyable!
Teach your children to love reading!
Easter
Easter arrives quite early this year. Good Friday is
Friday March 25th, 2016. Easter Monday is Monday
March 28th, 2016. The school is closed on these days.
EQAO
Every student in Grade 3 and Grade 6 in the province
of Ontario will take the provincial assessment in
reading, writing and numeracy between May 25 to
June 8, 2016. Kindly avoid booking dental, doctor
appointments or vacations during this time. The
actual test will take 3 days to administer for each
grade. Further information will be forthcoming as we
get closer to the administration dates.
Reminder – No Food Treats
Please do not send in any food treats for sharing on
Valentine’s Day. Students may bring in snacks for
themselves but there is to be no sharing of food.
Virtue of the Month: Respect
Through prayer we can get better at
respecting ourselves as well as those around
us. God wants us to treat all people with the
respect they deserve. We are all valuable to
God. We all deserve to be shown concern for
our welfare and our feelings.
A respectful person …
 Has a confident, positive sense of self and
respect for the dignity and welfare of others
 Honours the rights, responsibilities and
contributions of self and
others
 Values and honours the
important role of family
in society
 Values the environment and uses resources
wisely
 Honours the faith traditions, world religions
and life journeys of all people of goodwill
Raven of the Month – January 2016
The Virtue of Self Control
Setareh E.
Mrs. Gareau/Mrs. Atzori
Garcia C.
Mr. Merry
Summer R.
Mrs. Marini/Mrs. McNairn
Kaitlyn S.
Mr. Serafini
Victoria D.
Mrs. Stevens
Matthew M.
Ms. LaVieille
Dior M.
Mrs. Gallant
Christopher P.
Mrs. Longstreet
Nathan W.
Mrs. Evans
Alanna B.
Ms. Carson
Alex W.
Mrs. Strain
Michaelangelo M.
Mr. King
Luke F.
Mrs. Martin
Daniela C.
Mrs. Harasiewicz
Mafer C.
Mrs. Merrick
Angel C.
Ms. Weir
Austin P.
Mrs. Sousa
Maja M.
Mrs. Desbottes