St. Bernard of Clairvaux
January 2016
3345 Escada Dr. Mississauga, ON L5M 7V5
Tel. 905-542-9203
Love, Service, Peace, Excellence
Prayer… The New Year
Dear God, In this New Year I pray:
To live deeply, with purpose,
To live freely, with detachment,
To live wisely, with humility, To live justly, with
compassion,
To live lovingly, with fidelity, To live mindfully, with awareness.
January Newsletter
Dufferin-Peel C.D.S.B.
To live gratefully, with generosity,
To live fully, with enthusiasm.
Help us to hold this vision and to daily renew it in our hearts,
becoming ever more one with You, our truest selves.
Administrator’s Message
As we begin the New Year, we would like to
welcome all students, families, staff and community partners back to St. Bernard of Clairvaux School. We would
also like to welcome new families to our school. It is our
hope that the Christmas holidays brought peace and joy and
that you were able to enjoy time with family and friends.
As the New Year provides us an opportunity to look back and reflect, we would like to take the
opportunity to sincerely thank you for attending and/or participating in the various Christmas
events that took place just prior to the holidays. We were blessed once again to come together as a
community in faith to celebrate our Advent Mass. As always, we thank Father Mark for his spiritual guidance and celebrating with us. A thank you goes out, as well, to all families who attended
our Christmas concerts and contributed to our Adopt-a-Family initiative. We were able to provide
for eight families in need and help them to enjoy the beauty and wonder of Christmas. We would
also like to thank all families for donating items to our Hat, Mitten, Scarf and Sock Tree. All items
were donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
It is also at this time that we would like to acknowledge and thank staff who are
beginning new adventures. We wish a fond farewell to Mrs. Szafer, Mrs. Anisko-Clutton and
Mrs. Antezza as well as Mrs. Weseloh our assistant secretary. We would like to welcome Ms.
Farace, Ms. Taylor, Miss Hughes and our new assistant secretary, Ms. Iruthayarajah to our St.
Bernard of Clairvaux staff. We would also like to welcome back Ms. Van Kooten from her adventure teaching in Australia, and extend thanks and best wishes to Mrs. McGrath.
On behalf of the entire St. Bernard of Clairvaux staff, we would like to wish you and
your family a New Year filled with many blessings, much happiness and success.
Together in Faith,
B.Pullara
N.Podobnik
“Let our New Year's resolution be this: we will be
there for one another as fellow members of humanity,
in the finest sense of the word.” Goran Persson.
Our Virtue of the Month
God wants us to do what we know and feel is right.
A person with self-control…
is patient with themselves and others
knows how to share and take turns
has the power to stand up for what is right
looks for peaceful ways to solve conflict
can think things through
SELF-CONTROL helps us to resist the temptation to do something that
we will regret or may cause harm to ourselves or others. By disciplining
our thoughts and actions, we resist reacting negatively to pressures
from within ourselves or our surroundings, and act in a way that we
know and feel is right. Developing loving habits helps us to respond
positively to others in the actions and choices we make.
Each time we exercise self-control, we show our love for God and
make way for peace in our lives.
Let us now pray … for the virtue of self-control so that we will resist
the temptation to cause harm to ourselves and others around us.
AMEN.
Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations
I HAVE IDEAS!
 I have thoughts and opinions that matter
 I make good choices
 I have hope for the future
 I solve problems with knowledge, understanding and prayer
 I know we are all equal and special
Because I have ideas, I have a purpose, 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 Briannia on the Ninth Line)
Sunday Mass 7:30 a.m.
Monday 7 p.m.,
Saturday 9 a.m.
.
Jubilee Year of Mercy
The Jubilee of Mercy was announced by Pope Francis as a year to be lived intensely in each
local Church throughout the world, allowing every person to encounter the mercy of God. The
most evident sign of this pastoral care is the chance to open a Door of Mercy in every diocese.
These doors, analogous to the Holy Doors of the Papal Basilicas in Rome, will allow people
who cannot travel to Rome to make a Jubilee pilgrimage. After the solemn inauguration of the
Holy Year – marked by the opening of the Holy Door of Saint Peter's Basilica on December 8,
2015 – all locally-designated Churches throughout the world opened their own Doors of Mercy
in communion with the Church of Rome as part of the Eucharistic celebration of the Third Sunday of Advent or Gaudete Sunday. The Holy Father has asked that special indulgences be
available for the Faithful throughout the Year of Mercy (December 8, 2015 – November 20, 2016).
How To Obtain the Jubilee Indulgence:
For those able to make a pilgrimage to one of the Jubilee churches in Rome, that is certainly an option. Otherwise, Cardinal Collins has designated seven churches within the Archdiocese of Toronto as Jubilee Churches, each with a Holy Door of Mercy. Going through one of these Holy Doors is a spiritual journey that shows, as the Holy Father said, "the deep desire for true conversion." In addition to passing through a Holy Door, each pilgrim is to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, receive the Holy
Eucharist while reflecting on God's great gift of mercy, make a profession of faith (recite either the Apostles' or the Nicene
Creed), and pray for the Holy Father and for his intentions (an Our Father and a Hail Mary are recommended). For those who are
elderly, confined and the ill, Pope Francis said that they may obtain the indulgence by "living with faith and joyful hope this moment of trial" and by receiving the Eucharist or by attending Mass and community prayer, "even through the various means of
communication" (for instance, a Mass offered on television). For those in prison, they may obtain the indulgence in their prison
chapels. Indulgences may be obtained for the dead by the carrying out of these same acts by the Faithful with the intention of
offering the indulgence for someone who is deceased. And finally, for all Catholics, this jubilee indulgence may also be obtained
when a member of the Faithful personally performs a spiritual or corporal work of mercy.
Designated Churches for the Jubilee with a Holy Door of Mercy:
*
*
*
*
St. Paul's Basilica 83 Power Str eet, Tor onto
* Merciful Redeemer Parish 2775 Er in Centr e Blvd., Mississauga
St. Patrick's Parish 131 McCaul Str eet, Tor onto
* St. Patrick's Parish 11873 The Gor e Road, Br ampton
St. Anthony of Padua Parish 940 Nor th Par k Dr ive, Bramalea
St. Theresa's Parish 2559 Kingston Road, Scar bor ough * The Martyrs' Shrine 16163 Highway 12 West, Midland
Recognizing Father Mark
Sacraments
Rev. Father Mark Achilles Villanueva will be celebrating his Silver Sacerdotal Jubilee. A special mass
in honour of Father Mark will be celebrated on Friday January 8, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. at Saviour of The
World Church located at 30 Bristol Rd. in Mississauga. On behalf of the entire community of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, we would like to recognize and
congratulate Father Mark and wish him continued
blessings.
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 will take
place on Tuesday February 23rd, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. at Merciful
Redeemer Parish.
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.
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
Our Catholic School Heritage
Several years ago, the Board launched its new resource, Our Story, Our Tradition, Our Journey. It
is a 252 page photo illustrated history of the role of the Catholic church in the development of
Catholic education in Peel Region and Dufferin County. It also explores the development and
growth of many local communities and features each of the board’s 146 schools. The book is a
component of two Community Studies Units for Grade 7 and 10. It was designed to help students
better understand and appreciate the contribution and role of the Catholic Church from historical
and contemporary perspectives. The book has been an ongoing project for many years and would
not have been possible if not for the contributions of numerous, dedicated staff of Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board.
A Time for New Beginnings
The New Year is a time for reflection as well as celebration. As you look back on the past
year and all that has taken place in your life, remember: Each experience for the good that
has come of it and for the knowledge you have gained. Remember the efforts you have made
and the goals you have reached. Remember the love you have shared and the happiness you
have brought. Remember the laughter, the joy, the hard work, and the tears. And as you reflect on the past year, also be thinking of the new one to come, because most importantly the
New Year is a time of birth, new beginnings, and the celebration of life.
“Prayer is our continuing response to God’s continuing call to mission.”
Hat, Mitten, Scarf and Sock Tree
Once again, we were so overwhelmed with the amazing generosity of the
St. Bernard of Clairvaux community. The special tree of giving that was
set up in our front atrium was filled with so many donations of new hats,
gloves, scarves and socks. We were so grateful to be able to help those
in most need by giving the gift of warmth at that very special time of the
year. We would like to say Thank you to our teacher leads and students
for organizing this initiative.
Adopt-A-Family
We would like to thank the entire St. Bernard of Clairvaux Community for generously supporting our families in
need. Through your tremendous generosity and goodwill, we were able to assist
eight families in the parish community of St. Josephine Bakhita. Once again, we
thank you for reaching out to support those in need and helping to put Christ back
into Christmas for families in our community. We would like to especially recognize Kaitlin T. in Mrs. Rukavina’s grade 5 class who generously donated $335.55.
“We rise by lifting others.” Robert Ingersoll
Spreading Christmas Cheer
The junior-intermediate choir visited Heritage House nursing
home on December 2nd, 2015. The choir spread Christmas
cheer by singing carols and handing out homemade cards to
the residents. By sharing their talents, students learned firsthand the importance of giving to others. Thanks to all the
parent volunteers who came out to support this wonderful event.
A Skating We Will Go
Students in grades 4—7 will be given the opportunity to go skating at Erin Mills
Twin Arenas. Each grade will have the opportunity to skate twice. Our grade 4 and
5 students will be skating on Friday January 15th, 2016 and Friday January 29th,
2016. Our grade 6 and 7 students will be skating on Friday February 12th, 2016 and
Friday February 26th, 2016. All students will be expected to wear a helmet for safety. We are looking forward to this fun skate.
Professional Activity Days
Family Day
Monday, January 18th, 2016 is a Pr ofessional Activity Day
for staff. There will be no school for students. Staff will be
involved in assessment and evaluation of pupil progress.
Monday, February 15th, 2016 is Family Day
and there will be no school for students and staff.
We hope that you enjoy the day with your family
and loved ones.
Friday, February 5th, 2016 is a Pr ofessional Activity Day
for staff. There will be no school for students. Staff will be
involved in reporting to parents on evaluation of pupil progress.
Report Cards
First term report cards for students in Grades 1-8 will be sent home on Tuesday, February
2nd, 2016 Along with the r epor t car d, you will r eceive a confir mation time for your interview. Interviews will take place the evening of Thursday, February 4th, 2016 and Friday,
February 5th, 2016. J unior and Senior Kinder gar ten students will r eceive their r epor t
cards in June.
Catholic Ratepayers —Check Your Tax Bill To Ensure Proper Tax Support:
If you are a Catholic ratepayer, we urge you to check your property tax bill to ensure that your
support is directed to your local Catholic school Board, in our case, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board. If you are a tenant, you can verify your support by contacting our
Admissions Department at (905) 890-0708, ext. 24511, 24512 or 24519, or your local
Municipal Office. By ensuring that you are accurately recorded as a Catholic school supporter,
you can help deliver a powerful message to the government about the level of support for
publically-funded Catholic education in Ontario. Also, in order to be eligible to vote for your
local Catholic school board Trustee, you must be registered as a separate school supporter.
Homework Help
Homework Help is a free online Math help resource for students in
Grades 7-10 in Ontario.
‘Homework Help’ provides free, live one-on-one tutoring from Ontario-certified teachers Sunday to Thursday, from 5:30 pm—9:30 pm ET.
It is funded by the Ontario government and administered by TVOs
Independent Learning Centre.
Gr. 7 & 8 teachers have been registering their students online for this
Math support. Please speak to your child’s teacher if you have any
questions regarding this support.
Encouraging Growth Mindset
Descriptive Feedback
“FEEDBACK IS NOT ADVICE, PRAISE OR EVALUATION. FEEDBACK IS INFORMATION ABOUT HOW WE ARE DOING IN OUR EFFORTS TO REACH A GOAL.” Grant Wiggins
Our school has been focusing on providing timely descriptive feedback to our learners. Descriptive Feedback is the
means by which teachers enable students to ‘close the gap’ in order to take learning forward and improve their performance. For feedback to be effective, children need to know how to take action on it. All teachers provide feedback to
children, which can either be oral, written, or in more practical subjects feedback through demonstration. Feedback can
include teacher to student, student to student, or student to teacher. Effective feedback is about finding the best way of
communicating to learners what they have achieved and what they need to work on next. It is worth considering research that suggests that feedback given as rewards or grades enhances ‘ego’ rather than ‘task’ involvement – that is
the learners compare themselves with others and their image and status, rather than encouraging them to think about
the work itself and how to improve it. This focus on ‘ability’ rather than the importance of effort can be damaging to
self-esteem, particularly in lower achievers. Feedback on what needs to be done can encourage all children to believe
that they can improve – it should build on their previous achievement rather than act as a comparison with others
(http://standardstoolkit.k12.hi.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/01 CCR.Protocol_1.Descriptive_Feedback_Strategies.pdf)
Youth Education Officer Visits
We welcome Officer Mackin to our school as Community Liaison Officer. She will be
speaking to all of our students from JK—Grade 8 on a variety of topics ranging from a
career in policing to bullying. She will be visiting with our classes in February and March.
Kidssentials
Tired of making lunches? Take a break from packing lunch and sign up today. Menus for the Jan-
uary—March term may be viewed and ordered online. Kidssentials is very different from other companies. With an
emphasis on nutrition and kid-pleasing options, this full service catering company serves the lunches fresh onsite to
avoid soggy or mushy meals. Lunches are mixed and prepared just minutes before they are served to the children, using only the highest quality ingredients and freshest produce. To place an order, view the menu and available dates
visit: www.kidssentials.com and log in or create your family account.. Kidssentials can also be reached by phone at
905-855-1914 or by e-mail at mail@kidssentials.com
PALS
The PALS (Playground Activity Leaders in Schools) is a playground leadership program for schools and it encourages children to participate in activities during recess.
The PALS program is well under way at St. Bernard of Clairvaux, implemented by
some of our grade 4, 5 and 6 students who have been trained to work with our primary
students. The leaders are outside at lunch recess in the primary yard where they allow
our primary students to participate in a lot of fun, exciting and cooperative games.
PALS Leaders are clearly visible in the yard as they wear bright red PALS T-Shirts. We thank all the
PALS leaders for their dedication and commitment to the program. The PALS motto is, “There is always
room for one more”.
Kiss and Ride
With the arrival of snow, challenges may arise for our Kiss and Ride Program,
Please allow extra time if you are dropping off your children by car. With the colder
months, there are more parents choosing this option. Please remember that SLOW and
CAREFUL must be the way you proceed. Parents who park in the parking lot and
walk their children to the yard must be careful if walking through the moving cars and
making way over piled snow. Students should be arriving between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m.
Winter weather conditions lead to many students arriving after 8:45 a.m., receiving
late slips, and disrupting classroom procedures and morning exercises. Due to the winter weather conditions and the sheer volume of cars using the Kiss and Ride, please consider arriving between 8:30
and 8:35 if possible. By working together, we can ensure the safety and timely arrival of our students. Please contact the school if you can volunteer 15 minutes before or after school to assist in supervising Kiss n Ride
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) 5429203 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.
Student Monitors
We are presently looking for parents who may be interested in taking on the role of Stu-
dent 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.
Concussions
Appropriate Dress - Cold Weather
A concussions is a type of traumatic brain injury. Concussions are caused by a bump or blow
to the head. Even what seems to be a mild
bump or blow to the head can be serious. You
can’t see a concussion. Signs and symptoms of
a concussion can show up right after a head injury or may
not appear or be noticed until days or weeks after the injury. If your child reports any symptoms of concussion,
or if you notice the symptoms yourself, seek medical attention right away. If your child has suffered a concussion please let the office know before sending them to
school. Students who sustain a head injury at school will
be given an information pamphlet to take home.
The days are getting colder and it appears that winter has arrived. 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.
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 out of doors. 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, the doors by the kindergarten yard will be open for students to enter the
school.
Extra Clothes for the Winter Season
Often during the winter season we have students, for various of reasons, coming to the office with wet
clothes from playing outside during recess. We recommend, for the younger students, that you place an extra
pair of pants, a shirt and socks in their back packs. This would help to avoid bothering parents at work when
these situations occur. It is also recommended that students bring appropriate snow gear to school during
these winter months (snowsuits, boots, hats, gloves, mitts).
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow…
When the cold months arrive and snow and ice on the ground is plentiful, we all like to
play in it and with it. Throwing snowballs and sliding on the ice is fun. However, as
much fun as it is, snow and ice, can be very dangerous when lots of people are in a small area. In order for
our school to be as safe as possible, the school rule must be that snow and ice stays on the ground. There will
be no snowballs, kicking snow or any other activity with snow or ice that could be harmful.
Student Illness—Staying in During Recess
Students who are ill should be kept home where they are most comfortable and can get better, sooner. 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.
Be Prepared
There may be days during the upcoming months when inclement weather presents a potential safety hazard to our students.
It is essential that parents and children discuss the procedures that they wish to follow for safe
arrival home.
For students that do not take the bus please determine:
1. The best way to walk home;
2. Who the child should walk with;
3. Where the child should go if there is no one at home;
4. How the child should seek help if wind and snow are so strong that they have trouble seeing;
5. Ensure school emergency contact information is updated and accurate
For students who do take the bus:
It is a fact that bad weather may cause delays for student pick up at bus stops. Please ensure that your child has a safe place
to go if the bus is late or does not arrive. If you notice that a student is stranded at a bus stop, please attempt to contact the
child’s parent. It is NOT recommended that parents volunteer to drive another child to school without the permission of the
child’s parent. If you decide to transport your child to school because buses have been cancelled, please ensure that you
have made arrangements for their return home at
the end of the school
Lates
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.
School begins promptly at 8:45 A.M. Students and parents are
reminded that each student has the responsibility to be on time.
Arriving late disturbs the students in the class,
interferes with the program of instruction, and
centers attention on the latecomer. Please help us
teach the value of being on time, as the number
of late students continues to be a concern.
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.
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 byproducts 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 BYPRODUCTS 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.
Lost and Found
Moving?
If you are planning
to move out of the St. Bernard
of Clairvaux school area or
change address within our
boundaries, please let the office
know as soon as possible. Please keep us informed
of any address, phone number or medical changes
for your children. It is of the utmost importance that
our records be up to date. If your child should get
sick or hurt, we must have accurate contact information
United Way/Share Life
Our staff has contributed to United
Way/ShareLife Campaign. The funds
will allow staff to dress down on Fridays. We are very pleased to be participating in
such a worthy
cause.
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 it 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.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux is on TWITTER
Follow us @StBernardDPCDSB.
You can also follow us on Twitter at @DPCDSBSchools
“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, 'It will be happier.'“
Alfred Lord Tennyson
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION FOR 2016-2017
Registration for Full-Day Kindergarten for the 2016-2017 school year, will take place at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Elementary School on the following days:
Monday, January 25, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Friday, January 29, 2016
* Snow Date:
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.*
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
For more information about registration and the Full-Day Kindergarten program, call St. Bernard of Clairvaux or visit www.dpcdsb.org.
DUFFERIN-PEEL HOSTS KINDERGARTEN ENTRY PLANNING INFORMATION SESSION FOR
PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
On Tuesday January 12, 2016 the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s Special Education and Support Services Department will host a Kindergarten entry planning information session. This meeting is for parents and guardians of children with special needs which affect their learning, such as vision, hearing, speech,
autism, physical/medical and/or developmental delays in cognitive and/or motor areas who are entering Kindergarten in September 2016. The meeting will be held at the Catholic Education Centre from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30
p.m. For more information about this session, call 905-890-0708 ext. 24011.
WHAT: Parent Evening to Support the Transition of Students with Differing Abilities into
Kindergarten
WHEN: Tuesday January 12, 2016
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
* Snow Date: January 13, 2016
WHERE: Catholic Education Centre – Room
301 (Third Floor) 40 Matheson
Boulevard West, Mississauga
(Hurontario & Matheson)
For more information, parents/guardians should contact their local Catholic school, visit the board website at
www.dpcdsb.org, or call the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board at 905-890-1221.
EXTENDED FRENCH INFORMATION MEETING
Grade 4 parent(s)/guardian(s), who wish to enroll their child in a Grade 5 Extended French class for September, 2016 are invited to attend an information meeting on Thursday January 14, 2016 at 7:00 a.m. at St.
Therese of the Child Jesus located at 6930 Forest Park Drive. At the present time, the above mentioned
school is the designated center for our area. Applications will be accepted at that center until 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 16th, 2016.
Sports, Intramurals, and Extra Curriculars, Alive and Well: GO BEARS!!!
Junior Boys and Girls Basketball
Our junior boys basketball team will soon be preparing and working hard for their upcoming
season. Mr. Dietz and Mr. Pullara will be working with the boys. Mrs. Putzu and Mrs. Medeiros will be working with our junior girls basketball team this season. Tryouts and practices will take in place in January in preparation for the season in February. We are looking forward to cheering the teams on and we wish them
the best of luck as they represent our school proudly. GO BEARS!!
Extra Curricular Life at St. Bernard of Clairvaux
There are always 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. The primary choir shared their gift of song at our Advent Mass in December. The junior/
intermediate choir entertained us with Christmas Carols over the PA in the last week of school in
December. Students have also had the opportunity to participate in a dance club, guitar club, a
craft club and a robotics club. A primary and junior games club will begin this month. Students
will have the opportunity to come together and play a variety of board games. What a great way to practice social skills,
learn new things and have fun. Chess for primary, junior and intermediate students will also begin this month.
Spotlight on Robotics
The members of the Robotics Club have been working together this term to develop their knowledge and ability to
program, build and use robotic models in varied design and problem solving challenges. This year the club has
approximately 25 students participating from grades 5 to 8. The teachers leading and supporting the club’s teams are
Mrs. Tomas Zahhar, Mrs. Boles, Mr. Caetano, and Mr. Manne. We will be fielding a Junior and an Intermediate team
to represent St. Bernard of Clairvaux at the Dufferin-Peel Skills Competition this spring.
Eco-School Update
A message from your Green Team
Canada, is one of the highest energy consuming nations in the world. And although we
derive nearly 60% of our electricity from hydroelectric (water-powered) sources, much of the energy consumption in Canada involves burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). Keeping the
natural environment healthy for future generations depends on everyone’s participation. Climate change
is one of the negative impact to a healthy environment, and schools have a vital role to play in helping
students and staff understand
what they can do about it.
Why wait until Earth Hour in March? To conserve energy, the staff and students of St. Bernard of Clairvaux have been participating in
Earth Hour every lunch hour. All classroom
lights are reduced, and blinds are up for natural
classroom lighting!
Thank you for your cooperation in helping St.
Bernard of Clairvaux continue to be an ecofriendly school, GOLD standard!
St Bernard of Clairvaux
School
Catholic School Council
New beginnings, fresh starts, reaffirmations of love and promises for a brighter
Principal: B. Pullar a
future all come to mind. Happy New Year to our wonderful school community as
Vice-Principal:
we begin 2016.
N. Podobnik
Secretaries: P. Keenan,
J. Iruthayarajah, A. Didio Pizza Day and Subway Day:
-Coletta
Parish Corner
Session 2 orders for both Pizza and Subway will be commencing February 2016. Order
forms are due to be sent home on/or around January 15th. The first scheduled session for
subway delivery is February 16th and for pizza will be February 17th. We would like to
express our thanks to all the volunteers who have helped with the distribution of pizza
and subs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Your contribution is very much appreciated. We
would love more volunteers. If you can devote a small portion of your time to help,
simply contact the school to let us know. Just a reminder that a current Criminal Reference Check is required.
St. Josephine Bakhita
Parish: Temporarily
located at St. Joan of Arc
S. School
3801 Thomas St.
Pastor– Father Mark
Villaneuva
Parish Family Christmas Initiative:
289-997-2105
Trustee
E. O’Toole
905-812-5163
Dufferin-Peel CDSB
Personnel
Director of Education:
J. Kostoff
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:
Rashida Hercules
905-647-267-2400
We are so blessed to have such a generous school community. Together, we raised $2500.00. We were able to
share these funds with eight families in need through
the donation of President's Choice and Wal-Mart gift
cards.
A heartfelt “ thank you” to all who donated.
Next Council Meeting:
Our next council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday January
13, 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
We would like to acknowledge our appreciation for all the
members of the Catholic School Council who have worked so
hard at providing valuable and positive enhancements that assist
in the education of the students – the students are the true benefactors of all your
great time and efforts. Thank you!
Mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.
Give a soft answer.
Share a treasure.
Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.
Keep a promise.
Find the time.
Forgo a grudge.
Forgive an enemy.
Apologize if you are wrong.
Try to understand.
Appreciate.
Be gentle.
Laugh a little.
Laugh a little more.
Examine your demands on others.
Express your gratitude.
Gladden the heart of a child.
Have faith.
Take pleasure in the beauty of the earth.
Remember to be kind to one another.
Speak your love.
Speak God’s LOVE!
Wishing you peace and happiness in 2016