St. Bernard of Clairvaux
April 2016
3345 Escada Dr. Mississauga, ON L5M 7V5
Tel. 905-542-9203
Love, Service, Peace, Excellence
April Newsletter
Dufferin-Peel C.D.S.B.
Just Let Me Say...
If there could be one thing in life for me to teach you, I would teach you to
love…
To respect others so that you may find respect in yourself;
To learn the value of giving, so that if ever there comes a time in your life that someone
really needs, you will give; To act in a manner that you would wish to be treated;
To be proud of yourself; To laugh and smile as much as you can,
in order to help bring joy back into this world;
To have faith in others; To be understanding…
To stand tall in this world and learn to depend on yourself; To only take from this earth
those things you really need, so there will be enough for others;
Do not depend on money or material things for your happiness,
but learn to appreciate the people who love you.
Appreciate the simple beauty that God gave you and find peace and
security within yourself.
To you, my child, I hope I have taught all of these things, for they are
LOVE.
Administrator Message
It is our sincere hope that the entire St. Bernard of Clairvaux community enjoyed a special Easter
weekend with their families and friends. It is our wish that the hope generated by the Resurrection of
Jesus Christ and the spring season, brings everyone in the community happiness and a renewal of the
Spirit for the remainder of the year. A special thank you to all who attended our school Lenten Mass
and our Virtues Assembly. As always, we thank Father Mark for celebrating mass with our community. We would also like to extend a sincere thank you, as well, to all families who supported Sharelife,
our food drive and our ongoing events.
We will continue to live out the virtues this month as we recognize Autism Awareness Day and raise
the flag for autism. We will also recognize the International Day of Pink at our virtues assembly and
continue to support Sharelife through upcoming Toonie Tuesdays. Our junior students will also entertain us with our Earth Week Themed Junior Showcase.
At this time, we would like to thank Mrs. S. Horvat for all of her hard work and wish her well in her
future endeavours. We warmly welcome back Mrs. Vitale to our St. Bernard of Clairvaux family.
We extend best wishes to our students in grades two, seven and eight as they prepare for, and receive, the sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation respectively. Many of our Grade two
students have already made their First Reconciliation. Later this spring they will receive the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time and our grade seven and eight students will become
adults in the eyes of the Church, both pivotal moments in the lives of our Catholic children.
Together in Faith
B. Pullara
N. Podobnik
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you
without leaving happier.”
Blessed Mother Teresa
Our Virtue of the Month:
During the month of April will focus on the virtue of Love
God wants us to give generously to others around us.
God wants us to serve and to see goodness in everyone we meet.
A loving person …
• follows the examples of holy people
• is willing to make sacrifices for the good
of others
• knows that we are all lovable
• prays for others and cares deeply about
them
God has given us many people in our lives to show us examples of LOVE.
Our families, teachers, and friends show us their love every day. Love can be
seen in the simplest acts of kindness, such as sharing a book, playing a game,
or even by saying “thank you.” We should always show our love for others
because love is about seeing the good in people, even when they make us
angry. Jesus is always with us and we should always try to remember His
most important lesson, the lesson of love. With love, God wants us to serve
and to see the goodness in everyone we meet.
Let us now pray ... for the virtue of love so that we will never be satisfied
until all are satisfied. AMEN.
Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations
I CARE!
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I love God, myself and my family
I care about and respect my 'family' at school, at Church, in the community,
and the world
I care about and respect God's creation and everything in it
Because I care, I pray for all my families, and I will live my life like Jesus.
St. Josephine Bahkita Parish
3600 Forest Bluff Cres. Mississauga, Ontario L5N 7W2
Phone: (289)-997-2105 FAX: (289)-997-2104
Email: parishoffice@stjosephonebahkita.ca
Website: www.stjosephinebahkita.ca
MASS SCHEDULE
At St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School
(3801 Thomas St. Mississauga Ontario)
Saturday Vigil Mass 5 p.m.
Sunday Mass 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday/Thursday 7:30 a.m.
Wednesday/Friday 7:00 p.m.
At St. Peter’s Mission Church (just north of Britannia on the Ninth Line)
Sunday Mass 7:30 a.m.
Monday 7 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m.
Sacraments We encourage any new families to our school
Please Join Us…
We will be gathering as a school community on
Thursday April 13th, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. for our next
Virtues Assembly. We thank Mr. Le Brun and Mr.
Hannah for organizing this faith filled event for our
students and community.
community to contact the parish to inquire about registering for
these sacraments.
FIRST RECONCILIATION
The First Reconciliation Celebration for our students took place
on Tuesday February 23rd, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. at Merciful Redeemer Parish. We would like to congratulate all students on
receiving this sacrament.
FIRST COMMUNION
First Communion for our grade 2 students
will be held on Sunday May 8th, 2016 at 3:00
p.m. at Merciful Redeemer Parish.
Crowning of Mary
Our Crowning of Mary Liturgy will take place on
Monday, May 2nd. 2016. We look forward to
gathering together as a community of faith to
honour Mother Mary.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I
have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay
down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if
you do what I command you … You did
not choose me but I chose you. And I
appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit
that will last, so that the Father will give
you whatever you ask him in my name.
I am giving you these commands so that you may love one
another.” John 15:12-14, 16-17
CONFIRMATION
This year our grade 7 and 8 students will be receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation for our grade 8 students
will take place on Friday April 22nd, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Confirmation for our grade 7 students will take place on Friday May
13th, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. The sacr amental celebr ations will
continue to be held at Merciful Redeemer Parish. We thank Father Vid and his parish team for their continued support and
generosity as we work to build a church for our new parish community.
“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith” Galatians 5:22
Papal Prayer Intention for April
That small farmers may receive a just reward for their precious labour. That Christians in African may give witness to love and faith in Jesus Christ amid politicalreligious conflicts.
Lenten Almsgiving
As part of their Lenten journey and to live out the Lenten theme of almsgiving, Mr.Salerno's grade 5 class saved their change to Jump Start their heart.
Students raised $70.00 in 40 days for the Canadian Tire Jumpstart program to
help one under privileged child attend an extracurricular activity. We are very
proud of our students for their efforts and thank Mr. Salerno for organizing this
opportunity for the class.
“God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Exodus 34:6
With the season of Lent, we began our annual ShareLife campaign. ShareLife has a
long tradition of assisting the vulnerable and marginalized in our community dating
back to the 1840’s when our first Archbishop of Toronto, Michael Power, personally
worked with immigrants who were dying of typhus. Today we continue this tradition
by extending an invitation to all Catholics to take part in continuing to care for the vulnerable
among us. ShareLife supports a number of Catholic organizations within the community and
Archdiocese of Toronto. Student involvement in our spirit week helped to raise funds. Each
student received a green Sharelife bracelet and they were proudly worn at our Lenten Mass.
We will continue to support Sharelife in the month of April with Toonie Tuesdays. We thank
all families for their support of this very worthwhile campaign.
CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK: May 1-6, 2016
JUBILEE YEAR OF MERCY officially proclaimed by Pope Francis, began on December 8, 2015 when the Holy Doors were opened at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
“The Motto, ‘Merciful Like the Father’ serves as an invitation to follow the merciful example of the Father who asks us not to judge or condemn but to forgive and to
give love and forgiveness without measure.” (Pope Francis)
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” Matthew
5:7
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
“Mercy that Welcomes”
(Jesus and the Woman at the Well)
“Mercy that Loves”
(The Good Samaritan)
“Mercy that Forgives”
(The Prodigal Son)
“Mercy that Lives the Gospel”
(Zacchaeus)
“Mercy that Rejoices”
(Healing of the Paralytic)
God of Love and compassion,
help us to open the door of mercy in our school communities,
in our families and in the world.
Let mercy guide our living
and bring us closer to the heart of the gospel.
May we live as Jesus with mercy that welcomes, loves, forgives
and calls us to live the gospel joyfully.
Amen.
TUESDAY APRIL 2ND: WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY
On Monday April 4th, 2016 we are asking students and staff to wear "blue" in support of
World Autism Awareness Day, and for the thir d year we will be par ticipating in
"Raise the Autism Ontario Flag". The UN has declared April 2 as World Autism
Awareness Day to show support for those living with autism. Famous buildings and landmarks
around the world will "Light it Up Blue" to raise awareness of autism.
Autism Speaks began the campaign in 2010 and we have continued to promote the campaign
in Canada. To coincide with the campaign, Autism Ontario is hosting the “Raise the Flag”
event. We will raise the Autism Ontario Flag at our school at 9:30 am, all are welcome to
attend.
We are also asking students to donate a Toonie or more to support Autism Ontario. Donations will be collected
each morning beginning on Monday March 30 until April 2. All money donated will go to Autism Ontario to continue
to fund research and education into autism. Autism is a neurological disorder that affects one out of every 88 births
and there is no cure for autism. We hope that you will consider donating to this very important event.
To learn more about these important events, please feel free to visit the following websites:
http://www.autismontario.com/http://www.autismontario.com/
https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/world-autism-awareness-day
Together we can make a difference.
How we can help make our school a friendlier place for students with ASD:
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Take the time to say "Hi" even if your classmate can't easily reply.
If you see a classmate being teased or bullied, get help.
When in class or outside, sometimes it might help to show your classmate what to do rather than explain it using
words. He or she might learn faster when they are able to watch you do something.
Be aware that some people with ASD might be sensitive to certain textures, sights, sounds or smells.
Invite your classmates or friends with autism to play/hang out with you and your other friends. Share the games
you like to play with one another. People like to belong.
Remember that your classmates have wonderful skills, special knowledge and talents that they share with you and
your class.
Wednesday April 13th, International Day of Pink
On Wednesday April 13h, wear something Pink.
The International Day of Pink is a great opportunity to help raise awareness and show your
support of diversity. It’s an annual celebration of our differences.
The International Day of Pink is a day of Action, born with a youth in a high school in Nova Scotia who was bullied because of his sexual orientation & wearing a pink shirt to
school. Fellow students who saw the incident intervened, but wanted to do more; so, they
purchased pink shirts. Two weeks after the incident, hundreds of students came to school
wearing pink to show support for diversity and stop bullying and discrimination.
Following the incident, students started this day of action. We will be gathering as a school
**NEW**VOLUNTEERS - Criminal Reference Check/Annual Offence Declaration
As you are aware, a valid Criminal Reference Check (CRC) must be provided by all new volunteers to our school. Once a CRC is provided to the school, an Annual Offence Declaration can
now be completed in subsequent years. Forms and more information are available in the main office. We would like to thank all of our volunteers for supporting our staff and students and enriching the experiences in our school.
Girls and Boys
Night In
Girls and Boys
Will be participating in a great evening of fun, activities and
dinner, all the while focusing on our school’s initiative this year of
Acceptance.
At St. Bernard of Clairvaux School we are a
safe, inclusive and accepting environment.
Acceptance is seeing with your heart, not your eyes.
More information to follow.
Please see below for the date and time for each event.
Girls Night In
Boys Night In
Date
Tuesday May 24
Date
Wednesday June 8
Time
3:30 pm-7:00 pm
Time
3:30 pm-7:00 pm
Location
St. Bernard of Clairvaux School
Location
St. Bernard of Clairvaux School
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. SEUSS
On Wednesday March 2nd, the FDK classes enjoyed a day of stories, rhyme and fun celebrating the birthday of Dr. Seuss.
Stories lead to music, drama, dance and inquiry, and with over 40
books there was plenty of opportunity to learn and have fun.
As Dr. Seuss said, “The more that you read, the more things you
will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
And we did just that!
Grade 1’s Visit Bradley Museum
On March 9th, 2016 the grade 1's enjoyed a beautiful day at the Bradley Museum
in Clarkson, for the Sap to Syrup Program. The students learned all about the process to make Maple Syrup, got to try some delicious Maple treats, create a
stamped-tin craft, and even got to experience life in the early days of Mississauga.
Thank you to all the parent volunteers that made this day possible!
Reminder: New PA Day
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.
In the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School
Board, the designated additional PA Day has
been scheduled for Monday April 11, 2016.
Therefore, there will be no classes for students
that day.
Cyber-Safety
The Internet can be a great resource for
children and adults. They can use it to research, communicate with
others, and play interactive games. Sometimes that access can pose
hazards. One area that we are seeing an increase in abuse is in the
use of social media. That's why it's important to be aware of what
your children see and hear on the Internet, who they meet, and
what they share about themselves online. Just like any safety issue,
it's wise to talk with your children about your concerns, take advantage of resources to protect them, and keep a close eye on their
activities.
PLANNING AHEAD - Class Placements
In arriving at the decision for placement for your child for the upcoming year, every
consideration is given to individual needs. This decision is made in collaboration with all
staff who have been directly involved in your child’s education this year. If you feel that
there are specific needs which should be addressed in determining the placement of your
child, please feel free to use the template provided to advise us of your concerns. We ask
for all submissions to be sent to the office no later than Friday, May 27th, 2016. Your request will be considered at
our grade promotion meetings. We remind you that it would not be appropriate to request one teacher over another as
placements are subject to change. However, if there is other information regarding your child’s learning style, or other
considerations of which we ought to be aware, please advise us of these facts in your letter.
“Welcome to Kindergarten”
Moving
Kindergarten registrations for next fall are still being
accepted at the school office. Parents and newly
registered kindergarten students for 2016-2017are
invited to attend a Welcome to Kindergarten evening at
the school on Thursday May 19th, 2016. On that evening, families will participate in a variety of fun activities
and will receive a gift bag of resources to help their child
successfully transition to life at school. More detailed
information regarding the Welcome to Kindergarten
Evening will be forthcoming.
If you will be moving out of
the St. Bernard of Clarivaux
area between now and
September 2016, please inform the school
as soon as possible. This information assists with our
planning, organization of classes, ordering materials,
etc. for 2016-2017. Updated records are also important
in the event of an emergency and if we are required to
contact you immediately. Thank you for your
cooperation
Dental Screening
Dental Screening will take place
for our JK, SK, Grade 2 and
grade 4 students for those families interested on Thursday April
7th and Friday April 8th, 2016.
EQAO-Coming Soon
Once again this year, Grades 3 and 6 students will participate in Provincial Education Quality and Accountability Office testing (EQAO). The testing will take place between May 25th—June 8th. Looking ahead to these assessments,
we ask that you try to schedule medical or other appointments at another time if it means that a student in these grades
is required to be absent or late.
EQAO Parent Tips
Stay Positive
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Always celebrate your child’s successes and hard work each day.
Remind your child that the assessment will have questions asking them things that they have already
learned in class.
Please avoid scheduling appointments during EQAO.
Be sure your child receives enough sleep every night so that they are rested.
 Continue to ensure that your child eats a healthy full breakfast and remembers to keep a
positive and
relaxed attitude in the home environment.
 Do not force your child to study for these tests. They are already working hard at school.
For additional information on grades 3 and 6 testing visit the
EQAO website at www.eqao.com and click on “Parent Resources”.
Something to Remember:
Although EQAO offers important information about your child’s learning, it is only one
part of the puzzle. The levels achieved on EQAO will not be a part of your child’s report card. The results of your
child’s EQAO scores will be provided to each family in the fall.
Junior Showcase
We are pleased to inform you that our grade 4, 5 and 6 students will be performing in a Junior
Showcase. The Showcase will take place on Tuesday April 19th, and Wednesday April 20th,
2016. Both evening performances will begin at 6:30 p.m. in our school gymnasium. More information will be forthcoming. The theme of this year’s showcase is Earth Week/Spring. We
look forward to seeing the classes represent this theme through the arts. We thank all our staff,
parents and students involved for their time, energy and hard work in making these presentations possible.
Get The Lead Out
Have a drink! As part of their save the "Earth Initiative”, from April 11th—April 21st. Mr. Salerno’s Grade 5 class
will be campaigning for classes to bring in bottled water for the residents of Flint, Michigan. Our goal is to collect 750
bottles of water, at least one bottle of water per student. The water will be delivered to the residents of Flint, Michigan. We are doing our part to make Canadians aware that we must keep the Great Lakes water supply clean, especially from illegal dumping and pollution. A water bottle drop off area will be located in front of the school gymnasium. We thank you for supporting this worthy cause.
Let’s Wash Our Hands
Appropriate Dress
Hand washing when done correctly is the single most
effective way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases
such as the flu. Please help us to
reinforce the proper techniques
with your child.
School Board Policy states that all
students are expected to dress to standards of neatness, cleanliness, modesty and good taste.
Certain items i.e.: shirts with inappropriate
logos/ wording, exposure of undergarments or
midriffs, tight or torn clothing, short skirts/shorts, are
contrary to both the philosophy of our Catholic School
teachings and to the standards we set as
parents and educators. With warmer weather soon on its
way, we will remind all students of dress code
expectations. Your assistance in ensuring that your child
is dressed appropriately is appreciated.
1) Wet our hands.
2) Soap our hands.
3) Wash our hands.
4) Rinse our hands.
5) Dry our hands.
6) Use paper towels to turn taps
off.
Bikes, Scooters and Rollerblades: Safety First
A safety reminder to all students that bikes, scooters and roller blades are to be walked both on and off the school property. Bikes are to be locked in the bike racks. We do not have facilities to store or secure roller blades or scooters, so
there is an added risk of damage or theft and they are not encouraged to be brought to school. The school is not responsible for these items. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Safety in the School Yard
Children need frequent reminders that name-calling, put-downs and violence are never appropriate responses to disagreements or arguments, regardless of the provocation. Parents are urged to rehearse assertiveness skills with their
children such as saying firmly, ― “Please Stop”, “I don’t like it when..” “Leave me alone”
Playground Safety Rules
 Respect each other by being polite, friendly and co-operative
 Keep hands and feet to yourself
 Allow others to join in your games
 Play fairly and safely
 Play with acceptable toys and equipment
 Respect school property
 Line up quietly till bell rings
Avoid conflicts and injuries
 NO standing in the middle or walking through active games
 NO leaving school property
 NO name-calling or making fun of others, using inappropriate language or gestures
 NO fighting, pushing, tripping, lifting, grabbing, body-checking, scratching, pinching, spitting or biting
 NO unsafe or rough games: wrestling, tackling, play fighting
Remember to: Walk Away, Ignor e, Use your Wor ds, Seek assistance
STOPR (Student Transportation of Peel Region)
STOPR is providing bus transportation services for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board. The STOPR website address is www.stopr.ca. This website provides access to up to date
information regarding delayed buses and bus cancellations due to inclement weather. To check for
eligibility for transportation, please access the following website: businfo.stopr.ca.
STOPR Telephone Contact Information: 905-890-6000
Safety in the Gym
Custody of Children On rare occasions, we are faced with dif-
Students are reminded that they must
wear proper indoor shoes for gym and
appropriate gym clothes. Jewelry must
be removed when in gym class or during sports
activities. Students are not allowed to wear their
“outside” shoes in the gym.
ficult situations in which non-custodial parents arrive at school asking to
visit their child or to take their child home after school. We are best able to
serve and protect students when we are made aware of legal custody arrangements, visitation rights, and other special instructions. If legal custody matters affect your family, please ensure that our office and classroom
teachers are aware of custodial arrangements between parents that may
affect your child during school hours. Please ensure that a copy of the
Court Order is on file at the school office.
Reporting Student Absences
Daily attendance and punctuality are
very important. Thank you to all
parents who have been calling the
school when your child has been absent
due to an illness or an appointment. Please continue to report student absences to the school office by calling 905-542-9203 and pressing 1 for
attendance. Please indicate the date, your child’s
name, teacher and grade when leaving a message.
Classroom Interruptions
The office often gets requests from students to make phone calls
home to ask parents to bring forgotten items such as running shoes,
agendas or textbooks/homework. We are reinforcing with students
that it is their responsibility to bring all necessary items to school
and to arrange in advance their out of school
activities. Also, please make after school
arrangements with your children prior to
school. We make every attempt to minimize
interruptions to classes.
Sewers & Watercourses Safety Concerns Parents are asked to remind their
children to avoid all storm sewers and watercourses. Children playing in and around storm
sewers and watercourses, entering storm sewers through the outfalls, and entering storm sewers through access covers are all very dangerous activities, and can lead to a fatality. Children
should be aware that:
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Water flows in storm sewers and watercourses are unpredictable and may change quickly.
Tragic falls could occur.
 Access is restricted and therefore, rescue attempts are dangerous.
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GRADE 7 STUDENTS PRESENT MULTICULTURAL NIGHT AT ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX
Please join us in celebrating the varied and rich cultures and traditions of our Grade 7
students. Here at St. Bernard we are lucky to be able to learn about and honour many
cultures from around the world. Multicultural Night aims to highlight the unique and varied
cultural backgrounds and international origins of our Catholic faith. This year, Multicultural
Night will take place during Catholic Education Week on Thursday May 5th. We strive to
help students develop a sense of pride in their own heritage, as well educate each other about
the land and traditions of their ancestors. We hope to see you there to enjoy our
student’s hard work!
Allergies/Anaphylactic Shock
St. Bernard of Clairvaux is an allergen aware school. We have a number of students in our school who have severe allergic life threatening r eactions to peanuts, peanut butter , peanut oils, any peanut/nut by-products and dairy
products. As in the past, we are asking you to not put any child at risk, therefore, are
requesting that PEANUTS, PEANUT BUTTER, PEANUT OILS, ANY PEANUT/NUT BY-PRODUCTS NOT
BE BROUGHT INTO THE SCHOOL. WE ASK THAT YOU READ THE
LABELS OF ALL FOOD ITEMS SENT TO SCHOOL. A letter was sent home in September which
addressed this issue for each particular class. We are asking parents not to send food items to school when celebrating
your child’s birthday since there are many alternatives such as
pencils, stickers, etc. We thank you for your continued understanding.
Storage/Administration of Medication
Parents are responsible for ensuring that all medication and forms are updated annually. If your child requires medication please have all pertinent forms completed and returned with the medication to the office as soon as possible. A
reminder that children are not allowed to keep any medication in their desk, backpack or classroom (with the exception
of an epi-pen if allergies are severe). All dispensing of medication requires medical permission and must be stored in
the office.
Immunization Updates
Peel Public Health will be reviewing immunization
records of all students. Peel Public Health must have
proof that your child has been fully vaccinated
(immunized) according to the Ontario immunization
schedule. If you receive a letter, please ensure that your
child has received the required vaccine(s), then give the
date(s) your child received these vaccine
doses(s) to Peel Public Health immediately
to update your child’s record.
To update: call Peel Public Health at 905799-7700, fax at 905-565-0426 (Att: Immunization Records) or online at
www.ImmunizePeel.ca.
Translation services are available. Thank you!!
Mother Teresa’s Message of Love
Lost and Found
Our Lost and Found box is overflowing! We often find many lost items at our school.
Items like shoes, socks, hats, jackets, gloves, etc. are
collected and placed in the ‘lost and found’ box. Please
look through to see if any items belong to you. At the
end of the school year, all remaining items will be donated to charity.
Our School Website
We have updated our website.
This site will be continually updated and has information for parents regarding
school calendar information, newsletters and school
updates. Visit www.dpcdsb.org and link onto the
Elementary site at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Elementary School @ www.dpcdsb.org/BRND. A special
thank you to Mrs. Marano for overseeing this site.
Newsletter Distribution
If you have not provided the office with your email
address and would like to receive school information
via email, please contact the main office to be added
to the distribution list.
Kiss and Ride
Please follow these guidelines when using the Kiss and Ride Program at St. Bernard of Clairvaux
School.
The Do’s:
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Children are to be dropped off or picked up, using the drop off lane between the hours of 8:30 - 8:45 am and 3:15
– 3:30 pm. Due to the high volume of cars, and dependent on weather conditions, please consider arriving early
in the morning.
 As cars enter the school driveway, please proceed in a slow and cautious manner, around the perimeter of our
parking lot. The drop off and pick up lane is directly in front of the kindergarten yard. Students are not
dropped off or picked up in front of the school. This lane is r eser ved for buses only.
 Please drive up to the very top of the kiss and ride lane to drop off and pick up your children to facilitate a steady
flow of traffic.
 Children are to exit the car in a safe and careful manner, with their backpacks ready
to avoid a long wait time in the drop off lane. Children are to exit the vehicle on
the right side of the car, onto the landing, for safety purposes and proceed to
the school yard.
 Cars are to exit the driveway in a slow and cautious manner and must turn right in
order to ease the flow of traffic.
 Cars may park in the parking lot in available spaces only.
The Dont’s:
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Cars are not to enter the Kiss and Ride drop-off lane with any speed-they must proceed in a very slow and cautious manner.
Do not cross through the drive through lanes from the parking lot with children. Proceed to the crosswalk
Do not park or leave your vehicle unattended in the Kiss and Ride Lanes.
Cars are not to stop at the turn point of the driveway and let children out-this is a very dangerous and unsafe
practice. It also causes a back log of cars.
Please do not attempt to move into the drop-off lane from the drive thru lane.
Under no circumstances ar e car s to access the bus lane or par k in the bus lane; if you need to enter the
school, please use the parking lot.
Bus Lane Reminder
Please be reminded that the bus
lane directly in front of the school
is in fact only for our buses.
There has been an increase in the
number of cars using this lane
especially in the morning to drop
off their children. We do have
many different buses that arrive to our school at various times of
the morning and we need to be respectful of the lane as our utmost
concern is the safety of all our children. Please continue to use
the kiss and ride lane to drop off and pick up your children. We
thank you for your understanding and support in this matter.
Dogs on School Property
From 8:30 a.m.—3:30 p.m.
dogs are not allowed on
school property. This includes small dogs being carried. Please be respectful of
the fact that some of our
students have a fear of dogs.
We thank you for your continued understanding and
support.
Sports, Intramurals, and Extra Curriculars Alive and Well: GO BEARS!!!
Intermediate Boys and Girls Basketball
The intermediate boys and girls basketball teams have been chosen and they are working really
hard to prepare for the Mississauga North Intermediate Basketball Tournament which will be
held on Thursday April 28th, 2016. We thank Mr. Kostoff, Mr. Gegeny, Mr. Dietz and Ms.
Shamon for offering their time, talents and skills in coaching. GO BEARS!!!!
Intramurals
Many of our intermediate students participated in our lunch hour intramurals where the focus is
fun and skill development. Junior students enjoyed playing basketball and our intermediate students had a lot
of fun playing badminton. Our primary students will begin soccer this month. We thank Mrs. Gibson for organizing these opportunities for our students.
Extra Curricular Life at St. Bernard of Clairvaux: Spotlight
GAMES CLUB
Our Games Club is alive and well at St. Bernard. Students meet every Monday during the lunch hour
to enjoy playing a variety of board games and card games. It is a great opportunity to meet new
friends, play great games and have fun. We thank Mr. Dietz and Miss Wigglesworth for helping our
students enjoy this special time.
PALS
The P.A.L.S. program is gearing up for the Spring season. Our P.A.L.S. leaders have done a great job
with rolling out our Winter and inclement weather games and now will be introducing new activities
that are available to all our Primary students. Thanks to all the leaders who have shown great dedication and enthusiasm. P.A.L.S. is always looking for more students to participate and lead. THERE IS
ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE!!!!
Eco-School Update
Celebrated every year on April 22nd, Earth Day is the largest environmental event in the world. More than six
million Canadians—including nearly every school-aged child—participate in an Earth Day activity in their communities. During the week of April 18—22nd, 2016, St Bernard of Clairvaux will be taking part in celebrating
Earth Week. Earth week is usually celebrated with outdoor activities, where individuals or groups perform various tasks to help improve out Earth. Please see below for how we as a school community will show our spirit.
Monday April 18th , 2016
Wear Blue to support water conservation
Tuesday April 19th , 2016
Wear Animal Prints to support animal rights
Wednesday April 20th, 2016
Wear Green to support Earth Day
Thursday April 21st, 2016
Wear White to support energy conservation
Friday April 22nd, 2016
Wear Bright Colours to support nature and all of God’s
creations
Earth Day Movie
St Bernard of Clairvaux
School
Catholic School Council
It’s spring! Farewell to chills and colds! The blushing flowers each unfold. All
Principal: B. Pullar a
things renew. All things begin. At church, they bring the lilies in. Bless the Blooms
Vice-Principal:
that bring new beginnings.
N. Podobnik
Secretaries: P. Keenan,
M. Yhip, A. DidioPopcorn/Pizza/Movie Day
Coletta
Parish Corner
St. Josephine Bakhita
Parish: Temporarily
located at St. Joan of Arc
S. School
3801 Thomas St.
Pastor– Father Mark
Villaneuva
289-997-2105
Trustee
E. O’Toole
905-812-5163
Dufferin-Peel CDSB
Personnel
Director of Education:
M. Mazzorato
905-890-1221
Associate Director,
Instructional Services
S. McWatters
905-890-1221
Associate Director,
Corporate Services,
Chief Financial Officer
& Treasurer
John Hrajnik
905-890-1221
Superintendent:
T. Cruz
905-890-1221
YMCA
Coordinator:
R. Hercules
647-267-2400
“Good Grief Charlie Brown!” Our Popcorn/Pizza Movie day was a wonderful success.
This year’s movie, The Peanuts Movie, was a welcome break from classroom activities, followed with a bag of popcorn and slice of cheese pizza.
Once more, the Catholic School Council would like to express our thanks
to all the students and their families for supporting the chocolate fundraiser. Without your help these initiatives would not be possible.
Spring Fling 2016
Save the date!
Our end of the year Spring Fling will be held on Thursday, June 9th from 4-7pm. What a great way to celebrate
our amazing school community by getting together with
parents, teachers and friends. Fun games and music will
be offered as well as entertainment and a barbecue. We are hoping for volunteers to help
out with distribution of food, making cotton candy, staffing the barbeque grill, supervising games and staffing the prize table. If you are able to help in any way, please contact
the school office to let us know. Stay tuned as more information will be shared closer to
the date regarding this fabulous event.
Next Council Meeting:
Our next parent council meeting will take place on Wednesday April 6th, 2016 at 7pm in
the school library. All parents and guardians are welcome to attend. We would love to see
you there!
Sincerely,
Your Catholic School Council
Earth week
From Monday, April 18th to Friday, April 22nd,
2016 St. Bernard will be celebrating Earth Week!
Here are the following dates:
Monday, April 18th – Water: Wear blue to support water conservation.
Tuesday, April 19th - Animal Rights: Wear something with animal prints to support
animal rights
Wednesday, April 20th – Earth Day: Wear green to support Earth Day
Thursday, April 21st - Energy Conservation: Wear white to support energy
conservation
Friday, April 22nd - God’s Creations: Wear bright colours to support nature and all of
God’s creations.
Thank you to our Eco Team