December Newsletter
St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic
Elementary School
430 Van Kirk Drive Brampton, ON L7A 0J2
Ph.: 905-846-0078 Fax: 905-846-9044
Board web site: www.dpcdsb.org
School web site: www.dpcdsb.org/bakhi
Principal
S. Boulanger
Vice-Principal
G. Johnstone
Head Secretary
M.Misasi
Assistant Secretaries
M. Jaques
C. Ruggiero
Superintendent
S.Steer
905–890–1221
Trustee
D. D’Souza
905–890-1221
Message from the Principal
With the upcoming hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, the house to decorate and
presents to wrap, it is important, as Catholics, to remember that Advent has already begun. It
is a difficult season to celebrate because of the commercialism of the secular world in which
we live. At this time, we keep in mind people who are less fortunate. St. Josephine Bakhita
School Community will be participating in various charitable activities during the Christmas
season where students are given opportunities to love in the light of Christ. According to the
General Norms for the Liturgical Year, Advent has a twofold nature: It prepares us for
Christmas, when we recall Christ’s first coming among us, and it is also a time when we look
forward to His second coming at the end of the ages. Advent is the season of joyful
expectation. Our challenge, as Catholics, is to help our children to look beyond the materialism
of Christmas and focus on the spiritual preparation.
As a school community, we will be exploring many avenues during Advent amidst the frantic
energy of preparing for December 25. For example, we will be lighting the candles on our
Advent wreath, and praying and reflecting on the readings of Advent during our morning
prayers, just to name a few. How wonderful it is that as Christians, we do not liturgically
celebrate Christmas until December 25 and after, giving us the opportunity to focus our
attention on the true meaning of the season!
Parish
St. Leonard’s Parish
187 Conestoga Drive
Brampton
Ontario, Canada
L6Z 3X8
(905) 846 – 5385
In closing, on behalf of all of the staff here at St. Josephine Bakhita School, I would like to wish
all families in our community a blessed Advent full of hope, a Merry Christmas full of peace
and love and a happy and healthy New Year!
Steeve Boulanger
Principal
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Virtue of the Month- HOPE
A person of Hope;
Keeps up a positive attitude
Can bounce back from tough
situations
 Set and stick to their goals
 See the good in others even
when they make mistakes
 Work to include others
 Let others know that they are good people.
In December we celebrate the virtue of hope. God has given us this
Advent season to focus our minds and our hearts on the good all around
us, and remind us of Jesus’ birth and the hope His life represents.


Together in Faith
Advent Mass
St. Josephine Bakhita will be
celebrating our Advent Mass
on December 10th at 1:30 in
the gym. All Parents are
welcome to join us in our
celebration.
As the Ontario school system developed during the nineteenth century,
Catholics made significant gains in establishing the right to operate publically
funded Catholic schools. Leading Catholic clergy and laypeople spoke up for
Catholic interests and helped shape legislation. They persisted in their efforts
to develop the foundations of an education system that would allow Catholics
to teach the curriculum through a faith lens, incorporating the life and
teachings of Jesus Christ throughout. By the end of the century Catholics had
the right to establish separate elementary schools and the funding to operate
them and were still seeking equity with the public school system.
Taken from Our Story. Our Tradition, Our Journey.
School Procedures
Allergy Awareness
There are a number of students at St. Josephine Bakhita School that have a
severe life threatening allergy to nuts. It is therefore
imperative that families refrain from sending to school
any foods that contains nut products, eg. Peanut
butter, Nutella, snacks with nuts or any product that
has “may contain traces of nuts” on the label.
Due to the severity of allergies within our school, we
ask that parents not send in any baked goods to share
with classmates, not even during special occasions such as birthdays or
Hallowe’en. Non-food items are encouraged, such as stickers, pencils, etc. We
will not be permitting any food items to be brought into a classroom to share.
Celebrating Advent
The season of Advent begins with
the fourth Sunday before
Christmas. “Advent” is a Latin
word meaning “the coming”. Our
faith reminds us that the weeks
before Christmas are a season of
waiting, and not yet Christmastime
as the stores and advertisements
would like us to believe. Advent is
a time to celebrate light in the
midst of darkness, as symbolized
best by the Advent Wreath.
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Winter Weather
During the winter season, many parents are concerned about school policy on
outdoor recess. It is generally accepted that when the wind chill factor drops
below –25 oC, students should not go outside for recess. Dufferin-Peel C.D.S.B.
policy uses a wind chill of –20 oC as the determining temperature for modified
recesses. At St. Josephine Bakhita, students will remain inside when the wind
chill is reported at –25 oC or lower and we will modify the duration of lunch
recess when the temperature reaches –20 oC. As always, ensure your child is
prepared for the extremes of Canadian weather.
Inclement Weather and Transportation
With the winter season fast approaching, we would like to remind you of bus
cancellation procedures. Occasionally, because of inclement weather or other
emergency situations, buses may have to be cancelled. Information regarding
bus cancellation and other emergency information announcements can be
obtained by listening to the following radio stations or by visiting www.STOPR
or the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board website: www.dpcdsb.org
AM
640AM
NEWS
680 AM
CHUM
104.5 FM
Q107
107.1 FM
CHFI
98.1 FM
SRC
90.3 FM
CHIN
100.7 FM
CBC
740 AM
CISS
92.5 FM
CKDX
88.5 FM
Make sure the announcement is for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board, paying special attention to cancellations in the region of Peel. If
transportation is cancelled, the schools will remain open. If buses are cancelled
and parents or guardians choose to bring their child to school, it is also their
responsibility to pick them up at the end of the day. Under extraordinary
circumstances an announcement may be made which indicates that all
Dufferin-Peel Catholic schools are closed.
Missed Work
We receive many requests for work when
students are absent due to illness or
commitments outside of school. You may
call the school 24 hours a day to leave a
message about absences.
If your child’s absence is only for a period
of one day we recommend that he or she
collects the missed work on the day of
return. Please note, regular attendance is
essential for success in school. Some
school activities, such as working in
groups, are rendered ineffective by the
absence of one or more group members.
Your child’s learning can also be severely
disrupted if they miss crucial learning
points due to absence.
Teachers are not expected to provide
detailed homework assignments to
students who are away for extended
periods of time as a result family initiated
absences, although a general overview
may be provided. For absences due to
extended illness, parents should contact
the school administration to discuss
available options.
If your child(ren) is/are going to be away
for an extended period of time, a note to
the Main Office to the attention of the
Principal.
Student Supervision
Student Supervision begins at 9:00 a.m.,
including on rainy days/ inclement
weather. Please do not drop off students
or have students arrive at school before
9:00 am.
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Communication
Open communication between home and school is very important. Although we
will be reporting to you formally during the year, please do not hesitate to
contact us at any time if you have questions or concerns. A phone call at the
onset of a concern usually resolves itself before it becomes a problem. On our
part, if we have any concerns about your child, we will also contact you at the
earliest opportunity. Please use your child’s agenda to maintain communication
with the teacher. If you wish to meet with a teacher please phone the school for
an appointment. Thank you!
Lunch Policy
Please be reminded that the lunch hour is from 12:16 p.m. – 1:16 p.m.
Where children stay for lunch, they will eat with their classmates and
Students eat lunch daily from 12:16 p.m. until 1:16 p.m.
Students in Grades 1 through 4 will eat lunch from 12:16 pm until
12:36 pm. Students in Grades 5 to 8 will eat lunch from 12:56 pm
until 1:16 pm. If you are delivering your child’s lunch to school, please
do so between 12:00 p.m. and 12:15 p.m. When lunches are delivered
late, it reduces the amount of time that students have to eat. Please also
write your child’s name on his/her lunch bag and place it on the table by
front entrance. Thank you for your support.
Cold and Flu Season
Please use discretion in keeping
your child home to recover if they
are ill. A child who is coughing,
wheezing, vomiting or with fever is
not in a state to learn and risks
infecting others. As well, if your
child is well enough to attend
school, they should be well
enough to go outside at recess in
supervised areas. Please be sure
to continue to encourage your
children to wash their hands
frequently. Good hygiene is the
best preventative measure. Also
use a tissue when coughing or
sneezing, or your sleeve if without
a tissue. Refrain from sharing
pencils, erasers, scissors and
snacks. If your child is absent,
please let the school know by
calling 905-846-0078, and press 1
for the 24 hour access in calling
your child’s absence.
Hep B/ HPV Vaccine
New date : December 14, 2015
Gr 7 ‘s – Hepatitis B and
Meningococcal vaccine
Gr 8 girls – HPV vaccine
Parents please return the vaccine
consent forms to your child’s
teacher as soon as possible.
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Community Corner
Candy Drive for Dr. Simone
The Dr. Simone’s Canadian Food for Children in Mississauga candy collection was
a huge success! Hard candy is collected and sent to countries where children are
suffering from severe malnutrition. The candy is consumed to start their bodies
to accept solid food. We would like to take this time to thank you for all of your
wonderful donations.
Hat and Mitten Tree
During the month of December we will be collecting new hats and mittens to
decorate a Tree. As well we will be collecting new and gently used Winter Coats
for the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Families may bring in donations from
November 26- December 11th.
FDK Christmas Extravaganza
This year the FDK classes will be celebrating the Christmas Season with families in
their own classrooms on December 16, 2015 in the am. You will be able to join
your child in singing of Christmas Carols and making of Christmas Crafts. Please
speak to FDK teachers for more information.
Christmas Sing-a-Long Concert
Safe and Appropriate
Play in the Winter
Months
When the snow falls it is easy to
get caught up in the excitement of
winter, but it is often hard to
remember safe activity over the
temptation of snow throwing or
unsafe or unfair play. Some of our
safe and considerate play
expectations include not throwing
snow balls, showing respect for
other people’s snow forts, and
staying off of the snow hills. If
everyone follows these simple
rules than everyone can play safe
during our winter months.
All parents are invited to join the grade 1, 3, 4/5, 5, 7 and 8 students in a
Christmas Sing-a-long Concert on December 16, 2015 from 1:30-3:30pm.
Please inform your classroom teacher if you plan to attend, more information
to follow.
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Clubs, Teams and Sports News
Intermediate Boys and Girls Volleyball Teams
Congratulations to the Intermediate boys and girls volleyball teams who
competed at their tournaments on November 24th for the girls and November
27th for the boys. The students represented St. Josephine Bakhita well,
demonstrating great resilience and sportsmanship. The girls team was made up
of: Tabitha O., Renae E., Mika W., Ashleigh B., Allison G., Taeja M., Calene W.,
Amaria., Nana V., Mia A. The boys team was made up of: Khaleb CG., Jahim K.,
Jordan R., Justin M., Owen D., Jake B., Blessing O., David O.s M., and Edward O.
EcoTeam News
The Eco team has been hard at work preparing for some very exciting and new
initiatives this year to help us achieve our goal of Silver. Our Waste-Free Lunch
week was a great success! We were able to reduce your waste by 50%!!! Way to
go everyone!!!
Stay tuned for more exciting initiatives!
Parent Evening to Support the Transition of Children
with Differing Abilities into Kindergarten 2016
There will be an information session for parent(s)/guardian(s) of children
with differing abilities including vision, hearing, autism, physical/medical
and/or developmental delays, who are transitioning to Kindergarten in
September 2016. The information session will be held at the DufferinPeel Catholic District School Board -- Catholic Education Centre, Room
301 on Tuesday, January 12, 2016, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Snow
date, Wednesday, January 13, 2016, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) are also reminded to register their child at their
school. Official registration dates are Monday, January 25 th from 7:00
p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The snow date for the evening registration is
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Additional
registration dates are January 27th, 28th and 29th, 2016 from 9:00 a.m.
to 3:00 p.m.
Catholic School
Council
Co-Chairs:
Crystal Gonzales
Lori Toon
Treasurer
Anna Rosa Risi
Secretary
David Corbett
OAPCE
Samantha Francis
Parents at Large:
Joyce DeSousa, Janet Amiel,
Erica Belloumini, Tanoon
Fraser
Staff Representative Ms. Hanna
Non-Teaching Rep. Ms. Bonifero
Next Catholic School Council
meeting is on January 13, 2016 @
6:30pm.
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Parent Corner
The holidays are coming quickly! We hope that everyone has a safe and happy Christmas holiday.
Thank you to everyone who participated in our PhotoWorks family photo sessions! The photographers were great and
we have heard a lot of positive feedback from parents very happy with the pictures taken.
We have already started plans for a few activities for the new year:
Parent Prayers: We started the Parent Prayer program November 10th. Every other week a parent from the Bakhita
community says a prayer for our school over morning announcements. If you are interested in volunteering for this
program in the new year please let us know at bakhitacouncil2011@gmail.com!
Book/Game drive: Our classrooms are in need of items for inclement weather recesses so we will be doing a book and
game drive after the holidays. If you are clearing out gently used books and/or games that your children have outgrown
to make room for the new Christmas gifts, please consider donating to our drive. See the letter posted with this
December newsletter for details.
Dance-a-thon: School council has voted to run a Dance-a-thon as the main fundraiser this school year. Watch for more
information in the new year.
Lunch Box Orders program: As you may have noticed, we have stopped the current Lunch Pails program on Thursdays.
We will be offering a new program in January on Mondays and Thursdays. The new Lunch Box Orders program will
allow parents to order kids lunches from Swiss Chalet and Boston Pizza. Information will be sent out soon with
instructions on how to access the program since orders and payments for this program will be submitted online.
The next school council meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at the school. Everyone is
welcome.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Dear Parents,
With the cold weather upon us, the parent Council will be holding a BOARD GAME/BOOK DRIVE in order to provide our
students with activities to participate in during indoor recess. The games and books will be directed to the age appropriate
classrooms in order to ensure that the students can occupy their time in a fun and enjoyable way.
If you would like to donate, please make sure board games/dominoes have all their pieces (instructions if possible) and are
good condition and decks of playing cards have all 52 cards.
Starting January 4th, please send your items to school with your child, or feel free to drop the items to the front foyer of the
school. Thank you for your continued support.
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December 9
December 10
December 14
December 16
December 16
December 18
December 20-January 3
January 4
January 12
January 13
January 25
January 27-29
Girls Night In
Advent Mass @ 1:30 pm in the Gym
Hep B/ HPV
FDK Christmas Extravaganza in am
Christmas Sing-a-Long Concert am/pm
Last Day before Break
Christmas Break
First Day Back
Parent Evening to Support the Transition of Children
with Differing Abilities into Kindergarten 2016
First Reconciliation @ 10am for Gr. 2 students
FDK Registration 7-9pm
FDK Registration 9am-3pm
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