HOLY SPIRIT CATHOLIC SCHOOL
MAY 2016
Principal
N. Poerba
Vice Principal
A. Cassar
Head Secretary
P. Figliomeni
Superintendent
D. Finegan-Downey
Trustee
Shawn Xaviour
St. Patrick Parish
11873 The Gore Rd
Brampton, Ontario
L6P 0B2
905-794-0486
Pastor
Father Vito
School Council
Chair
K. Dancy
Follow us on Twitter
@dpHolySpirit
25 Bloomsbury Avenue Brampton, Ontario L6P 1W9
Phone: 905-794-8039 Fax: 905-794-1285
Website: http://www.dpcdsb. org/SPRIT
PRINCIPAL AND VICE PRINCIPAL MESSAGE
We are delighted to begin the month of May with
Catholic Education Week, which is recognized
throughout Ontario during the week of May 3-8.
During this week, the Catholic community celebrates the unique and distinctive contribution that
Catholic schools make to our students, our community and our province. Catholic Education Week is
a welcome opportunity to celebrate the mission of
our Catholic schools as they strive to integrate the
Gospel values of Jesus Christ in every aspect of
the school’s life and curriculum. Please refer to
Catholic Education Information sheet for events
happening at Holy Spirit.
On Monday May 2 many of our grade seven students will be receiving the sacrament of Confirmation at St. Patrick’s Church. Families are invited to
attend our Family Drumming Clinic and Pizza night
on Wednesday May 4 at 5:30. On Friday May 6th
we will celebrate the Crowning of Mary in the gym
at 10 AM. We invite families to send flowers that
they can offer up to Mary. All are welcome to join
us for this wonderful event.
MOTHER’S DAY: SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2016
There are so many mothers to honour—
grandmothers, godmothers, adoptive mothers, stepmothers, foster mothers and friends’ mothers.
There’s Mary Mother of Jesus. Jesus made her the
mother of all baptized people. And, of course,
there’s Mother Earth. This title for our planet is one
way of saying that God has made the Earth a holy
home for all living things. In different ways, any one
or more of these mothers has earned our love.
To all mothers in our school community, from all of
us at Holy Spirit Catholic School, ‘Happy Mother’s
Day’.
A MOTHER’S LOVE
A Mother’s love is something that no
one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion, of sacrifice
and pain,
It is endless and unselfish and enduring
come what may,
For nothing can destroy it or take that love away…
It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters even though the heart is
breaking…
Ms. N. Poerba & Ms. A. Cassar
It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns, and it glows with all the beauty of the rarest,
brightest gems.
VIRTUE OF THE MONTH
This month we will celebrate the virtue of A many splendored miracle, man cannot understand and
‘acceptance’. One of the great wonders of the another wondrous evidence of God’s tender guiding
hand.
Helen Steiner
world we live in is that no two people are exactly
alike. We may share biological families, national
identify or cultural and ethnic identity but we are all MAY’S HEALTHY TIP!
very unique and distinct creations. God breaks the
Springtime is the perfect time for
mold every time, and that is a fantastic fact of life.
walking as babies, we know that
An accepting person is friendly and open to all
life is not about sitting– it’s all
God’s people, regardless of age, beliefs, gender,
about walking! But as we get
culture or ability, sees the positive traits in all peoolder, why do we stop walking and
ple even if she or he disagrees with them, avoids
spend so much time sitting, even
judging or stereotyping others and understands that though we know we should be more active? Walkthere may be more than one way to do things
ing is free and it is low impact. Anyone can do it.
The Virtues assembly will be held on Friday May 31st
So get out there and take that first step.
This
at 2:00 PM. We hope you are able to join us!
healthy tip provided by The Lunch Lady.
Teaching for The Father Inspired by The Son Guided by The Holy Spirit
OFFICE REMINDERS
LATE STUDENTS
A number of students continue to arrive late daily. Any student
arriving after 9:15 a.m. is considered late and should be accompanied by an adult. Please make every effort to have your
child/ren at school on time. When a child is late he/she misses
valuable teaching time. Late arrivals cause disruption to the other
students and also to the teacher who has already started the lessons for the day. Developing good work habits and time management skills can maximize a child’s learning potential. Let’s work
together to develop these skills.
BE SMART, GET A HEAD START
Head lice are always present in the community. By
checking your child’s head once a week for head lice,
you will catch it early and treat it before it has a chance
to spread. Should you suspect that your child (ren) has
head lice, please notify the school.
LET’S WASH OUR HANDS!
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.
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….
ARE YOU MOVING?
School organization for next year is in the planning
stages. Timelines for making decisions about the
WEATHER AND OTHER REMINDERS
number of classes and teacher assignments will be
tentatively determined by the end of June. To help us
with our planning for September 2016, it would be appreciated if
you could let us know now if you will be moving out of our school
SCHOOL DRESS CODE REMINDERS
area over the summer.
We expect that warmer weather will soon be here, making classFLEX BOUNDARY ADMISSIONS
rooms somewhat warm and bringing about more casual dress.
If you currently live outside the school boundary, and are attend- With this in mind, we will be discussing with students, what is gening Holy Spirit on a flex boundary position, you will need to re- erally considered to be suitable clothing for school. Clothing
quest flex boundaries for the next year. Flex boundary admissions should be comfortable, tasteful and appropriate for a school envimust be requested in writing to the school principal each year.
ronment. Please refer to the Dress Code Section of the Student’s
Agenda.
Shorts are permitted, as long as they are neither too tight nor too
MEDICAL REMINDERS short. Tank tops, tube tops, halter-tops, muscle shirts or anything
that exposes midriffs are not suitable for any student from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Slogans on shirts will also be carefully monitored. The intent of our school dress code policy is to continue to
provide a modest, yet comfortable work atmosphere for our stuLIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES
dents during the school day. We look forward to your continued
We would appreciate the cooperation of the entire support as concerned parents.
school community by NOT sending any lunches or
snacks that contain peanuts/nut products. We want to SAFETY AWARENESS-PROTECTING THE SKIN
ensure a safe environment for all students. Thank you for your Over exposure to the sun can cause skin damage. We remind
assistance with this initiative. When celebrating a special occa- students regularly to take precautions to protect their skin during
sion, we continue to encourage that only non-edible treats be recess times. The following are some suggestions to help protect
sent to school if they are to be shared with other students.
skin:


MEDICATION
A reminder that students are not allowed to bring medication to 
school. This includes prescription and non-prescription medica- 
Wear protective clothing to cover the skin
Wear a hat to protect both the eyes and the skin
When possible, stay out of direct sunlight
Know your skin type, for example fair skinned people are more
sensitive to ultraviolet radiation
tion. As per Board protocol, all medication must be stored in the

Wear sun block; the higher the protection factor number, the greatoffice, accompanied by appropriate paperwork and doctor siger the protection
nature. Please note that this includes Advil, cough medication,
Parents are encouraged to reinforce these strategies with their
puffers, etc. We thank you for your co-operation in this matter.
children regularly.
As always, we care about the safety of all our students.
CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK (MAY 1-6, 2016)
SAFETY AWARENESS
As the warmer weather approaches, all students
will review safety awareness with respect to dangers, road safety, and the dangers of creeks and
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”
rivers. Please reinforce these safety concerns with your children.
Matthew 5:7
CLEAN CLOTHING REMINDER
Catholic Education Week begins on a Sunday to highlight the
At times, our play area behind the school can become quite mud- partnership that remains the foundation of Catholic education
dy. We ask that students keep an extra pair of pants and socks in between our Catholic schools and local Catholic parishes.
Throughout Catholic Education Week, we ask you to reflect on
their backpacks or at school.
the significance of Catholic education’s presence and contribution
PERSONAL TREASURES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES
in our Church, and in our society. We invite all members of our
A “personal treasure” is any item, regardless of its monetary
community, to participate in the celebrations and activities that will
value, that holds a personal significance to a person. This
mark the celebration of Catholic Education Week 2016 in our
might include jewelry, cards, or stuffed animals. Parents are
schools.
asked to reinforce with their children that these items are NOT
to be brought and used at school.
BULLYING PREVENTION CORNER– BULLYING
IS NOT A NORMAL PART OF GROWING UP
In May students will examine why people use bullySCHOOL EVENTS
ing behaviours. We need to dispel the myth that
bullying is just a normal part of growing up and understand why it happens. Bullying is a relationship problem-it is
about a sense of entitlement, power, and control.
Learning how to effectively deal with feelings of anger and finding
ARTISTS IN THE SCHOOL
positive ways to feel powerful are proactive steps to changing or
On May 2, a French Magician will be performing at Holy Spirt and preventing the use of bullying behaviours. Ultimately it is a queson May 3– 5 Students will participate in drumming clinics. Fami- tion of the worth or value we assign to all people. We don’t tend to
lies will also have the opportunity to enjoy pizza and participate in bully those we consider worthy. In turn, when someone is bullying
a drumming clinic on May 4 at 5:30. A special thank you to CSC others we must remember to value that person while helping them
deal with their bullying behaviours. Students will be reminded to
who supported these events.
identify the behaviour as bullying but not to label the person as a
EQAO PRIMARY AND JUNIOR ASSESSMENTS
bully. Tips for parents:
Each student in Grades 3 and 6 in Ontario will be assessed in  learn to recognize warning signs that your child may be involved in bullying others
Reading, Writing and Math for a period of 6 days beginning Tuesday May 25th through Tuesday June 8, 2015. Kindly avoid book-  role model appropriate anger management strategies and
effective apologies for and with your children
ing dental, doctor and other appointments during this period.
 don’t label children; deal with problem behaviours while
BOOK FAIR
maintaining a child’s sense of worth.
The Book Fair will run from May 2 to May 6. Students are invited to cut
out the wish lists and ballots from the flyer and bring it with them to the
fair when previewing.
COMMUNITY CORNER
P.A. Day: Friday May 13, 2016
On Friday May 13th, 2016 there is a Professional Activity (PA)
Day for all students in the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School
SUMMER LITERACY CAMP
Board. Therefore there are no classes for students on that day.
Summer Literacy Camps for students in SK to Grade 6 are being
offered by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board from
WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN
Monday, July 11 to Friday, July 29th. The program runs from
Our Welcome to Kindergarten night will take place on Tuesday,
May 31, 2016 between 6:00-7:00 p.m. We invite all parents with 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Monday to Friday for 3 weeks. The cost
children entering school for the first time to join us for this event. for the program is $300.00. The closest camps to Holy Spirit will
be at Venerable Michael J,. McGivney - 450 Fernforest Drive.
For more information please speak to your child’s teacher. AppliCATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
The next Catholic School Council Meeting will be held on June 8, cations are due to the Board by May 27, 2016.
2016 at 7:00 p.m. As always, ALL parents are welcome to attend
the meeting.
GRADE 7 AND 8 SUMMER SCHOOL
Summer School for students in Grades 7 and 8 is being offered by
the Department of Continuing Education from July 4 to July 22 at
Good Shepherd Catholic School, 28 Red River Drive, Brampton,
Ontario, L6R2H9.
The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from Monday to
Friday and attendance for students enrolled is compulsory. Transportation is provided at home school pick up point. The program
is free of charge and is intended for students who are achieving at
Levels 1 and 2 in Language and Mathematics. Students must be
recommended by the Principal to be eligible to attend. Please
speak to your child’s teacher for more information. Applications
are available at the school.
ONTARIO CATHOLIC SCHOOL GRADUATE EXPECTATIONS
Distinctive expectations for graduates of Catholic schools are determined and shaped by the
vision and destiny of the human person emerging from our faith tradition. Catholic education
views human life as an integration of body,
mind, and spirit. Rooted in this vision, Catholic
education fosters the search for knowledge as
a lifelong spiritual and academic quest.
The Graduate is expected to be
 A discerning believer formed in the Catholic Faith com-
MESSAGE FROM FATHER VITO
Dear parents, students, staff, administrators and parishioners of St.
Patrick’s parish:
As our Easter Season unfolds, and many of our children and
young friends approach the church with family and loved ones to
celebrate their First Holy Communion and Confirmation, we rejoice
in the love and mercy of God who continues to enrich us with his
blessings.
Traditionally, the month of May, embracing the Feasts of Easter
and Pentecost, reminds us of the early Christian community. While waiting for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, they remained in the Upper Room, with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. She
was their Mother and their teacher.
Continuing that tradition, the Church dedicates the month of May to
her love. We look upon her as she remains for us the perfect disciple of Christ, our Mother and our model in following her beloved
Son and listening to his Word. May her love continue to embrace
our families. May her prayers be felt in the lives and the homes of
all who face daily challenges. As the month of May begins, let us
turn to her in confidence and trust, as her beloved children. It was
from the Cross that Jesus entrusted all of us, in the person of
John, the beloved disciple, to her, as her sons and daughters,
brothers and sisters of the Lord.
During the month of May, let us as individuals and families, turn to
her in prayer and ask her to “pray for us”. Perhaps, as we gather
around our dinner table, or at other moments of the day, an extra
“Hail Mary” may be recited each day. Thanking her for her “yes” to
God, and for bringing Jesus to us.
Also, May begins with a week dedicated to Catholic Education. I
take this opportunity, as I will each day at Mass this week, to thank
God for the gift of Catholic Education. I also wish to congratulate
all involved in our schools. Thank you and God bless you dear
principals and vice-principals, teachers and secretaries, custodians
and volunteers. And above all, you, dear parents and guardians,
students and all who believe and support Catholic Education. Let
us pray that this gift may continue to be appreciated and supported
by all who are the recipients of its benefits.
Wishing you blessings, love and peace,
Fr. Vito Marziliano - Your pastor 





munity who celebrates the signs and sacred mystery of
God's presence through word, sacrament, prayer, forgiveness, reflection and moral living.
An effective communicator who speaks, writes and listens honestly and sensitively, responding critically in
light of gospel values.
A reflective, creative and holistic thinker who solves
problems and makes responsible decisions with an informed moral conscience for the common good.
A self-directed, responsible, lifelong learner who develops and demonstrates their God-given potential.
A collaborative contributor who finds meaning, dignity
and vocation in work which respects the rights of all and
contributes to the common good.
A caring family member who attends to family, school,
parish, and the wider community.
A responsible citizen who gives witness to Catholic social teaching by promoting peace, justice and the sacredness of human life.
JUNE DATES TO REMEMBER
June 6
June 13
June 17
June 22
June 24
June 27
June 28
June 30
Mathletes
PA Day
Family Track and Field
Grade 8 Graduation
Virtues Assembly
Board Track and Field
Year End Mass
Roof Top Picture
Report Card Sent Home
Last Day of School
INSERTS




May Calendar
Council Corner
School Calendar 2016-2017
Catholic Education Week Flyer
MAY 2016
Virtue: Acceptance
Sun
1
Catholic
Education Week
8
15
Happy
Mother’s
Day
Bullying Prevention:
Mon
2
9:15 AM
Junior Speeches
1:30 PM
French Magician
7 PM
Gr 7 Confirmation
9
Grade 8’s to
Chicago
Tue
Wed
Thu
Milk Day
Milk Day
Milk Day
3
4
5:30 PM
Pizza and Drumming Clinic for
Families
Pizza Day
10
11
5
7:00
CWL Junior
Speech
Competition
Fri
6
10 AM
Crowning of Mary
Sat
7
12
13
14
19
20
21
26
27
28
PD Day
No School for
Students
Pizza Day
GR 3 Peel Safety
Village
16
Bullying is NOT a Normal Part of Growing Up
17
Fire Drill
18
Soccer
Tournament
CCCSC Meeting
@ Guardian Angels
22
29
23
24
Victoria Day
No School
Fire Drill
30
31
Lockdown Drill
Pizza Day
25
EQAO
Pizza Day
Acceptance
Liturgy 2PM
Boys Soccer
6:00 PM
Welcome to
Kindergarten