St. André Bessette Catholic
Elementary School
NEWSLETTER
25 Riverstone Drive, Brampton, Ontario L6P 2V7
Tel: (905) 913-2567 Fax: (905) 913-2188
February 2016
Principal: V. Zaffino
Vice-Principal: N. Smith
Secretary: R. Hendry
Secretary: F. Antenucci
SERVING OUR
COMMUNITY
Wednesday February 10th, marks the beginning of the Season of
Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which
prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
A Lenten Prayer
SUPERINTENDENT OF
SCHOOLS
O Jesus, you place on my forehead the sign of your saving Cross:
D. Finegan-Downey
“Turn from sin and be faithful to the gospel.”
905-890-1221
How can I turn from sin unless I turn to you?
You speak, you raise your hand, you touch my mind and call my
name,
TRUSTEE
S. Xaviour
ST. PATRICK PARISH
Rev. Vito Marziliano
905-794-0486
ROMAN CATHOLIC
SCHOOL COUNCIL
“Turn to the Lord your God again.”
These days of your favour leave a blessing as you pass on me and all
your people.
Turn to us, Lord God, and we shall turn to you. Amen.
Please join us for our Ash Wednesday celebration on the 10th at
12:30 p.m. in the school gym!
Chair
J. Balthazaar
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.
May your gift of respect help us
to live each day with the
confidence that we are in
company of people who are not
strangers but who are our
spiritual brothers and sisters.
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.
February 2016
Page 2
TERM ONE STUDENT REPORTS
Family Day
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15th
School is closed
Term One Report Cards for Grades 1 to 8 will
go home on Tuesday, February 2nd. Parent /
teacher / student interviews for JK to grade 8
students will be held on the evening of
Thursday, February 4th and Friday, February
5th.
You should have received your
interview request form. If you have not seen
it, contact your child’s teacher.
No school for students on Friday, February
5th as this is a PA Day dedicated to
reporting.
Planning Ahead….
MARCH BREAK
There will be no school during the week of
March 15-19
School will resume on
Monday, March 22nd
LOST & FOUND
Please be sure to check the Lost & Found in the main
foyer on Interview Evening Thursday February 4th for
any items that may belong to your child(ren).
Student Yard Supervision
Please note that teachers are on duty in the school
yard at the following times:
Before School Start—8:00-8:15 a.m.
Morning Recess
Outdoor Lunch Recess—10:53-11:33 a.m.
Afternoon Recess
Bus Boarding and Departure—2:45-2:55 p.m.
We will be donating all remaining items to a local
charity during March Break.
Students should NOT arrive to school earlier
then 8 a.m.
Please arrive between 8:00 and 8:13 a.m.!
February 2016
Page 3
On behalf of the St. André Bessette Elementary School community we extend
our heartfelt congratulations to Mrs. Denise Oude-Reimerink, Superintendent of
Education on the occasion of her retirement from the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board after many years of service. She has continued to be a welcome visitor to our school whether
meeting with staff or dialoguing with students in their classrooms. Mrs. Oude-Reimerink always maintained the focus
on Catholic education and its impact on student learning, encouraging each child to reach his/her God-given potential
using their talents and skills to the highest level.
Our collective prayer is that she will enjoy a retirement filled with God‘s blessings and many years of good health and
memories to cherish with her friends and family.
Beginning February 1st, we welcome our new Superintendent, Ms. Finegan-Downey. She
brings to our school community a wealth of knowledge and experience and we look
forward to her visits and know that we will make her feel welcomed.
School Safety Reminder
Regarding Student Pick Up
and Drop Off
1. A reminder to parents to be
familiar with student drop off procedures as well as Kiss
and Ride safety. This continues to be a challenge.
Frequent reminders have been put in previous
newsletters. Please check out past newsletters on our
website if you would like to review our Kiss and Ride
Rules. Thank you to parents who follow the rules
and understand that the rules are to ensure
student safety.
2. A reminder that a vehicle should never block the
entrance to the school. If you find yourself in this
position, especially at the end of the day during student
pick up, please go through the driveway and out the exit
and re-enter the loop. Please do the same if you see that
the bus is trying to get into the driveway but is blocked
by cars.
3. Move up in the drive through lane. Do not let
children out of the vehicle unless you have moved
right up.
4. Never stop or leave your vehicle at the front of
the school as that is a fire route. That lane is
strictly for buses to use as they pick up and drop
off students. It must be kept clear at all other
times.
Healthy Schools Corner:
We look forward to a new year full of
information and activities to keep St. André
Bessette a healthy one. We will be
continuing with our announcements,
Healthy Snack First, and DPA.
Stay tuned for classroom challenges, an
intermediate boys’ and girls’ day, and of
course, our end of year Wellness Fair.
Coming soon: "Fruit Fridays", where
students are encouraged to bring fruit as a
healthy snack. Members of the Healthy
Schools Committee will be coming around
to check! The class with the highest number
at the end of the month will receive a prize!
Health Tip:
Foods can be thought of as “everyday
foods” or “sometimes foods”. The key to
healthy snacking is providing variety and a
balance of healthy food choices that your
children can enjoy. Limiting foods and
beverages high in calories, fat, sugar, and
salt is an important step towards better
health. Avoid labeling food as “good” or
“bad”. All snack foods, including chips and
chocolate bars, can be enjoyed occasionally.
Page 4
February 2016
DEAR PARENTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS AND SUPPORT
STAFF OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES AT ST. PATRICK’S PARISH:
Peace and blessings to all, on this beginning of a new month, February, in
the Jubilee Year of Mercy. We have celebrated this past week the First
Confessions of many of our children. How beautiful it is to remember that
God loves us. That no matter what, we are truly and will always remain, his beloved children. It is the joy
and smile on the faces and in the hearts of our little ones that remind us of this fact. May we always learn
from them and do our best to let them remember this great and magnificent truth.
Within a few days, on February 10, Ash Wednesday, we begin the Season of Lent. What a great gift we have
been given to examine the extent of God’s love and acknowledge that at times we have not been ready to
welcome this gift. Lent offers us an opportunity to re-examine our life, our journey of faith, our responses to
events and situations that surround us. All to be examined in the light of God’s Mercy.
May the weeks ahead, leading us to Easter, help us celebrate new beginnings. I remember you all in our
celebrations and pray that continued blessings may come upon you and all your loved ones. Please
remember that every day of the week and on weekends, during this Jubilee of Mercy, our church and the
Holy Doors continue to be open from 7 a.m. To 9 p.m., welcoming you all in prayer, silence and
celebrations. On Ash Wednesday, our parish masses will be celebrated at 8:30 a.m. In English, 1 p.m. In
Italian, and 7:30 p.m. In English. I will be visiting our schools and blessing ashes on Monday and Tuesday that
same week, so that each school may hold a para-liturgy on the Wednesday, with the distribution of ashes.
Please remember that our parish church is always ready to welcome you in prayer. Saturday evening at 5
p.m. (in English, the first Sunday Mass of the weekend), Sunday at 8:30 a.m. (Eng), 10 a.m. (Eng), 11:30 a.m.
(Ital.), 1:00 p.m. (Eng), 7:30 p.m. (Eng). There is room for you and your family, both in our pews, and above
all, in the heart of God.
Blessings upon all,
Fr. Vito Marziliano,
Pastor.
February 2016
Page 5
As snow and ice are a reality in the winter months, we review our rules about NOT
throwing snow or ice at school regularly. Please review with your child the dangers
of this and that it is NOT allowed at school. The school rule is that snow stays on
the ground – no snowballs, kicking snow or other any other activity with snow or ice
that could be harmful. Students who throw snowballs or ice chunks will receive
consequences. The safety of all of our students is our number one priority.
Using snow to make forts or snow people is a wonderful way to enjoy winter.
Students are encouraged to be respectful of what others have created. It should be noted that these structures are
temporary and staff on supervision duty are not expected to help safeguard these as their primary responsibility is to
ensure student safety.
All students should have indoor footwear
at school. This is essential in case of an
emergency evacuation. The students will
not have time to change their footwear.
Now that the colder weather is upon us
we respectfully remind you to ensure that
your children come to school dressed
warmly to participate in recess activities.
When weather conditions are severe we
may reduce the outdoor play time, or
have indoor recess entirely, but fresh air
and exercise are vital components for successful learning, so we will endeavour to
have children play outside whenever possible. Help your children by having them
come to school appropriately dressed
with scarves, hats and mittens.
We also recommend that students keep
extra clothing such as socks and pants at
school in case their original clothing gets
wet.
Volunteering on Trips and at School
The D.P.C.D.S.B. policy is that volunteers working in the school and supervising any school
trips MUST have a valid Criminal Reference Check. The original must be brought to the main
office for verification and photocopying by office staff. A copy will be kept on file at the
school and the original returned to you. Application forms for Criminal Reference Checks
can be obtained through the school office.
Please consider volunteering!
February 2016
Page 6
LATE ARRIVALS AND EARLY DEPARTURES
As in the past, we ask that you call the school on the days that your child will be absent or late. This is a
safety precaution that can save precious moments should there ever be an emergency situation.
We thank you for your continued support in following this procedure.
If your child will be late or absent from school, it is very important that you notify the school
before 8:15 a.m. by leaving a voice mail message on the attendance line at 905‐913-2567 and
pressing 1, for the attendance voice mail. You should speak clearly and leave the child’s FIRST
and LAST NAME, the teacher’s name, and the reason for the absence or lateness.
Any student arriving at school late is required to come to the office to request a
late slip. This allows us to change our attendance information, and mark your child
late, rather than absent.
We would also like to ask for your cooperation with afternoon dismissal. The
last 30‐45 minutes of the day is extremely important in the classroom. If you need
to pick your child up earlier than 2:45, we
ask that you please send a note to your child’s teacher in the morning, advising
them of the time required for pick up and the reason. We cannot interrupt
classes during this time, for unannounced departures.
Let us know...
If your child was born in 2011 or
2012, he or she can start
Kindergarten in September 2016.
We continue to take registrations for
students starting September 2016….
This information will help us in
planning for the new school year!
If you have a child who
will be starting school
(ANY GRADE) in
September….
Please call our school
office for a registration
package
905 913-2567
February 2016
Page 7
The Share Life Committee and the Youth Faith Ambassadors
are working together to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a
variety of fun activities for staff and students. Students will
have the opportunity to purchase heart-shaped cookies from
Terra Cotta and participate in a school dance on Friday,
February 12th. All proceeds raised will be donated to Share Life.
Thank you for your continued support!
Happy New Year from Your Youth Faith Ambassadors!
We would like to thank everyone for all your spirit and support during our
Christmas Festivities. All activities were a huge success because of all of
you! A special thank you to all of you who supported our “Helping Hands.”
We raised over $700.00 This money supported the purchase of gifts and
food for families in our community.
Stay tuned for all upcoming events!
Your Youth Faith Ambassadors
LITTERLESS LUNCHBAG or BOOMERANG MONDAYS!
To encourage our school community to care for our God-given
earth, we are continuing our LITTERLESS LUNCHBAG
MONDAYS. If this can be done every day, that would be even
better! It is hoped that the students will learn to cut the amount
of waste that is produced on a daily basis. With further
discussion at school and home, the students will be more informed
about product packaging and alternatives that have less or zero
packaging. Our Eco Team Waste Auditors have been conducting
audits and have noticed many wrappers, and disposable beverage boxes and bottles. In
addition, these are often incorrectly recycled or thrown away. Healthy snacks such as
fruits and vegetables are better alternatives and produce less or no waste at
school. Reusable water bottles filled at school, make no waste and are healthier than
other beverages. On Mondays, all waste will be boomeranged home for proper disposal
and hopefully conversation about the benefits of litterless lunches will take place.
Thanks so much for your continued support!
February 2016
Page 8
National Sweater Day will be observed board-wide on Thursday, February 4, 2016, providing an opportunity for employees and students to
learn about the importance of saving energy and inspire us to use less
heat throughout the winter. Since 2010, over a million Canadians have
participated in National Sweater Day at their schools, workplaces and
homes. If all Canadians lowered their thermostats by just 2 degrees
Celsius this winter, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about
4 megatons! Don't forget to wear your sweater on February 4th!
Black History Month
Black History Month has become a major part of Ontario’s heritage. It is an opportunity for us
to reflect on the struggles, contributions and victories of members of the Black community.
During the month, students will hear about victories as well as contributions in the field of arts,
science, politics, business, law, education, engineering, health care and skills trades that have been
left out of the official account of our history. These accomplishments have helped make Canada a
the world a better place to live.
Please be sure to check the Lost and Found in the foyer on Interview evening, Thursday,
February 4th for any items that may belong to your child(ren).
We will be donating all remaining items during the March Break.
Officer Jess from Peel Police visited students in grades 3-8 and discussed many around safety. Please
follow up and support your child by having them tell you about what they learned from the presentations.
Grades Three and Four: The Everyday Hero program reviews and builds upon learning from previous years. At the end
of this session students will understand how to be an “everyday hero” and the positive role they have to play in their school
environment.
Grades Four and Five: This session is intended to build capacity in children to adopt safety based decisions and habits in
protecting themselves and reducing their risk of on-line victimization. Students learned the importance of keeping personal
information and photos off the internet, privacy settings, what cyberbullying is and proper “netiquette” in order to avoid
becoming the target of crime and victimization.
Grades Five, Seven and Eight: The Cyber Citizenship program revisits the standard safety rules of the Internet. They
are reinforced in this session in relation to personal information, images/photographs and in the creation of personal
websites with the focus shifting to predator behaviour and cyber-bullying. The risks and benefits of e-mail, chat rooms,
instant messaging & cell phones are discussed with a special emphasis on the deceptive and
dangerous potential of on-line “friends” and tricks sometimes used to get kids to meet off-line.
Grade Eights: The Digital Leadership program reviews and builds upon learning from previous
years. The focus of this session moves from what constitutes good cyber citizenship toward more
advanced age appropriate topics that impact youth health and safety that include social networking,
gaming and self-peer exploitation, (sexting).
Page 9
February 2016
APP OF THE MONTH
App of the Month
This month's featured App is The Human Body by Tinybop. In correlation with the
health and science curriculum for many grades this term, this App explores a working model of the
human body. Although not a free App, the education value is evident. Within this App, the six main
body systems can be explored: Skeletal, Nervous, Digestive, Circulatory, Respiratory and Muscular.
Every part is animated and interactive: the heart beats, intestines gurgle, lungs breathe, the skin
feels, and eyes see. Designed for kids ages 4+ to discover what we’re made of and how we work,
this App is a wonderful tool that engages learners in the miracle and workings of the human body.
Forest of Reading: Blue Spruce Program
The FDK students at St. André Bessette School have begun The Forest of Reading - Blue Spruce Program. Each week, students will listen to a book that has been nominated. At the end of the program, students will have an opportunity to vote for their favourite book. The winning author will be
announced at the Festival of Trees at the Harbour Front Centre in May and will win the Blue Spruce
Award for 2016. Good luck authors!!!
Scholastic Book Fair is here --- Mark your calendars!!!
The Scholastic Book Fair has arrived at St. André Bessette School. The Book Fair will run from
Monday, February 1st until Friday, February 5th in the Library. It will run daily from 8:30am to
2:30pm (closed during recesses and lunch). The Book Fair will be open late until 8:00pm on
Thursday, February 4th and will be open until 12:00pm on Friday February 5 th. Students have
already brought home a Book Fair letter and flyer. Your child has also received a shopping
day so please look in your child’s agenda for this
information.
We look forward to seeing you during our Scholastic Book
Fair and thank you, in advance for supporting this great
literary fundraiser.
Thank you for believing in books and the importance
reading has on your child’s future.
Page 10
February 2016
Thanks to fundraising, we are pleased to announce the following upcoming events:
On Thursday February 11, 2016 the Earth Rangers will be visiting and presenting to the Grade 1 to 6 students.
Using the extraordinary power of live animals to teach students about the issues facing Canadian wildlife,
their goal is to educate children about biodiversity and to inspire them to take action by becoming directly
involved in helping to protect animals and their habitats. Each year, Earth Rangers visits 600 English and
French elementary schools across the country directly reaching almost 200,000 students with their
conservation message.
On Monday, February 22nd, students in Gr. 6 to 8 will participate in a state-of-the-art educational experience
with The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) for Holocaust Studies’ Tour for Humanity!
Friday April 29th Big Kid Entertainment will be presenting Hansel & Gretel in the
afternoon to the FDK to Grade 5 students—a curriculum based theatrical Fairy
Tale!
Thursday May 5th author Philip Roy (2015 Silver Birch nominee) will be speaking
to the FDK to Grade 8 students in the afternoon. His presentation will involve
readings, discussions and displays of his folk art and his books.
Friday June 10th Jiggi Jump Beach Party featuring The All Together Now Players will be presenting in the
afternoon to the FDK to Grade 3 students. The performers have been personally trained by Judy & David, the
creators and producers of the program. Students will engage in a musical adventure that will get them
moving!
Tuesday June 14th author Eric Walters (2015 Silver Birch Nominee) will be sharing his love of
reading and writing to the Grade 4-8 students in the afternoon.
February 2016
Page 11
LITERACY TIPS FOR PARENTS
As a follow up to Family Literacy Day in January, here are 10 Tips to help
your child with writing.
1. Read from a variety of sources. Reading and writing are linked – success in one supports success in the
other. Read stories, newspapers, advertisements, instructions, etc. to your child every day and then discuss
what you have read.
2. Encourage your child to write. Children love to make their own birthday cards, write thank you notes,
make place cards for the table, or send an email to a friend. Save old cards from birthdays and holidays to
recycle for homemade cards. Whenever possible, let your child see you writing – grocery lists, instructions on the
family whiteboard, emails, etc. – and get them to help.
3. Writing can be done anywhere. Have lots of magnetic letters or words on the fridge. Get a box of chalk and
write your names on the driveway or sidewalk. Get a white board – it can be used again and again.
4. Play writing games. Make a game of letter finding. Show them how to form a letter and then go letter hunting
in your house or in a book – count the number of "Ds" on a page. Find a picture they like and have them write
words or a sentence about it.
5. Help children build their vocabulary. Try rhyming games starting with one word such as "mat". Say and write
down all the words that rhyme, like "cat", "hat", "fat" and "splat". You'll be surprised how fast their word list grows.
6. Explore the meaning of words. Create a word book at home and have your child add words as they're learned.
Have them note the words they use the most and talk about why.
7. Write to each other. Write notes to your child and leave them in interesting places, like the lunch box. Ask
them to write a reply or come up with something new. If they have their own email, email each other. Have kids
email jokes to family and friends.
8. Don't limit what you write with or what you write on. The sky's the limit – pudding, sticks or fingers in mud,
earth, snow and sand, sparklers, steamed up windows and mirrors, and bubble soap markers for some sudsy
learning.
9. Writing comes in all shapes and sizes. Point out different ways writing is used – letters, signs, advertisements,
instructions – and explain why they are different. Also point out different ways letters are created – printed, cursive
and fancy variations. Let them be inspired to create their own letter art.
10. Start writing at an early age. Children often learn to write before they can read.
Encourage this by showing them how to print their name or the names of friends and
other family members. Buy them notebooks with lines so they can learn to make their
letters correctly or a practice book with letters they can trace.
Source: Ministry of Education- Tips and Tools for Parents
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/abc/eng
February 2016
Page 12
February 2016
Page 13
St. André Bessette Catholic
Elementary School
February 2016
Sunday
Carnaval Week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
2
3
4
5
Turkey Sub Day
ToonieTuesday
Lunch Moms
Interview Evening
PA Day
Scholastic Book Fair Gr. 7 & 8
Immunization
Saturday
6
No school for
Scholastic Book Fair students
Reports go home
open until 8:00 p.m.
Red & White Day
Reporting to
Scholastic Book Fair
Parents
Crazy Hair
Pajama Day
7
8
& Moustache Day
9
10
Toonie Tuesday
Lunch Moms
Intermediate
Speeches
14
Scholastic Book Fair
Shrove Tuesday
12:30 p.m.—Ash
Wednesday
Celebration. Please
join us
15
16
17
Family Day
Toonie Tuesday
Lunch Moms
11
Earth Rangers—gr.
1to gr. 6
12
18
19
13
Turkey Sub Day
Valentine’s Day
Dance & Cookies
20
Turkey Sub Day
School closed
Junior Basketball
Tournament at
Bessette
Grad Photos
Junior Speeches
21
28
22
Tour of Humanity
Presentation—gr. 6
to 8
29
23
24
25
26
Toonie Tuesday
Lunch Moms
Junior Poetry Slam
Hot Dog Day
Villages Activities
Pink Shirt Day
Intermediate
Poetry Slam
27