St. Aidan Catholic Elementary School
34 Buick Boulevard
Brampton, Ontario
L7A 3B9
Phone: 905-840-3042
Principal
D. Clifford
Vice-Principal
M. Moncur
Head Secretary
C. Moore
Assistant Secretary
T. Gout
Superintendent
S. Steer
Trustees
D. B. D’Souza
F. Di Cosola
Parish
Guardian Angels
Pastor
Fr. Jan Gogolewski
Mass Times
Sat.:
5:00 p.m.
Sun.:
9:00 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
Masses are held at:
St. Edmund Campion
275 Brisdale Drive
Brampton, Ontario
L7A 3C7
Fax: 905-840-0820
March 2015
Lent
The season of Lent is the time for
renewal. We are called to renew
our hearts, cleanse our souls and
beg forgiveness for our sins. It is
easy to spot the errors in other
people’s ways, yet more difficult
to recognize our own failings.
We need to open our hearts and
minds to the cleansing element
of God’s Word. When we are
reawakened to the glory of God’s
creation, we can start anew with
a clean slate. Our life’s burdens
will seem lighter. The season of
Lent offers us the wonderful
chance to refresh and renew our
hearts.
“The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God has come
near;
repent and believe in the good
news.”
Mark 1:15
March Break
Student Lateness
There will be no school for students and staff from
March 16th -20th. We wish you all a safe and restful
week. Classes will resume on Monday March 23rd.
We continue to experience a
significant number of students
arriving late on a regular
basis. We ask for your
support in encouraging your
children to arrive at school
on time. Students arriving
late cause significant
disruption to the classroom, and late students miss
important instruction and learning time. Students
should be in their designated area of the school yard
no later than 8:15 so that they are ready to begin
their day before the bell rings at 8:20. Thank you for
your cooperation with this serious matter.
Sports Corner
Congratulations to the Girls’ and Boys’
Junior Basketball teams and to the boys’ Junior
Indoor Soccer Team. The girls and boys played well
in their respective tournaments. We are very proud
of the accomplishments of all our teams.
Our school dance team is also hard at work
preparing for the spring dance competition.
Inclement and Cold Weather
The weather conditions this winter
have varied drastically. We ask that
students and parents check weather reports on a
regular basis and have the students dress
appropriately; i.e. coats, gloves, mitts, boots, etc. If
they are dressed warmly, they are better prepared
to participate in outdoor activities during recess and
lunch hour.
Please be advised that students are kept indoors at
recess during the winter ONLY when the weather
conditions are extremely cold (when the wind chill
equivalent temperature is minus 20 degrees Celsius).
Indoor Shoes
As we wait for the warmer
and drier weather to arrive, it is very important that
ALL students have appropriate indoor shoes to wear
in their classrooms. Students are not permitted in
the gym, library or computer lab unless they are
wearing clean and dry shoes.
Parent Lending Library
Last year our Catholic School Council purchased a
number of books for our parent lending library.
There are books on a number of interesting topics
including: parenting, discipline, divorce, grief,
different learners, etc. For a complete list, please
visit the Catholic School Council section of our school
website at http://www.dpcdsb.org/AIDAN.
DPCDSB is now on Twitter!
For the latest board news and
information, follow us
@DPCDSBschools.
Allergy awareness
Thank you for helping us
to create a safe environment for students who have
life threatening allergies. Many children at St. Aidan
School have severe allergies to foods such as
shellfish, nuts and peanuts. Students will not be
permitted to eat lunches or snacks that may contain
even trace amounts of these products.
Celebrating Special Occasions
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) are asked not to send in food
items for children to share for special occasions. If
families would like to mark a special occasion,
perhaps consider sending non-food items (e.g.
pencils, stickers) or donating a book to your child’s
class that all students can enjoy. Any food items
sent to school will be returned home. Thank you for
your cooperation.
Kiss and Ride/Drop-Off Areas
Staff is on duty to supervise the Kiss and Ride and
Kindergarten – Grade One drop off areas from 8:05-8:20.
These lanes are intended for parents who are dropping
off children without leaving their vehicles. There is NO
parking in the Kiss and Ride or Drop Off lanes. If you
intend to wait and see that your child enters the yard or
building, we respectfully ask that you park in a
designated parking spot or on the street in front of the
school. Please note we have a Kindergarten and Grade 1
drop-off area on the east side and a Kiss and Ride for
Grades 2 to 8 along the front of the school.
Also, please do NOT drop off children in the live traffic
lanes – do so only when pulled over to the curb. We
thank you for your continued cooperation in keeping the
Kiss and Ride/Drop off lanes safe for all users.
ECO Update
Our National Sweater Day event was a great success.
We saw so many wonderful and creative sweaters.
Students learned about the benefits of lowering the
thermostat by 2 degrees – families can save money
on energy costs and, according to WWF Canada, it is
estimated that across Canada that a two-degreeCelsius drop on building thermostats could reduce
national greenhouse gas emissions by four
megatons, which is equal to annual emissions from
about 300,000 vehicles. So keep your thermostat
down and show off those amazing sweaters!
March is Water month! During the month of March,
we here at St. Aidan will celebrate our wonderful
resource of WATER. In an effort to reduce the
number of plastic water bottles generated, students
are asked to use a refillable container. They can
refill their containers at the water refilling station we
won for participating in last year’s “The Great Gulp.”
Students will participate in this year’s “The Great Big
Gulp” on March 13, 2015.
ECO-Social Justice Initiative
Milk Bags Unlimited is once again appealing to
DPCDSB schools to collect milk bags to help in the
Ebola Outbreak efforts in Sierra Leone. Milk bag
mats are in great demand and are
shipped to Africa and countries
worldwide via Dr. Simone’s Missions
in Mississauga. This social justice
project keeps non-biodegradable
plastic milk bags out of our landfills
and recycled into sleeping mats for the needs of
others around the world. Please send your clean milk
bags to support St. Aidan’s mat weavers.
Healthy Eating: Smart Snacking
Healthy Snack Ideas
Growing children need more energy and nutrients
than meals alone can supply. Think of snacks as
"mini-meals" that include choices from one or more
of the four food groups in Canada’s Food Guide.
You can find healthy snack options throughout the
grocery store. Remember: many of the foods
advertised as "snacks" on TV - like chips, crackers
and cookies - are often low in nutrients and high in
fat and sugar.
Snack Facts:

Catholic Education Week 2015:
This year, Catholic Education Week will take place
May 3rd to May 8th. Our theme this year is
“Exploring Paths of Joy.” More information on
school activities will follow.
“Were not our hearts burning within us while He was
talking to us on the road?” - Luke 24:32


Granola bars with chocolate, marshmallows
or frosting are nutritionally more like
chocolate bars. Choose granola bars with
more fiber and less fat.
Fruit snacks and fruit rolls are often high in
sugar and low in nutrients, with little or no
actual fruit. Read the ingredient list. Is the
first ingredient real fruit, or sugar?
Use the Nutrition Facts label to compare
two similar products to help you make a
decision.
When to Snack
Snacks offered midway between meals and at
bedtime won't spoil your child's appetite. In fact,
well-timed snacks help kids arrive at a meal feeling
hungry, but not "starving". This is the best way for
kids to eat well. For more information please visit
www.peelregion.ca/health/.

Chess Tournament
Good luck to all students
participating in the Brampton West Chess
Tournament at Guardian Angels on March 27th!
Lenten Mass

On March 11th Fr. Jan will celebrate our Lenten Mass
at 9:15 a.m. in the school gym. Please join us as we
journey through Lent together.

Thank you to our CSC and to all
parents, guardians, students and
parents who participated in our
Lamontagne chocolate fundraiser! It
was a great success! All proceeds will
be used to further student learning
and engagement.
Thank you to our CSC for organizing
the Brain Gym parent engagement
evening!
Thank you for supporting our Share
Life Spirit Week!
Concussion Policy, Guidelines and Protocol
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE:
School Start Time and Student
Supervision
We have seen a growing number of children
being dropped off early at school in recent
weeks and entering the school prior to the
school start time. Please note that
supervision in the school yard begins at 8:05
AM. Please do not leave your children
unattended on the school grounds before
teacher supervision begins.
Students are expected to gather in the
school yard near their assigned entry doors
from 8:05 until entry at 8:20 AM. Students
should not be entering the school through
the front doors or entering the school prior
to 8:20 AM. The front doors will be locked.
The only exception to early entry is when we
are experiencing inclement weather (e.g. rain
or temperature/wind chill below minus 20
degrees), in which case the school bell will
ring at 8:05 AM and students will go to their
designated supervised area inside the school.
Students are asked to enter through the east
school yard doors.
Once again, for the safety of the children,
please do not leave students unattended
prior to teacher supervision beginning at 8:05
AM, and please ensure they are dropped off
in the school yard unless the bell rings early
because of inclement weather conditions.
If you require extended care, please contact
the YMCA Before and After School program
at the school to inquire if space is available.
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has
developed a Concussion Policy and Guidelines for
students who have been diagnosed with a concussion
by either a medical doctor or nurse practitioner.
School staff cannot diagnose a concussion. Anytime a
student reports to the office with a head injury, the
parent/guardian will be contacted and the incident will
be entered into the school’s “Documentation of Head
Injuries” log. Your child will be given an information
pamphlet entitled “We want to give you a heads
up…Concussions are serious.” This pamphlet outlines
the signs and symptoms of concussions. It also
includes information about what to do if you suspect
your child has a concussion and how a concussion is
treated.
Guidelines have been developed by Dufferin-Peel CDSB
to support a 10-phase “Return to Activity” process
following a diagnosed concussion. These guidelines
include 5 phases for “Return to Learn” followed by 5
phases for “Return to Play”.
With parental consent, school administration will work
collaboratively with school psychology staff to monitor
your child’s progress through the 10 phases.
For more information, please contact the school.
IMPORTANT DATES
March 3:
March 6:
March 10:
March 11:
March 16-20:
March 17:
March 26:
March 27:
March 27:
April 3:
April 6:
April 9:
Virtue Assembly at 9:00 am
Choir at Brampton Beast
Hockey Game 7:30 pm
CSC Meeting 6:30 pm
Lenten Mass at 9:15 am
March Break
St. Patrick’s Day
Earth Hour
Virtue Assembly at 10:05 am
Chess Tournament
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Easter Mass at 9:15 am
Dear God,
You have done such a marvelous job of
creating us and the world around us. You
have placed this creation, including all
the people we meet in our care. We
come to you now asking for the grace
and strength to keep a sense of
kindness. We hope that by recognizing
and honouring this fruit of the Holy
Spirit, we can contribute to making our
school a safer, more caring and inclusive
community.
May kindness, the fruit of your Spirit,
help us to feel the courage to act on
behalf of people around us who are in
need. We ask this in the name of Jesus,
our brother, who lived to show us your
way.
Amen.