St. Bernard of Clairvaux
March 2016
3345 Escada Dr. Mississauga, ON L5M 7V5
Tel. 905-542-9203
Love, Service, Peace, Excellence
A Children's Prayer for Lent
March Newsletter
Dufferin-Peel C.D.S.B.
Blessed are You, O Lord our God,
You have made the sun to light the day
and the moon and stars to light the night. Help us walk in your light.
During the season of Lent, renew us through the gift of your Holy
Spirit. Help us grow in faith, hope and love. During this special time,
we remember that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so that we might be free
to love. Help us grow to be the people you call us to be; letting go of old habits
of selfishness, forgiving those who have hurt us, giving quality time to our
families, spending time in quiet prayer. Amen
Administrator Message
St. Bernard of Clairvaux School continues to be a faith filled, vibrant, and bustling place. The
cold and wintry weather has definitely not slowed us down. February was filled with many opportunities to grow in our learning, practice our faith, and have fun. Black History Month was highlighted through daily morning announcements where we learned a great deal about the contributions of various Black Canadians. We celebrated National Flag Day and showed our school spirit
and support by wearing red or white. We wore red, pink and white on Valentine’s Day and enjoyed a whole school dance, a valentine cookie and juice thanks to our Catholic School Council.
On Shrove Tuesday, thanks again to our Catholic School Council and the many parent volunteers
who came out to help, every student in the school enjoyed freshly made pancakes with syrup.
With Ash Wednesday, we have now entered into one of the most important times in our liturgical calendar as a Catholic community. We wish to extend a sincere thank you to Father Mark for
leading our Ash Wednesday liturgy and the many parents and families that were able to join us.
We look forward to celebrating our Lenten Mass together. During the Lenten and Easter seasons,
parents and teachers place a heightened emphasis on discussions about religion and spirituality
with our children so that they come to appreciate the beauty and mystery of our Catholic Christian
faith story. We help our children see that Jesus’ mission was to teach the Good News, heal the
broken-hearted, and liberate the marginalized. We reflect on how Jesus’ mission led Him to a torturous death that he willingly embraced for us. We rejoice that the Risen Christ continues to animate this mission of love in action today! At this time of reflection and preparation, we would
like to thank you for your continued support and partnership.
On behalf of the entire staff of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, we extend warmest wishes for every
blessing of this Holy Easter Season. We celebrate the Risen Christ for a 50 full days, as we wait
in growing anticipation for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. We also wish you and
your families a safe and enjoyable March Break.
Together in Faith,
B. Pullara
N. Podobnik
“Kind words are short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly
endless.” Mother Teresa
Our Virtue of the Month:
During the month of March, we will focus on the virtue of Kindness.
God wants us to give generously to others around us.
A kind person …
• is gentle and sensitive to others
• stands by their friends in time of need
• shares their time and talents
• says nice things about others from the heart
• always looks for ways to be helpful
God wants us to be kind to everyone we meet. KINDNESS is about more than
just pretending to be nice. It is about helping and playing with others because we
want to, not because we feel we have
to. We have all been given the fruit of the Holy Spirit called
kindness, which is the act of loving and giving generously to others as God does.
Our empathy for others is transformed into action that
extends beyond concern for ourselves and allows us to see God in every face that
we meet.
Let us now pray ... for the virtue of kindness so that everyone we meet will feel
like we are looking out for their good. AMEN.
Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations
I AM A TEAM PLAYER!
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I co-operate with others in all that I do
I value everyone's work
I respect and listen to others
I think of others before myself
I follow rules of fair play
I work hard in school so that I can build my community and make it a better place
Because I am a team player, I know that 'Together is Better', and we will live our
lives 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.
HOLY WEEK
Holy Week is the last week of Lent.
Holy Week observances began in Jerusalem in the earliest days of the Church, when
devout people traveled to Jerusalem at Passover to reenact the events of the week
leading up to the Resurrection.
The purpose of Holy Week is to reenact, relive, and participate in the passion of Jesus Christ. Holy Week is the same in
the eastern and western Church, but because eastern Christians use the Julian Calendar to calculate Easter, the celebrations occur at different times. However, the following events in the week before Easter are the same, east and west,
relative to the date of Easter:

Palm Sunday (or Passion Sunday), the entr ance of J esus into J er usalem.
 Holy Thursday, the institution of Communion and the betr ayal by J udas.
 Good Friday, the ar r est, tr ial, cr ucifixion, death, and bur ial of J esus Chr ist.
 Holy Saturday, the Sabbath on which J esus r ested in the gr ave.
Please take the time to ensure your child is aware of the sacrifice Jesus made for us and that we
remind ourselves that Jesus came to show us the way to eternal life. Let us keep in mind that he
led by example. He gave his life for us. He is our role model and we aspire to live our lives in a
manner consistent with the lessons that Jesus taught us.
Papal Prayer Intention for March
That families in need may receive the necessary support and that children may grow
up in healthy and peaceful environments. That those Christians who, on account of
their faith, are discriminated against or are being persecuted, may remain strong and
faithful to the Gospel, thanks to the incessant prayer of the Church.
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”
“Mercy that Loves”
“Mercy that Forgives”
“Mercy that Lives the Gospel”
“Mercy that Rejoices”
Please Join Us…
Sacraments We encourage any new families to our school
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.
Lenten Mass
CONFIRMATION
Our Lenten Mass will take place on Thursday, March This year our grade 7 and 8 students will be receiving the sacra3rd, 2016 at 9:15. We thank Father Mark for his con- ment of Confirmation. Confirmation for our grade 8 students
tinued spiritual support and guidance. Please join us
will take place on Friday April 22nd, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Confiras we continue to journey together this Lenten season
mation for our grade 7 students will take place on Friday May
as community of faith.
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
Well Wishes
generosity as we work to build a church for our new parish comWe have said goodbye to Mrs. Iruthayarajah in the ofmunity.
fice and we wish her well in her future endeavours.
“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
We would like to give a warm welcome to Mrs. Yhip
gentleness, goodness, faith” Galatians 5:22
who will be our new assistant secretary.
We will be gathering as a school community on
Friday April 8th, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. for our next Virtues Assembly. We thank Mr. Hannah and Mr.
LeBrun for organizing this faith filled event for our
students and community.
With the season of Lent, we will also begin 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 school-based activities has already raised
some funds, and we will be moving forward with Spirit Week activities to support . We will also have Sharelife Tuesdays. Every Tuesday in April we will be accepting donations for Sharelife. Thank you for giving generously.
The Great Gulp! The Great Big Crunch!
In an effort to continue to educate our students about nutrition, healthy eating, and being stewards of the earth, we
are happy to announce that we will be participating in two
great events. First, The Great Big Crunch where the students will all join in an annual moment of anti-silence
where everyone gets together and bites into crunchy fresh
local produce in unison on March 10th, 2016. On March
23rd, we will participate in the Region of Peel sponsored
‘The Great Gulp’ event to help create awareness about the
importance of Peel drinking water in our lives. All students will be encouraged to take a gulp of tap water
at the same time in unison. We are looking forward to both of these worthwhile events.
Youth Education Officer Visits
Cyber-Safety
We would like to thank
Officer Mackin for visiting
with our classes from grades
1 - 8 on Monday, February
1st and 2nd. The students
had an opportunity to learn
more about a variety of timely and interesting
topics.
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.
The Internet can be a great resource for
Kidssentials Hot Lunch for April – June will be available to order online
the first week of March
Take a break from packing lunch and place an order at: http://www.kidssentials.com
Field Trip Cancellation Policy Update for Kidssentials Lunch Dates:
If you have ordered a Kidssentials lunch on a date your child will be away on a field trip, please contact Kidssentials to cancel the
meal as soon as you receive the field trip form. Kindly provide as much notice as possible – 2 business days’ notice or more - to
help them plan most efficiently. Last minute cancellations are accepted until 8am on the day of the cancellation.
Employment Opportunities: If you live in the Oakville/Mississauga area and would like a part-time job working while your
child is in school, contact us today and apply by phone or email.
EQAO-Coming Soon
Moving
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. One of the factors which will contribute to student
success is consistent and uninterrupted attendance during
the province’s designated time for administering the tests.
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
Reminder: New PA Day
March Break
Please be reminded that this
year, March Break will be
from Monday, March 14th,
2016 to Friday, March
18th, 2016. Students and
staff will return to school on Monday, March 21st, 2016.
Classes begin at 8:45 a.m.
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.
Lenten Food Drive
Our Lenten Food Drive ran from Tuesday February 16th to Tuesday February 26th.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the families who donated items
for our drive. We are very thankful for your continued support as we continue to
answer the call and help those less fortunate. We would like to thank the member of
the BEARS squad for helping to organize and box the food items.
Celebrating Chinese New Year
On Friday February 19th the FDK classes participated in a special Dragon Parade to celebrate
Chinese New Year 2016. Students had an opportunity to learn how children and families in
China celebrate New Year. For the past two weeks children learned the history of Chinese
New Year through song, drama, dance and stories, ending the event with a special Dragon
Parade around the school.
It was fun, fun, fun! Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Celebrating the National Flag of Canada
On Thursday February 11th staff and students at St. Bernard of Clairvaux School, wore
their red and white to commemorate our country’s National Flag which is celebrated
each year on February 15th. The entire school wore the official colours of Canada or
anything that showed their proud Canadian spirit.
NATIONAL SWEATER DAY
On February 4th, 2016, St. Bernard of Clairvaux joined other Dufferin-Peel Elementary
and Secondary Schools in the Board-wide National Sweater Day. The day provided an opportunity for all employees and students to learn about the importance of saving energy,
while at the same time reminding us to use less heat throughout the winter. The heating in schools was turned down
by 2° and everyone was encouraged to wear a sweater to support this important Board initiative. Students and staff
did an amazing job decorating paper sweaters and sharing their special sweater stories which were then displayed
around the school. Thank you to our Eco Team for facilitating and organizing this opportunity.
Grade 1’s Visit Peel Safety Village
On February 3rd and 4th, the Grade 1 classes participated in the Community Helpers Program on their
field trip to Peel Safety Village in Brampton. On this trip, the students learned all about the various
organizations that exist to keep our community safe and to recognize the helpers and their needs when
encountering a real emergency. Students got to learn the importance of using 9-1-1 and were given a
chance to see some of necessary tools and items being used by these Community Helpers. In addition, the students’ thumbprints were being demonstrated and taken home as samples of their visit. Our teachers would
like to thank all the parents who are able to volunteer on this trip by making this a knowledgeable experience for our
students.
Let’s Wash Our Hands
Appropriate Dress - Cold Weather
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.
The days continue to be cold and wintry. We ask that
students dress appropriately with coats, hats, gloves,
mitts, boots, snow pants etc. If they are dressed warmly,
they are better prepared to participate in outdoor activities during recess and the lunch hour. For health reasons
and to help keep the school
clean, we ask all students to have
indoor shoes. Please note that in
the event of an emergency evacuation, students will not have the
opportunity to put their boots on.
Thank you for your support in
this matter.
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.
Winter Weather
During the winter season, the school receives calls from concerned parents as to how we determine
when children will or will not be allowed outside for recess. On extremely cold days, we limit the
amount of time that students spend outdoors. We obtain our weather information from the Environment
Canada Weather Information Line and follow School Board guidelines. Board Guidelines indicate that
students will generally be outside for lunch and recess when temperatures do not fall below –25 degrees
Celsius, with the wind chill. With the exception of these occasions, all children will go out for recess and the lunch
break. We remind all students to dress appropriately for the weather. If the weather is inclement at 8:30 a.m., the
doors by the kindergarten yard will be open for students to enter the school.
Ice, Snow and Snow Forts
Throwing snowballs and sliding on the ice are prohibited in the school yard. Although
it may seen like a fun activity, our experience has shown that serious accidents can and
do occur. Students have been and are reminded on a regular basis through daily announcements and teachers, that while out for recess, snow and ice stay on the ground
and we do not slide on ice. It is for the safety of all of our students that these expectations are in place. Please reinforce this safety rule with your child. There will be no
snowballs, kicking snow or any other activity with snow or ice that could be harmful. Many students enjoy building with the snow and this can be a fun, engaging
and cooperative activity. We remind all students that we DO share the snow, we DO
NOT own the snow. We DO NOT steal snow from students who are building snow forts or snowmen/ women. We DO
RESPECT the work others are putting into their projects. We DO work together to build not to destroy. We DO have
fun in the snow with our friends. Please help us by reviewing this with your children as we continue to work together to
maintain a safe school environment.
Student Illness—Staying in During Recess
Cold and Flu season is upon us. We remind parents to please use discretion in keeping your children
home to recover. A child who is too ill to go out for recess is too ill to be at school. Your co-operation to
keep your child home when he/she is ill is greatly appreciated.
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.
Classroom Interruptions
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.
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.
Inclement Weather, School Closures and Bus Cancellations
During the winter months inclement weather may cause disruption to bus transportation and regular school operations. A
decision to cancel school transportation and/or to close schools is usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be announced
on the following radio stations:
CKFM 99.9
CFNY 102.1
CJCL 590
CJEZ EZ Rock 97.3
CHIN 100.7 FM/1540 AM
FOXY 88.5 FM
CHUM 1050
CFTO
CHFI 98.1
CJBC (FR) 860
Weather Network
Global News
CFTR 680
CBC
CFRB 1010
Z103.5
CJMR/CHWO
CityPulse
1250
The message usually takes the following form: “All buses for the Peel District School Board and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board have been canceled.” This means that buses are cancelled for the entire day.
Or, to indicate school closures: “The schools and offices of the Peel District School Board and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board have been closed.”
Should the announcement refer to cancellation only in the COUNTY OF DUFFERIN, this does NOT affect St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
Student Monitors
We are presently looking for parents who may be interested in taking on the role of Student
Monitors. Although the full time positions are presently filled we are looking for individuals who would be interested
to fill in when there is a need due to illness or vacations. The job description in posted below please contact the office
if you are interested.
DUTIES OF THE STUDENT MONITOR: Under the super vision of the Pr incipal or designate, the Student
Monitor will: Carry out supervision duties assigned by the Principal, Ensure that all reasonable safety procedures are
carried out in activities for which the Student Monitor is responsible, Co-operate with the Principal and teachers to
maintain consistent disciplinary practices in the school.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STUDENT MONITOR:
Be aware of the school rules
Be prompt in reporting for supervision assignments
Become informed of specific medical/behavioural situations pertaining to students supervised
Be aware of the school emergency plans;
Notify the teacher on duty when a problem arises.
Volunteers Welcome
Parent volunteers are always welcomed at St. Bernard of Clairvaux School. If you are
interested in volunteering at the school, please contact the office at (905) 542-9203
All volunteers must have a Criminal Reference Check completed before working
with students in the school. Parents who wish to volunteer for school trips also require a Criminal Reference Check. Forms may be picked up from the office.
EQAO Tutoring for Grade 3 and Grade 6
This year, beginning in March, we are pleased to be able offer your child the opportunity to join the voluntary After
School Tutoring Club. Your child’s classr oom teacher will contact you if this pr ogr am may be of benefit to
your child. The After School Tutoring Club provides students in grades three and six with additional support that will
help them feel comfortable and confident in their knowledge and skills as they prepare for their EQAO test.
The following will be offered:
Math and Language tutoring
2 afternoons per week
90 minute sessions
Taught by a qualified teacher
Parents/guardians would be responsible for transportation arrangements. There will be no charge for
this program. If you are interested in this opportunity, please communicate with your child’s teacher.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux is on TWITTER
Follow us @StBernardDPCDSB
You can also follow us on Twitter at @DPCDSBSchools
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!!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day . . .
An Irish Blessing
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand
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:

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:

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.

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.
We Are Called
Bus Lane Reminder
On Friday March,4th, 2016 five of our grade 7 students had
the opportunity to attend the Mississauga North Family of
Schools “We Are Called” Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity
Conference which was held at Merciful Redeemer Parish.
This full day event focused on diversity and how we are
called each and every day. The experience included an opportunity to connect with high schools, a poetry slam, a
guest speaker and a mass. Students were also able to walk
through the Doors of Mercy. Thank you to Mrs. Androulakis and our five student ambassadors.
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.
Sports, Intramurals, and Extra Curriculars Alive and Well: GO BEARS!!!
Junior Boys and Girls Basketball
Our junior boys and girls basketball team had a great season. They worked extremely well together and grew in their skills, teamwork and sportsmanship. The girl’s team made it to the
family tournament which was held on Thursday February 25th, 2016. A big thank you goes out
to our students and their coaches.
Intermediate Boys and Girls Basketball
Tryouts have begun for the intermediate boys and girls basketball teams. We look forward to another exciting season
and wish our teams well as they move forward. 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 junior students participated in lunch hour intramurals where the focus was fun and skill development. Students enjoyed learning all about, and having fun playing basketball. We thank Mrs. Gibson for providing this opportunity for our students.
Extra Curricular Life at St. Bernard of Clairvaux
There continue to be many opportunities for students to get involved and join a club or activity
at St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Many of our students are members of the primary and junior/
intermediate choir. Students continue to participate in dance club, guitar club, an arts and craft
club and the robotics club. Our primary and junior games club has gotten off to a great start
and we look forward to continuing to have fun, practicing our skills and meeting new friends, all while playing various board games. Chess for junior and intermediate students is also well underway. The Mississauga
North Chess Tournament will take place on Friday March 4th, 2016. We are also pleased to share that a Yoga
Club will begin this month as well. We are thankful to our staff who give their time and talents to providing
our students with so many enriching activities.
Eco-School Update
Earth Hour 2016
The St. Bernard Eco Team brings you an important message….Earth
Hour is held annually on the last Saturday of March. It started in 2007,
in Sydney and has since spread across the world. The goal of this project, organized by the World Wide Fund of Nature, is to achieve greater
energy efficiency by encouraging households and businesses to turn off non-essential lights and electrical
appliances for an hour.
The hope through this event is to continuously raise awareness among all communities about the impact of energy
use on climate change and how our own energy practices can be far more efficient.
In 2013, Earth Hour was celebrated in more than 7,000 cities across 7 continents by hundreds of millions of people.
This year, with your power, Earth Hour is going to be even bigger.
Earth Hour 2016 is scheduled for Saturday, March 19th, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. At St. Bernard we will hold
our own Earth Hour on Monday March 21st, 2016 from 10am-11am.
What are you and your family going to do to show your support for this important event? You could power down
and play board games, eat a candle light dinner, take a walk outside, take a nap, star gaze, look at old photo albums, tell stories and more!
St Bernard of Clairvaux
School
Principal: B. Pullar a
Vice-Principal:
N. Podobnik
Secretaries: P. Keenan,
M. Yhip, A. DidioColetta
Catholic School Council
Snow is melting away, and pretty flowers will soon begin to bloom, oh what a
blessing is in the seed that comes up and gives life meaning. May you find the
Lord’s promise of the resurrection, not only in books, but in every leaf you see this
spring time. Spring is on its way! Happy Easter!
Shrove Tuesday:
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
What a success Shrove Tuesday turned out to be. We were able to distribute
over 1400 delicious pancakes to the children and teachers of each class. The
CSC committee would like to extend a huge thank you to Mr. R. Cannataro,
Mrs. K. Ceglarski, Mrs. H. Cui, Mrs. N. Dleema, Mrs. M. Khreich, Mrs. J. Pokrajac,
Mrs. M. Savov, Mrs. M. Scoleri and Mrs. C. Ustariz. Your help was vital in making this
event run as efficiently as possible. Thank you.
Popcorn/Pizza/Movie Day
As you may recall, students and parents who participated in our Lamontagne Chocolate Sales Campaign at the early part of the year were encouraged to raise funds which would be used towards the students and
school. As promised, for our student’s hard work
and support, your Catholic School Council will be
hosting a popcorn, movie and pizza lunch on Friday March 11, 2016. The movie selected will be
The Peanuts Movie.
Next Council Meeting:
Our next council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday April 6, 2016 at 7pm in the school
library. All parents and guardians are welcome to attend. We would love to see you there!
Sinerely,
Your Catholic School Council
SPIRIT WEEK
From Monday, March 7th to Friday, March 11th, 2016 St. Bernard
will be having Spirit Week! This will also be an opportunity for us to
come together in community to support Sharelife
Here are the following dates:
Monday, March 7 – Crazy Hair/Hat Day Show your school spirit by wearing
your funky hat, or come to school with wild and wacky hair
Tuesday, March 8 - Twin Day: You and your best friend can dress up
exactly the same so that you look like twins. It doesn’t matter if you’re
twins, triplets or quadruplets!
Wednesday, March 9 - Fandom/Sports Day: Show your true love for your
favourite fandom by wearing their logo. Love Harry Potter? Wear a shirt
with the Hogwarts logo! Huge fan of Frozen? Wear a shirt with Olaf! Guys
can show their love for their favourite sports team by wearing a sports jersey.
Thursday March 10 - Beach/Hawaii Day: It’s a heat wave!
Show how you enjoy the sun and sand.
Friday, March 11 - Pajama/Cozy Day: Wear your comfiest pajamas to
school and make yourself feel at home!
As we show our school spirit, we appreciate any all
donations in support of Sharelife.