ST. JOHN BOSCO
SCHOOL
1025 North Park Drive
Brampton, Ontario
Phone ((905) 792-0890
Newsletter #7
SAINT VALANTINE
In the month of February
we celebrate Saint
Valentine’s Day. Saint
Valentine was a
bishop who bravely died
for his faith. The name
Valentine means
“Valiant” or
“Strong”. This day is
connected with love
because of the legend
that birds pick their mates on February 14th. Secret notes of love and
friendship sent on this
day are called Saint Valentine’s notes or valentines.
FAX (905) 792-1299
February 2016
The Virtue of the Month
This month we will celebrate the virtue of respect.
God has given us the gifts of friends
and companions to keep us company and to help us out along the way.
Every person in our lives carries the
Spirit of God – and so every person
is our brother or sister through Jesus
Christ.
As brothers and sister who share
one Holy Spirit, we are all valuable
to God. We all deserve to be shown
courtesy, consideration, sensitivity
and thoughtfulness, which are different ways of saying respect.
Respect should come first and foremost from ourselves. We have to
respect our selves and then we will
be able to respect others. We should
also be able to expect to be treated
with respect by everyone we meet –
our brothers and sister in Jesus.
ASH WEDNESDAY
CELEBRATION
Wednesday, February
10 at 1:15PM
All are welcome.
Principal
C. Young
Secretary
M. Barbe
~
Superintendent
D. Finegan-Downey
(905) 890-1221
Trustee
S. Xaviour
Parish Priest
Fr. Mignella
(905) 792-7497
Visit our School Website:
www.dpcdsb.org/BOSCO
Twitter
www.twitter.com/SJBoscobulld
ogs
www.connect2ENDviolence.ca
Newsletter #7
Page 2
February 2016
Family Day—February 15th
Sun
Family Day is on February 15th,
2016. There will be no school on this
day. Enjoy the day with family and
friends.
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
Book Fair
Reports
sent home
Book Fair
Interview
Evening
Book Fair
Ends
Book Fair
P.P. Day
Pizza Day
(interviews)
10
11
12
Ash
Wednesday
Grad
Photos
Pizza Day
Skiing—
Grade 7&8
Book Fair
SNOWBALLS AND ICE THROWING
Beginning and End of Day Drop off and
Pick up
A reminder to the parents and students that
yard supervision does not begin until 8:45
a.m. It is important to not arrive at school before this time as the yard is not supervised.
School dismissal is at 3:30. We have students
waiting to be picked up long after the dismissal bell. We respectfully ask that arrangements be made for pick-up promptly at 3:30.
Playing in the snow can be a lot
of fun, however the school has a
rule that does not allow the throwing of snowballs and the kicking
of snow onto others. Students are
regularly reminded of the dangers
of throwing/kicking snow and ice
chunks. Students are reminded
that this rule is in place to prevent
the injuries of others. We encourage students to constructively use
the snow to build snowmen or
sculptures. Students getting
caught throwing snowballs or ice
chunks will receive consequences. Please review these
rules with your children.
Thank you for helping us make
the playground a safe place.
7
8
9
Jr. Speeches
1:00
Celebration
1:15PM
14
15
16
17
18
19
Valentine’s
Day
Family Day–
No School
Confirmation
Retreat
Skiing—
Grade 7&8
Pizza Day
Skiing—
Grade 7&8
Carnival
Carnival
21
22
23
24
25
School
Council
Meeting
6:30PM
Pizza day
28
Carnival
13
20
Carnival
26
27
29
Dancea- thon
Upcoming Events
February 5
February 10
February 15
February 29
March 3
March 16—20
March 25
March 28
P.A. Day
Ash Wednesday Celebration 1:15
Family Day—no school
Dance-a-thon
Gifted Information Session
March Break
Good Friday—no School
Easter Monday—no School
The Virtue for February is
Respect
Newsletter #7
Page 3
Each year, the Catholic School Council organizes ONE major fundraising activity for
St. John Bosco School. Our major fundraiser for the 2015-16 school year is:
Late For School
.
DANCE-A-THON FUNDRAISER
On Monday February 29, 2016
This will be a fun and memorable celebration to the Leap Year!
This is a new fundraiser for our school, in response to parent feedback that they would like a change
from selling chocolate. The money raised will benefit the entire school community, helping to fund events, activities and
special items that support curriculum goals and enhance the students’ overall academic experience. In past years, funds
have been used to purchase agenda planners, update athletic and 21st Century learning equipment and much more.
Today, Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 2:30pm will be our fundraiser kick-off with a visit from:
PROFESSOR JAMZ AND THE SPIN MACHINE
Parents, be ready! You will have some pretty excited kids this evening!
Each student will be provided with an envelope for sponsor donations from family and friends.
To reach our school goal of $8000, we challenge each student to raise at least $25, or $50 per family, for our dance-athon fundraising event. If you have family and friends that you’re not able to see in person before the event, email, facebook or tweet them the www.pledge.me link so they can make a pledge on-line.
The pledge form is to be returned back to the school by
Thursday, February 25, 2016
All students are welcome to participate in the Leap Year celebration on Monday, February 29.
In addition to the dance-a-thon, there will be draws for prizes and incentives awarded throughout the campaign.
More details to follow.
A number of students are arriving
late for school everyday. Students
and parents are reminded that being punctual for school is a very important habit to follow. Our school
entry times are 9:00am for morning
classes and 1:01pm for the afternoon classes. Students who arrive
even a few minutes late for school
not only disrupt classes already underway, but put themselves at a disadvantage because they have to
“catch up” with classmates once
they arrive into class. All students
who arrive late must report to the
office and receive a late slip before
going to class. Punctuality is an important aspect of children’s development. It is important for all students to arrive at school on time
and ready for learning. The routine
of being prepared for the beginning
of classes on a daily basis ensures
that each day gets off to a good
start. Student lates are reviewed
regulary and a note may be sent
home if the number of lates become
a concern.
Gifted Information Evening for
Parents—March 3, 2016
A Gifted Information Meeting
for Parents will be held on
March 3th at 4:30-5:30. This
meeting is for new families to
the program.The meeting will
be held in Room 115 at St. John
Bosco School.
Saying Farwell to Superintendent
Denise Oude-Reimerink
Brampton North East (BNE) Family of
Schools and St. John Bosco has been very
blessed to have had Superintendent Denise
Oude-Reimerink as part of our community.
We thank her for all the support and leadership she has given St. John Bosco and for her
many years of service in Dufferin-Peel. We
wish her all the best in her retirement.
Welcome to Superintendent Deb
Finegan-Downey
We welcome our new Superintendent, Deb
Finegan-Downey as of February 1, 2016. Ms.
Finegan-Downey, who was previously assistant Superintendent of Program, will be joining the Brampton North East Family of
Schools as Superintendent. We look forward
to working with Superintendent FineganDowney.
Newsletter #7
Page 4
P.A.L.S.
Playground Activity
Leaders in Schools
We continue to run the
P.A.L.S. program in our
school for our primary students. The main goals of this
program are to: encourage
students to become physically active by playing games at
recess, preventing bullying
from happening at school
and to give the older students the opportunity to be
leaders on the playground.
Thank you to the Region of
Peel Health network and Ms.
Rizzuto-Caterina and Ms.
Hamill for organizing and
promoting
this initiative. Thanks
also to our
student
leaders for volunteering to
help in this activity.
Page 13
Winter Weather
Even though we are
having some warmer
days, we do still have
cold weather 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
endeavor to have children play outside
whenever possible. Help your children
by having them come to school appropriately dressed with scarves, hats and
mittens. As well, 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. We also recommend that students keep extra
clothing su ch a s sock s a nd pa nts
at school in case their original clothing
gets wet.
.
Newsletter #7
STUDENT INFORMATION
Parking/Kiss ‘N Ride
It is very important that we have up to
date records of your address, phone
numbers and emergency contacts in the
event that the school must contact you
regarding your child. If there are any
changes, please ensure that we have updated information. If your child’s medical condition also changes please let us
know as soon as possible.
We ask that parents
continue to use and
follow the Kiss ‘N Ride
procedures that were
established at the beginning of the school
year.
The Kiss ‘N
Ride can be a safe
and effective way of allowing children to enter
and leave the school grounds properly providing that it is used properly.
CARNIVAL
It’s Carnival time again! St.
John Bosco will be celebrating
Carnival During the week of
February 15th.
Looking forward to an exciting
week with many activities for
the students to enjoy.
A few reminders:
 Please follow the driveway up to the unloading/loading area. Please do not let
your child get out of the car before you
arrive at the unloading area – having a
child walk across the parking lot full of
moving cars would be extremely dangerous.
 Students should only be exiting the car
once it is in the Kiss and Ride Lane and
at the curb by the sidewalk.
 Please bring your vehicle to the front of
the Kiss ‘N Ride drop off area, rather than
stopping at the beginning. This allows for
greater flow of traffic.
 Do not reverse while in the Kiss n’ Ride
lane
 Please encourage your child(ren) to exit
from the right side of your vehicle. This
will prevent any unforeseen accidents.
In the interest of the safety of all children,
please drive slowly and carefully.
Thank you for your continued co-operation.
Page 12
Newsletter #7
Page 5
Newsletter #7
SECURITY
During the month of February we will
celebrate Black History Month, by recognizing the historical achievement and
present day contributions by people of
African heritage. This will be accomplished by highlighting this theme in various units of the curriculum, with displays of books, posters, resources and
announcements.
Prayer During Black History Month
Pediculosis
A reminder that all visitors INCLUDING
PARENTS must come into the office,
sign in and pick up a visitor’s badge when
on a prearranged visit. Anyone not wearing
an identification badge will be asked to return to the office immediately. This procedure will help students and staff recognize
visitors to our school. For the safety and
security of your children ONLY staff and
assigned supervisors are allowed in the
school yard during all recesses. Parents are
kindly asked to NOT go into the students’
play yard at the back of school. If you need
to speak to your child during a recess, arrangements can be made in the front office.
We thank you for your cooperation in supporting the safe environment of our school.
Father of creation
Whose Son Jesus incarnated in time and whose Spirit
enlivens our lives today,
May we honor the height of your creation, the Human
Family
In every hue that you chose to give each person of our
Human Family
Jesus, brother of us all
Your prayer to the Father “that they all may be one”
Through the Holy Spirit May we witness this Unity of
One
Spirit of God in the month of appreciating the gift of your
children of African descent May we be inspired to see
your kingdom mystery
Lenten Mass
March 4, 2016
10:30
All are welcome to attend
GRAD PHOTOS
FEBRUARY 11, 2016
For Grade 8 and Year 2 FDK
.
ulosis (head lice) is a concern to parents and
teachers. Each year it is common for
breakouts of pediculosis to occur. Unfortu-
ST. JOHN BOSCO SCHOOL
COUNCIL IS PLANNING A
DANCE -A-THON AS A
FUNDRAISING INITIATIVE
FOR THE SCHOOL. THERE
WILL BE A PEP RALLY ON
FEBRUARY 9TH WHERE THE
STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE
THEIR PLEDGE ENVELOPES
AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Wednesday, February 10,
2016
1:15 p.m.
All Parents Welcome to
Attend
nately, in recent years, head lice have become increasingly common throughout North
America. They are parasites, which have
been common among human beings for centuries. They are not connected in any way to
dirt or neglect. Anyone can become infected
with them. If a case of lice is found at school,
we inform all parents within the class. However, we request that you also check your own
children regularly and, if you find them to be
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD
TO A FUN-FILLED DAY.
ASH WEDNESDAY CELEBRATION
In one facet of the jewel of our Human Family’s descent
Amen
Although not a communicable disease, pedic-
infected, we ask that you inform the school.
Please review with your child to not put on
other people’s scarves or hats, even when
playing.
DANCE ATHON DATE:
FEBRUARY 29, 2016
(Class schedules to come)
We thank you for your continued efforts and
co-operation.
Page 6
Newsletter #7
Page 11
Newsletter #7
Allergy Alert
.
Lent 2016 beings on Wednesday, February 10th and ends on Thursday
March 24.
Lent is a period of forty days during the
church’s liturgical year, which begins on Ash
Wednesday (Feb. 10) and ends during Holy
Week. It is time for Christians to turn away
from sinfulness – to have a change of heart
– as they prepare for the joyous feast of
Easter. It is a time for prayer, penance, sacrifice and works of charity for others. We
will be distributing ashes to the students
after our Ash Wednesday celebration at the
school – 1:15 p.m. Parents are welcome to
attend.
What does the word “Lent” mean? Why
have we given this name to the time of
preparation before Easter? Lent comes
from an old word meaning “springtime”.
During the spring of the year, daylight increases, trees begin to bud and flowers
start to appear.
The new life that comes to the world each
spring is like the renewal of life that comes
when we pray and try harder to follow Jesus.
Lord of heaven and earth, you
lead us up the mountains to
show us something new,
You show us the beauty of life,
the wonder of creation,
the goodness of family, the fun
of good friends.
You ask us to let go:
Of pride
Of selfishness
Of meanness
You invite us
to open ourselves:
At St. John Bosco School we are an allergen aware school. To date, here are
some of the steps we have taken:
 Gathered medical history on students/staff with severe allergies;
 Keep up to-date medical record and
medications for students with severe
allergies in a centralized location .
 Informed students and parents about
the needs of students with severe allergies;
 Educated staff about students with severe allergies and the use of an epipen in case of emergencies.
March Break
March 14—March 18, 2016
A reminder that March
Break is from Monday ,
March 14, 2016
to Friday, March 18,
2016.
There will be no school for the students
on these days. The students return to
school on Monday, March 21, 2016.
School Council Meeting
We need your cooperation! We want every student to be safe, therefore we are
sending the following reminder:
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
6:30 PM
All parents are welcome to
attend
PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY NUTS,
NUT BUTTER, NUT OILS AND ANY
NUT BY-PRODUCT TO SCHOOL.
In order the keep our students who suffer
from severe life threatening allergies to
nuts and nut products safe, we are asking
that no treats be brought into the classrooms to be shared among the students.
Class celebrations will continue throughout the year and students will be asked to
bring their own snack following the peanut
free guidelines of the school.
BUS SAFETY
Winter weather can cause changes to road and sidewalk
conditions; we ask that you review the following bus
safety rules with your child.
1.
Be at your bus stop early, at least 5 to 10 minutes
before scheduled pick up times, in order to avoid
chasing the bus.
2.
Wait in a safe place, away from the road.
3.
To love
Exit the bus carefully, holding the handrail, and walk
10 giant steps beyond the front bumper, look both
ways, and wait for the driver’s signal before crossing
the road. Never cross behind the bus.
4.
To You.
Always look both ways and NEVER reach under the
bus for something.
5.
If you have to cross the road, always cross when the
flashers and stop arm on the bus are activated. Do
not wait for the bus to leave before crossing.
To gentleness,
Newsletter #7
Page 10
FundScrip Gift Card Fundraiser
.
Our FundScrip fundraiser continues to be
available. Thank you to everyone who has ordered already. Please also share this fundraiser
with friends, family and neighbours who may
be interested.
Families can purchase gift cards through the
FundScrip website and a per centage of the
gift card value is donated back to our school.
This program will run throughout the school
year and is a great way to turn everyday purchases into a benefit to our school!
To order visit www.fundscrip.com and use the
invitation code for St. John Bosco:
2NQXF4
Have a busy month of birthdays coming up?
Looking forward to a Family Day and March
Break? Why not plan ahead and purchase gift
cards through FundScrip for movie theatres,
toy and department stores, gas, groceries, restaurants and more than 170 retailers while
contributing to our school.
Links to the FundScrip program can also be
found on the Catholic School Council
webpage:
www.dpcdsb.org/BOSCO/
About/School+Council
Page 7
Important notice for
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of students in SK/Year 2 Kindergarten
ECO STARS NEWS
Our Eco Stars have
been hard at work
promoting energy
conservation through
announcements, promoting Lights Out
Lunches (LOL), recycling and many other
activities within the school. Our Eco Stars
are active in educating our students and
staff on how we can save energy and our
planet.
Thank you for supporting our
Book Fair. This helps to support
our library programs and purchases of additional resources.
Newsletter #7
.
A reminder to REPORT ALL
ABSENCES & LATES on the
Attendance Line (905-7920890 Option 1) before
9:00am. The message system is
available 24 hours for your convenience.
On days that buses are cancelled
and your child is NOT a bus student but will remain at home an
absence must be reported.
Please arrive at school on time
9:00am or 1:01pm. Students who
arrive even a few minutes late
must receive an admit slip from
the office.
Arriving at school on time and being punctual is an important building block in every student’s learning foundation from Junior Kindergarten to grade 8. The routine of
being prepared for the beginning
of classes on a daily basis ensures
that each day gets off to a good
start.
The French Immersion Online Application System is now open for submissions. To apply, go to www.dpcdsb.org.
Applications will be accepted until
February 12, 2016
Reminder:
• All eligible submissions are accepted and, in
the event that the number of applications is
greater than the number of spaces available
at a French Immersion school, a centralized,
computer-generated lottery will be held at a
date yet to be determined.
• Some French Immersion schools offer
Grades 1 to 8 and others offer Grades 1 to 4,
with Grade 5 to 8 offered at a nearby school.
Please refer to the Board website for more
information.
• Parents and guardians of students registered in the program are responsible for
providing transportation for their child(ren) to
and from their registered French Immersion
school. *****Please note that for students living inside the regular school boundaries of a
French Immersion school, eligibility for student transportation is based on the policies
established by the school board.*****
• A successful placement in the French Immersion School does not guarantee placement of younger siblings in future years.
If more details are required, please review the
board website for up-to-date information. You
may also contact your child's present school,
the principal of the French Immersion school
in your area, or the board's French as a Second Language Consultant at (905) 890x-
0708 extension 24307.
Page 8
Newsletter #7
MINIMIZING CLASS DISRUPTIONS
The instructional day begins promptly
following morning announcements until
3:25 daily followed by recess dismissal
at 3:30. In order to not miss valuable
instructional time, students should not
be picked up from school early, if possible.
By trying our best not to disturb classes, except in very important situations,
we are reducing disruptions to quality
teaching and learning time. We understand that there will be times when disruptions will be necessary and unavoidable. To this end, we ask the following;
If you wish to discuss something with
your child’s teacher, we ask that you
set up an appointment with the teacher.
Approaching the teacher before, during
and/or after school makes it difficult for
the teacher to focus on her/his students. This also becomes a safety issue. Please leave a message at the
school and the teacher will call you
back.
Send a note in advance, to your
child’s teacher when your child needs
to be picked up early, who will pick
them up and then meet them in the office and sign them out.
If delivering lunches to your child at
school, write your child’s name on the
lunch bag and leave them on the lunch
table in the front hall. Please ensure
that the Lunch is there by 12:40pm.
We appreciate continued parental help
and support in minimizing disruptions to
classes, whenever possible.
Page 9
LOST & FOUND
If your child is missing any
items at school, please be sure
to check the Lost
& Found in the
Foyer for any
items that may
belong to your
child(ren).
We will be donating all remaining items during the March
break.
Student Yard Supervision
Please note that teachers are on duty in the
school yard at the following times:
8:45-9:00am Bus Duty/Before
School/Kindergarten
11:06-11:21am Morning Recess
12:01-1:01pm Lunch Recess & Lunch
2:24-2:39 pm Afternoon Recess
3:30-3:40pm Bus Boarding and
Departure
***Students should not arrive to
school earlier then 8:45am and
must be picked-up at 3:30.
Newsletter #7
COLD & FLU SEASON
.
Cold and Flu season is back
and so too are children’s
illnesses. Please use discretion in keeping your child
home to recover. A child
who is coughing, wheezing,
etc. is not in a state to
learn and is in a position to
infect other children. Remember, if your children
are well enough to attend
school, they are well
enough to go outside at recess. Please continue to be
vigilant in reinforcing good
hand washing practices.
The EQAO Assessment will be occurring between May 25- June 8,
2016. Grade 3 and 6 students are
preparing diligently for this assessment. It is very important that all students are present at school during
this time. More information to follow.
ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION
– DPCDSB
INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES
ELEMENTARY PROGRAM:
Elementary International Saturday morning
classes are available to students in grades JK
to 8. No prior language experience is necessary.
International Language programs comply with
the Ministry of Education curriculum. Please
contact the Adult & Continuing Education Office at 905-891-9263 for information regarding
language offerings at specific IL Sites and registration information as well.
ESL Programs for Adults
We offer a variety of ESL, Citizenship and Coop
Programs for Adults throughout Mississauga
and Brampton.
Registration is on-going for many of our programs.
Please see our Winter Flyer posted on the
board website at
www.dpcdsb.org/CEC/Programs/Adult+Educatio
n/ or call us at 905-891-9263.