ST. URSULA SCHOOL
February/March Newsletter 2015
“Where Wisdom Begins In Faith and Wonder”
The mission of St. Ursula school community is to ensure that home, Church and school are collaborative partners in
the building of an environment that reflects Catholic faith and values by celebrating each person as a member
of the Body of Christ and by challenging all to achieve excellence spiritually, socially and academically.
St. Ursula
11 Dwellers Road
Brampton, Ontario
L6X 5C1
Telephone:
905-454-5213
Fax:
905-454-7843
K.DaCosta
Principal
M.Miller
Vice-Principal
G. Galati
Head Secretary
C. Tavares
Assistant Secretary
S.Steer
Superintendent
905-890-1221
D.D’Souza
Trustee
905-840-2707
St. Anne Parish
905-453-1303
Pastor
Fr. J. Cherickal
Prayer for Lent
Jesus Christ, Lord and Redeemer,
We who have been baptized into your death
hope to be raised to a new life in you.
Send your Holy Spirit upon us this Lent,
so that we might have the courage
to take up our cross each day,
to fulfill our duties with great love
and to hope always in your word.
May this sacred season strengthen us to live
as men and women dead to sin and alive in you.
Help us to grow in faith so that we might be
witnesses of your love to the world.
Amen.
HEADLINES
The hills of snow are very visible around the school and neighborhood, keeping us
very aware that we are in the midst of winter. With the arrival of February, we have had
the opportunity to meet once again at parent/teacher/student interviews following the
distribution of Term One Report Cards. Thank you for your active involvement in your
child’s education. Working in partnership in the best interest of your children is vital.
February is a very important month as we celebrate Black History Month and the
important individuals who have played a key role in history and society. Each day the
students are learning about Black History and the contributions and sacrifices people have
made throughout the years.
Valentine’s Day brings with it a day of wearing red, pink and white, as we participate in
Share Life Valentine’s Dance on Friday February 13th. Students are asked to bring a
Loonie for this wonderful cause.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a significant time in our liturgical year as
Catholics. During the forty days of Lent, our spiritual journey takes us through a time of
conversion; of fasting, almsgiving and prayer. This culminates in the celebration of
Easter, where we witness the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. During the season of
Lent, we encourage everyone to “give” to others, through kind words, positive actions and
generous offerings.
We also pray for our former principal Ms. Julie Bryce, and her family. Ms. Bryce was a
very kind and generous woman who gave her all to St. Ursula and the St. Ursula
community. Ms. Bryce passed away last February. She is deeply missed and will be
forever in our hearts.
K. DaCosta/M.Miller
SCHOOL OPERATIONS
FAITH DEVELOPMENT
March Break
St. Valentine
Monday, March 16th to Friday March 20th is scheduled
for the March Break this year. Schools will be closed
for the week.
Every February, gifts, kind words and good deeds are
shared between friends and loved ones, all in the name
of St. Valentine. The history of Valentine’s Day, and
its patron saint is shrouded in mystery. However, we
do know that February has long been a month of love
and friendship. One opinion is that he was a Roman
priest, martyred for refusing to give up his Christian
faith. Other historians believe Valentine was a priest
who was jailed for defiance during the reign of
Claudius, for converting people to Christianity and for
marrying couples in secret. Claudius had banned
marriage, as he believed single men made better
soldiers, but Valentine continued even when
imprisoned. St. Valentine’s dedication to Christianity,
stand as a strong model of our Catholic faith.
Kindergarten Registration
Full Day Kindergarten registration took place during
the week of January 26th. If you know of anyone who
plans on registering their child for September, please
encourage them to complete the paper work at the
school as soon as possible. If you have not yet
registered your child please contact the office
immediately 905 454-5213 and come in and fill out the
paperwork.
Supervision
We remind parents to ensure your children arrive at
school no earlier than 8:45 a.m. Students in the school
yard prior to this time are unattended, until staff
supervision begins at 8:45 a.m.
Valuables
Students are requested not to bring valuables, items of
importance or money to school. The school cannot
accept responsibility for these valuables. We thank you
for your assistance in ensuring that these items are
being left at home. Personal items should always be
labeled, including shoes, coats etc. in the event they are
misplaced.
Virtue of Respect
As brothers and sisters, we share one
Holy Spirit; we are valuable to God. We all deserve to
be shown courtesy, consideration, sensitivity and
thoughtfulness; all different ways of saying “Respect”.
A respectful person: treats themselves and everyone
else with equal consideration and courtesy, and uses a
positive tone of voice and body language, avoids
gossip, put-downs, name-calling and inappropriate
gestures. Our students are being encouraged to
demonstrate respect for themselves, and in return, to be
treated with respect by everyone they meet.
Virtue of Kindness
School Hours
We remind parents and students that St. Ursula Start
Time is 9:00 a.m. Supervision in the yard begins at
8:45. This is an ideal time to arrive at School. We
encourage students coming before 9:00 so they won’t
be late to class and miss what is being taught. School
ends at 3:30 promptly. Please ensure students are
picked up and met at this time or shortly thereafter.
Are You Ticked?
Please check your property tax bill to ensure
your support is directed to your local Catholic school
board, in our case, the Dufferin-Peel C.D.S.B. You can
verify your support by contacting our Admissions
Department at (905) 890- 0708, ext. 24511 or 24512,
or your local municipal office. By ensuring that you are
a Catholic school supporter, you give a powerful
message to the government about the level of support
for publicly-funded Catholic education in Ontario.
In March we celebrate the virtue of “Kindness”. God
has given us the gifts of friends and companions to
keep us company and to help us along the way. Every
person in our lives carries the Spirit of God – and so
every person is our brother or sister through Jesus
Christ. As brothers and sisters who share one Holy
Spirit, we are all valuable to God. We all deserve to be
shown concern for our welfare and our feelings. We
have all been given the fruit of the Spirit called
kindness. Kindness can only be seen through actions.
It’s not enough to say I will be kind or I am kind. We
are called upon to show this through actions and words.
Ash Wednesday Service and Lenten Season
Lent will begin with an Ash Wednesday service on
Feb. 18th where ashes will be distributed. All students
will be receiving ashes. During this solemn time in our
Faith we are called to make sacrifices and/or engage in
almsgiving.
PROGRAM & CURRICULUM
HEALTH & SAFETY
EQAO
Medication at School
All grade 3 and 6 students in Ontario will again be
participating in these provincial assessments scheduled
to take place from May 28th to June 5th. We ask that
parents try to avoid medical or dental appointments
during the assessment periods as much as possible.
Watch for more details coming in May.
If a child is required to bring medication to school, this
can only be permitted when requested by parents/
guardians; authorized by a physician; and when
medication must be provided during the school day.
Appropriate forms, available from the office must be
completed prior to students having medication at school.
Medication must not be kept in the child’s possession i.e.
pocket, backpack etc. or in the classroom.
Professional Development
Opportunities to engage in professional development
continue to be offered to staff to enhance teacher
knowledge, teaching strategies and curriculum
implementation. These sessions are related to the areas
of Literacy, Numeracy, Assessment, Mentoring
Teachers and the continuous consolidation of a
Catholic Culture and Caring Community. Primary,
junior and intermediate teachers have been working
closely with our special assignment teacher Angie
Camilleiri to continue to implement the 3 Part Math
Lesson, with the emphasis on the consolidation of the
lessons to make math more meaningful to all. Teachers
are also involved in Math workshops and observing the
deliverance of math lessons with other teachers within
the Brampton West family of Schools. Your children
are the direct recipients of the professional
development being offered to the staff at St. Ursula.
Importance of Indoor Shoes
As we wait for the season of spring to
arrive, we remind students and parents of the importance
of continuing to have indoor shoes at school to keep the
floors inside as dry as possible as the snow melts. It is
vital that staff and students are always prepared to exit
the building in the event of an emergency evacuation.
Allergies
Thank you to everyone for helping us respect those who
have life threatening allergies. We have many students
who are allergic to foods such as shellfish, nuts and
peanuts requiring an epi-pen, if they come in contact
with any of these food items. We thank you for
continuing to send in food without any products that
could result in a life threatening situation.
Safe School Climate Survey
BRAMPTON NORTHWEST CONNECTS
The staff at St. Ursula School are committed to
providing an environment for the students that is safe,
caring and inclusive. From the week of February 9th to
February 13th all students in the school completed a
school climate survey on line addressing their feelings
about the school and the school climate. We will be
looking at these results in the Fall of 2015.
Brampton Northwest Connects meets to discuss and
plan events in the Brampton North West
community. Administrators from the Peel and
Dufferin Peel School Board as well as City of
Brampton Cassie Campbell staff and other members
of this community meet regularly to plan events and
celebrations. Anyone is welcome to attend these
meetings!
On Line Reporting Tool
St. Ursula – Web Page
The Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board has
developed a new way to help nuture a safe, caring and
inclusive school environment. The Online Reporting
Tool is intended for students’ grades 3-8 who become
aware of bullying incidents and negative behaviors. The
students can simply “click” on the link found on the St.
Ursula web page to fill out the report. The report will
then be directly emailed to the principal and or vice
principal and will be dealt with accordingly. It is
important to recognize that the Online reporting Tool is
an alternate reporting option. It is best practice to speak
directly with a responsible adult at home and/ or in the
school.
Upcoming meetings


Wed. April 1st, 2015- St. Jean Marie Vianney
Catholic Elementary School 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Thurs. June 11th, 2015- Cassie Campbell
Community Center 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Special Events


Friday April 10th 2015- Day of Pink
Friday May 15th 2015- BN Connects Special
Visit www.bnconnects.org for more information.
AROUND THE HALLS
“100” Day
Grade 4 & 8 Girl’s Club
The Primary halls were brimming with excitement as
students display wonderful creations of projects
designed with only one hundred pieces. This is in
celebration of reaching “100” day! Many opportunities
were provided to integrate Mathematical Numeracy
throughout the day, reinforcing the learning that has
been taking place throughout the year.
The grade 4 and 8 girls clubs run by Mrs. Boyle and
Mrs. Policelli come together to discuss various relevant
issues. They are in an environment where they feel safe
making new friends while discussing these topics. The
girls come together to talk about self-esteem, selfawareness, peer pressure and media and body image
amongst many things. On February 11th both groups
worked together to make “Friendship” bracelets.
“Royals” Hockey Team
The “Royals” took to the ice on February 10th for a
tournament at Cassie Campbell. Many teams from the
Brampton West Schools participated. The boys were
eager to participate and came in 4th place .Thank you
boys for representing St. Ursula School. An exhibition
between St. Monica is scheduled for February 17th.
Thanks to Mr. Cioffi, Mr. Briganti for all your great
coaching.
Black History Month
During the month of February, St. Ursula School
recognizes and celebrates Black History Month.
Students are engaged in a variety of activities from
Literacy to Dance to Music. Ongoing announcements
highlight the valuable contributions people have made
to Canada and our world, being shared through student
research. Through the generosity of School Council,
students were able to attend a workshop on February
5th called “HOZA”. The students thoroughly enjoyed
themselves.
Jr. Basketball Tournaments
Our Junior Girls and Boys Basketball Teams are busy
practicing for their upcoming tournaments. The Junior
Boys Team will be playing on February 19th and the
Junior Girls Team will be playing on February 23rd her
are the school. Thanks to the Coaches, Mr. Atkinson
and Ms. Laughlin
Earth Week Celebrations!
Earth Week Festivities April 20th to 24th 2015
Mon. April 20th-Meatless Monday
Tues. April 21st-Trashless Tuesday
Wed. April 22nd-Waste Free Wednesday/Earth Day
Thurs. April 23rd- Thirsty Thursday
Fri. April 24th- Lights off Friday
On Thirsty Thursday students are encouraged to
bring their own Eco-friendly water bottle to school.
Congrats!!! 3 Cheers!!
Way to GO!!
Congratulations to Sean H who recently placed 2nd with
his partner in the U.S. Open Taekwondo championships
in Orlando Florida on January 25th. Well done Sean!
St. Ursula’s Got Talent
We are busy planning for our “St. Ursula’s Got Talent”
event for Grades 1-8 taking place during the daytime of
education week. (May 3rd-8th 2015) Students will be
auditioning soon and acts will be posted. We
encourage all students to come on out and show us
your talent! More information to follow. 
COUNCIL’S CORNER
School Council Meeting Dates
Please join us for our school council meetings on
Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in our Library. All
parents are welcome:
 February 11th 2015
 April 1st 2015
 May 6th 2015
 June 10th 2015
UPCOMING EVENTS
Memorial Mass for Ms. Julie Bryce
Staff and students are preparing a memorial mass for
St. Ursula’s former principal Ms. Julie Bryce, who
passed away last February. The mass will take place on
February 20th at 10:30 in the gym. All parents and
guardians are welcome.
Dates to Remember
February 16th
February 17th
February 18th
February 20th
March
March 16th-20th
April 3rd
April 5th
April 6th
Family Day- Schools closed
Shrove Tuesday
Ash Wednesday
Memorial Mass for Ms. Bryce
Lenten Mass
March Break- Schools closed
Good Friday- No School
Easter Sunday
Easter Monday- No School