ST. URSULA SCHOOL
January/February 2014 Newsletter
“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
Acting Principal
M.Miller
Vice-Principal
G. Galati
Head Secretary
C. Tavares
Assistant Secretary
e
S. Steer
Superintendent
905-890-1221
L. Zanella
Trustee
905-840-2707
St. Anne Parish
905-453-1303
Pastor
Fr. J. Cherickal
Prayer for a New Year
Dear God, in this New Year, we pray:
To love deeply, with purpose,
To live freely, with detachment,
To love wisely, with humility;
To live justly, with compassion,
To love lovingly, with fidelity,
To live mindfully, with awareness,
To love gratefully, with generosity,
To live fully, with enthusiasm.
Help us to hold this vision and to daily renew it in our hearts.
HEADLINES
Thank you to everyone for all of your prayers for Ms. Bryce and her family during this
time.
As we look back on the past year, we remember each experience for the good that has
come of it and the knowledge we have gained, and take those memories into the year
ahead. A new year brings with it many new beginnings – we look forward to it with
hope, love and peace!
As we begin again, we’re quickly falling back into the daily routines of waking up
early, curriculum studies, packed lunches and homework. We are fortunate at St. Ursula
School to have staff so willing to give of their time to extracurricular activities, and as a
result, your children are the beneficiaries of a very active school, certainly making it a
great place to return to. Please remember the positive factors that enhance student
learning – plenty of sleep, healthy eating, daily physical activity, regular completion of
homework, punctuality in arriving at school, nightly reading, and open communication to
maintain a close partnership in your child’s success.
We are looking forward to a wonderful winter and spring season at St. Ursula School
with many wonderful new activities and initiatives planned. From our Eco Team, to our
Ursalites, to our Sports Teams and Dance Team, this School is continuing to prove to be a
very busy place and the children love to get involved with all of the various activities. As
Administrators we wish you all a very Happy New Year and we are excited for the more
wonderful things to come.
K. DaCosta, M. Miller
SCHOOL OPERATIONS
Winter Weather/Recess
During the winter months students will
be expected to go outside during recess
breaks. Students must come to school prepared for
varying weather conditions. Board Policy states that if
the temperature is –25 degrees Celsius or lower with
the wind chill factor, students will remain indoors.
Therefore, it is very important that your children have
appropriate clothing such as boots, a hat, scarf, warm
gloves etc.
With the winter weather comes snow and ice. While
throwing snowballs can be an enjoyable activity, they
can also be extremely dangerous. In order to keep our
school safe, we must enforce the school rule that snow
stays on the ground. Students are constantly reminded
that there is no snowball throwing, kicking of snow or
any other activity with snow/ice that could be harmful.
All students will be expected to go outside during
recess breaks, unless a medical certificate indicates
otherwise.
Student Punctuality
It is an expectation that all students arrive on time and
be prepared for class. Late arrival is a disruption to the
class and your child is missing valuable instruction
time. Please encourage your child (ren) in developing
this important life skill. Arriving at school on time will
allow them to be present to join their class for entry.
Personal Electronic Devices/Cell Phones
School Board policy bans the use of personal
electronic devices on school premises or
school sanctioned activities. Electronic devices should
not be brought to school as they are costly and the
school cannot take responsibility for lost or stolen
items. If you feel your child must have a cell phone for
use after school, it must be turned off and remain out of
sight at all times during school hours.
No Child Without
Our school is involved in the Canadian Medic Alert
Foundation’s No Child Without program. There is
no cost for students who attend our school and are
between the ages of four and fourteen to join Medic
Alert. If your child has a medical condition, allergy, or
is required to take medication on a regular basis, you
can qualify. A child’s Medic Alert identification can
alert staff, friends etc. about your child’s medical
condition should an emergency occur. To register your
child, obtain a brochure from the school office.
Office Information
Please remember to inform the office if you change
your home, work or emergency contact numbers. If
you are moving, please notify the office of the change
of address. It is imperative that we have accurate
information in the event we must contact you.
P.A. Day & Family Day Reminder
Monday January 20th is scheduled as a
Professional Activity Day, dedicated to Assessment,
Evaluation and Reporting.
Monday February 17th is Family Day.
There will be no classes for students on these days.
FAITH DEVELOPMENT
Virtue of Self-Control, Respect
The month of January will focus on the
virtue of Self-Control. God has given us the ability to
choose how we react to what happens around us. Selfcontrol helps us to resist the temptation to do something that we will regret or that will harm ourselves or
others. Self-control is one of the marks of a spiritually
mature person. With self-control, one demonstrates
patience, knowing how to wait one's turn and avoiding
aggression. We work to calm ourselves down and think
before reacting to a situation, being able to think things
through and do what is best for everyone.
The month of February will focus in the virtue of
Respect.
Christmas Social Outreach
We extend a special thank you to staff, families and
School Council for generously donating gifts and gift
cards to helping families at Christmas. With your
generosity and the generosity from School Council, we
were able to help several families within the Parish
community. Families were very appreciative of the
caring community of St. Ursula School.
Reconciliation Day
On February 18th, priests from St. Annes and
surrounding parishes will be here to do reconciliations
with the Staff and Students of St. Ursula School.This
will start at 9:30 a.m. Please mark this date on your
calendar.
PROGRAM & CURRICULUM
Full-Day Kindergarten Registration for 2014-2015
Registration for Full-Day Kindergarten will take place
at St. Ursula on the following days:
Monday January 27th 7:00-9:00 p.m.
In the event of a storm, the snow date for registration
will take place on Tuesday January 28th in the evening.
Wednesday January 29th
9:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Thursday January 30th
9:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Friday January 31st
9:00 - 3:00 p.m.
To register your child, please bring the following:
• proof of child’s birth and age
• original Catholic baptismal certificate for
child/parent
• immunization records for your child
• Landed immigrant papers if not a Canadian citizen
• proof of home address
• proof of English Separate School Support (may be
done at time of registration)
Registering a Child with Special Needs?
There will be an information session for parents of
children with special needs such as vision, hearing,
physical, developmental or autism, who are entering
into JK or SK in September 2014. The information
session will be held at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board – Catholic Education Centre (40
Matheson Blvd. West) on January 22, 2014 from 7:008:30 p.m. in Room 301. Parents are reminded to
register their child here at the school in order to plan
for a successful entry into school.
Dufferin Peel’s Catholic Global Learning Centre
On January 21, from 6:30 p.m. -8:00 p.m., the St.
James Catholic Global Learning Centre( 98 Wanita
Road, Mississauga )will host an open house for
parents and students who want to learn more about the
regional elementary school and its diverse and
specialized learning opportunities. The open house will
include an overview of the School’s Catholic Learning
Plan, school tour and a variety of interactive activities.
Modelled after an internationally recognized
program, the St. James Catholic Global Learning
Centre teaches the Ontario Curriculum via an
integrated, inquiry –based approach with a global
focus, aligned with the Ontario Catholic School
Graduate Expectations.
Student Agendas
Please check your child’s agenda daily, as this is a very
effective tool for communication and tracking of work.
This helps students to develop skills in organization, time
management and goal setting, helping them
strive to meet with more success.
Report Cards
With the Ministry of Education changes in reporting,
Term 1 reports will be sent home on February 4th. As
this is the first formal report card of the year, staff will be
scheduling parent/teacher/student interviews for all
students in their class on Feb 6th. Please watch for the
letter coming home soon regarding the scheduling of the
interviews. We ask that you return the forms promptly in
order that we can make every effort to arrange interviews
that are at common times for your children. Every effort
will be made to accommodate your requests, recognizing
that each teacher is scheduling interviews for all students.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Footwear
Students are reminded that during the
winter season, students are expected to change into a pair
of indoor shoes, helping to keep the floors clean, dry and
safer for everyone. Please remember that students must
wear shoes at all times while inside the building in the
event of an emergency evacuation.
Hand Washing is Important
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 reinforce
the proper techniques with your children.
Follow these four simple rules:
• Wet your hands with warm running water
• Add soap and rub your hands together, making a soapy
lather. Do this away from the running water for at least
15 seconds. Wash the front and back of your hands,
between your fingers and under your nails.
• Rinse your hands well under warm running water. Let
the water run back down into the sink, not down the
elbows. Turn the water off with a paper towel and
place it in the garbage.
• Dry your hands thoroughly with a clean towel.
Using good hand washing techniques helps to reduce the
spread of infectious diseases. In the event your child
does get sick, please use discretion in keeping them at
home to recover and reduce the potential for them to
spread the infection/illness to others.
AROUND THE HALLS
St. Ursula School Choir
Achieving joy through music has been
witnessed so many times throughout the Christmas
season. The choir performed at Cassie Campbell for
the “winter lights” event, and at our primary Christmas
Concert. The choir directors and students rehearse
every week, resulting in beautiful voices. It is a gift to
share music with others, and this was so evident by the
appreciative audiences at their presentations. A special
thank you is extended to: Mrs. Workman, Mrs. Lewis,
and Miss Palmer.
Eco Schools Royal Tree Huggers
At the end of November the student Eco team along
with their teacher leads, Mrs. Smyth, Mrs. Baker and
Mrs. Baptista presented an interactive Read Aloud to
the rest of the students in the school, following with a
fabulous DVD highlighting how various staff members
in the School do their part to help maintain an Ecofriendly environment. It was a very interesting and
informative assembly as well as the children got to
display their acting abilities. The Eco Team is now
working on planning and Implementing “Spring
Planting” and upkeep of our Peace Garden .We are
looking for any volunteers in the community to help us
with this initiative. We are looking for volunteers to
donate their time and materials if possible. Please
contact one of the teachers above if you can help us out

Brampton Northwest Connects celebrates the Sochi
TRAFFIC SAFETY
With the winter weather, it is important
to emphasize that extreme caution must
be taken when driving through the school
parking lot and the Kiss and Ride area.
Therefore, we remind you of the following:
√
Drive slowly at all times in the driveway!
√
Don’t leave your car unattended in the Kiss &
Ride! If you would like to exit your car and walk
or stand by the fence, please park your car in a
parking spot.
√
Please do not let students out of the car in the
drive-thru lane. This poses a serious safety hazard.
√
Only let students open doors by the curb, and not
into the drive-thru lane, as cars are driving by and
potentially creating a possible accident.
Please keep in mind the safety of everyone!!
COUNCIL’S CORNER
“Big Box Fundraiser Cards”
On Wednesday April 2nd School Council will be
kicking off their 2nd Fundraiser for the year, “Big Box
Fundraiser Birthday Cards”. Each Family will receive
one sample box to show to potential buyers, friends,
family members, co-workers etc. They are beautiful
cards. More information about this fundraiser will be
coming out shortly. Stay tuned 
Olympics 2014
Upcoming Talent Show
On Friday Feb 7th students from Brampton West
Elementary Schools are invited to participate in this
event. Ten students from St. Ursula will be
participating in relays and various events at Cassie
Campbell to celebrate the Sochi Olympics of 2014.
This event takes place between 10:00-2:30 and all
students will receive a t-shirt and a medal to
commemorate this special event
Remember to set aside the evening of May 1st for our
PRO Grant (Parents Reaching Out) event, celebrating
our talents of our community. We are in the process of
planning out the process and format for our “Talent
Show” and will be discussing this at our next Council
Meeting February 12th.
Physical Activity After-School Program
In connection with Brampton Northwest Connects and
the City of Brampton Recreation Department, an afterschool Physical Activity program on Mondays is
offered for students in grades 1 – 4 for a nominal fee.
This is a wonderful way to build in exercise.
Next School Council Meeting
Please join us on Wednesday February 12th
at 7:00 p.m. in the school library for our next Council
meeting! Come out and learn about what is happening
at St. Ursula School.
Receive Newsletters via Email
Let us know your email address and you can receive
newsletters via email. You can receive information
punctually and be ECO Friendly at the same time.